Once upstairs, we go to the library and sit on a sofa. After about thirty minutes, I lie down with my head in his lap. He looks down at me and smiles. I smile back.

"You're just so beautiful."

"Can I just stay here?"

"Why?"

"So I won't have to come back on the 14th."

He sighs. "Oh, alright. You can stay."

"Did you want me to celebrate your birthday with you? Is that why you wanted me to come over on the 14th?"

"No. I told you, I just want to get to know you more than I already know you."

"Mmhm. Sure."

"Shut up."

"Omoara ma."

"Oh, hell no."

"Ha! You wouldn't be able to anyway. You don't have any blood red diamonds. Even if you did, you wouldn't have any big enough to kill me."

"I'm not killing you."

"Oh, boohoo! He won't get me out of my misery!"

He sighs, exasperated.

"Oh, okay." I get up and walk around, looking at the books.

He gets up and leaves the room while saying, "I'll be right back."

I just continue to look at the books. Why am I so attracted to him? I think. I sigh. I finally find a book that looks interesting. I go to pull it out and it won't budge. I yank on it again. This time, it pulls out and a door slowly opens. I gasp. "Cool," I mutter. I glance behind me and go inside. I look around as the door closes. I wander off down the passageway and come to another door. I push on it and it slides open. I gaze inside the room and gasp. I step inside and look around. I shut the door and walk farther into the room. I look across the room and see a door open. I watch as a man I have never seen before walks in, blood trickling down his chin. He's another vampire. He shuts the door and immediately sees me. He approaches me.

"What are you doing in here?" he asks.

"I don't know. I just found this place. Have a problem with it?"

"Who are you anyway? Are you Dracula's new bride or something?"

"What? No!" I push him away as he gets closer and reaches for me. "Don't fucking touch me."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"Well, um, I'm one of Dracula's 'assistants'." When he said assistants, he did air quotes. "My name is Ricardo."

"Well, hello, Ricardo, my name is Countess Validia Vaquez." I approach him. "And I'm very hungry."

He laughs. "Ha ha. So funny. I'm a vampire, you can't even--"

I pin him against the wall and sink my fangs into his neck. He yells in agony. As I drink his blood, I can taste the oxygen-rich blood of a human that he drank recently. No wonder why he had blood on his chin. I don't know how I didn't hear the door open, but after about fifteen minutes, I hear,

"Validia, what on earth are you doing?"

I pull away and let him fall to the floor. I look down at him and realize he's completely dead as he passes away into dust. I turn around, wiping my mouth with my hand.

"Dracula. Hello."

He just stands there. After about five minutes of silence, he finally says, "What on earth were you doing?"

"I was hungry. I haven't eaten in five months! You're lucky you get the luxury of going out every night! I don't!" I brush passed him and storm down the hallway. With the moonlight pouring in through the window, I fade into it and disappear.

************

A month passes by and I don't see Dracula again, not even on the 14th. And then, next thing I know, Christmas is almost here.

I just lie in bed, waiting for morning to come, even though it's only 11:28 at night. Suddenly, I feel a presence in the room.

"Who's there?"

Complete silence, then,

"Someone must love to isolate herself from the world."

"Dracula? What are you doing here?"

I watch as a figure stands up, sets something down on my desk and walks over to my bed. He just stands beside my bed, looking at me. I turn away. Then, suddenly, I feel his arms wrap around me.

"I'm not giving you up so easily," he whispers in my ear. "Just not going to happen."

I sigh. "I don't want this. Please stop."

"Validia, listen to me. I know you have something to tell me. And also, I can tell that there's more to you than what you've told me."

I sigh again as blood tears blur my vision. "But I don't want to let anyone know. No one seems to care." I turn around to face him. He just pulls me closer and strokes my hair.

"I understand. No one ever wants to tell me anything anyway. I'm just a selfish undead asshole. I'm not worried about it."

"Don't say that. That's not true."

