"Where are you taking me?"

Larten was leading me by the hand as he walked straight into the forest. It was getting dark, so I didn't understand what exactly there would be to see out here...

"Be patient, it is only a bit farther, up this hill here..."

There was a short hike up a hill as I followed close behind. Once we reached the top I could see my town down below. It was a nice view up here, there was a faint glow of light as people began stoking fires and lighting candles at their window sills. No doubt they would still be frightened of the night for a while yet, but eventually, hopefully, they would realize that the attacks were over. I might even make up some sort of story to clue them in...

"Why are we up here?" I asked, interrupting the silence between us and my internal pondering.

Larten was standing silently beside me, hands clasped behind his back and his face somber, his hair and long flowing cape billowing in the cold wind of night.

"I think it is important for you to see what you will be giving up." he started, "This is your home, is it not? These are your people." Larten motioned with his hand to the town below, "And you will probably never see them again if you choose to come with me."

I looked out at the small, quiet town, filled with small and quiet people. It was peaceful, but it also felt lonely and distant.

"If I can be completely honest, Larten." I started, feeling wistful, "I haven't had a home in a long time."

And that was true, I lived here, and for a long time, but I had always kept my distance and so these people were strangers to me. I cared for them, but it would take a monster to not care about the suffering of others. Work and trade drew me here, my true home and current accommodations were two seperate things.

"Why do you think I'm pretty much the town recluse?" I added with a chuckle, "This is home but...I always told myself it was only for now, I put off leaving for too long..."

I have to admit that the violence this town was plagued with had also made me delay a departure. I thought that I could help them if I stayed, and...I have done just that. So, what was next for me?

Larten sighed at me, but remained determined. We stayed atop the mountain, in front of a beautiful view of the night sky and a tiny faintly glowing town below.

"Alright, let me ask you something else."

I scowled, "Okay, what now?" I questioned frustratedly.

"Do you not want a family? Children? To experience the joys of a human mother?"

I shook my head in confusion, taken aback by how personal this suddenly was, "Why-"

Larten was facing me, still cutting a severe figure with a darkened expression, "Vampires cannot have children." he stated matter of factly, cutting to the point.

To my dismay, this sobered me, "You're...sterile?"

Larten nodded, adding simply, "As will you be, if you choose to share my curse."

I thought for a moment, I had seldom pondered such a thing, but now it seemed that I had no choice, "I've never really thought of family." My gaze fell, I though of how, some might see this as a mistake on my part, as selfishness, "Some might say that means I am lacking in some way, that I am forgetting my womanly duty."

I locked my gaze with Larten's, filled with a sudden burst of determination, "But I chose to be a hunter, a profession that not many women find themselves in, and I am great at it. Maybe that in itself is telling, I never had the temperament to be a mother, and I feel no shame in that, I have plenty more to take pride in." I grinned, "For me It's enough to know that I inhabit this earth, and that I am to make of it what I will. Without worrying about anyone else. I can live with not releasing more wild animals into the world. It's wild enough with me in it." I smiled triumphantly.

Larten stared at me with a look of admiration, he looked relieved and tired at the same time, "The more I listen to you the more I am starting to believe you were put on this earth just to torment me..."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing at that, the poor man was really trying his damndest to dissuade me and I simply wasn't having it.

"It's not my fault we were made for each other." I fire back.

Larten stepped forward, bending gently until his lips reached my cheek, "There's more."

I sighed tiredly, great...

I suddenly felt a strong tug at my arm, there was a violent flurry of air as my vision completely blurred and the scenery flew past me. My hair slowly settled back down next to me once the rush was gone and to my utter shock we were back at my cabin.

I looked around and nearly screamed, "How the hell did we-"

"Later, my dear." Larten silenced me with a wave of his hand, carrying on as if I were the one overreacting, "Of course you know this from the legends." Larten continued ignoring me while my sense of reality was slowly crumbling, "That vampires cannot go out in the day."

I huffed, flabbergasted but trusted that Larten would help me understand what had just happened soon enough, "Um, yes, of course, uh, will it really kill you?" I questioned, trying to concentrate as I patted down my clothing.

Larten took a seat at my table, taking hold of the kettle that was left there, water still hot from earlier and pouring himself a cup of coffee, "Not instantly, we do not burst into flames if sunlight touches us. But we burn much quicker than humans."

"How quick..?" I asked with a raised brow as I took a seat across from him.

