The Story Part 1

Cory pulled his jacket tighter around him as the wind blew down the back alley. It is surprisingly cold for a Houston night, he thought. His large brown jacket, also his favorite article of clothing, was about as old as he was. Cory had the appearance of an unkempt college student. Messy bed head that screamed 'comb me!', a slight stubble on his chin, and the wrinkly clothes all added to this look.
He was just returning home after a late night party at his friends house. For once, he decided to walk, leaving his Viper at home. He was an outgoing person, but really, he liked the quiet. It was peaceful, it gave him time to think. The moon shined down on him as he sniffed against the cold.
"Enough procrastinating," he told himself out loud. "Sam is probably waiting for me." The alleys all looked the same, but Cory knew exactly where he was heading. But strangely, in the alleys he knew so well, he felt uneasy. Was he being followed? He could normally tell, and deal with the problem. But he didn't feel right.
"Is anyone there?" He said into the darkness. No answer. But the unease began to subside. "Too much moonlight," Cory said with a laugh.

"No, not enough." A voice said in his ear. Cory's eyes opened wide as he turned around. Not fast enough as he felt his body lift off the ground and slam into the wall with the force of a car. His body fell to the ground, along with a few crumbling bricks. The figure stepped into the moonlight and looked down at his prey. Lips pulled back into a smile to reveal two fangs. He relished his meal to come, warm and fresh. To warm in fact, was this human sick with a fever. It was uncanny, almost as if... no, he didn't have that repulsive smell. A small chuckle escaped the vampires lips. Ah well, time to feast.

His mouth moved toward his prey's neck. Slowly, anticipating the meal, he began to close his mouth. Then, a hand moved, faster than even the vampires enhanced eyes could see. He felt a hand with the strength of a vice close around his neck.
His prey, his human, what was going on?

"You chose the wrong meal tonight bloodsucker." Cory was now standing up, two feet taller than before, and had the vampire by the throat. A deep predatory look burned in his once calm eyes.

"How....what....you aren't....you don't smell." the vampire choked.

"I hide it well." Cory then broke the vampires neck with a firm snap. He rummaged through the vampire's bag, but not finding anything of value, flipped open his cell phone and made a call.

"John, it's Cory....no I'm fine...yeah... I was just attacked... no, i got him, he didn't have any clan markings or tattoos... its alright, I'll dispose of him...I'll talk more when I get back... they shouldn't be this close... bye." Cory flipped his phone shut and begun the disposal process.

Evelyn stormed through the backstreets quickly, silently. She was a small girl with a small face adorned with small, vibrant eyes. As she sprinted, her white skin traced silver streaks across the buildings. Her dark hair, brows, and lashes faded into the dark alley shadows. On a clear night with a full moon, she considered the beautiful satelite her sister. Evelyn lived alone and worked alone. The solitude that her lifestyle endowed her with was easily placated with surrogate brothers and sisters derived from the night sky. If Evelyn had any living family members, would not have been nearly as endearing towards her as the night sky.
Evelyn was indomitable, fierce, and deadly. The life in her veins was borrowed, permanently. Furthermore, she was a vampire. That night, she would have given a handful of the earths' children an early bedtime. Someone got in her way, though.
A very experienced, very haughty vampire had crossed the lines into her territory. Lorenzo-the name he had given Evelyn- wanted to hunt that night, in her territory, because it was one of the most volatile. It laid directly accross from werewolf territory. Only senile and cynical vampires dared live so close to their stench. Lorenzo was nearly senile, in his mind. Evelyn was neither. She lived near the boundary because it assured her solitude more than any other variable would.
Her dinner had been rudely interrupted that night by the all consuming scent of a dead Lorenzo marred by the scent of a werewolf. Feeling passively responsible, she decided to meet the werewolf at the boundary. It was evident that the werewofl wanted to dispose of Lorenzo on her side of the line as warning. Much to the werewolf's surprise, Evelyn planned on giving the wolf a surprise of her own.
Before long, Evelyn could gaze upon the eyes of a very lifeless Lorenzo. "Do you take credit or debit?" Evelyn smiled knowingly at the werewolf. The years had never been able to rob her of her sense of humor.
The werewolf looked unamused and, possibly, a bit angry. "This is what happens to vampires that try to be funny."
"Oh, i wasn't being funny," Evelyn's face became completely austere, "I wanted him gone."
The werewolf laughed uneasily, "There you go."
"Toss him over," Evelyn spoke nonchalantly, "I want to send his sorry carcass back to his side of the border."

Cory wasn't sure what to think about as he walked back home. On one hand, he had just killed a vampire. On the other, his encounter with the female bloodsucker left him uneasy. At least the vampire he killed wasn't part of a clan. A clan war was the last thing his family needed. His father was old, not helpless in any means, but definitely past the prime in his life. His brother, Stephan, had just gone up north with Jeremy and Elizabeth for his changing. It was an important part of a werewolf's life, unfortunately it left everyone else at home a little shorthanded.

He pushed open the door to the apartment complex and started up the stairs. Their family owned the top floor of the five story complex and "renovated" the rooms. Walls were torn out, holes were the new fashion, it looked bad, but it felt like home. His family had lived here for nine years after moving down from Michigan. In fact they moved down right after Cory's changing.

Cory's dad was a mechanic and owned the nearby shop, it was family run so at any one time, one of the group was down the street working.

"Welcome home Cory." Philip's deep voice boomed from the kitchen. "We almost thought that you might have had some trouble with that bloodsucker."

"Ha, as if," Cory scoffed, "It would take at least four to give me the slightest trouble. Knock on wood though. Do you know where John is?"

"He went down to visit Katherine, he should be back any minute."

"Call him and tell him to invite her over, her cooking is amazing." Cory said, remembering the pork roast from last week.

