Vampire Heart

Title: Vampire Heart
Author: Merci
Summary: Leona is the daughter of a wealthy merchant; sought after by suitors and surrounded by people who claim to know what’s best for her. Jung Ahn is a foreigner seeking trading partners in the West, and followed by a mistake that could cost both he and Leona their lives.


Vampire Heart
Part 2

Leona finished making supper for her father. The older man was readying to travel to visit some business associates and she knew that he wouldn’t have a good meal like the one she was preparing until he returned a few days later. He was obviously concerned that she would be alone, but she wouldn’t hear anything of it.

“Eat up, father, and don’t worry about me. I told you I can handle myself!”

“That’s what I’m worried about. You really should take one of these men up on their offers. I’ve heard that Chadwick’s son is interested…”

“You mean that buffoon of a man? I swear, father, if I have to listen to one more person insist on what they think is best for me, I think I’ll scream!” she angrily spooned the last of the stew out into his plate and set the ladle back in the pot with a clang. “Don’t give your associates any ideas about me.”

Her father rose to his feet, “I hate to do it, Leo, but I’ve got to keep my connections open with these merchants! If you were to marry one of their sons, it would make things easier…”

“I can’t believe you’re even suggesting such a thing!” she tried to calm her anger, but it was an old argument and she was at the end of her rope with it. “If you try to whore me out to one of those greedy pigs I’ll run away, and I mean it this time!” She stomped away, up the stairs to her room and slammed the door shut.

The vampire’s refusal to make her like him, and her father’s insistence on her marrying someone to benefit him set her blood boiling to new heights of anger.

At that moment, she didn’t care if she saw either one again. She threw herself on her bed and buried her head in her pillow.

Some time later, there was a knock at her door. Her father tried to say goodbye before he left, but she was already asleep and didn’t hear him.

+

Leona was startled awake by a sound. She opened her eyes wide, searching through the darkness of her room for the source, but couldn’t see anything. She frowned, thinking that Jung Ahn had come to visit her, but she was still angry with him. She slipped from the bed, feeling her bare feet touch the cold floor and she walked to the dresser to light the lamp. She’d give the vampire two choices; either make her a vampire, or she’d refuse to ever see him again.

The moment the flame caught to the wick she felt a cold breath on the back of her neck. She spun around and covered her mouth. There was a man standing in her room, straight-backed and regal, but with a strange glint of madness in his eye that set her fight-or-flight reflex to beg her to run away. His hair was dark, shoulder-length and his clothes were cotton, woven with foreign accents and sewn into strange trousers and vests. She hopped back, ready to fight, but he caught her arm and dragged her back to the bed. “I hear that Jung Ahn has a new pet,” he hissed in her ear.

“Pet?!” she nearly shrieked. “The hell are you talking about?”

“I heard the story he told you. You want to be a vampire, I can make it happen…”

“Ew, not by you!” she wrenched her arm back, but he didn’t even budge.

“Well, that’s a shame. He made me, that must put us on the same level…” he reached up to brush his fingers through her hair. The gesture was deceivingly gentle, almost affectionate until he paused and tightened his fingers in her curls. “Oh yeah, except that you’re nothing to him. He loved me first…”

Leona didn’t even have a chance to resist as she felt the air choking off in her throat and her eyes went dark.

+

She was comfortable. The air had some sweet, smoky scent in it and she breathed deeply as she rolled onto her stomach. Everything was peaceful, hazy, dreamy… it took her a few minutes before she realized that she wasn’t on her bed, and even a few more minutes after that before she remembered what had happened and quickly sprang to her feet.

Her head spun and she had to brace herself against the bed. It was difficult to concentrate, though she could see the room was lushly decorated and she remembered the style from her previous visits to Gregorio’s place. This was definitely the house of her dead suitor’s family. She steeled her resolve and tried the handle of the door, though wasn’t surprised when she found it was locked. She looked around for a suitable weapon, disturbed by the familiarity of the scene.

“I’m afraid there aren’t any weapons for you this time,” came a purring voice from beside the fireplace.

She spun around to find the man from her room standing there, cloaked in black robes. She made to lunge at him, but lost her footing and fell to the floor. “The hell did you do to me?” she asked as she tried to climb to her feet, feeling too weak to move.

“Only what you wanted,” the man purred, stepping over her and reaching out to touch her neck. She could feel the coldness in his fingers and realized what happened in the sticky wetness she felt smearing around her throat.

