“Steven? How long have you been here?” Emily asked, looking out the window. “How long have I been here?
It was the next day, and by the looks of it, Emily figured it was well past dinner time. Night was almost upon them. Had she been asleep the whole day?
“Steven’s been here all day,” said Julia, entering the room. “And he hasn’t left your side since we brought you back here. Tyler’s sleeping on your couch; I hope you don’t mind.”
Julia didn’t have many girlfriends. She liked to think that others just couldn’t handle being around such a lively woman, but in reality Julia knew that it was because she was difficult to be around sometimes. She was used to getting her way, and as such was prone to selfish outbursts. Emily never seemed to hold it against her, something that Julia always admired about her.
“N—No, of course I don’t mind,” stuttered Emily, still a little dizzy from the previous day’s events. “I want to thank all of you. You’ve been wonderful.”
“Emily…what happened to you last night?” Steven questioned, holding her hand for comfort. “Can you remember anything?”
Emily tried to concentrate, but the harder she thought, the more her head started to pound. She had felt this pain before; the night before at the bar, to be exact. Emily wondered, could the events have been related?
“Oh my god, are you alright?” asked Julia, reaching for a tissue. “Your nose is bleeding.”
“It is…look at that,” said Emily, looking down at the blood-stained tissue. “That hasn’t happened since I was a child.”
“Didn’t you also have migraines as a child?” Steven inquired.
“You know, I think your right,” Emily answered. “It was so long ago that I’d completely forgotten.”
“As for what happened last night,” continued Emily, reapplying the tissue to her nose. “Much of the attack is cloudy. I remember two men ambushing me. I also remember a mysterious stranger coming to my rescue; only I can’t for the life of me remember his name.”
“If he saved you, then why were you alone?” asked Steven, trying to get a better idea of what happened.
“He was probably busy chasing the attackers off,” suggested Julia, handing Emily another tissue. “Seriously, Steven, you’re such a Nancy. She’s okay and that’s all that matters.”
“I guess you’re right, Jules,” said Steven, getting off the bed. “I’m going to wake up Tyler. I’ll be waiting downstairs. I’m glad to see your okay, sis.”
“Thanks, Steven,” said Emily, as Steven walked out the room.
Julia’s turned back to Emily, and said, “Okay, now we can talk. What really happened?”
“I don’t really remember, and what I do remember doesn’t make any sense,” said Emily, sliding out of the bed.
“Hey, someone’s at the door, Emily!” Tyler shouted from downstairs. “He says his name is Alexander!”
Emily couldn’t believe it, as the memories from last night began to rush into her head. Her hero from last night had arrived.
“What do you want?” questioned Tyler, standing at the door. Tyler always considered himself an Alpha Male and the thought of a mysterious stranger showing up the night after Emily’s attack, set him on edge.
“I’m here to see Miss Emily Johansson,” Xander said. “Is that alright with you?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Tyler said. “Come on in.”
Tyler motioned for Xander to enter the house, but he stood his ground.
“Are you deaf?” asked Tyler, becoming increasingly agitated. “I said you can come in.”
“No, I am simply old fashioned,” Xander replied. “I would prefer the owner of the house to welcome me in—.”
“Of course, come in,” said Emily, pushing Tyler out of the way. “Don’t mind him; he’s just worried about me.”
“I understand completely,” said Xander, walking inside. “You are lucky to have friends that care about you so much.”
And so Xander entered the home. He suggested that his intentions were pure, but were they to know the truth; they would not be so willing to allow him entry.
Of course, Xander wasn’t the only person there that night. In the forest surrounding the home, a good-looking man was waiting patiently for his time to strike. It was the dark figure watching over them the night before.
The man was well-built, with short blonde hair and matching beard. His face displayed confidence and experience, both things that he had acquired over his long life. He had been watching over Emily for a few days now, and was ready to make his move.
“Should we attack now, Master Simeon?” asked Jacob, skulking up towards the dark figure he had called Simeon.
“The two of you failed me once already,” said Simeon, staring down Jacob; piercing through the junkie’s blood red eyes. “I will accompany you.”
“This time,” Simeon continued. “We will truly finish off the last of their kind.”
Chapter Five
“You guys can leave now, I’ll be fine,” explained Emily, giving her friends a hug.
“With him?” asked Steven, pointing towards Xander. “You barely even know him.”
It was true, Emily thought. She had just met him last night, and even then, they had barely spoken more than a dozen words between them. Still, she had to know what happened last night, and didn’t want her friends around to hear.
Her friends left the house, giving the two of them the space they desired.
Emily paced around the living room, trying to figure out where to start. She caught a quick glimpse of Xander, careful not to stare. He was gorgeous, she thought. Everything about him screamed out to her, demanding that she come closer. Emily had never experienced a pull like this before; and it startled her.
“I suppose you wish to know what I am?” asked Xander, sitting down on the couch across from her. “Hiding my true identity will only put you in further danger. I am a vampire.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Emily, rolling her eyes. “I didn’t hit my head that hard.”
