Chapter 1

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Diane was beyond surprised when I told her what had happened those weeks after I left her a phone message telling her good-bye. I had planned that message to be the last that Diane would hear from me, because my pack had intended upon killing me that night—Thanksgiving night to be exact. Luckily, I had attracted quite an interesting admirer and he saved my life that night. He just so happened to be a vampire who had to turn me in order to save me.

"God Diane, would you stop saying that and help me pick out a damn dress? I only have two weeks before the wedding and I can't find anything that looks right with this belly all pooching out like it is."

It was Saturday, April 13th and we were in the Got a Dress? Wedding Boutique—which was, unfortunately, the closest place to buy a great wedding dress in such a short amount of time—and I was digging through rack after rack of multi-colored, overly poufy, and ridiculously priced wedding dresses. This store was a typical wedding boutique, with typical, obnoxious, and annoying salesgirls hovering around constantly asking if they can help me. All I wanted to do was find a damn dress and get this over with, but they wanted to "show" me this dress or that dress—all so obviously NOT my taste.

Alex and I had planned a lovely spring wedding, and while every last detail had been completed weeks ago, my wedding dress choice was still circling my head like a vulture waiting for me to die of dehydration. I only had two weeks left before our wedding day and Diane had promised to help me find the perfect dress. Unfortunately, we had been in this damn store for six hours today, and that doesn't count the four hours I was in here by myself yesterday, and the numerous times Alex had stopped in without me. I keep telling him that I have to choose the dress, but he knows how I hate this kind of stuff.

"I just can't believe it! I know that you've been retelling this tale of yours for the last few weeks, but it's just so amazing that I can't believe it."

Diane had been flabbergasted ever since the first time I told her about Alex and me. Well, actually she hadn't even known about Alex, much less about an Alex and me. She had only heard a cryptic phone message saying that I was going to die, and that I would miss her. So when I showed up on her doorstep—alive and pregnant—she was beyond shocked.

"You can believe that I'm a werewolf and you can still be my best friend from childhood, and yet you can't believe that Alex is a vampire, he turned me, and now I'm pregnant with his child?" I laughed while shaking my head in disbelief and she snickered at my statement.

"Well damn Fiona, when you say it like that...,” she scoffed. “It’s just a little unbelievable. First off, I never imagined that vampires were REAL. Then, you go and fall in love with one and proceed to get knocked up with his love child. How the hell can he get you pregnant to begin with? He's DEAD! Right?"

"You know that I've already explained that to you... about twenty times!" I could never get pissed with Diane, but my hormonal nerves were fried at this point and I looked up at her from the rack of dresses and gave her my patented Go to Hell look.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. It's just crazy weird. Of course I believe you, and you know that I'm always here for you. I just wish you had told me about all of this sooner, instead of springing it on me after I thought you were dead and I'd lost my best friend."

She came over to me and hugged me tight. When we released each other, I look into her eyes and smiled. I had missed her terribly while I was struggling with my pack. As soon as I found out I was pregnant I knew that I needed my friend at my side during this adventure.

"Ok, ok. Diane, you know I love you like a sister, but I really need you to help me out here. What do you think of this?" I asked.

I held up an off-white, off the shoulders, silk gown that flowed from waist to ankles like waves on the ocean. It had long sleeves and would accentuate my breasts beautifully (I never imagined that pregnancy would provide so much more ampleness in the chest area). It wasn't form-fitting—which is great when you have an ever-expanding abdomen—and after being in the store for six hours I was ready to choose and get the hell out of here.

"Oooohhh, I LOVE IT! You definitely need to try that one on. What size is it?"

I glanced down at the small slip of white paper hanging from the sleeve of my perfect dress and discovered that it was a size ten. Exactly the size I needed! This dress couldn't be more perfect if someone had stood here and sewn it for me right in front of my eyes.

