Chapter 28:

"I don't want to kill her, you neanderthal." Dracula turned back to you and smiled. "I want to turn her into a vampire, of course."

You gaped at him in stunned silence. Dracula grinned, like he was expecting you to jump and down in glee. But that wasn't what you were feeling.

"You... you want to turn me into a vampire?" You croaked, your throat going dry. Dracula nodded eagerly.

"Of course, it's the answer to all our problems. And can you just imagine Lazarus' face when he finds his last hope gone?" Dracula laughed, tilting his head back and you gulped, tensing up. He and Rosemary shared a sinister smile before focusing back on you. Jungkook slowly sank back down on the couch next to you.

"How would that even work?" Jungkook's voice sounded like all that anger and intensity had been sucked out. He was quiet, and his voice trembled slightly. You looked up at him to see him staring right at Dracula, not acknowledging your stare. He scooted a half foot away from you, so he as no longer touching you and you frowned deeply. His reaction confused you. Dracula rubbed his chin thoughtfully and flicked his gaze up and down your small frame.

"Well, first you would need to ingest some of my blood. Then I would need to kill you and you'd be reborn into a vampire." He grinned. "I'm not sure it would work if you ingested a different vampire's blood, but since you are my descendant, then I believe I am the only one who can turn you." He smiled simply, like he was explaining the rules to a game.

"So... you're saying there's a chance it might not work?" You murmured, shaking your head. You didn't want to die, you didn't want there to be a chance that you might die. And yet, he was proposing for you to literally become the undead.

"A very very small chance." Dracula said, pinching his forefinger and thumb together. "But it's a chance we should be willing to take." He added, raising his eyebrows at you.

We, you thought. Except this wasn't a chance that he would be taking, it was a chance that you would be taking. He wasn't the one in danger of dying, you were. He didn't seem to understand that or care.

"How does this benefit me in any way?" You asked, your voice hoarse as you narrowed your eyes. "Right now, all I can see is it benefiting you." You added, your eyes flickering between Dracula and Rosemary. Dracula glanced at Rosemary, who was giving you an wicked smirk. She opened her mouth, her ruby lips popping against her translucent skin.

"You're on the run from Lazarus, yes?" She asked sweetly. You clenched your jaw and she nodded knowingly. "You will never be able to live a normal life as a human because Lazarus will never stop chasing you." She slowly, as if speaking to a child. You clenched your fists.

"That problem can be fixed by killing Lazarus." You spat bitterly. Jungkook flinched next to you and you immediately felt guilty. You'd never said something like that out loud before. Back at the café, he was the one to suggest killing Lazarus, and you hadn't liked the idea. But here, now... you were grasping at straws.

"Yes, well the Elders will never let you live, either. You have too much power." Dracula argued, his gleeful smile now pressed into a thin-lipped one. It didn't look like he was expecting resistance from you. He was probably expecting you to jump at the chance even though you'd been spending all your time around vampires, so you knew exactly what it meant. It wasn't just about getting super strength and immortality.

"Too much power? Just because I can't be controlled?" You growled, feeling that same helpless anger comeback in full force. Were these all-powerful monsters really that afraid of one human? Dracula let out a deep sigh.

"No, because your offspring would be more powerful than even yourself." Dracula deadpanned. You blinked in surprise. That wasn't what you'd expected he'd say.

"My... offspring?" Dracula quirked an eyebrow at your surprise.

"Yes, if you were to, say, have any offspring with your boyfriend." He nodded at Jungkook, who flushed and straightened. "Then those children would be even more powerful than you." His eyes darkened, boring into you. "And if the cycle continued, then they could threaten the Elder's entire society." He gave you a long serious look and you coughed indignantly.

"I... I don't want kids!" You exclaimed, waving a dismissive hand. "I'm not even thinking about having kids!" You were blushing, hoping that Jungkook wasn't looking at you.

Just imagining the events of having children with anyone, much less Jungkook himself. You blushed furiously and couldn't look at him. Dracula let out another annoyed sigh, rolling his eyes at the two of you.

