Vampire Heart

Title: Vampire Heart
Author: Merci
Pairing: Jung Ahn (Mick)/Leona
Rating: NC17
Status: Complete
Wordcount: 13.8K
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.
Warnings: Violence, blood drinking and lots of smutty sex.
This isn’t beated at all in the least. I apologize profusely for any errors!!!
Disclaimer: Mick and Leo belong to Merci and Widdledragon respectively. They are used here with permission of their creators and are not to be used by any unauthorized party for profit, though pleasure is always welcome.
Notes: Merry Christmas, Widdie! Sorry I’m late in delivering. I hope you like it.

This is a story that was a gift fic for widdledragon (lj) and based off of her original character, Leona, and my character, Mickey (aka. Jung Ahn). This is an au vampire story featuring the two thugs in a quite different setting from what I'm used to writing them in. Have a peek at her ( http://widdledragon.deviantart.com ) DA account to see art of both Jung Ahn and Leona. This is a stand-alone, and I don't think any prior knowledge of the characters is required to enjoy it! ♥


Vampire Heart
Part 1

The sounds of the party washed over the foreigner’s senses and he stood at the balcony’s edge above the ballroom. He ignored the strange way the Western clothing pulled at his frame; he’d traded his comfortable native clothing for the stiff-necked frock coat and other garments of his new trading partners. He turned his gaze back to the group of men who seemed happy in their restrictive clothing, seeking out his benefactor, the Baron who’d invited him to visit his warehouses, so full of merchandise and ready for trade with the East. Jung Ahn would be the one to bring those trinkets and items to his homeland, opening a new gateway to export items of his own and secure his fading wealth.

For decades, he’d lived comfortably in his crumbling estate. What had been an impressive property with servants and gardens as far as the eye could see had slowly shrunk from its former glory. Jung Ahn could remember the sun lighting everything it touched, illuminating the crisp green of the leaves and warming his skin. Of course, that had been years past, too many years past, and in the centuries since then, the world was progressing, and he was doing what he could to make sure he kept up with the quickly increasing pace of events. The oceans between countries were not so far stretching, peace was being made between old enemies, and it was now within his grasp to reach out and build his empire anew with trade and profitable progress. He nodded at what the Baron Macer had been saying, though he hadn’t heard a word, and raised his glass. The sweet liquor of humans did not settle well in his stomach if he imbibed in it often, and he would not suffer to impress fat, rich men. He carried the fluted vessel to his lips, feigning to drink as the large man laughed and slapped him on the back. The baron was eager to trade, which suited the Asian man fine, since it made him easier to manipulate without any threats or bloodshed.

He said a few words about finding a suitable shipping service for their product and that seemed to please the baron, who quickly excused himself to mingle with his other guests. Jung Ahn returned to the balcony’s edge, remembering several gatherings his family had which compared to the revelry and became momentarily distracted in the swirl of colours that danced below him. He’d managed to find a frock coat of the deepest red that he could procure, commissioning a seamstress to emblazon trim along the edges that pleased his eye, despite how it made him stand out among the other men at the table. His long, brown hair was outlandish enough to draw attention, though nobody dared to say a thing to him. What he had to offer was too valuable to anybody to make comment on his foreign culture or attire. Western clothing was so drab when compared to the golden and red silks and fabrics from home. Still, those that danced were dressed nearly as extravagantly as he, and one in particular caught his eye before she was swept up in the flow of the music and bodies. He tilted his head to follow her movements, but her dance partner whipped her through the crowd and before long she’d been swallowed up once more. He strained to find her again, but she was gone and he twitched, his hands instinctively seeking out the small, carved puzzle box from his pocket. He couldn’t help fidgeting, and the challenging toy kept his fingers busy as he walked through the groups of people. He could so easily reach out to seize their minds and wring the thoughts from them, but he was not like the one who’d created him, and he only controlled humans when he fed, and in this strange land, he had to be choosy when he ate at all.

+++

The humans lived decadently, Jung Ahn decided as he leaned against a wall beside a larger-than-life portrait of a woman in pink. It had been too long since he’d been forced to pretend to be wholly human. His personal servants were aware of his nature, though he kept them and their families far too comfortable for anything to be done against him. His enemies were unaware, only learning the truth when it was too late and his fangs were in their throat. Nevertheless, the restrictive clothing and feigned drinking was beginning to wear thin on the foreigner and he fiddled with the game a moment longer before tucking it back in his pocket. He thought to return to the residence, which the baron had set up for him during his stay, though all thoughts of retiring early vanished when a flash of movement caught his eye and he saw her again.

