Chapter 2. And then.

I became something so much more powerful than I could hope for. I was grateful to the brothers, who I learned to be keepers of the secrets of vampires, like the royalty, the guardians. They had turned me into one of them because I possessed a skill, I could track easily, and they needed that.

I fell deeply in love with Aro, the one who had changed me. He was so intelligent and interesting, and he told me stories of his past and where he had come from.

"It was quite devastating," Aro's soft voice brought me into the story so I could almost witness what had happened to him. "They came as a plague, or a swarm of locusts, feasting on everyone and destroying everything. I was one of the lucky few who managed to run and hide from those vampires. I hid in a ditch, unaware that they could still find me. Of course they could, vampires have unparalleled senses. The one that found me was weak, blood-crazed. His eyes, those devastating eyes, shot into me as a bullet might. I couldn't let go of his stare, and he jumped on me, sunk his teeth into my neck, and why I didn't die is still a question to me. The venom penetrated quickly, and the vampire just kept drinking my blood. I became unconscious, and that is when the vampire left. Perhaps another vampire had come and wanted my blood as well, and they fought, or maybe the vampire had just pitied me and left," At this, Aro chuckled, "Of course, I presume it was not the latter. My blood was calling out to this vampire like a drug."

I told Aro my story, of my family, and my drunken, abusive father. How I would kill him when I had the chance. Aro seemed distraught when I told him this, he did not want my life to be full of such sorrow, and this is when I knew that Aro sincerely loved me.

I stayed for many years, with the three brothers, until one day, I was of no use to them.

"James," Aro approached me with a sullen look to his face. I stood in order for him to have my seat, but he gestured for me to stay. (Of course we didn't need to sit, it was merely out of habit.) This troubled me, as it should have, and I gave him a questioning glance.

"Oh, dear James. I have such terrible, terrible news." And this I knew was true, for Aro gave me a tragic stare which bore deep, to the bottom of my motionless heart. "We will not be needing your assistance any longer. We have found someone more capable." I understood, but could not make sense of it, that was why he had so much pity in his eyes, so much sorrow. Aro and I had grown a bond that was much stronger than was necessary. I was emotionally attached to him.

He let me go anyway. Like he didn't care that I would have to go and leave from this wonderful family. Like he had never loved me, never cared, never stolen secret kisses, never caressed me and cooed in my ear.

That's when I killed my father. He was still living in the same house, alone, as my mother had died years before. It was effortless, really, kind of a bore. He pleaded for his life, apologized for all that he put my mother through.

"Please, son!" He was on his knees on the floor, "Don't do this, you know this is unnecessary." He latched onto my leg. "I loved your mother, I loved you, and all of you eight siblings," At this I laughed, I actually laughed. I had ten siblings, what a stupid, deficient man. He was not worth my time. I killed him quickly, and his eyes lay open and his mouth twisted in agony.

I left for America soon after, I knew that some of my kind had traveled over there, and there were many, more unaware, humans there. It would be much more entertaining than hanging around, waiting for Aro to take me back. I had at first wanted to expose myself to the city of Volterra, to get back for what he had done to me, but I decided against it, because it would hurt him too much.

America, the land of opportunity, welcomed me with open arms. Not the people there-- I terrified and destroyed many towns through my journeys-- but the space available. Volterra was so cramped, and we rarely left the castle. But America had many forests and secluded areas where I could stay. I even met some of my kind.

The first I met were a couple in the northern part of Alaska, near Barrow. The male was named Handel, after the composer. He had a darker complexion than most vampires, and his eyes weren't of the same crimson red that the rest of us had, and he never told us for what reason, but he had wavy light brown hair which came to his shoulders, and a smile that was so much more genuine and intelligent than one I'd seen during my time as a vampire. Still, he could not compare to Aro, the one I had truly loved.

And the female, she was just too ridiculous to get along with. She had short, almost crew cut, black hair and always tended to look very enraged. I couldn't understand how Handel had learned to get along with her. She was constantly badgering on about how she was "concerned" about where we were, and if they would get found out. She really only wanted attention, stupid girl. She had told me her name once, but I chose to forget it, as she was of no importance to me, and should not have been to anyone else.

"Handel, you know this is irresponsible," I heard the girl whisper. "We don't know him. We don't know where he's from or what he's doing here." She sounded so idiotic, I nearly laughed.

"I trust him," said Handel, and I believed him, I honestly thought he would choose me over her. "James is helping us greatly, he's an excellent tracker, and we have benefitted from his assistance." I felt so wanted, for that short moment, that I nearly came out from where I was hidden, to take Handel's face between my hands, and stare into those peculiar eyes.

"Well I don't want him here," The girl huffed. "He is not friendly to me, and I don't like him." I really could not get along with her.

I left them soon after, trying to convince Handel to come with me, company is always so much better, and I felt like he enjoyed me much more than his dimwitted partner. But he refused me. He even had the nerve to say, "Why in the kings' names"—he was referring to Aro and his brothers, they were like our kings—"would I go with you? I am perfectly happy here and do not need to be concerned with your impulsive manner." That was difficult. I tended to be a bit of a "listen to your gut, do it now" kind of person.

I left that night and told myself to never go back to him. That made two to leave behind: Aro and Handel.