She was bored. They had been riding for over four hours now, and she was bored out of her mind. Melora leaned against her hand as she looked out the window and took in some familiar surroundings. She wondered if her new home would be filled with greenery as the brown colors passed her. She leaned out of the window and let her right arm swing against the side of the carriage.

Melora closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, hoping to make the trip go faster. She felt her body relax before she fell asleep.

---

When she woke up again, she noticed that the carriage was stopped. The air around them had turned stale. Before, there had been a gentle breeze that helped circulate the air, but now there was nothing. The land around the carriage was suspiciously quiet. Only a few animals resided in her father's grounds, but Melora didn't hear a sound.

Melora started to reach for the handle of her door when she heard Drystan's voice in her ear. His hand clamped over her mouth as he pulled her away from the door and against his chest. "Don't make a sound, Melora," he hissed in her ear. Her heart thumped dangerously in her chest as she gripped his wrist.

She was starting to shake. She looked up at him and watched his eyes darting back and forth around them. Something got him spooked. His entire body was tense against hers. He slowly removed his hand from her mouth but didn't remove his tight grip around her waist. Drystan raised a finger to his mouth, his eyes begging her to be silent. She turned her head and tried to find whatever made him nervous, but couldn't find anything.

Melora started to open her mouth when she noticed his arm was off her. She turned around in the carriage and found that she was alone again.

Why could he move without me hearing him? she thought to herself. Her hand moved to her chest. Panic started to rise in her chest as she willed him to come back. Melora didn't like how quiet everything was. She felt some danger close to them but couldn't see what it was.

The carriage jolted, making her scream and grip the seat before her. "Drystan!" she closed her eyes and yelled out for him.

A dark, deep chuckle came from her right side. Melora knew instantly that it wasn't Drystan. She opened her eyes and met a pair of bright, golden eyes. The eyes were gold as they stared at her with malice. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. She backed up as the eyes came closer to her.

"Aren't you pretty?" the voice sneered at her. She resisted the urge to clamp her hands over her ears at the sound of his voice. To her, it sounded like nails scratching against a chalkboard. His face was dirty, and his breath ranked as if he had eaten something rotten. His eyes were too close together, and the eyebrows shaped around them were thick and black, unkempt. His nose looked like it had been broken too many times and never healed correctly. His lips were curled in a hideous sneer, showing off a large set of fangs.

Melora's back hit the other side of the carriage. She opened her mouth to scream again when the dirty man interrupted her. He had opened the door and was halfway inside the carriage, a hand reaching out to her.

"I wouldn't yell for him if I were you," he told her lowly. He knelt in front of her. To her, it looked more like he was crouching, ready to pounce on her. "I wonder what you taste like."

Melora screamed as the man came at her. She closed her eyes and brought her hands up to her face, waiting for whatever he was going to do to her when she heard the door behind her open, and a pair of strong arms pulled her out. She opened her eyes when her feet hit the ground and met Drystan's. Blood splattered his face, and he was breathing hard.

"Run, Melora," he snarled. His eyes were pleading with her. "Run. I'll find you." He growled as the man from the carriage clamped his fangs down on his shoulder. Drystan pushed her backward as he picked up the man and threw him against the carriage. "Fucking run, Melora."

Melora backed up as she watched Drystan slam the man against the carriage. He had his hand wrapped around his neck. The man kept reaching out toward Drystan but couldn't reach him, snarling at Drystan like a beast. His face was starting to turn blue. Drystan was choking him. Melora couldn't look away, her hands flying to her mouth. She knew she should obey Drystan, but she couldn't help but watch what he was doing to the man who would attack her.

Two growls from either side of her made her look away from Drystan. Two giant wolves circled her, growling and foaming at the mouth. One started to lunge for her when it was stopped short by Drystan. She watched with horror as he bit the wolf in its throat. Blood sprayed out from underneath his lips. The wolf screeched and whimpered as it squirmed in his arms.

What the hell?

The wolf finally stopped squirming and fell limp. Drystan dropped it to the ground and turned to the other wolf. Melora was frozen to the dead floor in horror. Blood, the wolf's blood, dripped down his chin. Long fangs poked out from underneath his upper lip. He stepped toward the other wolf, but it ran in the opposite direction, howling in defeat. Away from him. Away from her.

Finally, the world was quiet once more after what seemed like forever. Melora couldn't move. She wouldn't move. What the hell was he? Who had her father trusted with her protection? Her mind couldn't decide whether she was scared or curious about him. Her eyes widened as she looked over him, pleading silently for him to look at her.

