Blood of her Heart

The night air was crisp and clean, a half moon glowing in the dark. Dominic inhaled the cold air deeply, and let out a satisfying sigh. Time to hunt.

He pulled up the collar of his black overcoat to cover his neck. His chocolate eyes scanned around the park, searching for the perfect victim. Some sort of party was being held here tonight. His perfect opportunity.

The only thing hard about hunting tonight was finding someone who wasn't drunk; at least not too drunk. Alcohol and blood were a foul, disgusting combination.

A few moments later, a grin danced upon his lips. Her long, dark hair shined in the moonlight; her eyes a seductive dark brown. She stood there, a scarlett shawl draped around her shoulders, and shouting into a cellphone. Her curves showed off perfectly in a black casual dress that went just above her knees, revealing her slender legs. Excellent.

" Get the dress ready by tomorrow afternoon, Lita!" Sahara ordered into her cell and clicked the off button.

" Hey, what's going on?" her best friend Skyla greeted her, as she ran a hand through her short, auburn hair.

" I have to go now, Sky!" she shouted over the blaring music from the band.

" Aww... you just got here," Skyla pouted.

" Sorry, work again,"

" You really got to take a break,"

" Well, not anytime soon,"

Sahara waved goodbye and took off for her car.

Rummaging through her purse, she finally found the key as soon as she made it to the front of the park where her car was. As she looked up, she spotted her ride home, but with a tall, dark, and handsome man leaning on it.

" Excuse me, can I help you?" she asked in the most rude way possible, as she approached the man.

" Walk with me," he commanded her in a soft, yet alluring tone. His voice was tinged with an accent.

This was already starting to get weird. Sahara was beginning to get irritated, " Look, pal. There are plenty of other women in the park that you can hit on, because it certainly isn't going to be me,"

The man did not stir, nor did his expression change. Instead, he extended out a hand towards her.

He repeated once more, " Walk with me." His gaze boared into hers.

What a man! Sahara thought.

What a man indeed, with his chocolate eyes, and dark curls… beautiful olive skin. Any woman would throw themselves at the stud.

" Please?" he interrupted her train of thoughts.

In the blink of an eye, the male was behind her; she could feel his hot breath on her neck.

" I... er," Sahara had never acted this dumbfounded before in her life. " Um..."

It was as if her hand had a mind of its own. Her delicate, smooth as silk hand, took his strong, but cold one.

" Thank you," he smiled, a killer one.

" I believe I never got your name," Sahara said, as they began their stroll.

" Dominic," he answered, his accent becoming clearer of its origin.

" British?"

" Yes," he nodded, smiling. " And what would your name be? Something enchanting, I presume,"

" Sahara... Sahara Song," her mocha skin started to heat up profusely, as that last phrase came out of those full lips of his.

" Beautiful... just like you,"

What is this man thinking? And how could I be falling for such cheesy remarks? she thought.

" I would like to show you something, if you don't mind," Dominic, once again stopped her thoughts from fogging up her head.

" Yes," the word just seemed to slip from the tip of her tongue. She wanted to say no, she didn’t even want to go on this walk. " Yes, that would be lovely."

About a good twenty minutes later, they somehow ended up in the forest, and were in front of an enormous mansion.

The exterior looked like it dated back to the olden days; the Victorian era. But why would such a place like this be situated in New York? All that showed the details of the house was the moonlight, but that didn't help the slightest bit for Sahara. All she could make out was the huge oak doors he led her to.

" Did you build this place?" she was curious to find out things about Dominic, whom she presumed would be quite a mystery, even if she got to know him really well.

" No, it has been in my family for centuries," he replied, with a proud smile, his teeth gleaming.

She was exactly where he wanted her. He could feel his mouth water, imagining the taste of her sweet blood.

He finally opened the big wooden doors, to a dimly lit interior. As he closed the doors, he fidgeted around with the light switches, just making the place a bit more bright.

" Wow, this place is amazing," Sahara cooed.

" Not as much as you," he smirked, knowing that phrase would have her in his arms for certain.

She looked away from him, and he assumed she was blushing at these words of affection he was handing out to her.

This was getting weirder and weirder by the minute. But there was something about Dominic that just made her want to stay. Was it desire? Yes, there was lots of that bottled up. But still, something else, stronger than her desire, made her remain in her place. He had some sort of aura... that just lured her in. It was like a rope, tied around her and pulling her in. She couldn't help it, no matter how hard she tried to fight the urge.

The affection he was giving her at the moment was enough to make her gag. But she seemed to be acting like a childish little school girl, accepting his compliments quietly, and giving him a giddy smile.