"You know your brother likes her, there will be more flirting then cooking."

"Her food is worth enduring that torture he calls flirting. I'll be on the roof if you need me." Cory climbed up the ladder to the roof, his own spot of solitude. He needed to think.

He stood at the edge of the roof, not even thinking about falling, his balance too good. He sniffed the cool night air.

Even though he was more than capable of defending himself, he wasn't full werewolf. Something happened during his changing, something that he tried hard to forget. His partial changing still gave him the keen senses, the speed, the strength, and the rapid healing. However it left him unable to fully transform, he could get taller, bulk up a little, and get a little hairier, but he was never able to transform into the beast in which his kind got their name. He could repress his scent, as he often did, it made him mostly invisible to vampires, a skill which saved his life several times.

He heard talking below and was about to head down to greet Katherine when something told him to look up. There about seven miles away standing on the tip of a church and looking directly at him was the same female vampire that he saw earlier. The hairs on the back of his neck bristled, he forced himself to calm down, she wasn't a threat, and she wasn't on his territory. He climbed down the ladder to his family below and put that woman on the back of his mind.

She was mysterious and never seemed to speak. She spent most of her time thinking, or was she waiting for something?

Laufeia was thinking quietly to herself in her room when she heard the crash. She looked up quickly at the wall and her eyes narrowed. And then the room was empty. A door never opened or closed and the only sound was a slight wisp.

It was cold outside, especially on the roof, and rain was coming down very softly. She was wearing all black clothes and her dark hair blew around her head. She looked directly down the wall that something had crashed into. She saw what was going on as if she had been looking out the window directly above the two men. Though, "men" probably wasn't quite the word to describe them.

Then there was a snap, much quieter than the smash. Laufeia watched quietly, hair still whipping around her face, but soon the action was over. Still, unnoticed, she watched. She had always been very observant.

She returned to her residence much later that night. She continued to wait on the roof after the peculiar werewolf had left with the vampire carcass. She stared out at the stars as she waited. And then she saw him. He was quite a few rooftops up and away, but she could see him clearly, standing on the edge of the roof of the building he lived in. Then he seemed to notice the female vampire, whom Laufeia had already noticed, watching him and left the roof. There was nothing more to watch, but she quickly scanned everything she could see. It was all as normal as ever. She walked to the staircase door, but paused to take one last look up into the sky.

She returned to her room, this time much slower, and using doors. There she sat in the dark quiet place and continued thinking, waiting.

Evelyn was particularly fond of gothic architecture. Consequently, she often perched on the roofs of those antique buildings when surveying her territory. After her encounter with the werewolf, she crouched on the roof of a church contemplating. Soon, she knew to expect Lorenzo's clan leaders. Soon, she knew that her peace would be broken. If Lorenzo's clan members were anything like Lorenzo, they would storm through her streets indignantly searching for some blood. She could understand why they would be vengeful. Afterall, they were bound to each other for safety. Lorenzo's death was a clear breach in their security system. The werewolf had no way of knowing how overprotective Lorenzo's kin were. He had no way of knowing what kind of pestilence he would unleash upon his den. It didn't matter to Evelyn, though. Whatever happened between the wolves and the clan would have nothing to do with her. At least, she hoped.
From her perch upon a church roof, she could see a few miles into werewolf territory. It rested easily, quietly. For a moment, it left Evelyn feeling that she had overanalyzed the situation. That moment died quickly, though.
"What are you?" the voice of male vampire echoed loudly in her mind. "Are you a wilting dasiy or a budding rose?"
Evelyn cringed with disgust. This man obviously thought he could win her over with his failed attempt at poetry. "I am unimpressed," she thought viciously. She didn't care for vampires that liked to intrude upon her. "State your name and purpose," she commanded.
Much to her surprise, he replied without his antics, "My name is Fabrizio. I am the leader of the clan that Lorenzo belonged to." Evelyn spat immediately, "No. You're not" Fabrizio was stunned and didn't reply. "I offer my condolences to you and your kin. It is a shame. though, I will make it clear to you: Lorenzo knew what he was doing when he crossed the line. He wasn't a reckless fledling. If your clan sacrificed him to start some sort of a war with the wolf, it's fine by me. Simply leave me out of me out of it. I suggest you leave my territory as well."
Fabrizio spoke after a very long silence, "a rose, then."
"Spare me your poetry. I don't need it-" before Evelyn could finish speaking she noticed a single black rose resting the mouth of one of the church's gargoyles. Fabrizio had left it there without her even noticing. Whoever Fabrizio was, even if he wasn't the clan leader, he was strong and he was daring.

Cory walked into the kitchen and was greeted by Katherine."Look who the wolf dragged in." She said with a smile.

"Hey Katherine." Cory half smiled, to preoccupied by the earlier events. "Dad, John, I'm going to head to bed early."

Phillip arched an eyebrow at his son, "Alright, sleep well, but remember, I'm waking you up early for your shift at the shop." Cory grunted in acknowledgeable and closed the door to his room.

"What is going on?" he said softly to himself. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, sometimes thinking, sometimes not. The noise in the kitchen had died down and the apartments creaks were all that could be heard. Then the door opened slightly, Katherine stuck her head in a little.

"Cory? Are you awake?" she inquired.

"Yeah," Cory pushed himself up into a sitting position, "You need something?"

"Well not really, but, earlier, I couldn't help noticing something was wrong. Is this about what happened during the changing?"

"No, its not like that, I put that behind me. Something is in the air. Something is going to happen. Jeremy, Stephan, and Elizabeth aren't back yet. I guess I just feel vulnerable."

"Cory," she walked over and put her hand on his, "its not your job to protect your family, plus your dad and john have everything under control."

