Denali Home, Alaska

February, 1992


The snow crunched beneath worn hiking boots in the darkness of the night. The stars above were numerous, the moon full. The sounds of people laughing could be heard in the cabin.

Victoria licked the remnants of her meal from the corner of her lips, and looked up toward the origin of the laughter. Two shadows could be seen clearly, leaning toward the other until they embraced in a soft kiss.

She tore her eyes away swiftly.

"Damn Victoria, you look rough," Kate muttered.

She shrugged, plopping into a recliner. "Bear put up a fight."

"I think she was referring to the murderous look on your face," Irina laughed.

Victoria rolled her honey colored eyes. Eden was now a frequent guest to their home. Did they expect her to be happy having to hear the two teens making out all the time?

"You need to blow off some steam. You're going to explode one of these days and it won't be pretty," Tanya said, giving her a meaningful look.

"I've taken my frustration out on a few hundred trees and it obviously didn't work. Do you have any suggestions," Victoria said exasperatedly.

"Maybe you should take on a companion," Carmen offered hesitantly, seeing the hard look in her friend's eyes.

"No," Victoria said simply. "Not happening."

The sisters shared a look. They, of all people, understood how important sex is for a vampire. From what they witnessed, Victoria had been practicing celibacy for nearly a decade. Just the thought made them cringe.

"I understand not wanting to allow a stranger to touch you after years of abstinence, but I think it would do you some good," Tanya spoke softly.

Victoria shook her head. "I'm quite alright. Thank you for the concern."

"Personally, I must say I'm impressed with your restraint," Tanya chuckled, squeezing her shoulder.

"At least go out on the town with us. I know a few clubs you would love," Irina pleaded. Victoria pursed her lips.

"I know you're a partier, V," Kate taunted, smiling from ear to ear.

She hadn't been to a club in many years, but at one time that was her happy place. Being surrounded by hundreds of morsels pleased the hunter within. Her diet was restrictive, but she had no qualms about window shopping

"Okay, I'll do it," Victoria conceded, a small smirk pulling at her lips.

The sisters grinned wildly.


Raven's hands gripped short, curly locks, pulling her love deeper into a kiss as she straddled her hips. This kiss was a slow burning inferno, rising and falling quickly only to build up again.

Eden gasped into her mouth as teeth bit down gently on her bottom lip. Butterflies exploded in her lower abdomen, making it hard not act on her impulse to go further than they had ever gone. There were certain lines that couldn't be crossed inside Raven's home.

They pulled away breathlessly, eyes half lidded from the hormones coursing through their veins. Raven did not want to stop, but every fifteen minutes someone was sure to check in on them.

"I don't want you to leave," Raven whispered, lips brushing against the other girl's neck.

"Trust me, I don't want to go anywhere right now, but it's getting late," Eden rasped, biting her lip. Her hands slowly smoothed up and down firm thighs.

"I meant ASU."

Eden kissed her forehead gently. "You don't have to worry about that. I can't see myself with anyone else."

"Until...you meet that person," Raven said somberly. Eden was a beautiful girl and she was quite flirtatious.

The sound of loud laughter carried up the stairs. Raven sat up alarmed. It was strange that her family was so loud at this time of night. The laugh sounded like Victoria's. She hadn't laughed like that in a long time. The sound was like a magnet, pulling her attention away from her previous train of thought.

Curiosity got the best of her and she shot to her feet.

"I'll walk you to the door."

The chatter and laughter grew louder as they descended the stairs. Raven's lips curled upward, happy to hear her family having fun. She missed the days when happiness was commonplace.

Curious, they rounded the corner to the kitchen and followed the voices into the living area.

Raven noticed the sisters first. They were dressed in gorgeous dresses and high heeled shoes. It wasn't abnormal to see them dressed up for a night at the club.

Her gaze shifted and her eyes widened when she noticed Victoria. At first, she wasn't sure it was her. She hadn't experienced the pleasure of seeing her dolled up before.

Molten gold eyes met hazel brown. Full, crimson lips pulled over porcelain teeth to smile at her in a way they rarely did for anyone else. A solid black choker accentuated her long, pale neck. Curly, blood stained locs cascaded down her shoulders to the middle of her spine.

