by Lily Harlem
“I’ll scream,” she said, digging her elbow into his side. “Get the hell off me.”
He didn’t budge. Didn’t seem to even feel her shove.
She pulled in a deep breath, preparing to let out a yell for help.
“Quiet,” he said, clamping his hand over her mouth and forcing her back against the wall. He pressed up close, looming over her. “I don’t need any unwelcome attention while we do this.”
Do what? While he raped her? Murdered her?
His eyes flashed in the darkness as he smiled.
Megan knees were weak, her heart pounding. Shit. Why had she let him get her outside?
Her nightmare suddenly got worse. It was hard to believe what she was seeing but Bennington’s teeth had changed. Gone were the perfect pearly whites and in their place were two long incisors.
They reminded her of…a vampire.
Oh fuck.
She writhed against the wall, squashing the contents of her rucksack. She kicked him, punched him. She had to get the hell out of there.
This couldn’t be happening.
Vampires weren’t real. Emma, the scientist, had said that only a short while ago and she was a brain box.
Panic burst into Megan’s system, adrenaline scorching through her veins.
“Hey, hey. It won’t hurt,” he said, his voice so calm it scared her more. “In fact, you might quite enjoy it. They say it’s a very pleasant way to go, almost orgasmic.”
“Mmm…” She tried to shake her head but he had a tight grip on it.
“Calm down, it will all be over soon.” He licked his lips and leaned toward her. As he did so, he twisted her neck so it was exposed to him.
“No!” Megan screamed against his hand. Why was this happening? She didn’t want to die.
“Shh, let me enjoy your perfect blood,” he murmured, his breath chilling on her neck. “I just know it’s going to be delicious.”
Megan screwed her eyes shut and shoved with her arms and legs. She only had one last attempt at freeing herself from him.
Suddenly, he was gone.
She gasped and opened her eyes.
A flash of black flew past her. She spotted fangs, but not Samuel’s, and fur.
She staggered away from the wall and looked into the darkness. The sound of running footsteps slapping on the ground, accompanied by panting and cursing, filtered toward her.
She thought she might be sick and doubled over, the pain in her belly stealing her breath.
What the hell had just happened?
She managed to straighten, and staggered back toward the main street, using the wall for support. The contents of her stomach threatened to emerge but thankfully didn’t.
She dragged in cold night air, moved as fast as she could. If only she could get back to her friends, find her phone…
“I really wouldn’t do that.”
An Irish voice came from behind her.
She whimpered and kept on going. Was he back? It didn’t sound like Bennington but she wasn’t taking any chances.
A man appeared before her. He was tall, with jet-black hair and dense stubble. He wore a charcoal gray t-shirt, frayed at the collar, and dark jeans.
“Oh my God,” she said, trying to get around him. “I need to get out of here.”
“Yes, you do and as a matter of urgency.”
“Did you see him? That man. That monster?”
“I did.” He put his arm around her waist. “And you’re right, he is a monster.”
“I need to get back to my friends. They’re in the bar.”
“No.”
“What?” She shoved at him. What the hell was this? Out of the frying pain into the fire?
“I mean, I wouldn’t advise it. Obviously, I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
“Who are you?” she asked, still heading for the bar despite his grip on her.
“Someone who wants to help.” He drew her to a halt and cupped her cheeks in his hot palms.
“You can help by delivering me to my friends and then I’m calling the police.”
“I really wouldn’t advise that course of action.”
“I don’t care what you advise.” She tried to break free but he held her tight. “Let me go.”
“I will, when you’ve listened to what I have to say.”
“No, now.”
“Your life depends on it.” He kept a firm hold.
She pulled in a breath and looked into his eyes. They were kind eyes, with long lashes and heavy brows. “You’ve got ten seconds.”
“Okay. You’re in danger.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
He frowned. “That man, Samuel Bennington, he’s not who he seems.”
“Tell me about it. He’s a fucking vampire, and don’t tell me I’m crazy, I saw his fangs.”
“You’re not crazy. That’s exactly what he is.”
Now that hadn’t been the response she’d been expecting.
“And, unfortunately, he’s set his sights on you.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Megan asked.
He released her face and set his hands on her shoulders. “You’re just his type. In fact, I’d say you’re any vampire’s type. With your blood-red hair and pale skin that makes it possible for them to see all the veins and arteries they love so much. And your…” He nodded at her chest. “Good shape, they like that too, you know.”
“Fuck.” She shook her head. “Are you for real?”
“Yes, and so is he.” He paused. “What’s your name?”
“Megan.”
“Well, Megan, your friends can’t keep you safe here in Dublin, not now you’re on his radar, and neither can the police.”
“But—”
“You’ll have to come with me.” He ran his hand down her arm and linked his big fingers with hers. “Now.”
“No.”
“Yes.” He stepped away, tugging her with him.
“Get off.”
“If you want to stay alive then it’s non-negotiable.”
“But how do I know you’re not…like him? That you’re not a vampire who wants to suck my blood?”
