Good evening,

I hope you enjoy the second part of this.

This is 4 of 4 the sneak peeks I'm releasing tonight.

Oxford Not Brogues

An Insufferable Life

Part Two

Where was she? She no longer felt the cold, dampness the basement brought. Instead, she was surrounded by warmth. Before she had been laying in someone's cold, hard lap and had felt the cold texture of leather on her skin. But, as of right now, she was laying somewhere soft. She could hear squelching sounds, but couldn't really tell what exactly was making that sound. Slowly, Seras cracked open her eyes and was greeted with a horrific sight. She was laying on a cushioned bench in some small lobby of either a hotel or a motel. Not far from where she laid, the two monsters were feasting. Alucard and the demon were surrounded by dismembered body parts. They stood in a large pool of blood and feasted quite happily, like two proud wolves after a victorious hunt.

The vampire had his teeth buried in a woman's throat. Although, it looked as if she had died due to some other injuries, most likely having been tortured before feasted on. The demon was in the middle of ripping someone to shreds, though the person was also quite dead. The demon's jaw looked to be unhinged, but it didn't take Seras long to realize that his mouth was actually much wider than she had originally thought. The lines on his face, the ones that extended from his lips, were now wide open. Fresh, hot blood dripped from his sharp teeth and black lips as he tore apart a man to retrieve the soul hidden deep within. So, that's what the squelching had been. The sound of them ripping into bodies and eating.

Seras felt utterly sick to her stomach as it churned inside of her. Thank God her stomach was already empty, otherwise she would probably be emptying it right about now. Fortunately for her, neither monster had noticed that she was wide awake and watching them. She had no idea why they left her alive, where they brought her, or what they were planning to do with her. But there was no way in hell she was staying around for answers. This was her chance to escape. As quietly as she could, Seras shifted on top of the small waiting bench they had left her on. She shifted her legs under her and carefully started crawling to reach the end of the bench away from the large pool of blood that soaked in the old carpet. The scent of blood hung in the air. It was simultaneously revolting and…pleasing to her senses. Without even realizing it, she kept sniffing the air, not being able to get enough of the smell of blood. Why was it so enticing to her?

Shaking her head, Seras focused solely on escaping. She needed to get out of there. Where did they take her? Where was Tatum? How far was she from the manor? Was Tatum still there? Had they killed her best friend? The more Seras wondered about what happened to her best friend, the more urgent she became to escape. Forgetting completely about that compelling scent of blood, the small blonde took her first step. Finding a clean area on the carpet, away from the blood that was soaked into the carpet, Seras found her footing and got up from the bench.

"Don't insult us, my dear, we're not amateurs." Alucard spoke suddenly. Seras froze completely, knowing those words were directed towards her. How in the hell did he even know? She hadn't made a single sound! Glancing over, she found that the vampire's back was still to her. The demon, on the other hand, was gazing right at her with a haughty smirk on his lips. Her face paled when Alucard turned to look at her with those hellish eyes of his. His lips had a fresh coat of blood on them, which he licked clean with a long serpent like tongue. After he had licked the remainder of his meal away, he dropped the dead woman and brushed his hands together as if he was cleaning the filth from them.

"It's rather impolite to try and sneak away like that." The demon lightly scolded her while the vampire wagged his finger.

"And after we left some for you, as well. Naughty fledgling," Alucard clicked his tongue. Left some for…her? Seras' eyes widened. What were they talking about? Answering her silent question, the elder vampire leaned down to grab a human by the collar of his shirt. The human appeared to still be alive, just unconscious. There didn't appear to be any bite marks on him, signifying that neither monster had partook from this particular human yet. Dragging that human across the floor towards her, Seras panicked and lost her footing. She cried out softly before she landed hard on her ass in the blood soaked carpet. She could feel the blood clinging to her. It soaked through the bottom of her pants and stained her flesh. Gasping, Seras raised her hands to find them covered in blood from her fall. Without her knowledge of it, her pretty blue eyes shifted to a dark red. A clear hunger appeared in those orbs, but the scared fledgling remained ignorant. Those dark red eyes of hers shifted upwards when Alucard approached her with the fresh body. He dropped the man in front of her, causing his fledgling to scuttle back in surprise. "Drink, you'll feel better."

