14 comments/  31752 views/  45 favorites

A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger

By: Bellstoires



It was the end of another exhausting day at university. Bell was tired not only from studying for her mid semester exam which would commence the next day but also from the extra shift she had taken at work. She had almost fallen asleep at the library when she decided that it was time to go home. The university offered after-hours access to the library for students. She swiped her university ID card and the automatic door buzzed to let her out. 

Bell looked down at her ID card. The picture was a little old from her first degree although she had not changed much. She was 24 years old, with long chocolate brown hair that was straight or wavy depending if she had washed it or not. Her face was a little rounded with high cheek bones and dark blue eyes. Her thin waist, bright smile and great ass made her more than a little attractive. 

Walking from the university at night was always a little unnerving. Bell parked her car over near a friend's house on a side street close to the uni and it took her about ten minutes to walk there from the library. Bell didn't mind the walk and it saved her money not having to park. Still the night was particularly dark. Bell glanced up to the moon whose small rim only managed to shine past the thick conifer forest she was making her way past. She was looking though her school bag for her keys when she heard the sound of music in the distance. 

"Thursday smoko" she whispered to herself smiling slightly.

Thursdays were the days when the university put on 'smokos' designed to entertain uni students, although really they maintained a constant supply of alcohol giving boys more courage and girls less common sense. Bell wasn't opposed to drinking, but she knew that was the last thing she needed the night before a test. Glancing quickly down at her watch she realised that it was almost midnight. That would mean that the smoko would be breaking up soon.

"Hey beautiful" a voice called from behind her.

Bell turned before she could stop herself and realised that there were a group of boys walking behind her. 

"Err hey" Bell responded, redoubling her efforts to find her keys as she forced her legs to work harder as she kicked up her speed.

"Where you going so quickly" one of the boys asked.

Bell heard him running towards her and she stopped and turned to face the boys, knowing full well that outrunning them was not an option.

"I have an exam tomorrow" she said "and my boyfriend is waiting for me just over there in his car, so I better hurry."

She had hoped that lying about having a boyfriend close by would make the guys leave her alone but she was wrong. Immediately they began forming a circle around her, like sharks around prey. They were young guys around her age and judging by their build looked as if they belonged to a football club. They were leering at her and wobbling slightly on their feet when Bell realised that they stunk of booze.

"Well nice meeting..." Bell began before she felt one of the guys behind her cup their hands over her mouth. 

She began kicking hard and flinging her arms in the air desperate to get away. 

"Stop" she screamed after she bite hard on one of her attackers hands and they responded by slapping her in the face, but not before she tasted the salty coppery blood from her attacker.

She was only unconscious for a moment before the harsh feeling of something being raped around her mouth woke her up. Then her hands were grasped and she felt herself being dragged off the footpath and onto the grassy area surrounding the pine trees which lined the path.

"Looks like we got ourselves a fighter" one boy said.

Bell looked up at him. He was tall and handsome with a strong jaw and black hooded jumper on that read Uni sports. Bell was staring up at him, silent tears rolling down her face when he leant down to her and tore her shirt open. She tried desperately to cling at her top and cover her breast but both her hands were being restrained by two others on either side of her.

She was shaking her head when the boy reached down again on his knees and undid the buttons of her jeans. He then reached behind her and pulled them off in one quick motion. The two boys holding her arms pushed her up so that she was sitting on her knees and they dug painfully into the dirt. 

"Hmm" the boy said as he began unbuckling his belt "pull her head back" he said and Bell felt instantly as her hair was pulled tight forcing her head all the way back to stare at the fourth boy directly behind her. 

She felt one hand dive between her legs as two other different hands began pulling and massaging her breast and pinching her nipples. As she looked up at the boy holding her hair she watched as he began to grow hard and began retrieving his dick from his pants and rubbing it while staring at her. 

"I'm first" said the boy with his hand at her pussy. He was holding it tightly as if claiming it as his own. 

Bell felt the two holding her hands tighten their grip. Her eyes shut instantly forcing the last tears out and she held her breath waiting. 

Instantly she was flung forwards as she felt the two holding her relinquish their grips. She opened her eyes as her hair was pulled tightly and felt her face hit the grass heavily. She was face down when she heard the boys screaming. She whirled around quickly and saw a stranger breaking the necks of the two that had held her hands. They fell to the ground quickly as her rescuer moved over to the one who had held her hair. The stranger watched, his head to one side as the boy began to run from him. Then impossibly fast he caught up to the boy and pulled him so that he fell against his knee, breaking his spine with a loud cracking noise. The last boy was cowering on the floor, praying or whispering something that Bell couldn't hear or understand. 

"Please no" he mumbled when the man had returned over to him. The man smiled, his face lit by the small moon and Bell saw how handsome he was. His dark unkempt hair reached his shoulder and was flying wildly in the wind. His green eyes were focused on his prey and Bell watched in horror as two large white fangs protruded from him mouth as he reached down exposing the neck of the boy before striking at him. Blood sprayed for a moment and stained the grass and a second later the body of the last boy fell unmercifully to the ground as a small gurgle escaped from him. 

Bell was frozen in fear as she looked at the now dead boys piled around her. Her rescuer stood for a moment also conveying the scene and then looked down at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice kind as he reached a hand down to her.

Bell blinked once, the tight bind around her mouth still stopping her from speaking and fainted.

***

It was several hours before Bell woke again. She was lying on a cold stone bench and she sat up quickly, feeling the rush of blood in her face and she winched. Her hand immediately traced the bruise on the side of her cheek and the last few hours of her life flashed back to her mind. She shivered in fear and realised that she was wearing a thin white dress that she did not own. Her feet moved to the edge of the bench and she slipped down off it, her bare feet meeting even colder stone. Her eyes tried to adapt to the darkness but there was no light and so she stared into nothingness. 

"You are awake" came the voice of her rescuer. 

She looked into the distance and saw a man walking towards her, a small candle in his hands, lighting what was a small room, covered in bricks.

Bell nodded once, unable to speak.

"Are you ok?" he asked again, this time looking at her with what might have been concern, although Bell was not certain.

She nodded once again, feeling a pain in her wrists, and looking down to see what were finger marked bruises.

"It is ok. The ones who attacked you won't hurt you again" he said, moving still closer to Bell "is there anything I can get you to make you comfortable?"

Bell looked at the man, suddenly remembering the fangs that he had used to drain one of the boys of blood "What are you?"

The man sighed, moving away from her and sitting on the floor of the room "Can you not guess?" he asked. 

"Vampire" Bell whispered.

The vampire nodded before saying "I am sorry"

"You saved me" Bell said confused. 

"Yes and now I cannot let you leave. You know what I am and you will not be safe with that secret" he responded, looking down on the ground unable to meet her eyes. 

"I won't tell anyone" Bell began, moving over to the vampire on the ground. 

"It won't matter others will find you and they will kill you for knowing my secret. It is a lonely path vampirism, but it is kept this way so that mortals do not know of us. You must understand our existence must be kept from humans" he finished before saying "my name is Ragon and I will try my best to look after you..."

A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 02



Three days had passed since Bell had been rescued by Ragon. She had lived mostly in silence and darkness since that time as her rescuer now captor had not spoken to her since. Religiously meals had been brought to her, three times a day, although she had not seen them arrive and was only made aware of them by the delicious smell that they would create wafting over to her, trapped in the windowless room. It was late on the third night of her imprisonment when Ragon graced her with his presence. 

Bell heard the door creak open and raced over to it. 

"Ragon" she exclaimed when she saw his face.

He smiled at her lightly and moved over to the floor to sit as he had done before. Once again he carried a candle which lit his face majestically, the orange glow highlighting his marble features and Bell was reminded of just how beautiful he was.

"Bell" he whispered back before adding "my apologies. I have not cared for you as I had promised. I was arranging some things" he said simply.

"I can't stay here. I can't live like this" she said before he held out his hand to silence her. 

"I know. It had taken me longer to acquire these things than it should have hence my apologies" he said sadly.

"But" Bell began to protest.

"Come. Tonight we leave my family home" he said, moving to sit up as he made his way to the door. 

Bell followed obediently, excited to be leaving the stone house she had spent so many hours counting the bricks in. The large wooden and iron clad door slammed shut with a bang after her and Ragon moved to lock it, simply sliding one of the large wooden sleepers across to keep it in place.

The next room that Bell walked into was just as dark as the first, only lit by the candle that Ragon continued to cradle. 

"This is your family home?" Bell asked, straining her eyes to see into the small room. 

She could just make out what appeared to be large sections of a circular room that stood out from the wall. Instantly in realisation she moved backwards and found herself up against a cold hard stone. It was a tomb she was in. There were shiny metallic labels that accompanied each urn and Bell read the first one in a whisper "Lillian Patrick 1856 to 1895"

"My mother" Ragon whispered.

Bell jumped surprised that what she had been leaning against was in fact Ragon's cold hard body.

She could make out from the strained sadness on his face lit by the candle that her actions had hurt him and she said quickly "you startled me" so to spare his feelings.

In a fraction of a second the door to the tomb was open and Bell heard the revving of an engine. She followed suit, walking out into the night and closing the large door of the tomb behind her. Suddenly the cool night air sent shivers down her back as she surveyed the landscape. Scattered around were tombstones, some decaying with age others shiny brightly with marble that would stand the test of age. 

"You live in a cemetery?" Bell asked?

Ragon had returned over to her and pointed at the tomb they had just been in. Just barely readable were the words 'Patricks Familia'. "My family's mausoleum and my home" said Ragon before moving away to a clearing. 

A vampire living in a cemetery Bell thought- cliché? Bell followed quickly and realised that the revving she had heard was coming from a large black motorcycle parked off to the side. Ragon retrieved a small helmet and placed it gently on Bells head before tying the buckles. He lifted her effortlessly onto the pavilion part of the bike then in an instant threw himself on, revving the engine again before taking off. Instantly Bell gripped onto him, her hands held tight around his waist as her white dress creped past her thighs in the wind. 

They were driving for no more than a few minutes before they left the road and entered a long driveway. As they pulled into a garage Bell glimpsed a house.

"Here we are" Ragon said as he watched Bell remove the helmet herself "your new home."

Bell entered the house first, looking around at the high ceilings and examining each room. 

"This is yours" he said when she entered the last room and she eyes met with a large bed and adjoining bathroom. 

"You bought me a house?" she asked.

"I could hardly take care of you in a cemetery" he said moving over to a wardrobe and opening it to reveal a selection of clothing. 

"I also have stocked the fridge though I do not know what you like to eat" Ragon said now moving away from the room.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I thought perhaps that you might like to get comfortable. I will be in the library" he said before watching her eyes fall on the door and adding "please do not try to escape, there is nothing left for you in the mortal world accept death."

After Bell had showered and dressed she slid into bed. She was exhausted and the temptation of soft bed to lie in was more than she could hope for. She had at the same time made up her mind to leave in the morning. Though she did not know for sure, she hoped that Ragon was a creature of the night and would therefore be unable to find her during the day. All she needed to do was get to the main road and she thought that would not be too difficult.   

****

The next morning Bell woke early. She had changed into a pair of denim jeans black thongs and a black jumper. She crept out of her room, closing the door gently behind her and tip toed over to the front door. As she closed it carefully behind her she felt an unexplainable twinge of sadness. She did not hate Ragon he had saved her, but she was not of his world, she had a life of her own and wanted nothing more than to get back to it.

It had not taken her long to get past the driveway and onto the main road. Cars hurriedly passed her and she slowed her pace taking in the fresh sunny air. No more than a few minutes into her trek home she watched as a car pulled up beside her. Her heart was hammering as she passed the shiny new car whose window was being wound down.

"Need a lift" a young girl asked. 

Bell looked hesitantly at the girl who smiled at her before adding "Sorry I thought maybe your car had broken down or something" before she began winding up her window. 

Bell hesitated a moment and then said "yea that would be great actually."

The girl reached and unlocked the door letting Bell enter. 

"Where to?" the girl asked innocently. 

Bell looked up at her about to give the directions to her house, her real house, when something at the side of the girl's neck caught her attentions. She saw Bell look at her and hurriedly tried to flip her collar up but it was too late. Bell had seen two puncture marks. Bells face instantly dropped and she made for the door, only to realise that it had been locked. A second later and she felt her face being covered in a sweet smelling rag and watched in horror as the girl said "sorry master, I thought that they were covered" before Bells eyes rolled back into her head and a chloroform induced unconsciousness met her.

Bell didn't know how long it took her to awake. When finally she came too she saw to a girl hovering over her, as two people sitting on chairs watched from a distance. She was in a dark room, lit by candles.

"So you are Ragon's pet?" came a high and cold female voice.

Bell tried to look up at the woman's face but her hands would not support her and her eyes were still blurring in and out of focus.

"Answer me" the woman called again and Bell nodded unable to think of anything else to do. 

"Well, well, well. He told us he would never take a mortal and yet here you sit a beauty and all" came a second voice, this one male and kind sounding.

"What do you want?" Bell asked.

There was a snarl from one of the chairs, though Bell couldn't make out if it came from the man or the woman.

"I am Kirra and this is Matthew" said the female voice "it is our pleasure to meet you" 

Bell watched as she nodded to the slave girl who moved over to her and placed once again the rag of chloroform over her face. 

****

Bell woke to find something cool and metallic around her throat. Her fingers traced the neck collar in fear and when she tried to stand she realised that she was now wearing a satin white robe with nothing on underneath. 

"Such a beauty, do you like you're knew collar?" came the same male voice from earlier. 

"Matthew?" Bell asked, trying to see the man whose name she had remembered.

Matthew swept over to her quickly and lifted her as if she weighed no more than a feather and placed her onto her feet before moving over to a large chair. In his arms she felt his cool stone-like skin and realised that he too was a vampire. 

"Come to me" He said simply.

Bell did not move. She watched as Matthew blurred over to her, gently placed something soft around her neck and then move back in front of her, now holding something in his hands. 

"Come to me" he said again and waited. 

When Bell did not move he pulled on a large silk ribbon, which tightened around Bells neck. Her hands reached for it desperately trying to untie it, but she could not and so she inched forward, falling to her knees desperate for air. Instantly the rope loosened.

"Good girl! and now you know how to play" Matthew said before adding "now come up here and lay down for me" gesturing to a stone bench. 

She did as instructed and waited. 

"Slaves" Matthew called and immediately the pretty blond who had stopped at the side of the road entered the room followed by another taller red haired girl.

"I want her to come for me" he said simply.

The two girls looked at Bell as if she were a piece of meat, hovering around her instantly. 

The red head began pulling her robe apart and Bell instantly struggled, feeling the ribbon tighten around her neck. She continued to struggle and even with the threat of unconsciousness maintained her grip on the girl's hand before passing out entirely.

When she awoke she found both her hands bound behind her head and she was laid out on the stone block. She tried to scream as she realised she had woken by her own orgasm but her throat was too bruised from the binds and so all she could do was squirm on the stone in pleasure. She looked down to see both slaves fighting over licking her pussy and then up to Matthew who sat on a chair watching while another slave gave him a slow blowjob. 

"Again" Matthew said when he realised that Bell was awake.

Immediately she felt one of the girls starting with renewed efforts. Licking at her thighs and slowly making her way to her clit. When finally she reached it she spent a while licking over it, her harsh tongue raking it carefully. Bells eyes were closed tyring to not feel pleasure when suddenly she felt another of the girls begin twisting her breasts and she opened her eyes wide in horror as she saw the face of the red head. As the licking in her pussy grew faster she felt the girl thrust her tongue inside her, forcing Bell to arch her back. 

"You see you like it" came Matthew's voice closer to her. 

She opened her eyes to see him standing near her, completely naked now with his large cock facing her. One of the salves made to move towards him, almost instinctively but he threw her back saying "finish what you started."

Instantly Bell felt a harsh pull of her nipple and a tear fell down her face. Bell felt the need to come overtake her. There was one finger inside her, thrusting deeply while a tongue began sucking on her clit mercilessly. Her nipples were being traced with a tongue, occasionally biting at them roughly or sucking on them. She squirmed as she felt a second finger join the first and realised that both girls were licking her. Light biting at her lips threw her over the edge and this time when she orgasmed she began shuddering and she felt Matthew grasp at her jaw, pulling her towards him as he said "look at me."

She did obediently, her dark blue eyes locking with his cold grey ones as her body splashed with pleasure. 

"Leave" Matthew said to the two girls and they moved immediately away from them. 

His hand traced past her jaw, across her breast and down her thighs slowly. She shuddered from the cold feel of his touch only to cry out in pain as he trust his finger deeply into her pussy.

"My slaves have done a good job" he said, continuing to feel inside her, as he began pulling his finger in and out of her pussy "but I think we can do better."

With that he lifter her up and turned her on her back. He was desperate to fuck her and yet there was something about the delicious smell of her juices that made him certain her blood would be the greatest treat of all......   



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 03



Ragon woke quickly the following night. His hands pushed against the roof of the freezer, where he slept, forcing it open. As the frosty air cleared, he knew instantly that Bell was gone. He could no longer feel her heart beat; the house was silent. In a fury he rushed to the front door, blurring through the house, hoping he was wrong. 

"Fool," he said out loud in a hiss. 

He was not talking about Bell; he was talking about himself. The truth was plain and simple. He had decided not to lock her away, because he wanted her to be happy. If he could have let her go, he would have; at least he hoped he would have. Part of him, the very small part which held onto his humanity, knew that what he really wanted was for her to be happy; with him. In many, many years he had not felt like this. To be truthful, he had not felt like this since he had become the monster he was. Ragon was reluctant to think of his feelings for Bell as being love; for the soul reason that he didn't believe Vampires were capable of love. But now as he left the house that he had bought for his captive he wasn't so sure. 

It didn't take Ragon long to find, and loose, Bell's scent. He had followed it along the driveway, up a hill, and onto a side road that serviced a main road. Ragon ran along the road, until suddenly, Bell's scent vanished. One moment it had been there, and the next it was gone. Breathing in harshly, he forced the air surrounding him into his lung. His head hung in defeat, and as it did so, Ragon noticed two long tyre skid marks along the road. Breathing in again, this time slower, his non-humanly senses picked up the faint trace of something they recognised. At first he wasn't sure, and so he breathed in deeply again; trying to isolate the smell that he recognised from the sweet, fragrant jasmine, that crept into his nostrils from a nearby garden. 

"Kiara," he breathed after a moment. 

Instantly he was running, blurring through the suburbs to a house he had hoped never to see again; while his mind stunk of memories of a vampire he hated. Kiara had been the first non-mortal he had met since becoming the monster he was. It was 1815, and Ragon was a soldier of the United Kingdom Army. Napoleon's War against the kingdoms had bought him many enemies, and so the nations rallied to bring about his end of tyranny. 14 flags had risen against Napoleon, and the first French Empire. Though the war had been coined the hundred day battle, Ragon did not live past the first 2 months. It had been a relatively painless death for him. One moment he was charging at the enemy, and the next he was lying in a ditch, blood staining his dark blue uniform. No one could have told you how long he was dying for. Back then, the war fields were the perfect scavenging grounds for the un-dead. Vampires, and other blood hungry creatures, searched the battlegrounds for easy prey. On one particular moonless night, a female vampire feasted on the dead soldiers. Kiara didn't like the taste of cold blood, but it was a free meal; and she was starving. She almost didn't notice when she began taking Ragon's life. 

Though his blood was luke-warm, it was only when her eyes locked on his, that she realised he was still alive. They were open wide in horror watching her drain him. It had taken her a second to decide not to kill him; to decide that she wanted to keep him for himself. And so she changed him. The next night Ragon was a vampire. For a time Ragon followed her, hunted with her, and laid with her; but he did not love her. When finally he decided to leave, many years after his transformation, Kiara was completely obsessed with him. On learning of his desire to leave, she had promised him, that only an eternity of solitude would amend his betrayal. And so Ragon left her. Determined to never love, rather only exist; until now. His mind was racing with memories of Kiara as he neared her residence. Her house was high on a hill overlooking the city. The moon shone pale in comparison to the neon lights of the high-rises. Tearing his eyes from the moon, Ragon urged himself onwards; it would be morning soon. Large brick walls lined the property, but only one closed iron-gate gave entry to it. Ragon leapt across the 12 foot fence in a single bound. These walls were struck to keep mortals out, not immortals; little could do that. As he circled the house, Ragon spied several mortal guards and smirked. His speed was no match for their dull human senses, and he entered the house quickly and undetected.

