Alex awoke slowly. It was early the next evening. Through Carl's window she could see the orange-pink sunset, and she sighed. Carl himself was not here, and she was aware of how his lab, though full of his things, seemed empty and gloomy without him. She wondered where he was.

She slid out from under his robe, which she still used as a duvet, and padded across to his desk, her bare feet slapping the cold floor. She didn't know what she was looking for amongst the papers and inventions and books, but it proved quite interesting to look through his things.

Carl seemed to have a great deal of interest in vampires. Several of the books were about them, and there were countless pages of notes on the topic. Alex didn't understand most of the words, but the diagrams helped. The most scary thing she found was a sketch on a leaf of paper, no doubt drawn by Carl, of a man who looked oddly like the man who haunted her dreams.

There was a loud smash behind her, and Alex turned quickly, her heart racing. Her curls bounced against her cheek as she stared at the man who had smashed through the window.

"Vladislaus," she whispered.

It was indeed the man from her nightmares, no less attractive, no less calm and cool. A small smile turned up the corners of his lips. He stood beside the window, looking hungrily at her.

"My Alexandria," he murmured.

Alex knew, in those two cool words, that the Dracula of this lifetime wasn't quite... human. She rembered Carl's notes, and a sudden fear gripped her as she thought back to the vampires. Dracula was a vampire.

"I'm not your's," she said, her voice unusually high.

"My darling Alex, you always have been," he replied, a Transylvanian accent to his voice.

She shook her head. "My heart belongs to someone else." She thought of Carl. He gave her strength. She prayed he and Gabriel would come and save her.

"What do you hope to gain here?" Dracula purred. "A brother who murdered the love of your life? A stupid friar who cannot love you?"

She coloured at his words, a bubbling, burning fury filling her. "You're wrong. My brother loves me."

"And Carl?"

Alex looked away. How could she answer? She had only known Carl for two days, true, but she knew she was falling for him, whether she wanted to admit it or not. But did he love her? Probably not. What did she have to offer him?

"Come with me, my darling, my love," Dracula smiled, offering his hand. "Let me take you to the kingdom you deserve. Let me make you my queen."

She chewed her lip. "I'd really rather not, if it's all the same," she said, her voice firm and cold.

"Ah, but it isn't."

He walked slowly towards her, extending his fingers. She stepped back automatically, coming to lean against the desk.

"I know what you are," she hissed.

He continued walking towards her, but he was changing. His jaw was becoming longer, his canines becoming sharp fangs. His skin was turning more brown. Leathery wings were growing out of his shoulder blades, his clothes melting into his growing body.

A sharp scream escaped her lips, but died there as he grabbed her neck suddenly and lifted her. He pressed her against the wall, his strong fingers crushing her throat, cutting off her breathing.

"Night night," he whispered, as she fell unconscious.