Chapter 44

Dracula's thoughts were racing. Had Lara really told the truth? Before he could keep on spinning his thoughts, Anna's cry interrupted him. "What you're doing is cruel! How could you do this to me?" Gathering herself, she fought against her tears. "Where is my daughter?", she asked and bit on her lower lip rather heavily.

The vampire just pointed at the door and saw her leave. Anna wiped away the hot tears streaming down her cheeks. How she hated his stupid games!

She took in a deep breath and turned to the little girl, who stared up at her mother with worry in her eyes. "Lara, we must leave. Now", she announced and lifted the girl into her arms.

"But Mommy, my doll!", she cried. Anna grabbed the beautiful doll Belle and handed it to Lara. "Where are we going, Mommy? What happened? Did he hurt you again? ... Mommy, talk to me, please!", she begged and tears formed in her eyes too.

The gypsy princess kicked the door out of the bedroom open and hurried down the stairs. "I'll tell you later. Just hold on to me." Lara nodded and pressed her chubby face tightly to her mother. Without wondering, why the way out was that easy she left the castle and stepped into the cold snow. In fact it had been Dracula, who had easied her escape. He had felt like he was owing this to his now ex-prisoner.

As Lara started shivering from the icy breeze, Anna wrapped her arms around the girl even tighter. She didn't know where to go. Although the snow didn't fall, she didn't know where she was by now. For the first time after many years she felt, that the life of this little girl was more important to her then her own. And for that life she feared the most.

Where did she have to go to find back to the village? Was there any monster outside that could hurt her daughter?

The snow made cracking noises under her feet as she walked and walked through the endless fields of white. She started to feel tired from the long walk and the cold but still she kept Lara warm with the temperature of her body. "Please, help me? Is anybody here?", she shouted, her voice cracking.

She turned her head in all directions but nobody was there.

Dracula shook his head sadly. He could see Anna and the child even from this far distance and sense how they freezed. Pity welled up in his cold heart and filled it with the need to help.

Dressed in dark brown leather pants with fitting shirt and coat and a hat covering the biggest part of his face he stepped into the snow. Anna turned to the figure standing there with hair flowing in the icy wind. "Gabriel?" But that couldn't be.

Without a reply Dracula walked over to them and gathered them both in his arms. He then transported himself in an empty hut close to the village.

Anna opened her eyes. The scent of leather filled her nose mixed with burning wood from the lit fireplace. A scent that was too familiar but still different from Van Helsing's. Shaking her head, she threw the old memories in the very back of her brain.

He placed them on a sofa and then took off his coat and hat. Anna brushed a few strands of hair out of Lara's face, assuring herself, that her daughter was alright. Quickly she jumped from the sofa and wrapped her arms around the neck of her rescuer. "Thank you! Thank you so much for saving us!", she cried happily. The vampire couldn't stand that. Softly he pushed her away from him and looked into her eyes. Everybody would recognize him now. "What?", she asked shyly and blushed.

"You know who I am?", he asked in disbelief and stroked her cheek.

She nodded. "From the beginning on. And I am so glad that you came." Was the Truth-potion still working? It should have stopped an hour ago.

"Anna, are you alright?", Dracula asked, feeling her forehead. She pushed his hand down slowly.

That was when Lara ran over to them. "See, Dracula? I told you!", she exclaimed happily and jumped up and down. Anna bent down to her smiling daughter. "What did you tell him, dear?"

"What you told me yourself", he answered for her. "Anna ... My sweet sweet Anna, I can't believe this." She stood on the tips of her toes and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. "Neither can I. But why deny it? ... I can't remember I ever felt like this before. Even with Van Helsing I didn't."

Within seconds Dracula had his normal attire back on. "This can't be. It isn't right." In his mind he wished for nothing more than her loving him, like he did in return.

The princess looked confused. "Why?", she asked and sat back on the sofa. The hut was real warm inside and she wasn't freezing anymore. "I finally see, what I felt for you the whole time! I ... I would ... I would also be your bride, just to spend my lifetime with you!"

Before she could say anything more he waved a hand over her eyes that she fell into a light slumber. In her mind he transported everything that had happened between the two of them, while she had been in his castle. All things. Good and bad.