Chapter One

The trees were bare, their leaves long gone and snow on the ground would make hiding his tracks almost impossible. He should turn back. There was every chance a blizzard could set in. Not that the cold would have any effect on his body. For Gabriel every day was like a winter’s morning; cold and dark. For years he had felt nothing and, how could he? He was dead.

Taking shelter behind the only thing he could find, a decaying wooden fence that had seen better days, Gabriel crouched down and took one last look at the farmhouse. Navy awnings extended out from the windows like giant eyelashes and a curling trail of smoke rose up from the chimney. There was a horse-yard with stables, a bird feeder that looked handmade, and a pink hammock, its fringe so low that snow had dampened the tassels.

Inside a shadow moved across the window and Gabriel got to his feet. It was time to move.

Underfoot, snow crunched, icy and sharp as he made his way across the field. It was early in the season for such heavy snow. In years gone by, the land had stayed green for at least another month, but nothing was the way it used to be.

He reached the veranda and stepped cautiously onto the old wooden boards. They creaked and moaned beneath his weight, and Gabriel caught his breath. He had not expected to feel conflicted about coming here, but as he stared at the pale blue wooden door, something didn’t feel right. There was an aura about this place that felt calming, peaceful even. His heart was racing, but his mind felt foggy. On his hip, the edge of a sharp metal blade felt heavy and Gabriel reached for it just to reassure himself. This was the moment he had been waiting for. To carry out revenge on the creature that took his human life and turned him into whatever godless creature he had become. All he had to do was go in and kill it.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and glanced back toward the forest. Shrouded in fog it was difficult to tell where the field ended, and the tree line began. He felt a tug in his chest and suddenly longed for the familiar sight of his cabin back in the woods.

The evening sky pressed down into the snow, the last traces of daylight melting into the cold earth. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf’s lonely cry rang out, and he stared out into the forest searching for the animal but saw nothing. Everything was quiet and still, so quiet the idea of slaughtering a monster inside this pretty farmhouse suddenly seemed absurd, even to him.

He considered turning and disappearing back into the woods, pretending this never happened, but a sound from inside pulled his attention back to the front door. He squared his shoulders and steadied himself. It was in there. No more stalling.

Gabriel closed his fingers around the handle of the blade, took a deep breath, and kicked at the door as hard as he could. It crashed open in a hail of splinters, and he immediately took a fighting stance ready for whatever would happen next. But everything remained quiet and still. Nothing moved and all he could hear was the soft chatter of a television over in the corner.

As he entered the house, he found a warm living room complete with a floral couch, mint-colored armchairs, and a wooden coffee table. He saw pale curtains gathered at the windows and a small figurine of a woman with a bird on her shoulder perched on a shelf. The gentle demeanor of the room was in stark contrast to the blood pounding in his ears and the adrenaline rushing through his veins. He had come here expecting to find putrid, decaying rooms, and the odor of the undead, but this was someone’s home and a beautiful one at that.

Confused, Gabriel lowered his blade and looked around. Somewhere, someone was inside. He could sense them, smell them. He just couldn’t see them.

The television was playing a daytime talk show and a coffee mug sat on the table, a tiny fog of condensation gathered at its base. The sound of footsteps on the stairs caught Gabriel’s attention and he spun around, blade at the ready.

“Stop where you are!” he shouted up at the figure. “Do not move!”

On the stairs stood a man with sleepy eyes and smoky brown hair, dressed in jeans and a grey sloppy sweater. Gabriel quickly took him in and at first glance thought he looked more like a stoner than a vampire. But the man was on higher ground, and despite his human appearance, could launch an attack at any moment. In his human life, Gabriel had been a decorated Army Captain and he knew a thing or two about the logistics of combat, and right now, he was behind the eight ball.

“It’s you,” the man stammered. “The vampire Aurora saw in her vision.”

“Just stay where you are,” Gabriel ordered again, one hand firmly on the handle of his blade. “Who is Aurora?”

With both hands extended out in a sign of submission, the man nodded. “Okay, whatever you say. Just stay calm, I’m not going to hurt you. Aurora, she had a vision of you. She said you’d think I’m a vampire, but I’m not.”

The man took one step down the stairs, and it was enough for Gabriel to raise his blade. “I said stay where you are!”

“I’m not a vampire man, you’ve got this all wrong. Just look around… Does this look like a vamp nest to you?”

