I'm a bit skeptical putting this up here, mostly because I don't want it stolen, but I'm going to trust that everyone on here is honest and so here it is. Be kind and leave reviews please.

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Prolgoue

It began long ago. For centuries, vampires and werewolves, creatures of the night, lived under a truce. Neither side killed anyone from the other. They shared hunting grounds, and if a place got too populated, it was taken up with Elders, the oldest of both groups that handled every matter having to do with their people. The truce, pact, treaty, it held for centuries. Vampires and werewolves lived peaceably among humans and each other. A few even mated and cross-breeds were born. Not all of the Elders agreed with the crossing of lines, but there was no harm done to either side, so they couldn't pull their jurisdiction to the front and forbid it.

That is, until a truly cruel vampire named Amos broke the treaty in one, vicious act. He killed a werewolf. War almost started between the Elders, but they were forced to come to a decision. If war broke out between the two races, the humans would end up getting slaughtered and probably turn extinct. Both sides needed humans, so a deal was made. A werewolf was sent to kill a vampire of the same rank as the werewolf that had been killed. Then both Amos and that werewolf were put to death, along with all vampires and werewolves that had mated and their children. From then on, the two races lived as far away from each other as possible, with mating between the two races was forbidden and would be punishable by death.

If a vampire and werewolf met, they were told to either ignore each other or take the fight away from the eyes of humans. If a fight did spring up, whoever was the victor got punished by the Elders. Meaning, he or she was killed by their own Elders. The peace had to stay between the two species, otherwise the humans would realize that they were real and that couldn't be allowed. And if a war did get spiked between them, the world would become a battlefield.

It's been a centuries since the uneasy peace was decided between the werewolves and vampires. A few young people had been killed for disobeying the rules when they first came into effect, but since then, it has been quiet. Most vampires and werewolves die before ever seeing someone of the other race. It has kept the creatures of the night from exploding into war. No one dared cross the rules and Elders, for fear of instant or painful death, so no vampires and werewolves have had any contact in over two centuries.

Until Now.

Dancing With the Enemy

I didn't want to go. I could already hear the party downstairs. The eccentric music, the loud thoughts and chatting of werewolves having a good time. I was upstairs in my room, sulking as my mother fixed up my hair. I watched her in the mirror on the vanity. She looked no older than twenty-five. I was seventeen. I had her same luscious, wavy black hair, and the usual black eyes of our people. She was surprisingly petite for a wolf, but there was no doubt about the authority she had in the clan. She was an Elder, meaning that she had been alive for more than two centuries. It rarely happened, but when it did, those people were named Elders and became almost like royalty to the others. She had had three daughters before me. I was her youngest and she told me I would be her last.

"I still don't see why I have to go," I complained again as she pinned up my locks.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ana," she chided, accidentally poking my scalp with a bobby pin. I winced. "It is the Lunar Aevum Secui. You must go."

I sighed. There was no way around it. The Lunar Aevum Secui was a werewolf's coming of age party. It happened once a year. Every wolf who was seventeen at the time would come to our castle with their parents and partake in this masked ball. A female and male wolf were expected to find a connection with each other during the party and then go off and consummate. Or in other words, have sex. All of the girls were virgins; the boys were supposed to be, but I doubted any in this day and age would be. It was tradition and had been going on for centuries; it was how wolves found their mates. Life long mates. But I was only seventeen; I didn't want a mate yet! And I didn't want to walk out of the ballroom with a young cub and having every adult and other wolf in the room know exactly what we were going off to do.

Mother finished my hair and then picked up a delicate mask from the vanity in front of me. It was jeweled and covered my eyes, forehead and nose, leaving my lips and eyes free. My lips were small, pink and virgin. I'd never been kissed before.

Once the mask was tied securely, I stood, towering seven inches above my other; three of which were thanks to the high heels I was wearing. Mother lightly clapped her hands together, a smile bright on her face. "You look magnificent," she told me with warm eyes before walking to the bed to get her own mask and tie it on.

"Magnificent?" I asked, smoothing my dress under my hands. "I would have enjoyed hearing beautiful or pretty more." I frowned slightly and walked a few steps towards the floor length mirror in the corner. Mother had spent days finding the right dress for me tonight and I had to admit, it fit the occasion perfectly. It was somewhat tan and somewhat silver, hugging all of my curves nicely. It had a square neck with two inch thick straps that looked like mini sleeves. The cut showed off my breasts, definitely a high point for the events of later that night. The rest fit snugly against my sides and waist, where it then became flowy and reached to around my knees, showing off my pretty lower legs. I had nice legs; I ran just as much in human form as in wolf form.

