It was a dark, cold night when Riley left the bar. He pulled his coat tighter as he looked around. It was late yet he knew Grace would be sleeping, probably not up for a call. He didn't mean to leave so late or ignore her. That was alway the way though, it was always one of them would forget to call, one of them would not be available.

Half the time Riley wondered why they were still together. Sure, there were the memories they had, something he would cherish. But that was all it seemed, memories left behind.

Riley took out his phone and turned it on, seeing multiple texts.

Hey, sorry I was out.

Can I call you?

Riley?

Goodnight.

Riley sighs and types goodnight though it was already an hour later. Perhaps she was ignoring the signs that they were over too, he thought. They had grown apart, it was simple as that.

Riley walks through the rain, feeling the water crash against him, getting heavier by the second. He tries to get through the rain as his feet then making him crash.He looks up, seeing a dark figure before it quickly disappears. On the ground, he gasps, his heart beating faster against his chest. He stands up looking around, turning.

"Who's there?" He asks, though no one would answer his obvious question. "Who's there?" He asks again, his voice battling against the rain. He takes a deep breath, but before he could even make another move, someone grabs his throat, throwing him back into a wall.

He could feel the bruising form on his back and the pain radiate throughout his body but he still could get up. Slowly, Riley stands up once more, clutching his upper arm. He looks around until he saw a building. Calling for help, he runs towards it only to be blocked by his attacker. He started running the opposite direction, his feet smacking against the wet roads until he came up to the edge. A dead end. With wide eyes he steps off, turning in circles, feeling mad for getting attacked by something he could barely see. "What do you want?!" He yelled out.

His attacker bites him, and he felt excruciating pain. There was no other pain like that. The searing pain in his hand that spread making him scream and fall to the floor laying down. Staring at the bite once more, Riley yells out in pain, not noticing the phone that fell out of his pocket and ringing with the contact name of Grace.

Months later, Grace was still helping Riley's parents search for him. Her own family, her aunt, uncle, and cousins all offered their help, putting up missing person posters and getting the word out. But no one had heard or seen anything. He had just disappeared without a trace.

Riley was not just her boyfriend, but her best friend like family after not being too close to her own. Grace felt a panging in her chest as she stared at the papers plastered with his smiling face.

She felt the guilt go through her as she thought about her last few texts to him. To think she thought about breaking up with him before he was gone. At first she thought that night that he was ignoring her, delaying their fate. She wouldn't lie that she had ignored it too. But then his parents called her. They hadn't seen him and his friends hadn't seen him since that night. It wasn't like Riley to disappear without telling anybody.

And here she was, holding the posters to continue a search for him. Grace takes a deep breath, putting her coat closer to her body before she goes out the door. The wind blew against her face, feeling her cheeks get red already. She shudders, feeling strange though she did this most weekends she had time. Any stress she could take off of Riley's parents shoulders she put onto her own and accepted it. She wondered if he had not disappeared what she would be doing now.

She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing. After Riley had left things were at a pause, but Grace knew she still had to live.

Grace continues on the main streets, putting up more flyers on poles and walls, replacing the old ones that were beginning to fade. With the sun setting on an already cloudy day, Grace knew that was the end of her day.

Along the alleys near her home, Grace could still feel uneasy. She felt the air from her lungs grow stale under a gaze she had no idea was fixated on her.

Victoria's red hair flourished in the orange light that was fading into a dull blue from the sky. She watched as the girl took her time walking home after observing her for a couple of days. Victoria didn't know why this girl was so special.

After Riley was first turned, she was brought up many times. This Grace girl should have been the last of her worries, but she would be another minor issue. It took him some convincing that Victoria was his mate, and she was glad she succeeded so she wouldn't have to find another boy so easily convinced.

Yet, some mornings the look in his eyes glosses over, in thought of his human past. Perhaps if she brought him Grace, put her into the army, he would then focus on that, not on pathetic emotions. It was working well in her mind, the last minute plan in her head was perfect, she just needed the last piece. Grace.

If the girl was possibly his mate, then it could work in her favor, if not then she could come up with an excuse. Simple as that, she thought.

Victoria smirked to herself before swiftly knocking the girl over onto the cold icy ground, hearing her groan in pain. Grace coughs out, wheezing at the impact. What hit her? She wearily looked around seeing nothing in sight. She was by an alley, nothing big enough could hit her at that speed. She gets up, feeling the pain in her knees as she starts to run away from the alley. It just had to be the short cut, had to be where barely anyone was. She couldn't cry for help if she wanted. 

