by Tessa Dawn
She was modestly tall and fairly thin. Solid but shapely.
And she held herself with a notable confidence, despite the situation. Her hair was a rich shade of brown that reminded him of creamy milk chocolate. It was gloriously long with soft waves of amber highlights cascading throughout the thick tresses.
Her eyes were positively enchanting, with an odd shadowy mix of pale green and soft hazel glowing in their depths, like the eyes of a tiger. Nathaniel thought they were stunning, as were the rest of her immaculate features. She was simply a striking woman.
And she was obviously frightened out of her wits.
A long moment of silence passed between them before she registered a response. "You aren't going to deny it?" Her skin turned pale, and she shook her head in disbelief. "Then you're admitting that you're a vampire? A mythical creature out of a horror movie?" Despite her attempt at courage, her voice faltered.
Nathaniel smiled, hoping to ease her fears. "I'm admitting no such thing," he quipped. "I am quite certain that I am neither a myth nor a creature from a horror movie. However, I will concede that you clearly believe that I am such a being.
Although I can't imagine why you would think such a thing."
"You know exactly what you are," the human retorted. Her eyes met his and she squared her shoulders.
Nathaniel rubbed his thumb against his chin and regarded her thoughtfully. The truth was he hadn't decided yet what he was going to do next. He had already crossed one line by forcing her previous answers. As it stood, he was going to have to remove her memories. While he didn't mind skimming her mind for further information, if necessary, he didn't want to probe too deeply without her permission.
Human beings had retained few divine qualities endowed upon them by their creator, but free will was one of them.
And it was not to be toyed with lightly. There were too many potential repercussions, not the least of which could be a sense of hopelessness, and in the worst case scenario, a lessening of the will to live—something this woman clearly had a problem with already.
Nathaniel sighed and softened his voice. "Tell me, beautiful woman with the eyes of a tiger, why is it that you think me to be Vampyr?"
He thought it was a reasonable enough question, but for some reason, the female went straight from upset to overload. Her eyes glazed over like she was on a mind-altering drug, and her mouth dropped open.
"Did you just call me tiger-eyes?" Her voice was sharp with disbelief. "And did you just pronounce the word, vampyr? As if making it sound more...sexy...could possibly change what it means?"
He stifled a chuckle. This human's wit was adorable.
Hands on her hips, she huffed and regarded him defiantly.
"Well, for starters, you seem to know the right pronunciation of the word." And then she laughed, insincerely, sounding more hysterical than amused.
And then she began to cry.
Nathaniel cringed. "You have a sense of humor, I see.
More so, when you're not frightened to death, I imagine.
Please...don't cry." He took a very slow step forward and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Would it help if I assured you that you have nothing to fear from me? I am not going to harm you—no matter what kind of a creature I am."
The woman sniffled, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and crossed her arms in front of her, clearly thinking it over.
Nathaniel waited, their eyes locked for what seemed an eternity. The pretty woman was a welcome distraction from the day's events, but he didn't care to be out in the forest all night. And they were far too close to the lands of the Dark Ones for his comfort. Not to mention, there was an important mystery hidden behind those shadowy eyes: a fear so elemental that it shook him. What in the world had this woman seen?
"It might help," she finally said. "That is, if I thought I could believe you."
Nathaniel sighed. "Have I given you any reason not to trust me?"
The woman shrugged her slender shoulders.
Nathaniel's exasperation grew. "If I recall, you were the one who made a choice to harm yourself. I believe I was the one who stopped you."
She looked away. "That's true...."
It was a minor concession, but he would take it.
When her brow creased like she was deep in thought, the temptation was just too great for Nathaniel to resist. He dipped gently into her mind and was immediately taken aback by what he found: There was absolutely no question—the woman was positively scared to death of him. She unequivocally believed that he was evil, despite his continued attempts at kindness. She was convinced that he was determined to hurt her, and the more he tried to be polite, the more she saw his behavior as calculated. Nathaniel knew he wasn't going to win her over easily—not without using a healthy dose of his powers.
Maybe not at all.
The woman cleared her throat and stared down at the ground before looking back up to meet his gaze. "Do you intend to let me go?" She sounded like a condemned prisoner standing before a firing squad.
This time, Nathaniel was less than amused. "Of course, I do." He held up his hands in frustration. "I am not holding you here in any way, my dear lady. I truly only came because I heard you cry and was concerned for your safety." He glanced cautiously around the valley. "This is not a safe place for you." His voice sharpened. "But then, it would appear to me as if you already know that. And whatever you're running from, it isn't me. So perhaps you would be wise to accept my assistance."
The woman's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and for a brief moment, Nathaniel thought he saw the faint hint of a smile.
"I'm not an irrational person, sir," she insisted. She raised her chin, crossed her arms, and regarded him again. "And I'm willing to admit that you might have a point. Might."
"Well, thank you," he whispered as his tension eased.
"Ma'am."
She sighed then and tucked her hair behind her ears, biting her lower lip—a gesture Nathaniel found curiously endearing.
Her eyes narrowed in concentration. "I want to believe you." She rested her forehead on the heels of her hands then, as if nursing a headache. "God knows...I need to believe you."
