Sweet Serendipity
Chapter Thirty-Two : The Mate

A. Brandon

The burning consumed her. Like an all intensive fire that ate everything in it's path. Somewhere in the back of her mind, past the pain and torture, she could faintly make out her own heartbeat. When her eyes finally opened, it felt like time itself had stopped. Her head pounded at the new assult of senses around her.

She heard the water drip off the leaves outside in the garden, she could see every fleck of dust that floated in the air. Her body felt new, like she'd been reborn. There was a bittersweet taste on her tongue, and a burning agony ripped through her throat, the slightest creak of a floorboard stealing her from her content reverie. Like clockwork Alice jumped from her position laying down on the soft bed, an animalistic roar echoing through the halls in the house as she flinched against the noise before realizing it had come from her own mouth.

"Alice?" a timid voice called out as she whipped around to the short haired woman to her left. She recognized her. Alice knew her as Charlotte. But she couldn't remember why, or how. She couldn't remember how they'd come to meet, or why it was she was in the house. She didn't even know who's house it was. How she'd come to wake up there, or why it was she was there to begin with. Come to think of it, Alice couldn't remember much before waking up.

"Where am I?" she demanded as Charlotte raised her hands in a calming manner, like she was trying to smooth talk a wild beast. Her eyes were crimson, her body lean and of average build. Her skin was flawless, but upon looking closer she saw the scratches and cresent shaped scars on her neck and the exposed parts of her hands. Her face held something rare, a rare beauty that seemed like it welcomed everyone in with a sisterly love that made Alice want to trust her. Her scar though, spoke of another story. They made her warey... like she was dangerous, and a part of Alice, no matter how small, was still cautious of that.

"Alice, you remember me right?" she questioned and Alice felt the irate absense of patience as her sanity felt like it was drifting away from her with every passing second.

"Where am I?! What have you done to me?" she roared once more as a male emerged from the hall in the blink of an eye. His scent was like Charlotte's, but more musky. He was handsome, and like her had flawless skin. He was tall and built what seemed to be perfectly proportioned to his size. He had shorter dirty blonde hair and also crimson eyes that stared back at her, calculating. Alice was unnerved by him, he had many more scars than Charlotte, and the air to back up the stories behind the marks on his skin. His body language screamed at Alice, more so than Charlotte's by miles. The ferocity in his eyes was heightened as he stood before the other female vampire, and Alice was confused by this act. She knew he was Peter, but like before, she wasn't sure how or why.

"Alice this is very important. I need to know everything you remember. Tell me everything that comes to your mind." Charlotte cooed at her, and something about the female made her want to tell her what she was feeling. But Peter's presence still set her on edge.

"I'm thirsty..." she started warily.

"What else? What do you know? What can you tell us about you?"

"Uhh... my name is Alice, and you're Peter and Charlotte. But I don't know my last name, how how I met you two. I can't remember where I was born, or my family. I don't remember what I had for breakfast this morning, or what my favourite music is... but I know I'm 17. I know what I look like... I think, I remember that. But I don't know why I'm here, or why I feel so different. It's like there are gaps where there's supposed to be memories."

"And what of the Major?"

"I know the name... A-and I feel like I... I don't know. I remember the Major, but I just don't know where from. My head... it's a mess and I can't remember anything. Why can't I remember anything?" she panicked slightly as she stepped down from the bed with a speed and grace that almost knocked her feet out from under her in surprise. She was not expecting that, not in the slightest. "I don't remember wht my favourite food is, or drink. I don't remember my 14th birthday party, or if I even had one. Did I have any siblings? Where are they?"

"I think it's best to focus on one thing at a time sweetheart."

"Why am I thirsty?!" she demanded, feeling her irritation spike as her skin crawled and Alice just wanted to scratch her way out.

"That's the lust. Do you remember what you are? What we are?"

A thousand thoughts raced through her head as Alice flinched at the ferocity of her own racing ideas. She was trying to piece together the present and the past at the same time but events were missing, images were blurry and different scenes were being put together that didn't belong. Her head pounded in anticipation as she was faintly aware of the cold hard floor beneath her as she sank to her knees. She wasn't cold though, she felt neither cool, nor warm despite the temperatures that brushed over her skin around her. Speaking of skin, how had hers suddenly become so smooth? Looking down at her hands, she was momentarily hit with a memory that left her screaming out in burning agony as if she were reliving it over again. Hands and feet being crushed, bones being ground together.

"Alice!" a voice pulled her from her memory as she shot up, another feral growl escaping her as the two vampires hissed back in return, a surprise to Alice as she felt the urge to fight or flight take over the part of her brain with lesser judgement... the only part that seemed to be working at the moment. "Alice come back to me..." the voice added in a whisper as she felt her sanity crashing against the cages within her.

Eyes clentched shut, hands pressed to her ears, she struggled to shut the world out around her as someone's touch sent electric shocks across her skin, like her veins were igniting at their touch. Her eyes shot open and were met with the most enticing red orbs she'd ever seen. They made her feel like the world was fading away, and she could just stay there staring at them for the rest of her life. "Alice..." the voice was so enticing. "Welcome back darlin'..." it whispered and she felt like she was the only girl in the world. The Southern twang introducing something that stirred her memories. But she couldn't be bothered with that anymore.

His scent was emploring. It was driving her insane. She wanted to devour him, to nestle up next to him and stay that way forever. She'd never wanted someone more than she did at that moment... at least as far as she could remember.

"Who are you?" she found herself asking moments later as the man stood and stared back at her, his eyes searching hers as she found she couldn't look away from him.

"I'm your mate."

ohhh damn. sorry for no shout outs today but I just really wanted to get this chapter out NOW

sorry it's short, but I just had to get this one up so there wasn't a huge skip/hole in the storyline. hope you enjoyed it!