The Dawn of Wynter

*This is my first foray into the "NonHuman" category, and I have to say it's so much fun! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please be honest, leave your comments, rate it, send feedback. I love hearing what readers have to say, whether good or bad. Also, Happy New Year!! Enjoy!!

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Chapter 1: Change

Zara stormed into the club with murder in her eyes. Kai and Stéfane would pay dearly for the millionth prank they pulled on her in her very long life. She wondered how she managed

not

to kill them in the thousand and a half years they had been walking the earth. She had been planning to dye her long wavy chestnut hair that night when it had all gone horribly wrong. Her brother and his little sidekick had replaced her usual product with one that had left her hair white, bordering on silver. Had she stopped to look at herself, she would have realized the effect on her light skin and large, green eyes was unmistakably ethereal, surprisingly enhancing her already gorgeous features. She hadn't stopped to look however, her temper flaring instantly, as it usually did.

She also hadn't missed the fact that he had invaded her space, and she was extremely private when it came to her living arrangements. She didn't allow anyone into her domain, as most vampires do. They were naturally a very secretive species. Living with her brother most of her life, she needed her own place to escape. Most importantly, and the cause for most of her fury at the moment, he had taken her ring, and he should have known better. She had left their home and climbed into her Aston Martin, speeding all the way to her brother's club. She found Kai sitting in a large booth with a pretty girl in his lap; she seemed a young vampire, no more than half a century. A few other men sat with him, Stéfane to his right. Her fangs elongated as a long hiss escaped her as she stomped towards them, her eyes glowing silver, causing dancers to give her a wide berth.

"You idiots think this is funny?!" she shrieked, gesturing to her hair, "I'm going to cut your balls off and feed them to you Kai, and when I'm done, I will gladly do the same to you Stéfane!" she glared at him, her eyes growing brighter.

"I don't know sis, I think it suits you wonderfully! Much more age appropriate I think," he said laughing loudly.

She growled, "Where the fuck is it Kai? I know you took it!"

"What are you rambling on about dear sister?" he said while waving a hand in the air, a strobe light glinted off of the emerald ring on his pinky finger.

"Sweetheart," she said in a sickly sweet voice to the youngling in his lap, "I suggest you unwrap yourself from my brother immediately, so I can kill him. Don't want to harm that pretty little head now do we?"

One look at Zara, and the youngling was scrambling off Kai's lap and far away from the scene that was about to unfold.

Her brother sighed resignedly, "I quite liked that one," he said in a disgruntled tone.

Zara pounced on him suddenly, grabbing him by the throat. He reacted immediately, pushing her back, landing them both hard on the ground, with him hovering over her. She kneed him in the crotch and rolled them over, her hand still clasping around his neck, her nails digging into his skin, piercing his throat. She wrenched the ring off his hand, breaking the finger with a loud snap in the process. The instant the ring was back in her possession, her eyes began returning to their normal state, the glow merely a silver halo now.

She felt Stéfane attempting to pull her back by the shoulders, she whipped around in a blur and punched him hard in the face, breaking his nose and sending him flying back, as though an invisible rope was tied around his waist.

"Don't worry Stéfane, you'll get your turn, as soon as I'm done with brother dearest," she hissed. When she turned back around, she found her brother standing again, the wounds in his neck already healing. With the ring back on her hand, she felt her untamed power being reigned in, her anger going down a notch.

"You're so fucking lucky you're my brother Kai, or I would rip your head off right now without a second thought."

"Love you sis," he said with a smirk, then blowing her a kiss. She blurred again and pushed him so hard in the chest he flew back and slammed against a wall, causing a sizable chunk of concrete to crumble with him to the floor. They had drawn the attention of almost the entire club. The stares of the patrons sobered her up a little and she attempted to calm herself once again.

"Jesus, Zara, it's not like you can't fix it! That bloody hurt!" Stéfane said, walking back to the booth, setting his nose back in its place with a resounding crack, his healing abilities already at work.

