Darkest Sin
Chapter One

"Thank you all for coming," a booming voice said. Ron Parks stood on the podium, casting a smile to everyone in the room. "And thank you for being such wonderful employees. Without all of you, this company would be nothing." He raised his glass in a toast.

I followed suit and raised my glass, toasting to the company, as did everyone else in the dimly lit restaurant. We all applauded as Ron stepped down from the podium. His speech was short, but we understood. Being a high-end lawyer left little time to speak. In fact, this was the first time I had ever actually seen him and it was probably the same for most of the people in the room.

It was the annual Christmas dinner party and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Mistletoe hung from the doorways, the many tables had green or red cloth spread over them, candles were lit all around, and everyone got a $50 gift card, which was saying something for how much money Ron had to be making. There were over 500 employees. You do the math.

The doors to the kitchen opened and waiters and waitresses with plates filled with food began pouring into the room. I had ordered the lobster, since I didn't often get to partake in such an expensive meal. My boss might make a killing, but this was one of his smaller businesses so we weren't exactly on the high class list.

I dug into my lobster, savoring the flavor while the people at my table told work jokes. My favorite was when the janitor (who was a woman) accidentally walked in on one of the guys in the men's bathroom and left with, "Ain't nothing I haven't seen before." I smiled as the waitress poured me another glass of Prosecco, another little pleasure that I didn't get to enjoy often and smoothed out my dress a little. I had decided to go with a short, black, strapless dress with a tie around the middle; playing up all the curves I was given.

Soft music played in the background, a little jazz to lighten the mood. Everyone continued to talk, glasses continued to clink, and yet suddenly I had the feeling that not everything was right. I sat up a little straighter, body tensing, eyes on the alert. I looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of my unease.

And then I saw them.

Four men, dressed in casual suits; two gray, one black, and one brown. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but I knew better. Their gazes flicked around the room, in search of something, and my instincts told me that that something was me. I pretended to drop my fork on the floor and ducked down under the table, thanking that they had chosen long table cloths.

Skittering along the floor, especially in a dress wasn't exactly ideal, but there was no other option. I began my trek, weaving under different tables and praying that no one kicked me. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on my side and a guy stepped on my hand, causing me to bite my lip against the pain or risk crying out and drawing attention. The guy looked under the table in surprise. I put a finger to my lips, said, "Shh," and continued on my way. Thankfully, he didn't make a scene.

I continued padding along the ground until I reached the back door. It was dark red and had an exit sign over it. I stood up, hunched over a little and pushed open the door. It could have had an alarm on it, but there was no where else to go and at least I'd have a running start on them if fate decided to be cruel.

No alarm sounded, thankfully, and I stalked out into the night. My dress had a couple scuff marks, but it wasn't anything too bad.

It was very dark outside. If it wasn't for the lamp posts, it might have bordered on pitch black. The smell of the city was more subdued, since the restaurant was in a more family orientated area. Smoke rose around the back of the building, casting a fog around me and the little bit of light.

A couple of guys sat out on the curb, still in their waiter outfits, puffing on cigarettes. When the door slammed, they turned to look at me. I stared back for a couple of seconds before I turned and stalked off around the building. Shadows peered out from behind a corner and I heard hushed voices.

"You take right, I'll take left," one of them said.

"Shoot to kill," another answered.

Swearing under my breath, I turned back around and bolted for the back door. There was a large picket fence blocking my way to freedom. I looked around, ignoring the guys who continued to watch me and noticed a metal ladder against the brick. It was fairly high up though; nothing could be easy, could it?

I sighed and took off my heels, measuring the height. It wouldn't be too hard to grab the bottom and lower it. I crouched low and then sprang up, stretching as far as I could. I felt the bottom in my palm and grabbed it, letting my body weight pull it down. The men's eyes widened as I started climbing.

"Hey lady, how did you do that?" one of them called after me. I looked over my shoulder and put a finger to my lips then scaled the rest of the distance to the roof. I can't deny that I understood their surprise. I was a small girl and normal girls couldn't jump that high. But then again, I wasn't a normal girl.

I padded across the roof, holding my heels in my hands and looked over the side. Two men stood by the front doors and I could see the outline of the guns under their shirts. Why in the world would armed men come looking for me? Especially at a dinner party for my job. I went to look for my cell phone and remembered that I had left my purse in the restaurant. I swore softly but there was nothing I could do about it now.

I went to another side and looked down. No guards here but if I leapt down I risked breaking a bone. There was a tree fairly close to the building and I ran at it, grabbing at the branches to steady myself and cutting my arms a bit in the process. I climbed down gently and dropped to the concrete once I was close enough.

Pain danced up and down my body from the strain and cuts, but I ignored it. I cut across into a back alley and sat down next to one of the garbage cans. The smell of rotten food made my eyes water and the concrete was freezing, but I needed a breather.

I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling how messy it had become and sighed. The night was quiet, a little too quiet. I couldn't hear the sounds of crickets or rats or anything.

The hair on my arms stood up and a second later a bullet was ricocheting over my head, leaving a dent in the brick. I jumped up, putting my hands over my head and ran like hell. Another bullet sped past me, smashing into a garbage can and creating a loud bang.

I yelled and turned a corner, bolting across lawns and driveways and parking lots like a mad woman. Glass, stones and other material lodged themselves in my feet but I gritted my teeth against the sting. My intuition calmed and I slowed down. I must have lost them or else I would have continued to feel their presence.