Xander smiled, opened his mouth and two long fangs descended. Emily jumped back, which only caused Xander to erupt into laughter.
“Oh my god, you’re telling the truth,” Emily said. “So you’re dead?”
“Well I wouldn’t say dead, but yes, my mortal life ended over 500 years ago,” said Xander, completely serious.
“Are you going to hurt me?” asked Emily, now a little startled after the initial shock wore off.
“No, I’m not going to hurt you,” Xander said. “I haven’t hurt anyone for over two hundred years.”
Xander looked down, clearly ashamed of the man he once was. He had hurt many people, but he was a changed man. Or at least, that’s what he kept trying to tell himself.
“Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that,” said Emily, slowly walking towards Xander. “I’ve just never met a real vampire before. To be honest, I never really believed in the supernatural.”
Xander looked up at Emily, confused by her words. If that were true, Xander thought, than perhaps her attackers could have been mistaken. Perhaps he could have been mistaken also. Maybe she wasn’t the girl they all believed her to be.
“Can I ask you something?” asked Emily, to which Xander nodded in agreement. “What were those men that attacked me? I’ve never seen red eyes like that before. Were the junkies vampires too?”
“They were ghouls,” Xander replied. “They are humans that have taken to drinking the blood of a vampire.”
“Why would anyone want to do that?” Emily asked. “Is that how you become a vampire?”
“No, that is not how you become a vampire,” stated Xander, rising off the couch. “In truth, there are not many vampires in the world. Our survival demands certain secrecy, and in turn, we rarely give our power to another. It is considered the most special gift our kind can give. That is why ghouls are so important. They are our eyes and ears in the world, watching over our territory with bloodthirsty vigilance.”
“Humans that drink the blood of vampires are given increased strength and resilience,” Xander continued. “Also, they do not age. Some ghouls have lived longer then I have.”
Xander walked to the window, peering out into the night sky. As he looked upon the stars, he said, “I have been watching you for several days now.”
“What do you mean?” Emily asked. “You mentioned earlier that I was still in danger?”
“I believe those ghouls have been tracking you down,” said Xander, scanning through the trees. “For what reason, I do not know. I picked up their scent, and didn’t want to leave until I made sure they knew you were not fair game.”
“This is all so much to take in,” said Emily, flopping onto the couch. “I’m supposed to be leaving for college in a few days, and now you’re telling me that I’m being hunted; for no particular reason. That’s just great.”
“I’m sorry, Emily, I truly am,” said Xander, leaving the window and walking towards Emily. “I promise you that I will not leave until you’re safe.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?” inquired Emily, as she sat up on the couch.
“I—I just don’t want to see anyone else get hurt,” stuttered Xander.
It was the first time he hadn’t been sure of himself, Emily noted. Could he have been hiding something? Emily decided to put it out of her mind. She owed Xander her life, and he deserved more respect than being accused of unfounded accusations.
Grabbing Emily’s hand, Xander looked in her eyes and said, “Do you live in this big house, all alone?”
“No, I live here with my brother,” replied Emily, looking down to the floor. “My parents died when I was a young girl. My grandma raised the two of us, but she passed a few years back.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” Xander said. That wasn’t entirely true, but she was too important to risk losing now.
“That’s alright,” said Emily, slowly looking up and into his eyes. “It happened when I was a young girl.”
“What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?” Xander asked.
“I don’t mind,” Emily continued. “My parents left one night, in a hurry, leaving both me and my brother home alone. They were found the next night in their car, five miles away. They had been murdered.”
“Emily…I am so sorry,” said Xander, grabbing tightly hold of Emily.
Emily rarely cried, but as he held her, the tears just seemed to come easily. The tears streamed down her face, as the two of them embraced.
“To this day, I still can’t figure out what they were doing out there, in the middle of the forest,” said Emily, still clutching tightly on to him.
Xander must have thought he heard something, as the embrace ended abruptly, and he quickly returned to the window.
Emily had almost forgotten what had attracted her to Xander in the first place. His dark hair and mysterious good looks had attracted her the moment she first saw him, and thought of all the possibilities of what making love to a vampire would feel like. Perhaps she had a way to thank him, after all.
“Xander?” asked Emily, biting her lip.
Xander looked at her, but didn’t need to ask anything to know what she wanted. He walked towards her, and they once again embraced.
Their lips were inches apart when the sound of a window smashing drove the two of them away.
“What was that?” asked Emily, alarmed. “What’s going on?”
Xander grabbed Emily by the shoulders, as he looked her in the eyes, and said, “Don’t move, I will be right back.”
Xander dashed to the front door, where Emily could hear him having a conversation with someone. Deciding that she best find out who had been harassing her, she began walk towards the door.
“My dear old friend, Xander,” exclaimed Simeon, standing at the door. “What an unexpected surprise.”
“Who the hell is this?” questioned Emily, now standing behind Xander. “And how do you two know each other?”