"You fucking psychopath," Seras murmured as she stared in horror at the man he had 'graciously' given to her to feed off of. She knew that they were monsters, but did she think that she was a cannibal?! What did they mean they wanted her to feed off of him?! Why in her right mind would she do that?!

"Psychopath?" Alucard chuckled before he knelt in front of his fledgling. Having a panic attack, the girl struggled to breathe. The fear was so clear in her eyes. Her body trembled and her breaths came out raspy and hard. He reached out to grab her gently by the chin. "I believe a girl entering a burned down building, who had no purpose being there in the first place, and listening to a strange voice ordering her to come and open a door covered in blood and ancient symbols would be considered psychotic. Perhaps you are a psychopath as well, have you ever considered that, Draculina?"

"Stop calling me that!" The little vampire exclaimed before she boldly smacked his hand away from her face. She then gave him a hard, defiant look. "It was more than clear that I hit my head! I wasn't thinking straight otherwise I would have never opened your damn door!" Remembering the carnage, a fear overtook that fierce look in her eyes once more. She scanned the room, looking at all the people they had maimed and killed. "If I had known what was behind that door, what I would be releasing, I wouldn't have opened it. I was not in the right state of mind." A shudder shot down the girl's body then. God, all those people were dead because of her.

"I see that you have a knack of talking back." Alucard noted, though he didn't sound truly angry. Looking back, she witnessed a flicker of annoyance in his eyes, but that grin on his face remained.

"She has a spark to her." The demon chuckled in his hand. "I like that."

"Where was this when we were attacking you?" Alucard snickered.

"Suffering from a concussion!" Seras snapped with a look of frustration. Before she could say another word, the elder vampire moved in closer. Placing a hand on her thigh, he leaned over her, forcing the small blonde to lean back onto her elbows on the dirty floor. Her eyes widened when his face ended up mere centimeters from hers.

"For forty-seven years, Michaelis and I have been locked away in that filthy basement. Nearly fifty years we went, without a meal or…physical contact with a young woman. We have filled our stomachs, but find ourselves still starving and unsatisfied." Alucard whispered as his other hand snaked between her thighs. With ease, he pushed open the girl's legs so he could settle himself in the cradle. The cold leather of his strait jacket brushed against her gooseflesh skin, causing her to shiver. His hair tickled her cheeks as his warm breath wafted across her lips. Seras' face burned with a dark blush. She could feel his erection digging into the seam of her pants. Even through the fabric, he managed to part the lips of sex with the growing bulge in his pants. "Help satiate us, Seras." Then, unexpectedly, the elder vampire leaned in the rest of the way to kiss her right on the mouth.

I know that you've never been touched by a man. I promise to go nice and slow for you. Alucard whispered in the depths of her mind. For a brief second, Seras was purely stunned. But only for a second. Before the monster could get any more ideas or take things further, Seras bit down hard on his bottom lip. Instead of getting the reaction she wanted, Alucard moaned erotically in her mouth. It disturbed her further when feeling his cock twitch against her groin. Instinctively, Seras slapped him hard across the face, managing to snap his head to the side.

"Bastard!" She shouted with tears in her eyes. The slap appeared to have stunned him. He didn't react nor expressed much of anything. He allowed her to scramble out from under him, seeking safety further away from him where she would be 'safe'. Seras pressed her legs together to further protect herself and wrapped her arms around her body. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" She cried out as those tears escaped and flowed down her soft cheeks. Alucard cupped the side of his face where it was swollen from her powerful slap. The girl probably didn't even realize the strength she now possessed. Her little slap actually hurt, but her reaction hurt far more. Glancing over, he allowed himself to see how…scared she looked. Scared of him. It definitely stung far worse than the slap. He was unsure if this little creature was his mate or not, but it was clear she wanted nothing to do with him. Taking her as a lover was simply not an option.

