Chapter 4

Here we go! Another chapter. thank you for your support. More will be coming soon, hopefully. Thanks again and enjoy!

"This is not the way to the airport." Elizabeth said after watching the midnight scenery outside pass. One day had passed since the attack from the hunters, and Elizabeth's injury, which was tightly wrapped with a bandage. The newlyweds were on their way to the home of Vlad Dracula, the most known vampire in existence in both fiction and in real life.

"We're not going to the airport."

"I thought that Dracula lived in Transylvania." Elizabeth said with little emotion.

Victor sighed. "Transylvania doesn't exist anymore. Romania is now where Transylvania was. I thought you knew your history."

Elizabeth huffed and didn't answer to his sarcasm. She continued to stare outside the window, trying to distract herself from the constant reminder that she was going to meet the lord of all Vampires. How she wished she had her crossbow.

"We're going to London." Victor finally said to end the agonizing silence he suffered.

Elizabeth turned to look at her husband. "London?"

Victor answered her question. "Yea, shortly after Transylvania was taken over and destroyed, he moved to London. He lives in the upper-class area."

"We live four hours away." Elizabeth said in boredom.

"Yep, get comfy." Victor paused. "By the way, how did you get away from those hunters?"

Elizabeth growled. "Didn't I tell you that was none of your business?"

Victor hummed in disagreement, then signaled and pulled over to the side of the rode. "Listen, Elizabeth, I don't want to deal with your attitude when I know I'm going to have to deal with my father. I'm just trying to be a good husband to you."

"I never asked you to act like a good husband to me!"

Victor glared at her retort.

"I don't like you. I hate you with all my being. I married you to try to make peace for my people and yours. Now I'm the hunted because of my selfless act for the world. I wish I never had to marry you. I wish Vampires never existed. Because of your kind, I have lost so much, and I have to suffer the most because I can never let my guard down, around you, around my friends, at work, anywhere! I don't care what you do with your life, but leave me alone to mine."

She turned her back to him and stared out the window waiting for him to continue driving to London, but he didn't. Eventually, out of annoyance, she turned to him to tell him to continue driving, but when she saw how firm his face was set in a glare, her heart began to tremble with fear.

"Elizabeth, you told me to do what I want with my life. I'm doing it. I'm trying to make this experience as comfortable for you as I can, considering the situation. But I can't do that unless you put a little trust in me. I know it's hard because of what you've been through, but you cannot punish me for trying. I promise that I will not harm you in any way. So, give me a chance." He said to with stern eyes before turning back to the wheel and entering the lane again, continuing his trip through the night.

Elizabeth's heart was beating incredibly fast for her. She was terrified at that moment she wouldn't ever get a chance to even step out of the car. But he promised to never hurt her.

Like I should take the word of a no good, filthy Vampire. She thought, but paused a moment. But he is a Dracula, his word is more trustworthy than even some hunters. He wants trust, huh? We'll see if I should give him trust.

"I went through a shopping center." She started.

Victor took a quick double take. "Sorry?"

"When I was attacked by the Hunters, I went through a shopping center to lose them. I entered one store, and a store attendant helped me with my wound. She distracted the other Hunters long enough for me to get away. I had to enter different stores several times before I knew for certain I was safe." She took a breath. "Then I had to walk home, seeing my car was back at my work. That's why it took me so long to get home."

Victor didn't say anything for a while. He thought about what she just told him for some time as he watched the black pavement pass while he drove. He managed to talk to her a little more and get some more information. It would take some time, but she was possibly starting to trust him. And that's all he could ask for.

After the long drive, Elizabeth and Victor finally arrived at a large mansion near Buckingham Palace. The building had a Victorian look, but because of the dark colors and lack of windows, it seemed more nightmare like. It was around midnight when they knocked on the door and were serviced to Dracula's butler.

"Good evening, Master Vincent and Mistress Elizabeth. Master Vlad has been expecting you and is grateful that you two have accepted his invitation. Please follow me to the study where he is waiting for you." The tall man in a tuxedo said to the couple.

Victor smiled at his old friend. "Thank you Erick, but I know the way. I'll take Elizabeth there."

Erick nodded and stepped aside for Victor to lead the way. Elizabeth's heart beat loudly in her chest, she was in enemy territory, and she needed to be prepared.

"Stay close to me at all times." His voice caught her off guard.

"What?"

He turned his head to her slightly. "To protect you I need you to stay close to me at all times. I don't want you alone with my father at any point in time."

Elizabeth simply nodded. Even though she didn't trust Victor, she had to this once because he knew this area better than she did.

They turned the corner and walked down a long dark hallway only lit by a few candles. There were portraits on the walls around the two that depicted family, but the majority of them were Vlad Dracula and Victor over the years.

"The candles are a little old fashioned." Elizabeth observed.

Victor laughed slightly. "Yea, I could never really get my father out of the medieval era and into the twenty first century. But the all rooms have electricity. My father likes to use candles where ever he goes in the house though."