Cory looked down at her hand, debating deeply within himself. "Katherine, have you ever heard the story about my changing?"

Katherine looked surprised, "Well, not really, I just know that something happened, and because of that you can't turn into a full wolf."

Cory looked at her, but then looked past her, bringing himself back to that night three years ago.

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Cory and his dad were running through the forest. Phillip was a little ahead looking back at his mature son. He had grown up fast, Phillip thought.

"Hey dad, are we almost there?" Cory yelled.

"Whats wrong son, getting tired?"

"Not at all, I just don't want you to get a heart attack old man." Cory said with a laugh.

"Ha, I might be old but I'm still stronger then you. We are almost there, your mother and Elizabeth are already waiting for us."

Ten more strides and they were through the trees, the forest opened into a large clearing beside a crystal clear lake. Cory's mom and sister were up ahead, waiting for them. With a burst of speed, Cory passed up his father and sprinted ahead to his family.

"Cory! You still have that much energy after such a hike." she embraced her son.

"Hey big brother, took you long enough." Elizabeth teased. "I mean come on, it took you a week to go 140 miles?"

"It was only cause dad slowed me down."

Phillip ruffled his son's hair, picked up Elizabeth, and turned to his wife looking at her then embracing her deeply. "I've missed you." She smiled at him and then at her son.

"You look like your father." She said to Cory. "I'm proud of you."

Cory smiled at his family. He had never been so happy. Then a shudder went through his spine. He fell to the ground, the agony in his back was excruciating.

"It has started. Cory we will be with you the whole time." Phillip looked at his son with worry. It was a painful drawn out process, but he knew Cory was ready for it.

Cory was on the ground, breathing was difficult, but he knew he just had to wait. He blocked out the pain and thought about his changes. Then he looked out through his partially closed eyes and saw three figures. "Dad..." he choked, "Look!"

Phillip turned and looked, eyes opening wide. "Vampires." He hunched over and changed into his wolf form quickly. "Elizabeth stay with your mother, and Cory, do not move no matter what, we don't know what could happen to you. I love you all." He sprinted towards the three figures, they darted into the woods, and he followed.

A lone figure appeared behind Elizabeth, who froze in shock. Cory's mom pulled out a knife and slashed at the vampire. She was only human, so the bite the vampire gave her was fatal. She dropped to the ground and the vampire looked at Cory, gave an evil smile, and turned to Elizabeth.

Cory couldn't stop himself. Screw the transformation, his family was in danger. He threw his body onto the vampire, they rolled for a few feet before Cory was thrown off. His body in agony as his bones twisted within him, he got up and jumped on the vampire again. The vampire grabbed Cory by the chest, his fingers puncturing his skin, the nails raking against his ribcage. The agony was unbearable. "I will kill your sister like I killed your mother." Cory's eyes turned red, his body giving off a terrible heat, his anger filled his body, flooding through his veins, blocking out his pain. The heat caught surrounding grass on fire, singing his clothes. The vampire's eyes showed fear. Cory grabbed the vampire's wrist, shattering his hardened bones, his other hand grabbed the infernal creatures face. Their eyes met and for a second, the vampire knew he was going to die. Cory closed his grip and let the corpse fall to the ground. His anger subsided, as he fell. He crawled to his mother.

"Cory, I love you." The words came softly from her lips.

Cory's howls of pain could be heard for miles.

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"After that, I couldn't transform. I vowed that I would always protect what was close to me." Cory said.

"It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known." Katherine said to Cory, squeezing his hand tighter.

Cory looked into Katherine's eyes. Then looked down to the floor.

"Thank you for telling me your story, I'm glad you trust me." They sat together for a short time. After a few minutes she got up slowly, "I am going to go back to my room. If you ever need to talk, I am here for you."

"Katherine..... Thank you." She left and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Laufeia had, in fact, never actually spoken before, or at least, hadn't in so long, that any speaking she had ever done was completely negligible. She had found that meaningful looks could usually communicate very powerfully to humans any vital information. She rarely needed to communicate with anyone though, but still, Laufeia had no doubt she knew how to speak.

That morning, for the first time in a very long time, she had something she needed to do, really needed to do. She had thought about it all night, and was quite ready to go through with her plan. It was simple, but only the first step.

She waited till just the right time, and then walked towards the door. She took her time, there was no point in rushing anything. She opened the door and left her apartment, locking the door behind her. She walked casually,and with bold grace down the hall and out of the building.

Outside the world seemed to be covered in an immense grey quilt. The clouds were never ending. Lucky for Laufeia, but she didn't care. A cloudless sky would not have stopped her. She walked towards her destination, mind set on only one thing.

Her pace slowed slightly as she reached her destination. This was it, what she had been waiting for. It was only the beginning though. She walked in through the front door and spotted Cory immediately. She looked at his face and ceased movement. It only took him a few seconds to notice her, and their eyes locked. He walked toward her slowly, cautiously. She was obviously supposed to be an inconspicuous customer, but she wasn't. He didn't know why though. All his senses told him that she was, but something else told him she wasn't. Was she harmless, or was she not? What did she want?

He came to a stop a couple of feet in front of her, head cocked just slightly, and asked, "Can I help you ma'am?"

Never taking her eyes from his face, she unfurled her hand to offer him something small, bright, porous, and shiny, and simultaneously said only one word.

"Orange?"

"Orange... wait.... what?" Cory was completely baffled by this girl in his shop. He reached out and took the orange from her. "Umm, thanks? Is there something else I can help you with?"

"Cory, come quick, its your brother, Jeremy is back!" John yelled from the other room.

Cory turned to go, but stopped. "I'll be right back, um, wait right here." The girl continued to stare at him.