"You're definitely not like anyone I've ever met." Alucard whispered, mostly to himself than to her. Normally when he seduced someone, they would swoon. And fledglings of his were always dying to be fucked by him, by their master. It would thrill them to get the smallest bit of his attention. But Seras? She not only resisted, but actually hit him for trying anything. She…hated him. "I wouldn't have raped you." He clarified, as if knowing this would actually ease the trembling, crying girl. "I may be a monster, but even I have standards."

"Do you want me to thank you for not raping me?" Seras questioned with a look of repulsion.

"No," The elder vampire sighed while he wondered how this got all twisted so fast. He meant no harm. He wouldn't have harmed her. Why would he? But, reminding himself of the mess he made, he understood why she would feel uneasy. "I'm sorry," He said simply before rising to his full height. Without looking back at her, he gestured at the body at his feet. "Drink, and then let us go home." He turned and started walking back to the center of all that carnage, hoping there was some blood leftover to finish. "You'll feel better…"

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Seras interrupted. Upon hearing this, Alucard and the demon gasped. The elder vampire swung back around to look at her in shock. After a moment of staring each other down, a grin appeared on his lips, one that completely unsettled the little vampire.

"Very well, then." Her master responded.

"Alucard?" Michaelis muttered, wondering what he had up his sleeve. But the demon was ignored. Alucard shifted so he could gesture towards the door.

"You are free to go." The elder vampire purred.

"Where's the catch?" Seras demanded immediately while she glowered at him and that damn grin he kept giving her.

"There is no catch. Truly, you are free to go. You are no prisoner of ours, Seras. You never were." Alucard informed her. The small blonde quickly climbed to her feet, but stood her ground because she did not trust the monsters in the slightest. Surely they'll attack her the second they see her move towards the door, right?

"You're a manipulative bastard! I know it! He knows it! And you know it! Where's the bloody catch?! Just be straight with me!" Seras raised her voice. Her eyebrow twitched in vexation.

"Yes, Alucard, what are you playing at? You even have me at a loss." Michaelis admitted. The No Life King threw him a dark look over his shoulder.

"Did you expect me to keep her imprisoned?" Alucard asked with a hint of anger in the tone of his voice.

"No," The demon responded. "But I am surprised you are letting her go so easily. She is your fledgling after all; she's your responsibility. Are you really just going to let her die out there?"

"Ah," Seras exclaimed softly, earning the males' attention. "So, that's the catch." Instead of denying it, Alucard merely smirked. "You think that I need you two in order to survive? You're both far more psychotic than I thought." He said nothing. The smirk on his face only grew larger. "I don't need you!" The Draculina added, unknowingly baring her new fangs at them while she showed that fierce beast through those magnificent crimson eyes of hers.

"As I said before, Seras, you are not our prisoner. You may leave. However, my home will always be open to you if you ever do change your mind." Alucard replied. "You'll know how to find me." He added that cryptic little comment. Not that she would, but how will she just know how to find him? Just how insane was he?! "I hope that you change your mind. So far you make a lovely Draculina. I would love to see you become a fierce No Life Queen." Unlike Alucard, the demon actually looked concerned for her wellbeing. It looked like he wanted to say something to persuade her to stay, but he didn't. Slowly, the small blonde moved towards the door. She walked across the soaked carpet, earning a squelch sound with every single step. She didn't take her eyes off of the monsters for a single moment. She waited for one of them to move, for one of them to act and stop her. But, surprisingly, they stayed their ground. Like her, they watched carefully.