"Regardless of what you're thinking, the Elders will never allow you live peacefully." He said unapologetically. You gulped hard. "However, if you were to become a vampire, you could help Rosie and I take down the Elders and Lazarus." Dracula squeezed Rosemary's hand and she smiled at you, her violet eyes flickering dangerously. "You could go before the council and explain what Lazarus had been planning and how much of a nutjob he is. With your testimony, you could turn the council on each other and have them destroy each other from the inside out." He grinned, flashing his fangs. "Then I could finally come out of hiding and a new vampire society could be born. One without so many rules and restrictions."

You swallowed hard, utterly stunned at the horrifying plan. It was one thing to think about becoming a vampire, but another thing entirely to think about joining a coup. Turning into a vampire had never crossed your mind, not even once through your entirety of your stay with Jungkook and the others. Not once had you thought about what it would be like if you were a vampire. Living forever was one thing, but there was also the prospect of having to drink human blood for survival. You supposed you could be like Jungkook and only drink from bags, not from actual humans but... would you be able to control yourself? If it was as good as Taehyung had said... could you control yourself enough?

"What if... what if I don't want to be a vampire?" You murmured, blinking up at Dracula and Rosemary. Jungkook tensed next to you, but you weren't brave enough to look at his reaction.

Dracula and Rosemary looked at each other and then looked back at you. There was a dangerous gleam in Dracula's eyes, even though he was still smiling cheerfully.

"Well, I can give you a few days to think about it. You'll have to stay here, though. Lazarus will be looking for you by now I assume, so this is the safest place for you." He said, sitting up straight. Rosemary stood and he rose behind her, sweeping his arm around her waist, attaching her to his hip. "I'm sure after you think about it, you'll see it my way." Then he frowned, looking at Jungkook distastefully. "I suppose your guard dog can stay here as well." He spat, wrinkling his nose as he gave Jungkook a once-over.

"Do you have human food here?" Jungkook asked abruptly, standing up. He held out a hand for you and you took it, rising up next to him. Dracula blinked, looking at you blankly.

"Oh... right, I didn't think that through. I figured we'd have you into a vampire right away. But since you need a few days to consider..." He trailed off and swirled his finger around, pointing at Jungkook. "You can fetch food for her."

Jungkook grimaced. "I don't want to leave her with you." He snarled, sending shivers down your spine. Dracula rolled his eyes.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. I'm not going to lay a finger on her. I want her to be a vampire, I don't want her dead. And it would be much easier if she were cooperative about the whole thing." He said appearing bored. He inspected his fingernails and Rosemary cackled, kissing his cheek.

"Why don't you go instead?" Jungkook demanded, wrapping a hand around your wrist protectively. Heat burst from the contact at your wrist and spread to the rest of your body. Dracula scoffed.

"Are you stupid? I'm in hiding. I go out there and a vampire could detect my scent from a mile away. No, it's better for you to go, no one is looking for you." Dracula snapped, not even bothering to hide his disdain and irritation for Jungkook. Jungkook growled and took a menacing step forward.

"You just want me to leave so you can—"

"Jungkook, I'm really not hungry. You don't have to go anywhere." You grabbed his arm, not wanting this to escalate any more. You'd been in the middle of enough internal fights between all-powerful vampires. Jungkook looked down at you, glancing at where your hands were wrapped around his bicep. He shook his head at you, his gaze softening.

"No, you need to eat. You haven't had anything to eat in almost two days." You blinked in surprise. How did he know that? He must have been paying much closer attention to you than you realized. Despite the scary predicament you were in, you felt butterflies flutter in your stomach. It was something so simple and yet it still made a touch of pink light your cheeks.

Jungkook looked back up at Dracula. "Fine, I'll go. Can you point me toward the nearest grocery store?" He pulled out of your grip gently and walked to Dracula, who led him out of the room, speaking softly to him.

Rosemary was grinning at you as the two of you were left alone. She nodded in the direction they'd just left.

"Such gentlemen, aren't they?" She crooned, stepping closer to you. "We're such lucky girls." You gulped and moved back, until the backs of your legs hit the couch.

"He's not my—"

"Don't lie to me, darling, it's not a good look on you." She snapped, cutting you off. You gulped hard, leaning away as her beautiful, flawless face came closer. "I can practically smell the infatuation you two have for each other from across the room." She chuckled to herself and kept advancing. You had to spread your arms out to keep from falling back on the couch as she stepped directly in front of you, her ample chest nearly pressed up against yours. Her violet eyes flickered over your face, a wicked smirk lifting her perfect ruby lips.