Nathaniel's heart immediately softened. "Tell me your name, tiger eyes."
Maybe if the two of them became more familiar, she might begin to trust him a little.
"Jocelyn," she answered reluctantly. "My name is Jocelyn."
Nathaniel extended his hand. "It is nice to meet you, Jocelyn. I am Nathaniel Silivasi. My family owns and operates most of Dark Moon Vale, including the lodge and the ski resort just to the east of here. If you would be so kind as to allow me to escort you from this place, I give you my word that I will let you go once you are in a safer place."
"You actually live around here?" she asked, incredulous.
Nathaniel laughed. "Yes, I do. I actually live, work, and play around here. And I don't think it would bode well for me—or my business—if I went around harming the tourists.
What do you think?"
Suddenly, a small light appeared in her eyes, and her posture relaxed a little. She cautiously reached out to take his hand. "Nice to meet you, Nathaniel."
"It is my privilege, Jocelyn."
She acknowledged him, a quick nod of her head, and then hastily let go of his hand, stepping a few paces away.
Projecting what seemed to be a somewhat forced look of calm, she gestured toward the hiking trail and started walking.
Nathaniel fell effortlessly into step beside her. "I think you have made a good decision, Jocelyn. Much better than shooting oneself in the head, don't you think?"
This time, she looked up at him with wide eyes and just shook her head.
He chuckled beneath his breath.
"You really aren't going to hurt me?" she asked. Her voice was apprehensive.
Nathaniel stopped and placed both hands lightly on her shoulders, gently turning her to face him. "Jocelyn, look at me."
Impulsively, she obeyed.
"I am really not going to hurt you." He held her gaze, never once blinking.
Jocelyn let out her breath. "Okay." The response was a whisper. "I'm going to try to believe you." She tried to smile as they began walking again. "Just don't do anything. I mean, like don't make any more sudden moves or anything."
Nathaniel nodded and slowed his stride to a snail's pace. "I will move very slowly." He started to lag behind.
"Not that slow!" she snapped. "I am definitely ready to get out of here." This time, she smiled, a full, breathtaking grin.
Nathaniel loved the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled, lighting up the exquisite features of her face. She had a pleasant way about her when she was more at ease. He put his hands in the pockets of his waist-length jacket and fell easily into step with her again, hoping it was a good time to approach a more serious subject.
"You still have not told me what you were doing here in the first place. Why a beautiful woman would wander around a dark forest at night by herself."
Jocelyn frowned. "I wasn't wandering around. I don't wander. And I was actually here all day." She wrung her hands together. "Honestly, I'd really rather not talk about it right now, if you don't mind—not if you'd like me to stay sane." She paused then and whispered, "Please...don't make me."
"Make you?" He raised an eyebrow, meeting her gaze with concern.
"Yes," she replied. "Make me. You know, with your eyes—and your voice. The way you made me answer your questions earlier."
Nathaniel was astonished. He caught his breath and turned to take a more serious look at the intelligent woman. She had incredible instincts. More than that, actually; she just seemed to know things she shouldn't have known. Humans were typically incapable of picking up on a vampire's mind control.
"I apologize." He said it respectfully. "I was concerned for you. With your...erratic behavior...and all. I was simply seeking answers. No, you do not have to tell me if you do not wish it."
Nathaniel really wanted to know what had happened—
perhaps he even needed to know—but this human was unusually courageous, and he didn't want to violate her wishes unless he had to.
They walked for a time in silence, and then Jocelyn spoke in a hesitant voice. "I don't suppose it would be pushing my luck to ask for my gun back...."
Nathaniel eyed her warily. "Will you shoot yourself?"
She rolled her eyes. "Not as long as you don't make any sudden moves."
He laughed. "Will you shoot me?"
"Would it work?"
"No, it wouldn't."
As if swept away into an invisible vacuum, the humor left the air, even as the color left the woman's face. "What are you, Nathaniel?" she asked. "I mean the truth. What kind of a...being...are you?"
Nathaniel frowned. "You ask questions for which you already have the answers."
Jocelyn blanched.
He sighed then, wishing she didn't know so much. "I am someone who is going to give you your gun back and ask you, nicely, to please refrain from shooting me." He was teasing, hoping to set her mind back at ease. Then he carefully retrieved the gun from the rear waistband of his jeans and handed it back to her, the barrel facing away.
"Once again, I apologize—I didn't mean to frighten you with my answer. Perhaps I should have lied."
Jocelyn shook her head adamantly. "No, that's the last thing I want. For you to lie to me." She bit her lower lip and gestured with her hands. "If you're telling me the truth about what you are, then maybe you're telling me the truth about letting me go...right?" Her long eyelashes fluttered up and down as she appeared, once again, to be fighting back tears.
"Right," he said softly.
"Nathaniel?"
"Right!"
Nathaniel still couldn't understand why this woman believed he was a vampire. He certainly had not approached her with blood-red eyes or fangs. And even if he had startled her by taking her gun away so easily, vampire was hardly the logical conclusion. Hell, superhero should have come before mythical creature of the night.