“Know each other?” Simeon returned. “My dear, I made him the man he is today.”
Chapter Six
The year was 1478, and Alexander Franson was lying in a pool of his own blood. He was in East Stoke, England; which would one day be considered the last battle in the War of the Roses.
Xander had commanded the armies of King Henry VII into battle against the pretender, Lambert Simnel. He had given everything to his king, and paid for it with his life. Near death, and gasping for breath, Xander considered for a moment, where his actions had taken him.
He didn’t regret his choices; he only regretted leaving behind a wife and child. They had been his entire life, and now he was going to die, without them for comfort.
The battle had been over for a couple hours now, yet none of his men had returned for him. Not that they would be able to find him, he thought, in the sea of bloodied corpses. No, this is where he was going to die. At least he would finally have peace.
“I saw you out there,” said a voice from the shadows. “You were magnificent.”
“Who are you?” asked Xander, desperately trying to find the energy to turn himself over. “Show yourself!”
Xander’s eyes traced the tree line, as he frantically searched for the person behind the voice.
“I’m not over there,” said the voice from afar. “I’m here—.”
“Ah!” screamed Xander, as the man appeared right beside him, inches away from his head. “W—what do you want?”
The man sniffed around the open wound on Xander’s head. He brought his lips to Xander’s ear, and said, “I want you.”
“You have fought well for your king,” continued the man, staying just out of Xander’s line of sight. “If you were to survive, you surely would be given land, and a title; but you are not going to survive, are you? No, the stench of death is all over you.”
“What are you, a soothsayer?” asked Xander, as he coughed up some blood. “Spare me the merchant’s pitch. Either leave me alone, or kill me right now.”
“What I offer…goes far behind life or death,” said the man stepping in front of the fallen Xander. “My name is Simeon Agathon. Over 1000 years ago, I too, was a soldier just like you; a Roman legionnaire, to be exact.”
Simeon hovered over Xander as he licked his lips. He looked at Xander, and yelled, “And now I am a god!”
Simeon threw his hands to the sky and he let out a monstrous scream. The ground below shook as Simeon howled to the very gods themselves.
“I want you to be a god, too,” said Simeon, lowering his head back down. “Is that something you would like?”
The answer seemed to be rhetorical, because as soon as the words left Simeon’s mouth, he dropped to his knees, and began biting at the neck of Xander. After all, Simeon thought, who would not want to be a god?
The monster’s teeth tore through the flesh of Xander, as he helplessly cried out for help; but no help would be coming for him. Not that any would have really made a difference.
And so, Alexander Franson died that night; the final casualty in the War of the Roses.
Chapter Seven
“Is this some kind of sick joke?” asked Emily, now brandishing a knife she had retrieved from the kitchen counter.
“I am not with him, I promise you that,” said Xander, refusing to take his eyes off Simeon.
“My goodness, you both are so rude,” smirked Simeon. “Isn’t anyone going to invite me inside—?”
“Do not invite him inside!” shouted Xander, his lip curling at the sight of his maker. “He cannot enter your home without an invitation.”
“And how did you come to get inside?” Simeon questioned. “Did you lie to her, or did you simply charm her?”
“What is he talking about?” Emily asked. “Somebody better tell me what is going on, right now.”
“Should you tell her, or should I?” inquired Simeon, with a smile.
“A vampire can charm any human, rendering them under their control,” Simeon
said. “Of course he probably didn’t tell you any of this. Can you really be so sure that your thoughts are your own?”
“I’m warning you,” Xander barked. “She can’t be charmed, and you know it.”
“Why can’t I be charmed?” Emily asked, waving her knife around. “Somebody better start paying attention to me or I’ll start stabbing!”
“That, my dear, is a very interesting story,” Simeon said. “Where do I begin?”
“Back off, Simeon,” Xander cautioned. “I will not let you hurt her.”
“Or what?” asked Simeon, baring his fangs. “Are you going to do something about it?”
Xander growled, and suddenly sprang forward. He lunged towards Simeon, launching the two of them down the porch steps.
Emily screamed, running out of the house after them. She wasn’t thinking of her own safety, she was only thinking about the mysterious man that had risked his life for her.
Xander and Simeon clawed at each, while they rolled around on the grass. Simeon may have been older and stronger, but Xander was fighting with purpose. He was fighting with his heart.
“You should have listened to your boyfriend,” said a voice from behind Emily. “Leaving the house was a very bad idea.”
Emily spun around to see both Jacob and George, standing between her and the door. Startled, she tried to run, but was paralyzed with fear; their bright red eyes shaking her very existence.
“You should watch,” said George, pointing towards the fight going on in front of them.
The two ghouls grabbed Emily by the arms, forcing her to watch as the two vampires battled for control.
“No!” screamed Emily, flailing her arms around as the ghouls tried to restrain her. “Let me go!”
Chapter Eight
Simeon struck Xander in the face, sending him crashing to the ground. The battle had been raging for a few minutes now, but it had already become clear who the stronger vampire was.
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