The fear on the man’s face, his demeanor, and the cozy living space were beginning to have an overpowering effect on Gabriel. This wasn’t what he expected. What if he did have it all wrong? The room swam and he tried to steady himself. This was not the time to succumb to the past, but the memory was already pushing its way in. Not now he thought, struggling against the familiar sense of dread. Not now.

As the memory took hold, Gabriel had no choice but to clench his teeth and pray the man, or whatever it was standing on the stairs, didn’t see his weakness and attack. Above him, the ceiling gave way to a clear night sky, and he knew that any moment his mind would take him back to that familiar forest path. There would be dirt on his boots and cold night air on his face. His arms would feel slick with a mix of sweat and blood, and then worst of all, that familiar dead weight in his arms.

“There have been no vampires for hundreds of years,” the man continued. “Well, except for you.”

Gabriel silently screamed at himself. He had to pull himself together, there was too much at stake to fall apart now.

“If you’re not a vampire, then what are you?” he managed, struggling to push the memory to the back of his mind. “You can’t be human. I tracked you here. I used your scent. Now answer my question. Who is Aurora?”

Once again, the man held out his arms in mock surrender. “I know you don’t understand any of this, but I’m a descendant, and believe me that’s nothing like a vampire. I’m no threat to you or anyone else.”

“A descendant of what?”

“Aurora saw what would happen in her vision,” the man continued, daring to drop his arms. “But maybe it doesn’t have to be like that. If you could just let me explain…”

For all his searching, Gabriel had never seen another vampire. He hadn’t caught a glimpse of the monster that attacked him all those years ago because like a coward, it had jumped him from behind. But as he stared at the thing in front of him, he told himself it made sense a vampire would look just like a man, because so did he.

“Don’t think you can fool me,” he spat, angry the thing was trying to confuse him. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but either way I am going to rid the world of whatever you are.”

As Gabriel delivered the threat, he noticed the man’s foot tapping nervously. He noticed how the sound it made echoed out across the room like the tick of an old grandfather clock. He noticed that familiar cold feeling churning through his body, the one trying to tell him that something was wrong.

“If you can just wait until Aurora and the others get back…”

“The others?” The words struck Gabriel like an invisible fist. “There’s more of you?”

Despite the ill-feeling twisting in his gut, Gabriel knew he had to act. The man had mentioned this Aurora person as though she was the leader, and now there were others as well. If he stood around waiting, he would be outmatched and outnumbered. The risk was too high.

“We’re a family,” the man said. “Please, just put down the blade. This doesn’t have to play out the way she saw it.”

But Gabriel’s mind was reeling. Putting down the blade could be the biggest mistake he ever made. Then again, if he destroyed the thing and it wasn’t a vampire…

The memory slithered through the darkest places of his mind. He couldn’t let that happen again. Not another innocent.

Determined to make the right choice, Gabriel scanned every corner of the room desperate to make sense of his surroundings. Bunches of freshly cut flowers smiled up from their vases and a warm fire crackled in the hearth. An over-sized dog bed was tucked up against the wall and a scented candle stood on the mantle. On the couch, he saw throw cushions, a woolen blanket, and a scattering of women’s magazines. None of it made any sense, but whoever Aurora was she had known he was coming, the man said as much. He had to be in the right place.

Outside the horses were restless. Something had them spooked and their hooves were pounding against the earth; the drum roll before an execution.

Suddenly shattering glass exploded across the room, and instinctively Gabriel ducked and threw his hands up over his face. Something rushed at him and with no time to get to his feet, he curled up in a protective ball on the floor. Sharp claws tore through his flesh and he cried out in pain. Able to free one hand, he lashed out wildly with the blade, but it was like fighting a ghost. The thing was fast, and it was fierce. He struggled, trying to pull himself up and onto his feet so he could see his attacker, but he was quickly overpowered. Gabriel fell back to the floor and screamed as sharp teeth sank into his shoulder.

And then he felt it, curling and twisting like a serpent in his chest. Heat seared through his body, and his mind reeled. It had taken a long time to learn how to control it, to push down the vampire inside, but not this time. This time he needed the heat and the hate. If he was going to live through this, he needed the sickening power the transformation brought him. From deep inside the vampire quickly took over. Gabriel’s top lip peeled back, and sharp incisors cut through the soft flesh of his gums. His eyes bled to black and guilt was overtaken by consuming hunger. He lashed out once, twice, and found his mark. He twisted the stake and felt the sensation of course hair against his arm. His attacker was a wolf.