Cory ran into the back room and met his brother. Jeremy used to be skinny and lanky, clumsy at times and yet very endearing. The new Jeremy was simply stunning. He was still tall, but no longer lanky. His shoulders had broadened and a faint outline of muscle showed against his shirt. His voice was deeper, sounding both more mature and friendlier. "Cory, damn its good to see you." He took a step towards his brother, hugged him, and pounded his back.

"Geez you got a little stronger." Cory stepped away and rubbed his back. Phillip walked into the room with Elizabeth perched on his shoulders.

Elizabeth jumped from her father's back and leaped into Jeremy's arms. "I missed you big brother." Jeremy hugged her and put her down.

"God its good to be home." Jeremy looked around and smiled. "You still have that Viper Cory?"

"Viper?....car.... customer....oh crap! I'll be right back!" Cory ran back to the front of the store and saw the girl still standing there, not moving. "Sorry about that, so, umm, how can I help you?"

She only stared into his eyes for a moment longer and then turned to leave. She walked swiftly away, leaving Cory standing confused for a few seconds before he went back to his brother.

"What's that?" Jeremy asked Cory when he noticed the object in his brother's hand.

"Uh," Cory hesitated, "this lady walked in a second ago and offered it to me."

"Odd." Phillip commented.

"You're tellin me," Cory replied. "And she stared at me the whole time."

"No, I mean look, it's covered in tiny holes." said Phillip.

Cory looked at the fruit he held in his hand, confused by what his father said, "Well, it's an orange dad…"

"No," it was Jeremy who spoke this time. "Unnatural holes, I see them too." He reached for the orange in his brother's hand and held it up close to his eyes. "It looks like she took a needle too it." He handed it back to Cory.

"Well," said Cory awkwardly, "I guess we won't eat it then…"

"Probably a good idea," Phillip agreed. "Still, its odd…"

Orange in hand, Cory walked out behind the shop to the dumpsters. He looked thoughtfully at the orange the whole time. He was amazed that his father and brother could see the practically microscopic holes that covered the orange's surface. He had to strain his eyes to see them. Perhaps his sight would be better had his changing not been interrupted… Suddenly, he was seized by the urge to squeeze the shiny fruit that looked so small in his big hand, and he viciously contracted his fist around it. Each little hole erupted with juice. Thoroughly soaking his hand and making a mess everywhere. Cory didn't notice though. Something else was going on. He gasped for air in his shock. This was no ordinary orange.

Moments later he was walking back into the shop, dazed. Jeremy saw him first. He raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Please don't tell me a little fruit got the best of you. You've got orange stains all over your shirt, and you look like you've just seen a ghost."

Silent, Cory just looked down at his hand, still soaked in orange juice.

"Dude," Jeremy was starting to get concerned. "are you alright? What happened?"

"It…said something." Cory managed.

Phillip had joined them now. He looked carefully at his son from under a furrowed brow. "What do you mean?"

"I squeezed it and…it was some kind of message…in the juice i guess. I'm not sure really. I've never felt anything like that." Cory was still looking at his sticky soaking hand, eyebrows close together.

"What did the message say?" Phillip asked calmly.

"I'm not sure," Cory answered, slightly apologetic. "It took me by surprise."

"Hmm…" Phillip was thoughtful…perhaps your new friend is more than she appears to be…"

In Cory's mind, the message of the orange continued to haunt him.
Cory thought back to the message, "Beware of the Hunter..., He's watching you"

On the roof of the shop stood a young man and a black cat near his leg. The young man wore a tattered cloak that covered his most of his body, a Headband tied around his forehead with one word sewn into the fabric,"Fate". He wore a button up shirt, with one of the sleeves torn off, and wore pants, holes blotted the pants from the knees down. In his hands he held a small satchel and a main gauche.

The Cat nudged at his foot, "Hector, theres a few of 'them' below you."

"I know Lin, they've been noted of my presence." Hector whispered.

"But you can still take them!" Lin meowed while clawing at his pants.

"Even though I've finally found a city with quite a bit of these 'things' doesn't mean that I can't be cautious!" Hector answered, getting annoyed.
"Also 'she' keeps interfering with me, besides that your my familiar I shouldn't take orders from you." Hector said in disgust as he kicked Lin off him.

A Few minutes pass as Lin looks up at Hector and finally says,
"Why does 'she' keep interfering? This is for the good of the world!"

"Do you need to know everything? All you need to know is that 'she' is only an obstacle we must get over."
"Or you mean kill and then get the rest."
"Yes, that too will work."
"Lin?"
"Yes?"
"Stop questioning me"
"Okay...." Lin meowed as she jumped onto Hector's shoulder.
"Look I'll try to get as many as I can and get out when I see the perfect opening."

Hector pulled a few needles out of his satchel and got his main gauche ready, He crouched along the edge of the roof, above the door, waiting.

"Hector, One of them is leaving."

Afternoons always made Evelyn feel restless. This afternoon, her restlessness seemed to have multiplied. She had spent the entire night monitoring the city streets for unusual activity. Nothing happened after Fabrizio contacted her, though. She anticipated an attack. The clan was not likely to take Lorenzo's death without a fight. They were even less likely to swear it off without teasing the wolves.

Light poured in through the wall length windows of her apartment. For once, she tiied the dark navy drapes aside. She needed to be able to see the city streets. The clan's inactivity had not invited her to let her guard down. Evelyn lounged on her large, black leather sofa and stroked the coat of her two year old, black and white calico, Lucy. Evelyn rescued Lucy from two stray pitbulls that intended to tear the poor cat to shreds. Animals never seemed to become too attatched to Evelyn, though. All of the pets she rescued always ended up leaving her after a few months. Lucy well exceded the precedent the other pets had set.