"Welcome," came a high cold voice from atop a mahogany staircase. 

Ragon froze. He knew the voice well. It was Kiara. His eyes draped the staircases until finally they spied the landing. In a bright yellow dress, that swept to the floor, stood Kiara. Her brown hair was tied into a bun, with whips of hair framing her face. She was Latin-American looking, with deep olive skin and dark brown eyes; that were almost black. Though she was beautiful; Ragon's eye narrowed, and he growled under his breath, when he saw her.

"You don't look happy to see me," Kiara said, batting her eyelashes furiously.

Ragon hissed. He had lived with Kiara long enough to know her games.

"What do you want?" he asked simply. 

"Want?" she exclaimed "What do I want? Nothing more than what you have already promised me."

"Where is she?" Ragon asked, while trying to remain calm, as he forced his words through his teeth.

"You don't deny it then?" she shrieked, before breathing in deeply and adding "you and I had an accord. You promised me that you would not find another."

Kiara was pacing along the landing atop the staircase when Ragon braced himself and forced through a barred door desperate to find Bell. He did not have time to argue with Kiara; there was no fault in her statement. He knew he had told her that she need never be sad or jealous, as he would never love. He had broken that promise the moment he had saved Bell. This was why he had warned Bell that she could not live without his protection. Not because other vampires would kill her for knowing his secret, though many might. But because Kiara would take the life of any woman he loved. Instantly Kiara blurred after him, her rage fuelling her speed so that she was only a nano second behind him. Ragon had forced himself through two doors before he found Bell. A thick glass wall revealed her, lying on a cruel stone bench as Matthew drooled over her. Ragon made to break the glass but found that he was unable to. He couldn't see Bell's face but listened as Matthew spoke.

"My slaves have done a good job," Matthew said, continuing to feel inside her, as he began pulling his finger in and out of her pussy "but I think we can do better."

"She likes it," commented Kiara. 

In response Ragon turned to her; before throwing his body against the impermeable glass, desperate to force his way in. 

"So it's true?" Kiara asked, as a single tear streamed down her face.

Ragon was paying her no attention, instead continuing to slam his own marble body against the unyielding glass. He was desperate to rescue Bell, nothing else mattered. 

"Why couldn't you just love me? You promised me that it wasn't me; that it was you, you told me that we couldn't be together because of you!" Kiara accused. 

Her voice was quiet and hurt; the tears now dry on her impervious stone cold face. Ragon was crumpled against the floor, almost broken from his efforts to break the glass when he responded.

"You don't understand! It's not about you or me; it's her. There is something, I just can't be without her," he finished, sweeping the hair out of his concerned face. 

"Well it looks as if she can be without you," Kiara said, her cruel eyes indicating Bell who was being ravaged by Matthew.

"That feels nice, doesn't it?" Matthew asked as he stroked Bell's clit with his fingers. 

Bell shuddered in forced pleasure as Matthew rolled her onto her belly. 

"Please," Bell moaned.

"You see how she begs for another," Kiara added.

"Stop," finished Bell.

Ragon knew that Bell couldn't see him. She was facing away from him and yet he could feel all her pain and sadness and fear. 

"Let her go," Ragon said, still lying on the stone floor, his body weakened from attempting to break down the wall.

"When she is enjoying herself so?" Kiara asked. 

Ragon turned to watch Matthew reveal his fangs. He was going to fuck her and then drain her and he was going to have to watch.

"Tell me you want me inside you, beg for it," Matthew said, pulling her lead instinctively, knowing that she would disobey his command.

Bell choked for a moment, her hands urgently clutching at the collar but relinquishing its hold on her. 

"Please be inside me," she coughed out, her voice desperate, but only for survival, as the ribbon tightened around her larynx.

Matthew smiled as he positioned himself. He had made up his mind to enter her at the exact moment he bite her. Just the thought of being inside her and tasting her blood simultaneously made him even harder, and he licked his lips. 

"No!" roared Ragon. His sadness overcame his incompetence, and his body forced through the glass, shattering it into many pieces as he flung into the room where Bell lay. Kiara was watching, frozen in horror. With one powerful thrust he had knocked Matthew out. Matthew was a relatively new vampire and no match for William's age and strength. Though Matthew fell quickly, Ragon would have relished a longer fight, so as to torture him for the pain he had caused Bell. 

"Ragon," Bell whispered. 

Kiara was on her knees shaking her head when Ragon reached down to Bell and forced her bound hands around his neck. He was weak from forcing through the glass, but cradled her as best he could. He had no moment to pause or recover; only run. 

"You dare" Kiara's voice screeched, coming from her house, as she watched Ragon leave with Bell.

She had been paralysed by terror for a moment. But it was just long enough to realise her worst fears come true, and allow Ragon to escape into the night. In her entire lifetime she had wanted nothing, noting accept for him. She could live without him as long as he was alone, but she would not be without him, not while he was with another. Bell would pay for the hurt she had caused Kiara, and Ragon would love her; wether he wanted to or not. Had it not been for the rising sun she would have followed after them. For now she knew she could only wait; wait and plan her revenge. 

Ragon did not look back when he reached the fence which lined Kiara's property. He scaled the fence more difficult this time, with Bells body in his arms. All the way home he ran. He ran even though he was desperate for blood, even though almost all his strength was gone. Nothing mattered anymore; only Bell. Only getting her back to their house, away from all the chaos of his past life mattered now. He would not let anything happen to her again.

The moment he ran across the driveway his legs gave out. He had used all the blood in his system rescuing Bell, and though the driveway marked the end of his efforts it was not enough to maintain him. He fell heavily onto the gravel stones. Bell flung from his hands to crumple on the harsh stones a few feet away from him. For a moment she lay still, her eyes shut, hoping to wash away the memories from not only tonight, but the last few days. 

"Get inside," Ragon whispered, his voice ragged with effort "lock the doors."

Bell thought once about his words, before heeding his advice. Her hands were half way to helping herself upright when a bright light from across the valley caught her attentions. She squinted at the light which lit the surrounding driveway and forestry, realising a moment later that it was the sunrise. 

"Ahhh," Ragon screamed, his body contracting with pain.

The few rays of sunshine which reached the driveway singed Ragon's flesh, tearing deep burns in his skin. For a moment he struggled, but after a moment he flung uselessly onto the driveway gravel again. He had used all his strength saving Bell; there was nothing left for him. 

Bell looked at the now still Ragon; the monster who had saved her. For a moment she contemplated running again. Her mind was made up, and she was half way to standing when suddenly she stopped.

"What are you doing Bell?" she asked herself out-loud, as she flung the satin dress robe she had been wearing over Ragon, and began dragging him towards the house.

It only took her a few moments to pull his body into the house. Her hands were still bound, but she was able to use both her hands to claps his and gain enough momentum to pull. As soon as he was inside she raced to all the windows, pulling the shutters closed, so as to block out as much sunlight as possible. When finally she had bolted the front door behind her she collapsed onto the floor next to Ragon. His body was smoking a little, from where it was not covered by her dressing robe, and she laid her cold hands onto his unusually hot skin in the hopes of soothing the burns. Without realising it her head fell onto Ragon's chest. She blinked a few time, staring up at the ceiling before the adrenaline induced shock caught up with her, and her body eventually slipped into a deep sleep- one hand rested on his chest...



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 04



Bell woke in a cold sweat several hours later; lying naked next to Ragon. Her eyes opened heavily, trying desperately to bring the room into focus. The next of her senses to return was smell. She breathed in and coughed suddenly. A rough burning scent had assaulted her throat, and jumping up in horror she realised what the smell was. 

"Ragon," she breathed, looking down at his unconscious body.

His normally gorgeous features were distorted. His hair was singed, and burnt smelling, and his clothes were torn in places, as if acid had eaten through them. Some parts of his skin were blackened, and in others, the normally smooth marble skin was blistered. Bell had no idea what to do. Trying hard to think, she tore the remnants of the black buttoned shirt he wore off his body, and placed her hand shakily over his heart. There was no beat, no sound; nothing. 

"Damn it," she swore. 

Without thinking she began CPR. Her fingers were intertwined, as she pushed hard on his stone body, trying to revive him. She bit down hard on her lip from her efforts and tasted blood. She wasn't sure how long it had been before she realised how superfluous her actions were. Ragon was a vampire; did they even have a heart beat? Did they need oxygen? Bell thought to herself. When the muscles in her arms began to spasm from the effort, she finally stopped. Both arms lay uselessly at her side, and she collapsed back on the floor next to Ragon. He was dead. He had saved her and now he was dead. 

This is bullshit, Bell thought. Ragon didn't have to save her from the guys at her college, and he didn't have to go after her when she was taken by Kiara and Matthew; but he did. She pulled her feet and tucked them up under her chin, as she lay in foetal position. Her head was rested on his shoulder again, her blue eyes staring at his empty ones. As she began breathing deeply, fighting back the tears, a desire washed over her. She reached up quickly, using her legs to kick her upright, rather than her hands which were still burning. Leaning over him she leant down and kissed him. His skin was icy cold, but as she kissed his lifeless lips she tasted dried blood. She pulled away repulsed by the tangy, coppery taste, forgetting that it was her own bloody lip she tasted. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered, using all her effort to lift her hands, so as to close his eyes with her fingers tips. 

As she made to pull her hand back, suddenly she felt a vice-like grip on her wrist. She turned instantly to see Ragon restraining her, his powerful grip almost snapping her radius. His eyes were wide open, but it didn't look as if he really saw her. In a second he had pulled her towards him, his fangs poised to strike. 

"No," Bell screamed the horror plain in her voice. 

Ragon did not hear her. He was completely focused on bringing the blood source closer to himself. Nothing else mattered. He punched through her soft skin like a knife through melting butter. A second later he was guzzling the sweetest blood he had ever tasted. His mind was lost in euphoria, the delicate fragrance of cinnamon assaulting his senses, as he smiled in glee. The blood was reviving him slowly, bringing back his senses, and restoring his life. When finally the blood had restored his memory he faltered. He tore the arm out of his mouth so viscously that he felt the flesh tear. What had he done? 

"No," he gasped, the rich red blood slipping from the side of his mouth, as he looked at Bell's near white lips. 

Bell wasn't yet unconscious when she looked up at her would-be saviour in horror. It was a look that shattered Ragon completely. Though his heart had not beaten once, in over a hundred years, he felt right now as though it was being forced from his chest. In a second her reached for his burnt shirt and tore it. He wound it several times around her arm hoping to stop the bleeding. It was a makeshift bandage but it did the job, and stopped any further loss. Thinking hard Ragon tried to recall how much blood he had taken from Bell. She would be ok; she had to be ok. 

"What can I do?" Ragon asked helplessly. 

Bell sat on the floor shivering, rocking back and forth, her hands around her knees. She had slipped into shock; not just from blood loss, but also disbelief, and couldn't answer. Ragon made to check Bells pulse, but she moved away from him quickly. Sadness washed over him, and he scooped her up carefully, and raced her towards the bathroom. Bell didn't jerk away when Ragon lifted her, simply accepted her fate. With Bell still in his arms, he turned the hot and cold taps of the shower on. He checked the temperature quickly before moving into the shower with Bell, and placing her head under the water. He then sat down on the floor of the shower, with Bell still cradled in his arms. 

It was at least half an hour before Bell spoke. The shower was full of thick steam, which whirled around Ragon's icy cold body; as if he were an ice-block in the sun. The shocking white of the shower tiles had been thrown into drastic contrast when Bell's wrist had first contacted the water, as bright red temporarily coloured the floor. She had not flinched when her wound stung from the water, and Ragon's eyes looked immediately up at the glass windows. He wanted to look anywhere but at the blood he still desired so. 

"Why?" she asked, her voice shaky. 

"I am a monster," Ragon replied. 

Bell didn't respond, but moved to sit opposite Ragon. He didn't fight her, but sat numbly hating himself. Her hands made to touch the roughly made bandage when suddenly she realised she was naked. Instantly her knees were drawn up to her chest and she crossed her hands over them so as to cover as much of herself as she could.

"You needn't be embarrassed," Ragon said, the slightest of smiles touching the corner of his lips.

"I'm naked, and you're, you're fully clothed; in the shower," Bell responded.

"Well as it is the norm to be naked in the shower, then shouldn't I be the one who's embarrassed?" Ragon asked teasingly. 

Bell didn't respond for a moment. She was scowling in her head, going over retorts. When she didn't speak for a moment, Ragon spoke again "I could take these off if they offend you?" He had gestured to his clothing, and begun tearing at the few remaining shreds of black cotton that remained of his shirt. Instantly his beautiful body gleamed. His skin was pale, though the intense white of the bathroom tiles gave him an almost greyish pallor. Bell's jaw dropped. Her eyes locked onto his gorgeous body and toned muscles, as images of him rescuing her popped in her head. She watched in anticipation as he moved for the zipper of his pants. Hadn't she been through enough tonight? Could her body handle any more? 

Bell shook her head suddenly "I thought you were dead," she whispered.

"I am," Ragon replied quickly.

"No, I mean, I thought you were gone," Bell stumbled.

"You should be so lucky" Ragon replied, his eyes a little narrowed.

He had stopped removing his clothing at her comments. He had wanted to make her more comfortable, but it had not worked. 

"How is your arm?" Ragon asked?

Bell laughed a little out-loud before looking down at the offending bandage "actually, it doesn't really hurt."

It was Ragon's turn to laugh now "it's the venom, it takes away the pain temporarily so that our prey can't, err- escape."

"Convenient" Bell said simply.

Another few moments passed in silence. Bell watched mesmerised as drops of water cascaded down Ragon's pecs, as if his body were a marble waterfall. Watching him made her peaceful. Her mind was no longer replaying all the horrible moments with Matthew. 

"I am sorry," Ragon said after a while. 

Bell raised her gaze from him abdomen to his eyes, "why did they take me?" she asked.

"To hurt me," Ragon said simply, his voice deflated "Kiara made me, and so she wants to own me. When I refused to be with her she agreed not to seek me out, as long as I remained solitary. I think the thought I my being happy has offended her."

"Why wouldn't you want to be with her?" Bell asked "she was hot, and so nice," she added as an afterthought.

Ragon's eyebrows raised, apparently sarcasm was lost on him. 

"We should get out," Ragon said, moving to pick Bell up again "I need to get you to a doctor."

"I can't go to the hospital! Don't you think they'll want to know what the hell happened to my hand?" Bell asked.

Ragon thought hard. He knew that the bite would not heel with stiches. The best thing for Bell would be a bandage. 

"Well then the pharmacy," Ragon said "we can get some bandage material."

Bell nodded once "after you," she said gesturing for him to leave first.

She wasn't going to get up first. Being naked in Ragon's arms when she was in shock was one thing, but to walk around in front of him naked as though it was normal would definitely make her uncomfortable. Ragon left the bathroom quickly, leaving a large white towel for Bell next to the shower. It didn't take Bell long to dry herself. There were blood stains on the white towel from her wrist, and she wished that Ragon might have left her a different colour towel that didn't show up her injuries quite so much. Once inside her room she roamed the closet for another pair of jeans and a jumper. It wasn't particularly cold outside but she wanted to be covered. She had been exposed enough for a lifetime. 

It was sunset when Ragon finally knocked on her bedroom door, and asked if she was ready to go. When finally the sun had set and darkness fell they left the house, once again on Ragon's bike. The pharmacy assistant gawked at Ragon, as he presented her with all manner of bandage material.

"Dog bite," he muttered to her, hoping to justify his actions.

Bell laughed quietly to herself. She thought the girls actions had nothing to do with their purchases, and everything to do with Ragon's god-like appearance. The assistant was flushed in the face when Ragon handed her some money, and dropped the change all over the counter, with some coins spilling onto the floor. It had taken another ten minutes for them to leave, with the girl finding any excuse to keep them in the store, even offering to bandage the bite for them.

"It's for our daughter," Ragon finally lied, tugging the bag of goods out of her hand.

At this the assistant stared at Bell. Her eyes raked Bell's features in disbelief, but gave the bag unwillingly to them, and watched as they exited the store together.

"I just have to drop this off," Ragon said, indicating several brown envelopes. 

Bell hadn't seen that he'd been holding any letters, and watched as Ragon moved over to the large red and white post office box and placed the large envelopes inside. She wanted to ask who they were to, but fought the desire to be nosey. 

*****

It became obvious three days later who Ragon had been writing to. On Thursday night there was a loud knock on the front door, and Ragon jumped to his feet to answer it. They had been sitting on the couch together, watching the news. 

Police remain hopeful of catching the culprit responsible for the senseless murders of four prominent young university students. The classmates were killed... 

Prominent young rapists, Bell thought to herself, as she made to change the channel. When Bell had heard the knock her hands began trembling. 

"Welcome," came Ragon's voice from the entrance. 

Instinctively Bell rubbed her hand. She had been taking a cocktail of nurophen plus and panadol for the pain, and even though she constantly told Ragon that it didn't hurt anymore, occasionally the pain of that night washed over her, and left her paralysed with fear.

'Thankyou Ragon," came a deep man's voice.

Bell peaked over the couch and watched as two beautiful people entered the room. Bell knew instantly by the grace and speed of their entrance that the pair were vampires. 

"And this must be you're Bell" said a light and musical voice.

Bell locked eyes on the woman. She was short and thin, with mousey blonde hair that was shoulder length. Her eyes were a deep green, and she was beautiful.

"Err, hello," Bell said from the couch. 

"Hello," said the man and the woman together. 

Bell looked at the man next. He was tall and black, with even blacker eyes, but they were kind looking, and when he smiled at Bell, she was instantly at ease. 

"Bell, this is Larissa and Cambridge" Ragon said, introducing the pair. 

Bell stood quickly and moved to shake the couple's hands. They grip was not overly hard, but both of their eyes raked the large bandage on her wrist, looking instantly up at Ragon in surprise.

"They have come at my request to form a temporary coven," Ragon said, "I have invited a few old friends to come and stay with us, so that this mess with Kiara can be sorted out." Ragon touched Bell gently on the shoulder and moved to face his friends "thankyou," he said simply.

Suddenly there was another knock at the front door. Bell jumped again instinctively, but the other three vampires made no movement. 

"Ahh I see you have invited Thomas and Sandra too," Larissa said.

Ragon nodded, and moved once again over to the front door and opened it.

"Thankyou for coming," he said.

Sandra was even shorter than Larissa. Her eyes were a funny honey colour, and her blonde hair was tied into a high bun. She wore blue eyes shadow and her cheeks were accentuated by bright red blush. 

"Oh honey, come here," Sandra said in a deep southern accent, thick with kindness. 

Ragon embraced the lovely vampire, and then made to shake hands with her mate.

"I see you have gotten yourself into some trouble," Thomas said, indicating Bell.

Bell blushed furiously, but Sandra raced over to her and hugged her warmly. There was no heat to her embrace, in fact her skin was icy cold to the touch, but Bell appreciated the gesture and smiled when Sandra said "that silly Kiara cow, don't you worry honey, she'll get what's coming to her."

Ragon didn't smile, but gestured for his guest's to follow him, as he showed him around the house.

"Thomas and Sandra are opposite my bedroom, here," he said pointing to yet another door. "Bell sleeps here," he said finally pointing to the room in between both bedrooms. 

"But, but you two don't slepp together?" Sandra asked before she could stop herself.

"Hush, love," came Thomas's voice.

Bell flushed even more furiously then before, and grasped her hands to try and help cool her cheeks.

"This is your bedroom," he said to Larissa and Cambridge, after they had walked up a small flight of stairs, and reached the second storey.

"Well, we must eat," Cambridge said.

"Yes, as should we," agreed Thomas.

All four vampires turned to face Ragon "I will stay here and mind Bell."

"Mind me?" Bell asked, insulted "I think I can manage being home alone."

"Oh honey! How would it be that on the first night we all come here, that Kiara comes and sweeps you away?" Sandra asked. 

Bell didn't respond.

"I know," said Sandra "How's about us girls stay and chat and you boys go off and hunt?" 

For a moment Ragon locked eyes with Bell, but Larissa said, "don't worry, we'll take care of her."

Thomas moved in close to Sandra, and kissed her passionately on the mouth. This was followed quickly by Cambridge doing the same to Larissa. Bell watched, a little jealous as the couple kissed passionately. It wasn't a goodbye kiss, but a longing kiss. She didn't make eye contact with Ragon, who had moved over to the large french doors, which connected the living room to the outside veranda. After embracing their mates, Thomas and Cambridge joined Ragon on the veranda, and all three vampires leapt from the balcony, into the forest below the house, and disappeared from sight.

