-one- discovery

December 23 2025

Quinn held out the document on one hand and the wheel on the other. She had just returned from a trip to the the court house for the finality of her divorce to her first love, Zack Merryk. For a more than twenty years, even something so beautiful couldn't last forever. Tears of joy ran down her cheeks, it was beautiful while it lasted, but everything does have its end. The beautiful commitment, although bumpy had its blissful memories, but they both knew it wouldn't work out as years passed. Thankfully they didn't have children yet or it would have been difficult to push through with the divorce. She had wondered if she wasn't so busy with her career would they had even lasted for another decade, would she have eventually settled down to take care of their future children? No, she thought, both were rebels, married too young and eventually fallen out of love for each other.

The truth is, their divorce wasn't even necessary, and even if it was, they were both ready to let go of one another or at least she was. She was to busy with her career she had grown tired or him complaining about his needs. It didn't even hurt her when she found out he had a five year old child with someone else. She was actually happy he was taking responsibility for the child and she was willing to take in the blow. She couldn't even bring herself to tell him that she was on her second trimester, if she did the divorce wouldn't even happen at all. She didn't deserve the title of Mrs. Merryk. 

As she was passing through Union Bridge, the road ahead was rough and unusually bumpy, the storm has just arrive blurring the already dim view of her windshield and as every second passed the storm only had worsened. The bridge was a twenty minute drive through and from the two lands, she couldn't stand the thought of being in the middle for she wasn't sure how stable the bridge was. She didnt even dare try to glance below, just the taught of being hundreds of feet above ocean was nauseating. Steering the wheel in one hand and the other caressing her secretly hidden bulging belly, she thought of a quick prayer hoping she'd survive the obstacles ahead of her. Just as she was about to enter the other end of the bridge the steep corners of the land like mountain ridges had started to crumble -landslides. She froze, but her vehicle paddled her on. Damn it she thought, and crashed into total darkness. 

She was awaken by the sound of rolling thunder, the uproar above shattered her eardrums. She recoiled shivering by the thought of a storm passing through. Her clothing was completely soaked and torn, but she didn't feel unusually cold. Beside her sat a pale statue, no, not a statue, a person. His expression was cold and stiff. She jerked upright, "where am I?" She coughed, noting a trace of blood from her jaws on the sleeve in which she wiped them on. She quivered realizing what happened to her before she knocked out, plunging downwards hundreds of feet off ground and towards violent walls of seawater, rocks roaring beside her as they crumbled into the pit below them.

"You're somewhere safe." Was all he said, draping his coat over her shoulders as if reading her mind trying to reassure her, but it was useless, she didn't need it, she wasn't cold as he thought. And she wasn't calming down. The rain seemed to have receded. The tall figure was now on both feet leaning back against the entrance of the cave, the moonlight revealing his former shadowed profile. He was tall and ageless, broad shoulders belonging to a swimmer. Skin so white and cold as a corpse. His jet black hair damp and restrained to his forehead, his clothes were damp and the material clung gracefully emphasizing most of the abs and muscle on his firmly built body. Blood stained his plain white damp shirt - her blood she thought.

"Can you walk?" he asked his words filled with outmost sincerity but all she could do was nod, staring dumbly at the stranger in front of her.

"yeah."

The man who only seemed to grow taller as he fixed his posture smirked, his rosy lips curving into a wide treacherous smile. "Good, I'm tired of carrying you from here."

She pouted suddenly feeling exasperated and perplexed. "No one told you to!" She felt the sudden urge of wanting to scream at him, torture his eardrums to express how irritated she was, but refrained herself from doing so. She felt really tired as if saying those words cost her most of her remaining energy. Although her body felt heavy, something inside her felt missing, empty. She got to her feet, but fell back down into a sitting position as fast as she can steady herself.

"Oh, careful," he teased locking his graze with hers "you were faling hundreds of feet down, your head must still feel racked up like a spiraling rocket." He took her by the arm aiding her up, Quinn feeling even more irritable shrug off his grasp and fell back down on the divan.

