Looking back, Mina remembered little from the rest of the party. She danced with two or three gentlemen whose faces were indiscriminate in her memory. They had talked a little, but it was nothing more than idle chatter. Lucy had been occupied herself, and didn't seem to have noticed Mina's absence at all. Which was good, because her absence would be hard to explain. But the night was soon over and Mina found herself back on the carriage to their beach cottage. Just a few more days and Mina would be back to her real home. Her father's wellbeing was something that occupied her mind constantly. Not always at the foreground of thought, but always there somewhere, like an itch that simply would not subside.

I will be home soon, Mina told herself as she watched the lights of the village fade slowly behind them. Everything will go back to how it was. I will visit The Count and… ugh, The Count. Mina dropped her head against the cool wood of the carriage side. In love with him…was she in love with him? It certainly had seemed so that night in the forest. But it had been so dark in there Mina had had problems telling what was right from what was wrong. Feelings were not something so easily synthesized in a logical mind.

Facts:

Count Dracula is 418 years old. Vampires acquire powers as they age. From my reading, his powers could include any level of shapeshifting, extreme strength, extreme speed, flying, hypnosis, mind control, glamour, and possibly more. Which is horrifying and unnatural.

He feeds on blood. The only ways to do so directly from a human are either to murder, change, or make a familiar. If he fed from me…Mina felt a strange shudder at the thought…it is a lasting contract until either I am dead or made to be like him.

I do not want to be a vampire.

That's it then, Mina decided. She could not be with The Count. She did not want to be a vampire, and that would have to be the end result. Even if he didn't feed from her and they were just in love that would have to end as well. Why would Mina willingly put herself in a relationship that would end? It was a ridiculous thing to do. Besides, it was an impossible fancy and she was being stupid about it. She knew that. This would pass, surely. Mina had been by herself her whole life, she would not weep for a relationship she had not had in the first place. Missing something that had not happed was impossible.

Also, there's The Protectors to consider. They seemed absolutely mad, but Mina felt there was something to investigate there.

But there were other things to think of too. Other things Mina could not think about so logically. Like how her heart seemed fit to burst that night in the forest. Like how when he'd kissed her Mina swore she'd never been so happy in her life. Like how even seeing him tonight was like water at the end of a desert. Even now as she thought of him her cheeks turned red. He was so kind to her. Mina had never known a friend to be so kind to her. For someone meant to be a creature of evil, he was so good to her.

There was that other part of it too. That part inside of Mina she'd been told to keep under lock and key her whole life. Of course she'd read about how sex worked. The nuns informed them that it was for reproductive purposes only. But how could something intended to be so amazing and euphoric be sinful? Not that Mina had any true experience with the subject. Just her own reading and discovery, but never anything more. She'd certainly never met anyone to bring out those feelings inside of her. The Count had seemed to rip open the lock and let the wild thought run free. Mina could feel her heart sweltering just to think of it. It was wrong to think of it, but she could not stop.

Facts:

He is kind and good to me.

He is one of my dearest friends.

I want him so badly I can barely breathe.

But it's probably just hormones, just the chemicals in my brain. I could not really want him. To be with him would be…

Mina growled at her own indecision and banged her head against the carriage side. If this is what being in love is then it's the absolute worst.

OOO

His exhale of relief at her presence was definitely audible. Well, not at her presence, per-say, but at what she was wearing this time. Alexander had been in no fit mental state the last night, and was in even worse now. Seeing her in a sheer nightgown was not going to help his more carnal desires. But Mina wore a deep red cloak about her tonight, so he needn't worry himself. Though of course the hunger could not be so easily persuaded. And he certainly did not want to do that Mina. Well, his brain didn't…his hunger…

"Are you all right, Miss Van Helsing?" He asked when she approached and removed her hood. Her hair was out of its elaborate up-do from earlier and fell to her side in an even plait.

She nodded, "I'm quite all right." Mina said in her matter of fact tone. "You look awful."

He could help but snort. "Just thirsting, Miss Van Helsing." Mina wrinkled her brow at this.

"Why don't you feed?" Mina asked him sternly. "I'm sorry I have not been able to bring you blood, but it's no reason to starve yourself."

