• Prologue


    The vampire stared at me, his eyes full of fear. He was finally a broken man.
    “Please,” he said, taking my hand in both of his “I don’t want to do this anymore.” I sighed
    “I want to help you, Jaydon.” I said “I really do, I’m just not sure how.” With a low sigh, Jaydon dropped my hand and suddenly, his muscles gave out and he slumped to the floor. When he looked back up at me, his eyes were full of tears.
    “Please.” He begged, his hands going etherised of my waist as he tried to grab onto something. Something human. “Help me.” I could feel him quivering.
    “Jaydon-“
    “You don’t understand what its like.” He gasped, “You don’t know how many innocent people I have murdered just so my thirst could be quenched. Oh god, you don’t know how good their blood tastes! I don’t won’t to do this, but I’m… I’m just so goddamn thirsty!” his hands slipped from my waist as his body went limp, his head hanging.
    I was desperate to help him, to make him better. But I couldn’t do this until I knew what to do. If he could only tell me what to do then…
    My thoughts trailed away as I realized how quiet Jaydon Had suddenly become. I stared down at his limp body, but could not see his face as it was drooped towards the floor.
    “Jaydon?” I muttered hastily. The vampire didn’t answer at first, but as soon as he spoke, I regretted it. I should of got out there and then.
    “You know,” he murmured “It doesn’t have to be so complex. I could end my thirst right here and now.” His voice was guttural and strained. Just then, he drooped his head back to face the sky and with his eyes closed, he inhaled deeply. When his eyes opened again, I understood. I took a small step back, stiffening a gasp. The two black holes that were now his eyes, flicked to me. “You probably don’t know it, but your blood is smelling particularly delicious this-evening.”
    “Its just because your thirsty.” I said quickly, trying to hide the quiver in my voice. “It’s going to be ok, you can beat this.” The vampire frowned
    “Why? You… You think I want to stop?”
    “You don’t but you need to. I need you to.” The vampire chuckled darkly
    “Well, that’s not really your decision to make, is it now?” again he closed his eyes, and
    Inhaled slowly. When his eyes opened, they were laughing.
    “Your frightened” the vampire muttered, an all too familiar smile crossing his face. “Do you know why I give chase before I make my kill?” he asked, slowly getting to his feet “Hm? It’s because it makes them scared, and fear sweetens the blood. The victim isn’t half as tasty if the fear doesn’t get to them. Its all to do with the bloody process.” He paused, a leer spreading over his lips “And look at you. Your so scared your shaking.” He was slowly creeping closer, always retaining eye contact, so that I was forced to stare into the two terrible voids that were his eyes. I tried to move, but I was more or less frozen to the spot.
    “J-Jaydon” I stammered, my breathing accelerating every time he took a step closer. “Stop this. Its not you!”
    “Not me?” he faulted “I couldn’t be more me even if I wanted to. I’m all vampire, baby.” His face was inches away now “So you better get used to it.” he whispered. From this all-too-close angle, I could see the fangs that were extending inside of his mouth, terribly sharp, and too close for comfort.
    …Who was I kidding? He’s was vampire. When was it ever going to be comfortable?
    I took a step back and instantly found my back up against the wall. I hadn’t realized, it was too late to escape now, he had me cornered. Suddenly, Jaydon’s hands were either side of my head, so he was braced against the wall, as he leaned in toward me, his face inches from mine.
    “Iv always wondered what your blood would taste like.” He murmured “Its going to be nice though, since your scared s**t-less.” He chuckled darkly.
    “Jaydon!” I hissed, trying to come to my senses, trying to retain my strength. It would be all too easy just to give in to him. “Stop this!” I tried to push out of his way, but he would not budge. He was smiling, but it suddenly disappeared once his eyes zoned in on my neck.
    “My…” he muttered, running his tongue over his lips “That’s a nice vein you have there.” My breath caught. Crap. “The perfect shade…I’m glad you never smoked, otherwise you would have ruined this for me.” He chuckled lightly.
    “Well,” I said, my voice shaking “Maybe I’ll think about taking it up.” Jadon smiled, shaking his head.
    “Its too late now.” His eyes flashed back to my vein. “I can…” he swallowed “I can see the blood…pulsing, through it.” Suddenly his fangs were out as he zoned in on my neck.
    Forcing myself to calm down before I could be killed, I took his distraction as an opportunity. I placed my hands on his chest, and then kicked his leg as hard as I could. The vampire grunted and frowned as he glanced down. Then, I quickly pushed on his chest with all the strength i could muster and threw him away from me.
    The vampire stumbled back, looking bewildered as his eyes snapped back to pupil and iris.
    “That was damn close!” I cried, bracing myself against the wall as I tried to breath evenly.
    Jaydon stared at me, his eyes wide.
    “Was I… Did I almost…” he stammered
    “Yes!” I yelled, “You ******** almost got me! Geez. Do you have no self-control?” He was breathing fast, his eyes flicking from place to place.
    “Damn it!” he roared suddenly, kicking the wall so hard that it made a crumpled dent where he had hit it. “You need to stay away from me!”
    “Its fine.” I said, regaining a little clam.
    “No!” he roared, “it is not ‘fine’. You don’t realize how much danger you put yourself in when you’re around me.”
    “Well,” I said weakly “I managed to stop you that time.”
    “Yeah, that time,” the vampire, muttered, “How many more times will there be if you stay with me? One of these days, you’re not going to be able to stop me, and I won’t be able to live with myself if I do anything to you. Particularly you.”
    “Its fine.” I said evenly. “I can cope.”
    “Your insane!” Jadon spat, beginning to pace about the room. I didn’t reply, only watched as he breathed heavily, pacing endlessly. After a couple of minuets, he came to a standstill. “Alright,” he said after a moment, folding his arms “if your going to do this, your going to have to learn how to get out of those situations when they arrive.”
    I didn’t fail to notice that he used the word ‘when’ not ‘if’. I hesitated
    “Yeah, but… You never know what you’re doing, you couldn’t possibly know how to teach me.” He shook his head
    “I’m not going to teach you, it would be too risky. I do, however, know someone who can help.”