She wore a fish net crop top with a black lace bra beneath it, showing ample cleavage. Her flat, toned stomach peeked out just above her skin tight, leather pants. They sat high on her small waist, accentuating wide hips that many women dreamed of having.

Raven didn't remember how to breathe or blink, let alone look away before the others noticed her staring. There a strange lump in her throat that wouldn't go away. Her heart pounded hard, thumping in her ears and making her deaf.

It was painful to look upon her. Like gazing at the sun and being unable to look away. There was no one else but Victoria.

Suddenly, the vampire was in front of her.

"Raven? Are you feeling sick," Victoria asked worriedly, placing a cold hand to her forehead.

The aroma of chai tea and honey filled her nostrils and she blinked heavily, flinching away from the vampire's touch. The movement was physically painful. As, all she really wanted to do was lean in until there was no space between them at all.

Their eyes never broke contact. She felt like she was drowning.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just vertigo," Raven lied, prying her eyes away from Victoria's with much effort. She took a deep, shaky breath to calm herself.

"Vertigo? Right..." Kate said sarcastically, sharing a knowing look with her mates who smirked.

"Where are you guys going? Looks like you're planning on having some fun," Eden asked, changing the subject. She eyed her girlfriend, wondering what just happened.

"We're taking Victoria to the club for a few drinks. She's been down lately, but I think this will do her some good," Tanya said, smirking at her friend.

Victoria rolled her eyes but couldn't stop a small smile from showing through. She would never tell them how excited she was.

"We're hoping she finds herself a sexy friend tonight," Kate said with a sly smile.

Raven's brows shot into her hairline. She looked at Victoria surprised and slightly annoyed. She hadn't known her to have romantic partners. It was strange to think about her having a boyfriend since James. It was unfathomable.

"Oh...okay. Cool," she said, feeling an unsettling feeling build in her stomach. Her tone said it wasn't cool. At all.

Victoria frowned at her mates sudden strange behavior. "If you want me to stay-"

"No! Go out and have fun, V. You deserve it," Raven begrudgingly reassured her.

After everyone left, she sat brooding. She had never considered that Victoria was not simply a vampire, but a grown woman. A woman that desired romantic love and affection. A woman that had physical needs that went beyond blood.

The thought of her spending the night with someone made her skin crawl, and she wondered why.


The thump of the bass reverberated through Victoria's body as she stalked into the club. The smell of human blood and pheromones caused her throat to ache. Venom pooled in her mouth as their heart beats echoed in her ears, and the predator within rose to the surface.

Her lips tugged upward, remembering her days of hunting in establishments such as this. There was no better hunting ground.

"You look like you're having fun already," Tanya said, black eyes smiling.

"This place is divine," Victoria purred, swallowing back venom.

Irina gave her a warning look. "The humans are off limits. Remember that."

Victoria joined the sisters and danced seductively in the middle of the sea of humans. She lost herself in the music and allowed her herself to let go of the stress that had been building for so long. Ever so often, a drunken frat boy would come over and slur a pick up line. In return she would bare her teeth, sending them stumbling away.

She eyed the sweaty, drunk mortals with hungry eyes fantasizing about sinking her aching teeth into one of them. She remembered the taste of human blood all too well, and it taunted her.

Suddenly, the most decadent, overwhelming scent invaded her senses. Her eyes widened. The scent was unfathomablely delicious. Her chest rumbled with a deep growl and her head snapped towards the entrance inhumanly fast.

"What is it, Victoria," Tanya asked, concerned.

A young man with glasses walked hesitantly into the club with his friends. He barely looked old enough to drink. His shaggy hair nearly covered his eyes. The wet sloshing sound of his nervous heart beat was like a siren calling the red haired vampire to a sea of thick, hot blood.

Before Victoria knew what was happening, her feet were moving toward him.

She knew it was wrong. She knew that her place in the Denali Coven would no longer exist if she allowed her beast to take over, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered, but that scent. The blood that coursed through that boy's veins was her's and she was going to claim it.