His eyesight was far better than humans were, though from the ground level, he could see every inch of her and he felt something tugging inside him that hadn’t moved in years. Her hair was a light brown, neatly arranged on top of her head, though the beautiful hairpin could not tame the few tendrils that curled down about her face and neck. He stilled his movements as he followed the line of her neck, resisting the hunger that suddenly flared inside him. Her neckline curved down to her shoulder, revealing the expanse of skin that disappeared into the pink and black dress that swished about her feet as she danced with her partner. Jung Ahn barely paid her partner any mind; save to make a quick observation that he appeared large, stupid and above all else, stupid. He watched intently as the two moved, though the lummox was the one pulling her along the floor. She seemed to go along, though she was growing tired or impatient of the way he wrenched her arms, pulling her along. There was a pause in their movements and then she seemed to shift and look directly at him.

Jung Ahn shifted against the wall, looking around him to see where her gaze was pinned, but he knew, somehow, that he was the object of her attention. He locked eyes with her and cocked his head to the side, very impressive indeed. Even as her dance partner pulled her away and turned her this way and that, as only a man who can’t dance but thinks he can would spin a ballerina, she still looked back to where he stood until she was once again out of sight. The long-braided man watched after her, he thought he’d hidden himself well against the wall, blending into the shadows that weren’t really there, but effectively passing beneath anybody’s notice. She’d sensed him watching her and even found him from across the room. She was definitely very perceptive if she could actually see him.

He remembered the first time he’d seen the vampire who’d made him. Jung Ahn had been a young noble back in his homeland, freshly orphaned at twenty-three, with an estate and servants and all the headaches that went with the title that he’d inherited. He’d been embroiled in his newfound responsibilities, and yet, somehow felt the prickle on the back of his neck and the eyes burning into him as they observed. It was been acute and jarring and in that instant he’d met Doyon, a boisterous merchant who was all-too happy to become embroiled in his life, helping with his duties and bringing some modicum of life to his home. At first, he’d taken the other man for an eccentric who somehow hated conducting business in the day, though he’d soon-enough discovered the truth and found himself made into a vampire by his brilliant-yet-dense creator and friend.

Jung Ahn blinked and the brief memory of his past flashed out of his mind’s eye, bringing him back to the present. It was the upset emotion pouring through the air that drew him back. Like a magnet, his vision was drawn back to the girl from before as the unmistakable air of anger crackled around her and she wrenched her arm from her date’s gloved grip. Though his hearing was far greater than most humans, he had difficulty making out the muttered curses and comments exchanged before she angrily spun on her heel and stalked away. The long-haired man thought to turn away, though he could not mistake the clumsy, yet predatory way that the man followed after her. He noticed what he presumed was one of the man’s friends moving to join them and Jung Ahn couldn’t resist following after them, unnoticed in the shadows, ready to play the gallant hero that he used to be before he met Doyon.

+++

Leona folded her arms as she walked away from the party. The long dress her father had bought for her swished about her feet and she watched her toes peek out from beneath the hem as she walked out towards the garden and over the cobbled stones. She knew that Gregorio would follow her, though she really wished he wouldn’t. Another marriage proposal, though the way he’d asked her this time really had infuriated her. He was lucky that she hadn’t let loose and beat the life from him. She’d only held back because it wouldn’t have been proper for her to do that, and she did not want to shame her father with her unladylike behaviour. Well, that and she really did like her dress. The colours were dark but pretty and they reminded her of something she’d worn when she was a child, back when her mother was alive and there was a reason to wear pretty dresses. As it was now, she was more content to steal her father’s trousers and associate with his workers by the docks, loading shipments or just bothering Luke and Jase as they dashed in and out of ships. They’d hoist the cargo faster and more efficiently than any other shipping business in town and wealthy merchants would flock to their door for the best service available. She’d rather work with her father and make a name for herself rather than marrying some aristocrat and become a nameless face on his arm, attending social functions and being uncomfortable in restrictive corsets. Gregorio didn’t seem to understand that, even after he’d pursued her for so long. He still tried to get to her through her father, even though the older man always laughed and directed him towards his fiery daughter that had no problem in turning him down. She’d only gone to this ball as a favour to her father, as he had in mind to offer his services to some wealthy foreign merchants, and her presence would somehow enhance his standing. She didn’t pretend to understand the politics of the business, though she did know when she’d been insulted for the last time.

