Disclaimer: I do not own the Night World creation or any of its rules (soulmate principle, black irises, etc.). I do not own any of the characters in this story if they had appeared in the books. I've now read 'Soulmate' and 'Huntress.' I am only borrowing the creation of 'The Night World' from L.J. Smith and making a story of my own.

Summary: It was the night before the biggest wedding of the year. It was the wedding between Samuel Folan and Evangeline Yerken, two of the main descendants of the Maya. They had already had a son, Carter, who was three months old. But then fate turned. Vampire hunters charged in and started attacking. Many were wounded including Samuel's father, Xavier. Evangeline lost grip on her son and the vampire hunters took him. After a few minutes, the vampire hunters were satisfied and left. Samuel and Evangeline were two of the few that survived. As Samuel was the eldest Folan son, he was then the head of the family. Years after the tragedy, Samuel and Evangeline tried having another son to replace the one they lost but they had twin daughters and another daughter. But then another vampire hunter had gashed Samuel and now he is going to die. He can't pass his title back to his daughters as they hadn't married. Evangeline is trying to make her daughters marry or find out if somehow Carter had survived. If she doesn't succeed in one of the two, the title would be given to Samuel's younger brother, Alfonso. The vampire hunter that took Carter couldn't kill such an innocent baby so she put him up for adoption. He was then adopted by the Dereks and was then named Zach…

Author's Note: Sorry the summary was so long! Would it matter if I skip the next book and read the last book or would that ruin it for me?

Chapter Seven – Identities, Revealed

Zach Derek had never been scared in his life. He has dealt with many problems but fear wasn't one of them. He knew he was stronger than most people so what was he suppose to be scared about?

But just twenty minutes ago he experienced fear for the first time. He feared that Ella really hated him but most of all he feared that man with the dark sideburns.

Who was he and how did he know about the wood? And Zach knew that he saw that hole in his hand. His cells may have healed in less than two seconds but the man had seen that gap in his hand.

And Zach was terrified that he was going to tell someone. Was there anyone else in this world that was invincible to everything but wood? And even so, could anyone else heal as fast as he could?

Zach blinked his eyes and realised he should've done something else. He should've killed the man right there and then. If that man breathes one word to anyone, his life was over.

Zach knew if people found out, they would want to experiment him. He didn't want to be a guinea pig; he was just a normal guy that just had different genes. He couldn't tell anyone. He wished there was someone that he could tell his problems too but there was no one.

Zach picked up a pencil from his desk. It was made from wood but it wasn't sharp. How can wood puncture him?

Zach recalled the first time he realised he wasn't immune to wood. He was in Grade Two and his teacher was talking about Space. Boring. So Zach started to play around with his pencil. The lead look sharp so Zach tried to test it out on his finger. But he must've applied too much pressure because the pencil had gone straight through his hand!

And the pain was unbearable. The white-hot agony shot up his arm and straight to his brain. Zach screamed and fell off his chair. All his class mates and his teacher were looking at him. His teacher, Miss. Dawson, was asking if he was okay.

Zach had to lie. He couldn't tell anyone the truth. So he told Miss. Dawson he thought he saw a spider. Everyone snickered; even Miss. Dawson had a funny smile on her face.

Zach had looked back down on his hand and saw that the hole was gone. The pain was gone also.

When he arrived home that day, he tested himself with another pencil. Like the first, it had gone straight through. And it hurt. Zach had at first thought it was just pencils that could hurt him but realised when he was playing hockey with his parents once, there was a splinter and it had made a dint in his hand.

Zach wasn't like an average Grade Two student. Not only was he stronger but also smarter. And that was the day he realised wood was the only thing that could hurt him.

Zach sighed and studied the pencil in his hand. He knew that he would rather die than let anyone experiment him. And he knew how he could kill himself. Wood piercing his heart.

Maybe I am a vampire, Zach thought grimly. He remember watching movies, that the only way you could kill a vampire was by the sun or by a wooden stake straight through the heart.

But then again he could walk through broad daylight and not even get sunburnt. And he could stand garlic. So what was he? A mutant?

Zach frowned replaying his encounter with the man that could change his life.

Flashback

Zach was about to walk away when he felt the man pull him back.

"Hold up!" The man said grabbing his arm.

As soon as Zach turned around, the man looked him straight in the eye and jabbed a pencil through him.

End Of Flashback

Zach was certain of something. That the man had deliberately poked the pencil at him. Who else would carry a pencil with them?

That also meant something else. The man knows something about Zach. That man may have all the answers he was looking for.

Zach got up, put on his leather black jacket, and went downstairs.

"Where are you going, honey? You just got home," Holly said with a frown.

"I know," Zach said. "I have to do something."

"It's almost seven, you haven't had dinner yet," Holly said looking worried.

Zach loved his mother. She was the sweetest lady he had ever met. As much as he loved her, she didn't know everything about him. All he needed was a dose of blood every day. Meals in between didn't matter.

"I'm okay mum," Zach said pecking her on the cheek. Holly was still looking up at him, misty-eyed. "I'll be home soon. I promise."

Holly smiled and gave him a warm hug.

"Just be careful, it's always dangerous at night," she whispered.

Yeah, Zach thought. I always thought so too. But now, it's also dangerous in daylight too.

"I will, see ya," Zach said with a quick smile.

Then he headed out the door. Zach was fast. He'd be able to catch up to that man again. He had to.

……………………………

Ella was crying.

Zach was a completely different person to what she had thought. He wasn't the sensitive guy she thought he was. She had always thought he was secretive because he was hiding something but she was wrong. No one knew anything about him because he was a cold, ignorant jerk that didn't give a damn about anyone else.