"So," said Sandra, now moving over to the large couch in front of the television, "how did you too meet?"

Bell instantly began telling the story of how Ragon had rescued her. By the time she had finished, both vampires had a look of concern plastered on their faces. 

"I did wonder if those four boys had met their end after running in with a vamp" Larisssa said before adding, "we heard the story on the news when we flew in."

Bell was surprised with how at ease she felt with Sandra and Larissa, and thought she might take the opportunity to find out more about the dark stranger she was now living with "How do you know Ragon?" 

"Oh well, that's an easy one," Sandra began "It was 19-" she trailed off looking at Larissa.

"1933" Larissa finished for her.

"Oh right, so it was 1933, and we were all living in Massachusetts at the time. Back then, vamps didn't really bother too much about being discovered. There were parties going on every other week. It was Halloween, and one of the elders was throwing a ball. We had met Ragon and Kiara a few times, just socially by then. Any way, they had a huge argument, very public and nasty. We approached Ragon and asked if he wanted to join our coven. He accepted and for a few decades we all lived together" Sandra said.

"But he left us after a while. I think he preferred the solitary life, and came over here to live," added Larissa. 

"What was the argument about?" Bell asked, before being able to stop herself. 

"Don't know. He didn't really like talking about Kiara, not that I can blame him. She was a possessive bitch. He just told us that he didn't love her and didn't want to waste eternity with her," Larissa said.

"Oh" said Bell, a little disappointedly; having hoped they might have been privy to this information.

"So since then, us four have stuck together, but the second we had word from Ragon, that he had found you, and that Kiara knew about, we knew we had to come and help," Larissa said.

The girls continued to talk for about half an hour, until they heard the french doors opening.

"And what are you three gossiping about?" Cambridge's deep voice asked.

Bell jumped, but Larissa replied "just girl talk."

Ragon followed Cambridge inside and looked at Bell. He smiled lightly at her, but she did not return the smile. She was still angry at him for treating her like a child. 

"I have a surprise for you" Thomas said when he entered the room.

In a second he had moved over to the kitchen, and retrieved two glasses. From behind his back he produced a bottle of wine. Bell watched as he poured two glasses, of thick, sticky red liquid. She knew instantly that it must be blood.

"Oh darling" Sandra said, taking the glass gratefully and gulping the liquid down.

Larissa smiled as she accepted the glass, and began sipping the blood in her leisure. 

"I'd offer," Thomas said to Bell "but I don't think you would enjoy the vintage."

Cambridge laughed at this. It was a deep booming, laugh and when Larissa's own light laugh followed suit, it was like listening to music.

"Well I need my beauty sleep" Sandra said, as she jumped off the couch, and placed her glass in the sink.

Thomas followed after her, just as Larissa and Cambridge made for the stairs, leading to the second level. 

"Goodnight" Ragon said to Bell.

"Night" Bell replied. She was still sitting on the couch, and got up reluctantly to go to bed. She felt strange. Part of her wanted Ragon to sleep next to her, but she would rather die than admit it, or gesture in any way that she wished for it. So she watched him enter his room, and closed the door after himself. Inside her own room, Bell brushed her teeth, and put on her pyjamas. She was jumping into bed when she heard a strange noise coming from Thomas's and Sandra's bedroom. Fighting with herself, she eventually got up and stuck her ear to the door. Instantly she blushed crimson.

"Oh baby" Sandra moaned. 

Sandra was lying on her back on their bed, with her negligee pulled up to her thighs. Thomas was ravaging her pussy with his mouth; licking on her clit in circles, while his teeth occasionally grabbed at her lips and pulled them open. She was squirming in pleasure fighting the desire to cum. His hands were greedily pressed against her stomach, keeping her in place. Occasionally they would tighten on her thigh, or reach up and pinch her nipples.




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 04



"Enough" she said.

In an instant she had forced herself on top of her mate, and began tearing his jeans down. His huge cock sprung from his pants invitingly. She opened her mouth wide and took it in. Her tongue was dancing around the shaft and tip, teasingly. Unable to take the torment, he grabbed her face and forced it hard down onto his penis. Sandra coughed a little, but he kept her in place. She sucked as best she could, unable to breathe. Thomas was unrelenting, and when Sandra thought she could take no more, she pierced the side of his shaft with one fang. She tasted his delicious blood for only an instant, before he threw her roughly from the bed. She landed poised, like a cat, but knew she was in trouble. Thomas reached for a pair of chains from his suitcase. In an instant he overpowered Sandra, he was older and stronger, and forcing her hands up over her back, he placed two chains onto her wrists. He then fastened these to her ankles. 

Smiling at his work, he threw his mate onto the bed. Sandra was lying on her belly, when Thomas took his fingers, and pushed one into her pussy, and the other into her ass. She jumped a little un-expectantly, and found Thomas's cock waiting for her mouth. Obediently she sucked on it, and felt him lowering her further onto it, bobbing her head up and down. He was holding her hair tightly, forcing himself all the way inside her mouth. She tried hard not to gag, as he began thrusting into all her holes. He was enjoying the sight of watching his mate writhe in torment and pleasure. She was focused solely on his penis, but occasionally paused when his fingers brushed against her clit. Watching her intently, he removed the finger that had been busy with her pussy and pressed it against her clit, smiling as she moaned onto his cock. He began twirling it around her clit, and was delighted when she screamed a little, when she finally orgasmed. After that Thomas stood behind her, and removing his fingers, forced his now desperate cock into her pussy. She arched her back expectantly, and the chains loosened a little. Taking advantage of this, Thomas tightened the chains, so that her back was forced to remain arched. He began pumping wildly, as hard as he could into her. 

When he thought he could take it no more he pulled his cock out of her pussy, and began forcing it into her ass. Sandra screamed again at this, but Thomas placed one hand over her mouth, and continued thrusting. When he was fully in, he took her hair in one hand, and still covering her mouth, began thumping hard into her. For a few minutes he fucked her like this; loving the feeling of how tight her ass was. Reaching up to unite her hands, he released the chains from around her wrists, but left the ones binding her ankles in place. He rolled her onto her back, and tied each chain to one of the bed posts, so that she was sprawled in front of him. In an instant he was back inside her, forcing himself into her pussy, as he began licking her tits. He pulled and bit at her nipples, and when she began to moan, covered her mouth again. He was thrusting into her hard, blurring in and out of focus, as he reached heightened speed. In on sweep, he bent down and bit her neck, sucking on her jugular vein as he began to come. He pushed hard into her, and Sandra felt him fill her. She began to spasm from her orgasm, and her pussy muscles tightened around his draining cock. For a moment they lay like this, letting their juices mix. Then Thomas got off her, untied her ankles and kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you more," she replied. 

In her room, Bell lay in her bed in a cold sweat. She was lustful for Ragon, and she went to sleep dreaming of him taking her... to be continued.



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 05



It wasn't until 4pm the next day that Bell finally dragged herself out of bed. Her body clock had almost completely become in sync with Ragon's, after a mere week and a half of living with him. She had tiptoed out of her bedroom, peering idly around the bend in the hallway, so as to see if anyone else was awake. After a few minutes of searching the house, and neither hearing, nor seeing anything, Bell was finally satisfied that she was the only one awake. It was at least 2 hours later that Ragon joined her in the kitchen. She was frying some eggs and bacon in a large fry pan on the stove. 

"Good evening," Ragon greeted her, with a large smile on his face.

Bell couldn't help but return the smile. She blushed for a moment, as her thoughts drifted back to last night, and what she had heard between Sandra and Thomas. Immediately she returned her focus back to her cooking. She wasn't positive, but she thought perhaps Ragon had some notion of her thoughts. He must have heard them too; they weren't exactly being shy about their relations. 

"Are you hungry..." Bell begun, but she stopped quickly. Do vampires even eat? She thought to herself.

"Food, err, doesn't go down well," he said simply.

"Right," Bell said, beginning to serve up her dinner. It was the first meal that she had cooked for herself since her rescue. Up until then, Ragon had ordered takeaway, three times a day for her. Often these meals were left uneaten; after a while, even takeout got old, and Bell asked Ragon if she could cook her own meals. Bell had thought that Ragon would take her to the shops, but he had not. One day she had simply woken, to find the fridge full of a very random assortment of food. 

"Did I buy the right things?" he asked.

Bell looked back momentarily at the kitchen pantry. It was fairly obvious Ragon had gone to the shops, grabbed the first things he saw, and threw them into the fridge. There was no oil, or salt, and Bell had had to take most of the meats he'd bought, and freeze them as there were so many. Everything had been piled into the fridge haphazardly, and she had had to throw the lettuce out, after he had put it in the pantry next to some potatoes. These arbitrary mistakes were relatively innocent, for someone who had not eaten in over a hundred years. 

"Yeah, this is great," she replied, half lying.

She had made herself bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast for breakfast. It wasn't exactly the typical dinner meal, but the assortment of supplies that she had to work with, made constructing full meals difficult. She had begun scooping mouthfuls of scrambled eggs into her mouth, when from the living room someone spoke. She knew instantly by the deep South accent, that it was Sandra. 

"What is that god awful smell?" Sandra asked, making her way into the kitchen, while pinching her nose. 

Bell looked down at her plate confused. Ragon was staring at Sandra, his eyes narrowed.

"Oh sorry sugar; I thought that, perhaps, something had died in here?" Sandra said, before adding, "I'm not use to living with mortals." 

Bell continued eating her dinner, albeit a little faster than before, hoping to remove the offending aroma. She had not thought about how food would smell, or taste, to vampires. She thought for a moment of how it would be to drink blood, and wrinkled her nose in disgust. When she thought about it that way, it made sense for the situation to be similar when reversed. If she couldn't stand the thought of drinking blood, then why would they enjoy the smell of food?

"Sandra would you like to go out hunting?" Larissa's voice came, from the stairway.

"I think that sounds fair, as the boys went out without us last night," Sandra replied, "besides, I'm famished."

"Would you like to join-" Sandra asked politely to Bell before stopping blank, at the look on Ragon's face. 

"Oh no, I, err, just ate" Bell said, indicating the empty plate, as she jumped up from the table, and began washing up after herself.

Ragon was still staring in disbelief at Sandra, when a loud knocking distracted everyone. Cambridge and Thomas, who had been talking animatedly in the hallway, blurred to the kitchen, and stood protectively in front of their mates. The sound of the knocking was still ringing in the living room, when Ragon reached the front door, and opened it. 

"Sameth," Ragon said, clapping him on the back in welcome.

"Not just me-" Sameth said, pointing behind himself at a large black convertible, from which a man and two women sat, "Clyde is here too."

Unable to fight her curiosity, Bell cranked her head from around the edge of the kitchen. She saw a young man to whom Ragon was talking, and then, looking a little farther onto the driveway, saw another man, driving a very fast looking car. The top was down on the convertible, and two beautiful women were his passengers. The man at the door looked to be no more than 21 years old. He had that youthful glow; his eyes were still wide, although they didn't have the same hopeful radiance you might expect. His features were sharp, with a pointed chin, narrow forehead, and high cheekbones. His hair was blonde, and Bell thought he looked like a Greek god. Returning her attentions to the flamboyant man in the black convertible, Bell focused on his looks, and gasped. He was absolutely gorgeous. Clyde, as Sameth had called him, had well-built arm and thigh muscles, which bulged obviously through his shirt, and three quarter shorts. He had short brown hair, with blondish tips, and sparkling eyes that matched his cheeky smile. When he saw Bell staring at him, he winked, and Bell, caught in surprise, quickly backed away from the door, embarrassed. 

"Clyde," Ragon's voice spoke, a little louder than normal, "thank you for coming," he said before adding, "although, I did not realise that you would be bringing friends with you, will they be alright sharing one of the guest rooms?"

Bell knew that Ragon was referring to the two supermodels who adorned Clyde's entourage. When Bell had seen the 6 foot tall blonde and red head beauties, she had anticipated for Ragon's jaw to drop. What she had not expected, was for him to appear put out by their being here. She knew boys who would have sold every tooth in their head, just for one first date.

"Well," Clyde said, as he opened the front door, and stepped onto the driveway, "I thought the more the merrier, besides, they taste just as good as they look," he said, a wicked gleam, lighting his face, "Oh, and we will all share the one room, I err, wouldn't want you to be put out".

Ragon did not comment, but widened the front door a little, allowing entry to his newest guests. 

Bell had sat back down at the dining room table next to Sandra and Larissa. 

"Come, and I will show you around," Ragon said, and Sameth, Clyde, and his two models, followed him up the stairs. 

"Who was that?" Bell asked Sandra in a whisper, when she thought they were far enough away, so as not to be overheard. 

"Oh, you mean Clyde?" Sandra asked. Sandra thought that it was fairly typical of Clyde to steal the show, as it were. He was a notorious ladies man, or rather ladies vampire. Where ever he went, women followed; they were only too happy to be whatever he needed from them, be it lover, company, food source: anything. "Well Clyde, he's, ah, I guess you could say-"

"A blood hungry, womanising jerk, who spends his time tricking women into falling in love with him, and then spending the next few months of their lives, being a blood bank" Larissa finished. 

She was glaring at the staircase, from which Clyde had disappeared up, and Bell thought that there might have been another reason, as to why she seemed so hell bent on bad mouthing him. 

"Seriously though Bell, Clyde has a reputation," Sandra said, her voice much lighter than Larissa's "stay away from him, he's bad news." 

"Besides, what about Ragon?" Larissa asked, "he's twice the vampire Clyde will ever be."

Bell stopped and thought for a moment. She did like Ragon, but it wasn't as though she was in love with him. He had saved her, and was gorgeous looking, but it was fairly clear to her that he did not want to be with her. Besides, they had never actually sat down together and talked; most of the time, Bell felt it was as if they were two strangers, living together. She tried to put all of this into a sentence. She had felt a connection with Larissa and Sandra, and thought that if she could explain all of this to them, they might actually be able to help her. "It's not like that with Ragon and me," she said simply. 

Sandra and Larissa turned to face each other, exchanged a knowing look, and then stared right back at Bell. 

"Why did he rescue you then, if there is nothing between you?" Larissa asked.

"That was the first time we met, when he saved me from those uni creeps," Bell began, "In-fact, since then Ragon has been stuck with me, constantly getting him into trouble. Not only does he not think of me in that way, but he probably sees me as a giant pain in the ass." 

"Oh sugar, why do you think he saved you then?" Sandra began, "he would hardly have rescued you from Kiara if-"

Sandra was interrupted by the clicking sound of heels walking down the stairs. A moment later, and the blonde and red headed guests of Clyde, walked into the kitchen.

Sandra gave them a pitying look, but Larissa glared at them. Bell was just about to introduce herself when the blonde girl spoke, "Clyde was wondering if you were hungry?" The girl's skinny hand suddenly stuck out, and was presented for either Sandra or Larissa to take. 

Bell looked in horror at the girl, noting the large bite mark that already scarred her wrist. 

"So thoughtful," Sandra said in a voice of mock outrage. She was not talking to the blonde model, but to Clyde, who had just begun walking down the staircase also, "But we are going to go out for dinner."

"Besides," said Larissa, "we have very different tastes, and I don't feel like having your left overs."

Clyde bowed, ever so slightly at her words, and remained slightly lowered as he watched the two vampires sweep from the veranda, and into the night. "Your mates are even more beautiful than last I remembered," Clyde said, smiling to Thomas and Cambridge. At this point Clyde turned to Sameth saying, "how about you Sammy," then spinning the red head over to him added, "I promise you, they are delicious."

Sameth looked once at the red head, before tearing his eyes away, a little reluctantly in Bell's opinion, and back to his suitcase saying, "I bought provisions," and he fumbled with a zipper, found what he was looking for, and begun sipping from a blood bag labelled, AB negative. 

"Suit you're self," Clyde said, taking the blonde one by the wrist, and leading her outside to the veranda.

The red head followed the pair without command, and Bell, unable to fight the intrigue went outside also. Ragon stalked Bell's shadows, and joined the group on the veranda. Thomas and Cambridge made eye contact for the slightest of moments, but then made their way to the veranda also, followed by a reluctant Sameth. As soon as they were all outside, Clyde produced a couple of shot glasses from behind his back, and a bottle of tequila. Both models began giggling instantly. 

"Who would like to play a game?" Clyde asked. 

Both models immediately said yes, and Bell, though a little nervous, nodded her head. At this, Ragon's jaw did finally drop, but he recovered himself quickly, and hesitantly agreed. Both Thomas and Sameth shook their heads, but Cambridge nodded slowly. 

"B1 and B2, be darlings, and go get some playing cards from my bag," Clyde said. 

He slapped each of them on the ass, as they stood up quickly to do as they were told. 

Bell waited for them to be out of ears shot and then said "There names are B1 and B2?" 

"Hmm, what, no!" exclaimed Clyde, laughing to himself lightly.

"What are their names then?" Bell asked.

Clyde looked at her for a moment in awe, "I haven't the faintest idea, I call the blond one B1, and the red head B2," he said simply.

It was a few minutes before the two girls returned. Instantly Bell realised why they had taken so long: they had changed clothes. The blonde was now wearing a low cut black dress, with pink heels, while the red head had replaced her simple dress, for a pair of black tights and a blue corset top. Bell looked at the two girls, and then down to her white shirt and jumper, pair of blue jeans and sneakers, and immediately felt underdressed. 

"Right then," Clyde said, accepting the deck of cards from the girls, "let's play sources-"

He was cut off immediately, when Ragon had jumped to his feet saying, "Bell will not be a source!"

"Off course not," Clyde said smoothly, as if the idea shocked him also, "she is far too lovely, besides we have two sources here," Clyde said pointing to B1 and B2.

Both girls sat down at the table, at mention of their names, and began shuffling the deck of cards. 

"I don't know the rules," Bell said after a moment. She had been distracted, wondering what Ragon and Clyde had meant when they said 'source'.

"Oh," B1 said "it's easy-"

"The pack gets divided by the total number of players," B2 continued, while simultaneously handing out the cards to all 6 players.

"All plain cards, like a 2 or a 9, stand for drink; so if you flip one of these over you have to have a shot" B1 said, as she began slicing up a lemon. "But the face cards: jack, queen, king, and ace, stand for different actions." 

"If a man turns over a Jack, then they must remove an item of clothing; if a girl turns over a jack then they must select a man to remove an item of clothing," B2 said giggling, "and it's pretty much the reverse for the Queen."

"A king is a slave card, and you get to order someone to do something for you-" B1 said, scratching her head, as though trying hard to remember the last rule.

"And then there is ace. Ace is the source card, if you are a source and you turn an ace, you offer yourself for everyone to drink, but if you're not a source and you turn an ace, then you can choose a source to drink from," B2 finished. 

Bell gulped, and looked at Ragon; she didn't like the sound of what a source might mean. As soon as all the cards were dealt, each player pulled their cards towards them face down. 

"I will go first," Sameth said, reaching for the first of his cards, and flipping over a 6 of spades. He watched, as the models bought over a shot of tequila, and passed it to him. B1 then licked her hand, and sprinkled some salt on it, while B2 held out a lemon wedge for him, "lick, sip, and suck?" he asked.

Bell was surprised to see Sameth playing so enthusiastically, as he had indicated initially he did not want to. Next to go was Cambridge. His large black hands flipped over a 3 of hearts, and like Sameth, he took a shot of tequila from the girls. For a few rounds it continued like this, and Bell, alng with the other players, was beginning to get a little drunk. The first to turn a face card was Sameth. He drew a jack, and with a grim look on his face, removed his shirt. Both models swooned, and Bell tried not to stare at his perfectly chiselled pecs. It was several shots later, that B1 drew her first face card. Like Sameth, it was a jack. The blonde smiled wickedly to herself, hiccupped a little and then said, "Ragon!"

Bell was unable to hide her heightened expectations, the alcohol having removed most of her inhibitions, when she watched Ragon unbutton his dark blue shirt and remove it. Her eyes roamed his beautiful arms hungrily, but she gasped a little when she saw him lean forward, and flip over his next card: his back was completely covered in tattoos. How had she missed that? It wasn't as if she hadn't seen him with his shirt off before? She wondered to herself. For a few more minutes she continued to stare at the intricate artwork on his back until, "Your turn Bell," Sameth said from besides her.