She spun around, just as she heard her suitor stalking up behind her. “I told you, Gregorio, we’re not well matched,” she eyed him in his breathless and sweaty appearance and decided to drop the pleasantries. “Insulting my father and threatening to humiliate me just makes me angry, you know. I’d hate to have to teach you a lesson…”

Her words did little to slow the hulking brute as he moved closer to her, too close for a gentleman to stand beside a lady. His hands fell heavily on her shoulders and she tried to jerk away, backing herself into a hedge. “You’re running out of options, Leona,” he purred, squeezing his fingers painfully into the silk that covered her arms. “The years are being good to you, but pretty soon your looks won’t excuse your attitude or behaviour, or,” he moved his hands down to grab her hand and bring it up for inspection. He squinted at the bruises he saw there. “Brawling like a man again?” he threw her arm down and grabbed her shoulders once again, squeezing them together and pressing his body close. “I don’t know why I pursue you with all of your flaws, maybe I enjoy the challenge of breaking in difficult mares…” he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers.

Leona tried to squirm away, though Gregorio was heavy and blocked all routes of escape. She kept her teeth clenched, even as his rancid tongue demanded entrance, and so she did the only thing she could. She brought her hands up, balling them in to fists and punched him in the guts. She hit him again and again, harder than she usually did when she roughhoused with her friends. He finally backed away, letting out a sound like a kicked dog and reeled back from the blows. She stepped away, ready to fight if she had to, though she didn’t want to damage her dress. He turned to shoot her a glare that promised pain and launched a fist towards her at a blinding speed. Leona hadn’t expected him to recover so quickly and she hopped aside to avoid the attack, though it grazed her jaw and spun her around anyways. She raised her hand to her mouth, protecting the injured skin, though it didn’t save her from the next blow that he directed right at her. She fell back on the cobblestones, feeling the wind knocked out of her and the first thought on her mind was the state of her dress. The pink would be so hard to clean after she’d kicked out to bruise his shin with her steel-heeled shoes, but hurting Gregorio was the first thing on her mind, and she grinned as a loud cracking sound followed her well-aimed kick to his lower legs. She hopped to her feet, kicking him a few times in the ribs before a muffled sound drew her attention away from her attacker.

She spun on her heel, ready to fight an army if she had to, though her blood ran cold as she saw Gregorio’s friend, Allenston, stepping out from the shadows. The two were inseparable and she’d heard stories of what they’d done to the other man’s ex-fiancée. Leona could handle Gregorio, but with a scoundrel like Allenston involved, she knew that it’d be best to do as much damage as she could and get the hell out of there. She wished she had a weapon or something to really inflict some damage, since she’d have a tough time explaining bruised knuckles to her father again. The newcomer was still a few feet away, but Gregorio was already climbing to his feet and Leona hopped to the side as he tried to swing out at her. She drew back to punch him again, making sure to drive her heel into his ribs until he was sputtering on the ground, most definitely out of the way. She turned back to face Allenston, who she’d expected to rush up on her, but she never felt his fists on her back.

She felt her heart stop when she turned to face the fumbling and kicking man, raised off the ground and grasping at the hands around his neck. In the soft moonlight that illuminated the garden, Leona could see Allenston’s body raised off the ground by a dark figure that stood behind him. The newcomer seemed familiar, though she couldn’t see his face. His coat was a beautiful red that reached his knees, though the gold lining the edges was foreign enough to trigger her memory. This man had been watching her at the party, she’d felt his eyes burning into her as she’d moved with Gregorio in the dance. There was an air to him that caught her eye, he was beautiful, but exotic and she recognized the same feeling from some of the men that used her father’s shipping line. He was dangerous and she’d felt that he was the only other person at that pretentious party that shared her peculiar tastes. Blood called to blood and she’d swayed her hips a bit more to get his attention, showing off for her secret observer and making Gregorio jealous at the same time.

Now, as she watched this stranger elevate Allenston’s body to the air, wrenching his head back and his face was buried in the crook of the scoundrel’s neck, his feeble kicks and swings landing against the red, velvet coat and the solid frame beneath it. The stranger didn’t flinch and Leona knew her instincts had been right. He seemed to glow in the darkness, his shadowed frame glowing brightly as the man’s life was finally wrung from his body and he finally dropped the lifeless corpse to the ground. She watched as the body fell, mesmerized by the blood that still sprayed from the wound in his neck. Her eyes flitted up to the stranger who appeared brightly before her, his dark eyes flashing out to meet her gaze and he discretely wiped his mouth.

She knew what he was.

