Hello all,
Sorry for the lengthy delay on the Dracula story. Here is the next chapter, enjoy.
It was not until mid-day that Lecura awoke again and rubbed the back of her head. What had happened? She had been speaking to a man named Vlad and trying to leave when everything went black. Had she fainted? She blushed at the thought of fainting like a delicate flower in front of her rescuer, then rose from her bed. She sat for a moment taking further notice of her injuries, it was mostly light cuts and bruises but she felt better. Her right side was the worst of her injuries, and pained her but was also alittle better. Holding her side she moved to the door to find it locked, so she knocked. "Hello?Please someone let me out! Hello?!"
No response came as Lecura grew a little worried over this situation, suddenly she no longer felt like a guest but a prisoner. She tried the door a few more times, then looked about her room for another exit. There was a small window with shudders, quickly moving to the window she swung open the shudders and looked out. The veiw was lovely, mostly it was tree tops she saw with a peek of the sun over the top. Sadly the window was a bit small to get through and she was a little too high up even if she could get through. Judging by the view she was in some kind of Manor house, so maybe she was not far from the clearing. Finding no other way out of the room she began pacing and worrying over her uncle and fellow hunters. She barely noticed the suns decent until she heard the jangle of keys and Vlad entering her room. A servant followed him in with a tray of food. "Good evening Lecura. I hope you slept well and have since calmed down."
"What happened?! I was trying to leave when-"
"You fainted or collapsed from exhaustion. A result of your injures perhaps, either way you gave us quite the scare." Vlad interupted, and Lecura blushed out of embarrassment at fainting. Then she decided to change the subject when the servant had set the food down and left the room.
"Why did you lock me in this room?! You had no right to keep me prisoner!" In that moment his jaw clenched and he looked agitated by her defiant behavior.
"I had business elsewhere, and I was not about to leave you unattended. Nor was I going to allow an injured woman to leave the safety of my home and brave the wilds alone! You may view yourself as my prisoner, but my honour would not allow such a wilful woman to come to harm! You will stay here until I am satisfied you have completely healed and not a moment before!" Something about him frightened her in that moment and she took a step back scared of the change in his demeanor. A strange response for her, very few things ever trully frightened her. Vlad must have seen the fearful response for he calmed down and slowly came towards her. Immediately she backed away more with the man following her until she found herself pressed to the wall. "Forgive me I did not mean to frighten you. I am ill used to a woman being so outspoken, and did not mean to speak so harshly."
It took her a moment to find her voice as she swallowed hard to try and form words. Her own instincts telling her to be careful with him. "I am sorry as well, I did not mean to sound ungrateful for your help. I forget that I am allowed more freedoms with my uncle, then in normal society. I forget how to hold my tongue and act like a lady at times."
"Your uncle?"
"Professor Abraham Van Helsing, he is a doctor and hunter of monsters. I am his ad- niece." Lecura answered deciding not to say she was 'adopted'. Better he think Van Helsing her actual uncle. However right then none of that hardly mattered as she noticed the close proximity of Vlad as he came to stand before her, a little too close. As always Lecura did not like it when men got so close. However she swallowed the fear down not wanting to provoke him, so she did not move from where she was pressed to the wall.
"Strange for such an knowledgeable man not to have you brought up as a proper lady." Vlad noted.
"I have no desire to be a proper lady. I care nothing for dresses or tea parties, and even less so for being made to hold my tongue and not speak my mind. It is a cage with pretty wrappings in my eyes. Besides being a lady has no place in my profession, sir." Lecura said swallowing hard hoping the underlying message was clear. The more they spoke the closer he got, it was an invasion of personal space. Her breathe caught as he touched her cheek and ran his fingertips down her cheek and over her throat.
"Perhaps you would enjoy it under the right circumstances." Vlad suggested as he leaned in to close the distance between them. It was then he touched her side and she winced, Vlad stopped just shy of kissing her when he realised she was in pain. It did not take long to figure out it was her side, and he was reminded of the horrible bruise that the servants had tended to.
"It is nothing." Lecura tried to say as he looked down at her side.
"You are lucky not to have suffered broken ribs, do not tell me it is nothing." Vlad said annoyed again as he looked up at her. "As a lady such injuries are inexcusable."
"As a vampire hunter they are an occupational hazard, and I am a vampire hunter." Lecura replied firmly, her tone suggesting that she was taking offence. "Besides I have had worse injuries. Now if I could have my clothes back please. I could be on my way."
"No, you can not. Your are still injured." Vlad replied firmly.
