"Thanks for visiting us here at Tweety Sweety. We hope you have a super sweet day!" Ashley beamed as a mother and a young boy walked away, treats in hand. She whirled around to face me her hands on her hips. "And that's how you should say goodbye to costumers. It's important to always say thank you."

It was hard to resist the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes for the hundredth time that day. All day I followed Miss Rainbows-and-Buttercup Ashley as she informed "this is how you take out the garbage", "this is how you help a customer decide which treat to get", and my absolute favorite-"this is how you turn off the break room lights." It's so great she covered that. It had been haunting me since I saw that blaring light how on earth I would turn it off. It's not like they invented magical spots on the walls to turn them on and off. Oh wait, they did.

"Now," Ashley wrung her heads nervously as she checked the time, "I have to go make a phone call to deal with an icing emergency. Ian will be coming in soon to help you but until then could you please watch the counter? If that's not too much trouble or pressure, that is."

She acted like I'd be conducting life-or-death heart surgery not manning the counter in an empty bakery.  I doubted anyone would be coming in either. It was the dead hours between four and five on a Monday afternoon. Unless Casper was going to appear and cause me trouble then I'd be fine.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said and she hurried out of the room with a promise to return as soon as possible.

I released the sigh I had been holding back and slumped onto the counter. Two hours done, just three more to go for today. I could do this.

The sound of the bell startled me from my thoughts. Before me stood my very nightmare: Hailey.

"I thought Mom was kidding!" Hailey laughed hopping closer. As soon as she got to the display case she stopped, let out another fit of laughter, and pushed up her glasses that had slid down from her shaking.

"Hailey!" I hissed clenching my fist. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Mom let it slip that you were working here so I thought I'd be a wonderful sister and come wish you well," she explained as her hand slipped into her bag.

No way. Hailey was not that kind of sister. Hailey was not that kind of sister who would go half way across town to 'wish her brother luck'. Hailey was not that kind of sister who visited her brother when it cut into her cherished library time. Oh, she was up to something.

"And," she continued a smirk spreading on her lips, "blackmail!"

Her words were drowned out by a flash.

"Christ woman!" I cursed blinking my eyes. "Delete that now!"

"I'm not sure you understand the words 'blackmail'," she noted inching towards the door.

No way in hell was I going to let that picture see anything but digital wasteland.

"Give it to me!" I demanded, jumping over the counter and racing to her. She screamed and ran to the door but she didn't make it far before I slammed her into the glass and pried the camera from her fighting hands.

"I'm not sure you understand how to do blackmail," I mocked back as I removed the memory chip and returned the empty camera. "You have to make sure you can actually follow through with it."

Hailey didn't answer. I looked up only to see her staring out the window thoughtfully, which was nothing new--she zoned out to la-la land all the time--but that expression on her face like I-just-ate-something-sour was.

"Hey," I said flickering her forehead.

She scoffed and rubbed the spot as she sent me what she considered a death glare though more looked like a drenched puppy.

Her eyes went back out the window and her expression turned sour again. "Is there anyone else working here today?"

"Just me for now. Someone else is supposed to come in here soon. Why?"

"It's just," she hesitated, "that man out there has been standing there since I came in. I didn't think anything of it but I think he's staring at us?"

I went to the window and searched. "Has he been bugging you?" No way was I going to let some pervert mess with my little sister.

"No. I think...I think he's been staring at you? He's over there by that building. See?"

I did see and I didn't like what I saw. I had prayed it had been a dream and went about my weekend with that illusion. But just across the street, in flesh and blood, was the proof that everything had been real. 

I grabbed Hailey by her jacket and hauled her into the backroom. 

"Ouch! What's wrong? Do you know him?" Hailey asked, struggling against me. 

"Yeah. Well, sort of. Look," I said letting her go. "Stay here. I'm going to go talk to him. If I'm not back within fifteen minutes, call the cops and stay in here. Don't go outside for anything, okay?"

"Did you get in another fight?" Hailey asked adjusting her glasses. 

No, he's just the random guy that appeared and decapitated the women who tried to eat me three nights ago.  Oh, and then he tried to kill me as well before deciding instead to pledge undying loyalty to me because of a necklace my stalker gave me that also somehow managed to save my life.  Oh yes, the truthful explanation sounded completely sane.

So I lied. "Yeah, just a small one."

"Mom's right. You really need to work on your people skills," she said. 

"Just stay in here you little brat," I ordered as I walked out through the shop. I paused at the glass door. This was it. Time to face the music.

I didn't bother to look at him as I made my way over. Instead, I focused on my feet and tried to match my breathing with my steps in an effort to calm the panic bubbling inside.  When I was a good, safe few yards from him I stopped and looked up. 

He stood tall, straightening up to his towering height before kneeling into a bow like he had done on the first night.

"Chosen," he grunted, his unruly hair sliding to cover his face as he folded deeper into the bow. 

"Um, yeah, sure, okay," I stammered before clearing my throat. "You, um, you can stand now."

He intensified the bow briefly before returning to his feet.

"So it wasn't all just a crazy ass dream." 

"No," his voice was deep and thick. "It wasn't."

I'd figured that out as soon as I saw him, but there was always that vain hope that needed to be crushed into acceptance. 

"Look," I said with a sigh. "I really don't want any part in whatever cult or organization"--or insane asylum--"you've escaped from. I think it would be best for everyone if we could just forget and continue on with our lives. Separately."

"I cannot do that." He crossed his arms, glaring down at me. 

Great. I already had one crazy person following me around, adding another just seemed like too many. How had I managed to get myself into these insane situations lately? And this last one, that had been completely different than anything I ever experienced. I had never feared so adamantly for my life before and that women, well she was clearly something different. Images flashed in my head. Her eyes, her voice her teeth. No, she clearly had been something very different. Something inhuman. 

"If you're going to rope me into this mess then I want some answers," I bargained. "Like, who are you?"

He nodded. "As you wish. I am Rhys."

What was it with people lately thinking that giving their name clarified everything?

"So, Rhys, what is it exactly that you want from me?"

He tilted his head. "My only purpose is to protect and serve you with my life."

Great, all he wanted to do was give his life to me. No pressure or anything. A barbarian man wanted to protect and serve me. With his life.  That's not the creepiest thing I'd heard in my entire life.  And I official seemed to have collected two stalkers now. Fantastic.

"Okay. Who and what was that woman last night? And what are you? And who and what is your Master that I'm apparently 'chosen' for?"  There. Everything that had been haunting me since that night was finally out there.

He didn't even hesitate in response. "That woman was a dhampir. My master, his Lordship Eskil Rendevarzé, and are I vampires."

Good god, I'm being stalked by freaking Edward Cullen.