Chapter 5: Chapter 5

“It’s okay. You’re safe now,” the man said as he slowly lowered his lips to mine. The kiss was gentle, yet insistent, coaxing my lips apart with a touch of his tongue. I welcomed his invasion with a sigh, melting into his muscular arms, which he had wrapped around my waist, pulling my body flush against his. My own hands had gone around his neck, my fingers tangling with his curly, dark hair. I marveled at how silky it was, so unlike what I thought men’s hair would feel. His kisses caused heat to blossom in my chest and slide down my stomach, pooling much lower, to a secret place between my legs. His lips left mine and slowly traveled down my neck, nipping tenderly at the soft skin. My back arched in bliss, silently encouraging his advances. One of his hands was caressing my breast, turning my legs to jelly. He was making me feel things I’ve never felt before, breaking through the barricades around my heart. I hardly noticed when he lowered me onto the bed, as my body was now a mass of burning nerve endings.

He lifted his head from my throat and looked down at me, his dark eyes twin pools of liquid onyx. When he smiled, I glimpsed his fangs. I should’ve been afraid, but all I felt was fascination and acceptance. I wanted those fangs to sink into my neck, to drink my blood, and turn me into someone like him. Immortal. Powerful.

“You’re mine, Mira. For now and always,” he breathed.

I lifted my arms, inviting him back into my embrace. I didn’t even flinch when his lips clamped down my throat, his fangs breaking into my flesh, emptying me of my lifeblood.

o-O-o

I woke up with a gasp, my hands flying to my neck, searching for the telltale bite marks. They weren’t there. My neck was smooth and unabused. When I sank back into the pillow to go back to sleep, my eyes flew open again.

“This isn’t my pillow,” I muttered as I slowly took in my surroundings. The room was dark. Only a small lamp on the bedside table lent it illumination. To my right was a wall with tall windows, barely visible behind thick, dark drapes. It was large, yet practically bare. “And this isn’t my room.”

I sat up in a flash, but my head exploded in pain, forcing me back into the bed.

“You really should try to move more slowly,” a deep voice to my left said.

It sounded familiar. It’s okay, you’re safe now. Oh my god, it’s him! I thought, panicking, thinking he was the one from my dream. But then several images flashed in my mind—hooded figures, freezing fingers, a slimy tongue, silver flashes, blood splattering everywhere. And concerned blue eyes with a soothing voice telling me I’m safe. He’s not the one from my dream, he’s the one who helped me, the one who rescued me from the hooded figures with icy fingers.

“Where am I?” I asked, still not trusting my fuzzy memories.

“Technically, you’re in my bed,” he said.

He was leaning against the door frame, hidden in shadows, but I noted the amusement in his tone. I could imagine him smirking at me. My cheeks burned, embarrassed by my unusual situation. I didn’t even know how I ended up in his bed. It was my first time sleeping in someone else’s bed.

What was I doing in his? Everything from last night was a blur, part nightmare, part erotic fantasy. To which did he belong?

“Well, I guess I have no choice but to take your word on that. And I suppose this is your bedroom? And your house, too? What I’d like to know is why I'm here.”

He walked into the room and sat on the plush maroon armchair by the door, crossing his legs as his hands gripped its padded arms. Why did he seem reluctant to come near me?

“I found you in an alley. You were unconscious,” he said without elaboration.

I wished I could see his face. Was he the man with the electrifying blue eyes? I wasn’t unconscious then. Did he think I was? Did he think I’d forgotten about him? Or was that just a part of the dream, a figment of my imagination?

“Why didn’t you take me to a hospital instead? Why did you bring me here?”

It was then that I sensed his discomfort. He confirmed it when he uncrossed and recrossed his legs, his arms folding over his broad chest. His clothes were all black, enabling him to melt into the dark corner of the room. It brought to mind another figure dressed from head to toe in black, but I couldn’t be sure if that one was real.

This man, on the other hand, was very real.

“I didn’t want to get too involved,” he said, leaning back in his chair.

“But you already involved yourself by bringing me here. You could’ve just left me in the alley and called the police,” I said, baiting him. I wanted to find out his real reason for bringing me here.

“Or perhaps I should’ve just left and forgotten about you or calling the police,” he replied, his voice laced with annoyance.

Okay, I deserved that. I should just thank him and be on my way. Oh, gods, Jan! She’s worried sick about me by now.

“What time is it?” I said, sitting up so quickly the room swam before my eyes. There was a stabbing pain at the back of my neck, making me feel nauseous.

“Easy,” he said, his two firm hands steadying me. “You really should rest.”

I let him lower me back into the delicious-smelling pillows, squeezing my eyes shut to stop the room from spinning. Yet all I could think of was how he got to the bed so quickly. “Thanks,” I said, slowly opening my eyes to look up at him.

My breath hitched when I saw his face, now in full display under the lamp’s light. He was devastatingly handsome, the very image of the Knight-in-Shining-Armor I used to dream of from my days as a romantic, carefree girl. The light dusting of facial hair on his upper lip and jaws did not detract from it, but added the right amount of mystery to his masculine beauty. His perfectly arched brows, together with thick dark lashes, framed his light blue eyes to perfection. I almost gasped when I recognized those icy orbs. He was the man in the alley, the one who assured me repeatedly of my safety. I would never forget those mesmerizing eyes for as long as I lived.

