Matthew POV
The moment I stepped into the apartment I could smell the blood and the familiar scent of what was left over by the vampire. I saw the blood on the wall by the kitchen and walked closer to get a better view. "We think whoever did it, knew the victim" Vincent informed me. "I'd think so, the vampire would have to be invited in" I reminded him. "But you weren't.." He pointed. "Well, the renter of the apartment is lying on ice, so I don't have to be invited in," I tell him. "Oh...right" He nervously chuckled. "Anyway, it looks like they might have been talking, and then the-the vampire must have snapped and shoved her against this wall. Slamming her head on it and causing it to crack open" He explained. "Before draining her of her blood" I finished for him. "I'm now, more than ever thinking that this vampire is new. Maybe even within 24 hours new" I informed him. "I'm also thinking that whoever made them isn't with them" I explained. "What would make you think that?" He questioned, arching his upward. "I'm only catching one scent, one only. An older vampire would know their strength and could easily drain someone without smashing their heads against a wall" I went on. "This vampire might not even know what's happening to them" I shook my head, angry at the thought of someone changing a human into a vampire without their permission. The council has banned it years ago, they made a law that a human has to be willing to become a vampire. "So where do we go from here?" he asked me. "Aren't you the cop?" I smirked before walking over to a coffee table and picking up what looks to be a diner menu. "What's this?" I asked him. "Thomas's Diner, Sally worked there for many years" Vincent explained to me. "Have you talked to her boss?" I questioned. "No, we haven't gotten that far" He informed me. We walked into the diner "We're about to close for the night" A man says as he walked up to us. "Thomas Darling, I'm here to talk to you about Sally" Vincent stated. "Yeah, I heard what happened. It's sad and heartbreaking to lose such a good worker" He signed. "Did Sally have any enemies? Anyone, she recently got into a fight with?" Vincent asked him. "No...Sally was the sweetest person, always on time and showing up for her shift unlike some people" He groaned. I knit my brows together "What do you mean?" I asked him. Thomas looked at me suspiciously. "He's with me" Vincent stated. "Right...Uh, I have another waitress Athena Black she didn't show up for her shift today and with what happened to Sally she was fired" He confessed to us. "This Athena woman, she always doing that?" I asked. "No, well she's always late but... just not showing up. She hasn't called either" He stated. I looked at Vincent with an arched brow as his face was overcome with sadness. "Where can we find Athena Black?" I asked him. "I know where..." Vincent sighed. "Follow me," He says. I followed him out of the diner and into his car. He stayed silent for a long time as he drove almost out of town. "You're quiet, You know this girl?" I asked him. "It's a long story, If she is a vampire..." He sighed, shaking his head. "It's a long story" He added. "Well, we sadly don't have forever before she might kill again" I pointed out. "We don't know if it's even her!" He raised his voice at me before turning down a dirt road. "If it is, I need to know about her to talk her off the ledge. She's going to be confused and out of her mi--" he cut me off as we pulled into a driveway. A run-down, broken and burnt house sits almost to where it wasn't standing. Windows are boarded up "When Athena Black was a little girl there was a fire in this very house" He began to explain. "When we got the call...it was too late. Her parents were locked in their bedroom and had no way to get out of the house. Athena managed to make it downstairs before passing out. I was able to save her but not her mother and father" He shook his head. "Which is why you're staying here. I can talk her off the ledge" he tells me. "She's a vampire with a high thirst for humans. You tell me what's smarter you going in there or me?" I pointed out. "I mean it, man, she doesn't know you. She won't trust you. I've known her for years" He informed me. "Fine, the moment I hear anything troubling I'm coming inside," I say to him.
