“Jeez, relax,” Zain said, perturbed. “I need to talk to you about something.”

My mind jumped to that utility closet.

“Not like that—! Look...” He made a calm gesture down a small hallway. I followed, and he took a small, slow breath.

“Look,” he said again, his voice surprisingly patient. “Neither of us want the situation we’re in. I get that. But what’s happened happened, there’s no going back on that.”

I waited, not really sure where he was going. He began to grow slightly...flustered?

“I’ve been patient--gave you enough time to get used to things, and it’s been almost a month now, you can’t really refuse…” He seemed to be struggling to find the right words, until finally he just sighed in defeat. “Look...I’m at my limit. I need your blood.”

“My—?!” A chill ran through my body as I tensed; I hadn’t yet processed that this was something I was going to be expected to do.

He looked just as uncomfortable as I did. “Look, if I had any choice it definitely wouldn’t be you.” Something stung as he said that. “At least I’m giving you a warning, I could just make you if I wanted to. But I need it. If I don’t—”

“Okay.”

He stopped in his tracks, completely surprised. “What?”

I took a breath, trying to calm my heart with resolution. “Okay. I understand. Just...tell me what I need to do.”

He looked skeptical, and then relieved. He approached me quickly, and my heart rate shot up same time as that electric pulling intensified. He grabbed my shoulders awkwardly.

“Just hold still,” he said, leaning into my neck. I saw his fangs as he drew in close and could feel his breath-

“Wait!” I squeaked, suddenly very scared.

“What now?” he grumbled irritably.

I swallowed, my head swimming and trying not to think about those fangs. “Does...does it have to be my neck?”

“I’m starving,” he responded. “You expect me to get what I need from just your tiny veins?”

The imagery of how much blood was going to be involved was already beginning to make me dizzy. I abandoned my argument and tried to take another calming breath. “Fine, just get it over with, please?” I said, squeezing my eyes shut.

“With pleasure,” I heard him mutter, and then felt him bite my neck.

It stung, less than the last time but it still hurt a lot. I hissed through my teeth as I felt his fangs pierce through my skin. My nerves all came alive with sensitivity; I could feel every pulse in my body, every direction my blood flowed, the throbbing pain from the new wound in my neck. It was as if time had slowed down, making these tiny seconds feel like minutes.

Then I felt those fangs withdraw, and for a fleeting, hopeful moment, I thought it was done, that it was over with. I was so wrong. I let my guard down at the worst possible moment, as, instead of leaving, I felt his mouth close around the wound and began sucking.

My gag reflex kicked in.

Jeez, stop that or you’ll make me sick.

“I can’t help it, I—”

Don’t like blood, I remember. Another wave of nausea as I felt that word in my head. Just...think of something else.

You think of something else, I retorted back.

Alright, fine.

And suddenly I was standing in an open, grassy field field with a tall apple tree in springtime floral. The sweet, familiar scent of flowers drifted in the breeze that gently grazed my face, rustling the grass in a pleasing wave of green. I gawked. What just happened? Did I pass out? Am I dreaming?

You WISH you could dream this, I heard his smug voice say.

“How are you doing this?” I asked, my voice echoing all around this new space.

I see you weren’t paying much attention to your class today, as you would know if you had.

I crossed my arms; I tried to retain as much as I could!

“And let me guess; you’re not going to tell me because you’re a massive jerk?”

Correct. And then a short pause. HEY. Watch yourself.

“YOU watch yourself,” I replied childishly.

You realize I could easily kill you right now, right?

“But you’re not going to, because then you’d die too.”

Fuck you.

“Fuck you! And let me out of here!”

The calming field grew stormy and the apple tree began to bleed. The nausea came flooding back.

Do you REALLY want to go back?

I tried to close my eyes but couldn’t. “No, wait, stop that, I’m sorry!” I started to feel dizzy, my breath was becoming faint. The tree and the grass began to wilt and die right before my eyes and suddenly I felt danger. Like something bad was waiting for us, watching us. It had always been watching, waiting for the chance to strike. Waiting for the chance to kill. I don’t want to die. The edges of this place was fading away to black, creeping slowly and then quickly. Something is wrong.