Knowing he had injured it, Gabriel leaped to his feet, but the animal rushed at him again and again, pushing him to the ground. A regular wolf would have been no match for Gabriel’s increased strength, but this one just kept coming. Down on the ground and forced onto his back, Gabriel’s knuckles turned white as he battled to hold the animal’s snapping jaws away from his face. Long tentacles of saliva dripped onto his cheek, its hot breath an assault on his senses. Knowing he only had one chance, Gabriel curled up his legs and with all his strength kicked up against the soft skin of the wolf’s belly. His feet connected, and using his extraordinary power, he swung sideways hurling the enormous wolf out across the room. The animal sailed through the air and crashed into a coffee table, the collision sending a vase of lilies smashing to the ground. Gabriel flipped back onto his feet, the monster inside dictating his every move. He started toward the wolf, determined to kill it, but the animal was already bounding back. It leaped over a fallen chair and before he could get out of the way, it sailed toward him, its full weight hitting Gabriel hard in the chest. He fell back taking the animal with him, and beneath its weight, he twisted and turned trying once again to catapult it off him. The wooden floor scraped against his spine as he and the wolf locked eyes, both snarling, both in the fight of their lives. But suddenly the wolf inexplicably stopped its attack. It stared down at him, stepped back, then turned, and padded across the room leaving him lying breathless and confused on the floor.

With the wolf gone and the attack over, Gabriel’s body softened. His mind quieted, and a long sigh escaped from his lips. His incisors retracted into his gums and he felt the heat drain from his veins. He patted himself down and found that although his body was covered in blood and pieces of broken glass, aside from a few scratches and missing skin, he was still in one piece. Satisfied the wolf had done no real damage, he hoisted himself up onto one elbow and prepared to stand. He was almost to his feet when he caught sight of the animal standing quietly on the other side of the room. Careful not to make any sudden movements, Gabriel steadied himself and followed the wolf’s gaze. Over on the floor, the man from the stairs was lying on his back, one hand pressed hopelessly against his neck as blood spiraled out like a scarlet ribbon. As he watched, the wolf dropped down, its giant head coming to rest protectively across his chest, and immediately Gabriel knew what had happened. When he lashed out blindly with the stake the man had rushed forward and tried to intervene. In his transformed state, and overcome with rage, he had never even seen him.  

As the wolf tucked its nose up under the man’s chin, guilt spilled over Gabriel’s heart like a stain. The man was dying. It was clear the blade had not pierced the man’s heart, and the neck injury, while surely fatal for a human, would not kill a vampire.

The room began to spin, and forgetting himself, Gabriel reached up and rubbed at his forehead. How had this all gone so wrong, he wondered. And if the man wasn’t a vampire, then what was he?

Sensing his movement, the wolf locked its gaze on him. Yellow eyes burned into his and Gabriel knew any effort to go and help the man would be futile. Any movement at all and the wolf would be all over him. He had no choice but to lie there, still and silent, and hating himself.

The air disappeared from the room and silence stung at his ears. Even the walls seemed to hold their breath as the urge to clutch at the neck of his shirt became overwhelming. There was no denying it. Not only was he a monster, but he was also a murderer.

“I was trying to help you...” The man’s rasping voice suddenly broke the silence, catching Gabriel off guard. “It’s Aurora, she’s close. The wolf, he’s -”

Gabriel looked over, ready to say something, anything, that might make this right, but it was already too late. The man’s lifeless eyes stared back, a mix of pain and confusion.

He had made a mistake, that much he knew, not because there was any proof the corpse on the floor belonged to a man and not a vampire, but because of the cold fingers that pried at his insides. He had felt them before, tugging and twisting, wrapping themselves around his heart and squeezing. It was not the first time Gabriel had looked at a dead body and known he was responsible.

As if reading his mind, the wolf lifted its head and growled. Its thick black gums curling back to reveal teeth that could tear skin from bone.