"What, oh, yeah, right," she mumbled, and flipped over a queen.

Bell stared hard at the card for a while. She had no idea what to do. For a moment she thought hard, and then with a little smile to herself removed her jumper, revealing a black tank top.

"Hang on a moment," Clyde's voice came from across the table, "Do jumpers count?" 

Bell glared at him, and he smiled seductively right back.

"Your minion said 'item of clothing,'" Ragon growled from next to Bell, "and correct me if I am wrong, but I believe a jumper counts as such an item."

Bell was a little surprised and confused at Ragon's outburst. The more that she got to know him, the less she thought that he liked her, but rather, was simply stuck with her. Well she was going to show him; she could have a good time if she wanted to. Mimicking Clyde's wicked smile, Bell removed her tank top. She was wearing a plain white bra, that, she realised with a pang of embarrassment, Ragon must have bought for her. 

"Looks like you have a spirited one," Cambridge's booming voice said, as he drew an ace. 

Reaching for another shot of tequila, to ward off her own embarrassment, Bell quickly licked some salt, had a shot of the yellow liquid, and sucked hard on a lemon. Her eyes were screwed up in disgust, at the sourness of the lemon, when she saw, in between thinly slitted eyes, that Cambridge was biting at the Red heads neck. B2 gasped a little, when the tall man bite into her skin, but she did not struggle. The lemon, which Bell had been sucking on, fell from her mouth. She was in absolute shock, as she watched Cambridge continue to lap at the girl's throat, as if he were giving her a hickey. 

"I see we weren't the only ones to get a snack," an angry voice spoke from the edge of the veranda. 

Bell turned, still opened mouthed, to see Larissa and Sandra balancing on the veranda railing. Larissa was looking at Cambridge in fury. In a flash he had removed himself from the girl's neck, and sat back down at the table. 

"Ah Larissa and Sandra, I see you're sports have given you revised beauty, you look as flushed and fresh as if it were your first hunt; please come and join us," Clyde said, standing and requisitioning two more chairs from inside. 

"Oh no honey," Sandra said, "you all play, I think I will go and find Thomas," and she swept from the veranda, and into the house in a blur. 

Larissa sat herself next to Clyde, and still staring at Cambridge with malice in her eyes, poured herself a shot. Bell wondered why Cambridge's actions had made Larissa so mad; she was desperate for a moment alone to ask her, but as they weren't sitting next to each other, thought that she would have to wait until later. All of the remaining cards were returned to Ragon, who reshuffled them, and then divided them between the now 7 players. Larissa was the next to draw a card, and when she flipped the jack over, immediately turned to Clyde, and begun removing his shirt. Bell didn't look at Cambridge, who she guessed must have been angry, but instead found herself staring at Clyde's body. His pecs and arms were not a large as Sameth's, but there was something majestical about the shape and form of his muscles. Bell found herself staring at a small bite mark on his chest, then looked away quickly, when she realised that everyone had been waiting for her to go. A little hesitantly she turned her card, and to her relief found that she had a 2 of spades. She took the drink poured to her by B1, and quickly gulped it down. B2 was clutching at her neck with a small bandage, and had requested to take the next round out, while she recovered. 

Bell had been staring at the bite on Clyde's chest, when Ragon drew a queen. He sat still for a moment, paused in concentration, and then turning to the Blonde, requested for her to remove an item of clothing. It was Bells turn to be angry. She wasn't sure if it was genuine anger, or simply just the alcohol, that had made her jealous. She watched B1 reach behind her back, and untie a single black ribbon that enabled her entire black dress to fall from her. The blonde giggled a little and sat back down. Bell was trying not to stare at her beautiful body, large round breasts, and flat stomach, which had a small diamond belly button ring, adorning it. The next to draw a face card was Clyde. He stared for a moment at the King of diamonds, as if all his dreams had come true. Leaning back against his chair he said "Bell why don't you come over here, and play with my lovely young blonde friend for a moment?" 




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 05



Bell blushed furiously. It was true that the alcohol had given her a lack of sense, but now as she stared at the Blonde beauty, she knew she was way over her head. Standing a little hesitantly and clumsily, she moved over to the girl, who was biting her lip.

"You can't have two slaves," Ragon protested instantly. Bell froze in place, and listened as Ragon added, "the slave card allows you to choose one person to do your bidding: you can't have both of them."

Bell moved quickly back to her seat. Once again Ragon's actions felt like a slap in the face. She watched as Clyde scratched his chin thoughtfully, "so be it," he said, looking a little glum, before adding, "Why don't you finish removing the rest of your clothes my dead," indicating the blonde besides him, and helping her out of her chair with one hand, "and prepare yourself for me, at the start of the forest." 

Bell watched, as he indicated a spot about 50 metres down from the house. The area was bathed in moonlight, and lined by a few large conifers. The blonde got quickly to her feet, and turning to leave, slide down her underwear, so that she was naked walking away from the table. Ragon had not watched the blonde beauty leave; his eyes had been fixed on Clyde. 

"Well," said Clyde, standing also to leave, "please feel free to continue, we may, err, be a while."

He jumped in a blur over the veranda, and made his way to where the blonde was waiting for him. He had been upset about not being able to watch Bell, but knew that Ragon would not have allowed her to take the Blondes place. Still, he thought, now looking at the large perfect breasts in front of him, things could be worse. Clyde had chosen this area, so that the rest of the group would be able to hear. Moving to take the girl's hands, he pushed them up over her head, and forced her up against the hard bark of a large tree. 

"Keep them there," he whispered.

One of this hands remained on hers, but the other crept down her face, and rested on her breasts. She gasped a little, as his fingers began circling her nipples. Clyde smiled, as the girl began thrusting into him. He was still wearing his pants, and thought, for the moment he would like to keep it that way. Leaning down, he began kissing her nipples, forcing the sensitive skin into his mouth, and then twirling it around his tongue. Continuing to suck on her tits, he moved his hand to her bellybutton, and circled the ring once, before moving down to her thighs. His hands inched in between her legs, and she opened them willingly. He laughed a little to himself, then reaching up, grasped her hair, and kissed her hard on the mouth. He was forcing his tongue deep into her throat when he felt his cock twitch, as though desperate to be there also. In a second he had forced her onto her knees. She didn't need telling, simply reached up to pull his pants down, and begun sucking hard, on his now large throbbing cock. He could tell by her rhythm that she was an expert. She bobbed her head, up and down onto him; forcing him all the way into the back of her throat, and then pulling him out again, spending a moment circling his tip, before re-forcing his shaft back in. Clyde didn't need to direct her, but he liked the feeling of holding onto her hair, if he wanted her to continue doing something. A few times, when she tried to pull his huge cock out of her mouth, he held her down, and he smiled wickedly, as he felt her gag slightly, eventually allowing her to breathe again. When he thought that he could take no more, he pulled her up to her feet again, this time spinning her, so that her belly was forced against the tree. 

"Hug the tree," Clyde said.

Immediately the girl wrapped her hands around the tree. As she embraced it, she moaned a little; the bark was rough, and hard against her nipples. Clyde now ran his hand down her back, pausing at her ass to slap it a little, admiring the way it moved to his touch. 

"You want me inside you, don't you," Clyde asked.

The girl nodded desperately. He had been careful not to touch her pussy yet. He wanted to take his time before he relieved her. Now, he watched as she tried to thrust herself against the tree. At this, he moved his hand over to her dripping pussy, and tickled her lips. She pushed hard against him, but he kept himself away from her clit. Clyde was happy with how wet she was, but wasn't ready to relieve her yet. Taking her by the hair, he moved her over to where a large log had fallen over, and forced her over it, so that her ass was sticking up for him. In one sweep, he took his huge cock and slid it into her beautiful ass. She screamed out loud, and Clyde leaned forward, and told her to be quiet, as he began moving in and out of her, all the while staying clear of her clit. He was pumping in and out of her hard, and enjoying the feeling of her ass hugging his cock. Unable to stop himself, he reached down and touched her pussy lips. They were dripping wet, and finally feeling that she had suffered enough, forced a finger between her thick swollen lips; and found her clit. She moaned loudly, and began coming instantly. At that he removed his hand, and recommenced slamming into her ass, as her orgasm squeezed in rhythm with his thrusts. Feeling the desire to cum, he quickly turned the girl onto her back. 

She spread her legs wide, and one hand on her throat, the other on her clit, began pumping into her pussy. Immediately she began convulsing with pleasure, and Clyde increased his pace as he felt his orgasm near. Before he lost complete control, he reached down, and struck at her neck with his fangs. He sucked hard at her jugular, and felt himself cuming. In response the girl began her third orgasm, her pussy muscles squeezing tight against his cock. Clyde was loathed to stop drinking, but knew he could not safely take much more. Reluctantly he pulled his fangs out of her throat, and helped her to her feet. He placed her hand gently against the bite marks, saying, "press here for a few minutes." 

Back at the table, Bell was drunk. Occasionally from the forest, the group heard moans or screams, reminding them of Clyde's pleasure. At one point, Bell had chanced a glance down to where they stood, blushed, and quickly reverted her eyes back to the game. She was surprised when she flipped the last card of the deck over: it was a king.

"Ragon, I want you to take me to bed," she said.

Her mind was clouded by alcohol, and she wasn't even certain of what she had said. All she knew was that she was going to have one hell of a headache in the morning. Ragon moved over to Bell quickly; he wondered if she knew that she was only wearing a bra and underwear. Cradling her in his arms, he walked away from the table and the screams of pleasure from the forest, and took her to her room... to be continued...



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 06



To all the wonderful people who are taking the time to read my stories... THANK YOU! I take on board all of the feedback and welcome the votes. Please tell me what you think of my tales. Enjoy- 

Chapter 6- A Time For Answers...

Ragon had sat next to Bell, on the edge of her bed, that night. He knew that she was drunk, and would have a hangover the following morning. He had tried to justify his desire to watch her sleep, by telling himself that he was worried she might choke on her own vomit, but truth be told: he just wanted to be close to her. Up until tonight he had thought that he would keep her safe, and keep his distance. As he sat and watched Bell breathe little shallow breaths, he recalled the first time he had seen her: or rather the first time she had seen him. He had been at the university, reading in the library, when she walked past him. He didn't look up as she passed by him, but continued to read his much worn copy of 'Dantes Inferno'. 

From the second she left the library, all he could hear was her heart beat. The purposeful lub dub of her heart was distinct, and like music to his ears; a delicious and soothing song only he could hear: reminding him that she was alive. The moment her heart rate had changed he knew something was wrong. It had gotten too fast, too quickly, and there was something wrong about the rhythm: it reminded him of Karl Husa'a 'Quarto movemiento'. He wanted to race to her, to blur through the library in an instant, but he knew he could not; such actions would not go unnoticed. Instead he raced, as controlled as he could; running at a human pace. To those who saw him, he might have been any mortal chasing a bus, or else being late for an appointment. However, as soon as he felt the absence of heartbeats around him, and thought it was safe, he accelerated. He could feel exactly how far away she was, and he knew that if he ran as fast as he could, he would reach her in a few minutes. 

He saw the beasts attacking her first; reacting in an instant to end their existence. So preoccupied with their play, they hadn't even noticed him. Moving over to the two boys who dared to restrain her, he broke their necks quickly. She had fallen hard onto the ground, and he wanted desperately to check that she was ok, but vengeance spurred him on. He enjoyed racing after the man who foolishly ran from him. Ragon was impossible fast, and took the insignificant worm in his hands, and crushed his spine against his knee. Turning now to finish the instigator, he smiled as the monster prayed. A monster killing another monster, Ragon thought to himself, before reaching down and tearing his throat out; delighted by the blood reward. Had Bell not been there, he might have preferred to take his time with them; really ensured they suffered for trying to rape her. But he couldn't indulge in such pleasures; he had to get Bell away from here, had to make sure she was safe; nothing like this could happen again. He couldn't bring himself to lock eyes with Bell, but took her gingerly in his arms, and raced into the night with her. He had run the entire way with her in his arms. She did not speak, and Ragon knew by the quiet hum of her heart, that she was unconscious. 

Despite his speed, it was half an hour before he had reached his home: the mausoleum. He had known from the instant he had saved her, that everything was going to have to change. He had hoped, if he could keep her existence a secret from Kiara, than perhaps she could still lead a relatively normal life. Naively, he had thought for her to one day get use to his company, and then maybe she could restart university, and continue with her life as if nothing had changed; Kiara need never know of her existence. In that parallel reality, she might have grown old, and had babies; Ragon would have slowly become less and less a part of her life, until she forgot about him entirely: but now that could never be. He had damned her; Kiara new who she was; but worst or all: knew how much Bell meant to him.

Suddenly Bell tossed in her sleep, pulling Ragon from his past. Instantly, he moved closer to her, careful not to touch her, but desperate for his presence to make her more comfortable. He had a large glass of water, and some nurophen plus waiting by her bedside table for when she awoke. It had not taken long for the sun to finally rise after she had fallen asleep; Ragon watched the few tiny beams of light, try desperately to get beyond the block-out curtains in her room. Transfixed at the luminescence, he realised how long it had been since he had seen the sun; excepting his recent sun tanning fiasco. It was no secret that vampires disliked the sunlight. In fact, considering the alternative, it would have been unusual for a vampire to enjoy it. After he had first been changed, he thought his affliction towards the sun might wane, but as the weeks stretched into years, he relised this could not be. The intolerance to sunlight seemed the final blow of what would be a cursed life; for in his mind, only true evil would be barred from the lights glory. Still he thought, when darkness began to fall outside, the night had its own beauty; though each star would never shine as true as the sun, combined they were a majestic, dancing counterpart to daytime. 

He moved then to the windows and drew the open. The moon was bright tonight, which afforded Ragon the comfort of a replacement sun to behold. 

"Kill me," Bell whispered, in a thick crackling voice, from the bed.

Ragon smiled. Though he could not remember what the effects of alcohol on him had been while he was a man; he knew that on occasions when he had partaken in drinking heavily and not feeding on enough blood, how drained he had left him. He reached for the nurophen and handed it to her. 

"Oh," Bell said, startled by Ragon's presence, "how long have you been here?"

"About 180 years, give or take," he said smiling.

Bell blinked, and took the nuropehn, washing it down with a few gulps of water, and then finishing the entire glass. 

"I think that will be the last time I play sources," Bell said, trying to return the smile.

"That sounds like a very good idea," Ragon replied.

Though he was upset by the toll the alcohol had taken on Bell, he was at least thankful that some good had come out of it. If Bell never played Sources again, he would be happy. 

"Are the others up yet?" Bell asked. 

Ragon looked around the room, as if sensing their presence, "Sandra and Thomas have left, probably hunting, and both our human guests are sleeping. I don't expect Cambridge and Larissa to wake for some time, they spent allot of the night shouting."

He was about to continue but Bell said, "Ohh," in remembrance of the nights events, pushed her hands over her face and dug her head into the pillow saying, "why did Larissa get so upset at Cambridge? Wouldn't you, err, I mean vampires, have to feed on others normally?"

Ragon looked up at Bell, a curious expression on his face. There was so much about his world that she did not know, that he hoped for her to never know, but answered "I guess, Cambridge was trying to make her jealous," and when Bell returned a blank expression said, "her and Clyde, have a, past. Before Larissa met Cambridge, she and Clyde were lovers."

Bell drew her head from the pillow saying, "really?" 

Ragon nodded once, a little taken aback by Bell's obvious interest in Clyde and added, "Clyde is known for his, vigorous attempt at bedding women."

Bell blushed a little at this, remembering how he had tried to get her and the blond girl to- but she broke off from that thought quickly, as a wave of nausea overtook her. Running from her bed, into the bathroom, she began convulsing and having up last night's festivities. She felt Ragon beside her, and tried not to feel embarrassed as he took the hair tie from her wrist, and tied her hair out of her face.

"You don't need to watch this," she said, heaving again into the toilet. 

When finally she had thrown up all she could, she stood and swayed on the spot. Instantly Ragon was behind her, holding her upright. 

"Th- thanks," she stammered, moving over to the sink and washing her mouth out. Looking into the bathroom mirror she gasped. She had not realised until now, but she was only wearing her bra and underwear. She reached for a towel, and began covering herself, saying, "Geez, how many times did I get the Queen card last night?"

Ragon had averted his eyes at Bell's obvious discomfort at being disrobed in front of him. "You were, err, quit insistent that a jumper should not count as clothing," he said, in a slight tone of annoyance.

Bell caught the tone of displeasure in his voice, blurting out, "why did you rescue me, if you don't want me here?"

Ragon's eyes were suddenly frozen in fear. He took a moment to recover himself, and choosing his words carefully said, "It's not that I don't want you here, it's just that I would rather you were somewhere else."

Bell stared back in disbelief, her fears confirmed.

Ragon knew instantly from her expression, that he had said the wrong thing, and quickly added, "I mean; you're only 24 and there are things that you will want that I can't give you. I want you to be normal; living a normal life, without vampires trying to kill you, and playing stupid games with-"

But he broke off quickly. Bell had moved into the bedroom, and was now sitting back on the bed, "before all this happened, I wasn't happy. I mean I wasn't unhappy, but I was just sort of existing, but not living. I never really had a family, both my parents died when I was really young, so I never knew them. And when you came along, it was the closest I've felt to belonging. It didn't really bother me, what you are; it just felt right having someone looking after me."

Ragon had stood in silence listening. When Bell stopped speaking he moved over to her, and knelt down beside her, saying, "how can you be happy with a monster?" 

"Those boys in the park were monsters; you're just a nice guy who has the unfortunate need of blood, and a severe allergy to the sunlight." 

Ragon reached up to take her hand, but thought better of it. He had never thought in a million years that she could think like this. All this time he had thought that he had doomed her to a life of misery. He had not known how wretched her life had been before now. "I promised you that I would do my best to look after you, I have called my closest friends here to make sure that I keep that promise." He stopped and thought for a moment, still in slight disbelief at her words "Once I know that Kiara is no threat to you, you can decide if you want to stay."

He had wanted to say, with me, at the end of this, but decided against it. Though she had told him that having him around made her happy, he wasn't sure that would always be the case. She did, after all, not really understand just how much of a monster he really was. 

He left after that, allowing her to get changed. When he walked out of her room he knew that Thomas and Sandra were back.

"How's Bell?" Sandra asked, before adding, "What in god's name were you thinking letting her play sources, you're lucky her clothes are all she lost last night."

Ragon growled. He knew she was right, but he couldn't tell Bell what to do. 

"Have we heard from Cambridge and Larissa yet," Thomas asked, obviously wanting to ease the tension.

"You mean asides from the ranting this morning?" Ragon asked. 

Thomas nodded, and Sandra said, "Did you have to invite Clyde?"

"I needed everyone," Ragon said, "you know of Kiara's ties in our world. She is not a woman easily left unsatisfied."

"What's that?" Clyde asked, appearing suddenly in the living room, "did I hear my name?"

It was Sandra who growled this time. She knew that on the surface Clyde was charming, but her loyalties were to Ragon, and Clyde would enjoy nothing more than making a sport out of Bell's affections. 

"How are you're lovely human sources?" Sandra asked her voice light and marked by fake warmth. 

"I think a little drained," he replied, a wicked grin on his face. "I was just about to check on Bell, that is why you called me here isn't it?" he said moving to look at Ragon, "to err, make sure n harm comes to her."

"I think the care which you're offering, is not what Ragon had in mind," Sandra said, and swishing her hair out of her face, she moved away from the 3 vampires, and knocked quietly on Bell's door, adding, "Besides, she knows she has me to look after her." 

Bell opened her bedroom door a little hesitantly, and was greeted by Sandra's wide smile.

"Morning sugar, how are you feeling? You should know better than to play sources with strange vamps," she said, and closed the door behind her.

Bell blushed, and then resumed brushing her hair. She had changed into a long summer dress, which showed off her curves in all the right places. Ragon had not left her any make-up, and she looked jealously at Sandra's perfectly painted face.

"Wait," she said, taking Sandra by the hand. She was surprised at how cold her hand was, although she didn't know why. Sandra was, like Ragon and the majority of the people in the house, a vampire, and so it should not have shocked her to feel such an icy cold touch. Perhaps it was because she had begun to feel that Sandra was a friend. This is what she thought of when she asked, "Could you, err, tell me about vampires?"

