Dracula found himself sitting in his chair just before the fireplace. There was no other chair near by, nor in this room. Why? Because Akiko never liked to sit still, especially on a fluffy chair. She claimed that the cold floor felt like nothing when the fire was roaring, when the heat touched her skin and warmed her up.

He smiled weakly at the memory of the fight. It wasn't really a fight, more so of an argument. A playful argument.

"Akiko, I will not tell you again; sit in the chair." Dracula ordered the ten year old, watching her snort.

She crossed her arms under her chest and stomped her foot. "I don't like it! It looks like a furry monster! It looks like it will eat me!" The chair he had recently got from a village (without killing anyone, shocking enough) was almost as tall as him and a tad torn up. The red velvety seat cushion looked huge and…

Okay, so maybe it did look like a monster.

The arms of it were had gold buttons that looked like eyes.

Sighing, Dracula smiled and sat in his own chair. "Alright girl, sit with me then."

She looked up with huge eyes, surprised and shocked. For a second, he wondered faintly if he had asked her if he could turn her into one of his kind.

…He hadn't…had he?

"Sit with you? You mean…on your lap?" There was a definite blush on her surprised face. "I-It's alright Master, I can just…sit on the floor. With its coldness, the fire will warm me up. It's like a balance!"

Dracula stared at her with his hypnotic piercing eyes for several long moments. "If you wish, girl. Just remember, you're welcome to sit on my lap if you grow too cold." Immediately the nervous surprised look on her face turned into a foolish grin that only an innocent child could give.

In the end, she ended up falling asleep on his lap.

Dracula smiled a very toothy grin at the memory. Such innocent and frail beauty…He had cared for her then. He cared deeply for her back then and hadn't even realized it.

Akiko jogged to keep up behind Mary the maid. Faintly she wondered how the girl could run so fast for so long without getting sick or tired. Perhaps it was because of her job. After all, if a Bride of Dracula were to call for her across the castle, she'd have to sprint.

It felt like they were running for hours, were running in circles. Tree after tree after tree…it got tiresome after a while. Had it really taken this much time to walk to the village? Was this the path they walked when going to see the elder man?

"Mary! Where…" She couldn't finish her question for her foot got tangled in a bunch of dead vines. The red haired girl hit the ground with a loud groan, wincing at how she skid.

Immediately she felt someone help her up and nearly drag her to keep running. "Don't be clumsy now, child!" Mary exclaimed, a trace of panic and fear in her voice.

When they finally reached the castle, she felt basically exhausted. Never had she sprinted like that while jumping over so many tree branches that suspiciously jumped out of nowhere.

"When we get inside, lay in your room and I'll bring you some food. Don't tell anyone, especially Dracula, that you went to that village!" Mary whispered sharply, looking around to see if there was anyone listening.

Akiko nodded and jogged upstairs. She wanted to know about her father. She wanted someone to talk to about her mother. Mary had too many things on her own mind, so she couldn't burden her with her thoughts and wonders. If only Dracula knew…

The sound of a rapid heartbeat reached Dracula's ears as it passed the door to the living room, then upstairs. It grew faint as it went towards the East wing; Akiko's room. It had to be Akiko.

But what, he asked himself, made her panic and run with a rapid heartbeat? What scared her? Perhaps the Brides did something…

No.
He could hear the maid's heartbeat faintly from the kitchen. They both had ecstatic heartbeats. But why?

Frowning, he stood up and walked to the kitchen. He would find out one way or another.

Akiko sat in her bed, slowly calming down after the run. She wondered faintly what the elder man meant by 'desire and need to transform.' What did he mean? And how did he know all this?

She thought back on the times she almost transformed halfway…then fainted.

The first time was in the village of Van Helsing. She had walked in and looked around, wondering where exactly he was. There was a storm blowing in at that moment. It was just so…hypnotizing…so majestic. So intoxicating and wild! It made her blood boil!

Perhaps it was just her emotions that made her change. The 'wild' feeling that made her turn slightly. She loved storms and with one blowing in, the way the wind felt and the tension felt…

But Van Helsing grabbed her arm, making her faint and fail to transform.

The second time was when she yelled at Dracula. She had felt so much anger towards him! Not only did he have the nerve to fly into her window dead at night and nearly get in trouble, but he lied! He forced her to be brought home and while she flew with the Brides…she saw a village.

When she questioned him, he denied all and told her it 'wasn't any of her concern'. That was what pushed her over the edge. She had started to transform and probably would have succeeded if not for his voice.

She had been so mad at the time and wanted to hurt someone so bad, she would have tried to kill him. (A/N: She doesn't know werewolves is his weakness.)

But when he spoke up, when she heard his voice…she heard fear and surprise. Those were two things that were rarely if at all seen from the great Vlad Dracula. If it hadn't been for that, she would not have passed out.

She would have fought to the death.

Two hours had passed since Dracula found out the truth. He was so furious he threw the maid into the wall. Akiko's friend was unconscious and bleeding, but she would live.

If no vampire got to her that is.

Walking upstairs, he felt his blood boil and his fists clench with rage. His eyes were probably bloodshot. For a second, he felt his vampire side take over and he wanted nothing more to do than transform into his 'monstrous' side.

When he entered the last room in the East Wing, he saw Akiko in bed. She simply sat on top of the covers, her back against the pillows. Her head was turned slightly to the window.

Her sunset eyes had a distant look in them, as if she were thinking in a pensive mood. Her red orange hair was messy and smelt of leaves and fresh air. Her lips, her red luscious lips, were partly open. He felt the desire to kiss them grow stronger each moment.

"Akiko!" He snarled instead. She jumped nearly a foot off the bed, jumping off the side to stand.

"Master! Oh my, I didn't hear you come in…or knock. Is something the matter, Dracula?" Her voice was shaky. It wasn't with fear, only curiosity and awareness. What had she been thinking before?

His rage overtook his common sense and he snapped, "You went to the village, didn't you?!"

Akiko's face fell. "N-No Master, I…"

The vampire lord suddenly grabbed her neck and shoved her on the bed. She made a soft choking noise as she grabbed his wrist, her eyes huge with fear. Her heartbeat grew rapid and her blood pumped quicker.

"Don't…lie…to me." He hissed out loudly, unaware of their position. To be blunt, he was basically laying on her.

She choked out, "I-I'm sorry Vlad, please. I wanted to know about…about my mother. I know why I transform into…"

There was suddenly a loud bang. Both of them sensed the presence. Their eyes turned toward the door as the Brides shrieks filled the air.

Van Helsing had arrived.

Next chapter: Van Helsing, Akiko's transofmation, & Dracula's love. Review!