"Thank you Zachery," Sofia whimpered.

"Do not thank me," He answered, "I have brought you no salvation."

"Why?" She paused, trembling, "What's going to happen to me," her voice weak with fear and exhaustion.

"Only one thing is for certain. Never again will you feel the warmth of the sun." He prayed to a God that he no longer believed listened to him. Prayed that she would not feel the despair that he had come to embrace.

- Vampire Journals -

The Second Book

Awareness of her surroundings slithered into her sleeping mind. The dreamworld that had been filled with blood and shadows began to melt away. She let out a sharp gasp when her body jolted awake. Although the room was dark, Sophia could make out every nook and cranny that should have been hidden by the shadows. Memories slowly began to come back to her and she looked at the figure lying next to her.

His dark hair was sleek against his scalp, the features on his face looked sunken. If he was still alive, he showed no signs of it. He gripped the hilt of a sword in his pale hands. Even in the suspended state of death that his body held, the strength that he possessed made itself obvious. She was grateful for that strength. It was the only thing that had broken her out of Ash's hold. She remembered the pain that she felt when Ash had beckoned her. Called her back to him. If it hadn't been for Zachary's firm grip on her arm and overwhelming strength, she would have stopped. Would have belonged to that man. That thing. That beast.

She ventured to touch his face. There was a bit of warmth to it which had surprised her, yet, reassured her that he would wake from this slumber and show her that life really wasn't over.

Hope had drained away from her when Ash exposed what Zachary really was to her. When she caught him drinking that woman's blood. She had believed him to be human, just as she had been. But even after the horror that she had witnessed, how relieved she had been when she had seen his face standing over Ash. The glint of the sword had caught her attention just after Ash had brought her across. His face then was the Zachary that she had known. The one that had protected her. Known that he had found her in that hell that Ash had thrown her into.

A wave of pain rippled through her torso and sent tingles down to her fingertips. She tried to gasp but it didn't seem to help. Wild thoughts of darkness began slipping into her mind. The pain began to pass. Her mind felt clear once more. She doubled over as the second wave washed over her. And then he was there. Next to her. Holding back her convulsions. When her vision cleared again, she saw Zachary's face in front of hers. He looked worried. His large brown eyes focused on her.

Zachary had known that she would have been weak. She hadn't taken any blood other than Ash's before they ran. When a new vampire is brought across, they need to feed or the beast inside could take over. There is no control. Not at this point. Just terror and hunger, "Sofia" her eyes rolled around wildly, unable to focus on anything, "SOFIA." He said with the utmost command in his voice.

She reacted. Slowly she seemed a bit more lucid. She reached out and grasped the material on his shoulder, "Zachary? I-- I don't feel..." She trailed off as she bent forward, unable to handle the pain.

"Sofia you must listen to me. You need to feed." He knew that he had to feed her from himself. But that would create a strange bond between them and confuse the bond that she had with Ash. He didn't know how hard it would be for her to cope with taking blood from two strong vampires but at the moment, he didn't have a choice.

He felt like he had gorged on the woman's blood from the night before. He could spare some now. He cupped her neck in one of his hands and tried to get her to focus, "Sofia, look at me." She brought her head up but her eyes looked like a wild animals. Looking for food. "Sofia." Her eyes met his and he held them there. Sinking his fangs into his wrist he quickly moved his arm to Sofia's face. As soon as the bloods scent reached her senses, her eyes dilated and she was utterly focused on the blood. She reached for his arm and drank deeply.

A couple of mouthfuls of his blood and the beast sank back inside her. She let go of his arm, horrified with herself. She began to tremble again, realizing what her world was going to be like now. He could see the panic rising in her eyes. "Sofia," she looked up at him and he locked eyes with her, "It's alright. Be calm."

"Zachary--" she said in a weak voice, "What have I become?"

He sighed, "You have become what I am. A beast without a master."