Dragon's Choice

by Juniper Hart

  “Don’t scream,” a familiar voice whispered in her ear. “I won’t hurt you.” It reminded her again of the alleyway, and she found herself wishing that she’d never gotten out of bed that morning.

  As soon as the hand was removed from her mouth, she whipped around, pushing herself off the stranger before he could grab hold of her again. She quickly rose to her feet, and he followed suit.

  “Who the hell are you, and what do you want from me?” she demanded as she backed up towards the window.

  “Come away from there,” he told her firmly. “Please,” he added a little softer when he saw the terror-stricken look in her eyes. He held out his hand to her, and Lucy looked down at the pale skin wondering why he would command her to do such a thing.

  “I’m trying to protect you,” he told her. “Come away from the window.”

  “Protect me?” she demanded. “If it wasn’t for you, those men probably wouldn’t have cornered me in the alleyway. They’d probably all still be alive.”

  “Alive to rape the next woman they could overpower?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes, as though he was not pleased by her stubbornness. Again, Lucy was stricken by his handsomeness and the fluidity of how he moved as he moved closer to her.

  “Stay away from me!” she yelled, holding up both of her hands to ward him off. “I don’t know anything about you. Why are you stalking me?”

  He stopped short and furrowed his brow, his eyes darkening. “Stalking you?” he asked. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be alive.”

  Lucy felt her heart skip another beat. When had her life taken such a dangerous turn? She worked in a bakery and as a bartender. She wanted to go back to her mundane life. She didn’t sign up for any of this. “If you leave now, I won’t call the cops.”

  “Please, Lucy, step away from the window.” His voice was soft, and Lucy began to feel as though he was begging her.

  “Why?” was all she could bring herself to say.

  He held out his hand to her again, and she bit her lip against the urge to reach out and take it.

  “Just come away from the window, and I will explain everything,” he promised her. “Please.” There was a pleading in his crystal blue eyes that made Lucy suddenly reach forward.

  “No!” the stranger suddenly screeched, and Lucy screamed as she felt hands clamp down on both of her arms. Suddenly, she was pulled back through the window. Her head connected with the windowpane as she went, and pain lanced down her spine.

  A rush of air whipped her face and the exposed bare skin that her robe didn’t cover. Her head spun, and the back of her skull throbbed as she was suddenly thrown against rock-hard concrete. Shock began to take over as she was slumped in a heap with nothing but the open sky above her. Where was she?

  She struggled to breathe as gravity came back to her, and when she looked up, she found herself staring into the dark eyes of a true predator. Pale lips were pulled back to reveal long, sharp fangs that glinted in the light of the full moon.

  “What’s the matter, beautiful?” The creature’s voice was filled with menacing laughter as he took a step towards her. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  10

  Erik

  Erik

  A familiar dark pit of guilt churned in his consciousness, which bubbled up every time Stephen confronted him. Worse was the knowledge that the monster had Lucy, the woman he’d tried to help. The woman that he couldn’t get off of his mind since the first time he’d seen her more than a year earlier.

  Erik slipped through the window and raced up the steps of the fire exit. The scent of Stephen and the girl told him exactly where they were. The roof was only one level up, and it took him only a second to ascend the staircase.

  As soon as he skidded to a halt, Erik saw her. She was just as beautiful, but she looked broken and defeated. Her long hair cascaded over the top of her shoulders, blowing in the wind that whipped over the building. Her eyes were filled with fear, but she exhibited a strength that he admired.

  She stared at the huge figure that loomed over her. His back was turned to Erik, but there wasn’t a single thing Erik could do that Stephen wouldn’t sense.

  “So, Erik, what happens next?” Stephen asked without moving an inch. Erik straightened up and took a deep breath. Erik saw the tension in the Stephen’s shoulders as he stood over Lucy, who was shivering in the cold air.

  “She means nothing to me,” were the only words he could think to say, yet even as he said them he knew they weren’t true.

  Stephen moved in the blink of an eye. Lucy was suddenly facing Erik, held up by a hand that gripped her throat. Their eyes connected, and Erik felt something stir inside of him. He wanted to help this woman, but it was more than that; he felt as if her life mattered more than his own.

  “You won’t mind if I rip out her throat then?” Stephen asked in an eerily monotoned voice. Erik knew all of Stephen’s goodness was gone; not even the smallest light flickered in the depths of his soul.

  Erik acted quickly, trying to outsmart Stephen.

  “Go ahead.” Erik forced a smile as he took a step forward. “I’ll even help you, if you’d like.”

  Stephen’s eyebrow rose, and Erik saw his fingers loosen around her throat. The momentary lapse of surprise was all Erik needed. He rushed forward, slamming his body hard against Lucy’s, forcing her backwards. A strangled scream erupted from her throat as they were both thrown over the edge of the roof.

  Erik gripped Lucy in his arms, forcing his body around hers to shield her from the fall. Her hands tightened on the front of his t-shirt as they dropped. Again, their eyes met, and for a split second, time stood still as he saw warmth and gratitude in her gaze.