"That was the point dumbass," she rolled her eyes, slapping him upside the head.

"Why do you even bother with that human made crap, you can easily will your hair any colour, and it will be," Kai growled, setting his finger back in place and brushing dust off his Armani suit, more angry that it was ruined than having been bested by his sister, "Really Zara, sometimes I don't understand your fascination with all these human limitations."

It was true, as a vampire she could will her looks into being. If she wanted long hair or short, blonde or red, all she had to do was think it and it would change upon her will. She could will many things into existence. It was one of the many perks of her supernatural life. She had grown tired of it however, wanting something to do in her boredom. She opted to attempt the way humans went about doing things. It was her new project at the moment, attempting not to use her abilities for the week, simply live as a human would.

More than boredom though, she wanted to test how far she could suppress her surplus of abilities and for how long, as she was no ordinary vampire. She had come up with the idea to give her something to do. She hadn't realized until it was too late what the two idiots sitting in front of her had done. She hadn't changed her hair back either because she saw it as cheating, she had two days left in the week and she wouldn't allow Kai to ruin her little experiment. It was when her anger sparked and the sheer force of power that hit her, did she realize he had taken the ring from her dresser. While not as strong as if it was on her person, its proximity still held part of its enchantments, containing the energy that raged through her. The magic worked on it made it an extension of her body, an extra limb, as she liked to think of it. Another organ, working to keep her alive.

"That is besides the point Kailan!" she growled back, using his full name, "How many times have I told you and Stéfane to remain out of my private quarters! I'm so blessed to have a half-wit as a brother, and his mentally challenged friend for my life's companions!" she snorted.

"Do not think to even try to unleash that side of me again. You are both playing with fire! I moved back here because you asked me to, I will not hesitate to pack up and leave! I'm disappointed in you Kai, you of all people should know the consequences, and the toll it takes on me. If I so much as scent you near my wing again, I will follow through on my previous promise. See how you enjoy living another two thousand years without your balls."

She turned on her stiletto clad heel and walked out, her silver hair waving behind her like silk. In her fury, she hadn't noticed who her brother's companions were. Had she stopped to look, she would have found a pair of deep cerulean eyes staring after her, completely amused.

---

"Perhaps it wasn't wise to piss off your own flesh and blood Kai," a low, smooth voice drawled to his left.

"I'm sorry she interrupted us Philippe, my sister does have quite the temper, I didn't mean for you to meet her like that. It's been such a drag around here though, I was merely trying to liven things up," he grinned.

"Understandable, but it is perhaps not the best of times, Kai..."

Philippe Desmarais had been intrigued the moment Zara Wynters had stormed her cute little ass into the club. He immediately took notice of her beautiful face, framed by her now silver hair. She looked like she walked out of a fairytale, her smooth skin glowing, her heart shaped face set in a frown. She had full, red lips that contrasted against her skin. Her dark emerald green eyes, framed by thick black lashes glowed with a ring of silver shimmering in her anger. He had only ever seen one other vampire's eyes glow like that, which only intrigued him further as to who Zara Wynters was, and how she came to be.

Her little show with Kai and Stéfane gave him a great view of her body from every possible angle. She was tall, her legs clad in tight dark wash jeans, which acted like a second skin. He could see the ripple of muscle under the softness of her flesh. Her dark green silk tank top had left little to the imagination, hugging her curves and the swell of her breasts, revealing the smooth, taut flesh of her stomach. When she had crouched over her brother, she had given the entire room a perfect view of her round, heart shaped ass. He felt himself stiffen at the sight of her, so feral and wild. He had a soft spot for wilder women. Zara Wynters definitely seemed to have a wild streak. It took all his will power not to follow her out as she swayed her hips temptingly; drawing more stares from the crowd.

"Although, it definitely was entertaining," he smiled turning back to Kai.

"Philippe, I can already see where you're thoughts are taking you. If you want to keep your head, I suggest you don't prod the tiger. Zara will eat you alive," he chuckled.