"You really do look exactly like my Drac, you know that?" She reached out to tuck a strand of hand behind your ear. Your skin tingled at the contact and a hot blush rose to your cheeks.

"Um, please..." You tried to sidestep away from her, but her other hand shot out to grab your bicep, locking you in place with her super strength. You winced and let out a small whimper.

"Can you imagine the two of us beautiful vampires together? We'd be a force of nature." She pulled you close and you gasped when you stumbled up against her ample bosom. She was a few inches taller than you, so you had to tilt your head back to look into her eyes. She ran her tongue along her bottom lip and your attention zeroed in on her lips. You trembled, your head feeling fuzzy.

"I may enjoy Drac's company, of course, but the female anatomy..." Her gaze fell to your lips, and then lower. "Well, only another female would know it as well as I." She tilted her head and leaned close, her lips a mere breath's length away now. You couldn't remember how to breathe, how to think. She was intoxicating, mesmerizing and you couldn't pull away, even if you wanted to. And you weren't sure you wanted to... Not when she was so close...

"Don't pretend you don't feel it too." She whispered. One small nudge and you'd be kissing. You leaned close involuntarily as her lips pulled into a triumphant smirk.

"Rosie, are you toying with Y/N again?" Dracula's voice snapped the tension like a rubber band and Rosemary pulled away abruptly, causing you to stumble back, falling backwards on the couch. Rosemary let out a delighted giggle as you coughed and shook your head out of its stupor. You couldn't understand what had just happened. You looked up as she moved back to Dracula, her hips swaying seductively.

"Don't be angry, darling, she looks so like you. Plus, she's absolutely adorable, isn't she?" She glanced behind her and winked at you. "I just couldn't help myself." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek, leaving a red lipstick stain on his cheekbone. Drac laughed and smacked her butt from behind. You flinched and looked away, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"How about you let my relative and I have a chat, hm? You can wait for me upstairs." You heard him murmur into her ear. "We can finish this discussion there." When you turned back, curiosity getting the better of you, Dracula was sinking his fangs into the flesh of Rosemary's neck. She moaned loudly and you turned away quickly, feeling a distinct urge to vomit.

Finally, you heard her footsteps as she walked away and you deemed it safe to look back over. Dracula was smirking after her, his lips stained with her blood. He licked his lips, wiping away the blood, and you shivered as his tongue ran over his dangerously sharp fangs. He turned back to you and smiled wide.

"She's a bit of a handful, isn't she? I apologize if she was a bit... enthusiastic with you. She's a siren." He said, chuckling to himself as he looked you up and down. You coughed and stood back up, your legs still trembling.

"She's a... what?" You asked, blinking at him in confusion. Dracula sighed.

"Oh right, you're not familiar with vampire lore. Sirens are types of vampires, usually female, who don't need to compel someone to be able to control them." Dracula explained. "Rosemary is one of the most powerful sirens in the world. She has an ability to turn anyone to her side without compulsion."

Your mouth parted as you stared in surprise. It actually made sense, now that you thought about it. Somehow, you were completely hypnotized whenever she was around. You always felt dazed and confused, the way you supposed you'd feel if you were compelled. But she was able to do so without actually compelling you. It probably helped that you were undeniably attracted to her, despite her horrible nature and history.

"I... that actually makes a lot of things make sense." You mumbled. Dracula laughed.

"Yes, I suppose it does, doesn't it? She's quite the woman." He grinned, looking away wistfully. "She always keeps me on my toes."

You frowned, thinking back to the journals. You'd seen Dracula talking about a woman in his journal entries as well. He spoke about her very differently from the way he spoke about Rosemary.

"I read all the journals that were in English." You said, watching his reaction. Dracula smiled wider and nodded.

"Yes, journaling has always been my favorite pastime. It truly helps me keep my thoughts in order. I've lived so long, sometimes it's difficult for me to keep track of things that happened. With the journals, I can sort out everything." He scratched his head. "I'm sure if I wasn't journaling, I'd be in complete madness by now." He laughed, sweeping his hands through his hair. "Not saying I'm not already mad." He added jokingly, winking at you.

"I read your entries about the woman you loved." You added, watching as the smile froze on his face.

"Did you?" His voice went up slightly, and you could tell you hit a nerve.

