Chapter One
Jane was running. She was running from people she had known her entire life, people she loved. Where was Ezekiel? She had lost him somewhere in the woods and prayed that he was able to find somewhere to hide. Ahead of her all she could see was more trees. It was a warm, breezy night, a night that she would have normally taken her horse Serena down by the lake to watch the fireflies. Instead, she was running for her life…or rather, her death. It was not long ago that she was alive, but now she could not call what she was experiencing, a life. Ever since meeting the dark stranger in the woods, she thirsted for blood. How was it that someone can crave blood? What was it that she had become? What had she done to Ezekiel? Now he also had this curse, and all because of her selfishness.
“Murderer!”
“Monster!”
Those were her friends behind her, people she had once considered closer than family and now they were trying to kill her. Would she have to kill them in order to save herself and Ezekiel? Ezekiel… Where was Ezekiel? She had been protecting him, but now though she believed that he was strong enough to protect himself, she feared for his life along with her own.
Jane ducked into a tall group of bushes that surrounded a large pine tree, the bushes were tall and full so she was easily hidden. Since her change Jane had gotten stronger and faster. With her newly acquired speed she had been able to outrun the people from the town. Being that she was further ahead of them, she felt safe in hiding for a moment without discovery.
“Ezekiel! Where are you? Can you hear me?”
Along with the strength and speed, her senses had also increased; she hoped that his had increased enough to hear her, wherever he was.
“Jane? I lost them, I am down by the river. Are you safe?” Jane heard Ezekiel’s soft voice just barely over the loud taunts of the angry mob that was now growing closer.
“They are close, Ezekiel, I don’t want to hurt them, but I’m scared. I’m hiding, but I don’t know that I can escape.”
“Be calm, my darling, when they pass, move quickly, we will run…I don’t know where we will go, but we will leave Devon and find somewhere safe to be together. We will leave this nightmare behind us.”
Just then, Jane could hear footsteps, they were close. She hadn’t been paying attention and they had gotten close without her realizing. She crouched, ready to run as soon as she felt she could do so safely. Her dress was torn and dirty; her long black hair had fallen and was now cascading around her moonlight pale shoulders.
The footsteps belonged to John. John was Ezekiel’s friend, but he had never been friendly towards Jane, thinking her not very ladylike. He was the one that discovered them and had told the townspeople causing them to attack.
“Jane? Ezekiel? You know what you have done is wrong; you have killed a woman. Jane, you drank her blood while Ezekiel watched! Turn yourself in and I will guarantee you a fair trial.”
Jane knew he was lying, she could see the knife in his hand. If she turned herself in, the least that would happen was execution by hanging; she shuddered to think of what John would do if he got her alone. The woman they had attacked was a servant on his estate; she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jane and Ezekiel were hunting, trying to survive on animals in the woods but the smell of the woman’s blood was just too strong and Jane had attacked her. John had happened upon them, on his way to town. The look in his eyes when he saw them was strange; it seemed to be a mix of fear and lust. How anyone could look at a person murdering another and have lust in their eyes was beyond Jane’s imagination.
Jane had seen the lustful look before from John, once down by the river. He had approached her while she was swimming. Jane did not expect anyone, as she normally swam in the river without any interruptions. That was a particularly hot day, and Jane had taken her clothes off to swim instead of keeping her undergarments on as she would normally. John had emerged from the woods, spotted Serena tied to a tree and then Jane. He refused at first, to turn his back, but after she pleaded with him, he finally turned just long enough for her to get her undergarments on. He watched her closely as she finished, with that same look in his eyes. She had been almost as scared then as she was now, but for a different reason. At that time, she had not known the touch of a man nor had she known the pain or pleasure men could inflict on a woman. Now she knew what men could do, and she was scared of what this man was capable of.
