The Red Moon crowned the darkness. It was the night when creatures of the underworld would lurk and satiate their thirst. Howls ascended in the Mirval Forest on one side, and on another, growls penetrated the thick moldy trees shaking their leaves on the ground. An eerie wind mixed the sounds in a way that a human heart would be doomed to death.

Mika Reigna was running for her life under the strict watch of the Red Moon. She couldn't see in front of her, but she kept running. Through the forest, branches punched her solar plexus and played with her golden hair in a dark game. Her clothes got scratches and were ripped off in places. Blood from her neck would make its way on her white satin shirt like a thin snake. The creature gave the start of a life and death marathon when the clock stroke midnight.

A blackish mist covered the path for Mika to find no sanctuary. Icy shivers crawled on her body, dancing in a chaotic tune. With a bruised face from the cruel forest, dirty olive pants, one shoe lost in the escape, falling and rising again, she was running without looking behind.

The Devil was after her, at least that was what she thought. She only saw two bloody eyes, a pair of sharp fangs, and a towering, sturdy male body.

Mika's regret was she had fought with her mother for a silly matter right before she might end up dead. When her mother demanded not the see that young man again in her life, she stormed out of the house, slamming the door. A behavior she couldn't correct if the night demanded her soul.

The manly creature pursued her trail of blood with an unearthly speed. Mika's blood scent aggravated his senses, driving him crazy to the point of losing control. It was the fragrance of an exotic sweet rose that would tickle his nostrils and inserting the lust of devouring her. His raven-hued wavy hair strands were rebelling along his face, revealing his chiseled jawline. He still had the honey drops of her blood on his lips, tasting them with the tip of his tongue.

"Help me! Somebody! Open the door!" Mika screamed when she finally found a cottage in the heart of the wood, knocking frenetically on the door. No answer came. She searched the windows to see a light, something to give her hope. It was pitch-black inside and no noise would surface to let her in. "Why? Just why?" she cried, crumbling on the cold ground. Her breath was heavier with each effort she made. A pressing weakness reigned her body. "I can't die.... I'm only 18.... I.... haven't...," she protested with her last viable strength before she passed out.

Death reached the premises to encounter its prey. The creature saw the shades of the Red Moon waving over Mika's body like a signal of protection. He shook his head and looked again. His guts were trooping to have her as a heavenly supper, his mind was blocking him to progress on having her pure blood. It was one of a kind blood type. In his over 500 years of existence, it was the first time he had such a blood. The sight of her was that of an injured angel. "What have I done? Who's this girl?" The devil raged coming back to his senses. His scarlet eyes disappeared, and navy-blue ones took their place.

Thomas DiAngelo took the girl's petite body into his arms. Her heart was skipping a beat every two beats. She had long curled lashes, faded prune glossy plump lips, and porcelain skin. Her beauty was nobiliary. "I will save you. I didn't mean to." He whispered into the girl's ear that felt like a rose petal when he approached his cheek to her head. "You will not die because of me," he continued with a husky voice.

Though he didn't know who she was and how she crossed path with him on his own vast dominion, Thomas's heart, mind and body were prone in a familiar connection with her. His immortal heart awakened a warm feeling under the Red Moon's cold craziness. It was so long since this sort of feelings invaded his deadly being.

On his way back to his castle-like mansion, at the limit of the forest, a pack of gigantic wolves, with sparkling red eyes, surrounded them. Thomas stopped with the girl and stared at the black-brown creature right in front of him.

The wolf made a step forward and shapeshifted into a man with a muscular body, black-brown wavy hair, black olive eyes, bare chest and black leather pants, kneeling with his head down. He was the Alpha. "Master, we failed to contain you. This Red Moon was stronger. The new spell wasn't powerful enough to keep you in chains. You murdered two of our mates. That girl's smell, when her car crashed into the gate, drove you insane. We don't know how she found her way here. Ronald saw another car chasing her. When she hit the gate, that car drove away without checking on her. Luke and Vic are investigating as we speak." Drake felt guilty he couldn't prevent the rush of bad events that crowned the night.

"Drake, I'm sorry for your mates...." Thomas was sincere and hurting for the loss of his people under his madness. "I don't know her, but I won't let another one die tonight. Call the witch immediately! We will need her for this one...." His eyes moved at the girl in his arms who was at her last mile of life. Who is she? She's.... Special.... I feel her in my heart though I don't know her.... What's the meaning of this?

"We can take her inside the mansion, Master. You need to be protected from the Red Moon. We don't know if you will burst again. It's dangerous." Drake knew how ferocious and uncontrollable his Master was. He had lived with him for over 200 years.