Mother came up behind me, face masked in black and silver. "You look stunning, darling." She spoke with an almost purr.

I smiled at her and nodded. She linked her arm with mine and we walked out into the hall. It was lined with rooms where the other guests were staying. This was the girl's section; the boys were on the other side of the ballroom. We wouldn't be going back to either of the small rooms when the time came though. The Elders made a game of it and sent us searching around the castle to find an empty bedroom; the place was filled with them.

As the sound of music got closer, I felt a little queasy. "Mom. Is Rafe going to be here?" Of course, I knew the answer. He was seventeen. He would be here. Luckily, he was one of the only werewolves here that I'd met before now, so I would be able to smell him and hopefully stay away. Also in my favor was the fact that the feelings between the two wolves had to be mutual. And I couldn't stand Rafe; he looked at me more like prey than another wolf. I hoped he would find another girl who enjoyed being looked at that way.

Mother didn't reply. She didn't have to. She sensed my thoughts and thought it a waste of breath to reply. So we continued to walk. Down corriders and around corners until we were on the balcony surrounding half of the ballroom. The room was thick with the heat of wolves, their musty, woodsy smell filling the air. Mother let go of my arm and walked down one of the two giant staircases that reached the ballroom floor. She disappeared into the crowd and it was my turn. I kept my eyes on the gaily playing orchestra on one end of the room as I walked down the plush covered stairs. I sucked in a breath the instant both of my feet reached the marble dance floor.

My first instinct was to run back to my room. Instead, I grabbed little fistfuls of the silky fabric of my dress and skirted the dance floor. Werewolves were covering it, all wearing masks. Most of then were seventeen; the others were their parents, although the 'older' crowd had become a chatting group close to the stage and music. Dancing bodies filled the room and the heat was staggering. Almost everyone had found someone of the opposite gender to dance with. I stuck to the outer walls, hiding by a large, landscape painting. I stood still, not even swaying to the music, while a part of me itched to just get out there and dance, find a mate and get the night over with.

Just as I began swaying slightly to the rhythm, I spotted Rafe. He was tall, lanky and his crazy hair hadn't been able to be tamed even for this night. I knew it was him as he walked closer. I knew his sent. He stopped in front of me, large hands hanging by his sides. He knew exactly who I was. I glared up a him from behind my mask. I'm not sure if he noticed.

"Ana, why aren't you dancing?" he asked in his normal, gruff voice. For seventeen that is. I don't know why he bothered with me. There were plenty of other wolves in the world for him to choose from.

"I can't find anyone worth dancing with," I retorted, crossing my arms, wrinkling my dress. He was a good foot and a half taller than me, even in heels. I strained to look at him.

His thin lips formed into a smirk. "Think I could change your mind?" he asked, slipping a hand onto my waist and his other fingers gripped my wrist.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed, pushing him with my only free hand. "Get off, Rafe!"

He had to comply. That was the rules for tonight. If it were any other night and I refused to dance with him, he could force me to. Oh the perks of being a female werewolf. His hands were like a vice, slowly unclasping and dropping angrily to his sides.

"Fine, but you're making a mistake, believe me," he told him, as if he was the all powerful.

"Get bent," I hissed at him, pressing my back against the wall under the painting. He scowled at me and then turned, disappearing into the crowd. I pressed my sweating palms against the wall behind me. It took everything I had to not run, crying, to Mother and beg to leave the party. No one could leave the party unless they were with another wolf. Luckily, there were always even numbers of seventeen year old wolves. I never understood how that happened, but it did; ever year.

I closed my eyes and rested my head back against the wall, not caring if it messed up my hair-do. I felt like curling up into a ball under the covers or shedding this dress and going for a long run through the forest under the light of the gorgeous moon I knew was shining above the castle. I let my mind wander, the music and other sounds flowing together to form a great booming, buzzing constant that sounded odd, but it was better than listening to Rafe.

I wasn't ready for this. I was the sheltered, fourth daughter of an Elder. I had barely spoken to any werewolf besides Rafe and Mother in six years. If I knew any of the other wolves around the room, I didn't recognize them. I had been so spoiled and held secret almost that I barely knew how to act around a group of hormone driven, partying wolves. I had never been to a party before. The closest I'd gotten to one in the past was watching movies. And they weren't helping me at the moment.

