"I am all things dark .. all things eternal. Shunned forever from the light, the shadows are now my haven."

She gasped as she heard his cold, emotionless answer... it would be the last breath she ever took. Her world grew dark as a sharp pain embraced her thoughts. Her lifeless body fell to the ground as his soft, almost remorseful, sigh filled the silent room. At that very moment he almost turned back to the shadows from which he came, to leave her to her eternal peace. But as his eyes fell back on her form he was struck by the over-whelming lonliess that had plagued him for centuries. He needed her, needed her gentleness, her beauty.. her companionship. He longed to experience once again what it was like to not be haunted by the ways of the night; he could do that through her naive eyes.. if at least for a brief bitter-sweet moment. He knew he could not leave her.. kneeling beside her he bit his wrist, placed it to her mouth and watched as the blood trickled past her ruby lips changing her forever.

She awoke to the touch of his hand on her cheek. His breath was raggid, his voice quiet.."Welcome to my word little one." Her eyes fluttered open as the reality of the moment struck her... This was real.. this was actually happening!! Pain racked her body, it was the emmence pain of sorrow, of fear... of hunger. "Yes childe you must feed soon, you need strength now. I have prepared a meal for you when you are ready." Her eyes shifted quickly around the room taking in her new surroundings. The room was a Victorian styled chamber that opened to an exquisite garden. Her eyes then shifted back to his face.. his eyes. They were deep pools of blue, as she looked deeper she saw sadness.. she saw loss. As he broke off her gaze he continued.. "You will find fitting attire in the armoir, I'll await you in the study." With that statement he slipped quietly out the door.

She was left alone in the chamber...the windows unlocked and the doors to the garden open. She stood slowly from the bed walking towards the garden doors.. her mind raced..."The fool.. he leaves me alone with the doors open. This is it.. This is my way out!" Her hands running along the brassy cool handles of the doors.. here eyes staring out into the darkness.. but her feet did not step forward, she did not run. A tear ran down her cheek as she accepted her fate. She gently pushed the doors to the garden closed - as if she were closing the doors to the life she knew.

He paced the floor as he waited. Would she join him? Would she flee? He had to leave the choice to her, he refused to make her a caged bird. Pacing, thinking, dreading she would forever hate him. Wanting to rush down the hall to her chamber, to keep her with him, but controlling himself. His hands in tight fists, his knuckles white...pacing.. pacing... He looked out upon the night trying to calm his mind. Suddenly he heard a soft rustle at the door.. he felt a demure presence in the room. Turning slowly his fears were ended..... there she stood. His eyes fell upon hers immediately. They seemed to have grown to an even more brilliant emerald green, her skin seemed a shade more ivory, her movements more fluid. As she stepped towards him a smile crossed his lips. She reached out a trembling hand to him as if asking for guidance, he took it leading her to a crimson velvet couch. "Sit childe, relax, what comes next will take much strength on your part.. it will mean leaving your humanity forever..." Turning from her he left the room again. Her mind reeled, her fears told her what came next but her thoughts were still too mortal to accept it. She sat on the couch quietly relieved for the brief moment of peace the stillness brought to her. But with the sound of footsteps at the door and the chill that filled the room that peace was broken."I have brought you a gift darling." ... his voice came as a whisper. Kneeling beside her he pulled a young man down to him. Her eyes stayed focused on the one who made her for she could not bring herself to look at the "gift" he had brought. " I... I cant". Her voice came from somewhere deep within her- somewhere that clung desperately to her humanity. She knew once she took this gift he brought she was forever damned. She stood quickly and walked to the door. " I just cant.. he is human, he is innocent, like I was.....". Her sentence broke off as tears came. The hot tears warmed her cool skin.. she could still cry, she still had those emotions she had felt as a mortal. Confusion now sat in, if she drank of this boy would the Evil take over her? Would she be trapped forever in torment?.... Her head became dizzy as she stumbled to the door frame to steady herself. He walked to her... brushing a stay hair from her face and looking in her eyes. "The urge is within you, it will come naturally.... if you let it." Slipping an arm around her waiste he guided her back to the couch. The young man still kneeling... still waiting. "Now darling.. take your gift and give yourself the strength you need." With that statement he pushed the man's head to the side exposing his neck, then sank his fangs in making the blood run. Suddenly, at the sight of the blood, a hunger she has never felt before surged through her body. There had been hunger when she awoke in the chamber, but this, this hunger was uncontrolable. With a deep instinct she lunged forward grabbing her gift by the neck, pulling him to her. Without hesitation she searched out his pulse then buried her new fangs deeply into his skin. As the blood crossed her lips and down her throat she felt a near orgasmic rush, she drank deeper still at the deadly kiss. The man grew limp in her grasp, becoming heavier, yet she did not notice due to the new strength she was finding. "Enough childe, I will not have you kill him. I fear you are still too connected to your humanity to handle it." He reached gently for her hands, removing them from the gift. The young man slumped to the ground. She looked at the gift.... then to the one who gave it.

Her entire world had changed forever.