  Then his back hit the sidewalk, and he was blinded by pain. Every bone in his body seemed to shatter as the taste of blood filled the back of his throat. He was unable to move, unable to see, hear, or smell.

  It didn’t take long for the world to swim back around him. Lucy was screaming, yet one sniff told Erik that she was unharmed. He groaned, and her scream was cut off. Her face turned towards him with tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “Run,” he grunted, putting all his force into the command. To his relief, the glamour worked. Lucy pushed herself up onto her feet and began to run. Even as she did, he felt his body healing. The bones melted back together as the bruising dissolved and broken skin adhered itself back together.

  As soon as his strength returned, he pushed himself up off the sidewalk and ran. Lucy had only managed to get to the end of the street before he grabbed hold of her around the waist and pulled her up over his shoulder. She squealed in surprise as he continued forward.

  11

  Lucy

  The world whizzed past her at a maddening speed. She clutched the back of his jacket, but the material kept slipping from her fingers, and before long, she found herself flailing.

  The sudden stop made all her vital organs jerk. She gasped for breath, feeling as though she hadn’t sucked in air for minutes. She was ejected from the stranger’s shoulder and onto a plush armchair in what seemed to be a luxurious hotel room. Her entire body shook as she struggled for breath. The dizziness in her head was doubled by the throbbing in the back of her skull.

  Movement out of the corner of her eye made her look up. Standing at the floor-to-ceiling window was the stranger who saved her life for the second time that day. He had his back to her, but she could sense the familiarity in his tense form.

  He reached forward and pressed his finger against a small white button beside the window. A mechanical buzzing sound began as thick metal shutters descended over the windows.

  “Are we in a fortress? Why the metal shutters?”

  “This hotel has special rooms for people like me. We’re safe for now. The sun is coming up,” he explained as he turned to look at her. Just as the shutters were about to click into place, she saw the first orange light come through the window. It was instantly cut off as the mechanical sound
eased off.

  “Wha…what the hell is going on?” she demanded, her heart still beating so rapidly that she felt as though it was going to escape.

  The stranger didn’t answer her as he crossed the room to an old wooden drink cart. Lucy frowned as he picked up a crystal decanter, opened it, and poured some of the contents into a glass. When he crossed the room and passed it to her, she stared at the clear liquid inside.

  “It’s vodka,” he told her with a sigh. “You are going to need it for the shock.” She looked at him with a suspicious expression, and he sighed again, “I wouldn’t rescue you just to poison you in my apartment.”

  She didn’t need any more pushing. Pressing the glass to her lips, she emptied the contents into her mouth and swallowed hard. The strong liquid burned the back of her throat as it went down. She choked hard until she struggled to breathe.

  “That’s vodka?” she gasped as she tried to catch her breath again, “I feel like my insides are being stripped away.”

  The stranger ran his fingers through his dark hair and shook his head. “Sorry, love,” he looked embarrassed. “I forgot; it’s a little stronger than the stuff you drink. We vampires have a higher tolerance than humans.”

  Lucy gawked at him as her suspicions were finally deemed true. “You’re a v…vampire?” She gaped at him, unable to really believe what she was saying. The question was so far out of reality that she couldn’t believe she was even voicing it.

  “You look shocked,” the man frowned back at her. “Have you forgotten what you saw in the alleyway earlier?”

  “I… I need to leave,” Lucy gasped, suddenly feeling like the room was closing in on her. Standing up hastily, she rushed for the doorway across the room.

  In an instant, the man was between her and the door, so close that she could feel his breath on her face. “I’m afraid I can’t allow you to leave.”

  “Get out of my way!” Lucy protested, suddenly aware of the fact that she was only wearing a robe. Her legs were cold and prickled with goose bumps, yet she felt a heat between them that she hadn’t felt in such a long time.

  “You are a brave one, considering you’re making demands of a monster.” He smirked down at her, and she felt her heart skip a beat.

  “You don’t seem too terrifying,” Lucy did her best to speak strongly, though she was all too aware of how close he was to her—so close that their chests brushed gently. “You could have killed me in the alleyway, just like you did those scumbags, but you didn’t.”

  The man’s face dropped, and his eyes darkened as though he was not pleased for the reminder. “That’s why you’re in danger now,” he explained. With a sigh, he explained, “If you step out of that door, I can’t protect you.”

  “Didn’t you say the sun being up was a good thing?” she asked, remembering how he’d closed the shutters.

  She wondered what would’ve happened to him if he had been caught in the sunlight. Of course, she knew what happened in the stories she heard. From the way he was acting, Lucy assumed there was truth to the folklore.

  “Stephen has ways of getting things done, even when the sun is up.” the man ran his fingers through his hair, and Lucy was forced to bite the inside of her lip as she imagined doing the same thing. “You are much safer here, with me.”

  “And what about when the sun goes down?” she asked. As soon as she’d asked the question, she wasn’t sure wanted to know the answer.

  “As soon as the sun goes down, we run.”

  “Run? Run to where? I have a life here,” Lucy shook her head and took a step back, pressing the palm of her hand to her forehead as she felt the beginnings of a headache setting in, along with the throbbing that continued in the back of her skull. “I don’t even know you. All I know is that you spend your evenings at the bar where I work, but you never speak to me, other than to order a drink. Who are you?”

