𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄:
What is the importance of men?
(1863)

"WHATEVER DO WE NEED MEN FOR?" Eloise asks with a bewildered-disgusted expression on her angelic face.

Maria informed her that they needed men in the army.

A rumor has spread in the vampire community that a coven of women is leading the wars in the South.

They belittle them and underestimate their strength and abilities.

Eloise is sure that Maria does not like being belittled.

Many covens are planning an attack, watching their every move.

Just because a coven of women is leading and successfully winning, achieving territories because of their skills, does not mean they have the power to belittle their power.

Eloise is being threatened by the so-called rumors.

It was expressed that a woman is the second-in-command of the Mexican Coven, and being led by a woman, apparently makes them weak.

But Eloise is the main threat because of her skills and talent for battle strategies and fighting.

They plan to kill her. Maria could not afford to lose her greatest weapon.

"Just what I have told you. They plan to kill you and take over. And I do not want that. We need someone to shadow you, to be the one in front of the field. Protection"

Eloise almost scoffed and rolled her eyes at Maria's statement.

The mere idea of someone taking her spotlight and hard work is not exactly an ideal idea for her.

It does not add to the fact that they lost territory to another coven.

Her anger and frustration are clearly evident.

"Then let them come; they are digging their own grave. They do not scare me." Eloise tells her, her confidence oozing from her.

It is not in her demeanor to be scared or be afraid anymore, not with her immortality preventing her from an easy death.

Eloise also told her that she could simply change herself to look like a man.

Maria dismissed it immediately, saying that it would take too much of her energy.

Maria walks towards her and says, "Think about it, Eloise. If we have other vampires in our coven, they'll be the ones in charge of disposing of those useless newborns. You despise that task, and you'll be able to get help with training the newborns. And I'll make do with a third-in-command per se. But don't fret. You'll always be my favorite."

It was no secret that Maria had a lingering infatuation with Eloise.

Eloise is hard to ignore, with her beauty and her hope for her humanity.

Maria always noticed her but never acted upon her emotions.

Being with a woman is unfamiliar territory for her, and she does not want to explore it anytime soon.

Maria still hasn't been able to truly move on from her beloved.

Her thirst for revenge always overcomes her feelings toward Eloise.

The idea of finally being freed from the task of disposing of the old newborns gave Eloise a sense of relief, finally minimizing her count of killed over the decades she'd been alive.

It was tempting.

But the fact that she'll have to take someone's human life makes her feel guilty.

Temptation be damned.

She'll never force someone to immortality.

But Maria wants it. Maria gets it.

There is always a choice, but when it comes to her mentor, there will always be one choice.

"If that's what you please," Eloise says with a sigh, slightly shaking her head. She finally agrees with her.

"It is," Maria says with a slight purr in her voice, satisfied that Eloise agreed.

"We'll find someone tonight."

Eloise purses her lips. They are moving too quickly for her liking. But that is what always happens in between wars.

Everything moves faster than any normal rate.

A year in a human's eye can feel like a day in Eloise's life when the focus is on training and fighting in a battle.

•| ⊱✿⊰ |•

A MAN WEARING HIS UNIFORM RODE THROUGH THE EMPTY STREETS OF GALVESTON.

After evacuating women and children, Jasper Whitlock is on his way to follow his fellows to their new base.

He is only making sure that no one is left behind.

As his horse galloped through the dark and empty roads just a mile outside the city, he saw, from a distance, four figures standing near the flowing river.

He was right. There were still civilians left.

Making his horse gallop towards the direction of the women that needed aid.

He suddenly stopped when their faces came into his view.

He was stunned, so to speak.

The four women in front of him are purely ethereal, a sight for sore eyes, not for the weakest of knees.

What strikes him the most is the blonde woman with golden blonde hair, an utterly angelic, petite figure who stood confidently and independently behind the three women.

His attention was on her and only her.

Eloise went still when the man riding a horse closed the distance between them.

She can see his charming face as soon as he appears in their sight.

He was handsome, with his honey-blonde hair, chiseled face, and green eyes.

Eloise can find herself getting lost in those irises.

What disturbed her was his sweet and unmistakable delicious scent.

She instantly craved the scent of blood.

It was a heavenly scent, but even though she craved it, she wasn't tempted to take a bite.

Then it dawned on her that a scent as amazing as this could be the reason for him being her soulmate.

It was what Maria told her, that one could figure out when a human is their soulmate by the scent of their blood and how they react to it.

The charming man is her soulmate, a human.

This is a horrible mistake. Eloise thought to herself that she would like to meet her soulmate, but in a different lifetime and in better circumstances.

"He's speechless," Lucy muses with a grin.

"Maria, he is clearly in the army. Will his disappearances not cause a ruckus?" Eloise tried to reason, trying to hide her distressed state.

Maria looked over to her shoulder and dismissed her statement, "As you said, he's in the army, a soldier with experience of war. He'll be the perfect addition to the army,"

Lucy and Nettie made a humming noise of agreement.

The soldier dismounted, walked towards them, took his hat, and gave them a curt bow.

"Lovely," Nettie says, eyeing him up and down. "Concentrate, Nettie," Maria tells her.

"He looks right - young, strong, and an officer..." Maria tells them, and Eloise stays silent. Maria has already set her eyes on him.

There is no convincing of letting him go to be successful. "And there's something more... Do you sense it?" When Maria asked them, Nettie and Lucy eagerly nodded in agreement.

Lucy then leans in towards Maria and whispers in her ear, "You'd better do it, Maria. If he's important to you. I kill them twice as often as I keep them."

Maria looked pleased as she eyed him.

Then she looks back towards Lucy and orders, "I'll do it. Take Nettie away, will you? I don't want to use Eloise for my protection on my back while I'm trying to focus."

Eloise didn't know what to do. She was in a state of debate and panic.

She will not let Maria change him.

Though she knows it's inevitable.

"Let's hunt," Nettie agrees, looking at Lucy and then at Eloise, wanting her to join them, yet Eloise lightly shakes her head.

Nettie rolled her eyes, grabbed Lucy's arm, and sprinted gracefully toward the city.

Jasper looked amazed at what he saw. They seemed to take flight; they were so fast-their white dresses blew out behind them like wings, he thought to himself.

"What's your name, soldier?" Maria asks. As Eloise now stood beside her.

"Major Jasper Whitlock, ma'am." He introduces himself with his southern drawl.

Eloise discretely smiles.

What a charming name for a very charming man. And a Major.

Eloise noticed that Jasper's eyes had been set toward her since he dismounted his horse.

"I truly hope you survive, Jasper. I have a good feeling about you." Maria says, walking towards him, and placing both hands on the side of his face.

Eloise closes her eyes as she hears Maria taking a bite, making sure her venom seeps through his veins.

Major Jasper Whitlock is now in transition.

A moment that will alter his life for the rest of his life.

He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And Eloise didn't even manage to stop it.