“I told you, I didn’t want you to do it…”

“Oh, but I didn’t!” he exclaimed with more glee than he should have. “I didn’t do it at all! Not at all!”

“That’s because I did,” came a hauntingly familiar voice and Leona somehow found the strength to tilt her head up and see the man who had just appeared from nowhere.

“No…”

“Yes!” Hwan exclaimed, leaping back from Leona’s prone form and hopping over to Gregorio’s dark frame. “I found this poor boy, all bloody and dying. Poor, poor little soul,” he wrapped his arm around the larger man’s shoulder, draping himself over his shoulder in a dramatic show. “I gave him a new life! That monster left this man to die. Jung Ahn is a beast! Do you really want to be with him?”

Leona climbed to her feet, pressing the palm of her hand against the cut in her throat and fought to stay conscious. “Yeah, well, Gregorio deserved it.” She fixed her gaze on her former suitor, sensing the dark aura about him.

Gregorio moved in on her, grabbing her throat before she could even think of moving. “You will like me now, Leo. I’ll give you the life you wanted…”

“I…” she choked through his crushing grip, curling her fingers ineffectively around his hands. “I never liked you, leave of all now. Get… off…”

She didn’t know if it was lack of blood that made her feel so weak, or some weird vampire trick that made her submit. She was vaguely aware of her clothing being pulled and removed, her bare skin prickle under the cool air of whatever room they’d moved her to before a new dress was slipped on over her legs and tied tightly around her ribs and breasts. Her eyes were rolling in the back of her head, dizzy and it was only when she was set on her feet, braced against the back of someone’s chest that she felt well enough to open her eyes.

She was held before a full-length wall mirror where she could see her state of dress, or rather, undress. Her arms were bare, two thin straps of her dress travelling over her shoulders to keep the garment from falling down. Her large breasts were trapped within the confines of a tight, pleated silk bodice. She heaved for breath, her creamy skin nearly bursting past the straining material and she inspected the remainder of her clothing. They’d slipped her into a deep red dress that restricted her breathing and billowed out from the waist down. Gregorio held her hands, pulling them out to expose the flawless skin of her bare arms before he leaned down and sank his fangs into her right limb.

This wasn’t happening. She was already so weak, and this monster was going to drain her further. She thought quickly, wondering where Hwan was, but unable to see him through the mirror. She thought she heard voices raised in anger, shouting and threatening, though it was all blotted out by the blood rushing through her ears. Past her ears and out to Gregorio’s hungry mouth.

She drew her free arm inward, gently pulling until he released his grip and she reached up to his face. Her will to live was strong, or rather, will to avoid being turned into a vampire by this man was strong. She felt up his neck, locating his face and quickly driving her finger into his eye. She pushed, harder and harder until she couldn’t drive her finger in any more and he wrenched away from her with a bellowing shriek.

“The fuck are you doing, you bitch?!” he dropped her to the floor and she looked up at him with a grin. He was pressing his hands to his eye, blood was leaking from the socket and he was running about like a chicken with its head cut off. She was in no condition to fight anybody and the best thing to do would be to escape. She crawled towards a loveseat that had been set up against the mirror, gripping the hand rest to pull herself to her feet. She was feeling better and quickly looked back to see where her kidnappers were. She didn’t see Hwan right away, only because Gregorio seemed to have recovered and was advancing on her once more.

Streams of blood had leaked down his cheek, but the eye she’d damaged. The one she knew she’d mulched with her nails, had re-grown and was boring into her with anger that made her wish she had a damn weapon.

+++

Jung Ahn took another swing at his creation, the monster that he’d once known, that bore Hwan’s face was snarling at him in all his bestial glory. “Did you really think this would change anything?” he asked as he kicked out, knocking the other vampire back before he reached down to grab the end of his braid. “I should have done this a while ago.”

He brought a clawed finger up to slice the palm of his hand open, coating the hair in blood before he threw the braid out towards his creation. The blood responded to his command and straightened into a lance, piercing Hwan’s ribcage and pinning him to the wall. He ignored the should of agony from his creation, he was more concerned with the weakening heartbeat that he could feel throbbing through the entire room. He could feel Leona’s weakened pulse above all else; above the anguished cries of Hwan as he turned from him, wrenching his braid from his ribs, and even the sound of his own undead heartbeat. All else faded away when he saw her struggling with Gregorio on the other side of the room and he couldn’t get to her fast enough.