She had wanted to ask this question since first she had met Ragon, but did not want to appear nosey. Now that she had gotten to know Sandra, she felt like she could talk to her about it, without offending her. 

"Oh darling, what do you want to know?" she asked smiling sweetly at Bell, and resuming her seat next to her on the bed. 

"Um; everything," Bell said eagerly.

"Have you asked Ragon anything specific about vampires?" Sandra asked.

"Well, I wanted to at first, but I thought he might be offended, and I didn't want to know enough just in case" Bell answered. 

Sandra looked at the girl curiously, "what exactly has Ragon told you about us?"

"Your name's, and that you are here to protect me, oh and that you are vampires," she said raking her brains to try to recall anything else he might have divulged, "but that's pretty much it."

"So basically nothing," Sandra exclaimed, a knowing smile plastering her face. "Well where to begin. I guess at the beginning. Vampires are, or rather were, exactly the same as mortals, once upon a time. Then, for one reason or another, another vampire turns us."

Bell leaned in further, betraying her eagerness. 

Sandra didn't miss this, but continued, "And after that we are pretty much what you see now, the immortal damned, destined to drink blood to sustain out immortality," she said dramatically, "But seriously, we hunt at night, hide during the day, and in general tend to stick to ourselves. Some of us form partnerships, like Thomas and me; and other's remain solitude."

"Where do you get the blood from?" Bell asked. As soon as she said this, she realised how stupid she must have sounded, and was just about to re-word her sentence when Sandra asked. 

"From people off course; some we kill, and other we just feed from. The vamps in this house lead a relatively murder-free life. But we aren't all like that. Most of the time, vamps just like killing. The older you get the less you see people, and the more you see cattle," Sandra said.

"Do you have any nifty powers?" Bell asked, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, before adding, "like, can you turn into a bat?"

Sandra laughed one out loud. "No, that would be pretty crazy! We can't become invisible, or anything crazy like that either, it is basically just heightened mortal senses and strength."

Bell thought about what Sandra had said, and then asked, "what about the sunlight? Ragon almost died when he was only out there for a few moments. 

Sandra shivered slightly, replying, "yea vamps don't like the sun; we don't tan well." She inspected her own milky white skin for a moment before adding "only vamps who have had enough go out into the sun to play."

"Had enough; how could you have enough of being beautiful, and strong, and fast, and whatever else you guys can do?" Bell asked confused.

"You would be surprised just how long forever can last," Sandra said, and Bell thought she saw something sad behind her new friend's eyes.

"So who is up for another round of sources?" Clyde asked playfully when Sandra and Bell had joined the rest of the group on the balcony.

Sandra glared at Clyde in response, and he didn't press the matter, simply saying, "just a suggestion."

Bell noticed that Cambridge and Larissa must have worked out their differences, as they were sitting next to each other holding hands.

"I'm bored," the blond girl said, looking over at Clyde lustfully. 

Clyde ignored her, and stood from his chair, offering it to Bell. She sat down quickly, and was a little embarrassed when Clyde dragged another chair from the living room, so that they were sitting next to each other. 

"Tell me about yourself Bell," Clyde said, keeping his voice low, so as to invoke a private conversation. 

Bell glanced around the table. B1 and B2 were chatting animatedly to each other while Larissa death stared them, and Sameth, Thomas, Cambridge were discussing something privately; only Ragon and Sandra seemed to have noticed Clyde's question. Pushing her hair behind her ear Bell said, "well there isn't much to tell."

"Come now, you must be somewhat interesting to have captured dear Ragon's attentions," Clyde stated. 

Bell ignored the snipe and said, "well I am, err, was, studying veterinary science at uni, and I-" 

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Clyde asked interrupting her.

"No," Bell replied, a little too quickly.

"Really?" Clyde responded, whistling low under his breath, "just haven't met the right guy?" he asked curiously, "what type of guys do you like?"

"Not the nosey, womanising, vampire type-of-guy," Sandra interjected loudly. 

Clyde laughed lightly to himself. 

"Well if we aren't going to talk, then why don't we play a game?" Clyde asked. 

Ragon glared at Clyde and Sandra opened her mouth to protest, but Clyde said, "Charades?"

Unable to see anything sinister in Clyde's suggestions, Ragon shrugged, after which Clyde jumped to his feet and raced away. A moment later he had returned with a deck of what looked like playing cards, and a rather large, sand filled glass timer. 

"Ok teams; Sameth myself and B2, Thomas and Sandra, Bell and Ragon, and that leaves B1 with Larissa and Cambridge" Clyde said, moving the chairs around so as to group the teams together.

When he neared Larissa she said, "I think B1 and B2 should count as one, otherwise it doesn't seem fair," then under her breath added, "seeing as they seem to only have half a brain each."

B1 and B2 were oblivious to Larissa's comment, but Sandra and Ragon laughed loudly. 

"Very well, you two are with me and Sameth," Clyde said indicating the Blonde and red head, and they moved quickly to be closer to their other team members. "Ragon and Bell, you may lead," Clyde said shuffling the pack and placing it face down.

Ragon drew the top card and grinned. Instantly Clyde flipped the timer upside down and immediately grains of sand began escaping though to the bottom, indicating that his time had started. 

Ragon put one hand into a fist near his face, and then to the side of his head and rotated it, miming that his card was a movie. 

"Movie," Bell said, recognising the age old symbol instantly.

Ragon nodded once, than frowned. With one hand on his heart, and the other in the air above his head he mimed talking, as though he were saying a great speech. Bell looked at him sideways. There was something familiar about the way his hand was curled, that reminded bell of a poet speaking. When Bell didn't say anything, Ragon leaned over the veranda balcony and mimed talking to someone. He then jumped off the 5 metre balcony, and raised his arms as if he were speaking back to himself. Bell laughed once, still clueless. Jumping back onto the veranda, he resumed his original pose and Bell suddenly realised what it reminded her of, "Shakespeare?" she asked, unsure of herself. 




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 06



Ragon nodded quickly. Glancing at the sand which had almost finished falling to the bottom, he swept over to Bell, took her hand in his and kissed it. He then looked adoringly into her eyes, and knelt on one knee in front of her seat. The second Bell looked back she forgot where she was. Her mind went blank, and she found herself gravitating towards Ragon, leaning in, as though he were the centre of the universe. Like Bell, Ragon had completely forgotten the game. His hands went from hers, and cupped her face, brushing a few wayward strands out of her eyes. She had stopped breathing, only her heart screaming from her chest confirmed that she was still alive. In that instant she felt for the first time, what it might be like, to fall in love. 

"Time!" Clyde screamed from somewhere in the distance. 

Bell felt herself return to her body. Suddenly Ragon's hands were not against her cheek, and she instantly felt cold, even though his touch had been like ice. 

"Wh, what?" Bell asked confused. 

She had been so completely consumed by the moment, that she had forgotten that they were standing on a veranda, surrounded by vampires; playing charades. 

"How you didn't get Romeo and Juliet from that, I will never know," Sandra said.

"Oh, right," Bell said. 

Her face fell, as instant realisation hit her like a ton of bricks: it wasn't real. He had been mimicking the greatest love story that ever existed. That wasn't how he felt about her; it was how Romeo felt about Juliette. She had been so foolish to let her guard down, so absolutely childish. She leaned back against her chair, determined not to make eye contact with Ragon.

"Well let's see, that's zero to Ragon," Clyde said smiling widely, "you're going to have to do better than that if you want to win."

He reached then for the next card, reading it quickly and then standing. Like Ragon he stood, but placed both his hands in front of his face, as though he were reading. 

"Oh, Book," the red head said after a moment's thought.

Larissa laughed cruelly to herself.

He then held up 10 fingers, and flashed them 5 times. Both B1 and B2 stared blankly at him, but Sameth said "fifty."

In reply Clyde nodded, than grinning broadly moved over to Bell. He took her hand in his and positioned for her to stand near him. She followed his commands. He then got her to squat, and place her hands in front of herself and wiggle her fingers. Bell laughed a little at this, and B1 said, "Is she on a computer?" 

Immediately Clyde nodded, than held his hand outstretched pointing to the bedroom door. Bell looked confused, and when she didn't react, Clyde took her by the wrist and flung himself on the floor, with Bell falling after him. Ragon's eyes were locked on Bell, and it took every ounce of his self-control not to rip Clyde's throat out. Clyde lay stretched out on the ground, Bell sprawled on top of him, and began ravaging her with his hands. One hand grasped her hair; the other began caressing her back. Lifting them both slightly off the ground, he positioned his knee so that it was in between her legs, than pulled her hair back. He smiled cheekily at her and then leaning in went to kiss her- 

"Oh, fifty shades of grey," B1 said instantly in realisation.

Clyde's lips had only grazed her, but they left a tingling sensation, that made Bell long for more. Taking Bell gently by the hand, he helped her to her feet, turning to wink at Ragon as he said, "So that's one to me?" 

Suddenly a rasping at the door had everyone standing. 

"Mortal," Clyde growled.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Cambridge's deep voice asked.

"Yea I ordered pizza," Clyde said sarcastically.

"I think 7 vampires can take one mortal," Larissa said.

Ragon moved over to the front door, and gingerly opened it.

"Sorry for the late night call," a young pimply boy said, "it was part of the delivery request," and he thrust a thick envelope into Ragon's out stretched hand, "gotta sign," he added, and handed Ragon a pen.

Ragon didn't say anything, simply took the hand written envelope from the boy and closed the door after he had signed for it. He was deep in thought; he knew instantly from the writing, exactly who the letter was from. All thoughts of his fury at Clyde were driven from his mind.

Turning back to face his guests, he locked eyes with Bell. She was looking curiously back at him, still a little pink in the cheeks. With shaking hands he tore open the letter.

"SHIT," he said before reading it out loud-

Ragon & Bell, Sandra & Thomas, 

Cambridge & Larissa, Clyde, Sameth

You are invited to Danton Castle 

this Wednesday

the 31st of October 

for Halloween festivities.

Costumes required.

7pm

Yours eternally,

William & Nicholas



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 07



Thank you all for being so wonderful! I hope the chapter below is enjoyable, please keep reading and commenting.

A few times I have been pulled up on my grammar- and for this I am sorry. Between work and uni, I barely have enough time to write, and so the grammatical errors fall last on my 'to do list'. I have tried to find an editor- but so far no luck. So if you are reading these stories and think you might be able to help- please let me know!

I want desperately to please everyone. Unfortunately my studies are science based, and so I am finding it difficult to transverse into the world of non-fictional writing. 

I hope to hear from anyone who may be interested soon...

Chapter 7... Hunting in style-

"How can the elders know we have formed a coven?" Sameth asked, his voice betraying his feelings of insecurity. 

Clyde shrugged in response and Ragon stared at him. If he were going to pick someone he trusted least out of his recruited coven members; it was Clyde. Still, he had no basis for such an accusation, and besides trying valiantly to win Bell's affections, Clyde had shown no indications of betrayal. He was after all, Ragon thought to himself; just acting like Clyde. 

"When I asked you all here to form this coven, I had no intention of bringing danger to you, beyond that which Kiara might supply. I will show no animosity if you choose to leave now?" Ragon said. 

"Leave now?" Clyde asked undignified, "when it is just starting to get good?" 

Both Larissa and Cambridge exchanged worried looks, which was punctuated by Sandra saying, "I didn't expect to be called upon by William and Nicholas," and her sad eyes raked over Bell before she added, "but I have come to know this little one, and I will stand by you both."

The other three nodded.

"So be it," Ragon said, before turning to Sameth, "and you what of you friend?"

Sameth seemed to be thinking hard. After a moment, which to Bell felt like a life time, he nodded once. 

Bell looked around at the vampires who were staying to protect her and realised something; she had not thanked them. Chewing on her bottom lip, she rehearsed her thank you speech in her head for a moment then said, "I'm sorry. I don't want anything to happen to anyone."

"Oh sugar, come here," Sandra said, moving to her side in a flash and embracing her.

Bell wanted to cry. How could she have spent a lifetime looking for friends in other humans only to find such friendships in the un-dead? Her face must have shown her gratitude, because Larissa moved over quickly too, joining the hug. Clyde smiled wickedly; moving over to embrace all three girls, but Ragon reached out and stopped him. She thought she might have heard Ragon whisper something to him, but was unsure. 

That night Ragon thought long and hard about the coming Halloween party. The fact that the elders knew about Bell was a concern; but that they would invite a mortal, who was not a source, to one of their events? That was unheard of. He had been waiting for an opportunity to speak with Sameth about this since the letter had first arrived. Sameth had been a friend since Ragon had been made by Kiara, and it was he who had helped him escape her clutches all those decades ago. When Sameth glanced over at him, he indicated for him to follow him; which he did. 

Moving over to the deserted hall way, Ragon said, "Follow me."

The two did not talk again until Ragon had directed them through a door. 

"Read much?" Sameth asked when he saw the impressive library that Ragon had taken him to. 

Large mahogany bookshelves lined the walls, each filled with various writings. 

"My collection has grown since last you saw me," Ragon replied, indicating a small spiral staircase that lead to a second level. 

From this vantage point Sameth could appreciate Ragon's library in its entirety. His eyes scanned the room quickly; noting the antique desk which corned this second level and was scattered with papers. Ragon hurriedly covered his personal documents. Trusting Sameth was without question; still, some things were best kept private. 

"What's this all about?" Sameth asked 

"I need your advice," Ragon said quickly. 

Sameth stared back at Ragon, and waited for him to continue. 

"Am I doing the right thing?" he asked, "keeping Bell here, would it not be better for us to escape into the night, to leave this place?"

Sameth considered his words for a moment. "What are your intensions for Bell? Do you mean to change her?" he asked. 

Ragon looked around the room quickly, "No," he said simply.

"Why have you kept her then? What is she to you? Surely you do not mean to watch her grow old and die?" Sameth asked.

"No, but-" Ragon began. 

"Then why suffer her to Kiara's tyranny? You must know that Kiara means to kill her. Would it not have been better to release her, and let her resume a normal life?" Sameth asked.

"I can't let her go," Ragon replied.

His hands were shaking, realising the truth of his words. He couldn't let her go. Not now that he had gotten to know her. 

"Then you must remain here," Sameth said, before touching his chin in consideration, "but why not at least let her pick up her old life? You would not begrudge her some semblance of living?" 

"You think I don't want to? I know I can't give her what she deserves, but surely the risks are too great. What if Kiara captured her again? I do not think she would take so long a second time to kill her," Ragon said, his eyes sad. 

"Better living one day happy, then a lifetime hiding," Sameth said, before reaching out to touch Ragon on the shoulder and adding, "you are not a cruel man. Why not let her out a bit; let her smell the roses." 

"Perhaps," Ragon said, mulling over Sameth's words. 

"I would volunteer my services on such occasions, I could watch over her. I believe before all this happened she was studying? Why not let her partake in night classes, where she can be safe with your friends nearby? Kiara would be none the wiser; she won't be expecting you to let her leave again, not after what happened last time," Sameth said.

Ragon nodded slowly, "Once the Halloween party has played out I will do as you suggest," he said.

Ragon then reached up to clap Sameth on the shoulder, "you have been a dear friend," he said smiling. 

Sameth replied, "We have been through much together."

"And some," Ragon said, his smile widening, "I shall not forget your help, this time, or the last."

"There was nothing more I wanted than to free Kiara from you," Sameth replied, and followed Ragon down the spiral staircase. 

***

Bell had been waiting to get Ragon alone all night, and had been disappointed when he had disappeared with Sameth. When finally she saw him returning she took her chance, jumped from her chair, and reached him before he could resume his place with the group. 

"Is there something wrong?" Ragon asked, noting the look in Bell's eyes. 

Bell laughed once, "You mean asides from your ex wanting to kill me? Nope nothing- everything is just great." She had spoken with sarcasm, and though she instantly knew her words had hurt Ragon; she couldn't help but laugh at her situation. 

"I'm sorry," Ragon said simply looking down.

"Please stop apologising. I am the one who should be saying sorry to you. You rescue me from rapists; tell me that you will look after me; save me from vampires after I ignore your warnings, and now you are forming a coven to keep me safe," Bell blurted out. 

She wanted to add just one word to the end of her sentence. Why? She knew that Ragon was a nice guy, or rather a nice vampire; but there must be a thousand girls around here that were at this very moment in trouble. Each one of them needed a saviour just as much as her; maybe even more so. So why had he chosen her; why was her story any different to theirs? Her eyes raked his abnormally beautiful features. Someone with looks like his could have whoever they wanted: why her? 

Ragon smiled kindly, "you have made for a rather difficult house guest," he teased. 

Bell returned his smile, but continued to build the courage to ask him why he had saved her in the first place. Just then however, Clyde entered the hallway. 

"Not talking about me I hope?" he asked.

Ragon glowered at him, but neither responded.

"Well, I was thinking as we have a party to go to, that we might go out and get our costumes?"

Both Bell and Ragon stared back in disbelief. Was he serious?

"And," Clyde went on taking advantage of their silence, "seeing as the event is so soon, I thought perhaps tonight was as good as any to get them," he finished. 

Ragon made to speak, but Bell answered first saying, "it would be nice to get out of this house for a bit."

Ragon considered her words carefully, and thinking of his recent conversation with Sameth said, "I guess we will have to get them at some point." 

"But why can't we go?" B1 asked in an annoyingly high pitched whiney voice, thirty minutes later as the coven and Bell made to leave. 

"Because my dears, you are not on the invite," Clyde said for the third time; now losing patience with his beautiful blood bags. 

"Besides," Cambridge interjected, "you would likely be served up as the main course."

Both girls pouted; their large full lips quivering, giving them the appearance of spoilt teenagers. Which Bell realised, they probably were. 

"When I return, I promise you, we will have some fun," Clyde said winking.

They stormed off to the kitchen, reached inside the freezer, and began pouring vodka shots.

"Where did you find them?" Larissa asked incredulously.

"At a fashion shoot in Rio," he replied, his ever wicked grin adorning his face. "I saw them, and I thought; I just have to have them."

Bell and Ragon rode behind Clyde's car; which held himself and Cambridge in the front, and Thomas, Sandra and Larissa in the back. Sameth had said he would rather go hunting and requested the group select a costume for him. 

"Do you think Sameth would be opposed to going as a mermaid?" Clyde asked sneakily, when he knew he had driven far enough to be out of earshot of Sameth. 

Cambridge's large booming laugh filled the car. 

"So were actually doing this? We're going? And were taking Bell with us?" Larissa asked when finally they had stopped laughing.

"You know we cannot refuse the invite," Cambridge said soothingly to his mate.

"Yes, but surely if Ragon and Bell left to go somewhere else the elders would be none the wiser," Larissa protested.

"They would know," Clyde said darkly, "and they would not be happy about it; Ragon has no choice."

The costume shop was empty; bar the single assistant who welcomed them as they entered. 

The woman was older, with grey short hair and said, "Halloween party?" once they were all inside. 

Ragon nodded grimly, and allowed the assistant to direct them to the back of the shop, where themed Halloween costumes hung. 

"If you need any help just holler," she said smiling and returned to the counter. 

Clyde was the first to try on an outfit. He reached for the costume, and in a second had blurred into it; not bothering to enter the change rooms. 

"You're going as a vampire?" Bell asked.

"What? Too much of a cliché?" Clyde asked, admiring himself in the full length mirror.

"I thought Halloween was about dressing up, and you're just going to go as yourself?" Bell asked accusatorily.

Clyde winked at her saying, "why go as someone else, when-"

But he was cut off speaking as Bell raised her pointed finger at his reflection in the mirror, "but, but I can see you!" she exclaimed. 

"You can see? It's a miracle!" Clyde replied dramatically; his reflection waving at her sarcastically.

"No, I mean, I just thought-" She began.

"You just thought that because the movies say vampires don't have a reflection that the real ones wouldn't either?" Clyde said.

Bell nodded sheepishly.

"Well you can stop sleeping with that garlic bulb under your bed, the real vampires are much more difficult to kill," Clyde said smiling. 

Bell stared at him; wanting him to tell her more.

"Ragon hasn't told you much, has he?" Clyde asked.

Bell made to correct him, but Clyde went on, "holy water makes us wet; churches are fine if your into that sort of thing; and silver," he said now revealing a small locket from beneath his Dracula cape, "doesn't really pack much of a punch."

Bell laughed, but was intrigued by his item of jewellery; watching carefully as he replaced it safely beneath his clothes. 