"I live for a challenge, you should know that. "

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Now let's get back to business. Since you're staying here indefinitely, we'll gladly set up the West Wing for you at our home, until everything is worked out."

"

Merci

Kai, I shall most definitely look forward to it. Tell me, which Wing is your sister located?" he smiled mischievously.

Kai simply laughed and shook his head, "The South Wing..."

So that was Zara Wynters, he thought. She was everything he had been told she would be and more, although admittedly his friend had left out a lot of details. She hadn't noticed him however, which did not sit well with Philippe. He was not used to women ignoring him, and yet Zara did not seem to have eyes for anyone but her brother and Stéfane. Was he not her type? He knew she was not attached, his research had told him she had not been involved with anyone for years. Surly she had to indulge every now and then. He was more than the right type of man for such indulgence. He sighed, I really am an arrogant bastard, he thought. One little woman doesn't notice me and I'm as insecure as a teenager in high school.

Philippe was a little surprised when he had received a phone call from his closest friend, asking him to visit Kailan, and see that he and the girl were doing fine. He never understood his friend's obsession with those two, but he befriended Kailan almost eighty years ago at his behest, and found he genuinely liked the younger vampire. This was his first encounter with his sister, and he found he liked her too, more than he should. She most definitely had a temper, which may be a problem for him in the future, but he was confident he could control her. First, however, he had to make her notice him. It was quite convenient that Kai offered him a place to stay in their home. It would make his task easier.

---

Zara was back in her room, shaking after the adrenaline had left her system. Her heart almost stopped when she realized her idiot brother had taken the ring. He could be so foolish sometimes! She had been even more foolish to remove it briefly. She looked down at it now, resting on her forefinger. It was a thin band of white gold with a large oval shaped emerald set in the center with four claws holding it in place. Smaller cut emeralds surrounded it, all set in a fine border of filigree. It spanned almost half her slender finger. There was an inscription in an ancient language long forgotten by the world along the outside of the band in thin curvy writing. Only she and one other person knew the meaning of the enchantment. This small object was the only thing keeping her powers in check. She was beginning to think her little experiment was foolish. Removing her ring for the week in an effort to try and control her powers on her own was risky. She realized now the test was pointless anyways, because the ring still held some of its effects while she was close to it, like an invisible shield. She didn't think Kai would be just as foolish.

She wondered briefly whether she should just kill her brother and be done with it. She sighed, how many times had she thought of doing that over the years. She laughed out loud lightly. As much as her brother got under her skin she loved him to no end. He was her only family, aside from Stéfane. She could never bring herself to kill them, especially Kai, as she had sired him not long after she was brought into this life. Killing him would kill her. Of course they drove her mad, but she would gladly put up with it than walk the earth alone. She satisfied herself with beating the shit out of them every once in a while. He had been foolish tonight, his boredom causing him to be reckless. He loved when she lost control, saying it always brought out something to look forward to.

If he only knew how she feared herself. He thought after so much time she had come to terms with it. She hated the fact that she did not know how to control the raw energy that ran through her body. It pulsed within her, matching the beating of her heart. She had always downplayed her abilities, even in front of Kai. She did not want to worry him or Stéfane. There was nothing any of them could do; there were no books or ancient texts referring to anything remotely similar to what Zara possessed. God only knew she had searched the Earth thousands of times over. She had found no reference to any creature, vampire or other that held the same characteristics as she.

There was not one word on why her eyes held the strange silver iris, why when she felt any particular emotion strongly her natural green colouring would be completely taken over by the silver. There had been no texts on her ability to mentally communicate with anyone, regardless if they shared blood. No texts described the level of speed and strength she possessed. Only an ancient at least twice her age could posses such strength. Nothing mentioned her telekinesis, although most vampires possessed similar powers, none possessed more than one.