" Shall I give you a tour?" he asked, as he slid his hand into hers.

She nodded quietly.

The place was certainly old fashioned in the inside as well. In the living room, a huge arc window displayed the night sky. There was a great big fireplance and above it, was a life size, hauntingly beautiful portrait of a stone angel. The portrait looked full of sadness, and frustration.

" That is an amazing portrait..." Sahara trailed off, mesmerized by its depressing beauty.

" Thank you, I painted that myself," he informed her, seeing this a perfect time to show off his skills.

" Really? You are very talented."

She tore her eyes away from the picture, to see his reaction, but he wasn't there.

" Um... Dominic?" she called out, a feeling of worry flowing through her veins.

Then she felt a pair of hands slide around her waist. She quickly jumped and face the other direction to see Dominic with a wide grin.

" You scared-" he quickly silenced her with an entrancing kiss.

Normally, Sahara would probably back away and slap him upside the head. She was a hard case when it came to men and dating. Too many times had she had her heart broken, and she wasn’t about to let anyone in soon. Even if he was some tall, dark, and very handsome, mysterious man.

But this kiss... this kiss made her go off into some other world. It was so sweet, and tender. The odd part of it though, was that his lips were cold. And they were inside a warm house, away from the cold of the outside. Could he possibly still be cold?

Her thoughts drifted to another place, as soon as his kisses deepened. But then, his lips moved down to her neck.

A sort of slicking sound came from Dominic. It seemed very odd to Sahara, but then suddenly, her eyes shot open wide.

A piercing pain shot up and down her neck, as she began to feel weaker and weaker.

He was drinking her blood. Her blood.

Sahara groaned, as she woke up with an excruciating headache. Everything was such a blur to her last night. What had happened? It took a moment for her eyes to get into focus, as she sat herself up warily. She was sleeping in silk sheets, smooth and soft to the touch.

It seemed to be a bit dark in the room, and she noticed some light peering from behind the curtains and decided to open them up.

As soon as the curtains opened up, she quickly shielded her eyes. Since when did she become sensitive to sunlight? She always woke up to open her curtains at home, and take in the scenery.

But now, her eyes burned; it felt like a hot iron had been pushed up onto her eyelids.

The curtains flew shut, and pair of strong hands took Sahara's away from her face.

Someone whispered in a worried tone, " Are you okay?"

" Dominic? Is that you?" Sahara questioned in panic.

" Yes."

She felt his arms wrap around her, and he planted a kiss on the top of her head.

" Oh, no! I should be at work! My boss is going to kill me!" Sahara quickly broke away from Dominic's embrace. " Where is all my stuff?"

" Calm down," Dominic reassured her in a calm voice. " I will get your things for you... follow me."

She hesitated for a moment, but then proceeded to follow. He led her through an enormous hall, which seemed to have a red carpet draped all the way down on the floor. At one point, they passed a mirror, and Sahara noticed she wasn't wearing the same clothes she had on last night.

How did I get THIS? Sahara pondered, as she saw herself in a scarlet, strapless gown, that went all the way down, almost to her toes. The skirt seemed to flow with her every movement. It was quite beautiful, if she had to admit it herself.

" Here are your things," Dominic stated, as he handed her, her purse. " I shall walk you out to the door."

As they approached, she saw that Dominic refused to go outside with her. Also the fact that every single window was hidden behind black curtains, shielding the rooms of light.

Before he opened the door, he pulled her into a chaste kiss. She knew it would be one that would linger on for the whole day.

" I really have to go now," she sighed dreamily, as she went outside.

" I shall see you soon, Sahara," he smiled, a little bit of wickedness in it. It seemed more of a statement, then a question.

As soon as she went down the steps of his mansion, she noticed her car was parked in front of the house.

" That's odd," Sahara furrowed her brow. " I... I thought it was at the park. Oh, whatever!" She refused to explore into the subject any further.

She quickly got into her yellow mini cooper, and sped off to work.

Yes, I will see you again, Sahara, Dominic went back to his bedroom.

He knew she would come back, it was instinct. She would run back to him, begging for him to give her some kind of knowledge of what was happening to her. But that wasn't his intention, not at all.

Sahara would be his forever...

" Sahara?" Skyla waved her hands in front of her best friend's face. " Earth to Sahara Song, hello?! AM I GETTING A SIGNAL ON PLANET SAHARA?!"

They decided to meet up for lunch together at Juice Café. Sahara ignored her friend, she didn't feel quite so good. Her boss had given her a lecture on being late to work, and told her to quickly go home and take a shower; she looked horrible.

" Sorry, Sky," she finally apologized to her friend, but it didn't sound very convincing.