"I have to go and find my uncle and friends." Lecura replied through gritted teeth, her lovely eyes sparkling with anger. Quickly she squeezed out from between the wall and him and moved for the door. Vlad was quicker then she thought for she only took a few steps and then was scooped up into his arms. She gave a soft gasp as she looked up at Vlad shocked, then tried to get out of his arms. "Vlad what are you doing?! I can walk just fine, put me down."
The man looked down at her and for some reason the desire to leave his arms died out like water being thrown on a flame. Instead she just stared up at him as he carried her over to the bed and laid her down on it. "Stay. Do not move from that spot."
Lecura could only nod as Vlad left the room, leaving her with her thoughts. 'What the hell was that? Where did my spine go? And who the hell does he think he is bossing me around like I belong to him? I should put him in his place for all that. First for invading my personal space, second for picking me up and lastly for bossing me around!' As much as she wanted to get up and tell him off something made her stay where she was, then he returned carrying a water basin, and kettle of hot water. Sitting down next to her he chuckled at the look on her face. She was angry at him for telling her what to do, but right then she looked more like an angry kitten then anything. "What is so funny?!"
Vlad knew better then to tell her she looked like an angry kitten, so he chose a less rude answer. "I was just wondering if others have rescued you before and if they had received this many glares."
"Only when they insist I stay longer then I wish." Lecura answered coolly. During the course of the conversation Vlad poured some cold water from the pitcher into the basin then a packet of ground herbs, followed by hot water. However what he did next made her gasp as he took and pushed up the night dress some to expose her legs where some of the bandages were and began to look them over. One of the bandages on her left thigh was bleeding through the bandage, and it was this one he removed to clean. "Vlad-"
"Relax." He interrupted as he dipped a cloth into the basin and squeezed out the excess water then ran it gently over her injured thigh. "Are you always so nervous and jumpy?"
"Are you always so forward with women?" Lecura countered.
"I will answer only if you do." Vlad teased as he dipped the cloth into the basin again, squeezed out the excess water then laid it over her leg.
"You first." Lecura teased back.
"Oh very well. You are my guest and you are injured so I take it upon myself to look after my guests. Especially beautiful young maidens unconscious in the woods." Vlad answered making her shiver. "Your turn. You seem frightened."
"I am not used to men being this close to me, not even my friends. I get uncomfortable when someone is this close."
"I do not mean to make you uncomfortable. Why does this cause you discomfort?" Vlad asked, his voice was soft as silk and so lovely to hear. Normally she did not like to talk of her past to anyone, but she felt a distinct need tell him anything in that moment.
"For starters we only just met, and it reminds me of before. Once I lived on a small farm far away with my father and mother. We were happy for so long even with so little we had. Then they came..." Lecura trailed off and for a brief moment she wondered why she was telling a man she barely knew her secrets.
"Who came?" Vlad asked his voice still so seductive.
"Vampires." Lecura shuddered at the memory, but kept talking. "A group of them came in the night. My father died outside trying to fend them off as my mother hid me beneath the floor boards. They came inside and I could see everything hear everything. I wanted to close my eyes and cover my ears, but was so scared to uncover my mouth lest they hear me crying. Before dawn they were gone and I was orphaned."
"I am sorry." Vlad looked down at her horrified, of all the secrets he was hoping to pry from her, the death of her parents was not what he expected. His mouth suddenly went dry as a bone, he then remembered where he was and what he was doing as he moved the wet cloth over her leg. It took him a couple moments but he was able to change the subject. "You said you had lived far from here, where exactly?"
"England." Lecura answered softly looking down and away.
"That is far away. What brought you so far from your homeland?" Vlad asked as he continued to slowly tend to her injuries.
"We came to save a girl from becoming Dracula's slave. A prophet told us of a girl that Dracula would want, supposedly Dracula's downfall. Rubbish I know, but the thought of some poor hapless girl being a slave to that monster got me to urge my uncle into action. So we came not to fight Dracula but to get the girl to safety. Though the chance to destroy that monster Dracula... long have I dreamt of facing him and driving a blade through his black heart." Lecura said calmly. 'Oh sweet irony.' Dracula thought ruefully, 'So she and her uncle did not come to fight, but to save the girl. Joke is on her then.'
"You should not wish to face Dracula." Vlad replied carefully.
"Let me guess because he is too powerful? Because he would kill me?" Lecura scoffed.
"No not kill you, though for him it would be easy. No I fear he would use his powers on you." Vlad replied carefully.
"You fear he would charm or compel me?" Lecura asked.
"How much do you know of Dracula?"
"Very little, only his name and that he is a master vampire. Hunters are only able to guess at his powers." Lecura replied. "He is faster and stronger then all others, but also has other powers. Some say the master takes the form of bats and wolves. Others say he can hear a humans thoughts know their heart. However most of all, all hunters are taught never to look into a vampire's eyes especially his. Any noble vampire can take control of a person via the windows to the soul, but he can do so much more. Supposedly he can rob a persons free will bind them for the rest of their lives as slaves to the his will."
