Welcome to Family Ties! Please see the short author's note at the end. And let the prologue begin!

"Excuse us, Officer?"

I turned to face the pair of obvious tourists, donning backpacks and cameras. As I turned, the gentle breeze picked up and threw the mouthwatering fragrance into my face, just as I was inhaling through my nose.

Oh!

Could there be anything in the world more appetizing, more enticing than that aroma? The female was talking to me, probably asking for directions to some tourist attraction. The Empire State Building, maybe? The Statue of Liberty? What did it matter? It didn't. All that mattered at that moment was that she smelled absolutely delicious! Did it matter that thousands of people crowded the sidewalks around us? I was in uniform, someone was bound to pull out a camera and that was no good. I could show them a "shortcut." The male would be easily dealt with. And for all I knew, he might taste just as good.

While I wasted time contemplating my course of action, the dry burn at the back of my throat continued to grow more and more intense, insistent that it make itself known. I didn't even realize I had been leaning closer and closer, breathing in as much of the tantalizing scent as I could, not able to get enough. I was dehydrated, in the middle of the Sahara, and her scent was a tall glass of ice water.

Her companion was pulling her back, away from me. The strangest sound echoed from my throat. A snarl. A wild, angry snarl. I suddenly found myself crouching, preparing to spring at my prey. Gasps and cries of shock filled the air as camera flashes went off. I didn't care. All I cared about as I launched myself toward dinner was that I was finally satisfying this lifelong craving that had been denied for 23 years…

I awoke with a shout, sitting straight up in bed gasping for air. Bright sunlight leaked into my bedroom around the blackout curtains. I groaned and looked at the clock. 4:32pm. Too early to get up, but I knew there was no way I was getting back to sleep. Not after that nightmare.

"I hate that dream," I grumbled aloud to the empty room.

I wiped my sweat-matted, dirty blond hair off of my forehead and tied it into a loose ponytail before rolling out of bed and making my way into the kitchen. I opened the freezer in search of sustenance. Out of steaks again. Figures. A medium-rare steak always did wonders to alleviate the dry burn that was always left over after that dream.

That damn dream.

I let the freezer door slam shut. That damn dream had never been so vivid before. The aching burn had never been so pronounced. Working as a cop in one of the biggest cities in the world didn't help. That's why I had switched to the overnight shift this past summer. It didn't seem to be helping much. There were less people around, sure. But there were still people around.

Not that I had ever actually attacked anyone. When I actually stopped and thought about drinking a glass of blood, I felt a little nauseated. I mean, it's blood! But that's when the flames would flare in my throat and I would start to salivate. There was definitely something wrong with me. And that dream! That recurring nightmare was becoming more vivid than it ever had been. What if I lost my grip on reality one day, and just slaughtered everyone I came in contact with?

I had to get out of this city, away from any sort of population. Even if I managed to avoid civilians, my partner was still at risk every night…

I didn't even notice that I had pulled the storage bins out until the first one was halfway full of clothes.

I didn't even know where I would go.

A Note From the Author: I know it's short. Chapter 1 will be posted soon, and is a lot longer, has a lot more action, and we meet characters we actually know! Excited?

Just a few quick things. This story will be told from my OC's POV. I may switch POV once or twice, depending on what I need to reveal. Generally, though, I like to stick with one POV throughout a story.

This is my first Twilight fanfic. Please be gentle. But honest. If it sucks, it sucks. Tell me.

I have a blog, on which I try to post short stories weekly. If you have a hankering to check those out and leave feedback, that would be swell! The link is on my profile.

You may not be quite hooked yet, but just wait till Chapter 1. I'm really excited about it! :D

Please review!

Ren