But why did he lie to me? Why did he say I was unconscious when he found me, when I clearly wasn’t? Perhaps he thought I was. Or maybe I was unconscious and only dreamt of him. I couldn’t even remember much of what happened to me then. How could I be sure that he was lying?

“What time is it? What day is it?” I asked, tuning out the frantic beating of my heart.

He glanced at his watch and said, “It’s Saturday, 6 PM.”

“Oh, my god. I have to call Jan. She’s going out of her mind with worry by now. Where’s my bag? I need my cell phone.”

“Who’s Jan?” he said as he straightened to his full height, a note of suspicion in his voice.

“What? Oh, Jan? She’s one of my flatmates. We were supposed to meet up at the gym this afternoon,” I said, pushing up on my elbow to search for my bag. Before I could even lift myself, my tattered bag was thrust in front of my face.

“Here, don’t bother getting up. You’ll only get dizzy again,” he said, stepping back to give me a bit of privacy. He didn’t leave the room, though. He just returned to the chair and into the shadows.

“Thanks,” I said, rummaging inside my bag for my phone. I groaned when I saw the nearly two dozen missed calls and text messages from Jan. I tapped on her number and waited for her to pick up. After the second ring, Jan answered.

“Mira? OMG! Where are you?” Jan practically screamed in my ear. “I left early and didn’t check your room, but Mel did. She said you didn’t come home. What happened to you?”

“Calm down, Jan. I’m okay,” I said, desperately thinking of a plausible explanation.

“Then why didn’t you come home? And where are you right now?”

“I, Uhm...I went out with Kris and her friends. I got a little drunk. She wouldn't let me leave on my own,” I said, crossing my fingers, hoping Jan wouldn’t see through my white lie.

“Why didn’t you text me, at least? I was sick with worry,” Jan said.

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry, okay? I wasn’t planning on getting drunk, but it turned out I wasn’t very good at saying no to Tequila.”

“When are you coming home? Don’t tell me you’re going to take on an extra shift in your condition.”

“Tell her you’ll be home in the morning,” my rescuer said, not even bothering to explain how he knew what Jan and I were talking about.

“Wait, who’s that? Was that a man? Eeeeh!” Jan squealed. “You went out on a date, didn’t you? OMG! You, slut,” she laughed. “You’re with a man, aren’t you? OMG!”

I shot him my most vicious glare to let him know that he’s going to answer to me later. “It’s not what you think, Jan. He’s just...well...he’s just a friend.”

Jan laughed again. I could just imagine her jumping up and down. She had been pushing me to get a boyfriend for as long as I could remember. “Of course, he’s your friend. Just as Arnold is my friend, too.” Arnold was his boyfriend of almost two years. “Look, I’m not judging. I’m happy you finally plucked up the courage to go out with someone. And he speaks perfect English, too! Is he a foreigner? You biatch!” Jan said, squealing anew.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at my best friend’s insanity. “I’ll talk to you when I get home.”

“Bring him along, please? I want to see what kind of man you snagged in your devious web.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea—”

“Just bring him! It’s the least he can do. He can’t sleep with you and send you home in an Uber,” Jan insisted.

“I didn’t sleep with him, Jan!”

“Of course you didn’t. Who needs sleep when you can do so much more, right? But enough of this. I’m sure he’s dying to get his hands on you again. Just make sure he walks you up to our doorstep tomorrow. Be here for lunch, okay? I’ll whip up some spag and chicken wings. Don’t worry, Arnold’s on a business trip, and Mel just left for another seminar. It’ll just be the three of us. Enjoy, girl. I’m going to need all the nasty details, okay? Bye!”

Before I could get a word in, Jan had already hung up. She was always like that when excited. Boy, I really would hate seeing her disappointed face when I showed up alone in the morning.

“You should get some rest. I’m going out, but I'll come back as soon as I can. I didn’t know when you’d be up and didn’t get any food. But I left some crackers and bottled water in the drawer beside you. As soon as you’re able, try to eat. It’ll help you get better faster. Don’t worry, I’ll take you home in the morning,” my rescuer said, rising from his seat.

"Can't I go home tonight?" I had to ask. I didn't want him to think I was taking advantage of his hospitality.

"Stay one more night. You need to let your body recover from the ordeal you went through."

Somehow, I trusted him, even though it felt like there were things he wasn't telling me. There was a barrage of questions bubbling inside my head, but I doubted if he would answer them. And a heated argument was the last thing I needed right now, especially since I was feeling woozy again. He was almost out the door when I realized I didn’t even know his name.

“Hey, wait. You didn’t tell me your name,” I said.

He paused and glanced back at me, his tall frame silhouetted against the dim light of the hallway. “You can call me Nick,” he said, turning on his heels.

“Nice to meet you, Nick. My name’s Mira,” I called out after him.

“Nice to meet you, too, Mira,” he said and closed the door behind him, putting an end to our conversation.

I snuggled deeper into the pillows, hoping I would dream of my Knight, my eager lover. This time, he wouldn’t have dark eyes and fangs. He would have gorgeous blue eyes and a warm, soothing voice, whispering sweet nothings into my ear.