She’d never believed before, but now that she saw him, saw how easily he’d killed this man… and the way he’d killed him…

Leona stepped forward, her slippers finding solid footing on the cobblestone and she straightened her back, extending her hand for the creature to take. He was a creature pretending to be human, and yet it was the first time she felt she’d met someone who knew the bloodlust that coursed through her veins. “Thank you,” she began, noticing his exotic features and almond-shaped eyes, drawing back a fraction when those dark eyes flashed red, screaming hunger. She felt her body go rigid and readied herself to fight, if that’s what this creature was aiming to do. His lips snarled upwards and she stepped back, noticing all-too late that his gaze shifted to a spot over her shoulder. Then she felt the solid force connect with the back of her head and her vision began to go hazy. She spun to face her attacker, backing away from the flash of steel that lashed out towards her, Gregorio’s dagger gleaming in the moonlight. It nicked her shoulder, cutting her dress, though everything was growing dark and she couldn’t think straight. She collapsed to the ground, wishing she’d broken a couple more of Gregorio’s ribs.

+++

Jung Ahn paced in his study. The last traces of sunlight still lingered outside, though he’d been awake for hours. He hadn’t been able to stay asleep for long after the stressful night previous. He didn’t know why he’d followed that man, or saved that girl, or even killed. What had he been thinking? There was so much at risk; he should have shown more restraint in dealing with that girl’s attackers. Instead, his hunger had risen to the forefront of his mind and he’d killed to feet. The first one had been neat enough, he’d promised himself just the one man, since the girl seemed to have handled the other well enough… but then her date had climbed to his feet and all he could think of was tearing him apart.

He sighed and looked through the peephole into the adjacent room. That girl was still sleeping where his servants had left her. He’d quickly disposed of the bodies, cleaned up the evidence and sent her unconscious body to his residence while he concocted a fanciful tale to report to the party guests. It seemed as if that lummox, Gregorio, and his friend had a reputation for being scoundrels. Everyone had been quick to believe his story of going for a walk through the gardens and seeing the two men carrying a girl in a pink dress away. He’d tried to follow, however, lost them in the maze and he’d thought it best to return to the party and alert everyone. The men at the party, at least those wishing to appear brave and gallant, had quickly declared a hunt for the Gregorio and they’d rushed off into the night, seeking the kidnappers.

The evening hadn’t progressed much further business-wise after that incident, and Jung Ahn had returned to his residence, just beating the sunrise and slipping into his sleeping quarter, completely protected from the daylight that warmed the outside of his rooms.

He stepped back from the peephole and looked at the clock. He still had a good hour and the demon of sleep had left him to wander the dark room while the sun still burned outside. His fingers found the ties on his long hair and he unfastened the knots, loosening the braids and combing out the long strands as he waited out the waning daylight. The room was dark, though his vampire eyes could see clearly in the pitch black. He paced, sat and lied back on his bed, feeling impatience burning at his core when it had been absent from him for centuries. He couldn’t stand it any longer and stepped back to the peephole to watch the girl.

He should have killed her. She was the only witness to his crimes. He didn’t want to be punished for the murder of those men, even if it could have been justified. Eliminating the witness would take care of the possibility of being punished. Logic, though he wasn’t fond of it, dictated that killing everyone was the best course of action, but there was something else, something more primal, that insisted she was important. She couldn’t die. There was something in the way of his drive to remove her from the equation. Something about the way she’d fought her attacker… that was an odd thing, wasn’t it?

He fastened the last of the ribbons around his braid as he watched her stirring from her sleep. Finally. He dug that puzzle game from his pocket and watched her sit up in a daze, his hands cradled the carved, wooden box as they worked the patterns into shape, feeling every detail of the sides, solving the game that he’d solved many times before, though still enjoyed playing. It kept his body busy so that his mind could think about what he was seeing in the other room.

There was something about her that kept drawing his eye back to gaze upon her. Something beyond the beauties he’d bedded back home. She was beautiful, but there was something he couldn’t put his finger on and it drew his attention as he watched her climb from the bed. She immediately rushed to the door, pulling on the handle and just as quickly giving up when she found it was locked. Her eyes raked over the room, she was like a caged animal looking for escape and Jung Ahn knew the feeling all-too well. He watched from his hiding place as she heaved a sigh and sat in one of the chairs at the dressing table, her posture was proper and poised, though her back was rigid like a lioness, waiting to lash out.

Jung Ahn could feel the sunlight dying outside, illuminating her curly brown hair to glow in an invitingly warm halo. He had to wait for night to fully arrive before he could approach her, and he hoped she would understand the circumstances that brought her to him. And that he wouldn’t have to kill her.