"Girlfriends are different from friends. Girlfriends are just, you know, chicks that you hang out with for…fun. Friends are people that you have to care for," Zach had said.

"Why…why did you say yes to me then?" Ella had whispered.

"Cause I was bored."

Tears came flooding again as she recalled their last conversation. He only dated girls for fun he didn't care about them at all. And he didn't want to be friends with her because it meant that he had to care for her. And he had no feelings. He wasn't going to care for her. And he never will.

God, he was using her for entertainment! That was totally unacceptable.

Ella looked down at the small picture of her and Zach. It was taken when they were in a taxi going back to her house, on their (first and only) date.

Her head was pressed next to his and they both had a wide smile on their face. And in both faces there was only one emotion. Happiness.

"See, we were happy!" Ella cried to no one in particular. "What did I do wrong! What happened!"

Sobbing, Ella picked up a pair of scissors and cut him out of the picture. He was the most gorgeous yet careless person she had ever met.

"I would've given you everything I had," Ella whispered to the picture of his smiling face. "You could've told me anything and I would've stood by your side. But no one likes to be uncared for."

Looking down at him one final time, she scrunched up the picture and threw it out her window.

……………………………………

"What do you mean you don't know!" Edith snarled at the thin lady.

"I haven't heard of a vampire called Tony my whole life!" she snapped back.

"Listen Miss I-have-a-stick-up-my-a, I was told by a vampire, Evangeline Folan in fact, that Tony was in Sydney!" Edith yelled in her face.

"Why are you associating with vampires? You're a vampire hunter," the lady hissed, raising a thick eyebrow.

Edith scowled and gave her a glare, hot enough to sizzle through iron. Edith couldn't believe that the vampire hunters in Sydney were boneless freaks that wouldn't bother to help.

"You tell me where Tony is or I'll break your skinny neck," Edith compromised.

The lady, Edith didn't bother to find out her name, gave her a withering look.

"Listen you white-haired witch, I don't know anyone called Tony," she growled.

"He should be around nineteen, because he's a made-vampire. He has shiny black hair, sharp hazel eyes, he used to wear glasses!" Edith pressed.

"No one invited you here; please show yourself to the door. You came through that door an hour ago and now you may leave," the skinny lady said baring her teeth as if it was a smile.

"I am not leaving! You are the only vampire hunters in Sydney and you should have a file on every vampire, lamia and made!" Edith growled.

"This is another state, fly back to your stupid state!" the lady yelled.

Edith made a forward movement ready to strangle the 'head of the Sydney vampire hunters'. But at the last moment, strong hands grabbed her arms.

"Easy there," a male voice whispered into her ear. Edith quickly twisted out of his arms and turned to face him.

That man was gorgeous. Tall and tanned, blonde, green-eyed, he looked like Prince Charming himself. But there was a problem. He wasn't Tony.

"Could you tell her," Edith stopped to jab a finger in the direction of the scrawny lady. "That I'm looking for a guy called Tony!"

The man gave an annoying, heart-stopping smile.

"We never got to introduce ourselves, my name is Vincent, a top vampire hunter," he drawled sticking out his hand and completely ignoring her question.

"Edith, flattered," she said taking his hand and giving it a quick shake. "Vampire Hunter from Melbourne."

His hand was warm and strong. Edith looked up and saw that his emerald eyes were smiling back. Then she remembered she was here for Tony.

"Anyway," Edith said quickly removing her hand. "Do you happen to know a made-vampire called Tony? He's around nineteen."

Vincent sure took his time to answer. He just stared down at her with a twinkle in his eyes and with his arms folded. And Edith was losing her patience.

"Listen, buddy, if you don't—," Edith was cut off when Vincent placed two long fingers on her lips. Edith hoped her shiver wasn't noticeable.

"I heard you describing 'Tony'. He sounds a lot like a made-vampire that calls himself Rocky. Does Tony have a scar of a star on his right hand?" Vincent asked.

Edith gasped. She had completely forgotten about that scar. Now that she remembered, she remember always looking at in awe and tracing it lightly with her fingertips.

"Yes, he does, it's right above his middle finger," Edith whispered.

Vincent smiled making him look even more gorgeous than he already was. Edith had to keep reminding herself that her heart belonged with Tony.

"Looks like we found our little vampire. Everyone knows Rocky. He is the best vampire, vampire hunters are putting a price for the one that kills him," Vincent explained.

"He kills?" Edith echoed. She could never imagine poor, little, innocent Tony killing. God, what did those vampires do to him? When she found out who donated their blood to Tony, she was going to stake them.

"Yeah, heaps. Humans all around," Vincent confirmed.

"Oh, God," Edith gasped feeling like something was squeezing her heart. Tony used to kill vampires and now he was changing sides? Now he was killing humans instead.

Before she could think about it more, her mobile rang. She answered.

"Edith, its Wayne."

"Yeah, what?" she asked tiredly. She wasn't in the mood for her brother. She just wanted to find Tony.

"I know who Carter is. It's a kid named Zach Derek," Wayne said sounding somewhere between fear and excitement.

"So?" Edith sighed.

"I just want to thank you, that's all," Wayne said sounding a little embarrassed. "Once I kill Zach, everything will be over. I am in your debt forever."

Tears sprang to Edith's eyes. Wayne had never been so nice to her in almost twenty years.

"Thanks," she whispered. "But I have to go."

She hanged up. Wayne's life was now perfect but what about hers? The Tony she knew was gone.