And he knew he had not given her any reason to fear him, personally, because he honestly intended her no harm. It was hard to pick up on something that wasn't there.
He frowned. It would be a relief to get her back to town and remove her memories. Perhaps relieve some of her suffering. And the sooner the better.
He still wished he knew what had scared her so badly, but he wasn't going to ask. And he wasn't going to take the information from her mind without her consent.
"I am telling you the truth, Jocelyn." He spoke with as much conviction as he could. "About everything."
Jocelyn wiped her lower lashes with the pads of her thumbs, looking a bit embarrassed. "You promise?"
He was silent then, cautiously reviewing all the words he had spoken so far, wanting to be sure that he had, indeed, been completely honest in all of his statements.
"Yes, I promise."
"And you're really not going to hurt me?"
"I'm really not going to hurt you."
"And you'll let me go?"
"I will let you go."
She nodded and shrugged her shoulders, her full lips accentuating a breathtaking smile. "Then I'm counting on it, just so you know."
"And you have every reason to count on it," he said. "Just so you know." He chose his next words carefully: "You do understand, however, that I cannot allow you to...keep...the thoughts you are thinking. About me. About what you believe I am."
"About what I know you are," she corrected, looking him straight in the eyes. She froze then, clearly waiting for a response. When he didn't speak, she asked, "What will you do?" Despite her casual voice, her eyes betrayed her fear.
He gently lifted her chin. "Relax. I am not going to hurt you. I have already made you that promise."
The human nodded and closed her eyes, "You still haven't answered my question."
"It is not complicated, brave one," he assured her. "I will simply remove your memories. You will not recall this conversation or anything else that happened between us this night." He paused, wishing he could offer a better explanation. "You are an extremely intelligent woman, Jocelyn. You know very well that I cannot allow you to retain such information. But please don't be afraid. I promise; it won't hurt."
"Does it involve drinking blood?" she asked. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.
Nathaniel laughed then—he couldn't help himself. "Why in the world would erasing one's memories involve taking their blood? You do have an active imagination, don't you?"
Jocelyn frowned. "I guess this is all very amusing to you, isn't it? Maybe you should try standing in my shoes."
Nathaniel's heart warmed at her words. "You are right, of course. And I apologize, again. I suppose it is not very funny from your point of view. No, my dear lady, I have no intention of taking your blood. In fact, I won't even need to touch you."
Jocelyn tilted her head to the side and studied him for an extended moment before slowly exhaling a clear sigh of relief.
"I think I can live with that."
Nathaniel smiled. And then...very subtly...he checked her mind again, just to be sure that she was really starting to believe him. And there it was.
She expected him to let her go. He exhaled right along with her.
Although the human deeply disliked the idea of anyone messing around with her memories, she believed that his ability to do so was her saving grace: that if he had wanted to hurt her, he would have already done it. Now that she knew he could erase her memories, she realized that she posed no lasting threat. Like the first flicker of a candle igniting, a faint light began to gleam in her eyes. Trust was slowly awakening.
Without thinking, Nathaniel bent down and brushed a soft kiss on the top of her head, his touch as light as a butterfly's wing: a parent giving comfort to a frightened child.
"I am so glad to hear it." He sighed. "You must know by now that this world is a far better place with you in it. It is too bad we didn't m
eet each other under different circumstances.
I believe we would have been friends."
The woman blushed, her high cheekbones turning a faint, rosy red as she shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "I don't know how to respond to that," she whispered. "Thank you."
She looked up into his eyes—as if seeing him for the first time—and then quickly glanced away like a curious teenager who had been caught peeking.
Nathaniel smiled. He could hear the sudden increase in her heart rate, and a matching heat flushed over her skin. Only this time, her reaction wasn't motivated by fear. They walked in silence a-while longer before he cautiously made her an offer.
"You know, Jocelyn, whatever it is that frightened you earlier—whatever you saw before I showed up—I can remove that memory as well, if you like." He knew it was not entirely a selfless proposal.
Jocelyn stopped walking. "You would do that? For me?"
There was a slight catch in her voice.
"Of course."
"Hmm." She studied his eyes.
Nathaniel's long black hair fell forward as he bent to look at her. She was standing perfectly still, studying his face. She followed the sharp lines of his jaw and the hard angles of his cheekbones until their eyes finally locked in the darkness. And then, Nathaniel sensed an icy shiver sweep down her spine, and he knew exactly what she was thinking about: the fact that he was a vampire.
Nathaniel stood motionless, allowing her to simply take it all in. The power and presence of such an unfamiliar being. A separate species. The fear and the awe. As he tracked the fluctuations in her pulse, he wondered what it must be like—for a human—to come face to face with a vampire, the living creature of superstition and legend.
When she was finally done examining him, she blinked her eyes several times as if coming out of a trance...and she had completely forgotten his question.
"So, is that a yes?" he asked.
Jocelyn raised her eyebrows. "Huh?"
"On erasing the bad memories?"
She sighed and shook her head as her recognition came back. "Man, you have no idea how badly I wish I could let you do that, but I can't." Her voice was strong with conviction, her mind clearly made up. "Unfortunately, those are some bad memories I have to keep."