+++

Leona shifted restlessly in the chair she’d curled up into. Whoever had kidnapped her sure did have nice rooms, but a shitty sense of timing. It felt as if she’d been there for hours, and that was only the time she’d been awake!

“Damn Gregorio,” she muttered, staring at the door and willing the oaf of a man to walk through. It had to have been him. He’d knocked her down with a cheap shot, and there had been blood… and someone else had been there. She frowned, her brows furrowing as she tried to remember the details. It had been a man, but he wasn’t with Gregorio… damnit, why was she feeling so light-headed?

She eyed the bookshelf that sat against the wall opposite her. Many old tomes lined the shelves, their titles the same scholarly headings that she recognized from Gregorio’s parents’ house, though there were a few things that seemed out of place amid the familiar furnishings. Several trunks were stacked in the corner of the room, undoubtedly full of clothes, though the writing on the outside was completely foreign to her – if it was writing at all. The strange swoops and shapes in black ink that marked the containers seemed exotic when set beside the floral Victorian wallpaper and Leona stood to get a better look. When she looked around the room, she noticed a few things that seemed out of place. As if it were being used for a storage area for some foreign dignitary’s extra clothes and personal junk. She huffed and looked at some more bric-a-brac that had made its way from the trunks and to some of the shelves. A stack of books and rolled-up parchment that bore the same strange characters were stacked in a section of the bookshelves, alongside a strange, stone statue that was the perfect size to use as a weapon.

Leona wrapped her slender fingers around the base of the figure – a strangely shaped bird – only feeling the weight of it as she lifted it and hurried to stand behind the door. She could hear someone outside and held her breath as she heard the key being inserted into the lock.

The door opened slowly, swinging out to hide her where she stood and she raised the bird high, ready to swing it down as Gregorio walked into the room. She waited, the moments stretching out and the person who’d opened the door still hadn’t stepped into the room. Leona let out the breath she was holding and edged closer to the door, ready to peek around the side just as someone began to speak.

He enunciated his words strangely, definitely with an accent, though she didn’t recognize it as French or even German. “Please put the statue down,” he repeated. “Not that I’m concerned for my own safety, but that bird is irreplaceable.”

Leona lowered the statue from above her head and stepped around the door. The man from the party was standing before her, his brown hair tied back behind him and he wore a rich cream suit with deep blue accents and sparkling buttons. She swore she’d seen him before, but her memory was a little fuzzy. Well, what did she expect, after Gregorio had cracked her head like that? Still, she seemed to remember this man’s face looking out at her with a dangerous hunger burning in his dark, almond-shaped eyes. He stood in the doorway, seemingly unconcerned with the statue that she was ready to lob his way. What the hell was he doing there, anyways? She raised the statue again, ready to fight and get the hell away from there.

He raised an eyebrow and smiled enigmatically. It was a small movement, but enough to cause her to lower the makeshift weapon once more.

“I assure you, my intentions are… honest. You must be hungry; I can explain our situation over dinner.” He turned to lead the way to wherever the food was waiting for them and Leona watched with a mistrustful eye before she took a step forward to follow. She didn’t trust him, but the fact that it wasn’t Gregorio was a good thing. Still, she held tightly to the statue as she followed him down the hall.

+++

“Aren’t you eating anything?” Leona asked as she cut another slide of bread for herself.

“I’ve… ah, already fed,” Jung Ahn said as he tried to smile without showing his fangs. She was taking everything very well as he began to tell of her attack. He’d seen that man’s friend follow behind them and followed to join.

“Why didn’t you take me inside after I was hit? My father was there…”

“Well, aside from the fact that would have made a scene for you, and an unsightly one at that there’s another… problem…”

Leona rolled her eyes, “Did Gregorio or Allenston do something to shame me or my father? Damnit, spreading rumours again? Those two…” she made a fist that was entirely unladylike and Jung Ahn had to hide his smile.

“Well, they did attack you…”

“I could have handled it. My father lets me associate with his boys at the docks.”

“… you were unconscious.”

“Well, whatever,” she seemed to wave off that fact as a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things. “When I see them next, the guys and I will have some words for them… and a bit more than that!”

“That’s not going to be possible,” he tried to hide the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth, keeping his eyes serious in the serious conversation.

He watched her proper and poised expression drop and she fixed him with a challenging gaze. “Why the hell not?”

He had to keep from laughing, “Because they’re already dead.”

“…dead?” she seemed to grow very quiet.

“Yes.”

“You killed them.”

“…you see the problem. I couldn’t bring you inside and announce I’d killed your attackers.”

She seemed to think about that for a moment, “So, what happens to me?”