The dream world snapped away just before the darkness closed around me. I heard Zain shout something in a panic, and the last thing I saw was his scared red eyes and my blood on his lips.

Darkness surrounded me. A darkness full of pain and fear. Something was chasing me, had been chasing me, and now I was in a box, a cage. A room too large in a place too foreign. Everything was hot. Everything was cold. Everything was nothing and everything at once. I felt so alone, in such an empty place the air was thin and suffocating me. I don’t want to be alone. Don’t leave me alone, please, don’t leave me by myself…

“I’m not leaving,” a soft, warm voice whispered, and the nothing became a blanket. The hot cooled; the cold lessened. The space grew cozy. I felt a soothing hand. A comforting presence. I wanted to cry. I wanted my mom. I wanted someone--this voice. I wanted this voice to tell me I’m okay, that things will be okay. That someone cared.

“It’ll be okay,” the voice continued in the haze, almost as if in response. “I’m right here, don’t worry. You’ll be okay. Just rest a little more…”

“Who are you?” I whispered longingly into the darkness. The fog began to clear, and I fell back asleep.

I woke up feeling hot and feverish. My whole body ached, like I had just tried to run a marathon but passed out halfway. Which meant I wasn’t dead. Cool. With a groan I rolled to my side, feeling extremely thirsty.

And then sat up immediately with a start.

“Good, you’re awake,” Zain said almost casually, the glow of the moon reflecting around his silhouette while he stood leaning against the window frame to the balcony of my room.

“How did you get in here?” I blurted immediately, the sudden movement making me lightheaded for a moment.

He gave me a raised eyebrow. “Do you seriously think I can’t get into anywhere I want?”

I swallowed, remembering now that this was the leader of the castle, the Lord of vampires. No door would have any business being locked to him. And then the aching pain in my neck made itself known, and with it came the memory. I flinched as it throbbed, putting my hand to the spot but somewhat surprised to find no welt or indentions.

“What...happened?” I asked quietly, feeling confused.

He looked away irritably and sheepishly, the struggle of guilt on his face as he tried to find his words. “Look, I...might have gotten carried away, feeding from you, and lost control of myself. I didn’t mean to do that to you.”

I just listened, baffled by his behavior and wondering if he was actually going to…

“But you shouldn’t have been provoking me,” he finally growled, turning all the way away. There it is. I knew it was too good to be true.

“You said it yourself,” I spoke up quietly. “I don’t like this anymore than you do.”

An awkward, frustrated silence fell between us, but in its place I think we both understood we needed a truce. He sighed.

“I can’t put myself in that situation again,” he began, his voice taking on the same calm professionalism as he had in the meeting a few days ago. “I’m going to need to feed from you at least once a week, from now on.”

“Once a--?! But they said it was every other week!”

“At minimum,” he corrected, but also somewhat surprised. “Crucial detail there. Besides, our situation is different. I have a castle to run, an entire species to protect.” An almost somber tone filled his voice. “Everyone is going to look to me for strength and protection. They’re already concerned I didn’t take the Bride I was supposed to, a Bride they knew would give me the strength I need. I need to show them that nothing has changed in that regard.” He looked back at me, his eyes narrowed again in frustration...but behind that layer I saw it in his eyes. That fear I saw, the fear I felt, in the illusion world he created.

“I need your cooperation,” he growled, and then I heard it, too. The ever so slight tremble in his voice. Something was wrong.

I felt my throat tightened a little bit before making myself speak next. “Zain...what’s going on?”

He was caught completely off guard, whether it was from my using his name or the worry in my voice, or the fact that I knew something was up, I didn’t know. But his reaction confirmed my feelings; something beyond the worry of current events was happening.

“I…” he became slightly flustered, unable to find the right words, and then became frustrated and angry. “It’s none of your business,” he finally snapped after some stuttering, and then before I could say another word he was out the window and gone.

“This isn’t my fault you know,” I muttered, bitterly, as a he left behind a wave of blame.