All of a sudden, or so it seemed, my eyes flew open and I straightened up, arms hanging gently by my sides and eyes searching the crowd. I had no idea what I was looking for. I saw Rafe dancing with a girl with bleach blonde hair that couldn't be real. I watched as a couple slipped off, the girl leading the way in her green dress that tangled at her ankles, the boy following with a grin, tripping over his feet. My mother watched them almost with longing. What did she want? To be young again? She was going to look twenty-five forever. What did she...?

My thoughts trailed off as I saw him. He moved like a snake, like water, like silk. He wore a black suit, the color clashing with his pale skin that was almost as white as his shirt underneath. His mask was simple and black, with a tad bit of silver outlining it. He moved silently through the crowd, seeming to part the way in front of him. I was transfixed.

He came closer, heading straight for me. I couldn't see his eyes the way his mask sat on his face, but I realized that his hair was pit black, like mine. It looked smooth and silky and I felt the need and urge to run my fingers through it. I started to reach out my hand at the thought, then quickly drew it back when I realized what I was doing. He kept coming closer and closer, lithe like a cat, and then he stopped, right in front of me.

He was clearly the enemy. His eyes were red, like fire and filled with hunger. I could see it all. And yet, I couldn't stop myself. I lifted a hand, slowly, as if I was stuck in one of those parts in the movies when everyone moves in slow motion, and brushed my fingertips against his cheek. I snatched my hand back the instant our skin touched. His skin was cold as ice and left my fingertips tingling.

It seemed like I'd lost all control over my vocal cords. I wanted to ask him what the hell he was doing here at a Lunar Aevum Secui. This was a werewolf event and he was not a werewolf. He was one of our sworn enemies; a vampire. I wanted to call the guards who were stationed outside. I wanted to demand to know how he'd gotten past them! I wondered why no one else noticed him and remembered how powerful vampire minds were. While werewolves could hear the vague feeling of thoughts of other wolves, vampires could literately read minds completely. Could they control them? What that what he was doing to me? Me, Ana, daughter of the Elder Theresa, one of the only women Elders. I was not to be tempered with.

"Who are you?" My words didn't come out the way I wanted. Instead of harsh and demanding, they came out soft and curious. I peered up into his peculiar eyes. He was only about six inches taller than me. Much better than the tree that was Rafe. What? What was I thinking, enjoying the presence of a vampire more than one of my own kind?

He held my gaze and leaned closer to me. His breath was sweet, like a mixture of honey and copper. Much better than the dog breath of Rafe. And there I was again! I wanted to mentally slap myself but couldn't. His eyes were too intoxicating. "A name is not important," he whispered, the words silky smooth and just barely reaching me ears. It made me melt. If the wall hadn't been behind me, I would have sunk to the floor. What was he doing to me?

"I want a name," I nearly whined, voice as quiet as before. My fingers itched to reach up and touch him again. I knew I wouldn't shrink back from the cold.

"If you must," he replied, moving ever so slightly to lay a soft kiss on my cheekbone. "Victor," his whispered into my ear, sending chills down my spine. I could swear that my knees were about to give out and his soft hands held my shoulders to keep me from doing so.

"Victor," I whispered out. I was suddenly aware that every werewolf in this room could be getting vibes off of my thoughts. They were very strong at the moment. But somehow, I knew that they couldn't. And I knew, deep down, that I shouldn't have even spoken to this gorgeous vampire in front of me, but I had to. It was like a pull that I couldn't ignore.

"Ana." He breathed out my name, lips trailing so close to my skin that it almost felt like he was touching me. And he did, finally, his lips settling in a gentle kiss at the base of my neck. Instantly, I wondered if he was going to bite me. But somehow, I knew he wasn't. Instead, he stood back, hands still cold on my shoulders as he looked straight into my eyes.

I loved the way he said my name. It sounded so sensual and important when he said it without the need for the added recognition of who my mother was. And I knew that I should hate Victor and everything he was, but I couldn't force myself to do that. To be totally honest, I'd never even met or seen any vampires in my lifetime. I knew about the truce and how it'd been broken by their side first, but I still didn't really understand how they could be so bad. Were they any worse than us? Did we not kill, just like them? It had never made sense to me. Until now. Being there, Victor completely taking over my senses, I realized how much more dangerous they were. And yet, I still longed to be touched and to touch him.