He could see her weakening attacks falling lightly against Gregorio’s chest. She was fighting with all the strength she had left to her, and still it wasn’t enough to keep the taller man from striking a few crippling blows to her face and chest. He could almost feel the taller vampire’s claws ripping through her skin, as if it were tearing through his own flesh.

He sped across the room as fast as he could, arriving by Leona’s side just as she collapsed to the ground. He looked down at her body with rage-filled eyes, his lips snarling up and he turned to look at Gregorio, snarling like a maddened wolf before a clumsy bear. His hair stood up around his head as if by electricity and he threw all his strength into his next attack. His arm moved faster than anyone there could see, slamming across Gregorio’s chest and ripping bone and muscle apart. Chunks of meaty pulp flew up to splatter across the mirror and the blood drooled down the reflective surface as the wounded vampire shrieked in pain.

Gregorio was still a vampire. A very wounded one, but undead and able to heal. Jung Ahn stepped up to the wounded creature, laid out on his back, his limbs curling up as his body spasmed violently. The older vampire stood over him with dark eyes, his fists clenching in repressed anger before he knelt before the withering creature and dug his fingers into the bloody hole in his chest. He could see the undead heart beating, trying to bring blood around to repair its body, but he wouldn’t give it a chance. He dug his fingers into Gregorio’s exposed ribs, favouring a particularly large section before he applied a little pressure and snapped it free of the row. The young fledgling might have shrieked louder at this, but he didn’t pay attention. The pitiful noises halted suddenly when he clenched the rib tightly in his fist and impaled the quivering heart with its sharp edge.

He felt his anger drain from his body as he exerted his energies to exterminating the younger vampire. Gregorio’s heart convulsed around the sharp piece of bone before it bled out in a torrent of blood, but the only thing Jung Ahn was concerned about was the limb body by his feet. Leona had lost so much blood, the creatures had drained her to a dangerous point, he didn’t know if she could live… not without him taking action.

“You might as well forget about her,” Hwan taunted from behind him and Jung Ahn turned, leaving Leona on the floor while he dealt with the other vampire. “You won’t embrace her. You told her you wouldn’t.”

“I didn’t want her to regret it!” he bit out as he lunged forward, pressing the other vampire to the mirror.

“Don’t lie to yourself,” Hwan purred, tracing his creator’s face with his clawed hand. “You haven’t turned anyone since me.”

“That’s because you were a mistake.”

“It’s because I’m perfect!” Hwan giggled and pushed away from Jung Ahn. He stepped out to the centre of the room, inspecting his reflection in the mirror, around the blood splatters. “You didn’t need anyone else after me,” his dark eyes danced with his minor insanity before looking down with detached indifference at Gregorio. “Well, my fledgling is dead… you were right, Ahn. It is painful to make one, though not as painful as it was to lose you!”

Jung Ahn stepped forward, keeping his stance as neutral as he could to keep from setting this madman off. “Was it painful?” He had to get in close. “I’m sorry, Hwan…” he opened his arms, inviting the other vampire to embrace him. “I’ve missed you dearly.” Deceiving… “I was so foolish…” Bring him in close. “I’ve been so lonely…” Close enough to finish him off. “I should never have left you…” he stepped in and closed his arms around his creation, his childe. Old memories flooded back to him before his heart became bitter with what this man had become. “I should never have left you…” he said, readying to strike the final blow.

“Yeah,” Hwan sighed, his eyes glowing as he rolled his head to the side to look deeply into Jung Ahn’s dark orbs. “You shouldn’t have!” His body shifted violently, arm jerking something against the older vampire’s chest and then he wrapped his arms around his creator’s body, holding him as he sagged against him.

“Y-you…” Jung Ahn shuddered, feeling the silver dagger burning in his ribs. He knew it was silver, poison and painful. His strength was drawn to that silver implement and his knees buckled beneath him. He was practically paralyzed and completely helpless beneath Hwan’s strength.

“Something went wrong and I lost my mind? Yeah, I know what you’re going to say, lover,” Hwan scratched his chin as he casually looked down at the prostrate form of his master. “You’re too high and mighty for me now, but I’ll bet if I drive you crazy too, we can live happily ever after!”

“Gngh, no…” Jung Ahn tried to roll to his side, bring his arm up to pull the dagger from his chest, but nothing responded. He could feel his heart slowing to a crawl, his strength completely leaving him in every conceivable way. He’d fall into a state of paralyzation, unable to move with the world passing slowly. Everything around him seemed to slow to a hum. He looked up at his childe with wide eyes, horrified with what he would do to drive him crazy. Would it really end this way? What would become of Leona?

