When you thought about Dracula a few words came to mind.

Rude.

Murderous.

Evil.

You never thought romantic would be on that list.

As you followed the vampire down the dark beach and spotted where he was taking you, you stopped in your tracks.

Not too far ahead of you was a small cave at the door of the cliff, glowing with the flicker of candlelight. In the center of the lit candles was a picnic blanket laid out with a wicker basket.

"Why have you stopped?" Dracula says when he turns around and realizes you're no longer following him.

"Are you going to kill me?" You blurt out, making the vampire let out a hearty laugh.

"Not tonight" he winks and you can't tell if he's joking with you.

"Then what is this?" You gesture to the set up in front of you.

"A picnic"

"But why?"

"For our date. You know I thought we'd at least sit down before you started questioning me" he sighs and turns away, running his hand through his perfectly styled hair.

"Look I'm sorry it's just... well you can't really blame me for being suspicious. You did just hold me by my throat and tell me how easy it would be to break me"

"I told you I was playing-"

"And then there's what you did to the guy in the alley"

"Oh, when I saved your life!"

"You killed a man! And then you, well I don't know what you did to me but I don't remember getting home"

"I didn't do anything to you. You fainted in the alley, and I took you home. Well, Renfield took you into your house, but I carried you to your door."

"Who's Renfield?!"

"My lawyer"

"Right, see there's another question. How the hell do you have a lawyer? You're a vampire!"

"It's a long story..." He stops and takes a breath "listen I promise I won't kill you, now can we please just sit down" he holds his hand out to you. You think for a second then walk toward him. But you don't take his hand, you fold your arms across your chest and walk straight past him to sit on the blanket. He follows and sits beside you. He opens up the basket and pulls out two wine glasses. He then opens a bottle of red wine and pours you a glass. Then he takes another unlabeled bottle out of the basket and pours himself a glass of red liquid. You watch him suspiciously.

"Yes, it is" he says suddenly, startling you.

"What?"

"Blood. This is blood in my glass. Is that going to be problem?"

"I, uh... who's blood, is it?"

"Does it matter?"

You don't know what to say so you say nothing at all, just giving him a small shrug instead and looking out to watch the waves crashing on the sea.

As you sip your wine and watch the waves you find yourself daydreaming, forgetting that you're sat next to one of the most dangerous creatures on earth.

"You look just like her" his voice pulls you back from your daydream and you turn to look at him "Sister Rose. You get more than just her name from her. She was beautiful too."

Your face instantly blushes, and you can't stop the small involuntary smile.

"Such shame she was a nun, what a waste" he adds, and you sigh, rolling your eyes and shaking your head.

"Well she wasn't a nun once you'd finished with her. She turned her back on all of it. Moved to London, got married, had kids. She lived the rest of her life in fear that you would come back and find her, kill her like you killed all of her convent sisters. Sorry, not all. I forgot about Sister Agatha." You watch Dracula's face as he's transported back in his memories "Why did you spare them and not the others? What was it about them that made them so special?"

"Agatha was different. She was nothing like a nun, yet she somehow had the strongest faith. I liked her." He smiles still lost in his memories. Then he looks at you. "As for Sister Rose? Honestly answer, I don't know. I was going to kill her, I wanted to kill her. But then in that moment, when I held her... I heard her heart beating... and I didn't want it to end"

You watch him for a moment.

"Is that why you followed me? Because I look like her?" You ask quietly and he nods, taking a sip of his drink. "How did you even find me?"

"That was a happy accident. I was exploring this village and I saw you in the baker's shop. I thought you were her at first but then I realized you must be related."

A cool breeze drifts past you, making you shiver. Dracula immediately removes his jacket and drapes it over your shoulders.

"No, you don't have to do that" you try to protest but he insists.

"It's a gentleman's duty to ensure his lady is never cold" he smiles before glancing at your almost empty glass "refill?"

"No thank you, I have work in the morning"

"Just one more?"

You look into his eyes and something about the way he's looking at you makes you unable to say no. You sigh.

"Okay fine, just one and then I need to go"

🩸☠️🖤

Almost an hour and a few more drinks later the two of you are still sat talking, Dracula telling you stories about his fascinating life.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, that it why we're here after all" Dracula responds, taking a sip of his drink.

"Have you ever been in love?"

The Count stops drinking and stares out at the sea.

"Once"

"What happened?"

"She was killed" he takes another sip

"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me, I shouldn't have asked"

"No, it's alright" he downs the rest of his drink and looks at you "Her name was Martha. She was the most beautiful, purest soul I had ever met. But she made the mistake of falling in love with a vampire. The people in her village found out and they despised her for it, made her life a misery. She agreed to run away with me, start a life with me. We could have been so happy." He turns to look back out to sea "But the villagers found out about our plans, and they killed her before she could get away. And with her, they also killed the unborn child she was carrying. My child."