Jung Ahn grit his teeth and looked out the window to the moon that was shining in. “Everyone thinks you’ve been kidnapped… they’re out looking for you right now, actually. I don’t know how it would look if you were to pop out and return like nothing had happened… and if they were find out I killed them, my contacts…”

She pouted in a way that wasn’t entirely innocent and the vampire felt his heart skip a beat. “However,” he started slowly, his mouth running while his brain tried to sort out what it should be saying. “I won’t hold you here against your will…”

Her pout remained a moment longer before her eyebrows raised, “Really?” She seemed saddened and happy at the same time.

He hesitated before nodding, “Though I’d appreciate it if you didn’t… well, somehow left me out of the story…” He had no idea why he’d leave his fate in her hands, but he had a feeling she understood.

She seemed to laugh at the suggestion. “I’ll just tell everyone I woke up in a barn after they’d attacked me, and that they’d left. I won’t tell them about your help… even though it was appreciated… I could have handled Gregorio, but Allenston was a surprise that I wasn’t ready for.”

“You don’t care that they’re dead?”

“Not really,” she signed, waving her hand dismissively. “I was going to try drowning them in some accident anyways…”

Jung Ahn smiled, letting his fangs show this time, and he leaned across the table to take her hand. “Before you go, let me show you around. The lodgings I’ve been given are beautiful at night.”

He felt like he was floundering in uncertain waters as she took his hand and he led her out of that room. Back home he’d been confident and even suave, but that was with human lovers who had appealed to his lingering human tastes. Art and politics, whatever it took to hold onto that last shred of mortality. This girl, however, seemed to strike at the core of his vampiric side, and that black beast which was so much a part of him, was thrashing to get out and claim her. It was with great trepidation that he gave her a tour, careful to not reveal too much of his past, keeping his hunger at bay and feeling a part of himself latch onto her when she took his arm during their moonlight stroll.

Even after she’d left, he could feel the shadow of her own beast lingering over his heart, grey and elegant and taunting his black soul. He couldn’t stay apart from her for long.

+++

Leona’s return had resulted in more fanfare than she would have liked. Her father had been so relieved that he’d taken the day to tend to her needs, not that she needed him to. The matter was exacerbated when the boys from the docks left their posts to come up to see how she was. She’d let them put her to bed, even though she wasn’t injured, and even submitted to the doctor. Once she was safe and inspected and declared to be healthy by the physician, only then did she tell her father to get back to his post and not let her stop him from running his business.

He’d left and the men who’d been out searching for her filtered past the house all day to pay their respects and promise some sort of painful death to Gregorio once he was found. Those threats made her smile, as the men tried to control their tongues, making vague implications of what they might do in the hopes that they wouldn’t damage her delicate disposition.

She knew what had happened to her attackers, and it was more graphic than these people could imagine.

It was around late afternoon that she heard Allenston’s body had been found. Of course, nobody told her the details, even when her father returned from his office that evening, he remained tight-lipped about the situation. She felt like screaming in frustration. Her life seemed to be falling into this old routine of trying to protect her, or pressure her. Growing up was becoming more troublesome, with the dresses and changed looks she was receiving from any suitors that came to call. They expected a little prim and proper princess and she knew that, to make her father happy, she’d have to marry one of them and then she really couldn’t live her life at all. Sometimes she felt like running away…

She’d been stuck in bed all day and had grown sick of the routine after the first hour of the façade. She lied in her bed, her eyes beginning to droop shut as she listened to the sounds of her family filtering up to her room from the level below. Everything was blurring together for her, until a loud rapping noise seemed to cut through the haze of her mind. She lifted her head from the pillow, listening intently as someone answered the door and there was a murmur of conversation. It was late, far too late for visitors. Had someone come by with news of Gregorio’s fate?

She slipped from her bed and stepped towards her door before clicking the latch open and peeking her head through the doorway. The voices below were calm, almost jovial and Leona decided to slip from her room to see what was happening.

She overheard her father speaking in a few nautical terms, mentioning weights and quantities per ship and Leona sighed when she realized it was just a client interested in his services. She was ready to return to bed, when she stopped in her tracks. The client asked a question which set her father off on another sales pitch, but it was the voice of the client that cut through to her. She recognized that voice!

She stepped down the stairs as casually as she could, making sure to keep her robes drawn around her sleeping gown and she beamed innocently once the men in the room realized she was there.

Her father’s expression was priceless as he took in her nightclothes before looking back to the client with a horrified expression. “L-leo…” he stuttered.