"No need for that. I manage it now. Do as I say! I will take care of her. Send more people to help Luke and Vic." Though he was giving orders, Thomas's stare was lingering over the girl's face and body. How could I do this? She's no threat.... She's a weak, young girl....

"Your wish is my command, Master!" Drake turned to one of the wolves on his right and thundered in his Alpha voice. "Vilore! Take more men and go after Luke and Vic." The wolf bowed on his front legs and galloped with three other pack members to assist the investigators. "Mike? Go and fetch the witch! After she will deal with the girl, I will have a word with her for the failed spell!"

"Yes, sir!" Mike proceeded with the task.

The noises and words reverberated in Mika's head, causing her to attempt opening her eyes and move her limbs. She sensed her body in the air supported by muscular arms. What she could see, for the second she succeeded to have control over her being, was a handsome young man gazing at her lips. It was like she saw the most good-looking man in the world. She hadn't seen a more beautiful creature than he was. When she realized blood was on his mouth, a flash of what happened stroke her spine. Her jade eyes widened and fainted once again, giving a prolonged exhale.

"Hey! Wake up! Don't die on me!" Thomas was shaking her in his arms while reaching the mansion's living room.

The witch made her appearance right then with a commanding attitude, stare and grimace, rushing to the victim to assist her. "Put her on the table! Now! There is no time to lose!"

Thomas placed Mika's breathless body on the table and gave room for the witch to work her magic. "Just don't let her die, or else...." A deadly frown appeared on his face at the witch, revealing his predator fangs. I don't know why, but she mustn't die....

"Don't threaten me while I work if you want me to save her! Stay away! It's your fault, not mine! You bloody monster! Look what you have done! And you have the nerve to threaten me! Humph!" The witch was assessing the girl with an angry but investigating stare.

She placed two candles on the table having Mika in between. One was white and the other black. She spread her magical herbs on the body and lit the candles. "Alma sortis, Alma entris!" First words she started the ritual with. "What's her name?" She asked with her eyes closed.

"I don't know who she is or what business she had around here." Thomas answered with a submissive voice.

"But you want to save her?" The witch kept her eyes closed but her words had a mocking tone.

"Yes! She's innocent!" Thomas yelled, revealing once more his commanding Alpha.

"Since when innocence matters to you?" She mocked the vampire in a double voice laughter.

"Olivia! Are you going to save her or not?" Thomas flashed revengeful eyes at the witch.

The black-haired woman with fair skin, opened her green eyes and fired a glare at the vampire. "I save humans, but I can't stand when you do such things and call me in the middle of the night! She's infected by you now! Red Moon is the most infectious! I need her name!" Olivia hissed at him with her discontent.

"Save her now! We will discuss afterwards! Annoying as always!" Thomas had an outrage, pointing at the girl.

"Her name!" demanded Olivia.

"I don't know!" thundered Thomas.

Olivia took a silver knife from her black bag that had engraved 'Viva Sangre' in small rubies. "You're gonna pay me back for this, Master! It will cost you a fortune!" said the witch mounting on the table over Mika's body like she would on a horse.

"Just bring her back in human form. Price to pay doesn't matter. It's yours." Thomas agreed to the witch's terms.

"Don't forget your pledge, Master! Drake! Come here and keep her hands still! She's gonna go into shock for a few times, badly. Don't let her move once I start! No matter what happens, don't let her move and neither of you touch me or her until I say so. Just her hands, Drake!" She went into her ritual state.

"Understood." Drake did per instructions, enforcing his strength with his hands over Mika's.

"Aliarti Sangri! Hariti songeo Maila! Arias podenco humis plare! Horti deti, valgi seti!" The witch started chanting and rising the knife with her hands over her head, pointing its tip in Mika's direction. "Alehora, alehora, alehora!" Her eyes were closed. "Magri suna, magri astra, magri luna, magri huma!" She said right before she stabbed herself in the heart. Blood would pour on Mika's body. The witch had her mouth with blood from the injury. She spitted blood on Mika's face and on her lips. Her eyes were now a glowing yellow-dark orange. Olivia took the knife out of her own heart. "Sangri viva, Sangri soma, Sangri suri, Sangri Viva!" she ordered with a trembling but strong voice. The witch waited no more and stabbed Mika's heart with the same knife having her blood on it.

When the knife pierced Mika's body and penetrated her heart, she went into shock. Drake held her nailed to the table with all his might. A human wouldn't be a problem for Drake, but the ritual and the spoiled blood she had after being bitten by Thomas, under the Red Moon, would make her a supernatural being.