He swung to face her, anger flashing over his face. “I can promise you two things, and two things alone. One, I am not a vampire and two, I have no wish to hurt you.”
There was something in his tone that made her believe him. He seemed so angry at the suggestion.
A skittering noise came from the alley, the sound of a can being rolled over cobbles.
“Quick. We have no time to lose,” he said.
“What’s your name?” Megan asked, glancing nervously into the darkness.
“Seth Martin.”
“Well, Seth Martin.” She stepped closer to his huge body. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but yes, I will come with you. Take me.”
“Thank fuck,” he muttered, then turned and set off at a jog.
Megan ran behind him.
They dodged a group of drunken young men, then dashed past a couple who were walking arm in arm.
“Where are we going?” she asked breathlessly.
“Somewhere to buy us time.”
“Is it far?”
“No.”
She looked behind herself, wondering if she’d see Bennington racing toward them at the speed of light. Thankfully, there were just a few stragglers meandering around the bars.
Seth steered them down a dark passageway, though the end was lit by the amber lights that lined the river.
“Here.” He stopped just before they reached the main street, pulled out a key and glanced left and right.
Megan looked at a car whizzing past the gap in the buildings. Perhaps transport was what they needed. Maybe they should take to the motorway and get the hell out of Dublin.
“Quick, inside.” Seth opened a door and pressed his hand against the small of her back. “Now.”
Megan stepped into the tiny hallway. Immediately before her was a narrow
staircase. The scent of garlic filled the air.
The door shut behind her with a solid click. A bolt was slid into place.
“Go up,” Seth said, “You’re safe in here.”
“But my friends won’t know that, they’ll be so worried.” God, they’d go mad when they realized she’d gone missing and wasn’t answering her phone.
“At the moment they’re all partying, having fun.” He shook his head. “Which is unfair when you’re going through this, I know.” He nodded up the stairs. “Go on, up there.”
Her mind was spinning but even so she climbed the stairs, guided by the light of a single bare bulb.
“I’ll introduce you to Rose,” Seth said.
He was right behind her—she could feel his body heat radiating onto hers.
“Who is Rose?”
“She’s a supporter of the cause.”
“What cause?”
“I’ll tell you all about it, I promise.”
Megan stopped and turned. She thought she’d have to look down at Seth because he was a couple of steps behind her but he was so tall his face was near level with hers.
“What?” he asked, frowning.
“How did you find me?”
“I just did.”
“That’s not an answer.” She gripped the banister on her right. “That evil man, vampire, was just about to attack me, bite me and then he was gone. The next thing I knew you were there. How did you know?”
“I just did.”
“Again not an answer.” She frowned. “Come on, I need more. This is turning into a night that I’m struggling to get my head around.”
“Okay.” He nodded. “I’ve been keeping an eye on him, Samuel Bennington, which, by the way, is one of the many names he goes by.”
“Why? Why have you been keeping an eye on him?”
“The organization gave word to the Dublin group—”
“Who is the organization?”
“The GVW.”
“Which stands for?”
“Global Vampire Watch.”
She nodded. Fuck, was there really such a thing or was Seth making this shit up? “And who is the Dublin group?” She’d see if he could explain that one while he was at it.
“There are five of us, not including Rose.”
“Okay, and what do you do?”
“When we’re alerted that vampires have breached our territory, we search for them, hunt them down.” He reached out and touched her neck, at the exact spot Samuel had earlier. “We make sure they don’t do harm to humans in our area and, if we can, we drive a stake through their heart.”
She trembled under his touch. The passion in his eyes, the steely determination in his voice—damn, he made her believe him. “Have you ever…you know?”
“What?”
“Stabbed a vampire in the heart.”
He tipped his chin. “Yes. Once.”
“Who was he?”
“Not he, it was a she.”
“Oh.”
“And a vicious bitch, too. She’d left a trail of bodies across Europe before landing on our shores. Biggest mistake of her very long life.”
Megan could imagine Seth’s big muscles, his strong body, being able to fight a vampire. It would still take a lot of effort, she was sure, since legends told of their super-human strength.
“Now come on. You need to rest,” he said. “What you’ve been through was horrible.”
“Seth? Seth is that you?” A female voice, also Irish, came from the top of the stairs.
Megan turned and climbed them. Once at the top, they stepped out into a large room that appeared to be a kitchen-dining area and living space.
A woman, short and round, wearing a brown dress with a strange orange zigzag pattern, stood at a stove. She was stirring something that steamed wildly. When she turned her glasses were misty.
“Oh damn,” the woman said, dropping her spectacles to hang over her ample bosom. “I’m always doing that.” She set the spoon aside, walked up to Megan, and then took her hands.
“Hello,” Megan said.
The woman tutted. “Oh dear, you’re just their sort. Lucky you haven’t been had before.”
“Just whose sort?” Megan asked, though she reckoned she knew the answer.
“Those devils that roam the earth calling themselves vampires.” She pretended to spit on the floor. “May they burn in hell with stakes through their hearts for all eternity.”
