A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
I will be uncovering more and more background as the story goes on…
Chapter 3: Date
Vlad felt like the world was crushing him, if he was a breather he knew he wouldn't have been able to breath and his heart would be racing. He felt light headed and his stomach was churning. He'd only ever seen that expression once on her face when she'd been scared when he'd lost his temper at her that first time, although it had been more hurt than anger when he'd found out she'd 'slain' a vampire.
Erin was completely confused as she looked at the attractive young man in front of her, he looked the same age as her but with his kind looks could be deceiving. He was an intimidating sight dressed in black leather, parts of his jacket were torn and his hair fell into his eyes
She didn't know him; how he knew her name she didn't know. He was a handsome young man; compassion laced his eyes and love. She wasn't used to seeing love on anyone's face, especially not love directed at her.
She didn't want him to touch her; she didn't like strangers touching her. The way he touched her with familiarity and affection scared her. No one touched her that way.
She looked at his fangs; they were still extended from the battle. Erin's eyes traced the four, white sharp points.
"Bite me and get it over with." Erin whispered exposing her neck to him. Vlad stepped backwards, stumbling slightly shaking his head. He forced his fangs upwards, forcing the urge to gag as they vanished.
"Erin this isn't funny." Vlad told her firmly, searching her eyes for any sign that she was playing a prank on him. That this was some kind of joke.
She trembled in front of him and he moved instinctively towards her. Erin jerked her head backwards, hitting the panelled wall. Vlad reached out to touch her.
"Don't touch me!" She shouted. Erin's eyes were fierce as she looked at him. "I don't know you."
Vlad drew in a breath, something he hadn't done for years. "It's me Vlad." He spoke slowly, pleading and praying for her to remember him.
"Vlad you're scaring her." Ingrid told him gently.
Vlad realised that Ingrid as right and Vlad stepped backwards, placing enough distance between him and Erin.
He watched as she relaxed, the nausea in his stomach tripling.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Erin looked around at the group, they were all clearly vampires but the youngest seemed to know more about her than she realised.
Her eyes darted around looking for her brother; then she remembered he was still in the boot of her car. She couldn't risk mentioning him for his own safety and hers.
Erin watched the family nervously. She searched her dress for her stasis spray. Her fingers toying with the silk dress. Erin had never felt anything so fine and delicate. She shook her head thinking back to searching for her spray, it would mean her death if they found out about her. She couldn't find it; she could only hope that it wouldn't wear off for a while yet.
"How did I get here?" She asked them quietly, the last thing she remembered was driving through Stokely, she'd never seen this place before.
"You live here." The handsome dark haired on that had touched her earlier spoke gently, this time he was keeping his distance from her. Erin felt an unexplained pull towards him and that terrified her.
Erin shook her head, she didn't live here. She lived with her twin brother right up until that female vampire in front of her bit him. Anger filled her and she wanted her revenge, she must be his sister. They were Draculas. The Draculas were the most feared of the vampires because of the Chosen One. The Chosen One was to be slain but she didn't care about that she cared about curing her brother.
"Erin you're safe here." His words contrasted the scene of chaos around them and Vlad knew his words did little to reassure her about that fact.
Her eyes darted around the room, not focussing on something for more than a few seconds.
She honestly didn't have a clue where she was or who they were.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
The Count looked across to Vlad's Consort, he'd never seen Erin so fragile. She was usually strong around them; she could give the Council what for. "They mind wiped her." He answered. It would only take one glance to trap her in their gaze and bend her to their will.
It was one thing they'd never thought to train her in, hypnotic defence, as Vlad couldn't hypnotise her. Now they realised that had been a mistake.
Ingrid looked back towards the young woman across the hall. She was glancing around the room; traitorous tears were making their way down her face even though they could tell that she was fighting them.
"It's a simple hypnotic mind wipe." She told her brother quietly. "You can undo that." He'd undone them before.
Ingrid had forgotten one thing.