Confused and alone, you wander the dark city streets. This is your first time in the city of Brannaugh. You are lost. You seem to have been wandering through the city for hours. The constant deluge of rain soaking your clothes. No stores are open for you to seek refuge in.

You see shadows in an alley. Spinning around, you find it to be nothing more than cats, trying to get out of the rain. Some of the tension that has been building in your heart and mind rushes away with the down pouring rain. Few other people have passed you this night, and you have been to afraid to ask them for help. The rain shows no sign of letting up, so you search desperately for somewhere to hide, for even just a little while.

It is then that you notice the man that has been following you. He is tall, possibly over six feet. The muscles in his massive chest are barely contained by his clothing. His black leather trench coat seeming to drape from his broad shoulders, his black tie all but invisible against the black shirt. His face seems serene; his soft eyes captivate you, his pale skin seems to glow in the rain and moonlight. His jet black hair hanging to his shoulders, cascading over his coat like a waterfall at midnight. His mouth is a cold, thin line.

You find staring into his eyes as he approaches, unable to move. Now he stands in front of you, his emerald green eyes full of life; they almost seem to glow. You are unable to resist his offered hand, and follow him back out into the dark, rainy night. You start to ask questions, like who is he, where are you going, why was he following you? He says nothing. You find his silence both thrilling, and frightening. You suddenly realize that it has been almost half an hour since you said Anything! He has completely enthralled you. Your eyes are locked on him; watching the way he walks, the way he moves.

You follow his lead into an apartment building. Inside, he slowly starts up the stairs. You glance around, looking for something, anything, that will give you information. You see a community mail box, the kind they put in older buildings. Only one of them is marked. You look closely, brushing the dust from the nametag. Reading the name, you suddenly realize that he is standing on the landing, staring at you. Your lips move, making a sound that could only have been your voice, but you are unsure. You think you said the name on the mailbox, you think you said V. Cross, are you V. Cross? He looks at you, smiling, waving you to him. Obediently, you go up the stairs. You do not want to be left alone. He walks to the end of a hallway, stopping in front of a door, he removes a set of keys, and unlocks the apartment, beckoning you inside. The apartment is sparsely furnished, you notice this right away. There seems to be only a few of the amenities that normal people would have. There are no lights, only candles. No refrigerator, no stove, no kitchen. There is a small television, a coffee table, and two chairs. In the back, you can see a door, and you assume that it leads to the bedroom. He walks around you, looking at you, drinking in all the details of your body; the way your eyes flicker about the room, searching, watching him watching you, watching the way your chest heaves with nervous anticipation as you breath. He stands close, now. His cool breath making goose bumps rise on the bare flesh of your neck. His voice a soft whisper in your ear. Standing behind you, he caresses your shoulders, gently running his hands seductively down your back.

Your muscles relax at his touch, though you don't normally do this. As he kisses the nape of your neck, a soft moan escapes your lips. You turn to face him, and he brushes your wet hair away from your face and neck. Your wet coat falls to the floor with a slap, as does his. He kisses you on the lips, and you let him in. At that moment, you know that everything will be alright. You share a deep passionate kiss, like no man has ever done to you before. Your body quivers in his arms. He places one hand gently on your lower back, the other on your head, intermingling his fingers with your hair. As his fangs sink into your soft flesh, your passion and ecstasy reach climax.

You melt into his arms, even as you feel your life being stolen. A small trickle of blood escapes his lips, and rolls down your wet skin, a small stain appears on your shirt. As he pulls away, he licks the puncture wounds, it is the most erotic feeling your mortal soul has ever felt.

You lay motionless on the floor, your life rapidly slipping away. As the dark cloud of death slowly descends over your vision, the man pierces his wrist with a claw like fingernail. He places the bleeding would over your lips, cradling your head. Drink, he says, drink of him, and all will be as it was. A feeling like liquid fire courses through your veins. You wrap your arms around his, holding him close. His blood flows into you. Pain suddenly wracks your body in spasms. It feels as if your mind and body will explode.

Then........nothing. No feelings, no pain, worst of all, no ecstasy. But, with peace comes clarity of thought. Feelings of power, and confusion all vie for your attention. The man helps you up, but your knees are weak, so you find your self leaning heavily on his shoulder. When he speaks, his voice is full of peace, his tone is very relaxing. My name is "Valin Cross", he says, "You are now mine. You are vampire. You will obey my commands, or I will destroy you". You know this is not a threat, but a warning. When I feel you are ready, I will release you to your own devices. Do you under stand me?" Your head nods in agreement. "you must sleep now, and tomorrow evening, I will teach you what you need to know to survive."

Thus begins your descent into the world of the vampire........