Jane wondered if Ezekiel could still hear her, he had sounded like he was getting further away. She wanted to call out to him again but John was getting closer. Would he find her? Would he know she was there? She heard the crunch of a fallen branch only a few feet from her hiding spot. She could hear his heartbeat; smell him getting closer to where she was crouched. The thick wall of leaves in front of her started to move. He knew! He had found her! What was she going to do? Would she have to kill another person? Or just concede to die, and hope he did not do more than kill her? The trees parted and she was frozen in place.
John looked down through the dark leaves and saw her there. She was crouched low to the ground, staring up at him with wild, beautiful, bright blue eyes. She was scared and that excited him. He reached out his hand to her and she stared at him in confusion and hesitation.
“Come on Jane, I won’t hurt you, you just need to give yourself over to me.”
Jane stared at him, her thoughts racing, unsure of what to do. She was tired, scared, dirty, and confused about what was happening to her.
“John, I’m sorry, I don’t know what has happened, and I don’t know how to fix it. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, I promise. Please, John.”
Her eyes pleaded even more than her voice. She didn’t want to hurt anyone; she didn’t want to kill this man, even though he scared her. Maybe it was best just to give herself over and pray he didn’t harm her. Unfortunately, she did not think it was going to be that simple.
He walked closer to her and pulled her up, out of her crouched position. The bushes closed in around them. The taunting of the mob could be heard, though they were no longer close to the spot that hid them. Jane tried to back away from him, but he pulled her closer.
“You know, Ezekiel always talked of how beautiful you were. I never saw the full extent of what he meant until now. Something about you excites me, something even I cannot imagine.”
John’s hand was wrapped around her wrist and as she tried to pull away from him, his left arm wrapped around her, pulling her body against his. Jane could feel the cold steel of the knife in his hand, pressed hard against her back.
“John, please, I will leave and never return, just please let me go.” Jane pleaded.
“Jane, you know I cannot do that. If I let you go, I would never know what it is that entrances Ezekiel when he looks at you, besides, you may kill again.” He sneered “And where is Ezekiel? Why has he not come to your rescue? Has he abandoned you Jane?”
John let his grip around Jane loosen, pushing her backwards until she was pressed against the tree that stood behind her. He was now pressed hard against her; the knife, still in his left hand, was at her hip.
“I always loved this dress, shame it’s so tattered now, though I love what running through the woods has done to your hair. I do not believe I have ever seen you with your hair let down before, it’s quite long, isn’t it?”
His right hand released her wrist and grasped a strand of her hair, twirling it around his finger.
“I never dreamed I would be this close to you Jane, to be able to breathe you in this way.”
John inhaled deeply, seeming to take in more than just her scent. Jane shuddered, then gasped as John grabbed a handful of her dark hair, pulled her head backwards. He looked at her, her eyes wide, scared, and then he kissed her hard on the mouth. He released her hair and pulled his mouth from hers, staring at her. There was evil in his eyes, burning to get out. He lowered his left hand and the knife down to her thigh where there was a large tear in her dirty blue dress. Jane felt the cold steel of the knife against her skin, and then she felt her dress ripping. John was cutting it away with the knife.
“That time at the river, I felt like I was in heaven, watching your pale body moving through the water, I think about that day a lot.”
John now traced the knife lightly up her hip, across her stomach, around her left breast and held it firmly against her throat as he lifted her leg with his free hand. Her leg escaped the tattered remains of her dress and he secured it against his hip. This was it; this was the assault she knew would come if he had found her alone. He was going to force himself on her and then kill her. For a moment she forgot what she had become, what she could do to this man that was trying to defile her. She could only think of where she was, how she had gotten to this point, and of her beloved Ezekiel. Would she ever see him again?
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“Why must it be so cold?”
Jane was staring out at the frozen country side that surrounded the estate in which she was staying with her uncle’s family. She had come to live here with her mother after the death of her father. Her uncle, Tobias Hunt, owned two estates, one in Cheshire named Austinbrooke and one in Devon named Willowspring. She was staying at Willowspring. The house was beyond magnificent, only to be expected of one of the wealthiest men in all of England.
