I am so sorry that this has taken so long to write. Life came knocking on my door and decided to stay for an extended vacation… Any mistakes you see are mine and I apologize but I wanted to get this up as soon as I finished it.

AN: I wish, but we all know that I don't own anything. If you do…. Then you might want to see a doctor for delusions.

I came to a sudden stop as the scent hit my senses. There was a human to the north and I was in the middle of a hunt. I felt the venom pool into my mouth and I grinned as I changed direction. I slowed as I heard the heartbeat and I crept through the shadows of the trees. The trees blocked out most of the moonlight overhead but I didn't want the flickering campfire to catch sight of me either. I stopped completely as I looked into the clearing. I could have taken my meal right there but I knew I would regret it.

In the middle of the clearing sat a boy. He couldn't have been more than 14. He had a small fire in front of him and he was crouched down in front of it, his eyes locked on the glowing embers. His mouth was moving but no sound was coming out. After watching for a few seconds I noticed he was moving his mouth along with the lyrics blaring out of his head phones. He was trembling from the cold but he I could tell he wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. I heard the distant shouting of a man looking for the boy but I knew his hearing wouldn't pick it up for a while yet. His senses must have been better than I thought because as soon as I took a step towards him his face jerked in my direction. He tumbled backwards as a shocked cry left his mouth.

"Who are you," he stuttered as he stood quickly and began to back away. I smiled gently, all thoughts of feeding gone from my mind.

"A friend," I told him calmly as I suddenly appeared right in front of him. I grabbed his arm gently before he fell backwards. He was shaking from the cold and the fear that flowed through him. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

"How do I know that," he whispered as his eyes stared up at me, wide as saucers and full of knowledge that a boy his age should never have.

"You should be at home in bed," I said with a frown. He shuddered and tried jerking away from me.

"No, I'm never going back there again," he said roughly as he jerked and pulled. I shot him a wave of calm and he looked back up at me in surprise.

"Why," I asked. He never got the chance to answer. The voice that had been calling for the boy suddenly broke into his hearing range and his whole demeanor changed before my eyes. Instead of the stubborn rebellion, I saw fear. I felt it as it curled up through his body and over took him.

"You have to run. You have to go. If he finds you here with me it'll be worse. It'll be so much worse. Please just leave. He'll hurt you, you need to run," he cried as I let him go and he scrambled to put out the flames. As he threw a bucket of water and the light from the flames went out another light flooded the clearing and a man crashed through the underbrush. The man stopped and looked at us both and then a sick grin split his face. I nearly gagged at the sight.

"There you are. I've been looking for you for hours you little bastard," the man yelled as he approached the boy. I stepped in between them and smiled gently.

"I don't think so," I said quietly. The man looked me over once and laughed.

"You think you can stop me you little bitch. Just try and see what happens," he said as he sneered at me. I looked up at the man as he approached me and waited. He was drunk and full of himself. I knew this wouldn't take long. I turned my head and spoke softly to the boy trembling behind me.

"Run, little one. I will find you as soon as I'm done here," I said. His grey eyes looked up at me. He nodded before turning and running into the darkness. I turned my head back to the man stomping towards me. He grabbed my shirt and jerked me forward as he raised his other fist to strike me. I smiled fully this time, my razor sharp teeth glinting at him. He stopped mid swing and I grabbed that wrist that held my shirt. I squeezed and he let out a cry as his wrist broke under the pressure. He went to his knees and cradled his injury close to him. He looked up at me, fear showing in his eyes now. The drunken haze was gone and he knew he was going to die. I snarled as I pulled him towards me. The smell of human waste filled the air and I laughed darkly.

"How does it feel to be weak and defenseless? You will never hurt anyone else again you filthy piece of shit," I told him as I pulled his head to the side, "I'm going to enjoy killing you."

"No, please don't. I swear, I'll never hurt anyone again. Wait," he stammered as I lowered my face to his pulsing vein.

"Too late," I whispered just before my teeth sank into his skin. I pulled long and hard as he began screaming. I drained him quickly before burying his body in the clearing. I took a moment to gather myself. Something in the back of my mind always tried to surface when I fed. It was something important yet so far out of reach. I sighed and glanced down at my clothing. They were getting a little worn out but at least I didn't have any blood on them. I found the boys scent and made my way after him. I found him walking down the highway back towards town.

"Hello again," I said. He jumped and turned towards me. The next instant he had his arms around my waist and his head buried in my chest. His tears soaked my shirt as I rocked him and ran my fingers gently through his tangled hair.

"I thought I would never see you again," he said quietly. I pulled him away from me and looked down into those stormy grey eyes that had seen too many things already. I knew I had to make a decision. Hopefully it would be the right one.

"That man will never hurt you again," I told him gently. He nodded solemnly. "Now you have two choices. You can go home and pretend you were in bed the entire night. Or you may come with me. You must realize though, if you come with me everything in your past must be forgotten. It may even be dangerous at times. I will protect you though. So it's your choice."

"I'll be safe with you," he asked.

"As safe as you can be traveling with me," I told him with a small smile. He smiled back.

"Then I'll go with you," he told me firmly.

"There's no going back after you decide," I clarified. He nodded.

"I'm sure," he said. I smiled down at him.

"Okay then. Let's get you home so you can grab a few things and then we'll be on our way," I said. I crouched down and he wearily climbed on my back. I made that I had a hold on him without hurting him when he asked me a question that made me stop for a moment.

"What's your name," he asked quietly. I looked over my shoulder and smiled sadly at him.

"I don't remember," I replied softly before taking off in the darkness.