I showed the tag to Diane and she smiled widely. Her toothy smile always reminds me of a certain red-headed actress who has always been gorgeous. Standing side by side, Diane was about an inch taller than me, but it's really just her huge hair. She likes it "fluffy", as she puts it.

In a flash she was grabbing the dress and running for the cashier. "I'm buying this for you. Consider it a wedding gift from your best friend" she shouted across the room.

"Oh, no you're not! I don't want you to buy my dress. Besides, Alex has PLENTY of money and told me to buy whatever I wanted." But, my words feel on deaf ears. She was so fast that I couldn't catch up to her before the cashier had swiped her credit card, and the deal was done.

As we walked out of the store—her with a giant smile on her face and I with a wedding dress tossed over my arm—I felt a great sense of happiness. I always felt that way when I was with Alex or when I was thinking of the little life that was growing inside of me, but it had been a while since I'd felt that with a friend... ever since I killed Jeffrey. Ah, Jeffrey.

The thought of my best Were-friend, turned betrayer, made me sad, but Diane would have none of that. She tugged me down the sidewalk toward one of my favorite coffee shops. This place had every kind of coffee drink imaginable, and a few you wouldn't imagine. But, my favorite item on the menu wasn't coffee, it was their strawberry cheesecake danish. YUM!

"Come on sweetie, let me lavish you with danish", Diane said cheerfully. "I know you love the stuff and that little baby...," she patted my ever expanding waistline, "needs the nourishment."

"Ah Diane, you know how to make a girl feel special." I chuckled, and we headed into the coffee shop where I proceeded to down three strawberry cheesecake danishes and an extra large cup of orange juice. This, in turn, caused me to have to rush to the bathroom before the weight of the baby made my bladder to explode.

When I returned to the table, Diane had a serious look on her face. She was no longer cheerful and enthusiastic. She was now worried, cautious, and concerned.

"What? What have I done now?" I questioned.

"Nothing. I was just thinking." She paused, ran her hand through her "fluffy" hair and then fiddled with her fingernails. This usually meant that she wanted to ask me something, but wasn't sure how I'd react to it.

"What is it, Diane? I know you have something on your mind, so get on with it." I sipped my orange juice and waited patiently for Diane to spill what ever was on her mind. She wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

"Well, sweetie, you know that I love you like a sister. You have been my best friend since the day we met all those years ago." I nodded in agreement and she continued, "I'm just worried about you. You've been through so much in the last few months, and well, I’m afraid that if you stay with this man you, and your child, will only suffer more in the years to come."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Diane was afraid for my safety. She was worried about my child's safety. I was surprised, and a little angry.

"You're worried? About me? Why in the hell would you be worried about the baby and me? And what does it have to do with Alex? He's been nothing but wonderful to me and he's completely in love with the idea of our child coming into this world. There's absolutely nothing to worry about. Alex would never hurt me, or Isabella."

The volume of my voice was beginning to rise from the thoughts that Diane would dare accuse Alex of harming the baby or me. "And if you think for one minute that I'm going to leave Alex just because you say so, then you are sadly mistaken.... best friends or not!"

Diane saw the fire in my eyes and she didn't speak for a moment. She simply laid her hands upon mine and squeezed reassuringly. She let me calm down before she spoke again.

"Fiona, honey, please don't get upset. I didn't mean that Alex would hurt you or baby Isabella. I just meant that being with him can't be safe. Not because of HIM, but possibly because of the people he knows. If one vampire exists, then we can be certain that there are many more out there, and they may not be as friendly as your man is."

"You're kidding, right? You are seriously concerned about Alex being able to protect me, when my own pack tried to kill me? Alex was the one who saved me from never living another day on this earth! He would never allow anything to happen to me."

I thought for a second and realized that I didn't need Alex to protect me anyway. "Diane, don't you remember me telling you about how I killed the werewolf council—the ENTIRE werewolf council? Don't you think that I can take care of myself if push comes to shove? I didn't need Alex to protect me then, and I don’t need his protection now."

