Wow, two updates in a day! Aren't you the lucky lot? Thanks to Velfin who reviewed my second and 1st chapter and thanks to garnettears, PIPER331 and Fortune Zyne for reviewing my first chapter with positive comments. And to…

"Disgusting. How did Anna let herself get seduced by his ass?" well you'll find out eventually you'll just have to keep reading

An Old Acquaintance

Gabriel Van Helsing sat in silence, sipping at a cup of black coffee, his eyes shadowed by his wide-brimmed hat. His two companions, looked at each other, unsure of what was wrong with the monster-hunter. The younger, a boy of eighteen snorted in discontent and pulled his leather trench coat closer around himself. He looked older than his years his tanned skin weathered, His long straight brown hair, in a slight state of disarray, his blue eyes, dull and filled with boredom.

"Van Helsing, what is wrong with you?" he asked, his tone more vicious than he intended.

"I was thinking about the girl that Dracula and his brides have kidnapped, what could he possibly want with her? She is but a year younger than you, not old enough to be a bride, but what else would he want her for?" A puzzled look flashed across his handsome features and the boy shrugged.

"What does it matter? So long as we get her back safely and defeat Dracula then nothing else matters." The third member of their party grunted in disagreement.

"Really Nicholas, that is not at all correct, we must find out what Dracula plans for it will affect the whole of Romania and then Europe. Have you learnt nothing?" he rebuked as he raked his fingers through his sandy-coloured hair.

"It's not Nicholas, it's Nick! And what do I care? You're just an annoying good-for-nothing monk, Carl!" Nick replied heatedly getting up to stoke the tiny blaze in font of them.

"I am not a monk! And you're just a useless little orphan!" Carl shouted, Nick scowled and with a growl of annoyance walked off out of sight, into the woods.

"Oh well done Carl, now you've said that he'll be sulking for days and we need him where we can see him, we are to close to Dracula's residence for him to run off." Van Helsing sighed getting to his feet and walking away from the firelight.

"I'm going looking for him, stay here!" he ordered walking in the direction that Nick had gone.

"Orphan, well at least I'm not sad enough to join the church, ugh I wish those priests had never found me, I'd rather be dead than doing this…" He complained angrily, kicking at the ground.

"Ever heard, be careful what you wish for?" A hiss came from behind him and he looked around, finding four beautiful women stood before him. It looked as if they were centred around the girl in the middle, the one in black and red silk, the one with long loosely curled black hair and large grey eye's, eye's that betrayed too much feeling.

"Dear boy, who are you with?" the red-haired girl stepped forward, a dangerous glint in her green eyes.

"Aleera, be careful, he looks wicked." The other black-haired woman murmured, flicking her straight hair over her shoulder.

"Verona, I'm not totally incapable…" Aleera replied, rolling her eyes.

"Well, you were with Areyah," the one with blonde hair rebuked quietly.

"Marishka!" Aleera snapped, deeply offended by the comment.

"Marishka, Aleera, this isn't the best thing to do on Areyah's first hunt." Verona intervened, her voice hardly raised but standing no nonsense.

"You four are all vampire's aren't you?" Nick asked, though he didn't really need the answer.

"Three bride's of Dracula, Aleera, Marishka, Verona and a friend perhaps? Areyah, the name is familiar." Nick said pulling a pistol from his belt. Areyah stepped forward, watching the pistol, knowing she was not immortal. She walked around him and stepped behind him, her arms encircling his waist, feeling the warmth of his flesh, and comforting herself. She pulled back his hair and whispered quietly into his hair.

"Not a friend, a family member." She ran a finger down his cheek and Nick frowned as he felt the warmth from her hand, she should've been freezing cold, as cold as death, unless she was… he allowed himself to enjoy the touch before he pushed her away back into the arms of the brides.

"Don't come near me!" he shouted as the three brides encircled him and Areyah stood back and watched.

"No!" the brides stepped back and saw a figure stood in the shadows.

"Van Helsing!" Marishka shrieked, remembering their brief meeting before and how he'd vanquished her. She ran over to Areyah and grabbed her arm protectively, fearing for herself, and fearing the loss of Dracula's daughter. Areyah looked up, wanting to run to him, but her growing friendship with the brides holding her back.

"Van Helsing, so the boy is with you! But look who else we have, Areyah Tempest, or should we say Areyah Valerious, or even better Areyah Valerious-Dracula!" Aleera snarled as realization dawned on Nick's face and a mask of shock drew over the monster-hunters features.

"You lie!" Van Helsing bellowed charging at her a silver stake in his hand. Aleera dodged playfully.

"No, look at her, so similar to her mother, but with her father's influence, and soon she will be ours." Aleera cackled as Verona pushed Nick towards Areyah. She grabbed hold of him and with Marishka beside her they flew up into the sky, Marishka as a white demon and Areyah almost like a fallen angel. The two remaining brides laughed and became demons and shot up into the sky.

"Shit, Oh god, what have I done?" Van Helsing moaned running back to find Carl.

Areyah flew down to Nick's level as Marishka's claws dug firmly into his shoulders.

"What are you?" Nick questioned as he looked from her wings to her face.

"Dracula's daughter, my mother was Anna Valerious. It makes me half-vampire, able to withstand sunlight, live without blood, fly but I am not immortal, I can grow fangs, enjoy the taste of blood, dislike crucifix's and sunlight…" Nick cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Yeah I know what it means, I just wasn't sure if you were one," he replied.

"You were meant to be my first feed, but Van Helsing showed up, I'm glad he did really, I didn't want to kill you…" Areyah trailed off.

"Thanks, though you know if you'd rushed over to Van Helsing you would be safe now?" he pointed out and Areyah nodded.

"I know, but I have formed a friendship with the brides, I cannot bear to see them die now, he would have almost certainly shot at least one of them as soon as he had me." Areyah turned away, confused with what she felt inside, she wanted her freedom, but hardly felt prisoner. She looked at Nick again studying his handsome features for a second, stirring up emotions inside her before muttering.

"I'll ask Dracula if he'll spare you, it's the least I can do…"

"I regret to think I am being helped by a vampire." He smiled cheekily at her and she prodded him in the ribs.

"Only half, what's your name anyway?" Areyah asked smiling.

"Nick, and you're Areyah right?" she nodded and flew up towards Verona to speak with her.