When Shadows Fade...

The full moon shone brightly over the sleeping city. In a dark, recessed doorway, the man known as Shadow stood up. It was his third night here, watching her house.
  He saw a shape move on the roof, and his reaction was immediate. He drew a knife from the sheath at the base of his spine and threw it into the darkness. A muffled cry followed by a dull thud announced that the knife had found its target.
  “Finally,” he muttered, smiling briefly. He crossed the street and climbed up onto the roof. He walked over to the body, being careful not to make any noise. He pulled his blade from the dead man’s body, cleaned it on the man’s shirt, and then put it back in its sheath. He then opened the mouth, took hold of the left canine, and ripped it out. That was one more werewolf canine for his collection. He then jumped down from the roof, landing in the front garden.
  He heard a loud clatter on the pavement behind him; then another; then another. He turned around to see the path littered with knives.
  A dark figure jumped down from a nearby rooftop. A low growl rose unbidden in Shadow’s throat. Before him stood a creature of exquisite beauty and grace – and of immense evil. This was the creature that had cut his childhood short. Stood before him was the reason he was alone in the world, no family, no friends. The only thing that meant anything to him anymore was Alix.  The woman in front of him smirked at him, an inhuman lust for blood in her eyes. He watched as her teeth and hair grew. In moments she had resumed her true Werewolf form. She closed in on him, gnashing her teeth hungrily. He drew two knives from their sheaths and threw them at his opponent. She skipped daintily out of the way, and then turned back to him, her eyes mocking.
  “You’ll have to do better than that, Master of Shadows!” she called tauntingly.
  “Oh, I will, Jayden. This time, one of us won’t leave this place alive.”
  He reached back and drew his long sword from the sheath running down the length of his back. It made a grating, steely hiss as it slid out, and he held it almost negligently in front of him. Then he blinked, and she was gone. He swore loudly, re-sheathing his sword.
  He looked around, trying to sense her presence. He almost fell with surprise when he heard a scream from the house behind him. It was Alix who had screamed, he knew it. His face darkened as he turned toward the house.
  “Jayden...” he growled. “You will die... I’m tired of this fucked-up game!”
  He climbed back onto the roof and kicked in the window, showering the floor with glass. He jumped through it, heedless of the shards of glass slicing into his arms. He ran through the hall to her bedroom, and kicked the door open so hard that it slammed in to the wall and bounced off again, and the doorframe shook. His eyes went wide as he saw the scene before him. Jayden was holding Alix to the wall by the throat, and Alix was evidently struggling to breathe. The condition of the room suggested that there had been some attempt at a fight. Jayden looked at him, alarmed, and that gave Alix the diversion she needed. She drew her knees up and kicked out at Jayden, driving both feet into her stomach. Jayden was caught off-guard, and rolled backwards, dropping Alix to the floor by the wall. Jayden struggled to rise, but Shadow was too quick for her. He drew his knife and threw it in one smooth movement. With a sickening thud, it buried itself into Jayden’s heart. Her eyes went wide, and she collapsed to the floor. She tried to crawl towards him, but could barely move. He sighed, and crossed the space to where she lay, gasping for breath, trying unsuccessfully to prolong her life.
  “You were a worthy opponent, Jayden. I still hate you, but I admire you beyond all others. Go in peace.”
Then Jayden, sighed, closed her eyes, and died.
  Alix ran to him and threw her arms around him.
  “Alix, are you ok?” he asked, holding her close.
  “Oh, Shadow, I was so scared! I thought for certain that I was going to die!”
  “Don’t worry, you’re safe now.”
  “Yes. Thank you for saving me.”
  “There’s no need to thank me. It’s my job.”
  “I love you, my Shadow...” And before he could respond, she kissed him. He kissed her back, allowing the warmth he felt for her inside him to grow. Finally, he had someone to live for again.
  “I want to be with you... forever.”Shadow whispered in her ear, holding her closer still.
  “I want that too...” Alix sighed, kissing his neck softly. She kissed his lips once more, but this time she drove her razor-sharp teeth deep into his tongue, causing him to freeze, then shudder. He pulled back, shocked, his hand going to his mouth, feeling the gaping hole straight through his tongue.
  “Don’t worry, it’ll close soon.” said Alix, quietly. “You said you wanted to be with me forever, so now you can.” She smiled at him.

Shadow stood in total confusion.
What had happened?
He had found someone to love...
But at a terrible cost...

...