"Yes. They were... raw and vulnerable. Were those about Rosemary?" You asked softly, watching at Dracula blinked and then let out a short bark of laughter.

"About Rosie? Good God, no." Dracula pushed a hand through his hair, his jaw tightening. "Those entries were about a human girl. The only person I've ever loved." He looked down at you and his gaze softened. "You're a descendant of her."

Your eyes widened in surprise. "I... I am? How can you tell?"

He smiled softly, looking over your face solemnly. "Because... in the ways that you don't look like me, you look like her. Your eyes, and your hair, they're just like hers were." He spoke softly, a way you'd never heard before. He was being sincere, genuine.

You swallowed as Dracula sighed wistfully, giving you a long sad look. Then he composed himself and smiled. "Come, I'll show you where you can sleep."

He beckoned for you to follow him and you stood, walking behind him as he lead you through the house. This manor was just as lavish as the one you'd left, but it seemed nicer, more polished, probably because Dracula had been keeping it clean for the length of his stay.

He led you to another Victorian bedroom with a large queen bed and bathroom that joined it. He gestured and you walked inside, looking around warily.

"Please let me know if there's anything I can get you while you stay with us." He smiled tightly and then left, shutting the door behind him, leaving you alone.

You sighed, releasing the first full breath since you'd woken up. You walked over to the bed and sank down on the mattress, burying your face in your hands. So much had just happened, so much information had been revealed and it was even worse because now you had a huge decision to make. The biggest decision because if you chose wrong, it would affect the rest of your life.

Were you ready to be immortal? Could you really do it? You'd been fighting for a good life for so long, to be able to be comfortable and not have to worry about being homeless or starving. Being a vampire would give you that, you wouldn't have to worry about normal human things like rent or food or any of that. But at the same time... could you live with yourself if you had to kill humans in order to survive? Would you lose your humanity in the process? You didn't want to become like Rosemary...

Tears welled up in your eyes as the enormity of the situation crashed over you. How could you possibly make this decision for yourself?

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and you jumped.

"Y/N? Are you in there?" You heard Jungkook's voice and a wave of relief passed through you. You leapt off the bed and opened the door for him.

Jungkook came inside, holding a grocery bag.

"That was really fast." You murmured, looking down at the bag. Suddenly, your stomach growled, making a sound like a dying whale. You gulped and Jungkook smirked.

"I guess you were hungry after all." He held up the bag and you huffed, snatching it away from him.

"Shut up." You mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed as you opened the bag. There were chocolate bars, bags of pretzels and other little snacks inside and your heart swelled at the thoughtfulness. These were all snacks you'd eaten at the manor before. These were all the snacks that were your favorites. He'd definitely been paying attention to you and it made your stomach do a somersault.

"So... have you thought about what Dracula said?" Jungkook asked, sitting on the bed. You pulled out a chocolate bar and unwrapped it greedily, scarfing it down in three bites. You shrugged, grabbing another one.

"Sort of. I haven't come to a decision yet." You mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate. Jungkook sighed, drawing nervous patterns on the comforter.

"Yeah... it's... tough." He muttered, unhelpfully. You frowned.

"What do you think I should do?" You popped another chocolate in your mouth as Jungkook's head snapped up in surprise.

"What?" He asked, his eyebrows pulling together. You shrugged.

"Do you think I should do it? Let him turn me into a vampire?" You clarified. You put the bag down on the dresser top and swallowed the food in your mouth as Jungkook continued to stare, his mouth parted slightly.

"Y/N, I can't..."

"I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it?" You cut him off, starting to pace up and down the room in front of the bed. "If I become a vampire, I can stop running, Lazarus will stop hunting me, I can finally stop with this stupid hiding game. But then on the other hand, I don't know if I want that." You spoked quickly, laying all your thoughts out on the table. Jungkook watched you, his eyes sad as you paced up and down, wringing your hands in your hair. "I mean... living forever? I don't know if I could do that and feeding on humans and.... I don't want to lose my humanity. I don't want to lose what makes me human. I don't want to become like Rosemary."

"You won't be like Rosemary." Jungkook cut you off abruptly. You paused in your pacing and looked at him in surprise. He was staring you down intently. "I can guarantee you of that. You could never be like her." He said again, leaving no room for argument. You frowned.