"I can't undo it!" Vlad told Ingrid fiercely, this is why the vampires had done it. Only he was powerful enough to undo another person's mind wipe except there was a problem with that – he couldn't hypnotise someone he was in love with. "They made sure it wouldn't be undone when he committed suicide!" When the vampire had sacrificed himself, he'd made sure that the only other person who could undo the wipe was out of the picture.
"I knew your 'feelings' would get the better of you." Bertrand hissed at him, this was why vampires didn't 'feel' anything.
Vlad's eyes blackened, his voice lowering until it boomed around the room. "My feelings saved your life nine years ago traitor, don't forget that." That's when Bertrand had tried to betray him again. "And Erin was the one who saved you that time." It was Vlad's feelings for Erin that allowed Bertrand to live. "Believe me next time you'll be dust." He wasn't going to accept betrayal again from his former mentor.
Vlad hated bringing up the past but sometimes it was the only thing that reminded Bertrand of his place.
Bertrand nodded stiffly; he was out of place with that remark. He always knew the slayer girl would be Vlad's undoing.
"The went after her because they know what she means to me." Vlad told them, he'd never made it a secret how he felt about Erin and he'd never wanted to.
He'd dodged the courtships thrown his way, pulling every trick in the book before they'd settled on Erin.
"They know how much I need her."
The gravity of his words left them in complete silence.
Vlad did need Erin in every way possible; she was the only person who kept him grounded in his position. She provided a sounding board and the only one who wasn't afraid to knock sense into him.
They ruled together, neither had a higher position than the other and that's why the vampire nation flourished.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Minutes ticked by in silence, no one wanted to risk scaring the young woman further. They were trying to give Erin time to adjust but it didn't seem to be working.
"Maybe its just a delayed reaction." Ingrid told her brother being optimistic. "She'll remember in a few minutes."
Vlad raised his eyebrows, somehow he doubted it. He glanced back at Erin she seemed to study her surroundings and calm down a little more but she didn't have a clue where she was.
The Count pointed across to Erin, he enjoyed putting a damper on Ingrid's ideas but this time there was no pleasure in it. "I don't think its working."
Ingrid held back a hiss of anger at her father's comment. It had been a valid suggestion.
"How far back can't she remember?" Bertrand wondered softly, "Does she know about her brother?"
"I can't exactly ask her can I?" Vlad snapped angrily at him.
Ingrid tipped her head to one side. "Maybe you can…" She trailed off.
Vlad always felt his stomach churning whenever Ingrid had an idea, usually they didn't turn out well for any of them and that hadn't changed in a decade.
He chased after his sister as she glided along the floor towards Erin.
Erin jumped as she saw the older Dracula sibling move towards her. This time there were no fangs so she didn't think they meant her any harm but with vampires there was no way to tell.
Ingrid lowered herself in front of Erin, maintaining a respectable distance so not to invade her personal space. Invading Erin's personal space could spell more disaster.
They needed t be careful how they handled this, Erin was a former slayer. She could snap if she thought she was in danger.
"Erin what's the date?" Ingrid asked her quietly. Erin looked at the female vampire in front of her, it didn't seem like a trick question
"30th October 2011." Erin answered automatically; she wasn't the least bit uncertain. She remembered it clearly.
Vlad's eyes filled with pure pain as Ingrid gasped out. "The day before she met you." Erin didn't meet Vlad until the Hallowe'en of that year, she hadn't even met Ingrid until the day after either.
The vampire had erased her mind to the day before she'd met him. Someone had been determined to make Erin forget about everything from the day her life had changed forever.
"Vlad?" She asked quietly, Vlad's eyes lit up in hope. She'd remembered his name, maybe her memory was returning slowly and she was too strong for it to take effect.
She looked at Vlad; the youngest vampire didn't seem to want to harm her but scared her at the same time. He seemed to be the one most distressed out of the vampires. "Who are you to me?"
Vlad's eyes dropped as he felt tears burning their way forward. He stretched out a hand towards her necklace; she looked down at the crest. "Your husband."
TBC
A/N: Thanks for reading.