Just then Ragon exited the change room. He looked magnificent. He was wearing dark pants which looked to be from the 18th century, and a white shirt with a button up vest that fitted snugly. He carried a large sword, and Bell was reminder of prince charming. Her jaw had dropped when she saw him, and she quickly closed her mouth when he looked at her expectantly. 

"Oh Ragon honey, don't you look dashing; just like the old days," Sandra said winking.

Sandra too had her costume on; she was wearing a medieval skirt, which showed off a pair of torn stockings and a tightly fitting red bodice which accentuated her curves. She looked like a call girl from the 19 hundreds. 

"I see you're not dressing up either?" Clyde said teasingly, staring at her breasts which were pressed up by the corset. 

Thomas moved over to her mate protectively; he was wearing a ye old prates costume, and bowed, and taking her hand kissed it saying, "I would pay every cent in the world for one night with you."

Sandra accepted his kiss on the hand, but then pulled her mate towards him and kissed him passionately in return. Bell immediately averted her eyes and saw Cambridge wearing a mummy's outfit, holding Larissa's hand. Larissa was wearing a golden ball gown dress with a large yellow ribbon around her waist. 

"I just love beauty and the beast," she said admiring herself in the mirror, after pushing Clyde out of the way. 

At that moment Sandra moved over to Bell, and taking her by the hand said, "I have hung up something in here for you," and she directed her to the nearest change room.

Bell gasped when she saw the costume hanging before her, but quickly pulled the curtain closed and begun removing her jeans and sweater. When she pulled the curtain aside a few minutes later, everyone was waiting for her. She wore a long white dress, which cut low down the front, and was accentuated by a pair of feathered, snowy white wings. A small diamond covered mask sat snugly on her face, throwing her blue eyes into even greater focus. 

"An angel?" Ragon asked, looking at Sandra with snarl, "you don't think that will draw a little too much attention?"

"Oh Ragon don't be silly; the elders wouldn't let anything happen to one of their guests, besides, doesn't she look just perfect?" Sandra asked, her hands on her hips waiting expectantly.

"Yes off course," he replied. 

Ragon wanted to say much more; he wanted to take her by the hand, throw her into the change room, and prove just how perfect she was; but he did not. 

"How about this for Sameth?" Cambridge asked, retrieving a fireman's costume from the rack and showing the group. 

Ragon inspected the bright yellow helmet for a moment, then taking them from him, took it along with his and Bell's costumes to the counter.

"So where is the party?" the elderly shop assistant asked, as she prepared the costumes and placed them into large plastic bags.

"At a friend's house," Ragon replied quickly, not wanting to divulge too much.

"Well you all have fun," she said warmly after she had processed the transaction.

"Oh we will," Clyde replied smugly. 

When they returned home half an hour later Sameth was still gone. 

"That greedy vamp," Larissa said, "I hope he has left some for us."

"Where do you go, when you go hunting?" Bell blurted out.

"Why not come with me and find out?" Clyde asked invitingly.

Bell considered his words for a moment, chewing on her answer.

"No," Ragon protested before Bell could reply. 

Bell turned to look at him incredulously, "So I no longer have any say in my life?" she asked.

She was thankful to Ragon for saving her life, but she still wanted to live it. 

Ragon dropped his horrified eyes from Clyde and turned to face Bell saying, "Offcourse you do! I just don't think it is a good idea."

"You know," Cambridge said, before pausing to consider his words, "Bell will have to be exposed to our, err, lifestyle, at some point. You can hardly go off hunting and leave her alone for hours or days."

Ragon scowled at Cambridge. 

"Honey," Sandra said soothingly, "he may have a point. There are certain harsh facts about our world that she needs to understand."

Ragon hung his head defeated. 

"But why not ask Bell what she wants to do?" Larissa interjected, turning to stare at her.

Bell looked guiltily up at Ragon before saying, "I want to come."

"Well now that that's settled, I'm starving!" Clyde said excitedly, before adding, "And there is a new club in the city that I have been dying to try out."

"Club?" Bell asked curiously.

"Well we can hardly take you to a back alleyway or deserted park," Sandra replied smoothly. 

"Right," Bell replied gingerly.

"Ok ladies, go put on something sexy; we're going hunting in style tonight," Clyde said, sweeping from the room in an instant.

Inside her bedroom Bell looked hard at her wardrobe. She hadn't been out clubbing for ages; she wasn't even sure what the latest fashion trends were. Reaching for a pair of tight jeans, she began pulling them on. In the very back of her closet she found a black silk high neck top, and slipped it over her black bra. She was just choosing a pair of shoes to go with her outfit, when there was a small knock at the door. 

"Come in," she replied.

Larissa and Sandra walked into the room, carrying a large suitcase.

"Wow," Bell said when she saw the two girls. 

They looked amazing. Sandra was wearing a long yellow dress with a large black neck piece and matching black heels. Larissa adorned a pair of black tights, and a short ruby red dress which hugged her waist and cut low down the front.

"You got ready quickly," Bell said before adding, "and you look great!" 

"Just chalk it up to Clinique, immortality, and a touch of channel number 5," Larissa said smiling.

"Well it obviously works for you," Bell said laughing.

"And now were here to work for you," Sandra said, taking her by the wrist and placing her in front of the wardrobe mirror.

In a second they had removed her clothing and placed a lovely long silk black dress on her. Like Larissa's, it was cut low. They then threw a large metal necklace over her head, and while Sandra began re-doing her makeup, Larissa compared shoes to her outfit. It was less than 5 minutes later that Bell and the other two girls walked out of her room and into the living room where the rest of the group were waiting. 

"Wow," Clyde said, letting out a long low whistle and staring at Bell.

Her eyes had been heavily darkened with eyeliner and a deep red eye shadow. This, along with the thick black mascara, drew her already startling blue eyes into even greater focus. Her cheeks were highlighted with a slight plum blush which matched her lipstick perfectly. Both B1 and B2, who by now were completely intoxicated, shot Bell furious looks which greatly pleased Larissa. 

"Shall we?" Larissa asked with a large wide smile on her face, as she indicated the door.

The group made to leave, all accept for Ragon. He was still staring at Bell: entranced. It took a moment for him to compose himself, and then he finally joined the others. 

"Girls in the car," Sandra said when Ragon made to fasten the helmet onto her head, "we spent too long working on this," she said while indicated Bell, "to let the wind sweep it all away."




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 07



Clyde grinned greedily, took Bell by the hand and said, "Don't worry, she can ride with me."

Clyde was just opening the front passenger door for Bell, when a loud engine revving from the garage caught his attention. As the motorised door open Larissa and Sandra smiled. Ragon was driving a new model, black shiny Mercedes. 

"It's ok," Ragon said from the driver's seat, "I figured this old thing would come in handy."

Bell, Larissa and Sandra all looked excitedly at the car, and moved over to it. 

"Race you there," Clyde said; speeding off with Thomas, Cambridge, B1 and B2 in the back.

Ragon grinned broadly; waited for the girls to get inside the car, and sped off down the driveway in pursuit of Clyde; a large dust storm in his wake. 

Ragon, who knew the city better than Clyde, had gotten himself and the girls to the club in record time. He was smiling in victory when Clyde and his entourage finally walked up to the club's entrance.

"I forget; were we betting?" Ragon asked smugly. 

Clyde smiled in sarcasm, but did not answer.

There was a long line to enter the club. Bell was just beginning to wonder how long it would take to get inside when B1 and B2 walked up to the bouncer. After an exchange of words, both girls waved for the others to follow them inside.

"I've been waiting for almost an hour," a tall man wearing a cheap suit complained, after watching the group jump the line.

"Sorry, VIP's," the bouncer said, as the last of them passed through the chained entrance. 

As soon as they were inside it became obvious why Clyde had chosen this place. The club was called The Bedroom; large couch-like beds adorned the edges where booths might normally have been. Hanging from the ceiling was long metal chains and veils of material, which if needed could partially hide the occupants from sight. As they passed by one bed, a loud long moan pierced through the booming noise of the music; Bell looked straight ahead.

"What would you like to drink?" Ragon asked Bell once they were near the bar.

Before she could answer Clyde replied, "Gin and tonic thanks," and moved quickly over to the dance floor.

Ragon stared at Bell, waiting for her answer.

"Um, I guess the same," she replied; not really sure what she felt like.

In a flash Ragon moved to the bar.

In his absence Clyde had returned to Bell, took her by the hand and dragged her to the dance floor where Thomas, Sandra, Larissa and Cambridge already were.

"I thought you were here to hunt?" Bell asked loudly, trying to cut across the music. 

"Pleasure first, then food," he said, spinning her with his arm and dipping her to the floor.

Just then Ragon returned. Thrusting the gin and tonic into Clyde's hand, he forced him to relinquish his hold of Bell. It took him no more than a second to down the drink offered to him. Bell however sipped on the strong liquid, enjoying the brisk flavour of the alcohol. 

"Found mine," Clyde said quickly, indicating a tall girl dancing near him who had been eye fucking him since he had gotten to the dance floor. 

Clyde moved quickly over to her; whispered something into her ear and took her by the hand. 

Bell glanced over to B1 and B2; until now they had been dancing together, but stopped short when they saw Clyde pursuing another woman. Bell watched as the two girls stormed over to Clyde, their hands swinging mutinously at their sides. 

"Oh Shit," Bell whispered to herself.

Both girls had murder in their eyes, and looked as if they were not only going to kill him, but the girl he was with too. As soon as the girls reached him, they opened their mouths, about to start screaming but stopped. Clyde had taken both by the hand and looked each of them in turn in the eyes. For a moment he stood like this; never breaking eye contact. When he had finished they walked away indifferently.

"Well I guess that is the last were going to be seeing of B1 and B2," Larissa said, now moving over to Ragon and Bell, an obvious spring in her step. 

The large smile on Sandra's face told the world how happy she was, and she waved enthusiastically over to B1 and B2, who frowned back at her in indifference; clearly uncertain who she was or why she was waving. 

"What the hell?" Bell said out loud, completely confused by the situation.

Sandra turned to stare at Ragon saying, "You haven't told her?"

Ragon shook his head, and Sandra turned to face bell saying, "What you have just witnessed my dear is 'disassociation'," and when Bell looked even more confused she continued, "It's a vamps way of getting rid of a blood bag, without having to kill them; comes in handy from time to time when we want to make a clean getaway. Basically we wipe away all memory of ourselves from them, so it as if they never knew us. Everything the girl's associate with Clyde is gone too. They won't remember you, or me, or any of us." She finished.

Bell though long and hard about this. Even when the rest of the group had resumed dancing she was still thinking about it. It was scary to consider that if Ragon chose to he could wipe away all memory of him from her. Suddenly Bell shivered and instantly Ragon was at her side, removing his jacket and wrapping it around her.

"Thanks," she murmured, but shrugged the jacket off and returned it to Ragon. 

The chill was out of fear, not because of the temperature. There was one thing and one thing only that would make her feel better. Walking purposefully over to the bar she waited to be served; she needed a drink.

"2 rum and cokes," a tall dark haired man next to her said, and then after looking Bell up and down added, "and whatever the lady wants."

Bell looked down at her outfit too. She had to admit, Sandra and Larissa had done an amazing job; she almost didn't recognise herself. Instantly Bell's confidence was boosted by this gesture. Hoping that either Ragon or Clyde were listening she said, "I'll have what he's having."

The man next to her at the bar smiled widely at Bell, and held out his hand to pass her the drink that the bar tender had just poured. 

"Want to chase this with a tequila shot?" the man asked, sipping at the dark liquid and calling once again for the barman's attention.

Bell considered this for a moment. She was desperate to look behind her shoulder and see if her actions had been noticed.

"Why the hell not," she replied after less than a second's hesitation. 

This was the first time she had been out of Ragon's house in ages. If this was going to be her only outing for the next little while, baring the upcoming Halloween party, then she was dam well going to enjoy herself. Besides, she thought licking her hand which was now sprinkled in salt.

When Bell finally left the bar, three shots later, she glanced around the dance floor looking for the others. For one panicked moment she thought that they had left her. She couldn't see Larissa or Cambridge, nor Thomas, Sandra or Ragon. She had guessed that Clyde would have scanted off by now with someone, but where was everyone else. She was just about to start looking for the others when Ragon appeared behind her. 

"Having fun?" he asked, his teeth abnormally clenched. 

"Yea," Bell replied, her breath strong with liquor.

"I see you made a new friend," Ragon said, indicating the tall man who had been buying her shots all night. Bell shrugged indifferently; unbeknownst to her, the corner of Ragon's lip curled into a smile.

"Where is everyone?" Bell asked, looking around the dance floor for some sign of their companions.

"Hunting," Ragon replied simply.

"Why aren't you hunting?" Bell asked; the alcohol causing her to sway a little on the spot.

"Who say's I'm not," Ragon said, a slight wicked edge to his voice. 

Instantly Bell was jealous. It may have been the alcohol which fuelled her anger, or it may simply have been her own desires; but in that moment, the thought of Ragon being with another girl, even if he was just attacking them for their blood: was infuriating. As Ragon scanned the crowd for a target, Bell stormed off. She didn't know where she was going; all she knew was that she didn't feel like watching Ragon ravage some beautiful woman as he took blood from her, then disassociated her. Her previous flirtatious mood had vanished entirely. Before Bell had made it to the other dance floor, she spied Clyde with his brunette beauty. Intrigued she crept up on the pair; hiding in the shadows, so as to watch their interactions. Back at the dance floor Ragon had watched Bell walk away. He wanted desperately to go after her; to grab her by the elbow and sweep her into the darkness and pleasure her, then sink his fangs into her sweet femoral artery- 

"Shit," he said out loud; racing from the dance floor and outside of the club via an emergency exit. Bending over he clapped his hands to his knees. It had been too long since he fed last, and he was losing control. He shivered when he realised how close he had just come to feeding from Bell. He needed blood desperately, but not hers; he wouldn't be around her again until after he had fed. The others knew to keep an eye on her, he told himself in search of a blood source. She would come to no harm with nearly the entire coven here. 

Mesmerised, Bell stood near the edge of the dance floor and watched from a corner, as Clyde and his brunette acquaintance climbed into a booth together. Feeling embarrassed she was just about to turn around and go back to the dance floor, when a fraction of the veil surrounding the bed moved, revealing the inhabitants within. Her alcohol induced curiosity kept her rooted to the spot.

Clyde had chosen his prey well. Looking at the full lipped beauty that lay on the bed next to him now, he smiled wickedly. The smile was returned. 

Clyde leaned in close to the girl and whispered, "Tell me your name."

The girl did not answer, but continued her mischievous smile, and moving so that she was on top of Clyde, began pulling the dress she wore above up over her head; until she straddled him with only her underwear and heels on. Clyde's greedy fingers pulled her hips towards him, so that his face was almost at her pussy. Then his fingers traced her smooth thighs, continuing until they found the white satin G-string she wore and tore it from her. She gasped, but leaned in close to him, her bra brushing against his face as she began licking and kissing his neck. Clyde was enjoying the independence of his prey, and felt his hard erection push against the grey pants that he wore. Desperate to feel more of her, he intertwined his fingers into her hair; forcing her head away from his neck as he kissed her passionately on the mouth. At the same time he sat upright, so that her thighs were wrapped around his hips; her crotch pushed against his hard cock. She bucked in response to the feeling of his swollen member, and hungrily reached down to undo his pants. As he watched her fumble with his zipper, he stretched behind the girl and in one instantaneous motion removed her bra. Her tits were small but supple, and he cupped them in his hands; rubbing the nipples in between his thumbs; enjoying the way she jumped when he pinched them too hard. Finally she managed to remove his pants, and instantly her hungry mouth was around his cock. Clyde was tempted to let her continue, but he was too hungry. In an instant he had forced her off him, reversing their roles, so that she now lay on her back, and he on top of her. 

"Oh god," She screamed, but her cries were unheard over the music of the club; only Bell who stood watching had seen the girl mouth them.

Clyde had slide himself entirely inside her in one motion. She was wet enough that her body lubricated his large cock, so as not to make it too uncomfortable. When she had screamed out, he quickly placed his hand over her mouth, and seeing that she was already gaged, decided that he wouldn't wait any longer. Still holding her mouth shut with one hand, he took his other and clamped it around her neck. Instantly her hands followed his, trying to loosen his grip on her throat. In that instant he began fucking her fast; inhumanly fast. Bell looked around worried that someone might see him, but no one was looking at the tiny slit into their bed; no one but her. 

"That's it baby, move with me," Clyde said, using the hand he held around her throat to increase the speed at which he thrust into her. 

After a moment she stopped resisting him, and began trying to keep up with his unhuman pace. He was fucking her harder and faster than anyone ever had; or anyone ever could and she loved it. With on hand still covering her mouth, he pulled the hand covering her throat closer to him; so that her face was inches away from his. He stared at her beautiful brown eyes intently. This was his favourite part of having sex; the look in their eyes telling him they were about to cum; well maybe his second favourite thing. Seeing the tell tail rolling of the eyes into the back of the head as they lost focus on their surroundings; he began pumping hard, knowing she was near climax. When he felt her release, he reached up and removed the hand from her neck and leaned in to bite her. His large white fangs; normally hidden to the world, were poised ready to strike. She had tried to scream out in pleasure and pain at that point, but his relentless hand at her mouth prevented it. He continued to fuck her and feed from her for a moment longer; enjoying the feeling of her pussy swelling with his seed, as her muscles squirmed further in agreeable response. Looking past his prey, Clyde noticed a tiny slither in the veil which hid his actions from the rest of the club goers. Immediately fear consumed him, he almost pulled the girl off him, but then stopped; realising something. Staring at Bell with his head on an angle, he continued to lash at his brunette's jugular, in awe of his situation. He continued to drink from the girl he was still inside but locked eyes with Bell; and thinking of her, he winked once. 

Back outside Bell was red in the face. She had gasped when Clyde had winked at her and instantly averted her eyes; dashing quickly away from where she had stood. She moved quickly to the back of the club; searching for the bathroom. Once inside she stared at her reflection. Her face was scorching, and she splashed cold water onto her cheeks, hoping to relieve the burning. Leaving the bathroom, she found a large exit sign and pushed; desperate for fresh air to clear her head. The sight that met her eyes stopped her dead in her tracks. 

To be continued... 



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 08



To all the people who are reading this- THANK YOU. I am so sorry this on has takn so long! The next few chapters will come allot faster now that I have a wonderful editor- Sheryl- who was able to waft through the grammar errors and mak sense of my madness. Thank you Sheryl- you are amazing! Please keep commenting and voting- I love that you all care enough about the story to let me know what you think should be happening in it!!!

Chapter 8... An alleyway confession

Bell opened her mouth in horror. A young girl, barely 20, was being forced against the brick wall that formed part of the alleyway. Her eyes were bulged and desperate, and Bell realised instantly that the man forcing himself on her was the same guy who had been buying her shots at the start of the night. The girl's mascara ran down her face, but she still looked beautiful and innocent. The grey dress that she wore was pulled up past her waist, and the man was brutishly shoving one hand in between her legs, while the other pinned her and covered her mouth. The alleyway that serviced the night club was deserted accept for the three of them. There were large dumpsters lining the walls with foul rubbish spilling from them. An alley cat sat perched on one of them, watching the events. It's brightly iridescent, yellow eyes reflected the only street light that shone down on the scene. Seeing Bell, the girl tried to scream for help, but the man hit her hard in the face and she fell quiet. Bell felt sick with sympathy and dread, as her own recent bondage and torment swept into her mind; paralysing her with fear. The brute had his back to Bell, and she raked the alleyway with her eyes, desperate to find something that she could use as a weapon against him. One startled yelp from the girl signified that the man had resumed playing with her, and Bell watched in horror as he fumbled to free his belt. In an instant he had strung it around the girl's neck and whispered, "Scream and you're dead."

The girl nodded, still sobbing silently and stopped struggling. She was completely defeated. The man realised this and smiled. After tearing her dress, he pulled at the remaining fragments of grey material to expose her chest. He smiled gleefully at her large breasts which now greeted him; she had not been wearing a bra. He leaned down with his mouth open, and took one of her nipples between his teeth and pulled. Seeing the girl struggle further at this, the man became hard and reached down to his pants, undoing the buttons as fast as he could. 