Drystan still wouldn't look at her. He was standing straight and breathing hard. His fist was clenched at his sides, shaking. Blood still dripped from his chin. His fangs were gone, but she knew he had them. She had seen them, and deep down, it scared her.

Melora opened her mouth and finally moved her feet toward him. Her feet felt like lead as she moved to him. "Drystan?" She reached out her arm and was close to touching him when his arm snaked out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against him. She couldn't help the small screech as he pulled her. He rested his head in the crook of her neck, taking a deep breath. Her hands rested down on his waist, unsure where to touch him. Unsure if he wanted her to feel him.

"Fuck," he rumbled out, his voice cracking. Melora tried not to shiver as she felt his fangs run against her neck. "I'm so sorry." The hold around her waist tightened.

"W-we need to return to the carriage, Drystan," she whispered. She couldn't bring her voice anything above a whisper. She looked up and saw that the sun was starting to set. The land would get cold when the sun was gone, and they would need shelter somewhere safe. Whatever he was, he might not be able to feel cold, but she certainly could.

"You're right," he murmured against her skin. He pulled away from her and took her hand. "Are you," he started, not meeting her eyes. "Are you afraid of me now?"

Melora shook her head. Confident that she wasn't terrified of him. She was afraid more of the wolves and that man in the carriage with her than she was of Drystan. "I'm not afraid of you."

Drystan's eyes widened before a small smile spread on his bloody lips. "Good," he breathed. He took his other hand and wiped off the blood that was on his chin and lips. His eyes traveled over her. "You're not hurt, are you?" His hands were tight against her forearms as he moved her at arm's length, his eyes continuing to roam over her.

Melora shook her head; her eyes never left his face.

He nodded. "Good. I'm still going to check you over when we get to someplace safe." His eyes landed on the blood on her neck. His jaw tightened. "Is that from me?" He took a deep breath. "I didn't-"

Melora shook her head. "I promise I'm not hurt."

His eyes brightened as he pulled her towards him and leaned down. He ran his tongue over the blood on her neck, cleaning it off. Melora closed her eyes and felt her toes curl. The adrenaline in her body was slowing down. She needed him now. She could only hope that he needed her right now as well. He pushed away from her and led her back to the carriage. Melora didn't understand the pull she felt toward him, but she wasn't about to deny it. No matter what, he always made her feel safe. His touch was like a drug to her, and she needed more.

"When we're in a safe place, I'll talk about what happened and what I am," Drystan explained to her. He wouldn't look at her. Instead, he was looking around them, looking at their surroundings. His hand gripping her hand tightened with every step they took. "I promise I'll explain everything, Melora."

Melora was silent as she let him help her into the carriage. She stopped the door from closing, making him look at her. His eyes traveled her body once more.

"I'm going to find an inn. We're over your father's territory."

Melora nodded. She didn't remove her hand from the door. She didn't want to leave his side. "Please." Her eyes pleaded with him. She didn't want to be alone at the moment and needed him.

A low, growling curse came out of Drystan as he climbed into the carriage and closed the door behind him. He covered the windows with the curtains and sat on the opposite bench across her. "You want to talk now?" His voice was gruff as he looked at her, his head cocking to one side. Melora noticed that he still had drying blood on his chin.

Melora nodded. She folded her hands on her lap. "Yes, I do."

Drystan ran his hands over his face and pushed back his hood. "I think you know what I am," he started. His eyes pierced into her. "Your father hired me knowing what I am. He believed that a vampire would be the best protector for his daughter." He leaned forward and placed his arms on his knees. "He was right. I'm very territorial of you, Melora. I would - and have - kill anyone who would dare to land a finger on you." He took a deep breath. "I protect what's mine, Princess. I promise you that you are always going to be safe while I'm around."

Melora nodded as she looked down at her hands. "Am I safe now?" She looked back up at him. The way he was staring at her made her legs clench together. She wasn't afraid of him. She wasn't afraid of what he is.

His eyes snapped down to her legs and a small smirk spread on his face as his nostrils flared. "Yes, Princess." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her lips. His right hand started to run up her leg, resting just underneath her dress. He pulled back slightly and pressed his forehead against hers. "It's not safe to stay here for long. I'm going to find an inn. There's one close by."

Melora's chest rose as she struggled to calm her heart down. Finally, she gave him a quick nod. "Okay, I trust you, Drystan."

"Fuck," he growled as he pressed another kiss to her lips. "You don't understand what you do to me."