The Denali Coven could smell the fire from miles away.

The smell of burning wood caused every vampire in the cabin to glance at one another in alarm.

As if they were of one mind, they took off toward it at full speed.

When they arrived to the scene, the overwhelming aroma of blood made them freeze in their tracks.

Even with the blazing forest fire producing massive amounts of smog, the massacre before them still made their throats burn.

Bodies lie everywhere.

Eviscerated beyond recognition.

In the middle of the carnage, dangerously close to the blazing wildfire, a woman sat sobbing hysterically.

Her shirt was in tatters and her pants were beyond repair.

When Tanya stepped closer, the woman jumped into a crouch and snarled at her. The vampire's entire body was drenched in blood and soot.

The coven leader rose her hand as her family answered with growls of their own.

"We are not here to harm you, but if you threaten us, we will have to respond with force," she said stoically.

The woman eyed them warily, but did not speak.

Even though every inch of her skin was covered in dried blood and soot, she could tell the newborn was exceptionally beautiful.

The ancient's eyes slowly traced her features of their own accord.

"I am Tanya. What is your name?"

Silence.

Tanya stepped closer, and she didn't respond defensively this time.

"What happened here? Why did you do this?"

The utter torment on the woman's face was difficult to look at.

"I...I don't know," the woman choked, her voice thick with emotion.

"There was so much pain and then I smelled something and I had to have it."

Tanya nodded, stepping even closer to the woman. She stiffened, but didn't back away.

"That must have been extremely confusing for you. None of us fault you for not being able to control your instincts."

The woman looked at her and then her coven with venom pooling in her eyes. She clearly felt remorse for her actions.

"Will you come with me? A few of my covenmates will take care of this," Tanya said in a kind tone.

The woman thought for a long moment, before nodding. She couldn't stay here. She didn't want to kill the people who came to investigate.

Tanya took off her sweater and wrapped it around the taller woman's shoulders, noticing her stiff posture.

"Follow me, young one. Everything is going to be okay."

Back at the cabin, Tanya swiftly helped the unknown woman into the shower and went downstairs to speak with her mate.

"Well this was unexpected," Irina whispered.

"What are we going to do with her?"

Tanya pinched the bridge of her nose.

"She has to stay. We can't allow a newborn vampire to roam around without supervision. Whoever made her was irresponsible or didn't care enough to stay with her."

Irina frowned at the thought.

She couldn't imagine waking up into immortality without guidance and love awaiting her. She knew she was lucky to have had a great turning experience.

"I don't particularly like newborns, but for some reason, I don't have a horrible feeling about this," Irina said, rubbing her chin.

Tanya chuckled. "I agree."

After the rest of the coven arrived, the woman finally came down the stairs.

All chatter ceased as she hesitantly walked into the living room.

"I apologize for taking so long," she muttered in her low, feminine voice.

Tanya waved her off.

"Don't apologize. You're just fine."

She tilted her head, noticing the girl was sniffing at her shirt with a curious expression.

"Who do these clothes belong to? They smell great."

Without all of the carnage obscuring her features, her beautiful features were easier to admire.

Her skin was olive toned like Carmen and Eleazar's, but her long, curly hair was a deep auburn color that complemented it well.

The clothes Tanya gave her were Kate's, as she was the tallest woman out of all of them.

However, they were still a bit too short for her tall 5'11 frame.

The woman began to speak again, but stopped short when she glanced between three pairs of intense golden eyes.

Her own inked over into darkness as she growled deep in her chest, calling them to her.

The three blonde's were speechless for the first time in a millenia as a collective understanding washed over them.

This unknown woman was their missing link.

Kate and Irina stepped forward to answer their young mate's invitation, but Tanya, the reasonable one, stopped them.

Even though the collective scent of arousal in the room was threatening to make her snap.

Carmen and Eleazar smiled softly while the woman scowled, not understanding why her mate's did not come to her.

"Listen, I know you've been through alot today and this new development does not help at all," Tanya began slowly.

"But there are some things I need to know before I can explain what just happened between us. Is that okay?"

The woman frowned, but nodded, willing to do whatever her mate said.

"I need you to tell me who turned you."

"Turned me?"

The woman looked confused.

"Yes. You were a human and now you are a vampire," Tanya said. "Do you remember the vampire that bit you?"

They watched her think deeply, pacing in front of them at an inhuman speed.

When she finally spoke, her voice was shaky.

"It's blurry. Everything is blurry before the pain."

All three blonde's moved closer to comfort her.

She was obviously in distress, and this caused her to become thirsty. They could tell by the way she massaged her throat.

Carefully, Tanya caressed her cheek as her mate's rubbed her back.

The young woman looked up at her, black orbs glinting with venom tears. Through the chaos in her eyes, she could decipher something soft and yielding.

Although, she and her mates had waited centuries to meet their missing piece, Tanya needed to find clarity in this mess of a situation.

No matter how badly she wanted to embrace her, she had a duty to fulfill.

"You know my name is Tanya, but these are Irina, Kate, Carmen, and Eleazar," she said, gesturing toward her respective coven members.

"What is your name?"

They waited as the woman tried to reach back in her foggy, stunted memory. With each passing minute, she became more frustrated.

Until, finally, she gave up.

"I...I don't know."

They hugged her tightly as she sobbed with despair.

"I don't know my own name," she whispered.

The Denali Coven glanced among each other with somber expressions.

This young lady was living every vampire's nightmare, and there was nothing her mates could do about it.