Like always, the apartment was seized by an indefinite silence. The knock on door, then, instantly became an intrusion. Evelyn jumped to her feet sending Lucy straight to the floor. Evelyn gave the cat an apologetic look and silently promised not to do it again. Cautiously, Evelyn approached the door without making a sound. As a vampire, she could move quickly and silently without stirring the slightlest sound. She looked through the peep hole on her door and found Fabrizio's grinning face greeting her. She grimaced in disgust and opened the door.

"I hope you don't think we're dating, now," she opened the door for him and offered him the bitter remark.

He smiled confidently and showed off his pearly white teeth, "The idea had not even crossed my mind, but now that you have submitted the proposition..."

She darted him an angry look, "Don't finish that sentence, Cassanova." He smiled. Evelyn looked at him sternly, "What do you want?"

"Your friend, Alexander, has asked me to deliver a message," he spoke as he surveyed the visible section of Evelyn's apartment. "You have a lovely home, by the way."

Evelyn's heart raced. She had not heard from Alexander in a long time. "Please, be curt and give me his message," the sense of urgency she was experiencing was evident in her tone. Fabrizio noticed it and grinned slyly. "If I tell you right now, you will ask me to leave. And I would much rather stay than have to leave," he said.

"I could ask you to leave without listening the message," Evelyn added sharply. Suddenly, Fabrizio made his way behind her and whispered into her ear. His breath was cold even against her lifeless, icy skin, "But you wouldn't do that. Would you?"

Evelyn prepared to strike his face with her nails, but Fabrizio quickly pushed her into the corner of the entryway. Then, he delivered Alexander's message, "Please keept still, Evey. Don't make any sudden moves." He paused and into Evelyn's eyes. She was utterly disgusted by him. Fabrizio was amused by her reaction. He spoke the last line of the message while looking at her. "I'm coming home."

Cory finished his shift and was about to leave when he stopped. Sniffing the air, he turned at looked at Phillip who seemed to know it too. "Stay safe," Phillip worded silently. Cory nodded, took a moment to mask his scent and then walked out of the store.

Hector looked down and was about to attack Cory, but Lin stopped him. "Stop, its just a human, he doesn't even smell like a werewolf." Hector watched Cory walk a bit down the road and turn down a back alley. Putting Cory out of his mind, he waited for his prey.

"Well you aren't a vampire, at least they have a good taste in clothing."

Hector didn't even need to turn around. He knew he was tricked, the human that walked out earlier had circled around and scaled the wall of the auto shop. "Stay out of this, i have nothing against a normal human."

"Well then isn't this my lucky day." Cory smiled and willfully sent his scent out as far as he could.

Lin started to hiss, "Hector, he is one of them." Hector put his needles away.

"Werewolf, this will not be the last time you see me, I will not stop until all unholys are cleansed from this world." Hector jumped of the building and vanished.


Miles away, Evelyn caught a scent of werewolf on the wind. "Now what is he up to?"

As soon as she left the shop Laufeia headed for the roof, his roof. It didn't take her long to get to the building, or to get up to the roof. She knew he would find what she left for him there. She waited up there for most of the day. She wanted to leave it just before he came. It was getting dark when she looked up into a gust of wind that teased her hair for a moment. And then the roof was empty.

Moments later, Cory was climbing the ladder that took him from his family's apartment to the roof above it.

Cory saw it as soon as his head scaled the side of the building. He froze. A lemon sat on the ledge, not a foot away from his face. Agilely, he pushed down on the ladder, and flipped himself over the lemon and onto the roof, landing almost completely silently on his feet. He turned to look down at the tiny fruit, unsure of what to do.

Cory sat down next to the lemon. He knew with out a doubt who it was from. Picking up the lemon, he was about to squeeze it. He hesitated, stood up and looked around.

"Who are you? What are you? Why did you warn me?" Cory yelled into the wind, hoping the girl was still there. "I owe you!"

He stared at it, and sure enough, it had the same little holes the orange had. So, he squished it, and again it sent him a message, this time he was ready for it.

Nothing was more gratifying for Evelyn that putting an unruly vampire in its place. She tossed Fabrizio across her living room and pinned him down with the heel of her black leather boots before he had a chance to react. Just as she was about to impale him, the overwhelming stench of a distressed werewolf filled the room. Both vampires flinched and froze in silence. Evelyn thought to herserlf, "Now what is he up to?" It was the scent of the werewolf that had killed Lorenzo. Fabrizio recognized the scent for that reason. As if his motivation had been renewed, Fabrizio took the opportunity to stand up and meet Evelyn at eye level. For once, he was the one vexed after their scuffle.

"You'll come to accept my advances eagerly, one day," he spoke calmly, assuringly. "Until then, don't expect me to hide behind reservations. I will not offerthem to you."

Slightly distracted, Evelyn looked at him and extended her hand forward with her palm facing up. "i want the letter."

In his own personal fashion, Fabrizio kissed the envelope before resting it lightly upon Evelyn's hand. He spoke with ease, "I'll leave you, now, but not without a parting gift."

Evelyn expected the black rose he extended towards her. She took it without a word and did not acknowledge his departure.

Lucy meowed quietly and stood next to Evelyn. Evelyn smiled and looked out the window. Instantly, she spotted the werewolf on the roof of a building several blocks away. He was much to far for Evelyn to read the look on his face or the thought on his mind. His presence, even at a distance, made her uneasy. Obviously, there was a link between Alexander's return home and that werewofl. Alexander would not have considered returning had he not thought the situation would escalate to grandious proportions.

Evelyn read Alexander's leader to herself. Upon finishing, she made her way towards the door of her bedroom. If she was to stay put and not get involved, she would need to practice restraint.

Hector was on the roof of school wondering what he should do about ‘her’ when a cute little black piglet with black wings flew towards him. “Lin, I think I’m finally losing it because a black pig with wings is flying towards us.”