He watched the other vampire cackling above him in slow motion. His dark hare flying from about his face as he giggled in his maniacal way before he jerked forward, his eyes slowly going wide in shock and surprise and Jung Ahn then realized that Leona had caught the other vampire by surprise.

It happened slowly, every moment slowing down even more than the previous and Hwan fell to the ground like a leaf; slow and graceful. Leona swayed above him, her expression of grim determination as she watched the vampire fall to the ground, the broken rib planted in his back obviously broken from Gregorio’s twisted frame.

It seemed to take forever for her to realize he was lying there and reach out to withdraw the dagger from his ribs. In reality, it was only a matter of seconds, but by the time she’d grasped the handle and wrenched it from his body, his vampiric mind had recognized weeks had passed. His heart sped up once the wicked metal was withdrawn from his system and he had enough strength to sit up straight, embracing Leona as best he could. She seemed to collapse into him and for the longest time just held her as he recovered, all the while listening to her heart struggling to keep her alive.

“We have to get out of here,” he finally whispered to her once he was strong enough to stand. “We can’t stay, I have to get you to my residence…” She made a sound and Jung Ahn took that as an agreement. He lifted her from the floor, carrying her tightly against his chest as he stepped over the bodies of his former lover and that lover’s creation. The sunlight that would be streaming though the windows and reflecting off the mirror would burn their remains in an instant. That sunlight was too close. It was already lighting up the sky in a preemptive glow that caused the vampire to rush along the back roads and look for shortcuts to get home. His feet rushed as fast as they could with the blood loss – a snail’s pace, compared to his usual speed – and they had to stop at the entrance to a cemetery. His mind was foggy, fuddled and unclear. Was he going in the right direction at all? It seemed as if he was running in circles, and with Leona growing cold in his arms and the sun about to break the horizon…

Jung Ahn made a quick decision and pivoted on his heel, kicking in the gate to the cemetery and rushing inside. He aimed towards a decrepit mausoleum and used his strength to wrench the metal bars away from the heavy marble door before opening the ancient room beyond. He could feel the beast inside him begging for sleep, warning of the oncoming sunlight and he tried to quiet it down as he stepped inside to set Leona against a smooth marble burial vault while he turned back to the door. His servants were well trained and aware of his plans that evening. He trusted they would be on the lookout for him when he did not return and he stepped out into the dangerous twilight to leave his embroidered handkerchief impaled on the wrought-iron gate. His blood would call to them and the cloth would mark his place. He stepped back inside and slid the stone door back in place, blocking out the day and encasing them in darkness and death.

His eyes adjusted to the pitch black, seeing the ornate carvings around the small room that echoed of a time long past. The carved marble glistened in the darkness, untouched since it had been sealed and Jung Ahn quickly ripped his coat off and laid it along the stop of the burial vault before lifting Leona’s tired body to rest in the soft velvet. “Can you hear me?” he asked. It would be useless to inquire into her comfort or state; he could feel her growing cold. He tried to ignore the fluttering of his heart as he brought his forehead to press against hers. “Ms. Leona, I think I’m going to honour your request now…”

She made a weak sound as she tried to open her eyes to look at him. She blindly stared off into space as he brought his lips to rest against her neck. She had so little blood left, but he needed to take at least a drop into him before he fed her in return. He just hoped it wasn’t the drop that killed her… or drove her mad. Brought his mouth against hers, gently kissing her as he parted her lips and pressed his tongue inside. She brought her hands up to rest on his shoulders and kissed him back with all her strength. He felt his fangs extending and raked one over his own tongue before pressing it back into her mouth. He felt his blood welling from the muscle and flowing into her. He willed it to fill her, give her strength, and he was surprised when her tongue reached out towards him, snaking into his mouth to rake against his fang.

Their bleeding tongues entwined and he kissed her more passionately. His desire to sleep flew from his consciousness and he was overcome with a far more salacious beast; desire. She was rapidly recovering her strength as his blood filled her mouth and she greedily swallowed every drop that filled her. Jung Ahn pressed down onto her, his hands loosening in their grip to begin an exploration of her body. He hadn’t had the chance to appreciate the dress that Hwan had put her into. It was an attractive colour on her, though at that moment, in the dark, what he appreciated more was the way it squeezed her breasts together beneath a thin veil of silk. It almost pained him to have to cut it with his sharp claws, but the silky mounds that heaved beneath his hands begged to be freed from their confines. He delicately slashed across the material and he heard her squeal of relief when the tight material was slackened. Their mouths broke apart and he moved lower to caress her throat before moving lower.

