Preface

IN THE BEGINNING

May 21st, 2010

It was around five thirty in the evening when he reached the diner, the clouds clustered in a blur dark grey, the rain bounced off the windscreen as the whipers swished side to side in an attempt to see clearly. He switched the engine off, stepping out of the large black pickup truck. Authority radiated from his tall, muscular frame, his slicked his dirty blonde hair back as the rain soaked it. His hazel eyes held a hint of anger, a human had come into his diner and held a gun to one of his sixteen year old waitresses. The police had to get involved, there were two police cars out the front of the diner.

Ducking under the police tape, Damien stepped into his diner, he was feared by everyone, humans, wolves and vampires alike, he was known as the Blood Alpha and that was not just because Blood is his surname. Her sent hit him sending him into a short sense of euphoria, he had finally found her his mate after, eighteen years of searching he had finally found her.

The woman was seated in a booth, taking the sixteen year old girls statement as another member of her team took fingerprints and pictures. Her long brown hair was tied back into a loose bun with a few strands of hair framing her face. She had a serious look across her innocent face, her large brown eyes soft and captivating but somehow determined. Her perky pink lips full and mesmerising as she spoke, she handed the girl her desk number, when she stood, he could see her more clearly, her maroon top fitted loosely as her detective badge rested at the top of her skinny black trousers. He could tell she was tired from the small black bags that rested under her eyes. His eyes zeroed in on the single band one diamond wedding ring on her finger, instantly he felt regret and anger that she had been claimed by someone else.

The sound of a car door slamming outside, had his attention switching to the door, angry wet footsteps approached the diner. A tall man in a police captains uniform stood in the doorway holding a small child, her features similar to the woman who was now walking away from the booth and towards the man, with his light brown hair and chiseled jawline, his eyes an angry green, as he practically threw the girl into the woman's arms. "You're always late." He huffed, before stomping back out.

The young girl looked alot like the woman with dark hair and warm chocolate eyes, her skin slightly tanned with pink lips and a pearly white smile. She hugged the woman tightly, though the child looked no older than five.

Damien coughed, slightly making them notice his presence. "What a cute child." He smiled, as her head shot in his direction and her breath hitched. She placed her child on the ground, and Damien wondered if she felt the bond the same way he did.

"That's the man from the TV, mummy." Her child spoke, pointing at him. Her mother was very aware of who Damien Blood was. He owned half of this city and the whole of the neighbouring town. And, that was the start of the affair.

Months went by, and the woman fell pregnant with Damiens child, a child that would not survive. On the night the she told her husband she was leaving him, their daughter woke up to the sound of her mother screaming. She rushed out of her bedroom just as fearless as her mother, ready to protect.

She did not expect her father to be the danger, as she looked into the kitchen she saw him frozen in what appeared to be a state of shock, or regret? He stood over her mother holding a blood soaked knife, as a pool of blood surrounded her mother's lifeless body. He had stabbed her repeatedly in the stomach.

Suddenly fear took over the six year old and she couldn't help but run, scared that he would attack her next, she ran straight for the front door, her mother had just come in from work so she knew it would be unlocked.

She had ran all the way down the street, and had already turned the corner when a car pulled up beside her. She heard footsteps racing after her and did not look back fearing that it was her father, she pushed herself to keep running but it was short lived when she felt, muscular arms wrap around her tiny body. She let out an animalistic pained cry as sirens sounded chasing each other towards her house. The person who had captured her then turned her to face him. Damien.

He was already on his way to her house, he could feel the sting from the knife as it plunged into her, it was like he could feel her pain. He knew he was too late for her mother but he wouldn't be too late for her child, Grace. He knew he could get to her, it was as if her last thought came rushing into him, run Grace he heard her voice rush through his head. Slamming on the breaks as he saw her child, about to rush across the road. Grace, she just kept running.

As he came to to stop beside her, racing towards her. She let out a cry of defeat as his arms wrapped round her. Even after she saw his face she would not stop crying, "Daddy, Daddy killed her." Her voice shook as her breathing rushed.

He felt his link to her mother completely sever, a rush of pain caused him to grunt as tears filled his eyes, he picked the girl up and put her in his car as police cars raced down the street.

A neighbour had apparently heard the commotion and reported it to the police as domestic abuse. He was sentenced to life in prison for murder.

Grace was placed into care for four years, she had to visit her father once a month in the prison, that was until Damien Blood adopted her from the group home, she was seven when he finally gained custody of her.