Most of all, nothing had described the energy she felt within her, like another living organism pulsed from her very core. The things she could do when she tapped into that energy were endless, and particularly terrifying. She had learned to tap into certain parts of herself, to strengthen abilities that she deemed harmless, such as changing her appearance and willing objects into fruition, but there remained a large part she shied away from. She knew she was extremely powerful, but she had never asked for such power. Over time she had decided she was probably a freak of nature; she was a vampire after all. She resigned herself to the fact that she walked the Earth alone, as a singular irregularity, some sort of mistake by nature that had never repeated itself since she was reborn.

In her attempt to find answers, she had searched for her creator, the man who sired her so long ago. He was the oldest of their kind that she knew of. He seemed to not want to be found, though. Xander hadn't checked up on her since their last meeting almost seven centuries ago, which ended rather explosively. She had lost her temper and hurt Xander, both emotionally and physically. He had left the next day, leaving her alone, confused. She regretted everything she said, the moment she said it but her anger won out as it always did. She had missed her friend, maker and mentor every single day since, but had accepted his silence as her punishment. She had tried to push the mental link they shared, but he had blocked her with such force she never attempted again.

That was her life, constantly traveling, searching for answers, searching for Xander, or anyone who could somehow help her understand why she was so different. She had learned little concerning her unusual traits, but she had gained much knowledge of cultures, languages and people. She had learned and seen things that she would never forget, that shaped her and while they weren't the answers she was looking for, they were answers to questions she never thought to ask. So she kept up her traveling, eager to see what she could uncover next. That was until Kai had called her, begging her to come home. It had been almost 45 years since she had seen him. She had missed him every single day.

They had argued over the phone for hours. He grew angry with her, telling her that she was chasing after shadows. She would never find anything and that she should just accept herself for what she was, an anomaly. He missed her and wanted her home again, not chasing after things that did not exist. She was frustrated with him. He didn't understand. He never had. She had always held back around Kai, for fear he would find her abhorrent, that he would turn her away.

He had never seen her at her full extent, when she drew on every last shred of her power; he came close once, but didn't see much as he was trying to save her at the time. The only person who had was Xander, and he had walked away from her immediately afterwards. She would not lose Kai or Stéfane. Eventually however, she had conceded to her brother's demands, thinking a few months back home would pacify him. That had been two weeks ago, and already she grew restless, eager to travel again, to add to her infinite well of knowledge. She sighed loudly, pushing all the memories back. One stupid ring had caused her to dwell on things she did not want to think about.

"Why so sad, ma chérie?" she heard Antoinette's voice from the door.

Zara watched Antoinette glide into the room, exuding elegance and there was no other word for it -- magic. She was a witch, one who managed to live almost seven hundred years, thanks to her Elvin blood. She was of average height, but so slender it made her look taller than she really was. She had golden hair that ran in long tight curls down her back, and highlighted her pixie-esque face. Her eyes were the lightest blue and always seemed to twinkle, as though she knew something you did not.

"Toni, can you work a spell to shrivel up Kai and Stéfane's balls? At least for one day? Please?" she asked, sitting up from her bed on her elbows, glancing at her dearest friend with wide, hopeful eyes.

Toni laughed as she sat on the edge of the bed, "Qu'ont-ils fait eh? What did these fools do to my Zara?" she asked, a hint of her French accent coming through, running her hand along Zara's hair.

"Aside from the obvious," she said as she rolled her eyes and gestured to her hair, "they took my ring -- again. Toni, I almost killed them both!"

"Will they never learn?" Toni sat up abruptly and began swearing in French, so fast that had it not been for Zara's excellent hearing, she would have missed half the things coming from the witch's mouth. She turned suddenly, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"They will no longer be so foolish, chérie," she said laughter in her voice.

"What did you do?"

"What you asked and more. Let us say the women gracing their beds tonight will find them sadly lacking the certain equipment required to perform to their usual standards."

Zara began laughing loudly, the sound echoing in her room, as both women fell back on the bed and giggled until tears streamed their faces. It was quite convenient having a witch as a best friend, she thought. This should keep them from pulling any crap for at least half a century she thought wryly.