Larten grabbed a second mug and slowly poured a second helping of the hot brown liquid into it, "Let's say... if you were to stand out in the blaring sun, on a hot day during summer, with nothing protecting your skin, you would get a burn that a vampire can get in a matter of seconds on a regular day." Larten slid the second mug of coffee my way, "It is not impossible to be in the sun, but it can be very painful if you are not careful. A vampire can last in the sun for a few hours before the burns become life threatening."

"If one could even stand to be in it for that long and still be able to function..." Larten added with a grimace as he looked down his own mug before taking another swig.

I nodded slowly as I gripped my drink gratefully, "To be honest I'm actually happy to hear that. It's certainly better than bursting into flames instantly."

"You say that now but you have no idea what those burns feel like. Thanks to my incredibly unfunny friends I have more than a few experiences to draw painful memories from." Larten sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose at the painful memories.

My eyes widened, "That's awful! You'll have to tell me those stories sometime." I smiled, I was amused at the thought. I'm sure the memories are horrible and humiliating, but for me they would be downright delightful to hear. Maybe Gavner would share them with me..

Larten coughed and made a face as if he suddenly had a terrible taste in his mouth, no doubt recanting in his own mind the painful and foolish exploits that he as a young man must've gotten into...

I hope I will see this trouble-prone side of this cool vampire. Just how much trouble could such a stoic and, infuriatingly, self-disciplined man get himself into? Curious...

"I make no promises. But now I want to talk to you about one of the most important parts of being a vampire." he continued.

"Ah..." I exhaled knowingly, "The blood drinking, right?" I offered sarcastically, as if I were a genius for knowing where this was going.

"Right." the vampire agreed, his fingers woven together as he explained, "Food will no longer be the thing that keeps you alive, blood will be your only source of sustenance."

"I won't be able to eat food at all?" I added worriedly. I was honestly going to be completely distraught if I was going to have to give up sweets and meat...I might not be able to live with it...

Larten shook his head lightly, "Of course you can still eat food, do you not remember seeing me eat?" he asked, slightly amused.

"Sure, but I had to be certain. I mean, it's food. That's pretty important to me." I replied seriously.

Larten smiled gently, "Well, yes, you can enjoy food but blood will be the only thing that truly fills you. The only thing that cures your hunger, will be blood." Larten emphasized, "And it will have to be human blood..."

Larten reaches a hand out to cover my own, returning to his serious demeanor, "Can you really imagine a life where you are a predator and humans are your prey? Where you have to drink the blood of your fellows?"

"Well...they won't really be my fellows anymore, will they..?" I commented, slightly somber.

As a hunter I always felt a close connection with the food chain. I was a part of it, and had no fear of acknowledging that. I also did my best to make sure I respected the animals and the ecosystem we all shared.

But to ascend my place in that chain and begin feeding on humans? To drink blood was not a facet of vampire life that I particularly looked forward to, or any of the serious self reflection that I'm sure will inevitably come with it...

But I started to feel quite frustrated with Larten's line of questioning, "These questions are making me feel more and more like what you're really asking me is, 'don't you care for humanity?'" I shook my head, "As if, me wanting this is an insult to myself. As if it'll mean I don't care about my own humanity either and that's obviously not true. After everything, I can't believe you'd see me that way..."

Larten's hand squeezed mine, "Of course, I know that you care, I do not mean to make you feel guilty. But many of the things that come with being a vampire seem heartless, it can be difficult for a human to turn away from everything that they have known and understood about their world and their humanity. You are basically going to turn your back on everything that you are and I just want to make sure that you understand that." Larten's eyes were glowing with sincerity and genuine concern, "Family, and friends, love and happiness all have different meanings when you are a vampire. All the things that connect you to this world will be gone and you will have to start a new. There will be so much more to lose than to gain."

"Do all vampires feel this way? Or is it just you?" I questioned.

Larten was speechless for a moment, collecting his thoughts, "Maybe...maybe I am projecting...just a little."

Larten looked almost bashful. I can understand how, vampirism could be a curse, if it isn't a choice. And I knew that there was still a lot I did not know about Larten. Vampirism has a different meaning depending on who you ask about it. Some people think vampires are interesting and exciting, some people think of them as monsters, evil and soulless. I am lucky enough to know for certain that they are real. And so, in my mind, they mean freedom, and a way of life that I admire and already feel familiar with. I don't think I live that differently than they do. All I'm missing is the blood drinking, pale skin, and the obsession with red attire (Although that last part is probably unique to just Larten).

I wanted to be careful not to seem like I was being shallow in my reasoning for wanting to become a vampire. I did have feelings for Larten but I had many reasons for wanting to join them.