"Like I said I don't need your help. I can stand."

The man let out what looked to her as a pouting hurt expression, however, the thought disappeared when he crossed the room turning his back on her as he stared out the cave's entrance, his fingers held out absentmindedly playing with the pouring rain.

"Well then I suppose you didn't want me to save you, you were probably trying to commit suicide yes?" he mocked, turning back at her raking his hair back conceitingly, "but it can't be helped I'm attached to damsels in distress." He crossed his arms against chest looking as if to hug himself, leg buckled on the cave wall behind him.

She frowned, compared to the gentlemanly aura surrounding him, he was just like all men, self proclaimed and conceited. "Look thanks anyway," She hissed, forcing herself up on both feet once more. She suddenly felt dizzy and leaned against the concrete wall to support herself. Her eyes widened as her hand scoured her belly, glancing down at her clothes stained with her own blood, there was no longer a protruding lump on her belly hidden from the restrainer.

She looked up at the stranger and back at her belly as her eyes widened in horror. She stepped back now aware of what he was, a lunatic, probably a murderer, a cannibal or just something inhumane. No one could have survived that fall, she was hundreds of feet above and below was nothing but a high current of water, rocks from the erupting land could have killed him as well. She backed away as he stepped towards her, a pattern formed between him and her backing and stepping forward. She tripped, looking down below her was something black and lifeless on the concrete floor, reeking of fresh blood.

Quinn bit back a scream, her eyes now as wide as two gulf balls in horror. In the center of the curled figure was a scarlet hallow opening, the chest drained of its blood. Her stomach twisted looking at the sight, she bit back the need of wanting to puke and crawled like a land crab dragging her denim jeans against the floor, squirming as she tried to get away from it. Amused by her actions, the man was now behind her, arms rested on her shoulder. He bent down so that his face met hers and whispered in her ears, "I don't suppose your still hungry." He smirked a hint of sarcasm toying in his voice. Quinn's world began to spin around her, maybe it was still the impact of her still falling hundreds of feet down. Her heart was shrieking in fear, body trembling. Her sight dying in total darkness. 

***

The synchronized howling of the moon children signaled the strike of midnight. Night children peaked out of their homes and charged with the wind, hoping to find a nights meal to prey on. Wolves now roaming in packs huddled together heeding a growl at the shrubs across them. The bright moonlight casted itself in that direction, revealing the spotlight over to the male vamps that had finally stepped out into the light. One of the wolves on its fours stepped forward and transformed in a blink of an eye taking a form of a human male, half naked from the top, hands apart and nails still protruding to claws.

"We don't want trouble." He snarled twitching his head to the side, his long dark chocolate tresses falling to his shoulders, the other vamp supposedly their leader, stepped forward, his fangs like his golden sharp tresses, descended piercing through his grinning lips.

"But we want trouble." he shrieked and flung himself towards the wolf leader, aiming to sink his fangs on his neck. He let out a howl of anguish, clawing himself free, but failed to do so for the vamp had a strong hold of his neck. If he hadn't been through special training, he would have lost his head moments ago. Tension filled the air, no one dared to make a move, and if anyone from both sides did, a fight would break out.

Opposing sides watched each other distrusting their actions, waiting for an opening. One of the wolves whose fur slightly lighter than the rest charged itself towards the vamp leader, pinning him hastily against the dusty ground and let out a high pitch howl of triumph. Growling as it exchanged looks from its pack and the flock of vamps, threatening to shred him to bits if they had moved a muscle.

A female vamp, whose eyes gleamed rage red charged forward, flinging the wolf with one swing of her hand, the wolf flew a few feet and let out a cry before transforming into its original form- a tanned woman whose body fully bared, she was soon aided by her comrades shielding her from nudity and growling over protectively as the rest aligned themselves into a war position crouching, ready to strike.