~ The Embrace by Unknown~

The rain pounds upon the broken tiles of the graveyard grounds, softening the soil beneath the headstones.
Trees bow about in the whistling breeze as the low hanging branches slap against the overturning gravemarkers.
The moon shines high in the darkness of night, streams of light beam down upon a wild running mistress.
Her raven hair being whirled about her in the wind, she pants heavily, her chest pounding from the strong beat of her heart.
Her dress, in silky tatters, she holds upon her breasts the torn remains of it barely concealing them.
The tears spilling from her transparent emerald orbs taking there place amongst the soiled weeds.
Her bare feet imprinting deeply within the soft soil beneath them as she makes her escape from her darkened memory.
A stream of blood flows from her neck down the curves of her pale body reaching her ankle and staining the grass.
Several blood stains are seen amongst her lower lip dripping down upon her chin.
She feels the essence of life draining from within her soul, misunderstanding what has happened.
She stumbles her way between the headstones, her feet losing the grip of the earth beneath her, nearly loosing her balance.
A screech from deep within the night cries out, the young lady shifts her head, looking over her shoulder she loses site of the direction in which she is going, she barrels into a tree just as she returns her gaze affront.
Her body is thrown back violently into a muddy pool, her blood streaming upon the surface......
she lies there unconscious......
within the pale moon light......

~ Decadent Embrace by Michelle Conneally ~

Sireen was a beautiful woman of twenty-five. Her flaming red hair encased a face of flawless porcelain white. Her eyes were the color of a clear green sea on a beautiful day. Sireen was also an ad- venturous lass. Her love for travel topped any other favorite past time. It was on one of her travels abroad that she met the stunning creature, Monalito. He was an exquisite specimen of the male species. His long black hair fell playfully around his shoulders. His eyes were like the clear blue sky on a cold morning. His skin was pale and it shimmered unnaturally. She thought he was of the Gods. What she did not know, was that Monalito was an eight hundred year old vampire.

They met in Glastonbury, England, on the Isle of Avalon. She knew then that this was the man with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life. They spent endless hours together talking about everything under the Heavens. Her last mortal breath was drawn on the topic of eternity.

Sireen sat on the couch in Monalito's flat. She stared into the fire that burned warmly in the fireplace. Monalito leaned lazily against the mantle. He watched the fire dance in Sireen's eyes and was captivated by it. He asked her if she would stay with him forever. Puzzled by his question, she looked up at him. He moved over to her with feline like strides and slowly kneeled down between her legs. He took one of her small hands into his and gazed deep into her eyes. Sireen looked down at his hand and was troubled by the cool feel of his skin. "Forever?" she asked, "That is not possible." He smiled softly and pulled her up into him.

"Nothing is impossible my sweet," he said. He leaned into her and brushed his lips softly over hers. "Then I will be yours forever my love," Sireen replied. Her concern about his icy skin left her mind as she allowed herself to be taken over by passion.

Monalito brought his hands up and cupped Sireen's face tenderly. "Forever then, ma `chere," he said. Monalito began to cover her face with soft, little kisses. He wrapped one arm about her in a firm embrace. He gently moved her hair behind her ear while he kissed the side of her face. Sireen tilted her head to one side and closed her eyes. Monalito slowly made his way to her neck, brushing little kisses on the way. He paused for a moment and looked at her pulsing neck. He ran his slender fingers over her neck, feeling the life that flowed beneath her skin.

He shivered slightly at the thought of having her, of tasting her. He closed his eyes and let his hunger build. He inhaled deeply, bringing her scent deep into his being. When he opened his eyes, they were no longer the eyes of the deep, icy blue that Sireen knew. His eyes were now the eyes of the beast, a clear, penetrating yellow.

A growl rumbled deep within his throat as he opened his mouth. He rested his fanged teeth on Sireen's warm, soft skin. Once more he asked her, "Forever?" Sireen let out a soft moan, and nodded her head slowly. Monalito bit down hard, plunging his teeth deep into her warm, inviting flesh. Sireen's eyes flashed open, and she opened her mouth as if to let out a silent scream. Monalito held her in his strong arms as he drew hard upon her life.

Moments later, he had drained her to the point of death. Monalito removed his blood soaked teeth from Sireen's neck, and licked her wounds softly. Her body slumped forward, like a life- less corpse, in his preternatural embrace. He brought his wrist to his mouth and bite down into his flesh. He winced at the pain, but he pushed the pain aside so that he could feel the complete ecstasy of her feeding from him. He smiled as he watched the crimson liquid run down his arm. He cradled the back of her head, and placed his bleeding wrist upon her cool lips. "Drink my love, and I will be yours until the end of time," he purred. Sireen opened her mouth and allowed the warm liquid to flow in.

Monalito's eyes filled with crimson tears as he watched her partake of his life. Sireen swallowed the bittersweet liquid. She felt a strange burning sensation run through her as his blood worked its way through her dying mortal body. Monalito removed his wrist from her mouth. He then brought his bleeding wrist to his mouth the lick the wounds. Monalito carried Sireen to the couch and laid her there. He stepped back to watch her transformation. Sireen's body trembled horribly as the immortal blood ravaged her body. Her porcelain like skin took on the preternatural color that Monalito held. When her trembling stopped, she opened her eyes to see the world around her as she never had before. Her senses had multiplied one hundred fold from her mortal nature.

Monalito held his hand out to her. She took his hand and stood up. He led her outside and wrapped one arm about her waist. Together, they walked into the night as he explained the laws and traditions of their kind.