Bell searched once again for a piece of wood or anything that she could swing at the bastard, but there was nothing. Moving without thinking she rounded on him, and threw her body onto his back, desperate to stop him from further violating the girl. Instantly the man relinquished his hold on his victim. Bell's attack had surprised him, and he swayed where he stood before slamming his back against the brick wall, knocking the air out of Bell who still clutched to his shoulders. She fell heavily to the ground, her head pounding from where skin had met stone and saw small bursts of stars cloud her sight. 

"Bitch," the man said, taking Bell by the hair and throwing her once more against the wall. 

This time Bell felt herself fall unconscious, but it was only for a moment. Before she had fully blacked out she came too. She stared up at the man in horror, and then darted her eyes around the alley, hoping to see if the girl was ok. Her eyes rested on a crumpled mass a few feet away. The belt was no longer tight around her neck, but she was paralysed as if it still were. Run, Bell thought desperately. The man, seeing Bell's face, traced her line of vision to the girl on the floor, and moved over to her quickly. In the few moments of distraction Bell tried to stand; to run, but she could not.

"Two for the price of one," the man said greedily, his hands wrapping around Bells throat, while simultaneously pulling on the belt still fastened loosely around the other girl's neck.

Bell tried to scream for help but it was too late. All she could do was writhe on the pavement as the man continued to strangle her; desperate to violate both his prizes. Removing his restraint from the now unconscious girl, he refocused his attentions on Bell. There was an insane huger in his eyes and in one wild moment, Bell realised just how helpless she was. 

Just then there was a crashing from nearby. Instantly Bell's eyes widened; it was Ragon. There was a wild, untamed look in his eyes, that she had seen when he had attacked her. Bell knew instinctively from the deep growl coming from his chest that he hadn't fed yet. Ironically it reminded her of how a person's stomach might growl if they were hungry. She watched mesmerised as he clamped his fingers around the struggling man's throat and lifted him into the air, so that he was dangling by his feet. The man clutched at Ragon's hand to no avail as his lips started to turn blue. Without hesitation Ragon, forced his neck to the side and reached into his pocket for something. Taking a small, gleaming, silver knife he expertly a deep cut incision into the man's throat. Instantly, thick red blood gushed from the wound, spraying across Ragon's face, and leaving a deep red stain on his skin. Many vampires carried such weapons for just such an occasion. These days it was considered somewhat taboo to just bite into a blood source. Slitting their throat and then drinking their blood reduced the risk of coroner's finding things like bite wounds. If every vampire in the world went around puncturing jugular veins with their fangs than it wouldn't be long before the authorities pieced together that mortals weren't alone in the world. 

Bell shivered, watching the monster within take over. It took no more than a minute for Ragon to drain him. When he was finished, he threw the man aside as though he was garbage and rushed to Bell. He crouched beside her, his mad eyes focusing on the swollen bruise that had formed across her cheek from where she had been struck. He made to touch her cheek, but Bell moved away, unable to stop herself; the last memory of him feeding off her still fresh in her mind. Ragon blinked, afraid of what Bell now thought of him.

The two remained frozen for several more minutes. Ragon did not dare move for fear that Bell may be further traumatised. A small rustling nearby, alerted the pair to the girl's presence. Ragon quickly swept over to her, touched his icy fingers to her pulse and said, "She will be ok, thanks to you."

Bell looked once at semi-unconscious girl and then back to Ragon. 

"Why?" Bell asked Ragon, unable to stop herself from asking the one question she had wanted to since she first met him.

"He was a bad man, he was hurting you-" Ragon began, but Bell cut him off.

"No, why me?" she asked and when Ragon looked puzzled she said, "Do you know how many girls are attacked every day? How many creeps there are out there, just waiting to prey on them?"

"I know," Ragon answered, a low growl lending a slight edge to his voice.

"No, that's not what I... Why me? You have probably saved a thousand women, you could have had them all; why did you choose me?" she asked flatly.

The alcohol had empowered her, portraying a sense of invulnerability that would not normally have been there. She had to know. Ragon was gorgeous, he was different and amazing, and her life was not the first he had saved; so why had he chosen to keep her? Why not disassociate her after her attack? The fear of not knowing fuelled her resolve to discover the truth, and she stared at Ragon waiting for him to answer her.

"I... I don't know," he lied instantly.

There was a reason however; a very personal and intimate reason; one that had been with him for a very long time. But he couldn't tell her, not now that he knew her, not now that he had risked everything to be with her. 

"Well that makes two of us," Bell said, trying once again to stand but failing.

When Ragon offered to help her this time she did not flinch. She was frustrated by her situation. This is bullshit, she thought to herself as she allowed Ragon to grasp her hand and pull her up. Hadn't she been through enough? She didn't mean to act so cruel, but what the hell was going on? Ever since she had been rescued by Ragon it was one drama after the next. The least he could do was tell her why. 

Ragon sensed her frustration and said, "I couldn't leave you. After I found you; I couldn't leave you."

This was partly true, and though it pained him to open himself up to Bell, he knew that if he didn't say something, he might lose her forever. He watched mesmerised as Bell's face lightened; her muscles relaxing with dawning comprehension. Reaching down to her dress, she tore at the soft fabric. Using the material like a face washer, she began cleaning the blood off of him. She had wiped most of it away when Ragon reached for her hand. He took it in his, gently intertwining their fingers together. He had seen her naked, watched as she was almost raped. Yet now, as he held her delicate hands within his, he felt closer to her than he had ever before. 

"I had to." he whispered, bringing their hands to his cheek and letting her wonderfully soft human skin touch his face lightly. 

Bell looked up at him hopefully. Her eyes were filled with wonder at his touch, invoking an urge in her that was so strong she felt her head sway as though the ground around her were rotating. Ragon leaned closer to her, as though an invisible force urged him and Bell responded, her own pull gravitating towards him. Instinctively her mouth parted, the soft pink of her lips easing open in preparation. 

"There you two are," a voice came from behind them.

Bell felt Ragon pull away; unwinding his fingers from hers in an instant; forcing her to once again sway on the spot, as she readjusted her centre of gravity without him. Looking around Bell saw Clyde. He was standing holding the door to the cub open, flanked by Sandra, Thomas, Larissa and Cambridge. 

Both girls look horrified at what they had interrupted, but Clyde walked further into the alley and looking at the girl on the ground said, "That's not like you to take a chick."

Ragon eyes were full of daggers; he had completely forgotten the girl on the floor next to him, and glancing from her to the corpse of the man at his feet said, "While you were feasting on some whore, Bell was almost killed ... by a mortal!" 

Both Larissa and Sandra exchanged worried looks and Sandra said, "She only left our sight for a minute-"

But Ragon cut her off, leaving the alleyway quickly and walking back into the club.

"Are you ok?" Clyde asked Bell after Ragon had left. 

Her heart was still pounding and there was an unrequited longing in her. Was she alright? No. No she wasn't. For one fleeting moment, she had thought, she had hoped, but she was being stupid. How could Ragon possibly feel a connection with her? Still, she thought as she allowed Clyde to direct her back into the club, the way he had touched her; it was as if nothing else mattered. She felt whole in a way she had never felt. As if everything in her life had been leading up to that moment; and she had missed it. 

***

"I found her like this," Ragon said to the security guard 2 minutes later, when he re-joined the rest of his coven outside in the alley way.

He was pointing to the girl who was now slumped against the brick wall. Her hand was pressed gingerly around her throat, trying to soothe the large welts which had appeared there. Ragon had already called the ambulance, but knowing that they had to leave before the police arrived, wanted to make sure that the girl was ok.

"And who's this?" the security guard asked, kicking the body in the alleyway over and revealing the man's face.

Bell looked down at the dead body. His eyes were fixed and dilated, open wide in horror and his mouth was still open, as though frozen in a silent scream. Though this was not the first person she had witnessed Ragon murder, there was something about the inevitability of death which shocked her now. 

"Never seen him before," Ragon lied.

As soon as Ragon spoke there was something about his tone which caught Bell's attention. He was lying, she knew that, it had been he who had killed him and yet, something in his attitude instinctively told her he was being untruthful. She raked her brains, trying to recall a recent similar instance, but a loud wailing out the front of the club distracted her. She felt her hand jerk as Sandra pulled her towards the street. The police had arrived at the entrance of the club, and the 7 of them had to get away quickly.

"Hey where are you going?" the security guard asked to the group's retreating backs.

"Sorry we have a curfew; our parents worry," Clyde said mischievously, increasing his pace.

The coven slinked from the club's entrance; careful not to look guilty as the police began storming past them, hurrying to get to the murder scene. There was almost nothing worse than a vampire being imprisoned, accept maybe a vampire taking on a mortal as a pet and choosing not to disassociate them once they were done with them. No definite blood source while in jail and an absence of aging during incarceration would be sure to draw all the wrong attention. This was another of the vampire's laws; don't get caught. Vampires in prison didn't last long; not because they couldn't survive, but because the powers that be prevented it. It was a fair enough to decision to enforce and the law clearly started that all vampires sent to prison would be killed. If it wasn't the blood drinking that exposed their existence, then a pile of ashes in the cell following an unavoidable exposure to sunlight surely would. 

The ride home was met with silence. What had started out as such a fun filled night had ended badly. Ragon's hands gripped the steering wheel furiously, and forced out the blood of his recent kill; leaving his knuckles white. A few times Bell had gone to say something, but seeing the stricken look on Sandra's face, had remained quiet. When finally both cars pulled into the driveway everyone hoped out quickly.  

As soon as Bell was inside she raced to the kitchen. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten, and the alcohol had left her desperate for something covered in grease. There had been no sign of Sameth, and the note which Ragon had left for him, still laid on the kitchen table unread. 

"Need a hand?" Clyde asked, moving to sit on one of the stools that adorned the breakfast table.

"Yea, I will have a cheese and bacon omelette over easy and," she said touching her chin in consideration, "some French toast." When Clyde didn't respond, Bell smirked asking, "When was the last time you even cooked?" 

She was digging in the fridge, searching for the eggs when Clyde replied, "good point."

She ate her omelette quickly after she had made it; the greasy bacon relieving her empty stomach in a way that only saturated fats could. Clyde sat a few chairs away watching her.

When she was onto her last portion she asked, "Want some?"

Clyde smiled up at her in response saying, "No I couldn't possibly," then, rubbing his stomach added, "I'm full."

Though the food had done wonders at reversing her intoxication, she still retained enough boldness to ask, "What does it feel like to drink someone's blood?"

Clyde stopped looking at Bell's plate and stared at her. He felt something; something that he hadn't felt since as long as he could recall. Ragon was right. Bell was special. She was the first mortal to invoke a feeling in him in a very long time. 

"Chicken, just like chicken," he replied sarcastically, fighting with the desire to connect with someone.

"You know," Bell said, "I get that you put on this tough facade to keep people at bay, but it wouldn't kill you to open up once in a while."

"Kill me? Off course it won't kill me; I'm already dead," he replied smiling widely.

Bell paused with the last of her omelette impaled on her fork. Obviously a late night deep and meaningful wasn't going to crack Clyde's shell. Still, she thought, forcing the last of the omelette into her open mouth, there was a look in Clyde's eyes that she hadn't seen before, as if he had comprehended something. 

***

Almost immediately after arriving home, but not until Bell was out of earshot, Ragon rounded on Sandra.

"You were supposed to keep her safe," he said accusatorily.

Sandra returned a sheepish look, than glanced down at the floor.

"I could expect this from Clyde, but you?" he asked, now pacing so quickly around his library that he was a blur. 

"I know honey," she cooed, "I'm sorry. I never expected her to be at risk from mortals."

"I told you in the letter; I told you that there was something about her, she is in more danger than I think you or I realise," he stated boldly.

Sandra looked at him, her head tilted to one side saying, "you know more than you have told me, this isn't just about Kiara is it?"

Ragon avoided her eye contact glancing out the window and seeing the characteristic palling of the stars, and realised how late in the morning it was. The sun would rise soon. 

"How am I supposed to watch over her when I don't know the full story?" she asked. 

Ragon paused. He didn't know the full story himself, and what he did know he didn't want to share.

"I don't know much, hell I don't even really know anything," Ragon explained, "I have told you almost everything, she is different; special, and she needs our protection." 

Sandra continued to look suspiciously at Ragon. One thing was for sure. There was more going on than what he was letting on. 

***

That night Bell's dreams were fuelled with fear. Oddly the vampires, or that was what she guessed they must have been, in her dreams were unknown to her. There were two men and a woman. All of them reeked of decay, as if their flesh had long since lost any trace of life, yet their features were perfect; even beautiful. They were sitting on large moss strewn thrones discussing someone; someone that they feared. In the dream Bell was only an observer; part of the walls and ceiling but not entirely there. She watched as though from a distance, mesmerised by the scene, but unable to join it. The room was large and formed of pale sandstone, with two very small windows allowing only the faintest of moonlight to streak through. For a moment Bell had tried to get close, desperate to know what the people before her discussed; but she could not. It was as if she were no more than a piece of furniture adorning the room, unable to move and frozen in time and place. The faces of the vampires were hidden from her; shadow's dancing across their hidden bodies, with the moon occasionally throwing into light ominous features. On the damp floor an elderly lady was crouched low, and it was to her they were talking. Bell looked at the obviously human woman and gasped. Her eyes were white, and looked as if they were rolling into the back of her head. Bell could tell by the way the woman stoppered that she was afraid. She was quivering slightly, her back bent almost unnaturally as she tried to avoid eye contact with the people seated at the throne before her.

"I have told you all I know," the woman begged, 

her white eyes wide with terror. 

The ancient creatures considered her words for only a moment. Both men seemed satisfied but the woman shook her head in disbelief. In that instant, the woman who was more terrible and beautiful than anyone Bell had ever beheld, locked eyes on the couching mortal. Instantly the elderly lady began writhing in pain; screeching like a banshee as her body thrashed on the floor as though she were being tortured. Bell knew instinctively that she was dying and searched from her vantage point for a way to help. Then suddenly the old women stared up at Bell as if suddenly realising she were there. 




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 08



"Hide," the elderly lady had said, without her mouth moving and no sound escaping from her. 

Yet Bell knew what she was thinking and knew that it was meant for her. A moment later the elderly woman had fallen to the ground, grey wisps of hair covering her face. Her eyes, which had in life been white, were now a vibrant blue in death. 

Bell woke covered in sweat and her heart pounding. Her dreams were lost to her almost as soon as she opened her eyes. Only the dank smell of rotten flesh remained, and she looked around her bedroom, as if searching for where the putrid smell was coming from. For a few moments she tried to recall what had woken her so dramatically, but after a moment of intense concentration to no avail, she gave up. She tried desperately after that to go back to sleep but was unable.   

She was hung over. She knew it immediately from the feeling of anxious dehydration and thirst that plagued her body. Reaching for her dressing gown, which laid at the end of the bed, she covered herself and left her room. It was just after midday. The bright sun streamed through the windows that she had opened and she relished in it; appreciating the way her skin responded to the warm rays. It was peculiar how the light seemed to pull her as though from a dream. These past few weeks had changed her life considerably and yet now, as she sat on one of the chairs on the veranda, she fully appreciated everything she had left behind. Living in darkness it seemed had blinded her to the rest of the world. With this in mind she jumped from her chair and moved into the living room. Switching the television on, she flicked through the channels, hungry to know more of what she had missed. 

"In more recent news, a man was killed in the Valley last night. Police arriving at the scene said they received an anonymous call a little past 2 in the morning alerting them to the situation." The news reporter said, from outside the club that Bell and the rest of the group had visited last night.

"The owner of the popular nightclub, The Bedroom, where the gruesome murder took place, was unable to comment, however a security guard present last night said, 'this wasn't the first time the guy had been here; he was a regular.'" The reporter stated.

Bell continued to watch the television set, mesmerised by the news report. 

"This incident signifies the tenth murder in Brisbane city this month and police are calling for anyone who may have information to come forth. Statisticians who have been trailing the recent jump in criminality have said that this month's slayings represent a seventy year high. 

I'm Sandra Sully for ABD news."

Bell looked at the television in horror; ten murders! She knew that half of them Ragon was responsible for, but what had happened to the other five victims? Were they the result of vampire attacks or other humans? Uneasy with her lack of up to date current affairs, she left the living room in search of a computer. She finally found one in Ragon's library. She had had to climb a small winding staircase to find it, but eventually spied the flat metallic laptop poised on a large mahogany desk. Flipping it open, she waited eagerly for the wireless internet to connect, then opened a search browser and typed in the words, 'murders in Brisbane.' The first website to appear was for CNG news and she clicked on it quickly, hungry to know more. Seeing the article entitled 'Brisbane City fought with plague' she clicked once and waited for the news report to load. 

"Brisbane City fought with Plague...

In the past two weeks, Brisbane City has played host to a wide variety of murders. The city, normally rated as a relatively crime free metropolitan area, has been struck with unusually high murder rates. Ten bodies remain in the City's morgue awaiting justice for their untimely death. Despite the recent rise in criminal activity, police insist that the murders are unrelated. 

'There is just too much variability in the killings to say that it is a mass murderer,' said Constable Ryans; a trainee detective for the city police department. The murders remain unsolved and no witnessed or suspects have been identified. 

This reporter asked police what they were doing to solve the crimes. 'Everything we can,' said Constable Ryans. 

The City coroner has told police that all of the victim's deaths occurred during the early hours of the morning and that in most cases, barring three, the bodies were exsanguinated. This morning's murder signifies the tenth victim to be killed in Brisbane City this month, and with no sign of slowing, the inhabitants of our normally peaceful town must be wondering if it is safe to come out at night?

Rebecca Dunlop 

CNG News"

Bell scrolled through the story quickly her eyes wide in anticipation. Exsanguinated, she thought to herself. It definitely sounded as if a vampire had killed them; why else would they have been drained of blood? For a moment Bell considered this. There were 7 vampires living in this house right now, perhaps these murders were attributed to their actions? Looking around the room in thought, her eyes meet with a small leather bound book, slightly hidden beneath some loose papers. The craftsmanship of the book caught her attention, and she reached for it enthusiastically. Bell opened the book quickly, thumbing through a few pages before realising that the dates in the top right corner signified that it as was a diary. Instantly her moral ethics screamed at her. Growing up as an only child in foster care had taught her to be mindful of other's personal possessions. Blocking these thoughts from her mind, she flipped the book open to the first page. Small cursive writing met her eyes as she focused on the date in the top right corner; 18th of September 1877. Bell read on...

'Jay Cooke has closed its doors and much of my funds have been lost. It seems this new trend of Railroad labour strikes has finally reached us here in America. Hunting at night has made that grossly obvious. The streets are filled even more than normal with homeless people, and I find myself happy to end their suffering; hunting has never been so easy! Half the businesses I walk past are closed or shut down and there is fire and revolt in the streets. It seems at long last the government's indulgence into train transport has finally ended. Tonight as I stalked my usual haunts there were more than normal mortals lying in wait. It was almost too easy to pick off the unsuspecting stranded passenger, who had been waiting vainly to board a train home. Kiara too it seems is excited by the endless meal tickets bought on by the revolts. I watched in reverence as she took a couple who had been holding hands into the darkness and drained their lives. I am almost jealous at the ease to which she can hunt. Though I have been a vampire for what feels an age, I am still adjusting to my senses and it irks me that my creator obtains more blood than I on a daily basis. The fat stock broker I killed tonight was by no means as tender, or as juicy, as the supple woman I saw Kiara take. Perhaps tomorrow I will have more luck.'

Bell was staring in disbelief at the words she read; reading and re-reading the entry so as to ensure she had made no error. After she had read it three times and knew for sure that she had made no mistake she closed the book quickly. She felt sick; her stomach was churning, and not from last night's frivolities, but from what she had just read. She knew Ragon was a vampire; that he had killed people, but there was something about this diary entry that absolutely shocked her. The person writing this was cruel, uncharacteristically so, and Bell was suddenly confused; her feelings from last night swimming in her memory and bringing new feelings of mistrust to the surface. For a few moments Bell continued to sit at the desk, her hand hovering over the diary, unsure if she wanted to read more. After a moment negotiating with her conscious she decided against it. She had completely forgotten her desire to find out what was going on in the world and left the library, her feet dragging against the hard wood floors, as she pressed the library door closed gently behind her.  

 ***

It was several hours before Ragon awoke. Bell was sitting cross legged on the couch deep in thought, and she did not stir when Ragon walked into the room. He knew instantly that something was on her mind and he sat next to her, looking at her intently, while Bell continued to look into the distance. The pair shared a few moments of silence, as Bell considered asking Ragon about his past, and Ragon contemplated finding out what was wrong. Just as Bell decided to ask him flatly about what she had read, a noise distracted both of them.