I had ended up in front of a convenience store. A bright yellow sign said "Palm Tree Market" and light poured out from the wall of windows that faced the street.

I wandered around the corner, looking over my shoulder to be sure I wasn't being followed when I heard a soft click. I swiveled my head around and was suddenly staring into the barrel of a gun. I dropped my heels and put my hands up. So this was it. I looked up at the face in front of me, wanting to know what my killer looked like and my heart stopped dead. It couldn't be.

"Elaine?" was the only word that came out of his mouth. He looked as surprised as I did. The gun was still pointed at me, but he didn't shoot. I stared into his eyes, remembering so much but not wanting to. I heard rushed footsteps heading my way. I went to move around him, but he followed my movements, stepping directly in my path. "I can't let you go, Elaine," he said.

I glared at him, ignoring the desire that flew through my body when his gaze traveled the length of me. "Why?"

"Because, you're marked."

I shouldn't have been shocked; it made sense that that was why I had armed men chasing me through the streets, but I felt shock nonetheless. "Who wants me dead?"

"I could probably think of a few people," he said, amusement flitting through his eyes before he became a cold-blooded killer again. "But I can't tell you that." Mysterious as always.

I tried to step around him again, but he got in my way. "Move, Bastian," I said, my voice cold.

"I can't," he replied, his voice even colder. No emotions ran through his gaze and his face was completely neutral. But then again, he was a master of control.

"So you're going to kill me?" I watched him. He didn't answer. The gun was still pointed at me and I could feel those men getting closer to my position. He obviously wasn't happy with the idea of shooting me or else he would have done it by now.

I sighed and put my fists up in front of my face, squaring my shoulders and parting my legs so that I was more balanced.

"You can't be serious," Bastian said.

"I don't have time for you. If you won't move, I'll make you move." In that instant, I looked over his shoulder, widening my eyes and heavens be praised, he turned to see what I was looking at. I launched myself at him, grabbing the gun and trying to twist it out of his grasp. But he was a lot stronger and I was soon hurtling into the wall of the store. My breath was knocked out of my lungs and I slid down the brick, my dress hiking up to give a good view of my legs.

Bastian's eyes darted over my skin, his gaze burning me. He had lowered his gun, but was fully ready for a fight. I stood up quickly, once again getting into a fighting stance. But at that moment a gun fired and my arm went numb. I cried out and clutched the bleeding wound. The men were close enough to be within firing distance.

I looked at Bastian, who looked back at me, his face emotionless but I knew he could feel my pain. Without saying a word, he moved to the side and I took off around him. I could feel his gaze on me, before I heard the crunching of bones and screaming. I stopped and turned around, seeing the bloodbath. Bastian stood over the bodies of the men who had been chasing me, blood soaking his clothes and around his mouth. My heart pounded in my chest and he looked from the bodies to me, his eyes burning red.

Some memory of us still flickered in his being or else he would have just let me die. I felt his soul call out to mine and my body reacted. My feet moved of their own accord, taking steps towards him until I was in his arms.

He bent his head down and his lips touched mine. I could taste the blood on his tongue and knew I would be covered in it, but I didn't care. It felt like I was being burned by the straight flames of hell, but it was such a sweet pain. The fire traveled throughout my body, branding itself under my skin, but there was more to this kiss. Dark heated passion and a love that smoldered all the way to my very core. I had no idea what was going through his mind. He was sent to kill me and yet he hadn't. He'd saved me instead. He moved away from me and instantly I felt the loss of him. I stared into his eyes and he stared into mine.

He drew a knife out from behind his back; it was probably hiding in a sheath close to his spine. "This is going to hurt," he said, his voice a lot deeper than before. I closed my eyes and turned my body so that he had a good view of my arm. I felt the blood drip from my fingertips when suddenly there was a pain so great that I bit my lip so hard it bled. I could feel the knife digging through the flesh of my arm, shooting sparks of white hot pain throughout my entire being.

The bullet clattered to the concrete, hardly making a sound. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding and looked back up at Bastian, tears stinging my eyes. He stared down at me and I knew what he wanted. I nodded and he bent his head down to the bullet wound and began drinking my blood. I moaned softly, feeling him draw mouthful after mouthful. He pulled away when I began to feel weak and held out his wrist to me. I grabbed his arm and bit down. He sighed in pleasure and I watched him as his eyes closed slowly and his fangs slid out. Drinking his blood felt like breathing in air that I desperately needed. I could feel his power flowing through me and I wanted more. So much more.

He pulled his arm from my grasp and I saw the wound begin to heal itself.

I stepped back from him before I let the magic flow through me. I felt my bones shift and crack, hunching me over, until I was on all fours. I stared up at him through yellow wolf eyes and he stared back.

Then I turned and ran.

This is my life. I'm a werewolf and my heart belongs to a cold-blooded vampire.

I know the next chapter of Crave isn't up yet, sorry. I have like half of it done though, so no worries. I got the idea for this story at a dinner party actually, for the employees at a law firm that I currently work at, haha. The lawyer isn't Ron Parks, obviously, but I've only seen him once, just like Elaine. The title is tentative, as is Elaine's name. I just don't know what else to call her right now. Anyone have any better names?

Anyway, we'll see where this story goes. Hopefully, one of my stories will get someplace.