Before Grace could even break off into a full run, she felt a force shove her back onto the ground. Her face scrapes against the concrete and she could feel the cuts on her hands burn.  She grimaced but knew she didn't have time to focus on minor injuries. It was escaping that was imperative. 

She jumps up, feeling the burning in her hands but still manages to get near the main road. She could see it, it was right there, so close and she could possibly find people and sleep off whatever hit her. 

It was right there, a few more steps. Then, she feels a hand wrap around her throat. The ice like grip tightened causing Gracet to choke. Her legs swing in the air as she's picked up and then thrown back to the ground. Grace coughs loudly, clutching her throat, feeling a growing presence in front of her. Her eyes stumble upon a pair of boots that prowls before her. 

"I don't have any money, I'm just trying to go home. Please, please don't kill me," Grace begs. Grace finally looks up, her head strained so she could get a look at the person who was attacking her. With large red curls, Victoria stood with a sickening smirk, staring down at Grace. The poor human had no idea the fate she would encounter.

Grace held back tears, the only thoughts running through her minds is if this would be her last moment. She never told her family she loved them, she never saw Riley again and got closure. She wanted the hourglass to turn over and start again. There was so much she wanted to do. What she wanted now in this moment was to close her eyes and shield herself from the creature in front of her. Grace's eyes start to blur from the tears but was still captivated by the vampire's marble skin and blood red eyes.

"You're not going to die, Grace," her voice rings out, soft yet so dangerous, ready to cut through anything. Grace's eyes widen in realization that the woman knew her name.

"Then what do you want?" Victoria bends down to look her in the eyes on her level.

 "You."

Victoria launches onto Grace, digging into her neck and listening to her cries of pain. The pain being too unbearable, Grace's eyes close and she falls limp. Without any words, Victoria lifts the girl up and runs with a devious plan in mind.

The moment she walked through the ports where Riley and the beginning of her army was hiding, Victoria adjusted herself, preparing to speak to the boy. 

Riley turns from the wall, facing Victoria who held someone over her shoulder. Rarely did Victoria come with someone already. But he wouldn't question her, she knew what she was doing, it was always best for them. 

Victoria throws the limp body off her shoulder and onto the ground for Riley to see. Her expression warps into one of feign innocence as Riley stares at Grace. "Grace?" 

"You've been thinking about her, I wanted to bring her to you, even if it means you won't love me." Riley looks between Grace and Victoria, zoning out and glaring at the floor then. "She's one of us, Riley. She'll be a part of the army." She ventures closer to him, ignoring the body at her feet. "It'll be perfect. We'll be protected and can hunt." 

"Why did you need her?" When Riley mentioned the word her, Victoria could hear the pain in his voice, the wavering as he stared. It was pathetic, she thought.

"I know you've been thinking about her, Riley. And although it would hurt, if you wouldn't want me, but could help-"

"But I love you." Victoria hides the smirk with a smile, a twinkle in her eye. 

"Then she'll be useful to us." She pauses, seeing him glance back to her again. "Take her to the others." 

Without another word Victoria runs off, leaving the dust to settle in the air. Riley frowns coming closer to Grace. It had been some months since he saw her, he could barely remember, her tan lively skin, her large smile, and warm brown eyes. Now those features were replaced by paler skin that looked hard as glass and a lifeless figure. 

He peers closer, kneeling in front of Grace, his hand almost touching her, but then he feels it. She was waking up. He gets up and runs with inhuman speed near the wall. He couldn't be so close.

The first thing Grace saw as she opened her eyes was the details of the ceiling. A dark gray ceiling with cracks running along it had dust along the edges. She could see the little bugs that flew by, catching their movements and hearing the flapping of their wings. Then, she felt another presence close by.

She jerks her head towards the figure seeing his back to her. "Who- who are you?" Grace questions. The figure begins to turn, as if slower on purpose. Her eyes meet with the red eyes and she holds back a gasp. She shifts, jumping up with fluid motion, so unreal to her. She felt different, why? But that didn't matter. "Riley!" Grace thought he would match her enthusiasm, embrace her in a reunion but the boy stood there as cold as stone. That was when she realized how he had changed so much. 

No longer did he have a refreshing, calming aura around him but now was left with an emotionless being. With pulsing red eyes he stared she felt as if he was staring into her soul. He didn't have the boyish grin she always enjoyed but a grimace that covered his snow like skin. He didn't look human, but a statue that didn't deserve to be looked upon. 

"Riley? Where are we? What happened to you?"

____

A/N: Hey guys! I'm redoing all the chapters so if you read through this chapter and are reading this author's note just know that you'll get notifications on the chapters being updated and they'll be different. Thanks for reading and I look forward to revamping these chapters and giving a better story, I'm excited to show you all :)