“Oh Jane, please stop complaining and find a way to entertain yourself, why don’t you read a book?”
Her mother, Francine Thomas, dressed in typical mourning attire, sat by the fireplace with her needlepoint. She was trying to keep herself busy, in order to distract herself from the sadness she had been consumed with recently. Her late husband, Johnathan Thomas, had died in his sleep after he had taken ill. He was the love of her life, and his death two years ago had caused her much grief, of which she had not recovered. She had tried to raise Jane on her own, but found herself unable to handle it alone after having lost her entire fortune to her husband’s debts. Feeling helpless, Francine decided to take Jane and move in with her brother, a bachelor, who had just recently procured his fortune. He asked Francine and Jane to move in with him so that he could provide for them and they could take care of him and his household. Francine watched over the staff at Willowspring, ensuring that they complete all necessary tasks in order to maintain their status of living. Jane watched over the grounds keepers, gardeners, and the stable attendants. Jane loved the outdoors and animals, so she enjoyed spending time in the gardens and with the horses.
“Mother, I am so restless! I want to go for a walk, to visit Serena and the other horses, they must be eager to get out and run. They have been cooped up as long as I have!”
“But Jane, it is snowing outside, if you go out you will catch your death of cold.”
“I do not care, I simply must get out! Uncle Tobias has been gone on business for days now and we are not expecting him back for at least a week, so why should I be stuck in this house? We do not have to prepare for his return any time soon. Please, mother, please let me visit Serena. Let me take her to town and I will fetch some fresh duck for dinner.”
“Jane, if it will make you happy, you may go. Besides, duck does sound nice. I will tell Rosalie to prepare something nice to go along with it.”
Jane dressed in her warmest dress. She was stunning in the long, pale blue, flowing dress, whose waist was found just under her breasts and her sleeves mere puffs. She pulled on elbow length white gloves and secured the buttons of a long black riding cloak which she had wrapped around herself. She opened the front door to the blast of cold winter air and hugged her cloak closer. She strode through the garden to the clearing near the woods where the horses were housed. She opened the stable doors and the horses whinnied from the cold wind that rushed through their stalls. Jane stopped in front of the fourth stall where a solid black mare stood waiting patiently. Jane opened the horses’ stall door and stepped inside.
“Hello Serena, how are you today? You must be ready to escape this dark hole and get out into the fresh air.”
Serena threw her head back and whinnied gleefully, she was ready to go and Jane couldn’t get the saddle on quick enough for her. Her dark eyes thoughtfully watched Jane as she tightened the girth. She willingly took the bit in her mouth and nudged Jane anxiously. Jane walked Serena out of the barn and shut the doors. She stepped into the stirrup and swung her right leg over Serena, smoothing out her skirt and gathering the reigns in both hands. Her mother would frown at her unrefined riding posture, but she felt free for the first time in weeks and didn’t care. She pushed her heels into Serena’s flanks and the horse took off in a full gallop through the trees. Jane wasn’t in a rush to get to town, she wanted to go down to the river, she was sure it would beautiful against the white landscape. She slowed Serena’s pace so that she could take in her surroundings, noticing the silence that the snow brought to the woods. As she listened, she heard the wet thud of snow falling off of a tree branch echoed by the crunch of the snow beneath Serena’s hooves. The path she rode down was unusually bright because of the light reflecting off of her cold white surroundings, the snow heavy tree branches almost completely blocking out the sky above her. As she rounded the bend in the path, the trees cleared and the river was just barely visible beyond the snow banks. Jane jumped down off of Serena and guided her to a tree close to the bank. She tied the reigns to one of the lower branches and walked to the water’s edge. She laid out a ground blanket that she had brought along and sat upon it, gazing out over the icy water. Seeming to not even feel the cold, she sat on the bank watching her surroundings. As she sat, a doe and her fawn approached the other side of the river and bowed to drink. Jane watched as the fawn bounded through the snow; delighted when it would blow up into the air and onto the fawns face. Suddenly a loud crack from the woods behind Jane startled all of them. Serena cried out in surprise and Jane jumped up to calm her, looking around to see the deer bounding back into the woods. Behind her, a young man, about eighteen, the same age as Jane, emerged from the woods.