Athena POV
I couldn't believe what I had done, I killed two people. I didn't just kill two people I drank their blood. I felt gross and ashamed of myself. I can't understand or wrap my mind around what's going on. As I reached my old house I walked into the living room, remembering how happy my family used to be. "Daddy! Ahh!" It's like my mind flashed back, seeing my six-year self being chased around the living room acting as though he was a zombie trying to eat my brains. I walked over to the fireplace, picking up the dirt and ash-filled picture frame and wiping the dust off it to see two parents holding a little girl I no longer recognize as myself. A huge smile appears on the little girl's lips I feel tears soak my cheeks. Suddenly I hear the sound of a heartbeat, and footsteps getting closer. I slowly turned around to see a man standing in the archway to the living room. "Athena?" The man spoke. "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" I questioned. "You don't remember me?" He asked. "My name is Vincent...Vincent Dale" He explained. The cop who saved me from the fire in this very house. "The cop...You saved me from the fire" I stated. He nodded "I did...I saved you" I could hear his heartbeat pick up the pace. "Meaning you also are the reason my parents are dead..." I say, anger hitting deep in my core. I smashed the picture frame against the stone fireplace and the glass shattered in my hand. I pointed the glass in his direction "How dare you to come back here! Step foot in this house!" I screamed at him, slowly taking a step forward. He placed his hands in front of him and they were shaking uncontrollably. "Woah...how about you put that down and we talk about what's going on?" he suggested to me. "Talk about what?" I asked taking another step forward. "You killed two women, one you worked with" He pointed out. "I...I didn't mean to" I shook my head. "There's..." I paused as I gulped down the lump that formed in my throat. "Something is wrong with me and I feel like I'm going insane!" I cried out as I clutched my head. "I can...I can smell your blood, hear your heart pumping in her chest...I just need it to stop" I confessed to him. I walked closer and pressed the sharp glass against his chest. I sniffled, clearing my throat "You're going to let me out of here..." I ordered him. "You know I can't do that" he shook his head. "What? You're going to kill me like you killed my parents?" I couldn't help but let out a laugh. "I didn't kill your parents, I didn't start that fire" He shook his head. "But you didn't save them! Your job was to save them!" I shouted at him, tears once again forming at my waterline as I felt as if my heart was breaking. "No...Athena my job was to save you" He softly says. "You don't think that haunts me every single moment I'm alive?" He asked me. "For years I couldn't sleep through the night, nightmares about what I could've done but nothing is going to change that" He pointed out. "Let's both let go of that guilt and blame?" he suggested. "Just put down that and we can stay here as long as you want and talk?" "Am I gonna go to jail?" I asked him. "We can talk about that..." he nodded. I slowly lowered the glass but just then I hear footsteps and I grabbed a hold of Vincent, spinning him around and pressing the glass against his throat as I put him in a choke hold. I see a man standing there, he's got black short hair on the sides and top with a blond part going down the top. He's got a bunch of tattoos up his arm and he's buff, muscles popping out from under his black t-shirt and gauges in his ears. "Ember?" I hear the man's voice whisper. "I said stay in the damn car!" Vincent yelled out. "Who the hell are you?" I asked the man. "I'm Matthew, I'm here to help" He informed me. "We don't need your help! So get the hell out of here!" I shouted. "I understand how you're feeling..." He tries to tell me. I couldn't help but laugh at him "Really? You don't know anything about how I feel. I'm a freak! I'm some kind of-of thing!" I shouted. "I'm hungry all the time...Like someone is shoving a branding iron down my throat and I can't...control what I do," I tell him. "I know..." He nodded. "You know? I highly doubt it" I scoffed. "No?" Just then he opened his mouth and white fangs extended from his sharp teeth and I knit my brows together. "You were changed into a vampire, someone turned you" He informed me. "Who?" I asked. "Let the man go and I can help you" He offered. "I've killed...people" I shook my head. looking down at the floor with shame. "I know, you can still come back from it" He stepped forward. I turned my head to Vincent and it was like my hunger was controlling me again. "There's no saving me..." I whispered. As I opened my mouth, ready to answer the call my body was screaming out I was knocked back, flying into the wall and my body hitting the floor with a thud. "Get out of here! Now!" I heard Matthew yell. I snapped my head up in his direction to see Vincent running out of the house. "That...wasn't nice" I hissed out before I slowly stand to my feet. "Stop this, come with me" He almost ordered. I tilted my head to the side "Now why would I go anywhere with you?" I questioned. "Because there's a school for our kind. A safe place where vampires can learn to control what we are" He explained to me. "I'm a lost cause" I scoffed. "I don't believe that..." He shook his head. "I did kill two people..." I reminded him. "That's because you haven't been taught, The vampire who turned you broke so many laws...Turning a human unwillingly is forbidden in our world" he informed me. "What if I say no?" I asked him. "I'm much older than you, either you're leaving with me or you're not leaving at all" He stated. "Is that right?" I stated. I took the moment to try and run out of the house but within a second Matthew had me pinned on the floor, my body hitting the wood roughly. I tried to fight him off but it was like fighting a two-ton truck. "Are you done?" He asked me before pinning my arms down behind me. I let out a sharp and harsh hiss that escaped my throat "I...don't want to kill you" He shook his head. I tried to keep fighting but it was no use, he was stronger than me. I finally let go and he let out a sign "Thank you..." He climbed off me "Can I grab someone to eat? I'm starving" I say as he stuck his hand out to me. I took it and pulled myself up from the floor. "No, we have laws, and eating straight from the vein is forbidden" He informed me. "What? Kill me now" I begged him. "If we don't leave now, I won't have to" He stated. "Why? Sun gonna burn us to ash?" I slightly joked. "Pretty much" He nodded. "Let's go..." Suddenly he put something on my wrist and then on his. I looked down to see he chained himself to me. "What...what the hell is this?" I tried to break it but didn't work. "Chain...made by the most powerful magic out there. I need to keep an eye on you, make sure you don't run off" He informed me. "Okay, really kill me now" I groaned before he dragged me towards the front door.