" Is there something wrong?" her friend asked, changing her tone to a very concerned one.

Sahara hesitated as to what she should tell her friend. She had worn sunglasses out today, and a purple scarf around her neck. Though it wasn't normally the occasion for a scarf, she had to. The bite marks had to be hidden somehow. Why didn't she notice them in Dominic's mirror? Were they after she left his mansion? All these questions flooding her head... there was going to be a visit paid to the handsome Dominic.

Skyla brought her back down to earth, " Sahara... you're zoning out on me again. Tell me what's wrong."

" Nothing at all," Sahara lied. If it was one thing, she couldn't stand the fact she had to lie to the people she cared about.

But her friend could see right through her. If it was one person who knew her all too well, it was definitely Skyla Jordan. " Come on, Sahara! Don't use that bull on me! I can see right through you."

" I just met a guy last night, that's all!" she snapped. Everything suddenly seemed to irritate her.

" Whoa, calm down!"

"Sorry..."

" Did he hurt you?"

" No," she lied again... though there was really no honesty or dishonesty to her answer. Had Dominic actually tried to hurt her? Everything was hazy after she went into his household, his territory? And the big question: Could he be a vampire? Heavens no, Sahara Song had never believe in such tales. Though the subject was interesting, it was all junk to her.

But she also believed anything was possible.

" Good to see you looking better," Mr. Chauffman nodded to Sahara as she entered her workplace. " Now, I want you to go check on that dress Lita has finished."

Nodding silently, she did as she was told.

" Ms. Song!" a high pitched voice called out to her.

She stopped in the mid of her tracks, and saw Bella, the secretary at Boutier Fashions, calling out to her from the reception desk.

" Yes, Bella?" Sahara answered to her, though she was in no mood to socialize. The secretary was always known to be a chit chat box; her mouth ran like a car motor.

" Someone left a nice bouquet of roses for you," she wiggled her blonde eyebrows in excitement. " They're in your office."

" Oh, thanks for telling me."

As she opened the door to her office, her jaw dropped. There were roses everywhere. All red roses, and not one bouquet of a different colour. The floor was also covered in petals of the beautiful flower.

Carefully stepping about her room, she found a white envelope poking out of one of the bouquets. Her fingers quickly tore at the envelope, and took out a simple piece of paper. It read:

Last night was beautiful... Dominic

The dots at the end of the sentence intimidated her. Was this some lame attempt at a booty call? Either way, it made Sahara's patience grow thin to see him again. To ask about the puncture marks on her throat.

The note made her more self concious about her neck, so she rushed to the bathroom to go check.

Only thing was, she couldn't check her neck.

Her reflection wasn't even in the mirror.

She will be coming in less than a half hour... I can feel it, Dominic let out a light chuckle. How easily it had been to capture this one girl, there was no way it could go wrong now.

No way at all.

Scream. All she wanted was to scream, but nothing came out of her mouth. She touched the mirror, smudged it really hard to see if her fingerprints would show. Nothing. The mirror even seemed to look cleaner than before.

Now was the time to visit Dominic.

She ran off to her car, passing Bella on the way.

" Sahara, where are you off to?!" she called out. " Mr. Chauffman would like to see you!"

" Tell him I'll talk to him tomorrow!" she panted as she zoomed by.

As she screeched to a stop in front of Dominic's house, she couldn't help but stare in awe at the outside of his property.

It was definitely an old Victorian mansion, with white window panels, and the house coated entirely in a cherry wood colour. Speeding towards the front door, it had already been opened for her. But no one standing at the door to greet her.

" Dominic?" she heard his name echo through the rooms. Her skin felt extremely hot, almost as if it was burning." Dominic? Are you here?"

As she warily walked in, the door slammed shut behind her.

" Yes, I am," he responded, as she jumped around. " It's lovely to see you again... and please, call me Dom."

He was wearing a nice pair of black jeans, and a black silk dress shirt. His curls were disheveled, and it gave him a sleepy look that Sahara just couldn't resist.

Pulling him by his collar, she brought him to her for a long, searing kiss.

" Someone's very happy to see me," Dom smiled against her full, tender lips. " I take it you got the roses I sent after you left."

She quickly pushed him away, her expression changing to an alert one.

" Yes, they were lovely. But that's not why I came to talk. I need to talk to you about something... that happened last night," she explained of her presence.

" Is there something wrong?" he decided to ask the question, though he knew what it would be.

Without hesitating, she unfurled the scarf from around her neck and revealed what he was expecting to see.

" What exactly happened last night, Dom?" Sahara interrogated, as she pointed at the marks.