The flock of vamps did the same, their fangs descending, elegant clothing ripping revealing mostly their top skin, and the air surrounding them tensed as they waited for the word of action, the wolf leader enraged and was once more on fours charged but before a fight could even break out between him and the vamp leader, a tall shadowed figure appeared seeming to blockade the center of both sides, a tall man in an elegant full black french suit stood between them, eyes stern and expressionless, the wolf skidded into a halt, reforming himself into his half human form, hissing its claws still protruding defensively, "We don't want a fight Ordous, my clan wish not to provoke a war between both sides, I apologize for Dimitri's behalf, please release him and we are to leave happily."


"We wish not to provoke a war Lucas," said Ordous, his eyes filled with outmost sincerity. "but next time do a better job in educating your little fledgling." 

"Understood, but we must all abide in the laws no?" Lucas whose serious tone of voice shifted into something rather humorous almost insulting "An eye for an eye my comrade, this law we are all tied to curse us all. It's more powerful than it seems, we'll let you go for now, but do remember, thou downworlder killed in territory is only rightful to pay its price for the crime." Ordous bowed, and descended to all fours. "A truce we must all abide. We'll be especially careful not to cross over as do you promise to do so as well."


Lucas smirked a wide charming smile curving his lips, one that was treachourous and disadvantageous to women held captive by them, "granted."

Outside of the master bedroom of the large mansion was a long spiral staircase, 50 even elegantly chiseled porcelain steps and smooth golden handle bars. Quinn who had just woken up from what felt like a deep slumber sunk on fours, clenching her seemingly tightening chest. Her throat was dry and her stomach yearned for food. Her vision was bloodshot and blurry. She only noticed that she was now wearing a fully white laced night gown, the frilly ends smudged by dust due to the dragging of her knees as she crawled on fours searching the kitchen.

Desperately rummaging the kitchen until the whole mansion turned upside down, she let out a disappointed sigh when she found nothing but a black cat whose heart beating loud like drums in her ears. Her mouth watered and bit back the need of wanting to eat him alive. To save her from going insane by the thought she decided to walk up and down the large staircase anxious and not knowing what to do.

She tried to recall her last memory, she didn't know where she was or how to get out or why she was there in the first place. The whole day seemed like a unbelievable nightmare. She was at the thirtieth step when the golden doors like large gates bursted open. The man from her dream revealed himself, gleaming pale under the chandelier light, his hands buried in the pockets of his elegant full black french suit. He no longer wore the bloody white shirt, and compared to her dream he wasn't as scary and murderous as she thought.

"You're awake." He sighed strolling inside with the large doors automatically closing behind him. "Are you hungry?"

She opened her mouth to speak but the words she wanted to say couldn't come out, her mouth was dry and her stomach only ached in hunger. She sank down to her feet sobbing, "what have you done to me." She cried, slamming her fist against the step, it crumbled, and to her shock her fist didn't even ached in pain. "I'll explain to you later, right now we need to get you something to eat." 

He led her through a long dark corridor, unlike the first time she crossed the kitchen she only noticed now that there was something more beyond that. They passed by a mirror, she paused to see her reflection, her forehead was bruised up and her skin was pale as a corpse, she never realized how bony her cheek bones were, as if she had been sucked by a huge mosquito and nothing was left of her but bones and flat fleshless cheeks. A shiver ran down her spine but disappeared the moment he stopped to look at her urging her to come along.

The kitchen although old fashioned, had its modern renovations, his fingers tapped the wall as if he was entering codes, a complete stranger would have thought there was nothing there, but seeing it up close though, an invisible screen pad lock blended with the plain white great walls of the building. A quick click sounded and a small compartment revealed itself as the wall slid up, it was a mini freezer with dozens of jars of scarlet liquid stacked together in five columns. He stretched his long slender arm and took one, quickly shutting the compartment and tossing the jar at her. "That should satisfy you, or do you prefer it warm?"