Diane looked truly sorry that she had spoken badly against Alex. "I'm sorry, Fiona. I never meant to upset you. I only wanted to make sure that you’re going to be taken care of. I don't want to go through the death of my best friend, again. I know that you can take care of yourself, even before you were turned, but I don't want little Isabella to be stuck in the middle of a dangerous battle between Alex and some other vampire. Or worse off, some other creature we didn't know existed."

"Diane, don't worry about Isabella. Her father and I will never let anything happen to her." With that, I smiled at Diane and she reciprocated.

"Now, let's get back to this wedding mess. Did you have your dress fitting yesterday? Is everything alright with your dress?" And that was the end of Diane's worries about my safety... or at least I hoped it was.

"Oh yes, the dress is beautiful and fits perfectly. I can't wait for the wedding so that I can wear it. You know that I'll be the best looking woman at the whole wedding...”

She paused and I gave her a raised eyebrow before she continued, “with the exception of the bride of course!" We roared with laughter and everyone in the coffee shop looked our way. We tried to stifle our giggles while collecting our bags and heading for the door.

I stepped out the door of the coffee shop and a chill ran up my spine. I had the feeling like someone was watching me. My eyes quickly darted up and down the sidewalk, but I didn't see anyone. The street was empty, except for a stray dog and a runaway newspaper that was twirling in the wind.

But, I knew that someone was there, and I always trusted my instincts these days. Ever since the night that my pack sent a bounty hunter after me, I'd been more in tune to the world around me. I wouldn't be caught off guard again, especially now that I had Isabella to protect.

I was so focused on the possibility of someone spying on me that it startled me when Diane walked up behind me and asked, "Are you alright? You look very pale all of a sudden. Is it the morning sickness again? Do you need to rest?"

"No, I'm alright.” I looked up and down the street once more. “I think I'm ready to head home for the day. Alex will be awake in a few hours and I'll need to feed. Isabella isn't happy if I skip even one feeding."

Diane snarled her nose up in disgust. "I'll never get use to the idea that you 'feed'. The thought of you drinking blood makes my stomach churn."

I laughed at her. "Well, you do remember that I'm a werewolf, right? I use to feed on wild animals during every full moon. Only now it's more fun because the sex is awesome!"

This time it was Diane who raised her eyebrows. I winked and then hugged her good-bye before walking in the direction of my car.

Prologue

My name is Alexander and I'm an addict. I'm addicted to blood. It's all I think about during my waking hours. I count down the minutes until my next drink. Oh, wait, didn't I mention that I'm a vampire? I didn't? Well, I am. I'm a one hundred and fifty year old vampire who loves the act of taking blood from an unwilling victim. It's my addiction.

Sure I could use my enhanced mental abilities in order to hypnotize a victim into becoming a willing participant, but what's the fun in that? I enjoy the hunt, the look of terror on my victim's face, and then the screaming and struggling when she realizes exactly what I am; a savage, blood-thirsty vampire! Until the day I met.....HER!

* * * *

My name is Fiona Loupe (my family doesn't believe in middle names, so don't even ask) and I have an interesting birth defect. Don't look at me like that. I don't have two heads or three feet. I'm a Werewolf. Yes, I'm serious. I simply change into a wild beast for a few nights a month; nothing more. Well, it was nothing more, until Thanksgiving night--the night that my pack turned on me and I was killed by my chosen mate.



Chapter 1

It was about 9 o'clock on a dark, cold and windy November evening. I had just finished dining on a very lovely, little, blonde teenager whose screams were ear-piercing, much to my delight. She had apparently been out doing some last minute Thanksgiving Day shopping for her mother, whom shouldn't expect her to be home anytime soon thanks to me (no, she's not dead–just feeling very drained at the moment–pun intended).

When I came upon her in a grocery store parking lot, I decided it was a good time to have a snack. When will these current day teenagers realize that they should always be aware of their surroundings late at night? Ah, what difference does it make to me? I love anyone who is out late at night and available for a quick bite to eat.