"That is ridiculous."Vlad laughed forgetting himself, then coughed. "I am afraid you have some misconceptions of what he can do. Dracula can not bind a person to him as a slave forever, or at least I never heard of him being able to."
"Either way he is a monster that needs to be destroyed." Lecura answered as she avoided looking up at Vlad. There was something strange about him and something told her to be careful around him. Therefore she did not see the look he gave her, but instead he resumed tending her injury. "Where am I?"
The question caused Vlad to look up at Lecura. "My home." He answered simply.
"And where is your home?" Lecura asked wanting a more direct answer. "Are you a lord? Your home looks like a manor."
"Yes I am." Vlad replied unsure of how much to say without tipping her off to just who he was.
"Really? You do not act like some pompous lord. Usually they have servants that tend to injured guests, do they not? If you are a lord why are you tending to me?" Lecura asked doubtfully. "I could not possibly be that entertaining to you."
"Perhaps because you have enchanted me with your beauty." Vlad replied looking at her squarely daring her to meet his gaze, but still she would not. Before she could respond he posed a question to her. "Why do you not meet my gaze? Are you afraid of me?"
The question made her look up surprised and directly into his eyes, it made her breath catch in her throat. She did not move or speak just looked up at him, and it caused him to smirk at her. "Or perhaps you think me a vampire, and do not want to look me in the eye?"
"You can not be a vampire. A vampire would not go through the trouble of tending to my injuries, nor helping me any. After all vampires are black hearted monsters, spawns of the devil himself."
"And yet you can not meet my gaze, why?"
"Being a lord I am sure many maidens fawn over you, so I am sure you are aware of this. You have beautiful eyes." Lecura answered shyly as she looked down again. Dracula smiled at the compliment. While over the years he had acquired many girls to entertain him, and many said the same as she just had; it was not the same as hearing the words from Lecura.
Dracula could not help it he reached up, touched her cheek, and leaned in closer so that if she looked up she would be starring into his eyes. "While it is true that many have said the same as you, the words sound sweetest coming from you."
Lecura tried not to look up, but after a moment it was unavoidable. Staring up into his eyes she did not know he had moved until she felt his lips pressing into hers. Before she fully knew what was happening Vlad had pulled her into his arms, and she was now pressed against him. She started to gasp at the intimate contact which allowed Vlad to not just kiss her, but explore and taste her mouth. The kiss was broke abruptly when Lecura yelped in pain as Vlad gripped her injured side, immediately he released her. "I am sorry, I forgot myself for a moment."
The man kept his face lowered, and Lecura mistook it for him feeling ashamed. In truth Dracula was fighting another urge as his fangs had extended. Instead he resumed his earlier work to see to her injuries. Lecura trembled as he touched her and bit her bottom lip only to find it bruised from the kiss. However the longer he kept his head lowered the more she felt bad over the incident, especially when she had rejected Julien. 'Oh what have I gotten myself into? First Julien now Vlad? I should just wear a sign that says not interested in any men, and am going to die a virgin.' If only she knew her thoughts were not private, then looked at Vlad as he re-wrapped her leg. By the time he finished bandaging her injury he had regained control of himself and was able to look up at her. This time she forgot her own precautions and was looking into his eyes as the man reached up and caressed her cheek. "I should know better then to take advantage of the maiden I had only just rescued. Forgive me?"
"Of course, Vlad." Lecura answered breathlessly as Vlad released her cheek and took her hand bringing it to his lips. All the while his eyes remained locked on hers leaving her entranced.
"You are far too kind, Lecura." Vlad whispered then rose from the bed. He needed to leave before he took advantage of the poor girl, and it took a great deal of willpower to leave her. He certainly did not want to compel her and was trying his hardest not to charm her. "Please eat and drink. I will return later."
Immediately Vlad left the room, Lecura felt dazed by all that happened between them. Laying back on the bed, Lecura tried to think clearly but all she saw was him. However as time went on her stomach grumbled complaining of lack of food and so she went to the tray. It had an assortment of fruits, meats, cheeses and breads. Picking up an apple Lecura bit into it as she wondered the room aimlessly.
Author's Notes:
Again sorry for the delay. Well this is where things get interesting. I know it seems like this chapter is intense in some areas, but we all know Dracula is a ladies man so of course his charms did work on Lecura to an extent. I would not say she is head over heels in love. There was some resistance to his charms and for most of the chapter she was playing it cautious. After all she is not dumb.
Anyway I do hope you enjoyed the chapter and look forward to hearing from you.
Lesliezin