The scent was her mother's amazing boisenberry pie. It was her father's slow roasted lamb shank. It was the fresh, damp air of Northern Ireland wafting through the open door of her family's cabin.

Hands like vice grips gripped her arms and shoulders, keeping her from moving. Victoria growled, teeth baring at her captors. In her mind, they wanted what was her's.

"Shhh. Victoria, you don't want to do this. You will ruin everything for yourself and this coven," Irina said quietly, eyes pleading with her.

Victoria knew she was right. They would have to move and Raven would be separated from the only family she knew. Her will to fight lessened.

"Think about Raven. How would she feel, knowing you chose to kill that man regardless of what you knew would happen. Think of your mate and let us take you home," Tanya said in a commanding tone.

Victoria's heart broke at the thought of Raven being upset with her. Her throat burned as she watched the boy and his friends walk to the bar. She slumped in their arms, surrendering to them.

"I need to hunt. Now." she ground out through gritted teeth.

"I know. We've got ya, V," Kate said sympathetically as they carried her out of the club.


The sound of a clock on the wall clicking echoed in Raven's ears as she lie on the couch. Her mind wandered, thinking about what Victoria was doing. Had she found someone like Kate said? Was she with him now? What were they doing?

She grimaced.

"Sweetheart, maybe you should get some sleep. You've been up for twenty-four hours," Eleazor said gently. He was more than a little concerned.

"Victoria should be home soon. There's no need to worry," Carmen added, handing the girl a hot chocolate spiked with melatonin.

Raven huffed. "I hope so. It's four in the morning."

Halfway through her hot chocolate the door burst open, revealing a very unkempt Victoria. She looked like she'd just been attacked by a grizzly bear, maybe three. Yet, somehow she was still breathtakingly gorgeous.

Raven was in her arms in seconds, checking her over for any wounds. The others watched, amused, as Victoria assured her that she was pretty much invincible. The teen didn't care.

"What happened to you? Did someone attack you," Raven demanded. Victoria was taken aback by her sudden, fiery disposition.

"Well, I ran into my singer in the club. I have the worst fucking luck," she said exasperatedly.

As Victoria explained singers to a horrified Raven, Carmen and Eleazor winced. They knew how powerful the call of a singer could be. They could only be thankful that a massacre didn't ensue.

"You didn't have to wait on me, love. You must be exhausted," Victoria chuckled, whisking her up the stairs by her hand.

"I was worried about you. I know how guys can be. Even if you are unbreakable, it still pisses me off to think about someone harassing you," Raven replied, squeezing her hand gently.

Victoria's heart warmed and she sat down beside the girl as she lie in her bed. Those wise hazel eyes looked back her. Her gaze was different, softer, as she stared up at her. She looked at her young mate curiously, wondering what was on her sleep dazed mind.

"Your face is amazing. It's like the best one I've ever seen," Raven mumbled, yawning heavily.

Victoria couldn't stop the obnoxious laugh that erupted from her throat. She laughed even harder when Raven joined in with her. Her mate was obviously not in her right mind.

"That is the most original compliment I've ever received. Thank you."

Raven pulled unaffectually on her arm. "Cuddles?"

"Give me a second."

Victoria blurred into her own room to change and wipe off the carnage from her hunt before settling down beside the teen. She opened her arms and the girl immediately snuggled into her normal spot in the crook of her vampire's neck. It was only a matter of moments before she was sound asleep.

Raven's arm squeezed tightly around Victoria's midsection and the vampire unconsciously began purring. Her beast was still very close to the surface, but holding her mate in her arms pleased it more than blood ever could.

"...all mine...," Raven mumbled quietly, letting out a deep contented sigh.

Victoria tensed, looking down at the deeply slumbering girl in her arms with wide eyes. Her mind reeled, wondering what was going on in the girl's dream. It couldn't be what she thought it was.

After a few moments of turmoil, Victoria relaxed realizing that she must have been dreaming about Eden. She had just spent the whole day with her. Of course, she thought to herself.

Until she spoke again.

"My Vic..."