“Easy now,” Gabriel whispered, inching back across the floor. “Easy there…”

The wolf got to its feet and stepped slowly and carefully over the body, its eyes never leaving his. Gabriel knew wolves were smart, smarter than most people gave them credit for, and this one knew exactly what had been taken from him. As it moved forward, its enormous foot crushed the head of fallen lily, the petals scattering like pieces of a broken heart. Desperate to find his blade, Gabriel glanced desperately around the demolished living room and spotted it over by the window. It would take a miracle for him to reach it before the wolf attacked, but he knew he had to try. Summoning all his strength, Gabriel curled his body into a spring and dived forward. He landed close to the blade and managed to curl his fingers around the handle as the wolf came down on his back, its weight pushing all the breath from his lungs.

“Enough!”

At the sound of her voice, the animal climbed off Gabriel and dropped obediently to the ground. From the sound of her footsteps, Gabriel knew the woman was striding right toward him and he braced himself, ready for another attack. But when he passed right by, he managed to tilt his head sideways and saw her crouched down beside the body. Her back was turned so he couldn’t see her face, but flames of red hair that fell in loose tangles to her waist and the skin of her arms was milky white. He longed for the time to slowly take her in, to see her properly, but his nerves were fried. The wolf had done a number on him and he just wanted to get the hell out of there and back to the cabin. But before he could move, she stood and turned toward him.

“Why did you kill him?” she hissed. “There was no need for you to take a life.”

Dressed in black jeans, and a tight white singlet, the woman stared at Gabriel until he could feel the grip of her gaze like fingers around his throat. He had no idea how to describe the feeling that swept through him when he looked at her, but it was more than the flutter of his heart and stronger than a twist of his stomach.

“I didn’t mean to… It was the wolf. I mean, I did, but…” Nothing was making sense, including him.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” she demanded.

An inked image of a wolf drew its way up along her right arm and painted on her left shoulder he saw the dark rise and fall of a raven’s wing. Gabriel could only stare in wonder as her blue eyes melted into a bright fire that danced inside him.

“He was my brother,” she said. “Did you tell you that? Did he try and explain to you that this wasn’t necessary?”

Gabriel turned himself over and leaned back on his elbows. “I came here to destroy a vampire and that’s what I did.”

“Stefan is not a vampire.” At her feet, the wolf growled but she immediately quieted it. “Ssh Aurel, you can go for now. I need no help to kill this fool.”

The wolf retreated, and Gabriel finally had the chance to take her all in. Hair that fell in wild curls to her waist, the delicate angle of her jaw, pale skin, and eyes that could melt from bright blue to blood red. 

“You’re the only vampire here. Or anywhere for that matter,” she continued, her tone implying she needed no response. “I saw you in my vision.”

Gabriel had no idea who, or what, she was. All he knew was that she was having an effect on him, and he had two choices; kill her or get as far away from her as possible. He glanced toward the door and wondered if he could make it out before the wolf tore him to pieces.

“Do you really think you can make it to the door before I kill you?” she asked, following his gaze.

The wrong answer would certainly mean the end of him, but before he could come up with the right response, five women stepped in from the porch, their arms full of grocery bags. One looked up and saw him staring. She screamed and a bag of oranges spilled out across the floor like brightly colored marbles.

“Stay there!” Aurora shouted at them. “Do not come in here.”

“But Stefan…” the woman cried, her eyes taking in the body on the floor. “Is he…?”

The math alone was enough to make Gabriel’s decision. There were five of them and that wolf against him. Not good odds in anyone’s book. He took one last look at the women gathered in the doorway then got to his feet and turned to the red-haired woman. “I don’t want any more bloodshed today. I suggest you step aside and let me leave.”

“Bloodshed,” she spat. “It is your blood that should be shed. We are not vampires; we are not the living dead. Can you not sense the warmth of my skin or are you so blinded by yourself that you see nothing?”

“I know exactly you are,” he lied.

He forced himself to sound strong, to appear confident, but inside he just felt sick. Behind her anger there was pain, and it was clear that he was the cause.

She moved closer, and despite her small frame, she reminded him of a warrior ready for battle. Without thinking he took a backward step.

“You did not even have the strength to defend yourself against my wolf Aurel,” she continued. “How do you expect to take down another of your kind should you ever find one?”

Gabriel glanced back at the body. He willed it to move but knew the course had already been set. “I did what I thought was right. Say what you like, but this isn’t over.”

She tossed her hair and stepped in, close enough for him to feel her breath on his face. “I should kill you right now, but if you are what I think you are, it would be breaking the treaty.” She held his gaze and then stepped back clearing a path toward the door. “Leave now hunter, but you are right about one thing. This is not over. It’s not even close to being over between you and I.”