Ella groaned and wondered if she had been run over. Her whole body ached and her neck burned. She whimpered at the growing pain there as she came to and blinked her world into focus. I’m in a hospital? Huh? How did I get here? I was just-

Ella tensed as she recalled traversing the dark living room of Deer-view house and seeing a creature sat against the front door. Seemingly weak and bleeding from his abdomen. Piercing golden eyes and shrouded in thick black fur. Humanoid, but far from human. Ella stared up at the clinical white ceiling and her blue eyes watered.

“…h…hello? I have the first aid kit. I can treat your wounds now.”

“Yes, you can.”

She sobbed and gripped her fists on top of the teal bed sheets. The creature had moved so quickly in the dark. Suddenly it wasn’t bleeding out and at death’s door, but stood behind her and holding her with superior strength. He was amused at his supremacy over her, and her stupidity at coming to his aid. She hard that in his voice. She slowly lifted her right hand up to touch her neck and hissed in pain. She wore bandages over where the thing bit her. Ella lifted both hands up when something caught her eye. She had an IV attached to the back of each hand. It stung as she moved her hands, so she lowered them.

What happened after that? Ella gingerly looked around the hospital room and saw she was in a room, not on the ward. Walls and a door hid her away from the other patients. Her monitor beeped periodically and she noticed that hung above her were several IV bags. By her right hung two clear bags. She could make out the label of one of them as saline. On her left she didn’t need to see a label to see what it was.

The colour was a dead give away.

I must have…lost a lot of blood…when it bit me. Ella inhaled sharply as she recalled the finality of his teeth cutting through her neck effortlessly. Sharp white hot pain wrapped across her neck in memory of the bite.

“Your blood offering will heal all my wounds. Thank you.”

Ella closed her blue eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. She waited for more flash backs, but none came. I can’t remember what happened after he bit me. Did I pass out? She looked around again and noticed an orange button on a wire placed on the bed by her right hand. It had the icon of a nurse on it, so she curled her fingers around it and pressed the button. How did I get here? Did the creature leave me on the floor to bleed out? Or was it interrupted? Should I be dead right now? Ella bit her lips together and closed her eyes. The woman on the phone told me not to go downstairs. I should have listened to her. I thought I was doing the right thing. He sounded hurt. She scoffed and looked to the ceiling bitterly. Oh he was hurt alright. He was definitely shot. He drank my blood to heal himself. Like a vampire?

She tried to marry up the monster she saw last night to her understanding for what a vampire was. Sexy immortal men and women with pale skin, arousing eyes and the ability to mingle with their prey. That’s what all the books and movies told her. Ella certainly hadn’t heard of a vampire covered in thick black fur, horns and a pair of rabbit ears, or yellow eyes. No that thing wasn’t a vampire. It looked more like a werewolf than a vampire, but they don’t drink blood.

Ella sniggered, and then winced at the pain that caused as it jarred her neck. Listen to me? Talking about vampires and werewolves like they are real. I must have hit my head as I fell too. Then again, her mind poked at her, if the thing that attacked her last night was real…then couldn’t other monsters be real too?

Ella did not like that thought.

“Miss Murphy!” She blinked towards the door, surprised it had opened without her noticing. “Oh Miss Murphy you’re alright. Thank God.” Aiden O’Hara bound over like an over excited puppy and hurried to pull a chair over to sit beside her. Ella turned her head on the pillow to look at him curiously. She looked him over and saw he was still in his police uniform. His jacket was discarded, the top two buttons were undone, and his shirt and trousers were really creased. He had clearly ran his hands back through his thick brown hair with how tousled it was, and his eyes looked blood shot. “I’m so glad you’re awake. I mean when I found you I thought-I mean. You’re okay.” He smiled with relief. Aiden braced his left hand on the railing of her hospital bed and he lowered the right one over it to hold the fingers of her right hand gently. “How are you feeling Miss Murphy?”

“Ella.” She croaked and her neck complained at the vibrations, but she had questions to ask. So she had to ignore her pain and press on. “What happened to me?”

“…wait…you don’t remember?” Aiden’s brown eyes blew wide and he shifted back from her an inch in the chair. “Erm…what’s the last thing you do remember? Do you remember talking to Dorris? Our receptionist at the GC police station?”

“If she’s the switch board lady, then yeah.” Ella’s head was really starting to pound and part of her wanted to ask him to go so she could sleep. Her desire for answers outweighed that need, for now. “I heard a scream and a gun shot.”

“Hunters.” Aiden was quick to answer her. “We have a lot of deer out this way.”

Ella blinked.

The police officer looked rather sheepish all of a sudden. His smile was strained, and Ella smelt a rat.

“…hunters?”

“Yeah.” Aiden exhaled and nodded firmly. “Those guys go out late some times. You probably heard one of them step in a trap. The guy was hurt and got separated from the group. It was him who came into your house bleeding.”

Ella blinked.

The police officer was lying to her face. She raised a brow and would have raised a brow, but her face hurt. Everything hurt. So she appeared to be passively accepting the BS he was laying at her feet. He rubbed his mouth and bread a couple of times as he obviously strung together in his head what yarn he was going to weave next. “He thought the place was empty. Especially as the door wasn’t locked.”

 “I thought I was going to die tonight. Then I saw you in here…and you left your door open for me.”   

Aiden saw her tense and gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze. “You need to always have your doors locked, alright? Whether you’re home or not, alright?”

“Yeah…I won’t make that mistake again.” Ella gulped, looking at Aiden, but in her mind, she saw those gleaming yellow gold eyes with black slits for pupils. It looked like a demon. It drank her blood like a vampire. It spoke like a person, but also howled like a beast.

“You don’t need to worry. I’ve arrested the guy who broke into your place for breaking and entering, and the assault.”

“Assault?” Ella narrowed her eyes on him.

“He didn’t expect you to be there so he attacked you with his hunting knife. You lost a lot of blood, but I got you to hospital all quick like.” Aiden nodded eagerly at her. “You just recover. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve spoken to Kathy, Katherine Morris, about getting you a bed in her B&B. You can go there as soon as you’re discharged.”

“What?” Ella couldn’t believe this guy. “Aiden, if I was attached by a guy who you’ve arrested, then once I’m recovered, I’m going back to Deer-view.” Your move jolly cave man.

“…n-no you shouldn’t do that.” He flustered and waved his hands at her in alarm.

“You got the guy, so I’m safe now right?”

“Well…yes.” He swallowed thickly, and Ella couldn’t believe his gall. He thinks I don’t remember the monster that attacked me, and he’s trying to cover it up. Which means he knows what it is. “But at night it’s not safe out there. Wild animals. Stray hunting parties. You should stay in town at night. I’ll make all the arrangements for you. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“Well that’s reassuring.” Ella grunted as she forced herself to sit up. Aiden immediately fussed over her, but she raised her hand to wave him off. “I’m fine. Since I don’t have to worry about anything, I’ll make sure to lock my doors in future.”

"Oh goo-wait what?!"