As I was saying, it was a dark, cold and windy November evening and I was feeling very relaxed and playful after a nice dinner out. The streets were empty except for the occasional car speeding home from a last minute errand. Everyone was at home getting ready for a day filled with binging on the carcasses of nasty little birds. I was enjoying the peace and quiet when all of a sudden I got a whiff of the strangest scent.

The scent wasn't anything that I had ever discovered before, so I wasn't too sure what sort of creature it could be coming from. It wasn't quite human, but it wasn't exactly animal either. The scent was similar to a wet dog scent with a touch of... What is that–coconut and peaches? How strange! I decided to investigate this interesting new scent, so I followed my nose around the corner of the Shop 'N Go gas station, and there she was–the most beautiful sight that I have ever seen.

She was tall, maybe two inches shorter than my six-foot frame, and she couldn't weigh more than one hundred and fifty pounds. Of course her weight made no difference to me, after all I am a vampire who can bench press two thousand pounds. She had the most beautiful rich molasses-colored brown hair. It hung down her back in large, wavy curls. Her hair was so shiny and smooth that I had to fight the urge to fly right up to her and grab a handful just to see if it was as soft as it looked.

This beautiful creature had a figure to die for–if I hadn't already been dead. She reminded me of the women from my past; full-figured with lovely curves. I've always loved curvy women. I have yet to figure out why modern-day women strive to be as thin as a walking stick. There's nothing healthy about being frightened that you will fracture a bone from hugging one of these women too tightly. Why would men like that?

She wore an emerald-colored dress that, even in this dim light, I could tell matched her twinkling eyes. The dress flowed down her body like the molasses that her hair resembled. Over the dress, she was wrapped in a black sweater jacket that was belted at the waist. That belt just made her curvy hips even more prominent. Her skin was a healthy shade of brown, even though it was winter, and she had a lovely beauty mark above the right corner of her red lips.

I was drooling just standing there and I knew in that moment that I had to find out everything about this creature. I needed to know who she was, what kind of person she was and if she would love me. Love me?! Am I going insane? I'm a vampire, damn it, and I don't need anyone to love me! I am Alexander the Vampire! Love be damned! Then I heard her complaining under her breath, because she couldn't get her car door to unlock, and all of my resistance just melted away. I had to have her. She had to be mine!

She finally got her keys to unlock the door on her black car and she hopped in as fast as she could. It was like she could sense my presence, but that can't be possible–humans could never sense my presence. That could explain the strange scent that emanates from her. Maybe she wasn't a simple human after all.

I realized that she was pulling away–so fast that the tires squealed under the pressure–and all I had been doing was standing at the corner staring at her. I took to the sky (yes I can fly, I am a vampire after all) and followed that lovely creature. I had to learn everything about her that I could and I wouldn't allow my day, uh, night dreaming to prevent that.

I flew high above her black car while she drove down Main Street and then turned left onto Fourth Avenue. She then made a right into a group of very nice and expensive-looking brick townhouses. Once I saw her pull the car into her two-car garage, I floated back down to earth and then watched as she closed the garage door behind her. She apparently lived in the very first townhouse. It was two stories with a beautiful bay window on the bottom floor. The top floor had a balcony with double French doors.

I peeked into one of the first floor windows and saw a beautifully furnished living room full of Victorian style furniture, dark blue plush carpet and several expensive looking paintings. I'm not an art expert so I don't know exactly how expensive the paintings were, just that they looked pretty pricey. Oh, there she is, my lady love. What am I saying?! Sheesh!

I must find out this lovely creature's name. She headed up the stairs to the second floor, so I flew up to the balcony doors to take a look. She came into the room–which turned out to be the master suite–flicked on the bedside lamp and began taking off her jewelry. After removing her earrings and necklace, she stopped and slowly turned until she was looking straight at the French doors, which happened to be exactly where I was standing.