“Flying pig!” Lin exclaimed “Oh shit, it’s the familiar, Eliza, she belongs to the rank one Petal.”

“Rank one petal, what’s that.”

“In The Order of the Divine Sunflower, the ranks of demon hunters are, from lowest to highest, Roots, Leaf 1, Stem, Leaf 2, Petal, and the Divine Sunflower herself and within every rank there are sub-rankings. You’re a root.”

“It seems your master doesn’t even know the ranking system within the orders. He’ll probably be dead within the week,” said Eliza.

“Hey, I’ll have you know I’m invincible!” Hector exclaimed.

“Right, anyways, my master wants to talk to you, though I think it’s a waste of time. Follow me.”

“We should do as she says,” said Lin.

Hector and Lin followed Eliza to a dirty abandoned warehouse and was shocked by what was inside. The inside of the warehouse had soft blood red carpets, a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling a red and gold plush sofa set and a grand piano. At the piano was Eliza and her master, who was playing Clair de Lune. She has long black hair that was tied in a ponytail. She spoke without turning around in a quiet voice that promise pain with every word, “Don’t put on such a show like you did last time. Your exclamation could be heard for miles. It took a lot of work to lure that vampire into the werewolves’ territory without being notice.”

“Wait, so you mean-”

“Yes, we’re going to instigate a war between them and have them kill each other off.”

“But that’s not right! I wanted to cleanse the world with my own power. I’m invincible, I can kill them all.

“These are direct orders from the Divine Sunflower.”

“Doesn’t she have enough powers to kill them without this war.”

“Yes she does, but the girl scouts are selling cookies around this time of year and they haven’t come by her door yet. So she’s waiting for them. Anyways your mission is to upset the wolves’ side while making them think the vampires did. The wolves have a human friend name Katherine, she cover in the werewolves’ stench. Just bring her to a the vampires’ territory.”

“Fine,” Hector said as he leaved.

“Wait!” She threw something at Hector, “Give this to any humans you see.”

“Sure,” he said. After he looked at what she threw, “Are these pamphlets about the order!?”

“Hey, being a hunter is dangerous and many hunters die. So we need more members.”

“Oh my god!” and he left.

“What do you think of him, Haku.”

“He’s too in to it. Go keep an eye on him.”

“Yes, master.”

"And so am I."

The fruits didn't actually play back a recorded message in his head, it was more like, the juices touched his skin and a new consciousness whooshed through his body. So Cory knew that the message had a kind connotation. It was not some ill threat meant to scare him. Although Cory doubted a threat from a fruit would bother him very much. Well, maybe if the fruit erupted in violent flames or sent electricity with the strength of a bolt of lightning through his body, but that hadn't happened so far, and frankly, he couldn't see a lemon pulling it off.

Cory had no idea who this "hunter" was, and he was grateful that someone who knew more about what was going on was watching over him, helping him.

After leaving the lemon for Cory, Laufeia left Houston. Its night sky was not dark enough to let her see what she needed to see, and even though her vision was much better than that of a human's she would need a telescope.

It didn't take her very long to travel to the observatory of the Houston Astronomical Society, 80 miles to the west of Houston, and it was no trouble to gain access to their most powerful telescope. Soon she was shrouded in the darkness that comforted her so, and looking deep into the star strewn sky.

Although you wouldn't know it from looking at her, she was uneasy, perhaps nervous, which was most uncanny of her. She hadn't looked so deeply into the sky in a very long time. There was a reason she lived in down town Houston. Regardless, she looked, because something had been set into motion.

As soon as Eliza left Haku’s cell phone rang.

“Hello…yes…traitor amongst us…and a female vampire…Alexander is back…okay…I won’t fail.”

She puts away the phone, puts on her jacket and gloves, and leaves.

After walking around for a while she realizes she has no idea where her targets are.

Cory went down to the kitchen and was startled by everyone looking at him. "Um, whats going on?" Cory asked nervously?

"Well, John and I have been talking. We think it would be best for us as a family and for Elizabeth if we moved out of Houston." Phillip said.

Cory stood there with his mouth open staring at them. "Thats what I said." Jeremy chimed in.

"Wait, what, why? This is our home!" Cory yelled. "Why would we leave?"

"I know you aren't stupid Cory, you have seen the sudden surge in vampire sightings, the new smells, the uneasy feeling everyone has been having. Something is about to happen, and I'm not about to stick around and put Elizabeth in harms way." Phillip said.

"NO, i refuse to leave, this is our home, we aren't going to give it up to a few bloodsuckers. I say we stand and fight." Cory exclaimed. Jeremy nodded his head in agreement.

"We aren't leaving, we will fight, and we will win." Jeremy added.

"Is that your final say?" Both men nodded their heads. "Well, I know I can't change your mind. John, we are heading out now."

"Katherine, won't you come with us?" John asked Katherine pleadingly.

"No, this is my home, I have to much here." She hugged him tightly and whispered, "Take care of yourself."

"I'll keep in touch." Phillip said as he walked out the door with Elizabeth on his back. Cory sat down at the enormity of what just happened.

"I guess its just us three from now on." Katherine said.

"Us three?" Cory looked up.

"Well yeah, you think I would just let you two make a mess up here? I'm moving in." Jeremy broke out into a smile. He had always thought of Katherine as an older sister.

"I'm going back on my roof." Cory climbed up the ladder, trying to process all this.

There wasn't a knock on the door or a creak in the floorboards to mark Alexander's return to Evelyn's life. Covered by the dark, she lied on her bed facing the ceiling in silence. He stood from a distance and watched her for an unnamed period of time. She lied there and thought of him for an unnamed period of time. They were alone, together. They were as cold as ever. As always, they met each other at a stalemate. Neither of them was willing to make any concessions. That principle applied with even the most trivial event like starting up a conversation.They had not always been divided by a wall of their reservations. In the beginning, their relationship had been easy. Time turned their connection sour.

