Chapter 3 | Hello Stranger

Raya

It’s hard to believe that this man- no not man, vampire, my father, the Arthur Locke, looks scared as he stares at the door, but makes no movement. A deep voice that sends a chill down my spine says, “Open the door if you know what’s good for you, Arthur.”

My eyes flicker from the door to Arthur, this vampire that I’ve known for only an hour and had seemed so strong now seems terrified to do something as simple as answering the door. But he breathes out and in a blink of an eye, he’s in front of the door and has his hand on the knob. He closes his eyes as if trying to regain his composure before opening the door.

A man steps across the threshold and my whole body tenses as I stare at the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. He’s gorgeous, but he also looks terrifying. I wouldn’t want to be on his shit list.

His long black hair is pulled back with a few strands framing his forehead, his clothes are name brand and refined he looks like he should be a business man, but the clothing can’t hide those strong muscles underneath that look like they’re about to burst out.

The man’s eyes flicker over to me, they’re red just like my father’s showing that he is a vampire, but they’re a darker shade than Arthur’s are. He is not the way I imagined vampires to look. I expected vampires to be like my father, tall, lanky, pale, and maybe have nice facial features but not much other than that.

The stranger doesn’t focus on me the way I do him. He doesn’t look at me and analyze every part of my body, it’s like he just wanted to see who was present before looking back at Arthur.

Meanwhile, I’m unable to tear my eyes away from him. His arm muscles seem to ripple with any movement he makes and I want to swoon just so I can feel them around me. He crosses his arms and leans against the door frame.

I blink out of my haze, refusing to miss out on whatever is going on just because I saw some hot guy. The man glowers at Arthur and his voice is low as he states, “You’ve been warned already, Arthur. You know what happens if you still haven’t achieved your goals.”

Arthur nods, “Yes, I know, I know, and I don’t have everything yet, b-” He isn’t able to finish his sentence before the new vampire takes a stalking step closer and I swear I hear a growl slip through his lips from his displeasure.

Honestly, if it weren’t for his red eyes, I would’ve thought that he was a werewolf with those muscles and animalistic nature.

Arthur stumbles back a step and then walks towards me, without moving his eyes from this guest, and he puts both hands on my shoulders before shoving me in front of him as he presents me to this stranger. He tells him, “I thought perhaps she could cover the debt. She is quite valuable.”

The stranger narrows his eyes at my father and then to me. I try not to shake under his gaze because although he is gorgeous, he terrifies me more than I want to admit. He takes a step towards me, head tilted to the side, and he grabs my hand and states, “She’s not one of us.”

I don’t know if I should say anything. I don’t know what he will do with me if he does indeed take me away. Is it a good thing that I’m not like them or will that cause them to kill me?

A small part of me wishes to speak and I decide to trust my gut and I force myself to sound steady as I say, “I’m half vampire.”

His eyes flicker to me and then he looks back at my father and states, “We’ll be in touch.”

For the second time tonight, I’m pulled into a strangers arms, and all I can feel is the wind on my face as they run off with me.

I had no time to say anything to my newfound father, we’re moving faster than I did with Arthur, the wind against my face is so hard it stings. I’m unable to see anything, but blurs of our surroundings. When we suddenly stop, I lurch forward in his arms, scared that I may fall, but then I’m dropped harshly on the ground.

As my butt collides with the rough surface, I grunt, I want to yell at the man for being a brute with the way he dropped me. But I bite my tongue, literally. I know better than to raise my voice with an unknown vampire in this unknown world I’ve been thrusted into.

I can’t act out based on my emotions, I need to keep a level head.

I look up at the giant castle in front of me. I’m so close to the front of it that I can’t even see how high up it goes or how long it stretches out for. Where the hell are we?

Surely, I would’ve heard of this kind of castle if it were close to home.

Footsteps echo as the vampire walks inside the castle and into the main foyer. I watch his retreating figure, but I don’t move, honestly too scared to do so.

He doesn’t even look back at me as he tells me, “Come along, pet.”

I grind my teeth together, filled with anger over the way he is treating me. But I know what just happened. I was given to him as if my own life means nothing. As if my father had some right to me as a person and what happens to me.

I am nothing more than a ‘pet’. I push myself to my feet and wipe the dirt from my clothes as I follow this new vampire inside his castle.