"Maybe I would become like her in a few hundred years. I mean, you never know, I could." You argued, wrapping your arms around yourself. Jungkook stood up, his eyes hardening with determination.

"You wouldn't. I know you." He repeated, glaring at you, like he was annoyed you thought you might. You let out an exasperated sigh and leaned against the dresser, shaking your head helplessly.

"Jungkook... I need you to tell me what to do." You muttered, rubbing your face with your palms. You looked up at him hopefully, but the walls had come down hard behind his gaze.

"Y/N, I can't do that, you know I can't do that." He said, looking away. You frowned.

"I don't care, I want to know your opinion." You snapped, pushing off the dresser. Jungkook gritted his teeth and you saw his jaw clench.

"Y/N, I can't give you my opinion." He repeated, his fists clenching at his side.

"Why not? I'm asking for it. Just tell me what you think." You argued, stepping closer.

"I can't!" Jungkook shouted, making you jump in surprise. He looked down at you, his eyes shining with an unknown emotion. You frowned in confusion and shook your head.

"Why not?" You whispered. He let out a guttural sound and threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Because I'm biased, Y/N! I'm biased! I can't give you a reasonable opinion because I'll just tell you what I want you to do for selfish reasons." He shouted, stepping toward you. You involuntarily stepped back, your back pressing up against the dresser.

"Selfish reasons?" You whispered. Jungkook sighed, his hands falling limp at his sides.

"Yes, Y/N, selfish reasons." He gave you a long look as you stared up into his deep coal-black eyes, waiting for him to elaborate. "I want you to be a vampire, okay? I want Dracula to turn you." He exclaimed finally. Your eyes widened.

"You... you do? W-why?" You mumbled stupidly. Jungkook scoffed and smirked humorless, looking away for a second.

"Goddamn, Y/N, are you really going to make me say it?" he muttered, mostly to himself. He looked back at you, a new determination in his eyes. "I want you to be a vampire because I want you to be with me and the only way that can happen is if you're like me."

You stared, speechless as Jungkook hovered over you, his chest rising and falling heavily. You licked your lips as you stared into the deep pools of obsidian and your breathing picked up. You both stared at each other, speechless, the tension feeling almost electric between you. It was only a matter of time before it snapped.

Almost simultaneously, you came together and kissed. You threw your hands around his neck, standing on your tip toes and pushing your fingers into his hair. His lips were hot against yours and you could hear him growl as he deepened the kiss, snaking his hands around your waist and your hips. You whimpered into his mouth, like you were finally drinking after being parched and your mouths opened at the same time, slanting over each other perfectly.

Jungkook's hands dug into your waist and suddenly, he lifted you up, sitting you down on the dresser in front of him. He spread your knees and stepped between them, capturing your lips once more, growling as he did so. You moaned, clutching his shoulders and the fabric of his shirt tightly. The kiss was hot, passionate and just the right amount of rough and gentle. His tongue swept over yours and his teeth grazed over your bottom lip, making goosebumps rise over your skin. You whispered his name and your jaw dropped as he started to kiss down your jaw and your neck. You felt his fangs graze your skin as he nipped at your neck, but you weren't afraid. You knew he wouldn't hurt you.

You moaned as he sucked gently on the skin, sweeping his tongue deftly over the sensitive skin. He kissed back up your jaw and captured your lips once again, hungrily, like he couldn't get enough. And you understood that feeling as you leaned close to him, pushing your chest into him and taking control of the kiss. Your hand fisted in the fabric of his shirt as the other tugged on the strands of hair at the nape of his neck. He groaned into your mouth and you felt the sharpness of his fangs, on your lips. His nails dug into your thighs and you gasped, throwing your head back. He took that as an invitation to kiss the other side of your neck, up your cheek and to your earlobe.

"I want you, Y/N... I want you to be a vampire. With me." He murmured against your skin, sending flames down your body. You leaned close and kissed his cheek, up his jaw and to his lips again.

"That's all I needed." You whispered, kissing the side of his mouth. "I'll tell him to turn me." You kissed his lips, cupping his cheeks in your palms. Jungkook pulled back, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You... you mean it?" He whispered. You nodded, licking your lips.

"Yes..."

Jungkook stared deep into your eyes, and then he grinned, flashing his fangs. He kissed you, a huge smile on his face and you smiled into his mouth, your stomach doing a giddy somersault.