“I am sorry to startle you Miss Thomas.”
“Oh, Ezekiel, yes you did startle me, but I am glad it is only you.”
There eyes met for a moment, Ezekiel's eyes seemed to burn into Jane's soul. Jane blushed and then turned away toward Serena.
“I was just taking Serena for a walk. I am on my way to town to fetch some duck for dinner.”
“Miss Thomas, if you wouldn’t mind, may I join you? I’m sure your uncle would feel better knowing you were safe in his absence, these woods are full of dangerous creatures.”
Ezekiel walked towards the tree where Serena was tied. Jane stroked Serena's velvety muzzle, she could feel the heat radiating off of Ezekiel where he stood close by. She felt her face blush again, and when she regained herself, she looked up at Ezekiel and found he was already looking at her.
“I would appreciate the company, good sir.”
Ezekiel helped Jane back onto Serena, where Jane took a side saddle position, feeling it prudent to be more genteel in the presence of a gentleman. Jane was fond of Ezekiel’s presence and found she was more than glad to have him walking beside her horse, guiding them through the forest to the nearby market. Jane bought several ducks and returned to her horse where Ezekiel stood waiting for her.
They walked for several minutes without speaking, Ezekiel seemed withdrawn, lost in thought. Jane watched him as they entered the woods, he stared straight ahead with a far away look on his face.
“How long do you expect your uncle to be away?” He said suddenly.
“He has not sent word of when he expects to return, we believe it will be at least a week, he has a lot of work to do.”
“How is your mother?” Ezekiel seemed to be searching for more to speak to Jane about, trying to form words that would not come.
“Better, not as sad as she has been, of course the weather has not been helping her mood. I often urge her to get out of the house and go for a walk, but she refuses. She just sits by the fire and does her sewing. Sometimes she will walk the manor, helping the maids tidy the rooms and making plans to redecorate.”
“I pray she will be in better spirits soon.”
“I fear she misses father more than ever, more than she lets on. I do wish I could find a way to cheer her up.” Jane said quietly.
“I am sure that your mother knows her own heart and what is best to keep her spirits up.”
“You are right, Ezekiel, but what about you, I have been rambling on about myself and mother, how are you doing? How is your family?”
Ezekiel looked up at Jane as he continued to lead Serena. He seemed to want to say something to her, something serious. His face looked tortured for a second, and then it smoothed and he once again took on the solemn far away look.
“My mother sends her regards; she is doing well, enjoying the city along with my father.”
“You must ask her to visit sometime soon.” Jane was confused by what she had seen. What was it that Ezekiel was hiding, what was he not telling her?
“I will send her your kind words the next time I write.”
At that moment, the trees broke again and Willowspring was visible. Ezekiel walked Serena into the barn and helped Jane off. As he placed his hands upon her waist to help her down, she shivered. His hands were now very cold and cut through the thick fabric of her cloak. Jane slid off of Serena landing on the hard frozen ground, inches from Ezekiel. She looked up into his large dark green eyes and felt she would get lost. His brown hair fell around his face, making his eyes seem darker, yet they shone like emeralds. Another shiver went through Jane, but this time it was not because of the cold. She broke away from his handsome face and entrancing eyes, suddenly blushing at her secret thought of kissing him. He let go of her and took a step back.
“Miss Thomas, I must say good day, I will take care of Serena, do not worry yourself. Please send my regards to your mother.”
“Thank you Ezekiel.”
As she opened the door to the barn and walked back into the cold winter air, she turned to see Ezekiel watching her leave as he stroked Serena’s main, his eyes were smoldering.