"Before you leave, Seras." The demon spoke as she reached the door. She was so close to being free. Her hand was on the cool knob. All she had to do was twist it and then freedom would be there. But she paused, and she wasn't even sure why. She had no interest in what he was going to say. But…something kept her there. A feeling in the back of her mind told her to hear him out. Sighing, Seras hesitantly glanced over her shoulder to look at the demon. "I would just like to say, be cautious of the sun." He warned her. There was a deadly serious look in his eyes. She figured he wasn't playing with or manipulating her. He was truly giving her friendly advice. The girl's brows furrowed together. Why would she need to be cautious of the sun? "It's still nightfall, so you should be alright getting yourself home before the sun rises." The more he talked the more he confused her. What in the hell was he talking about?! He was starting to make her feel very anxious, which perhaps he intended. Was he trying to scare her into staying?

"Thinking twice about staying?" Alucard questioned with a pleased look in his eyes.

"Alucard, leave her alone. If she wants to go, she can. But I only thought it polite to warn her, unlike you who was just going to let her leave oblivious and unprepared." The demon intervened. They're both insane! Seras reminded herself before she finally pulled open the door and stepped outside. She found it extremely hard to believe how easy it was to escape. Neither of them were going to stop her? Really? Has she done her part? Released them from their imprisonment, fed her their blood, so now they had no need of her? Was that it? Was she useless to them now so they don't care where she goes? Aren't they worried that she'll grass on them? Even Seras scoffed at that thought while she aimlessly walked in a direction. Who in the hell would believe her? She experienced the entire thing and she still found it hard to believe! Vampires, demons, monsters! They weren't real! Well…not to the rest of humanity anyway. She knew the truth, but it didn't mean that anyone would believe her. They would think her insane!

From what she could tell, she wasn't terribly far from her flat. The monsters appeared to have taken her to some old motel that was located on the seedy side of the city. She wasn't sure about the name of the street she was on, but it looked familiar enough that she was confident that her flat was at least ten blocks from there. The distance didn't particularly matter to her, especially since she was used to walking mostly everywhere. Owning a vehicle was far too expensive for her, and a little walking never hurt anyone. All she knew right then was that she wanted a good distance between her and those monsters. She wasn't even sure if she was heading in the right direction of her flat. She just walked and hoped to come up with a plan along the way. First, just get some distance. Thankfully, there weren't too many people out tonight, otherwise her appearance would cause a panic. Seras knew she was dirty, but she had no idea just how filthy. Her once white blouse was now a reddish-brown, a mixture of her own blood, Alucard's, and those people that were slaughtered mercilessly because of her. Her pants had questionable red stains and the back of her jeans were sopping wet from the fresh blood she had landed in. Her hands were sticky with the substance. Her hair caked with the vile stuff. And her neck was crusted with dry blood. Even her head had outlines of where the blood had dried around her temple, though she was completely unaware that the wound on her head had fully healed.

After everything that had happened tonight, Seras was utterly exhausted. It had finally caught up to her. The long drive on Tatum's moped to the manor, the playful game of tag, the fall, hitting her head and getting the wind knocked out of her, and then…discovering those monsters. Having her arm nearly ripped right off from the vampire's violent pull. Those hungry looks in their eyes as they gazed upon her with those horrendous red eyes. The sharp teeth that tore through her soft skin to get to veins and arteries. And then, waking up in that bloodbath surrounded by body parts. So much happened and it had finally all caught up to her. Her shoulders sagged as she gave a deep sigh from exhaustion. Her head was reeling, but she knew she was just tired…and hungry. She hadn't realized it until just then, but she was actually starving. Subconsciously, Seras placed her hands on her stomach that rumbled and growled from being empty.

The girl was actually bewildered to find herself hungry. She thought for sure she would have lost her appetite after everything, especially upon seeing those monsters feast off of humans like it was nothing. But all she could think about was hot sandwiches, maybe some soup, and a nice hot cup of tea. Seras licked over her lips. It would also be extremely nice to shower and get into fresh clothes. And then she will sleep. Realizing just how exhausted she was, her hands moved from her flat stomach to rub over her face. She felt like she could just sleep for an eternity; she was completely drained and didn't have an ounce of energy left in her. This night needed to be put behind her. When would it end?