"Evelyn," his voice pierced through her and sent shivers down her spine. Those tremors rested in the pit of her stomach and stirred a nest of dormant butterflies she had buried there.

She gasped as she released his name, "Alexander."

Before she could take a deep breath, he lied down by her side and watched the ceiling with her. Evelyn could picture the last time they had been that close to each other. It had been too long. "I received your message, this morning," Evelyn spoke but a whisper. Alexander nodded slightly and said, "I gave Fabrizio the thanks he deserved." The vision in Alexander's mind slipped into hers. She could see Fabrizio doubled over holding his ribs. Apparently, Alexander had galantly revoked Fabrizio's right to contact Evelyn. The gesture left a deep impression on Evelyn. She turned to look at Alexander,"Why?"

He seemed mildly puzzled by her inquiry, "I will fight your battles for you, especially when you don't want me to." Finally, he turned to look at her. Finally, they looked at each other.


Alexander meant more to Evelyn than anyone that had ever walked into her path. Though she never dared utter the thought, he meant more to her than anyone she loved, while she was alive. Alexander turned her into a vampire. His deadly kiss had granted her an eternity in solitude. She had never regretted her transformation, though. It gave her a life with Alexander.

Evelyn's grandmother had been the leader of a witch's cult. The cult fell into hard times. Her grandmother, though having been estranged from Evelyn's immediate family for decades, decided to wager Evelyn in return for power. A ten year old Evelyn, then, became the indentured servant of a very savage pack of werewolves. Evelyn never counted the crimes they committed against her. They were too many to count. The scars she had acquired during that period were deeply engraved in her mind. At eigthteen, Evelyn resolved to take her life away. Alexander got in the way of her success, though. In a very out-of-character act of gallantry, he caught Evelyn when she launched herself from a building. Evelyn, in that way, owed her life to Alexander. Alexander gladly took her life and made her a vampire.

The night he returned, they didn't speak of the past though. They didn't speak of the future. In fact, they didn't speak at all. They simply moved forward and deeper into the darkness.

Haku walked down the street wondering what she should do now. She was deep in thought when something hit the side of her head. It was a ball. She picked it up and glared at it. “Who dares to throw a ball at me?” she thought. There was a tug on her jacket and she look down. It was girl, about 12 years old. “Miss, can I have my ball back, please.”

Anger disappearing she gave the girl her ball back, turned around, and was about to leave when she heard, “Thank you, Miss Hunter.” Haku pulled her daggers out as she turn around to attack the girl, but the little girl was already out of reach.

“How disgusting, they even turn kids,” Haku spat. Haku threw her dagger, which had a thin wire attach to it, at the vampire. It struck her in the shoulder.

“Ha, you think a little cut like this can hurt me?” laughed the vampire. She suddenly fell to the floor in pain.

“Fool, that blade was lace with poison,” Haku said as she pulled her blade back, took the lighter and threw it at the corpse. It was the fastest way to get rid of a dead vampire.

“You’ve gotten weak Haku,” said a person stepping out of the shadows.

“You!”

"Hector?"
"Yeah Lin?"
"How long do you think you can keep this act going?"
"I don't know, peace can only be achieved through certain means." Hector sighed while scratching Lin on her back. Hector waves the recruiting papers around in his hands while he walks down the street. The Moonlight pierces through the clouds, but not enough to keep the darkness away. Behind them Eliza hops from roof to roof, tree to tree, light post to light post, keeping an eye on both of them.

Lin's ears twitches, she meows,"What do you think Haku and the Divine sunflower are going to do to you when they discover this?"
"I don't know, I can just hope and pray that 'she' too will come aid me as well."
"Even though you've provoked a werewolf, and met one of the higher ranking officers your still going to go through with this?"
"I'm going to finish what my family started" Hector said as he kicked a can down the sidewalk.
"Don't keep your act up too long or else it'll be trouble."
"I know but it's only for now till 'she' is ready."
Lin hops out of Hector's arms and strides beside him. Hector looks up into the night sky,"You know 'she' is fascinated by stars." He then notices an object in the corner of his eye. Hector starts walking slower and Lin looks up confused.

Hector crouches down, "Something is following us."
Lin stops moving as well and listens for a sound, "It's small, but we should be cautious."

Hector pets Lin and picks her up onto his shoulder, he readies his main gauche as he begins walking forward again.
"Stay Sharp"
Lin extends her claws into Hector's shoulder,He winces as blood drips from his shoulder and Lin retracts her claws, "ooh~ sorry~" Lin Meows innocently.
"When I meant sharp I didn't mean that!"
Blood trails in drips behind Hector, as Lin jumps to Hector's left shoulder.
He glares at Lin,"Right now, I'm probably the biggest target out here."
"Want me to kiss it to make it all better?~"
"Your probably going to get me sick than better"
"With what?"
"Rabies!"
"Just because im a cat!?"
"YES!"

Eliza stops following them, "He doesn't seem all that suspicious, more like an Idiot to me." Eliza turns around and begins to sniff out Haku, as Hector and Lin begin to go the opposite way.

"She's gone now right?" Hector asks.
Lin nods and Hector takes a sharp turn around, "Now its time for a little investigating of our own?"

Alexander faced Haku with a stern look on hs face. He was not surprised to find her so deep within his territory. Despite her evident decrease in ability since their last meeting, he inched towards her cautiously. "I don't recall inviting you into my home," he spoke with sudden spite. Haku crossed her arms and scowled at him. "This isn't your home, you corpse. You're just another rodent on this street," she traced the line of wire slipping through her sleeves with her fingers. Alexander didn't have to look at her to know what she was doing. He could read her mind and it vexed her endlessly. Haku was armed and ready to strike at any moment. Hesitation risided within her only because Alexander was an old foe. He knew all of her tricks and all of her weaknesses. Though, she was hardly at a disadvantage. She knew just how to approach Alexander.

