Now and Forever

Giselle spent the next few weeks with Lars. She was trying to lay low after the whole ordeal with the Montpierres.

One day, she was alone in the house when someone knocked on the door.

"Giselle! I know you're in there. Please, can we talk?"

She froze in shock.

Wouldn't he be with Heléne by now? she thought. Why is he here?

"Go away, Louis!"

The next thing she knew, he entered through an open window and stood before her. She took a step back and sighed.

"Why prolong this? You're with Heléne, or supposed to be."

He shook his head. "I never agreed to that, mon amour."

"Don't call me that," Giselle said with tears in her eyes. "Just go."

"Why are you pushing me away?"

"Because I've been happier in the past few weeks than I have been for my entire vampire existence!"

Hurt flickered across his features. He looked down.

"You weren't happy with me?"

"Louis, you sheltered me, protected me. But I'm not a frail human dying of the plague anymore. I'm a vampire, same as you."

Suddenly, Louis picked up on the door being unlocked.

"How is someone able to get into your house?"

"Because it's mine," Lars said. "I've been letting Camille crash here for the past few weeks. You must be the man she had a falling out with."

"Lars," Giselle said warningly.

"Camille? You changed your name?" Louis asked.

"I've been Camille since 1412. Louis, I'm not fragile. I've been living a double life for a long time now."

Both men stared at her.

"Lars, you know me as Camille du Sang. But my real name is Giselle Marchant."

Lars' eyes widened in recognition. "Montpierre's mate."

"That's exactly why I changed my name. So anonymity would be on my side."

She turned towards Louis. "I'm sorry, Louis."

"*You're* Camille du Sang?"

"Yes. It's the name I give to any vampire should I not want them to know the truth. How do you think I got to Bashar al Assam? My alias has saved me countless times."

"Yes, but Camille du Sang is ruthless. A vampire killer!"

Her brows furrowed. "Don't you remember when I said I was the leader of a vampire killer group? I've kept with them. They help me take down and kill vampires all over the world. There has only been one instance where I've sired a new vamp. You met her back in Honolulu. Sophie Ardington?"

Louis's eyes widened in shock.

"You made Sophie?"

Giselle nodded. "She was fatally wounded by an underworld crime faction in London. Sophie is one of my people. She posed as a defense attorney and killed a vampire prosecutor about three months ago. She should now be in Los Angeles taking down a criminal gang leader, who just so happens to be a newly created vampire out for blood, literally."

"So you have vampires in a societal group hell-bent on killing vampires?"

"No, it's just me and Sophie. And we hide our vampiric selves from the others. When our work is done, we'll kill ourselves. But that's still a long ways off."

Louis looked at her, hurt and betrayal in his eyes. Lars stared at her, more shocked than anything. Giselle just shrugged nonchalantly.

"When you offered to make me a vampire, Louis, I saw an opportunity to continue what I started. I've had to change my name and appearance over the years, so that the others never knew, but that's a small price to pay compared to what we do."

"You're killing vampires!"

"So? Vamps are already dead. It's just ridding the living world of those who have extended their stay indefinitely."

"Is that what you really believe?" Louis asked.

"Yes."

"Then why make friends?" Lars asked. "You have vampires friends, right? Why do all of this only to betray them in the end?"

"Trust. I have to earn their trust to get close to them. And then, they die. One by one. Haven't you wondered why the vampire population keeps decreasing?"

Both men shivered.

Giselle said, "The only reason why your family doesn't like me, is because they found out the truth back in the late 1400s. I begged them not to say anything to you, Louis."

"They agreed but on one condition," Giselle added.

"What?"

"That I was to never bring up the topic of us being mates ever again. I had to accept that I'd never be a Montpierre."

She gave a careless shrug.

"It seemed to be a satisfactory deal, so I agreed."

"So you've always been a vampire hunter?" Louis asked quietly.

"Yes. And I will be, now and forever."

Then, she sped out of there and didn't bother to look back. Instead, Giselle ran on, towards the future and her everlasting mission.