Oh, Miss Mina if you only knew, he thought. He would not tell her. It would do nothing but frighten and repulse her. I have tried to feed, he wanted to say. But there are humans, special humans, whose blood is particularly desirable to a certain vampire. He'd come across people like this before, but had never taken time to know one as he knew Mina. Now he wanted her dually as vampire and man, which was a potent combination in the least. I can't feed, he wanted to say. I've tried to. I fed from a woman I found alone and dying, and spit up the blood but an hour later. The sink turned pick from the stain of it. I tried to feed from an animal, and more of the same took place. I want no one but you Mina, and it is starving me to death.

"I'm fine, Miss Van Helsing."

"You're lying," Mina pointed out easily. "But I won't make you tell me if you do not wish to." The deep red of her cape made her blue eyes seem daggers pointed straight towards him. For some reason, he thought she could read his mind. Perhaps Mina would probe him and know his secret. She could know about how he hungered for her blood. But he could not tell her aloud. Mina was a lady. No, Mina was a…force of nature. To tell her how he felt for her would be offensive. She would think it unprofessional, and it certainly was. He would keep his carnal yearning to himself.

There was suddenly a thickness to the air. The night they last spent in the forest hung about them like a damp cloud. For that reason he could not tell her how he felt. Alexander turned over that previous night in his head under his brain had turned to nothing. He should not have done any of that. He should not have followed her here in the first place. He was acting like some newborn vampire with his reckless ways. What was this power she had over him? He had not felt such a thing before. Alexander should have the willpower to stay away from Mina. There was still enough man in him for that. Alexander should not have kissed her like some child unable to control his urges.

But the odd thing was that he could not control his urges. Something in him snapped when he was around Mina. The insides of him seemed less inclined to listening. He did not want to keep up defenses. He felt…selfish around her.

Stupid, you cannot be that way. You cannot do that to Mina.

"I'm sorry," though the cause for her regret was not clear. "For dismissing you so quickly at the party tonight." Some part of him felt relieved that that's what she was referencing, "I just knew it was a trap for you. It was you they wanted, not me."

"Who are they anyway?" Alexander asked, happy to feel the tense air dissipating. Mina seemed content on ignoring the elephant in the room. Alexander would happily join her.

"Some group called The Protectors, as I said." Mina moved closer in a casual manner. Simply a friendly manner. In the manner she'd always done before he'd been stupid and let his emotions control him. "John is a new member of theirs. One of his collages, a Ronald Renfield, is a member as well. They talked about some others, but gave no names. They're some radical group set on eradicating Supernatural forces."

He nodded, "I could figure as much. I've run across several groups like theirs over the years. Different names, but all the same in truth. Most are well intended and do succeed and eradicating some of the more troublesome supernatural beings, but many believe anything beyond the mortal realm to be immoral." Alexander met her eyes as she seemed to hang upon his words. She was staring at him too intently, like some cat before it leaps into an attack.

"They think you are immoral," Mina said, her words as icy as her eyes.

He held, "I've lived seven lifetimes, Miss Van Helsing, and none of them have been particularly saint worthy."

Mina studied this, her chin moving up ever so slightly as it did when she calculated a thought. He had not meant to scare her with this comment, and feared that would be the case. It was nice to know that Mina was one not easily frightened. A logical person too, she could see the truth in his statement. And true it had been. Alexander had committed no truly terrible crimes in half a century, but the sins of his past remained. He'd done things in the passion of anger he regretted. He'd done things he did not regret as well. Alexander was no saint, he'd almost been a demon, but he liked most of all to consider himself a man.

"That's all I know of them," Mina said after her long pause. Alexander could feel the thickness filling the air once more. "I should return to the cottage. I wouldn't want Lucy to wake and worry for me." Without another thought, Mina put her hood back up. "Goodnight, Alexander."

She turned and the red cloak swooshed behind her as she walked. Mina was leaving. Just like that, Mina was returning without so much as another word. They'd barely spoken for two minutes and now she was leaving. Mina was upset, he could see that now. Mina was upset about what he'd done and he was stupid to not have realized that. He was even more stupid to not be going after her. She had not gone ten steps before he reached for her arm, stopping her in her retreat. Mina shook him off violently.

"I'm going to bed now, Alexander." Mina spat the words without so much a glance towards him. "I suggest you do that same. I would not want you to do something you'd regret."

I do not regret it. He wanted to say it aloud. He did not.