"Why are you here, Haku?" Alexander dodged Haku's first dagger. it bounced off the edge of an emergency fire escape ladder and landed back in her hand.

She scoffed at him, loudly. "Why are you even asking?" She launched the dagger again and trimmed the fringe of the hair sticking out to the sides at the base of his neck. He smirked knowingly and shifted slightly to his left. Haku felt a subtle scratch form on her cheek, suddenly. He was fast nearly indomitable. But she new now to get around his awe-inspiring speed.

The next time she launched her dagger, he failed to evade it quickly enough. It scartched him across his chin. A dark red line of blood trailed down his chin and dripped on his white collared shirt. "Good one," he wiped his wound with his hand. In a matter of seconds, Haku managed to wrap the wire around his legs and send him flying towards the ground. He fell on his face and let out a grunt. Haku ran towards him ready to sink the other dagger into his back. Alexander pulled her down and and took the dagger in his hand. Before he could act, Haku let the electric current flow through the wire. Alexander squirmed violently. Haku saw a clear path to victory. She set her heart on exterminating him right then and there. She looked up and saw Eliza, though. Everything fell back into perspective for Haku. Alexander freed himself from the wire. Then, he stood up and faced Haku with a solemn expression on his face. "That's all I needed to know, Haku," he said and walked off with a scowl.


Haku panicked for a moment. She knew Alexander could read minds. Calm found her quickly, though. If he had seen her plan, he would not have take off so suddenly. She could rest easily, then. She knew where her targets where.

Alexander made his way back to Evelyn brooding more than before. He had to protect Evelyn from Haku, now, on top of all the other menaces he had previously expected. He was willing to tell her everything, at that point.

It was a cool night, and the lights blurred with the passing of Houston traffic. A small statured girl walked along the side roads, with a small amount of hesitation. There was really nothing to fear from the addicts and drunkards that lay in the alleyways, but a small amount of worry could be traced on her features nevertheless.

This was the first time in a long while that the thick, nature-possessed smell had come across her, and she was afraid to lose it. This alone was the only reason she had ventured so close to the dark and aboding aura that was distinct of Vampires. The girl wandered aimlessly, silently wishing that her sense of direction was not nearly as bad as it was. She shivered slightly, although it was not often she became cold.

The streets became less crowded, the buildings more sparse, as time passed on. With much to the relief of the girl, the scent of kin also drew stronger. She was close to some sort of shop, when three figures came closer, their intentions impure.

"Why ya walkin' here so late?" said what seemed to be the leader, his voice thick with false sweetness. The girl jumped, so deep was her concentration she had not even noticed her followers for the past mile. They came closer, still questioning.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cory bolted upright, an unfamiliar scent reaching his senses. He stood up from his rooftop position, listening carefully. The wind carried a faint aura of greed some miles away. He wasn't sure why a couple of humans caught his attention, until he realized that one of them smelled of a werewolf.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Come wit us, girlie" one of the street men said, as he reached for the girl's arm. The dirty toothless smile on his face was not pleasant in her eyes. The moment even looked vaguely familiar, but she could not place it. Something deep in her memory made her shudder. As the greasy fingers of the man's hand grasped her arm, her mind went blank.

Cory ran towards the group of four, the back of his hair bristling with a strange sensation. A rush of raw power was sent through him as two men flew past Cory's shaken form, with looks of pure terror in their eyes. One of them was running. The other had been thrown violently by a figure half-hidden by the night shadows.

A young girl stood there, her body still locked in position from throwing the man. She was breathing hard and trembling quite badly, but her eyes were distant, as though just waking from what was apparently a nightmare. Her teeth were set in a haughty grimace. Small traces of blood stained the girl's clothes, and the remains of what could have once been a man were scattered around her.

"What happened?" Cory asked, in awe. The girl blinked once, twice. She seemed to focus a bit and come back to her senses. "I found you..." Her voice was barely audible, but a slight smile played on her lips. "another werewolf family... I wont be alone anymore" Cory stared, unable to comprehend what was happening. "...Who are you?"

The girl looked confused for a moment, as though she had forgotten. Recollection lit her face and she quickly looked up. "Addie" she said, before falling and blacking out.

Eliza landed on Haku’s head as Alexander walked away. “Shouldn’t you follow him?” asked Eliza.

“He saw an unimportant thought. What about Hector?” Haku asked as she worked towards the warehouse.

“He has some sort of ambition but he is nothing but a lame monkey. You don’t have to worry.”

“You should be more careful, Eliza, for a monkey with an ambition is what we call a man.”

“Should I continue to follow him?”

“No, I need you or else I can’t tell vampire from human,” said Haku. She pulls out her cell phone and calls the order. “Hello…Lilian I have a mission for you…the new hunter, Hector…he’s might cause problems…become friends with him…make sure he gets the mission done afterwards you can dispose of him…don’t fail.”

She is about 20 feet from the warehouse when Eliza whispers, “There’s a vampire in there.”

“Is it Alexander?”

“No, a different one, they smell like steel and smoke.”

“Steel and smoke...” Haku ran for the door and flung it open. Sitting at the piano was a vampire, with black hair that was long enough to cover his eyes but not long enough to reach his shoulders. His fingers nimbly pass of the keys as he played the Moonlight Sonata. She gasped, “Ethan.”

When she said his name he stopped playing. In a blink of an eye he was in front of her, his hand grasped her chin, making her look up at him. Their faces are barely an inch apart and he smirks, “Hello, Haku.”