They stopped at a large mahogany door that shined with the dark resin because of the candle light. Victor hesitated, but eventually he lifted his hand and knocked on the door. They waited for a moment before the deep demanding voice of the Vladimir Dracula rang through.

"Come in."

Victor opened the door and entered, making sure the room was safe before Elizabeth could enter. The study seemed more like a library than a study. The walls were filled bookshelves of stories of history and legend from past eras. The smell of the leather made Elizabeth's nose tingle at the familiarity of her favorite pass time. The only word she could use to describe her feelings was amazement. She could only glance at the books beside her before she knew they were first editions of some of her favorite stories.

"Welcome home, Victor. And it is a pleasure to finally meet your wife. Elizabeth correct?" His polite greeting, despite its seemingly innocent nature, made her feel diminutive and intimidated.

She nodded and continued to look at the books. The many dulled colors intrigued her to a point of longing to read once again. She took a step away from Victor out of curiosity for the stories in the room, but Victor quickly stopped her by grabbed her waist, preventing her from moving any further.

"You like to read, I can see." Vlad said as he walked close to them. Randomly he reached for a book on a shelf and pulled it out. It was older and was very faded, so Elizabeth couldn't tell what the title was. "I think you would enjoy this one. It's a first edition, signed, and still in great condition. You can have it. Think of it as a late wedding present, from your father in law to you."

He held out the book to Elizabeth, but she hesitated. Could she trust this man enough to take one of the books? Victor answered for her and took the book from his father and handed it to Elizabeth. She carefully opened the small leather-bound book. On the cover held the signature of Mary Shelly.

"Frankenstein?" she asked as her eyes darted back to her father in law.

His grin caused his goatee to shift in an awkward way, making his innocent smile seem more demonic.

"Well, father, it's a pleasure to see you again." Victor was trying to take his father's attention off of Elizabeth.

"Yes," Vlad shifted his eyes to his son. "I'm terribly sorry for missing the wedding, but there was a problem within the company I couldn't get away from."

This caused a glare from Victor. Something had happened but Elizabeth couldn't tell what. Elizabeth didn't question but she waited for her husband to continue. He held her closer to himself and began to move to the door.

"Well, it's getting late for my wife, she's still working on getting use to the evening hours." He explained with a smile.

His father nodded. "Of course, I hope you enjoy the book, my dear."

He grabbed her free hand and kissed it gently in parting ceremony.

The infamous Vampire bowed as Victor led his wife out the door, away from his father. Victor took her down the hall and eventually found his way to another dark door. It opened to an expansive room that had a large bed within and décor from Victorian years.

Victor gently pushed her in and closed the door behind him. "I'm sorry, he can be unpredictable most the time."

Elizabeth looked at the book in her hand. "I agree, but you're the same."

"You don't know him like I do. He plays the innocent nice guy act, but truthfully he just wants to get your blood." He said to her with poison within his voice.

"What?" she yelled back to him. "Like you do?"

"I would never..." he trailed off, unable to finish

They silently glared at each other for a while before Elizabeth turned away from him and entered the bathroom. He sighed and exited the room once more to confront the man who raised him. Walking back to the study, he found his father reading once again with a glass of what he could tell was human blood.

"Hello again, Victor."

Victor glared at his father. "I just wanted to say to stay away from Elizabeth. I know why you invited us here."

"What on earth would I want to do with my son's wife?" The man smirked.

"Quit playing." Victor cut through the sarcasm. "I know you look at her as easy prey. But, if you do that, it will cause the war to continue. Leave her out of this."

"Son," Vlad laughed. "I have no idea what you speak of, but I can assure you that I mean you and your wife no harm."

"Bull Shit."

Vlad cocked a thick eyebrow. "I don't believe I was the one who taught you to swear."

"And your lies have always been transparent to me." Victor said in a controlled anger. "The reason for you missing the wedding is because you decided to go hunting, didn't you?"

"Her blood was quite sweet. B positive I believe." He smiled at the memory. "And what I can tell from the cut from Elizabeth's cut on her hand, her blood is AB Negative. A rare blood. It must taste wonderful."

Victor's glare intensified. "I won't let you harm her. In fact, I don't think you would be able to get close to her."

"I have my ways, Victor. I did notice that she didn't bring any weapons. And also, she is quite cold to you."

"She has her reasons."

"But really, you must be able to get close to her and have a small taste of her delectable blood."

At this moment, Vlad's fangs grew to their full length, showing his carnivorous craving for Elizabeth.

"You wouldn't dare get close to her. If you did anything to the direct decedent of your enemy, the war will continue, and it would start at your door step."

Before Victor could react, his father was from his comfortable sitting position to standing right in front of him, glaring down at him.

"The war will never end, as long as Vampires and Hunters exist. This was cute and all how you wanted to marry a Van Helsing to try to end it. But it won't work," Dracula stated. "I won't drink her blood, but only if you drink it first. If you don't do it, I will drink her dry."