"Alucard, I believe you're making a mistake." Seras heard that demon's voice, causing her to jump from fright. Believing that the monsters had caught up to her, the small blonde immediately spun around. Her wide eyes flickered in search of those pale, scary faces but…she was alone on the street. She spun the other way, looking desperately for those monsters, but saw no one. How could that be? And then…she saw one of them, but…he wasn't there on the street with her.

That demon stood in the middle of all that carnage back in the small lobby of the rundown motel. His eyes were practically simmering with frustration while he glowered at…her? No, it wasn't her he was glaring at. It was…Alucard? There was definitely a height difference. She felt…taller. She also didn't have any control of where she was looking. Whoever's eyes she was looking through, he glanced down to stare at the unconscious man he had tried feeding her earlier. He had a fistful of the man's shirt in his gloved hand, keeping him propped up right.

"If she gets hurt…"

"Why do you care?" Alucard interrupted the demon. "Nearly three hours ago, you were eager to swallow her soul and permanently put her in her grave." The demon's lips tightened when the elder vampire threw that in his face. His fists clenched at his sides. It was evident that he had no answer to give; he was clueless of his sudden need to protect the girl. "Have patience, Michaelis. I won't let her die. Just give her time and she'll come back."

"The hell I will." Seras grumbled under her breath. With a blink of her eyes, she was suddenly back on that cold, dark street. The monsters were nowhere in sight and the voices had stopped. "What in the hell was that?" The little vampire asked as she cautiously looked all around her. "A hallucination?" Subconsciously, she cupped where she had hit her head earlier that night. "Maybe…a symptom from hitting my head. That couldn't have been real." The girl then looked back in the direction she had been walking. "Get it together, Seras." She continued walking, this time a little faster. "Just get home. Everything will get better once you just put this night behind you. Get home. Just get home." She mumbled to herself. She didn't get very far, however. Two men and a couple came stumbling out of a pub, laughing and seemingly having a good time. Seras stopped before she could run right into the cheery group. The only one who noticed the blood soaked, little blonde was the only woman in the group. All that amusement drained from the woman's eyes and her smile fell.

"Oh, my god!" The woman exclaimed. The three confused men looked to see what the woman was staring at. Immediately a look of shock, worry, and slight terror appeared in their eyes.

"Ma'am?" One of the younger looking males whispered. There was a hint of fear in his voice. He licked over his lips nervously before cautiously approaching Seras. The little vampire wasn't able to move. She stood there stiffly, purely stunned that she had been seen. She didn't know what to do. Stand there and let these people gawk at her? Have them help her, if they could help her? Or just…run home? "Ma'am? Are you alright?" The man asked as he hesitantly inched closer towards her.

"Is that…her blood?" The woman asked as she leaned in closer towards her boyfriend, looking for protection. Her worrisome gaze flickered around the street, wondering if someone did something to this poor girl in front of her.

"Ma'am, are you hurt?" The man proceeded to ask Seras questions. "Do you need help?"

"We should call someone." An older looking gentleman suggested. "Harvey, head back into the pub and have John call up…" Before the man could finish, Seras ran. She dodged the boy who had been trying to console her, gracefully flew through their group without ramming into anyone, and took off down the street. "Hey!" The older man shouted.

"Miss!" The boy called out to her. "We can help you!"

"Don't, Bailey." The woman discouraged him as she latched onto the younger man's coat sleeve. "She could be dangerous. Maybe she hurt someone." Seras shook her head as hot tears burned at her eyes. Her, hurt someone?! Never! She wasn't a monster! She wasn't like Alucard and that demon! She wouldn't hurt anyone ever! She was a victim! She wasn't insane! She wasn't some mad woman going around torturing and slaughtering people, like those psychopaths! She was a victim damn it!

End of Sneak Peek

I hope you guys enjoyed.

Oxford Not Brogues