“This is Megan,” Seth said, curling his hand over Megan’s shoulder. “She was about a second away from a bite.”
“Oh, you poor love.” Rose dropped Megan’s hands and pulled her into a tight hug. “That must have been simply terrifying.”
Megan hugged her back, her emotions suddenly bubbling up. Bennington had been so scary, so horrible, so intent on doing his nasty deed and sucking her blood. She had no doubt that, had he not been chased off, she wouldn’t be here now but lying in that alley, her heart no longer beating.
“Come, come, let’s get you fed and then a rest.”
“I’m not sure how hungry I am,” Megan said.
“Nonsense, you’re going to need your strength. Besides, the garlic will help.”
“Help what?”
“It will make you less appealing to them,” Seth said, resting his hand on her shoulder again. “In theory.” He let his gaze slip down her body.
Megan often didn’t like it when men looked at her like that but, with Seth, it was different. Was it because, now they were in the light, the immediate danger passed, she could see he was pretty damn gorgeous in a big, rough and tough kind of a way? Just the type of man that could handle himself, who would be good in an emergency—which of course he had been.
He lifted his hand from her shoulder and pushed his fingers through his hair. “Come on, as Rose said, you need to eat.”
“Yes, and here it is.” Rose placed two steaming bowls of food on the table. “Chicken stew. Sit yourselves down and I’ll carve the bread.”
Megan looked at the food and realized she was hungry after all. It had been a long time since she’d last eaten, and the fright and the run through the dark alleys had given her an appetite. “Thank you, this looks delicious.”
Rose smiled her way. “A specialty of mine for these situations.”
“You knew I was coming?” How could she have gotten the meal ready so quickly?
“I knew someone would be coming. The dead-hearted bastards don’t wait around before they make their move. Our only concern was whether or not Seth would get to you quickly enough.”
“Well, I’m not sure it was Seth that scared him away or—”
“It was Seth.” She walked up to him and pressed a kiss onto his mop of hair.
Seth carried on spooning his dinner into his mouth.
Was it really Seth who’d scared Samuel away? Megan wasn’t sure what had happened. She’d been petrified, believing at that moment she was taking her last breath.
Then the vampire had been gone. There had been a rush of air, a flash of movement, and she’d thought she’d seen fur and fangs, then it was all over and she was alone.
Fur?
She shook her head, pulled in a deep breath and started on her food. It really wasn’t turning out to be the fun weekend she had planned.
Chapter Three
After the meal, Rose showed Megan to a small bedroom just off the kitchen. It had flowery pink sheets on a single bed and a small table that held a lamp with a red shade.
“You should be comfortable enough for one night,” Rose said. “And you’ll be quite safe with Seth here.”
“Thank you.” Megan smiled. “I really appreciate this.”
“It’s all for the cause.” Rose tucked a strand of Megan’s hair behind her ear. “You really are very beautiful, dear.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled though there was sadness in her eyes. “Beauty can be a curse, don’t you think?”
“Definitely in this situatio
n if it means I’m exactly what vampires want.”
“Yes, true.” She paused. “But in general, too.” She laughed. “It might be hard for you to believe but I was a beautiful woman once, before time took its toll on me.”
“You still are.”
“Kind of you to say, dear, but I know that’s not true. I had long red hair, similar to yours. A face my father said would make artists weep to paint. Which was all well and good but my looks incited jealousy in other women. I had few friends, and the ones I had were wary of letting their husbands near me. Men gave me attention I didn’t always want, though some of that was fun.” She smiled and winked. “And people presumed it was easy for me, that my journey through life was a breeze because of the way I looked. That I was handed anything I wanted on a plate as long as I smiled and fluttered my eyelashes.”
“Which I’m sure wasn’t true.”
“Of course not. If anything, I had to work harder in my profession to prove myself. To show people I was more than a pretty face.” She sighed and walked to a cupboard. “But then of course, time waits for no man, or woman, and I became an average old lady, invisible to most.”
“Well, you’re definitely not invisible to me,” Megan said. “And I suspect not to Seth either.”
“He’s a good man.” From a drawer she pulled out a pale blue nightdress, full length with a frilly high collar, and passed it to Megan. “And he’s one of the bravest in the pack.”
“The pack?” She’d thought they were a group. Why would Rose call them a pack?
“Yes, dear. Now, that nightdress should fit okay and keep you snug as a bug in a rug.”
Megan looked at it. It really wasn’t her style, more like something her grandmother would wear. But she didn’t want to appear ungrateful. “Thank you.”
“And if you need anything else, just ask.”
“I have a few things in my bag so I should be okay.” Megan stifled a yawn. “But thanks.”
“I’ll see you in the morning, dear. Now get a good rest, you have a busy day ahead.”
“Why, what…?”
Rose didn’t answer, instead she turned and left the room.
What did she mean by busy day ahead? What were the plans for tomorrow? Apart, that was, from letting her friends know she was okay. She wasn’t quite sure how she’d do that. She didn’t know their phone numbers off by heart—they’d all been in her contacts folder.