    ...


    Jayden took me to an office block, six floors off the ground and guided me down a corridor, at the end of which, was a door marked ‘235 Marc Daniels’. Jaydon glanced down at me.
    “Wait out here.” He muttered “I’ll come and get you in a moment.” I nodded, and giving me a brief smile, the vampire knocked on the door, and then entered, closing it behind him.
    I waited for about ten minuets, in which I heard laugher, and what sounded like furniture being moved. Then finally, the door swung open and Jaydon gestured for me to come in. I walked in cautiously, checking my surroundings as I entered. It was indeed an office, with a huge window looking out on the city, but all the furniture that had probably once been orderly, was now moved to the side so that there was a big open space.
    There was a large, muscular man over by the window, with his back to me as he pulled the blind down. When he turned around, he had a smile on his face. He was bald and reminded me more of an army officer than anything else, but his face was warm and inviting.
    “Samantha?” he asked, walking across the room to me. I nodded hesitantly. He chuckled “Don’t worry, I don’t bite. Not like Jaydon anyway.” He nudged the vampire as he came up to me. I glanced over at Jaydon, who only smiled.
    “He’s human.” The vampire encouraged. I smiled and turned back to the man.
    “Marc Daniels.” He said, sticking out a big hand. I shook it, his palm wrapping round mine. “Now,” he said, his features becoming serious “I hear you want to stay with Jaydon, I hope you realize what a big risk your taking.” I nodded.
    “I want to help him” I said. He turned to the vampire
    “And she’s good at it?”
    “Oh yes,” Jaydon said, nodding “She’s very good at helping me, just… not herself.”
    “I see.” Marc muttered. He glanced at me “And you need help on how to fight off the old sod every now and again?” I nodded. “Alright.” He said, walking over to the other side of the room, cracking his knuckles as he went. “I’m going to demonstrate how to fend him off, if a situation… like the one earlier, were to arise. Now, if you could go and stand by the opposing wall, you need to be as far away from us as possible.”
    Walking over, I pressed my back against the wall and waited, as I watched Jadon stand opposite Marc.
    “And,” marc added, “if you please, no talking and breathe as slowly as possible… or not at all if you can manage it.” Jaydon looked over his shoulder at me and smiled warmly
    “Its alright,” he said “nothing bad will happen. Marc’s a professional.”
    “And it’s a good job to. There aren’t many people around who would risk their lives like this.” I nodded weakly as I watched helplessly from my place. Jaydon turned back to face Marc
    “You ready?” he asked.
    “Always.” Marc replied, sending a wink in my direction. Calming myself down, I breathed as slowly as possible, striving to make myself stop shaking. As I watched, Marc slowly removed a penknife from his pocket and flicked out the knife and made a small slash across his palm. Blood seeped from it. I couldn’t see Jadon’s eyes from this angle, but I could see his posture had changed and knew that the predator had taken over.