Prologue
Joseph watched, fascinated. She didn't writhe or scream in pain. She merely lay in bed, a trance-like expression hovering on her delicate face. Her eyes stared vacantly, never blinking as her body slowly changed. Her features became even more perfect than before, and the silvery shade of blue in her eyes that Joseph adored was rapidly changing. After the 1st day those beautiful irises had been nearly enveloped by the coal-black pupils within them. Before long her eyes would be completely black.
Joseph knew this was temporary. Soon they would be red. Red –blood red- eyes were one of the few ways you could identify a newly changed vampire.
Joseph glanced nervously out the window, again. He couldn't stop fidgeting and pacing. He had to admit that he was afraid. He knew that the tracker would come for her, hoping to taste the excruciatingly sweet scent that she emanated, the scent that Joseph had learned to ignore. But if she was one of their kind before he arrived, the tracker would have no interest in her… but he would be angry. And Joseph knew the price he would have to pay for angering a tracker. He would die… but he would go gladly, as long as it saved her.
A sudden knock snapped Joseph out of his thoughts. The tracker had come. Joseph sighed, and walked over to the bed. Her eyes were slowly gaining back color, even if the color was no longer blue. He was amazed that she hadn't once screamed. He remembered his rebirth… the most painful experience of both his lives. Another, more impatient, knock pulled Joseph back to reality, and he leaned down to kiss her gorgeous lips. He stood again, and sighed wistfully. He missed the passion in her that he would never get to feel again. He knew that the blackness she had locked herself in to escape the pain of her impression in that accursed asylum would block all her human memories… But Joseph still hoped she would remember him.
Joseph walked to the door and put his hand on the knob. He was suddenly aware that he was unafraid. He smiled a soft melancholy smile while the knob turned. He would do anything to keep her safe. And he knew she would be safe when she was a vampire. He just had to bide her the time to finish the change. He would gladly give her the time she needed… with his life. And then he faced the non-descript face of the tracker.
"Hello Joseph." He said congenially.
"James." Was Joseph's brusque response.
"I'd like-" Joseph abruptly cut him off.
"You're too late. She's one of us now." Joseph saw the fury dominate the false friendliness that was James' characteristic, and heard his enraged roar. Another roar ripped through the huge house, and Joseph didn't have time before attacking his enemy to realize it was his own.