She seemed to laugh when he nipped her collarbone and he looked up to her, seeing her clearly in the dark. She looked towards him, her own vampire eyes beginning to adjust to the night and she grinned, “You move quickly, Mr. Ahn!”

“You didn’t seem to be resisting too much, Ms. Leona,” he whispered, dragging his tongue down her chest, between her breasts before nipping along the side of one of them. “Making a new vampire is complicated… it requires a complete exchange of fluids. Most ghouls are made through blood alone, but to fully make you like me… I have to take you, here and now.” He looked up to see her reaction, their location could have been better chosen, but the time between blood and sex could not wait until the next evening. He had to penetrate her both orally and sexually and she seemed to brighten at the suggestion.

“I think it’s only suitable for vampires to fuck in graveyards, Jung Ahn,” she brought her fingers to dig into his head and press his face back between her breasts.

The invitation sent a spark of excitement throughout the vampire’s body, which quickly spread to a full-out fire. His blood raced, spurring him onward to drag his tongue along her right breast, grazing her nipple with a fang before latching around it and sucking as hard as he could. Her squeals of excitement encouraged him to nibble at the pert nub until his fang popped through to bring a bead of blood to the surface. He withdrew to admire the sanguine gem that glistened on her jiggling bosom before he lowered his mouth to lap up the irresistible liquid. His hand replaced his mouth and he turned his ministrations to the other mound of flesh, kneading and sucking at the same time, lapping his tongue around in wide, arching circles while pinching her nipple between his fingers. Her squeals became breathier as her body arched beneath him and he dragged his claws further along her dress to open more of her body up to him.

The material parted easily, revealing her body writhing inside the cocoon of fabric. His hands journeyed inside the dress, along her stomach and around her hip to journey down the inside of her thigh. His claws trailed shallow cuts behind them and he watched with an approving eye as those thin lines of red began to heal. She was ready, though he wanted to play a bit more. His cock was throbbing painfully in the confines of the Western trousers. He could feel the blood pooling and filling the organ fully and delightfully. He reached down to palm the engorged flesh through the fabric of his trousers, groaning in delight at the feeling; it had been too long.

He snaked his tongue out, paying one last lick to each nipple before dragging the organ further down her body, bringing it across every inch of her stomach as he playfully coiled it further downward. He climbed onto the burial vault, thankful that the strange Western jacket he’d bought was long enough to separate them from the hard marble. He tore the remainder of the dress apart, revealing her naked body to him. He could sense her looking up at him with rapt attention, and he spread his fingers out, rubbing his palms along the insides of her knees, gently pushing them apart before pressing them in further. They traveled along the insides of her thighs, kneading the soft flesh there before continuing along to the juncture where they met. He kneaded the outer lips of her pussy, gently massaging the flesh there with his fingers before he pulled them apart to reveal the pink folds within. Her body was growing cold from the vampiric changes within it, but the heat of her pussy rolled out in waves along his hands and he held the lips open as he leaned in to gently blow along the folds.

Her knees shivered in response and he used his elbows to keep her thighs parted as he moved forward and swiped his tongue along the side of her clitoris.

“Would you just…” she tried to order, though he kneaded the outer lips and traced his tongue along the same path again, effectively silencing her demands.

He knew how to please her, although he had feeling he should hurry up if she was getting impatient. Her pussy was already wet and aching for him to enter her. He could feel the blood throbbing through the engorged flesh and he wrapped his lips around the soft pear-shaped folds. He held the organ between his lips and batted his tongue over the lucky flesh that was trapped on the inside of his mouth. She squirmed under his ministrations and he used his strength to hold her down. He pulled back, sucking on her clit and drawing it with him before he released it.

Leona was cursing above him, something under her breath, which intensified when he slipped a finger into her tight pussy. Her curses were separated by breathy sighs when he pushed a second finger into her and drove them as deep within her body as they would go. He thrust those digits inside her as his mouth returned to its previous activity, suckling along her clit before concentrating on the nub at the top, flicking his tongue around and suckling hard.