“Good evening, father,” she said in the sweetest voice she could manage. She looked at the boys, as close as brothers, and beamed at them. “I’m feeling much better now.”

“B-but, you should still be in bed!” Jase stuttered and rushed towards her, keeping his tongue from slipping into more colourful reasons why she shouldn’t be there. He leaned in close, “it’s not really proper, you know… not that you give a fig about that shit, but still… with this foreigner here…”

Leona leaned to the side to get a better view of the ‘client’. She tried to hide her smile when she saw Jung Ahn standing beside her father, innocently smiling at her, even though she caught the twitch by his eye that told her she had his undivided attention.

“Ah, Mr. Jung Ahn,” she made a grandiose gesture as she walked towards him, extending her hand for him to take. “We met at the party last night, father. I told him that our shipping lines were the best and the fastest… I’m so glad you took me up on my offer!”

Her father seemed to stutter at that statement, and she pushed the lie a bit further. “And I really must apologize for that brute who threatened you last night,” she winked conspiratorially. “We were enjoying a very lovely dance, father, with Mr. Ahn being such a gentleman and then Gregorio burst in, threatening Mr. Jung Ahn and pulling me away to brutalize me! I know Mr. Jung Ahn would have saved me, but the threats that brute made against his person and myself were so vicious… I couldn’t even repeat what he said…”

“Please don’t fret over my welfare,” the finely-dressed man said, bowing respectfully. “It was I who worried over your wellbeing when I saw him drag you off. I tried to follow, but he moved so quickly. The best I could do was warn others… I am very glad to see you are safe, Ms. Leona,” he put on a fine show of being heartfelt and concerned, even though their conversation felt halting and utterly fake.

Leona turned to her father who seemed to be buying it all and she breathed a sigh of relief, deciding to excuse herself to bed before he suspected anything. She could already feel the eyes of her friends, Luke and Jase burning into her as they filtered through her sugary-sweet act. “I’m sorry, but I really should excuse myself. You have business with father, and I really should be resting. In fact, I’m so tired I’m going to bed right now.” She quickly turned and said goodnight to her family before returning to her room. She could hear the murmur of conversation starting up the moment she was halfway up the stairs. Some apologies from her father, and polite dismissals from Jung Ahn. They wouldn’t bother her if they thought she was resting, and Leona would be free to sneak out and talk to the foreigner more. She had some questions that she wouldn’t let go unanswered.

+++

Jung Ahn stepped from the shipper, Anthony, who would handle his shipments. It was luck that Leona’s father ran a business that he could utilize for his exporting and importing arrangements with the Baron Macer. Everything he needed to arrange on his end was complete, and it was a bonus that he’d been able to speak with the fair girl. He’d had visions of sneaking up to her window and checking up on her, but he hadn’t been surprised by her bold actions as she’d come down to see him, even in her night clothes! That lack of surprise stayed with him, even as he stood in the shadows just outside the house, watching that same girl sneaking from her bedroom window and scaling down the side of the house.

He stepped through the shadows to stand beside her the moment she landed on the ground. “Hello!” he whispered harshly and he grinned at the surprised yelp she exclaimed before spinning around to face him.

“It’s not polite to sneak up on people like that!”

He didn’t say anything. She was a breath of fresh air that made his heart beat in a way he couldn’t remember it doing before.

“So,” she continued after a long pause. “What are you doing here? Really looking to use my father’s business, or did you come to see me? They found Allenston’s body… I know what you are, vampire…”

“Does that frighten you?”

“No, why would it? If you were going to kill me, you’d have done it already.”

Jung Ahn stepped forward, faster than a human could move, and wrapped his cold fingers around her throat, pressing her back into the side of the house. “Maybe that’s why I’m here…” he squeezed his fingers, feeling her pulse quicken under his hands. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and he could feel her blood pumping through her veins, see it, smell it. He could feel the beast of hunger rise inside him, but it was lazy, already sated from the meal he’d taken before he arrived there. He loosened his grip on her throat and cocked his head to the side. “And even if I threaten you, you’re still not afraid?”

“No…” she said slowly and he lowered her to the ground.

He backed away, keeping his eyes on her ethereal form. “You’re definitely unique. In all the years that I’ve existed… well, I shouldn’t get into that. Shouldn’t you be resting, Ms. Leona?”

“I’m tired of resting,” she sniffed and looked down the street. The side-street that they were hidden in was deserted, though it did offer a straight escape to the docks and a short walk to the beach.

“Then perhaps we should go for a walk. I can sense you are drawn to the water… as I am to you.”