"Larten." I spoke, forcefully and determined, "I want you to make me a vampire. Please trust that I'm doing this for good reasons."

"Do you really understand everything I have told you?" Larten countered, becoming slightly frustrated.

I rolled my eyes, "Yes, of course I understand. I'm not stupid, Larten."

"Now, I never hinted at any such thing, I am simply making sure that-"

"I want you to make me a vampire. That is my choice and I'm not going to change it. I hear everything you're saying. Just- trust me." I pleaded emphatically.

Larten was looking at me like I had an arrow in my back, and he was worried as to why I didn't feel the pain, how could I not understand the severity of the situation.

"Stop looking at me like I'm crazy!" I yelled, followed by an incredulous laugh at how Larten was acting, "People must choose to leave everything behind for a new life as a vampire all the time if there are more of you, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"But what? Why do you hate this for me so much?" I asked.

Larten's head dropped, his hand massaging his forehead, "I just want you to be happy, my dear... I do not want you to choose a life that will only cause you more pain for no other reason than..." Larten shrugged.

Yes, I did care for Larten, and being able to spend much more time with him was certainly a positive for being turned vampire, but it was not my sole reason.

My judgement is not clouded, as my judgement is never clouded. My eyes have simply been opened, the veil has been lifted and there is a whole other side of the world that I can now experience. There is another side of life that is out there to explore.

And it's in my nature to go after it, maybe that's my humanity, maybe the very thing that pushes me towards such an otherworldly unknown is the same thing I'll have to give up so I can be a part of it. Either that or, you can't really lose your humanity.

Because it's more than just being human.

"I want this for more reasons than just you, Larten. I'm an adult, and I have lived my life on my terms for, basically, its entirety. This is no different. Regardless of how I feel for you, Larten...I want this. I need this." with that, I may have finally gotten through to him because for the first time in many hours the creases that littered Larten's forehead finally took pause.

"Okay," he finally said, "I am glad to hear that, you truly want the life, and not just the fact that this way we will not need to part. Because there is so much that comes with this choice."

"No offense Larten but, you're really just a perk compared to what I'm looking for." I winked.

Larten scoffed, "And what is it you are looking then? If not just hundreds of nights spent with me?"

I laughed softly, "My reasons are my own. You are just going to have to trust that I won't regret my choice. You'll have to trust that I'm smarter than I look."

"Very well, I suppose I will simply have to swallow my fears. " Larten replied, with an understanding nod, "And I know for a fact that you are plenty smarter than you think." he added with a coy smile.

I felt happy that Larten respected and understood my silence, I felt a glow at the idea of Larten trusting and believing in me. It only took all I had to convince him...

But I think deep down Larten knew that there was a freedom that came with vampirism, and he knew that for me, it might just deliver. So despite all the unknowns, I wasn't going to turn back.

But Larten had one last warning for me...

"One last thing," my companion added, and I already felt a slight dread at his tone,

"This is going to hurt." he winced.

"Great...don't even tell me about just do it as quick as you can." I groaned. I figured the transition wasn't going to easy or smooth but I wasn't thinking about eminent pain...

And with that lengthy discussion and bearing of my soul out of the way, Larten officially conceded, "Very well, my love."

Larten had me help clear the table and push it as far to the side as we could, slowly getting things out of the way so that there was a huge empty space in the middle of my house. I said I didn't want an explanation so I wouldn't know what to be nervous over, but I think that choice ended up making it worse.

"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked skeptically.

"Don't worry, I'm no stranger to pain." I replied, wringing my hands and rolling my neck in anticipation, "It might as well be my friend."

"Alright, wild woman, come here then." Larten mocked me lightheartedly.

I stepped in front of him, mentally preparing for my transition, my mind running away from me, coming up with all sorts of strange and cultish rituals Larten might put me through.

Larten stands before me, drawing his hands up into an almost steeple, but before his hands connect he slides his fingernails into the soft flesh underneath the nails of his opposite hand. He is effectively stabbing himself with his nails but somehow he doesn't so much as grimace.

"Uhhhh..." a mumble in place of a scream escapes my throat, as I'm trying and failing to keep my abject horror contained and to myself.

Larten quickly pierces his other hand the same way, so that blood leaks from the tips of his fingers. If were to let his hands go limp, fingers pointed downwards, I imagined he'd end up looking like a bleeding puppeteer as the thick crimson leaked from his fingertips down to the floor, I mentally added a tiny vampire puppet that looked like me at the end of the bloody strings.

