Bloodline

~ Chapter 1 ~

A/N: Well, here you go - the first chapter. It is a tad short, but it gets longer in the following chapters, so please bear with me. As always, votes and comments are welcome, and let me know what you think. 

Be great, be good, be kind. Chloe <3

One Year Later.

The party was getting annoying and Mia was trying to keep herself where she was, waiting for her friends to come back. She didn't know why she agreed to spend the New Year Eve's at the club, especially when she knew that she had no way of ditching it early due to the lack of a car or the difficulty of getting a taxi. She had enjoyed the first two rounds of drinks and she happily clinked glasses once the clock hit midnight, but after that she lost interest. She wished she was home under her fuzzy blankets watching some movies with snacks.

"Mia, come on! Let's go dance. And finish your drink." She was almost pushed to drink the remains of her cocktail, which was a lot, considering she just sipped from it a couple of times, and she immediately regretted doing so. She didn't want to get drunk.

"Lottie, I'm going to go home."

"Oh, you're absolutely not! It's just starting to get interesting."

"I'm sorry, but I don't feel that well. I'll call you and we can go out another time, okay?" Mia told her about her not feeling well just as a means to be let to go, but as soon as she hugged the coat around her and stepped in the cold air on the winter, something really didn't feel too good. Must have been the drink, she thought to herself, it was one too much. She was grateful though that her legs could move somewhat straight and that she wasn't wobbling too much. She didn't need any attention from passers-by.

It was snowing. The snowflakes fell slowly onto her, remaining stuck in her hair and landing on her nose several times before she decided to look up and watch as they made their way down. It was a childish habit, but she could never not enjoy the view. But then she stumbled and she would've fallen if it wasn't for the proximity of the building to her left. She steadied herself, but her sight got too blurry for her to see even right in front of her. She heard the subtle but rapid steps behind her though and in fear she willed herself to move forward. She was grabbed harshly by her arm before she could move too far, a hand wrapping over her face covering her mouth.

"Give me everything you have, and maybe I'll leave you be." At this point it was hard for her to keep upright, hear or see anything, but still her hand reached inside her pocket as fear filled her body.

He saw her the moment she stepped outside the building, his eyes following her every move. He frowned upon seeing her stumble but didn't leave his watching spot. He knew she wasn't the one to get drunk. And still, he stood right where he was as she stumbled once again, her arm reaching out to steady herself. He could hear her heartbeat, irregular and faster than usual, but a few drinks and some dancing would do that. He relaxed a little, calming himself as he continued to watch her.

It was then that he noticed the other person on the sidewalk. He was approaching her quickly, and it took some time for her to acknowledge him. Her legs moved too slowly for his liking. He watched tensely as the man took a hold of her, forcing her deeper into the dark alleyway, demanding her stuff. He knew she had a pepper spray in her bag but she didn't seem to use it. His body inched closer from his spot on the roof, his eyes narrowing to where they were, ready to jump in, even though he promised himself he'd try to keep out of her life. But he couldn't let her be in a situation like this.

The man pushed her harshly when he realized she was barely conscious, her head hitting the rough wall and then she fell down on her knees, scrapping the skin.

"Well, if you're that willing, I might just take a little bit more from you." Mia whimpered at the sound of a buckle being undone. She tried to get up but her body felt too heavy for her to succeed and her watcher knew that. And he didn't wait another moment to see if she'd be able to escape. He tackled the man before that could've made another step, effectively knocking him out onto the pavement, his hands still on his zipper. He turned his head to look at the girl sliding down on her knees, catching her just in time, preventing her head from hitting the ground.

"Oh, my beautiful Mia..." he cradled her petite form in his arms, inhaling her scent that he missed so much. Though it was her blood that registered first – it didn't smell its usual way. And it wasn't the alcohol either. He glared at the man still passed out on the pavement, cursing him under his breath. It was some kind of drug that the man sneaked into her drink. And though it wasn't him that was responsible for that, but another man that could've gotten to her if the first didn't, Gideon didn't know it. Nor did he need to, or else there would be so much more damage.

With the girl secured in his arms and her things retrieved, he took her back to her house, his legs taking them fast through the chilly air. Thankfully, she was living alone in her apartment and there was no one else to bother as he entered her bedroom through the balcony. The balcony that had seen him so many times during the nights of the past year.