Confused, Quinn held the jar above her, examining it carefully as it glistened bright scarlet under the light. Was it tomato juice? Strawberry jam or shake? Maybe wine. Whatever it was at that moment she didn't care, Quinn, out of hunger, twisted the cap open and downed the sticky liquid in one gulp, the moment she did, a chill ran down her spine as the smell of fresh blood passed her nostril and the thought of it mixing with the acid inside her intestines made her stomach twist inside out like a knot. She almost dropped the half empty jar and looked at him, "It's lamb blood if your wondering. Like the one you saw earlier back in the cave."

She lifted her eyebrow and her voice stuttered as she spoke, "I'm dreaming right?"

He nudged her head playfully, "don't tell me you forgot how it tasted like to feed on your first prey."

She shook her head, if she did remember, it was all a blurry memory. And then she remembered why she was scared, series of flashbacks came at her, black and white memories she wish she was warned about: her head was spinning again at her forehead was a cut, blood oozing by the impact of her fall, slight concussion but nothing serious.

A pain came from her neck as two needles pierced itself against her skin. She felt the life draining away from her to the point there wasn't nothing left of her but wrinkled raisin skin. Then suddenly she was buried underground and in fear she dug hastily with all her strength to the surface. The man was standing in front of her, asked her if she was hungry. And before she could answer hunger took over her and she ran with all her might trailing the scent of blood and heart beat. She sank her teeth on the furry being and dragged it in the cave the moment the rain had dominated the sky. The hunched body in the dark depths of the room, the one with a whole engraved in its chest drained of its blood, Quinn buried her head in her palms denying reality: she killed it, she was a monster.

The man rested his hand on her bare shoulders, "I know its hard for you to understand but -." His words where cut off by her sudden violent shrug, he was taken aback and stepped back to give her some space.

"This can't be, I can't be!" She shrieked shaking her head as tears fell from her eyes, he took her by her shoulder to face him,

"Look at me," he hissed, "Quinn, I want you to look at me." She shook her head resisting, she didn't even know how he knew her name, this time he tilted her head towards him, his eyes grazing upon hers intensely "you're dead, you understand me?"

Pools of tears once more ran down her cheeks, "No, I can't be," she denied weeping even louder this time.

"I'm your sire. Do you know what that is?" Quinn nodded, "A sire," he explained, wiping away the tears on her face with his fingers "is a higher vampire, known as the master to those he turns. There are two ways to be turned, to be bitten and induced with my blood. You're a newborn now, a newly turned fledgling. Risen from the dead. We are connected through my blood," he paused, pushing back the loose tresses off her forehead, "you belong to me." He whispered.

Quinn clenched her fists, underestimating her newly found strength, her fingers dug viciously into her palms and blood streaked down from them. "I don't belong to anyone."

"You think you can go back to your own life? Your husband, your job. No matter how hard you hide it, what you really are would eventually reveal itself. You can't step out into the light, you can't eat normally like you used to and seeing how you can't even control yourself, as much as possible you must stay by my side."

"I have a family, waiting for me."

"Your car crashed hours ago, someone would have found it by then. They must have thought your body drifted away by the strong current or buried by the heaps caused by the avalanche."

"I'm not dead," she whispered, "I could still go back."

He lifted his eyebrows, something about him, Quinn thought, looked as if he was irritable, irritable of her stubbornness. "And how do you suppose you could explain how you survived the accident, even if they believed you they'll end up forcing you to those mortal hospitals and what," he took her arm adjusting her fingers so that only her pointer and middle finger were side by side, and placed them on the base of his wrist just above his veins, pressed it lightly, then a little harder, it was cold and it was already obvious he didn't have a pulse."how can you explain why you have no pulse?" He then took her palm in his and placed it in his un-beating chest, "A heartbeat?" He lifted her wrist with one hand the other mimicking the earlier action by placing her fingers on her wrist. "You try it too," he said a little curtly than before, "you'll realize that there is no way going back."