I didn't realize it until just then that my breath was coming out in short huffs. Panting, like after a long run. But this wasn't the work of a run. This was something else. I blinked, moving my hands up to take his from my shoulders. Fingers instantly curled together as I looked around to make sure my mother was occupied. She was, dancing around like a young thing with another woman with deep, red hair. Now was my chance.

Without words, I tugged at his hand, dropping the other as I pulled him down a hall. He followed silently, both in mind and step. My heels made the slightest tapping on the rock floors as I made my way through the lesser known parts of the castle. Pushing open a small door, my feet fell on plush carpet and the light of the moon shone through a large window at the end of the hall. Victor appeared beside me, the door closed to show no way of how we'd gotten into the hall. It was pretty, white, gilded with gold everywhere. The carpet was red, accented with silver and gold.

Victor's cool fingers left mine and for an instant, I was afraid it had all been something my mind had cooked up and I'd turn to find myself alone or with some young wolf that I wouldn't know what to call. Instead, when I turned, frantically, he was there, glistening in the light of the moon. It wouldn't have been as magnificent if the hall lights had been on, but thankfully, they were off and there was nothing to shed light but the almost-full moon.

I found myself lifting my hands to his face, only to find his fingers flying up to stop me. I pleaded with my eyes. "I want to see you," I whispered, even though no one was around.

"All right." He shifted his hands to grip the edge of my mask. I blinked once, twice, silently counting and then pulled off his mask the same moment he took off mine. Both fell to the floor without a sound.

When not obscured by a mask, Victor was even more breathtaking than I could have imagined. Sharp, fierce features that matched the cold skin. His eyes stood out like pieces of coal in snow, but it was oddly attractive to me. My hands had fallen to lay lightly on his cheeks, barely touching, our breath mingling as we silently studying each others faces.

And then it happened. He closed the gap between us and his lips crashed against mine. The force of it sent me stepping backwards, only stopping when my back crashed against the wooden wall. One hand stayed laying on his face, the other doing what I had been dying to do since I'd first seen him. My fingers lightly brushed through his hair. It was just as I had thought; soft and silken.

The kiss was intoxicating. I had always dreamed of my first kiss, and this, this wasn't it. It was better. I almost felt faint from the lack of breath when he let my lips free and I sucked in air as his lips expertly trailed down my jaw line. His hands had fallen to my sides, his icey skin burning through the thin fabric of my dress. The feeling sent shocks through my body and my instincts suddenly sprang into action.

I might not be as strong in human form as wolf form, but I managed to get my hands to his chest and push him back. I expected him to be angry or quizzical, but the look on his face was anything but. It was amusement maybe? A small smirk had appeared on his face as I hastily unbuttoned his jacket and pushed it off his shoulders. He swooped in to kiss my lips again as my fingers fumbled to untie his bowtie. They did so, expertly, in three seconds and I let that drop to the floor too. His shirt was more difficult. Not to mention frustrating. Finally, I pushd him back again and gripped the shirt in my tiny fists, popping the buttons from top to bottom.

"I really liked that shirt," he mumbled, kissing my jaw again as I pushed his shirt of.

"Sorry," I gasped out, hands feeling every etched out muscle on him. His hands went back to me, this time landing lower, on my hips. My breath quickened as he kissed my neck again.

I knew it the moment before it happened. His hands had been slowly pulling up the bottom of my dress and paused for a moment, clenching, and the next moment I felt two sharp fangs sink into my flesh. I let out a gasp, eyes and mouth flying open as my canine's grew and eyes flashed yellow. The feeling was unbelievable. It was better than turning into wolf-form. It was better than anything I can even describe.

It was over in seconds. He must have taken a little of my blood, but not enough to phase him or me. I gripped his back as he gently kissed the spot he'd bitten. It would be healed within minutes.

By then, his hands has nearly pulled up the complete bottom of my skirt and he pulled back from gently kissing my shoulder to let his breath mingle with mine and look into my eyes. They had gone back to being black and I was pretty sure my teeth had gone back to a normal size.

There was no need for words between us. Our breaths were coming out haggard, and I knew that this was it. I wanted him and I knew he wanted me. Why else had he come here? Risked everything? I didn't want to answer the question, so I didn't. Instead, I focused on his hands, which were otherwise cooling me to the bone with their coolness.