You release a small shaky breath as a tear manages to escape and roll down your cheek. Dracula looks back at you and gently wipes the tear away, but he doesn't remove his hand from your cheek.

"I'm so sorry. Humans can be so much worse than monsters"

You almost whisper as you realize how close your faces are now, almost nose to nose. You stare into his dark eyes as he slowly moves in closer. All sense has gone from your mind. A tiny voice screams in the back of your mind that you're about to kiss a vampire, but you can barely hear it over the fuzziness created by the candles and the wine.

Suddenly your glass slips from your hand, smashing as it hits the hard cave floor.

"Shit!" you frantically try to clean it up and cut your finger on a jagged shard of glass "SHIT!" You grasp your finger tightly, trying to stop the blood flow.

Dracula jumps up and backs away from you.

"You need to leave!" He says firmly

"I'm sorry, I'm so clumsy I-" you ramble, looking through the basket for a napkin

"LEAVE!" He growls, his eyes a deep red and his sharp fangs more visible now.

You look at him in horror and scramble to get up, fleeing the cave as fast as you can.

You sprint down the beach back toward the village and hear Dracula roar in the distance behind you. You glance over your shoulder back in the direction you're running from and when you look back ahead the vampire is in front of you.

He advances toward you slowly, in full predator mode.

"Please let me past. Let me go home"

"Oh, I tried to do that. I tried to let you live but you smell so divine."

You back away as he continues to get closer

"Please-"

"The sound of you begging and scent of your blood" he inhales deeply through his nose "its intoxicating"

He grabs your chin in his large hand, holding it tightly making the tears that have formed in your eyes behind to fall. He lifts your chin, your neck and he bring his nose close to your skin.

"It doesn't have to hurt you know. I can make it quite... pleasurable"

"No" you manage to whimper through your tears.

He pulls your shirt down slightly, exposing your collar bones and suddenly releases you, backing away when he sees the small cross hanging on a chain around your neck. You take your chance and run. You don't stop running until you reach your house.

🖤☠️🩸

You run straight to the front door, forgetting about the men Zoe had placed outside for your protection. Upon seeing you they immediately jump out the car and run to you, questioning you on where you had been. You're too shook up to respond so they pile you in the car and escort you straight to the Jonathan Harker foundation building where Zoe is waiting at the other end. She doesn't say anything, just walks you silently to a quiet room away from everyone. She sits you on a sofa and sits in an armchair opposite you.

Again she doesn't say anything, she just watches you silently waiting for you to speak.

As you sit in silence you replay the night's events through your head, inwardly cursing yourself for being so dangerously stupid.

"Bella" Zoe says suddenly, and you look up at her. She looks concerned. "Talk to me."

"I did something really stupid" you shake your head and Zoe just looks at you, waiting for you to continue "I went to meet him. Dracula. I went to meet him on the beach in secret."

Zoe closes her eyes and lets out a sigh before looking back at you "what happened?"

You're about to tell her everything when a thought comes to mind. If you tell her that Dracula almost killed you she would make sure you never saw him alone, possibly never at all. You didn't want that. Despite how the meet had ended, you did actually enjoy your time with the vampire. He was different when it was just the two of you. He had opened up to you, been vulnerable. And you had almost kissed him. Then it hits you.

You're developing feelings for him.

"Nothing happened." You lie "It was fine. We just talked, he answered my questions and told me a bit about his life. No dramas"

"Then why were you so shaking up? The guys said when you got home you were in a state."

"Oh that? Just a group of teenagers shouted some things at me as I was heading home, startled me. But I'm fine, nothing I can't handle" you flash her your best fake smile and she eyes you suspiciously before choosing to believe you.

"Okay. Well its really late so you can stay here tonight, and I'll drive you home in the morning"

"Actually, I'd rather go home now. I have to be at work in the morning"

"Fine, I'll get the guys to drive you back now."

"Thanks Zoe" you say, standing up and heading to the door.

"Oh Bella? They'll be staying outside your house again so no more sneaking out"

You nod your head and leave, following the men to the car.

Sitting in the back of the car on the way home you know you should be worried. Dracula could be waiting for you, he could still be hungry for you. But you're not worried. Instead, you can't stop thinking about how close your lips came to meeting his and his dark eyes staring into yours, making your heart flutter. Besides, the only reason he tried to drink your blood is because you cut yourself, and he stopped as soon as he saw the crucifix. So as long as you be more careful and always have your necklace on, you'll be fine.

Right?