Peter POV/p

Man, if I was still human, I'd be wilting away. It was hotter'n a blister bug in a pepper patch, and it was even later in the day, after the sun had gone down. Living in Texas had its ups and downs, and, as a native Texan I would have to say more ups than downs. But hey, I may have been just a wee bit biased. Not that the heat really bothered me in my eternal state of frozen perfection, but it sure made the humans in the area have the off-putting scent that came from sweating on a hot day.

My gorgeous mate, Charlotte, was walking just a bit in front of me as I watched her sweet lil' ass sway with the breeze of the evening. Somedays, I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have ended up with the epitome of the sweet southern belle who was sweet as pie, but totally willing to call me on my bullshit when she felt it was necessary, which I have to say was quite often.

We had decided to travel into the fine city of Houston to round us up some nay sayers and evil doers for dinner. As I was caught up in my thoughts, I didn't notice Char had stopped until I just 'bout ran into her.

"What's going on sweet cheeks?"

She tilted her head to the side, cluing me in that I should take a closer listen to our surroundings. "Do you hear that? It sounds like somethin's whimperin'?" she asked in a quiet voice.

I listened a bit closer trying to figure out what she was talkin' 'bout. Right as I was about to shake it off as her hearin' some animal scrounging around for food, I heard a little whimpering sound so quiet it was almost imperceptible to even my vampiric hearing. "Yeah, babydoll. I hear what you're talkin' 'bout. Let's have a look, shall we?"

I quickly stepped in front of her and led the way to where I thought the sound had come from. As the male in our relationship, I was the protector, something that was natural in a vampire mating and that the female naturally accepted. Not to say that my mate couldn't hold her own when it came down to it, something I was quite proud of, but it was my job to ensure that she was taken care of and provided for. Despite the new generations move towards women having to stand on their own, I was raised in a time when the man was to support the woman in all that she did and be there for her, to take care of her. It was a value that my momma and pa had instilled in me at an early age and something that I brought with me to this new life when I was changed. I knew that Char was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and that she would kick anyone's ass who thought otherwise, but she was happy to accept my protectiveness, as she knew it was just one way that I showed my love for her. Because of that, I always went first into an unknown situation to ensure that we were not walking into something dangerous.

Charlotte naturally followed a step behind me as we walked about a block further and turned into a deserted alleyway. At first glance it appeared to just be an area where garbage was dropped off and some punks had come to practice their artwork, if the graffiti on the brick walls was anything to go by. I slowly stepped farther into the small alley and walked a little ways down. Stilling when I hear another little whimpering sound, I put my hand out to stop my mate from going any farther. I strained my ears to pinpoint exactly where the sound was coming from and tried to scent the air.

There, underneath the stench of garbage and sewage, was the light scent of vanilla and sugar. I couldn't quiet pick up what the smell was coming from, but I knew there was something or someone there. Walking to the end of the alley and turning around, I didn't see anyone or anything that would cause that smell in such a place. I gave Char a look saying I didn't really understand what was going on. She had stayed about halfway down the short alley, respecting my wishes for her to stay out of harm's way, should it come to that. She looked just as confused as I was.

Stepping forward, I was just about to speak when I saw a slight twitch of movement on the ground next to one of the many dumpsters. Looking closer, I could just make out the form of a human body. It was camouflaged by dirt and soot from the ground and garbage, covered in some type of material. I wasn't sure if it was fabric from some type of clothing or bag or what, but I can tell you, what ever it was, I did not want to touch it. If I was still susceptible to germs and sickness, I woulda been high tailing it out of that cesspool of disease like my ass was on fire. As it was, I could tell as soon as I touched the filthy material, my skin would be covered in whatever substance was on it.

With great reluctance, I pinched the material and, as though it was burning my flesh, I pitched it off of the person underneath, dropping it to the ground and wiping my hand on my Wranglers. As soon as I saw what was underneath, I froze.

The girl was tiny. She was covered in filth and looked to be the size of a child. Looking at her skin though, it was quite obvious the girl was a vampire. As I couldn't see her face, I had no idea what age she was, in the human or vampiric sense, even considering her diminutive stature. Despite having no idea who she was or any information about her, I felt a pulling feeling towards this girl that took my breath away. I knew it wasn't a mating pull, as it was not the same as what I felt towards Char the first time I saw her. I really had no idea at all what it was. All I knew was that this girl meant something, and I needed to take care of her.

