Chapter 2

Alex groaned as she stretched again. "Man, coach was brutal today," she complained. Her two teammates made noises of agreement, too tired to do much more than that. It was dark and the three of them were walking home after a long gymnastics practice.

"I'm not surprised that you're hurting, that was a pretty spectacular stumble you made off the balance beam earlier," Brittany nudged her with a smirk.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Alex said rolling her eyes. "That was so embarrassing. And my wrist stills stings like a bitch from the scratches I got when I face planted on the floor."

"Who could've imagined the Queen of the Gym was actually capable of making a mistake? Never mind falling," Angela snickered.

Alex rolled her eyes good naturedly and bickered with her friends. Suddenly though, she heard some hissing, and a crash coming from the alley on her right.

Normally she would've kept walking. After all it was probably just a couple of alley cats fighting over scraps. But some gut feeling was telling - no demanding - that she check it out.

"Hey guys? Go ahead, I just have to check something," she called ahead to her teammates.

"Are you sure?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah, we're only a couple of blocks from my apartment anyway. Go on ahead and I'll see you guys at practice tomorrow," Alex said, hoping it was enough to get rid of them.

"Ok see you then," they both waved at her and kept walking.

Alex watched them for a moment before carefully making her way into the alley. "Hello?" she called. Silence was what met her.

"Is there anyone there?" This time she thought she heard a faint groan. Deciding that it was too dark to make anything out she dug her phone out of her pocket and turned on the flashlight. At first she thought there was nothing there, but when she looked around again she caught sight of a leg poking out from behind some bins off to one side. Quickly she made her way over and found a person attached to the leg.

"Oh my Ra, are you alright?!" There was no answer or movement, so she fell to her knees beside the person and rolled them over. Her eyes widened. There was blood everywhere. It covered the man, making him look paler than he already was. But the most horrific thing for Alex was that she knew this man very well.

"YUGI! No, no, no…" Alex said as she searched for the wound. She finally found a gash on his abdomen and pushed against it hard with her left hand to try and stop the bleeding. She put her right hand on his cheek and tapped his face gently. "Yugi please, please wake up. Please, you can't…"

She cried in relief when Yugi shifted under her hands and groaned. "Oh thank Ra," she said. "Yugi?" This time when he groaned his eyes slowly opened. Alex's heart stopped for the second time that night. It might've been dark, but in that moment, she swore that Yugi's eyes had turned red. And perhaps scarier, there was no recognition in them at all.

She started to pull away from him, but before she could blink she was trapped underneath him while he held her right hand, gently, but in an unescapable grip, in place against his face. For a moment they just stared at each other. This was not like Yugi. Alex couldn't ignore that all her inner alarm bells were going off and telling her she had to get away from her friend NOW. "Um, Yugi?" she asked trying to wiggle out from under him. He gave no sign of having heard her and drew his gaze to her wrist. More specifically the small graze she had on her wrist from her earlier fall.

He took a deep breath. "Has anyone ever told you," he said in a voice much deeper than she'd ever heard from Yugi, "That you smell absolutely delicious?" He flashed her a predatory smirk that made Alex stop breathing. Because it didn't matter that it was dark, Alex knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that there were fangs in Yugi's mouth.

"Yugi," Alex said, trying to not let her voice shake. "What the hell is going on?"

"I thought that was rather obvious. You have something I need. You don't mind if I take a sip or so, do you?" Yugi said nuzzling her wrist.

It suddenly occurred to Alex that her other hand was still stemming the blood flow over Yugi's stomach. Assuming that neither she nor Yugi had lost it (honestly she wasn't totally convinced), he implied that he needed her blood. What if… Oh Ra it was crazy, but what if he needed it to heal his wound? Didn't that kind of thing happen in Hollywood vampire movies? Could she really deny him if it might save his life? One of her closest friends in the whole world?

No. So, despite every red flag and alarm, and the absolute certainty she had that she was going crazy, she said, "Go ahead Yugi. Take what you need." Alex closed her eyes bracing for the sting. Instead she received silence.

"A-Alex?"

Alex's eyes shot open. "Yugi?" His expression had changed. There was still hunger to be sure, but also recognition, pain, and… fear.

"Alex, I can't let go," Yugi said.

"You don't have to. You said need my blood, so take it," Alex smiled at him, trying to sound more sure than she felt about the whole situation.

"I-I can't. I'm hungry and injured, I'd kill you before I could stop Alex," Yugi whispered his whole body beginning to tremble with opposing urges.

"I trust you," Alex told him. She didn't realize it until the words were out of her mouth, but they were true. Despite the absolute insanity of the situation, she trusted him anyway.

Yugi's eyes hardened. "You shouldn't."

When Alex blinked again she was alone in the alley. "Yugi?" she called. There was no answer. After looking around the alley there was no sign Yugi had ever even been there except for the blood on the ground and her hands.

The shock didn't really hit her until she got back to her apartment and got in the shower. Trembling and trying not to hyperventilate she sat on the floor of her shower trying to sort through her thoughts.

She had met Yugi three years ago. On her first day of college in her Intro to Ancient Egypt class. She already knew him as the King of Games of course, but it wasn't long before he became a good friend too. He was actually her first friend, except Seto and Mokuba, since the fire when she was fifteen.

Yugi welcomed her with open arms. He introduced her to all his friends, showed her his favourite restaurant, the game shop where he lived, everything. He was the kind of guy with unlimited kindness and generosity, who still acted more like a kid than an adult, and who could scarf burgers like there was no tomorrow.

Apparently, he was also a vampire.