" Ah, it appears that you have been bitten by a vampire," he smirked. There was no point in making up some ludicrous lie. Well, ludicrous to him.

The fear in her eyes was too easy for Dominic to see. He could even smell it.

He drew closer to her, and whispered in her ear, " Suddenly, you don't seem so talkative."

She snapped back to reality, but was in denial. It just couldn't be.

" Vampire? No, no... it's not possible... there's no such thing!" Sahara spoke, denial in her voice. It felt as if the world was collapsing on her, burying her alive. Her chest was heaving, desperate for air.

" But you do believe anything is possible, don't you, Sahara?" His hands came up to cup her face, and he caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. " And how can it not be possible, if you couldn't see your reflection in the mirror today?"

" How did you know?" she shut out all possiblities from her mind that he was-

" What do you think I am?"

Horrified, she pulled away from his comforting hands, and bolted for the door. Only thing was, he seemed to be quicker. Unhumanly quick, as he was already standing in front of the door, with his arms crossed over his lean chest.

" Don't be afraid of what I am, Sahara," he assured her. " Because soon, you will become one as well."

" No... no, I can't... I won't," she whimpered.

" You can't decide what your future is anymore, Sahara," his tone was serious. " You've been bitten, it's too late."

She collapsed onto the floor, weak and defeated. He picked her up, and carried her towards his bedroom. As they went towards their destination, she nudged him hard in the neck, and she hit the ground with a big thump. He let out a painful groan, and put a hand on his throat.

Running with all her might towards the front door, she saw his figure reappear in front of her escape. His hand was still rubbing his throat, but with more ease.

" You're very stubborn," he winced. " You run from me as if being a vampire is a bad thing."

" Well, I think most would if they were going to be turned into a beast," she spat out.

" A beast? A beast?" he asked in disbelief. " Darling, if I were a beast, would you have taken that fateful walk with me yesterday?"

Silence.

" I thought so," he smirked. " I want you to stop fearing me, I am not a beast... and what shall happen tonight will change your life forever."

She wanted to scream for help then, but something inside of her kept her shut. His aura, could not be resisted. There was something very promising about this handsome creature.

"Come, you need your rest," he pressed his lips to her earlobe, and walked her to his bedroom. " I shall wake you up when it is time."

She simply nodded, as she was placed on his silk covered mattress, embraced by the comfort of it all.

But she couldn't rest. How could she at a time as odd and terrifying as this? He was going to turn her into a vampire /b . An immortal.

She had to get out of here, but how? How could she, when Dominic knew her every move? And what about the part of her that really wanted to become one of the undead? Sure, she once did not believe in such junk, but when she was twelve, she would always read books about the creatures of blood and night.

Soon enough, all her troubles seemed to leave her, as she fell asleep against the red and black silk sheets.

"Wake up, my sweet," a voice awoke Sahara. " It is almost time."

Groaning, Sahara sat herself up on the bed. In his hand was the same scarlett dress she wore the other day.

“That... was at my apartment," she stated. " How did you get it?"

"I took it from your apartment," he answered with a smile.

"But I need to invite you into my household,” she informed him, remembering information from books.

"I have unexplainable ways," he murmured as he gave her a soft kiss."Please, put it on."

As he turned around and closed his eyes, she threw her jeans and shirt onto the floor, and slipped into the stunning gown.

"I'm done," she took his hand and he led her towards the living room.

The enormous arc window's black curtains, were opened to reveal the full moon, radiating the darkness of the night.

Turning to face her, he took both of her hands and led her to the centre of the familiar surroundings, in front of the fireplace.

"The process is a little bit painful, but I assure you, it will be worth it in the end," he explained.

She nodded, not knowing what to say; not knowing the choice she would make: to die or to be an immortal.

But it was too late, she felt that stinging prick, and the weakness that followed. Her blood was being drained... and she wanted to push him off, to run for her life, but her body put a restraint on her.

Her knees buckled beneath her, and she started to fall, but he caught her, still clinging to the soft flesh of her neck. She could see his head of curls, and felt them tickle her chin. The sound of his gulping echoed through her head, pounding at her skull.

It was too late, she couldn't turn back. She couldn't do anything.

He lifted his head, and licked his blood soaked lips.

Everything was a blur to her, but then she smelled the copper scent of the liquid. The smell came from his wrist. Blood was seeping out of a fresh cut he made.

"Drink," he lifted his wrist to her mouth.

She couldn't resist, the temptation... the want. She sucked hungrily at the red liquid, it was like sweet red wine to her.

And as she feasted on the blood, she glanced up at the portrait. It was no longer a stone angel that haunted the wall.

The painting was now one of her.

Not the end...