Char lost the patience she had left and walked around the dumpster to the side I was standing on to see what had caused such a reaction. "Well I'll be…" she quietly exclaimed. The only response we got was a tiny whimpering sound from the tiny ball of girl curled up on the ground.

I had no idea how long she had been there or how she had avoided discovery.

Kneeling next to the girl, I spoke in a calm, quiet voice. "Hey there little darlin'. There's no need to be afraid. We're not gonna hurt ya. Can you look at me for just a second?" I could tell Char was surprised by the soft voice I used and the caring tone. I wasn't like this with anyone other than her. Despite her surprise, I didn't think she was jealous. I sure hoped not, as I was planning for this little slip of a girl to be in our lives for a while.

Having no response to me, Char tried next, saying "Come on sweat pea. We just want to help ya. Can you just lift up your head for a sec so we can see ya?"

The girl wouldn't look up, only pulled her knees closer to her chest and herself closer to the wall. I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want to freak her out by touching her, but I couldn't really see any other option. Moving with exaggerated slowness, I gently put my hand on the girl's knee.

The response was immediate. Her head snapped up, as her body jerked back crushing some of the bricks behind her. I winced for a few reasons. Those bricks would not be any easy replacement, nor would they be easy to explain. I quickly figured we could push the dumpster in front of them and hope for the best. It wasn't like a couple of crushed bricks would give away the secret of our existence. I also had no intension of hurting or scaring the poor girl. I meant what I had said; I truly meant the girl no harm. I couldn't even stomach the thought. In addition to that, the girl's eyes were pitch black with deep, dark circles beneath her eyes. It was obvious the girl had not fed in too long, and that needed to be remedied immediately.

"Char, go find her something to eat, please." Glancing up, I could tell that my mate was cautious and confused, but I just couldn't leave the girl and let Char stay with her. For one, I didn't have any idea if my mate would be safe left alone with this strange, very young vampire. It was clear she could not have been turned more than a year ago. I had no idea how she was not going on a killing spree, but I wasn't going to risk my mate's safety. On top of that, I couldn't seem to pull myself away from the girl. I felt this compelling need to stay with her and make sure no harm befell her. I knew Charlotte could handle herself and that she wouldn't go too far to where I couldn't hear her. This girl on the other hand, I had no idea what she knew and if she could defend herself.

Despite her confusion, my mate quickly agreed, trusting that I was doing what I felt was best. With the chance of sounding like a pussy, my heart swelled with love for Charlotte. Even with her uncertainty, the woman I loved with all my heart trusted me and loved me enough to leave me alone with a strange woman, who I clearly felt something for. Even with her own protective and possessive instincts going off, she did what I asked.

As she sped off, the girl flinched again. I slowly sat down in front of her, hoping to make myself less threatening. From what I could tell I had to be about a foot and a half taller than her, and I was creepily hovering over her. Not actions that would inspire relaxation and trust.

For a few minutes we simply stared at each other. "I know we don't know each other, but could you maybe tell me your name? I'm Peter by the way." The girl didn't say anything, but she glanced to my side and back at me. She did this a few times. At first, I couldn't tell what she was doing. Maybe it was just a nervous habit that she had. After she kept doing it, with some pointedness, I finally figured out what she wanted. "That was Char. She is my mate. Now can you tell me your name please?" I asked softly.

The girl looked at me speculatively for a minute more. Then she held out her arm which was cover in filth, and began moving her finger along it. I just stared on confused and wondering if she would be willing to answer my question. After a moment, she held it out so I could see what she had been doing. There, traced on her arm, was one word: Abby. I looked at her questioningly, not sure why she would choose to not simply say it to me. She looked down, away from me, and seemed to curl up even tighter. She had loosened up a bit as we had spoken, but now she was back to the same state as before.

As I heard my mate drop down beside me from the roof top with a man slung over her shoulder, I whispered out the one question that I didn't even think was possible.

"Abby, can you not speak?"