Larten's eyes flick upwards and land on mine, His hands are flowing with rivers of crimson, red running down them like they're covered in open veins, an index finger rises from the mess and beckons me closer.

I can't deny the fear I feel in my heart and the trepidation I must be showing in my eyes because Larten is beginning to look at me with sadness and pity.

"I told you. You do not want to do this. You can still turn back."

I swallow hard. But I take steps towards my lover. I hold my hands out to him as I force myself to deny my fears and instinct to tackle him and run out the door.

"Shut up, of course I don't want my hands ripped open. Just do it quick" I rushed him.

I wasn't going to go through this with a smile, just because I wasn't jumping for joy and letting Larten shove his nails into my fingers didn't mean I was already having regrets...

Larten studied me for a second longer, gauging my readiness for the pain he was going to put me through. I may have to suffer now, but the trade will be worth it.

For one reason or another, a pattern has developed for me. I suffer for the things I want most. Maybe this is to me a new religion for me, if I have faith in nothing else, pain has certainly been deity that delivers.

I placed my hands in Larten's outstretched palm, his hands were soft and cold, helping stave off the heat in my body thanks to the nervous anxiety.

Larten's nails grazed the fingertips of my left hand, situating just below my nails, my face was already twisted in a grimace in anticipation.

Without anymore stalling, Larten's fingernails were forced into my fingers, his nails sinking deep into the extremely sensitive skin. Sending shockwaves of pulsing pain through the thousands of screeching nerves in my fingertips.

I tried my best not to scream, instead stubbornly grunting and groaning against the pain, refusing to let it take over.

Larten removed his nails but the removal of them brought no sense of relief, if anything the pain was aggravated, but just as I felt as if I had reached the peak of the pain, Larten shoved his nails into my right hand. Every nail finding its opposite equal, and leaving deep gashes in my hands.

He removed his hand and the sensation of it was sickening, there was a sense of intrusion beneath all the pain. Something almost like the feeling of having a splinter beneath your skin, there is pain but also a desperation to get rid of something that your body knows doesn't belong. And it felt as if my nails were going to fall off...

I realized that I had tears running down my cheeks, I was refusing to scream or shout in pain, I had forced my body had to find other ways to try and relieve the stress from the pain.

The tall, brooding, vampire before me brushed a stray hair behind my ear, leaving a streak of blood on my cheek and down my hair, "Be strong, for this is the part you should be fearing."

Larten placed a kiss on my forehead and pressed our hands together, palms touching so that our leaking fingertips were close, letting our blood mingle with one another's.

The sensation that came next would be one that I would remember for the rest of my unnatural life, I'd have nightmares over it for many nights after becoming a vampire.

It felt as though poison was being pumped directly into my veins, forcefully injecting itself deeper and deeper into me, destroying my veins as it went along.

Larten's blood was boiling acid creeping up my arms and inching ever closer to my heart, my humanity.

I could no longer hold in any screams as the pain became unbearable, my knees wanted to give out but some unseen force was keeping me standing.

Larten also seemed to be struggling to maintain a straight face as there seemed to be pain for him as well. His forehead was creased in strain, and sweat was beginning to litter his forehead.

My heart was beating so fast I thought there was no way I was going to survive this blooding. And when that fire in my veins reached my heart I could have sworn I felt it stop.

"Larten..." I forced out, "I can't..."

"It is almost over, my dear. If we stop now, you will only be half blooded." Larten grunted.

I forced our hands together for a little longer, I felt as if I were drowning in the heat and sensations, as though my entire body were submerged in boiling hot water. My blood was surely bubbling underneath my skin, cooking me from the inside out.

"Good." Larten commented inwardly, it was nearly over...

I began to feel faint from the strain, I felt my vision blurring as my eyes rolled back in my head, eventually my hands fell away from Larten's and the last thing I saw was Larten's face full of concern and him disappearing from my view to somehow catch me just before I fell to the floor.

But It wasn't long before I awoke to a deathly silent dawn.

"Are you alright, my dear?" My hemovore love questioned cautiously.

Although he isn't the only hemovore now...

"Am I a vampire now...?" I croaked, sounding like a child that was merely waking from a nap, my voice groggy from exhaustion no doubt.

Larten smiled gently, "Indeed you are. You fainted do to the change, being blooded into a full vampire in one go can be strenuous on a human body. But...you are no longer human. So you should recover easily. For example, you were only passed out for a couple of minutes. And look at your fingers."