The girl's eyes opened. She had blood in them. They were no longer human eyes. Mika would scream as if a demon took her place. She tossed with force under the witch and Drake's restrain.

"Keep her still no matter what!" ordered Olivia before she passed out.

"What is she doing? Are you kidding me?" asked Drake not knowing what to do first: keeping Mika under control or helping the witch who apparently died.

"She's not dead. Restrain the girl." said Thomas while his eyes turned bloody again.

"Master? Are you OK?" inquired Drake worried at the sight of him. Red Moon was still up, and his Master wasn't a safe creature around others.

"I am," he replied with a sort of hiss in his voice, "it's her blood that's stirring me up, but I will manage." He assured Drake keeping his deadly stare on both the witch and Mika.

Mika went into shock a few times and gasped for air with such noise that awakened the witch. The witch kept her hand with the knife in the girl's heart all this time, though she was unconscious.

"Ala iacta daemo, ala ioris, ala vivi, ala huma!" chanted the witch while Mika started to calm down a bit.

Blood from Mika's eyes disappeared, remaining only in her iris's area. She started breathing normally. The young girl felt the pressure and coldness of the witch's knife. An atrocious pain made her scream as if a pig was butchered. "Don't kill me!" she begged crying.

Olivia pulled the knife out from her heart. "I am reviving you, darling, not killing you," said the witch on a comforting tone.

The blood from both the witch and Mika absorbed in their skin. The wounds made by the knife closed in a second.

"You will now go to sleep, dear." The witch announced Mika while the girl closed her eyes and turned her head on the right side into sleeping.

The candles went off by themselves and Oliva descended from Mika. "Take her in a bedroom," she said to Drake, "she will be sleeping until morning. This girl won't remember anything from what happened." She continued turning around to face Thomas. "You can tell her whatever related to her coming here. For the pay, I will let you know in the following days. I need to restore my energy. Don't disturb me, I will contact you." Her last words before she took her things and went for the exit. She had fine features for a woman. Her body was curvy and healthy. Men would fall in love with her at first sight.

"Contact me soon, witch. I need other things discussed with you for that business." mentioned Thomas while looking at Olivia's back.

"Sure thing, babe." Her footsteps left the mansion.

Drake carried Mika upstairs in a guest bedroom and put her in the bed to rest. When he approached to put a blanket on her, his heart started racing and felt hot. It was long since he had such a reaction to a female. In fact, he couldn't remember if he had experienced that strong of a reaction before and in such short amount of time. "Maybe it's the Red Moon that affects me...." He shook his head and left the room with Mika alone.

Downstairs, Thomas was sitting at the bar having a Jack on the rocks. Who is this girl and why do I feel the need to protect her?

"She is sleeping. I think she will be alright." interrupted Drake his master's thinking processes.

"Yeah? Strange...." said Thomas, having the remainder of the Jack in one shot.

"What's strange?" asked Drake.

"I never care about humans. If they get into my business and end up injured or dead, I am fine with it. Olivia was right. Since when do I care about innocence?" The vampire expressed his true feelings and thoughts. "What's so special about her? She's just a plain girl that happened to come across my estate and disturb me. I must have lost my mind. You know me, I am never like this. I respect humans, but I never walk the mile of saving them if I do something to them. I am cold inside all the time."

"Maybe because she's just a kid?" attempted Drake to clear the situation.

"I don't know. She is infectious. I can feel that." said the vampire pouring another glass of Jack. "Want some?"

"I should refrain from drinking tonight. Why do you think she's infectious?" asked Drake sitting on the chair next to his master.

"She draws you to devour her, but then to protect her. It made me go crazy at the smell of her blood. I am never like that. I have my well-established limits. I am who I am." stated Thomas while playing with his glass of Jack.

"Don't worry, Thomas. I will send her out tomorrow. I will make sure to tell her something plausible and take her home. She will not bother you again. On another side, you made me proud tonight." Drake had a change of mind and served himself with a straight Jack.

"Really? Why?" inquired the vampire with his right eyebrow raised and a grin on his face.

"You stopped and didn't kill her. When you start something like that, it's a dead end for the other party. I guess you still have a little soft side after all." said Drake with a warm hidden smile on his lips.

"Soft side? Ha-ha! Don't joke on that." Thomas cocked his head at Drake with incredulity in voice. He defended himself in front of him, but he knew Drake was right. Something changed in him and had a soft spot for that girl. At least, he wouldn't want her dead or injured.

No other occurrences happened that night. Mika slept like a baby, undisturbed, until morning, just as the witch predicted.