  “My name is Erik,” he told her. “And forgive me for presuming, but the fact you work in a dive bar tells me you don’t have much of a life here.”

  Lucy felt anger begin to burn inside of her. Being judged irritated her. It didn’t matter that the man doing the judging was drop dead gorgeous.

  “You have no right to presume anything about me,” she spoke as she tried her best to hold on to her anger. “You know nothing of consequence about me.”

  “I know that your parents are dead. I know you don’t have many friends. I have watched several men from the bar try to follow you home, but what you don’t know is that I stopped them, too. I see that you are alone, and that happiness eludes you as you struggle to pay your bills and survive.”

  “But…you’ve been watching me this whole time?”

  “I originally came to the bar to find someone to feed on, but why do you think I kept coming back? It definitely wasn’t for the ambiance.”

  “Why didn’t you ever talk to me?”

  “I am a vampire. What’s the point of getting to know me? I’m dangerous, and you’re mortal. It would never work out. I just thought I’d help you along the way until you could get your life together,” stated Erik, matter-of-factly. “But after last night, all of that changed. I know that most people would have bolted when they saw what you witnessed in the alleyway, but you didn’t. That tells me that you have been through a lot in the short time you’ve been on this earth. And that makes me want you even more.”

  12

  Erik

  The anger in her eyes was refreshing. It was so different from the fear he was used to. Most humans would be cowering in terror, but Lucy stared at him, as if ready to fight.

  "I didn't mean to upset you," Erik raised his hands in surrender as he felt the hunger start in his stomach. It wasn't the normal hunger he felt, not the need for blood. It was the need for something else, something he hadn't craved in so long that he couldn't remember whether he'd ever really craved it at all.

  "None of this makes sense. And, it seems as if the other vampire would have no interest in me if you would have just let me live my life. I just need to get out of here,” Lucy told him, her jaw set with stubbornness and determination.

  Her emotions pulled on his heart strings, and part of him wanted to do as she asked. It was the knowledge that she wasn't safe out there on her own that made him stay planted in front of her.

  "You'd be wise to get some rest," he explained as he turned and placed the key in the door. "We will be traveling all night."

  With that, he turned the key to lock the door and then placed it in the pocket of his jacket.

  "So now you’re detaining me? Or should I call it kidnapping?" Lucy snapped, and when he turned to look at her, she was glaring back at him. "I've told you, I am not going anywhere with you. Hand over the key, and let me leave." She held out her hand as though she expected him to hand it over. That made him laugh.

  Erik was growing bored of her argument. He needed to stop her in her tracks and make her realize just how much trouble she was in. He needed to scare her.

  In an instant, he charged at her, gripped her by her robe and bared his fangs. "Humans don't make demands," he commanded. He was well aware of how close his face was to hers as he glared into her beautiful green eyes. Still, she showed no fear.

  "I thought you said you weren't going to hurt me," she said. He loosened his grip slightly.

  "If I must hurt you to keep you alive, then I will," he replied. "I will not allow Stephen to get his hands on you."

  "The only way you are keeping me from leaving is by killing me," Lucy's voice was stern and willful, as though she knew she had him beat.

  Her stubbornness awakened his needs that lay dormant for too long. His passion surged to the surface, and he couldn't help himself. His face lowered down to hers and their lips connected. It was all fierce fiery lust. Then, searing pain lanced through Erik's lip. She'd bitten him. The taste of his own blood brought his fangs forth as he pulled his face back from hers.

  When he looked down into her eyes, he saw the determination, the
passion, and the mixed feelings swimming in her mind. Holding her gaze, he backed her up against the wall. Erik didn't resist as she pulled him down to her again. This time she didn't bite him, though he felt the need to bite her. He refrained as her tongue brushed his lips and he opened them to her. His own tongue joined hers in its dance, and he kissed her back. Her lips tasted like sugar, mixing with the taste of his blood.

  Lucy's hands came down to his chest as she firmly pressed her palms against his pecs. She didn’t push him away, instead her fingers curled into his t-shirt and pulled him closer to her. His body responded by closing the gap between them as his hands trailed down to her firm breasts. They were free beneath the flimsy material of her robe, and her nipples hardened into the palms of his hands as he stroked gently. She groaned into his mouth, and the sound set a fire throughout every nerve in his body.

  It had been so long since he'd kissed another being that he felt clumsy in the exchange, but she didn't seem to notice as she reached up and slid her hands under the shoulders of his jacket. They pushed until it slid off his arms and landed onto the hardwood floor.

  Realizing what was happening, Erik flew backwards so hard that the wall behind him shook as he hit it. Plaster dust rained down around him as his fangs pricked his bottom lip. He stared at the woman who was now leaning against the wall looking disappointed, hurt even.

  "We must stop," he said simply, remembering the last time he'd allowed himself to go there. It had ended in a bloody mess of stained satin sheets.

  “Why?” she asked, looking confused.

  He noticed the red blood smeared over her lips. There was a primal look in her eye, just like his own when he felt the need to conquer. He stepped forward and cupped her face again.