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes, it does. Because Dracula, to tell the complete truth, you're the one I have feelings for. I love you for who you are. I don't care if you're just a selfish undead asshole. I really don't care. It's not who you are now, it's who you used to be."

He stops stroking my hair. "Was I hearing things, or did you just say that I'm the one you have feelings for?"

"I did. You weren't hearing things."

"You love me?"

"Yes, I do."

"Oh, um, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Who is your human side? Because it looks familiar."

I sigh. "My human side is Elisabeta."

He just lies there, blank-faced. I look up as he blinks rapidly several times. "But you died. How--?"

I sigh again. "It's complicated. Really complicated."

He slowly reaches his hand to my face and pulls away. I grab his hand and place it on my cheek.

"I still don't understand why I'm the one you have feelings for, Validia."

"You can call me Elisabeta, you know that, right?"

"But I don't want to."

"Why?"

He pulls me closer and wraps his arms around me. He pulls me into a kiss. I push away and notice a glitter in his eyes.

"Are you just trying to avoid my question?" I ask.

"No." He sighs. "It's just been so long since we've been this close. The last time we were this close was almost right before you died."

"It'll be fine." I smile. "Do you still want me to change you into a more powerful and stronger vampire?"

"No." He pulls me even closer. "I have you now. That's all that really matters to me, Elisabeta. You are my everything." He sighs. "You're my strength and my weakness. It's like I'm the lock and you're the key. You were almost like the glue that held the family together. After you died, Zaleska and I became distant. We didn't get along as well. I just couldn't stand even thinking about you. I tried getting rid of all your things, but Zaleska wouldn't let me. She was still human when she threatened me with her own life if I got rid of your things. She swore on her life. And I didn't like it. I didn't want to lose her too."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmH8eeaQPNZ

I snuggle close to him, absorbing his body warmth. "Don't ever let go."

"I won't let anything happen to you ever again. I swear it."

"And we be with each other forever. Literally."

He smiles. "Literally."

"What about Zaleska? And Samual?"

"Oh, that idiot that tried getting my daughter in trouble that I found hiding in my castle when I came back from the dead? Haha."

"I noticed that you changed him and let him stay."

"Of course I did. Just in case Zaleska ever came back, obviously. I knew she's want to come back to something familiar."

"She doesn't know about me yet. I haven't got the chance to visit her."

"You don't have to," says a familiar voice.

Dracula and I both look to see the owner of the voice.

"Samual."

He just smiles and steps to the side.

I gasp. "Zaleska?" I crawl over Dracula, thankfully still completely dressed, and walk over to her. I put my hand on her cheek. "You've grown so much."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOY1cUHIgfJ

"Mother?"

"Yes, it's me." I smile.

She hugs me and I hug her back, smiling.

"I love you, mother."

"I love you too, Zaleska."

She lets go and walks passed me. "Father?"

I turn around as he looks up at her. He stands up and she hugs him.

He gasps. "Oh."

"I missed you so much. I don't know why I ran away." She pulls away and looks at him. "I still love you. I always will."

He just smiles.

Samual walks over and wraps his arms around Zaleska.

"You aren't going to try to get her in trouble, are you Samual?"350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VdtCAMRSS

"Oh, shut up. I can't even impregnate her anyway."

Dracula chuckles. "I was joking."

"I know. But you aren't very good at it."

He growls. "That's not funny."

"Hilarious."

I walk over and wrap my arms around Dracula's neck. I kiss him and smile.

"I love you, Dracula."

"I've never said this to anyone, but I love you too." He smiles at Zaleska. "All three of you."

"Me? You're insane."

"Shut up, Samual."

"Well," I say, "Samual is our son-in-law, after all." I take my arms down from around Dracula's neck and hug him. Zaleska comes over and joins the hug. So does Samual. "Oh, of course. Group hug."350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LYoslYyAx

I smile. It's so nice to have such a loving family.