Jacob Maddox

He started as Abram Jackson, then he was Jacob Maddox, then he was White.

Abram had a boring childhood. He knew Father was in the mob. He didn't know what that meant. He did know he was to never talk about it. He didn't know why he wasn't to speak when the men in suits came.

The family moved, Father was gone, and Abram Jackson became Jacob Maddox. It was only later that words like "witness protection" and "reduced sentence" began to mean anything. Father came back some years later with little fanfare.

A boring childhood followed, boxing club in middle school, chess club in high school. A few girls, a few parties. Good marks led to a good university scholarship. At 21 bartending paid the bills, and Jacob would play chess with anyone who’d buy a drink.

One night, like many before, a young woman challenged him to a game; Jacob won. Over the next three months they would play many more games, eventually meeting outside the bar to play. But, Jacob was far from a fool. She never drank the drinks she bought. They would only meet at night despite Jacobs offers to meet during the day. Yet in truth, it came down to a bad paper cut. Odd really, the cut didn't bleed; odd really how quickly it healed. It was a quiet thing Jacobs embrace. Blood was made ready for when he woke.

Like the other extreme events of his life; Jacob had yet to fully understand what had happened. The summer term was spent in intense study of Obfuscation, it's ideas were fascinating to Jacob. The study was intense, by it’s end Jacob was capable of making himself fade from perception.

It was the first day Jacob had felt his Beast recoil in such abject fear. Three shadowed figures entered his Sire’s haven. Jacob waited.

Noise.

Two disheveled shadowy figures came out.

Jacob ran, and kept running -- until White reached Sacramento.