He lifted me up like I weighed nothing and I wrapped my legs around his waist, placing my flaming hands on his shoulders and kissing him. He took two surprisingly graceful steps to the side and opened the door closest to us. It was dark, everything in tones of deep red. Victor stopped just steps from the bed and put me down on my feet, hands somehow still gripping my skirt. Once I was down, he let go of one side of the dress and moved his hand to the back, finding the zipper and pulling it down, all the while, kissing my lips and making me crazy with his everything. His hands. His taste. His smell. The feel of him was nothing that I'd ever felt before.

The dress fell into a satin heap on the ground and I managed to take steps back and lay out on the bed. He lingered over me, kissing down my neck, skipping to my stomach, which felt like it was on fire, since I was so used to his cold touch. He took a moment to pull off my heels and then went back to kissing me all over, his hands doing work all on their own. I moaned out his name ever instant when I felt like I had the breath to. His teasing touching and kissing was driving me crazy. Finding myself empowered to take control yet again, I pushed him back and he landed lightly on his feet.

Once again, there was no need for words. I maneuvered myself the right direction on the bed and he got rid of whatever clothing that was left between us. My body somehow knew what to do, something I had been afraid of before. And his cold touches no longer felt cold; they felt welcoming and I wanted more. Oh, I wanted so much more.

And the entire time we were together, breaking the rules between the two races, all I could think of was Victor and the way he handled everything like a gentleman. His touch, his lips were soft and gentle, a stark contrast to the hunter, hungry eyes he had. And an even greater difference than the ruthless monster I had heard vampires being called.

My own more dangerous side floated in and out. Just like when he'd bitten me, Victor caused my eyes to grow yellow and teeth to grow as he touched parts of me that were more connected with the wild beast in me than even I had been able to find. But, I had enough control to not let myself get all violent and let the beast take over. No, I was determined to let this be the most amazing, special, forbidden night I would ever have in my life. Because I knew for a fact that I would never seen Victor again.

One last burst of ecstasy and the beast showed itself again. I heard myself give a low growl before the only sound left in the room was Victor and my ragged breathing. I wanted to say something, something that didn't sound like anything but perfect for the moment, but I couldn't find the words. Instead, I found myself shifting through sleep and awake.

I don't know how long it was until I heard a low voice and felt a soft kiss against my temple. "Thank you," were the words and it took me a few moments of struggling to become fulling awake. I sat straight up in the bed and looked around, eyes easily growing accustomed to the lack of light. "Victor?" I whispered out, even though I knew he wouldn't be there.

Hastily pushing aside the covers, I slipped on my dress and managed to pull up the zipper by the time I opened the door and burst into the hall. "Victor?" I called, a little louder, only to find my hair and dress being tugged at by wind. I turned, seeing the window a few feet down the hall wide open, it's lace curtains flowing in the wind. I ran over to it, hands gripping the sill as I leaned out into the night and narrowed my eyes at the ground below. It was so far below, I didn't think he'd made it for a moment, but of course he had. He was a vampire.

I pulled myself and the window panes back and turned slowly, leaning against the cold glass. Victor was a vampire. A vampire that had come here...to be with me? That's what he'd done wasn't it? Zeroed in on me and that was it. I ran my hands over my face, through my tangled hair as my eyes searched the black corridor. My mask still lay on the floor. His was gone. I swallowed hard, the realization of what had just happened finally reaching my now clear conscience.

But he'd given me just what I wanted. I hadn't wanted to give up my virginity to just any wolf who came around and liked me. I had wanted it to be completely special and secret and it had. Now, I would have to go down to the party again, find one of the last remaining wolves and do what I was born to do. Find a mate, continue on the line. And maybe, just maybe I could convince him to not have sex with me; not tonight at least. I wanted so much to remember every touch, taste and smell that involved Victor. I could still taste him. I could still feel the places his cold hands had touched me. With a small sigh, I swooped down and picked up the mask, holding it in my hand as I walked back into the bedroom to get the rest of my clothes so I could go join the festivals. Once I was back to being fully dressed, I returned to the hall, my eyes instantly drawn to the window before I let out a small breath, a single tear rolling down my cheek as I made my way down the dark corridor, thoughts completely focused on the vampire that had taken me over so fully.

It never even occured to me how he knew my name.