I remembered what I had gone through, my bloodied hands ripped to shreds and bleeding profusely, I lifted my hands to my face, rotating them slowly and then looking to the tips of my fingers. There was barely a scar, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to notice them unless they were actively looking for them or if I pointed them out. I reached out for Larten's hands and took a gander at his own finger tips. Larten smiled amusedly as I found more faint scars. Every vampire must have them then...

I could have met a vampire even before Larten and would have been none the wiser, had I only known what to look for.

"Well, how do you feel?" Larten asked.

I let go of him, coming back into my body, flexing my hands and legs, "I feel fine. But, I don't really feel that different."

Larten nodded, "You will. Very soon you will start noticing that your senses have sharpened; your sense of smell will improve fastly, your instincts will rival that of most animals, no human man nor woman will be able to match your strength, your speed will make you invisible to the naked eye and..."

My eyes were glowing with childlike wonder, "There's more...?"

"You will have to keep your nails trimmed quite often." Larten deadpanned.

"Oh?" I frowned.

Larten chuckled, "Well this is because they will basically become claws. As strong as bone and thicker than usual. They will grow quickly, so you will have to tend to them the way a bird of prey tends to its talons and beak."

I brought my hand back to my eyes, admiring it as if it were a wonder on its own, "I see...I just realized you failed to mention any of the actual perks that come with being a vampire..."

"Well, I thought it would be better to try my best to dissuade you and if you were still sure after all the negatives than the chances of you changing your mind or regretting it would be slim."

"Honestly, by the time I could feel your blood flowing through mine I was starting to have second thoughts." I commented as I stretched out my arms and back, wondering where all that pain went.

"I know. But It would have been too late by then either way, my dear." he cooed empathetically.

Larten's eyes travelled up and down my body, he slowly leaned forward, his hand tangling in my hair. I closed my eyes as his lips trapped mine in a surprisingly passionate kiss. Larten's teeth grazed my lip, biting down gently, "Blooding someone that I love...was...surprisingly exciting..." Larten growled.

"Oh?" I coaxed, breathless from his kiss.

"You are born again, and it was my blood that breathed air into your new life." Larten bit his lip, "In a way, you will always belong to me. In a way, no matter how many years pass, even if you leave me for someone else, you will always be my pet. Some part of you will always call for me, whether you realize it or not."

I felt a heat rise in my body at his words, my thighs squeezing instinctively as I reacted instinctively to his possessiveness. My hands gripped the dark crimson cloak he always wore, unwittingly pulling him closer as I became desperate for his touch, for more attention, more of him. I was suddenly in love with the idea of his blood in me, of a connection with him that transcended a physical connection, which now seemed so simple. I never could have experience something like this as human.

"My dear, I hope you will forgive my impropriety. I do not mean to pervert such as momentus step in your life." Larten ran his knuckles down my cheek, "But...you are more now. More than just a human I met. As a vampire you are my mate now. And the intimacy of such a thing is not lost on me..." Larten's eyes suddenly lock with mine, "You are also a newborn vampire, and this means you are more dangerous than you know."

Larten moves slightly away from me, and I have to fight the urge to whine at him as he removes his hand from my face and takes on a far more dominant tone, "You are still but a babe. And you will need me to be your mentor as you learn about your new life. Until you are ready you will do what I say, when I say it. You will not question me. You will obey me. And you will respect the rules I place for you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, fine." I slowly nodded, licking my lips at Larten's sudden stern and disciplinary demeanor. Simply wanting nothing more for him to finally stop talking and just kiss me.

"'Fine?'" Larten raised an eyebrow at me, "Do you need me to explain to you why this is for your own good?"

Feeling bold, I pushed back, "Well, I agreed to being made a vampire, I never agreed to having to follow your orders..."

The vampire bared his teeth at me, a wicked smile, "My dear...you may have ascended your humanity, but only to being a pup. My pup, and my responsibility until you understand your place in this new world."

"Will there be any benefits to this new stage of our relationship..." I cooed, raising a coy brow at him, running my finger teasingly down his chest.

"I think you will enjoy what you get if you follow my directions..." Larten purred suggestively, suddenly pausing before a kiss, "Although I fear you will also enjoy my punishment if you make a fool out of me or if you disregard my instructions..."

I chuckled excitedly, biting my lip before asking, "So what's next?"

"Well..." Larten growled, "First I am going to ravage my new plaything." Larten hummed, closing the gap between us in a fiery kiss. His probing tongue explored my mouth for a moment before reluctantly pulling away, "...And then, we will need to prepare for travel. We are going on a long trip..."

"Where are we going?" I questioned.

"Vampire Mountain."