She nodded waiting for her veins to pulse under her skin. she waited and pressed harder. She did it exactly how she was told gently pressing her fingers on the base of her wrist, waiting for something that never came. She was thankful she has nursed her father during his remaining years and eventually understood now how useful the methods and proper way to take a pulse was, but at the same time she was horrified, unable to decipher the truth, she had no pulse, he was right, she was just like him, whatever he was, she was just like him, dead.

"I'm sorry this must be alot to sink in in one night. I didn't even get a chance to introduce myself properly," the man knelt down in front of Quinn caring less if his French suit was blemished by pressing all his weight on the knee, he bowed, the open collar of his suit gapping revealing his sharply chiseled collarbone and pale stern chest, his ebony threads no longer taped against his forehead because it was soaking wet but perfectly styled up into sharp silky blades like grass sticking above his lawned head. 

"I'm your sire, and you may call me Lucas, Lucas Garner." He cooed taking her hand and planting a spine shivering kiss on the back of it. "You'll be living with me in this mansion. Starting today and train to suppress and control your power." 

Lucas got up on both feet now, his movement so swift she thought at this rate she couldn't catch up to him. If every single movement he made startled her, how else will she adapt to her new environment. It was bad enough she had to accept the fact that she was immortal, now she had to live with the being who made her a monster, a complete stranger she didn't even know what his real intention really was. 

As if reading her mind, Lucas squeezed her hand, "don't worry I don't bite. Unless you say so." He winked and burst into a laugh before she could react to his shrewd words, thankfully he hasn't noticed her flushed expression. Maybe that was the only benefit she enjoyed for what she was right now. 

"I didn't tell you to bite me in the first place now did I?" She counteracted, her words like a threat, sparked the burning fire within him. 

"Well it can't be helped," he smirked, a wide knowing smirk, " You fit in the category of damsels in distress."

Quinn scowled, her eyebrows weaving into an ugly worm on her forehead, but this couldn't hide her flushed expression. She suddenly felt like she was in her twenties, when that trick really worked its magic on her. 

"I don't suppose you do that in all the women you find in a pinch. And suddenly turn them?"

"Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching damsels in distress and believe it or not I'm something to be feared. And what happened to you, was something that had to be done." 

"And my child?"

"I'm Count Dracula not a surgeon, I can't save a life that isn't even born yet."

"Then you should have preyed on me instead of keeping me here feeling guilty for being saved instead of an unborn innocent."

"And like I said Mrs. Merryk," Lucas flashed the crumpled Manila package on one hand in front of her, "if you were committing suicide at least put up a sign around your car saying, "do not save me I'm committing suicide."

Quinn's jaw dropped to her knees, she never knew it was even possible. She watched him wave the envelope victoriously like Armstrong on live television landing and placing the American flag on the moon. 

"I wasn't committing suicide." She hissed flustered by his teasing, she wished he'd consider his words more before delivering them. "It just so happens I was there at the wrong time."

She looked up at him, his face was inches from hers listening intently as she spoke. Vampires, she thought, didn't have a sense of space at all. 

When he noticed her sudden pause he stepped back yawning and stretching like a stray cat, his head tilted away from her and towards the direction of the century old- glass window spilling early morning sunlight over his silky red carpet flooring. He turned back to look at her, his expression grim. He patted her head, the way he did it seemed to Quinn as to almost like an older brother kind of way and flashed her a smile as he tilted away tiredly. "That's all for now, I believe you know you way to your room, yes?"

Quinn nodded, although there might have been dozens of rooms maybe even hundreds more hidden somewhere between the corridors and upstairs, she knew fairly well that he meant the room directly facing the porcelain steps upstairs would be hers. He didn't even dared to look back at her for her response, he just left, stalking away and disappearing in a blink of an eye.

She sighed starting off the long corridors after him. She glanced back to take in the dimly lit kitchen, it was as clean as day and without bloodshed where you would have thought a vampire would have for a den filled with rotting bodies and smeared blood over the flooring. This she thought, would be her new home. And shut the double doors behind her.