“My, how forward of you, Mr. Vampire,” Leona giggled and began walking down the side-street. “You’re right, though. Walk me to the water’s edge and tell me about being a creature of the night. If you make the story good, I might not tell anybody what you are.”

“If I don’t make the story good, I could always kill you,” he said lightly as he offered his arm for her to take.

She just laughed and they walked towards the glowing moon and the rolling waves.

Along the way he found she pried his story from his mouth like drawing blood from a baby. She showed such interest when he mentioned his life when he was still human. His memories of that time were foggy, as was to be expected after centuries of undead life, but his remembrance of Doyon and the way he’d been made were bright and clear in his mind. The other man had been one step above a pirate, though his charisma had swept Jung Ahn up and before he knew what had happened, he’d become a creature of the night. He’d fallen into the life almost flawlessly; the deaths of his family had been like the severing of his old life, the time between then and his embrace had been limbo. Nothing happened and everything happened in a fog. His new life arrived at the right time and he’d thrilled at the discovery of the powers that went with it.

He went from reminiscing about Doyon, whom he hadn’t seen in around in roughly a century, to one of his older lovers, Hwan. He didn’t know how he came to reminisce about the other man, but his mouth continued spilling his thoughts and memories and it wasn’t until he’d revealed the exact relationship with the other. Vampire-human lovers had somehow led to him feeding on the other man. Feeding too long and he’d been gripping the other man’s near-lifeless body in his arms. He didn’t voice the exact details, he couldn’t. They remained buried in his memories and he glossed over the gory parts, save for the detail which he continued to debate the wisdom of, even to that date. As his lover lay dying in his arms, he’d bitten his own wrist and pressed it to Hwan’s bloodless lips. The memory of how Doyon had done it was clear in his mind and he only knew he wouldn’t let the other man die.

He stepped onto the sandy beach, his leather shoes feeling uncomfortable to him and unsteady. Western fashion really wasn’t for him.

“So after you made that guy a vampire, what happened? Did you two live happily ever after?” Leona asked, the question weighted with something more that curiosity.

“I suppose not everybody can endure the pain and insanity. It makes some of us beasts, and he was one. He… left soon afterwards.”

“But, that doesn’t happen to everyone, right?” Leona asked, hopping from one boulder to the next as the vampire watched her. She held her arms out for balance, trying to avoid tripping over her gown as she avoided falling into the rising tide which swirled about the rock in a salty foam. “I want to be a vampire too.”

“No,” Jung Ahn said flatly.

“But you make it sound so appealing!” Leona stepped from the last boulder and onto the dry sand before walking up to her companion. “I’m so sick of all the expectations everyone has for me. I love father, but I can’t live with him forever. One of these days I’ll have to marry one of those buffoons so that I’m not a burden on him, and if you hadn’t already guessed, people look down on me for the way I act.”

The vampire watched her as her blood raced through her veins. She was so passionate, and he could sense her frustrations. Still, despite the fact that she wished to escape her life, he couldn’t bear to risk losing her to the monster she could become. But the thought that she was willing to leave it all to go away with him… or at least, join his life. But still… if she were to regret it, decide that her decision was foolish and made too quickly, she might regret it, and resent him.

He folded his arms over his chest. She was so tempting when she looked at him with that pouting expression that probably got her what she wanted with anyone else. Her hair was a beautiful mane of curls that framed her frowning face that glowed with life. No, he wouldn’t make her a vampire just then, though he was sorely tempted.

He led her back to her house, grinning mischievously at all the threats she threw his way as he did. He carried her up to her room, giving her a taste of walking through the shadows to get there without being seen, and tucked her into bed. He hesitated over her before he took his leave. She was still frowning, but tucked into bed with her hair laid out about her, he couldn’t stop himself and he bent in close to kiss her.

His fangs ached to extend, though he held them back by sheer force of will as his mouth moved over her plump lips. He’d intended for a chaste kiss at first, brushing his mouth over hers, but her tongue snaked out to lick along his teeth and before he knew it, he was pressing his body down atop of hers, savage kisses and she tore at his jacket.

When he finally pulled back, he felt as if he’d been drained of strength just to hold her down. “I’ll come back for you,” he whispered before moving to the window. “You’re very tempting, Ms. Leona… I’ll think about your proposition… but you should think about the consequences of leaving this life behind wholly and completely.”

He didn’t wait for her to reply. He slipped into the shadows and stepped down to the street. He knew if he’d waited a moment longer, he wouldn’t have been able to resist the beast much longer, and he wouldn’t let another incident like with Hwan.

End Part 1