Jung Ahn was enjoying himself, deeply immersed in Leona’s juices and throbbing pussy when he was distracted by a hand that fisted in his hair and pulled him away from the task at hand. He followed her body up from her pussy, licking out with his tongue as she pulled him over her breasts before she looked him dead in the eyes. “If you don’t fuck me soon, I’m going to do something drastic…”

Everything from that point on flew by in a blur for Jung Ahn. She released his hair and he quickly removed his shirt, nearly tearing the buttons that resisted the action, and then tore into the restrictive Western-style trousers. He popped the button free, and lowered them just enough to withdraw his aching cock before bracing himself over her body. He guided the head against the entrance to her vagina, letting his aching head rest there, teasing along her opening before he jerked his hips forward and planted the mushroom-shaped head inside.

The moment seemed to clarify for him then as he slowly sank into the confines of her body. His passion was running on high, his entire body buzzing with blood that was heralding the creation of a new vampire. He lowered himself against her and pressed his mouth against hers in a desperate kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close as he began to move within her. Shallow thrusts at first – more like grinding – which quickly became longer, languid pistoning as he matched his tongue against hers, cutting it once again and feeding her the blood that would complete her transformation. Her tongue rose to meet his, lapping at the second dose of blood that he offered her and she took willingly.

Her body bowed up against his as he thrust down into her, thoroughly and deeply fucking her. He groaned and sped up his actions, breaking the kiss and throwing his hips into every thrust against her eager body. Everything became a blur of blood and sweat in his senses; he could feel her blood pumping wildly through her veins, matching his own reckless heart that threatened to stop if he didn’t keep fucking her.

And he did. Oh god, he fucked her as hard as he could remember fucking anybody, and she thrust up into his movements. Almost perfect symmetry as their blood connected and commanded their movements. They were slaves to that feeling, not just in his cock as it drove mercilessly into the confines of her hot entrance, nor her pussy as it clamped around him, but through their entire bodies. They felt it anywhere that blood flowed; as if their bodies were big erogenous zones that prickled and writhed at the lightest touch.

Leona’s breathy pants came in loud and escalating gasps, signaling to Jung Ahn that he could relinquish the control over his own release. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her claws raking red trails deep in his muscle as her pussy clamped down around him, rhythmically squeezing him with its soft, wet walls. He didn’t last much longer than a few strokes in that tightening passage and all-too quickly the vampire lowered his fanged mouth to Leona’s neck, biting into the soft flesh there as his release claimed him and he spilled his seed within her.

She held him tightly against her, pressing his bare chest to hers and they lied there for a time, listening to each other’s hearts slow from the high, down to the abnormal rhythm of a vampire.

Outside the sun traveled along its normal path across the sky, moving from morning to afternoon while the two bodies slumbered in deathless sleep within the mausoleum. The two creatures only reawaked when it reached a low, threatening to slip beneath the horizon and plunge the landscape into night once more.

Mick lifted himself above Leona and she looked up at him with dark, vampire eyes, dried blood marking the edges of her mouth. “My servants will take us away from here once the sun sets,” he said, lifting himself up and rearranging his clothing before helping Leona to do the same. He almost felt remorse for tearing her dress in two, though it had been fun at the time. He offered his coat for her to slip into until he could get her another dress. She seemed distracted and he remained quiet, allowing his new childer to become accustomed to the new senses that she was experiencing. A heightened sense of sight and hearing, coupled with the ability to sense the life force within living creatures. He wondered if she was mesmerized by the pulsing hearts of the rabbits burrowed a few short feet from where they sat.

“Leona, I hope you don’t grow to resent me or regret this decision…” he started.

“It had to be done,” she said, looking over at him with a smile. “I asked you to do it in the first place. I know what I want.”

Jung Ahn hopped off the burial vault and closed the distance between them. He kissed her sweetly before drawing back to look into her eyes. “I want you to return with me to my homeland. It would be good for you to start your new life in a new place and… I’ve grown attached to you. I don’t want to be parted.”

The sounds of Jung Ahn’s servants knocking on the marble door filtered through to their ears and the mood seemed to shift to one of urgency. Only the vampire could remove the heavy blockage, but he wouldn’t leave them waiting either. “Please, Leona. I’ll be leaving shortly to return. Come with me, you can say goodbye to your family.”

She seemed to brighten at that promise. “I do want to say goodbye to father; I had a fight with him before he left…”

Jung Ahn leaned in held her tightly, pressing his mouth against hers through a fanged smile that belied his joy at the revelation. “You won’t regret it, Leona…” he breathed her name before stepping to the door and beginning to remove the blockage.

She tightened his borrowed coat around her frame, hiding the damaged parts of the dress from view and stepped from the mausoleum as the path was opened before her. Jung Ahn followed behind and led her to the coach that awaited them.

The End