"Good evening all," Sameth said, moving over to stand in front of Bell and Ragon.

"Hey," Bell returned sheepishly, while Ragon nodded.

Sameth considered the pair before him. Something was wrong; that was painfully obvious.

"Where were you last night?" Ragon asked, slightly accusatorily. 

It had just dawned to Ragon that if Sameth had of been at the night club last night, perhaps the events which followed may have been avoided. 

Sameth eyed Ragon intently, a slight edge in his voice when he responded simply, "hunting."

Ragon nodded again; his eye mirroring his instant disinterest. Something else was on his mind, something he realised he needed to talk to Sandra about. He quickly stood then and walked casually over to the living room, from which Sandra and Thomas were leaving. He had heard them awaken, heard the pair talking lovingly to each other and was jealous and awed by their exchanges. Feeling slightly uneasy he tapped Sandra on the shoulder and whispered, "May I have a word?"

Sandra stared in reply back at her mate, but allowed Ragon to direct her to his study, as Thomas joined Bell and Sameth in the living room. 

"Two private conversations in so many hours, should I be worried that I am going to get scolded again or should Thomas be jealous?" she teased, moving to sit down on a large black leather couch which acted as a window seat, despite the curtain being firmly drawn against the fading sun.

"I need your advice," Ragon said, his eyes plastered to the ground as he inspected his feet. 

"Hmmhmm," Sandra cooed, enjoying the look in Ragon's eyes.

"Can I be with Bell?" He asked.

He had considered the words so many times before, but saying them out loud now made him doubt himself. 

"You're asking my permission?" Sandra asked, laughing lightly to herself.

The sweet musically laugh hit Ragon like a ton of bricks, and he glowered saying, "No, just your advice. You were, err, a mortal when you meet Thomas..."

"Ohh," Sandra replied quickly. 

Instantly images of her past flashed to her. They were a little hazy, the many centuries that she had lived since, blurring the precise details of her pre-vampire life. Still she retained enough memory to remember that part; the part which preceded her becoming a vampire. It was 1729 in Louisiana, and Sandra Parkinson, as she had been called back then, was 24 years old. Sandra was the second eldest daughter of Bernard and lived in their family home with her two younger sisters; Laura and Ariana. Her mother had died in child birth bringing Ariana into the world. The previous summer her eldest sister was wed. Her father had insisted on Sandra waiting until after her older sister's nuptials to find a husband, as was the custom back them. This was no difficult task. Sandra was one of the most sought after women in the county, both in looks and means. Bernard Parkinson had made his money in slaves, importing the largest black slave colony in 1719, and selling them like cattle. Many suitors had called on her, and it was merely a matter of her father choosing one which offered the most prospects. Finally, after discussing with several potential suitors, her father had selected John Wood; a 54 year old lord who's first wife had died barren. Eager for children to carry on his title, John pursued Sandra enthusiastically and after much negotiation, her father gave his blessings. The wedding was large; perhaps even the greatest event of the county that spring. Many lords and ladies had attended the ceremony, and though Sandra knew the match would please her father, she knew she would ever love her new husband. That night John had taken Sandra to their wedding chamber and locked the door. He had instructed his servants to leave the house for their consummation. 

Sandra, still a virgin and inexperienced in love, had waited anxiously in the bedroom for her husband to enter. When he walked in there was a hunger in his eyes that immediately scared her. He wore a long white cotton dress robe which revealed his already hard cock. Sandra looked curiously at the swelling in the white material; it had been the first time she had seen an erection and was started when he removed his clothing, revealing it to her. 

"Take off your clothing," her husband had commanded, and she did so.

Perhaps it was her lack of enthusiasm, but after only a moment of waiting for her to disrobe he moved over to her hungrily and began tearing the white lacy fabric from her. She gasped at his ferocity, and blushed when she stood naked before him.

"You're going to make me a son," John had said from behind her, touching his hard hands to her stomach and pressing his cock up against her back.

"I will try to please you," Sandra replied.

"You will please me," John said, the same cruel edge in his tone as he reached for her hair, pulling it hard, and kissing her on the mouth.

Sandra squirmed as his tongue met hers. There was an over powering taste of stale alcohol and tobacco that lined his mouth and gave his kiss a foul odour. He then moved over to a wardrobe and lovingly prised the doors open. Sandra watched as he retrieved a large thick white ribbon and then moved back over to her, his eyes fixed on the ribbon longingly.

"For tonight you are all mine, but tomorrow I will call on one of the black whores," he said.

Sandra was scared, but let John bind her around the wrists and tie her to one of the posts of the bed. Though she had no experience of sex, she had never thought this to be how she would lose her virginity. Tremblingly, she let her new husband discover her body, tracing his roughened hands all over her skin, exploring her mouth and probing his fingers into her holes. She jumped when he pressed two fingers into her pussy, and was immediately discomforted when she felt him add a third. Next he slapped her. It was hard and on the arse, and left a large bright red welt. She screamed in response and John grinned and returned to the wardrobe. She had been unable to see what he searched for, until he stood before her again, holding a black gag which he forced into her mouth, muffling her pleas. He then resumed forcing his finger into her pussy, pushed hard and smiled when Sandra let out a long loud stifled scream, inspecting his fingers for blood. 

"Your father's promise was true," he said admiring the red tinged film that covered his fingers.  

Sandra didn't try to reply. She was crying silently, large tears rolling down her face and staining her body and the bed spread. She felt John enter her from behind, his large cock pushing through her in one hard swift motion and tearing her already violated hymen further. John reached down and pulled hard at her hair, forcing her neck backwards and using it as a lever to begin thrusting into her. Each thrust was met with a cruel tug on her hair, and her neck and back ached as he forced her into dorsal flexion. For ten minutes he continued this. He had been drinking heavily that night and was in no hurry to end his exploits of his new wife. He had little thoughts of bringing Sandra pleasure, and instead of reaching for her clit, began using his free hand to pull hard at her breasts. She was almost numb to the pain by then, only the insertion of his finger into her arse evoked a reaction, and John smiled cruelly down at her, realising there were further ways to humiliate her. He then pulled out of her and began trying to slide his swollen member into her arse. Frustrated by its tightness he resumed forcing his fingers into her hole, and bent her down further so that she was lying on the bed. He tried again but to no avail, and moved her around so that she was facing him. He didn't look her in the eyes, but removed the gag and forced her to give him a blow job, desperate to lubricate his cock so that it might fit into her arse. She did so obligingly; opening her mouth and tasting herself on his penis as he began thrusting hard into the back of her throat. 

From outside the pair heard a loud scream. For a moment her husband continued to push into her mouth, but then after two more loud screams he stopped. Moving over to the bedroom window he drew the curtains open, and stared down in horror at his estate. Many small fires were burning, the stables and winery were completely engulfed in flames, and he realised in fury part of the house was being lit as he watched. When he turned to face Sandra, the red glow of the amber's below were reflected in his dark eyes and he swept from the room, leaving her tied to the bed. 

A few moments passed, and then the door opened. It was John, still wearing his white dressing robe, his eyes livid with fear and a long large sword held at ready. A second later and four men stormed the room. Sandra knew instantly that they were Indians, and they began duelling with John. Sandra watched as John killed one of the men and then began defending himself from the other three. Though he was out numbered, his days in the army had taught him well, and the savages fought with inferior weapons. Deep in concentration, John did not notice as another Indian slipped into the room and moved over to Sandra. She watched the tall man in fear, and when he produced a small silver knife screamed. She pulled frantically at her binds, but they would not give. The Indian looked at her for a moment in sympathy. His orders were clear: no survivors. He was probably doing her a kindness to release her from this life, he thought as he forced the blade into her chest. Sandra's scream was cut off almost instantly as she began to lose consciousness, but a noise at the window drew her attention. Looking up she saw a man, with bright green eyes and long dark hair tied neatly into a ponytail. 

"Bloody Natchez Indians," John roared, not realising that another man was entering via the window, as he continued to duel with the Indian who had stabbed Sandra. The last Indian fell quickly, his short bloodied knife no match for the long sword. Cleaning his blade, John looked up at Sandra and then saw the man climbing through the window. John knew instantly that he was no Indian. He was white and civilised looking. 

Seeing the man move over to his wife, he held out his sword saying, "That's mine."

The stranger growled his disapproval and moved over to John. John prepared once again to fight and thrust his sword into the man's belly. Fuelled by even greater anger the stranger used both hands to retrieve the blade from his flesh, and turning it on John, thrust it deep into his heart. John crumpled to the floor, blood pooling all around him.

The stranger then turned back to look at Sandra, whose bulging eyes were fearful. In an instant he blurred over to her; his unhuman speed causing Sandra to begin screaming. 

Instantly he gently placed his hands over her mouth and whispered, "Do not be afraid."

Though she had watched this man kill, there was something in his eyes that called for her to trust him and when he removed his hand she did not scream, simply stared up at him in awe. After that his hands tore at the ribbon quickly and he reached for her night robe, covered her, and slung her over his shoulder. Moving back over to the window, he jumped down from the 3 stories, landing on his feet and ran to a carriage waiting nearby. Lovingly he placed Sandra inside, looking down once at her blooded robe, he quickly took her hands and pressed them against the wound. 




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 08



He then shouted to the carriage boy, "Onwards, as fast as you can," and moved to sit by her, removing her trembling hands and replacing his own to stiffen the bleeding, as the four frightened horses pulled them forwards. 

They rode in the carriage almost until morning. When finally they stopped, the sky was at the point just before it lightens; a very faint blue beginning to overtake the black night sky. Sandra had lost consciousness almost three hours into the journey, and her rescuer listened anxiously as her heart began to fade. As soon as the carriage stopped the man took Sandra up into his arms, and carried her into the house, glancing once at the rising sun and urging his body forward. In the time it had taken for him to enter the building Sandra's heart had stopped. He had laid her gently onto the bed, and for a few frenzied moments attempted pumping on her heart, hoping that it might restart. Realising sadly that there was nothing he could do for her, he reached up and placed his bloodied hands over his face in defeat. Instantly her sweet blood assaulted his senses, and without thinking he licked his fingers. Though the wound at his side had left him desperate for blood, he stopped himself immediately. Two tears fell from his eyes as he realised just how much the beauty he had rescued meant to him; even though until tonight he had never met her. Determination fuelled his resolve, and he lent down to his wrist and pierced his vein. The blood flowed freely from him, and he gathered Sandra's body in his arms and forced his bleeding wrist into her mouth. 

When it was done, he lied on the bed next to her. If the vampirism took, than it would take another day before she arose as the living un-dead: like him.

The next day when he had felt her stir he sat up. He was more excited and nervous than he had ever been, either as a mortal or a vampire. Never had he created another, knowing how much he had despised that he had been changed. Yet now, as he watched Sandra's eyes beginning to open, he knew he had done the right thing. When finally her surrounds came into focus, Sandra stared up at the beautiful man who had saved her. She knew instantly that something was different, she felt it in herself, but unable to think of anything but her rescuer she asked, "Who are you?"

He smiled back down at her and whispered, "Thomas."  

"Well, what do you think? I know it worked for you but-" Ragon said, pulling Sandra from her memories of her past.

"What, oh, I don't know," she said honestly, and then seeing the sad look in Ragon's eyes explained, "Thomas and I, you see our situation was different, I had no choice when he made me what I am. You said you didn't want to turn her."

"I don't. Couldn't we be together for one lifetime? I have been on this earth for long enough; one lifetime with Bell and I could walk into the sun a happy man," Ragon said.

Sandra looked at him. Though it saddened her to hear Ragon say such things, she could understand his meaning. Sometimes being a vampire sucked. There had been moments when Thomas and she had thought of walking into the sun rise holding hands. Still these were dark moments, such as times when she had heard of a family member's deaths.

She considered him carefully and replied, "Why don't you try starting from the beginning?" And when Ragon stared back at her blankly she added, "You know, go on a date?"

"A date?" Ragon asked. 

The concept seemed like utter madness and yet made perfect sense. He nodded enthusiastically and made as if to leave the room but stopped and turned back to Sandra, "What, ahh, do you do on a date?"

Sandra laughed once, and replied, "You know, buy her flowers, take her out to dinner and see a movie. Although since I don't think she would find it very romantic going to a blood bank, perhaps you may need to be a little more creative."

That was it, Ragon thought to himself as he walked back to the living room, he would ask Bell out on a date. 

To be continued...



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 09



Thank you once again for all the wonderful feedback! And thank you to Raylee for helping me edit this one. I hope you enjoy!!! 

______________________________

Chapter 9- Date Night...

When Ragon and Sandra finally joined the others in the living room, he had completely forgotten about the concerned look which had plastered Bell's face previously. Now as he looked at her, this thought rushed back. Bell sat on the couch, her legs and arm's crossed, and there was a look in her eyes of mistrust. Her hair was wet, as though she had washed it a few hours ago, and it had not yet fully dried. She wore a pair of navy blue tights and a black long sleeve button up dress shirt, which made her seem to blend into the black leather of the couch. Had he not been surrounded by the rest of his coven, Ragon would have asked her what was wrong. Instead he rehearsed over and over in his head, the various ways that he might ask Bell out on a date. 

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Clyde asked adding, "another club or maybe we could stop by Kiara's for drinks?"

Only Sameth laughed at his words, while Ragon and Sandra snarled. Bell stared up at Clyde. He was tactless, there was no doubt about it, but there was something fun about his sense of humour that lightened her mood. He looked even more gorgeous today than normal. He was wearing a pair of long light coloured cargo pants and a well fitted blue long sleeved shirt. 

"Just joking," Clyde said defensively, realising his comment had hit a sore spot and placing his hands palm outwards to the group.

It was Sandra who spoke next saying, "why don't we go somewhere low key tonight? I could use a nice quiet drink."

Her mate stared back at her, nodding his enthusiasm. Thomas's hair, which was usually tied in a ponytail, moved in concert with his head. His ponytail was so auspicious that Bell had almost entirely forgotten it was there. Now however, as his long beautiful hair adorned his face; it was difficult for her to believe she had failed to recall it until now. His hair wasn't exactly long and only just reached his shoulders. 

"Ragon you can stay here and keep an eye on Bell," Sandra said, giving him the slightest of winks that was unobserved by all except him. 

"Well just give me a moment to get ready," Larissa said, jumping off the couch and running enthusiastically to her bedroom. 

The entire coven followed Larissa's example and soon it was just Bell and Ragon left on the couch together. Ragon knew that it was now or never. He appreciated Sandra's subtle hints, and made a mental note to thank her later. He moved a fraction of a millimetre towards her. His hands were uneasy beside him, and if he could sweat; they would probably have been covered in nervous beads of perspiration. Fortunately his immortal traits hide most of these very mortal failings. Only the look in his eyes betrayed his emotions. They were wide, his pupils large and dilated; like a cat watching a snake, unsure if it should pounce or flee. 

"Bell," Ragon asked, catching her attention so that she turned to face him, "would you consider, I mean would you want to go out tonight?"

Bell considered his words for a moment and replied, "Thanks, but I think I have had my fair share of hunting for a while."

"No, I mean, would you want to go out with me, on a, err, date?" Ragon asked, his eyes wide in anticipation.

Did Bell hear him correctly? How many times had she wanted for him to say something like this to her? Though her face broke in relief, this was almost instantly overshadowed by a look of concern. It was a pained look; her eyebrows forced closer together as her eyes raked over Ragon's face, as if searching for an answer. Her hesitancy was bought about by her recollection of the diary entry which portrayed Ragon as a monster, which she had read earlier that day. She allowed herself the briefest of moments to consider her options. Instantly she looked away from Ragon's hopeful face, instead focusing on the fair bianco white of the walls. Perhaps back then he had been no better than Clyde and Kiara, but now he was different. Hadn't he proved that to her, time and time again? Unresolved she realised that at least if she said yes, she could potentially find out more about him. So often had she felt a connection with him that it seemed wrong to dismiss him just because of some stupid journal? 

"Sure," Bell replied, and watched in delight as Ragon's eyes were suddenly lit with relief. 

"Well let's say half an hour?" Ragon asked.

Bell was a little shocked at his enthusiasm. She had expected him to suggest a date sometime in the near future, but not tonight. 

Still no time like the present, she thought.

"Ok, sounds good... where are we going?" she asked, suddenly realising that she needed to start getting ready: immediately.

"It's a surprise," Ragon answered. 

Bell couldn't hide her smile, but asked, "well what am I supposed to wear?" 

"Anything you want," he replied, "you look beautiful in anything." 

She moved quickly after that to her room, and began throwing outfits from her closet onto the bed in distress. A soft knock at the door made her hurry over and open it. 

"So you said yes?" Sandra asked, her deep Southern accent bringing with it a sense of relief. 

"What?" Bell asked, pausing for only a moment before recommencing her search for the perfect outfit.

"You're going out with Ragon," Larissa replied, the large wide smile on her face barely contained.

"It's just a date... But how did you know?" Bell began, and seeing Sandra tap her fingers to her ears, nodded in realisation.

"Only the walls have secrets from us," she replied. 

"So, have you picked something to wear?" Larissa asked, her eyes raking the bed where the majority of Bell's clothes now lay, crumpled in a heap. 

Bell too glanced over to the pile and smiled sheepishly, shaking her head in a firm no. 

Sandra and Larissa exchanged a knowing look, then pushed past Bell and began inspecting her outfits. 

"I think this one," Larissa said, picking up a pair of dark black shorts and matching them with a pair of black sheer stockings and boots.

"Ohh, good choice," Sandra said, now moving over to Bell and holding up a long sleeved, silk, maroon shirt. 

"Hmm," Sandra said, admiring Bell's outfit, before racing from the room and returning a moment later with a long silver chain which held a small metallic pyramid. 

"Perfect," she said, after placing the necklace onto Bell and stepping back to see its affect's.

Larissa nodded in agreement, and began applying copious amounts of blush and mascara to Bell's face, only pausing to re-touch her lipstick, which was a bright pink. When both girls were finally finished, they directed Bell over to the mirror. Once again they had managed to turn a pumpkin into a princess, and Bell smiled appreciatively back at them. A knock at the door made Bell jump, and Larissa moved over to open it.

"What's going on in here?" Clyde asked, looking at Sandra with a wide smile lighting his face, until his eyes fell on Bell.

His mouth was slightly open, and he looked at her in awe, appreciating her curves and the way her body looked in her outfit.

"Where are you going?" Clyde asked, regaining his composure and moving to sit down on the bed, where the remaining items of clothing lay abandoned. 

"Out with Ragon," Bell replied.

She had thought that she would feel uneasy admitting to Clyde. There was something about him that continued to attract her. Still, now as she stood in front of him looking fabulous, and about to go on a date with Ragon, it felt perfectly acceptable that she should tell him and not be concerned by his reaction. 

"Want some company?" Clyde asked, his mischievous grin returning to his face.

"Two's company," Larissa said, shooing him away from the bed and out of the room, "and three's a crowd," she added slamming the door in his face.

Ten minutes later, after Sandra and Larissa had painted Bell's fingernails black, and matched her outfit with a long sleeved charcoal jacket; Bell left her room feeling excited. The others had already left to go hunting, and walking into the living room, she saw Ragon waiting at the front door with his back to her. On hearing Bell's heartbeat louden and fasten, Ragon turned quickly and gasped. 

Wow, he thought to himself, watching her move over to him. 

The same thought mirrored Bell's mind. Ragon looked even more stunning than normal. He wore a pair of dark dress pants with a blue collared long sleeve shirt and a black belt. 

"Ready to go?" he asked.

He had been too preoccupied with Bell's beauty to actually compliment her. Still, Bell smiled to herself, seeing the look on Ragon's face made her even more appreciative of Sandra and Larissa's efforts, and the look in his eyes conveyed his impressions of her a thousand times better than a simple, you look beautiful, ever could. 

"You still haven't told me where you're taking me," Bell said, allowing Ragon to hold the front door open as she walked past. 

Ragon grinned, but did not reply.

He had moved quickly over to his car, and opening the door once again, waited for Bell to sit in the passenger seat. A second later and the pair were screaming out of the driveway. Ragon did not try to make conversation with Bell during their drive; he was far too nervous, and the only thing on Bell's mind was confronting him about the diary entry she had read earlier that night. But the night was too young to start off with such horrible accusations, so she bit her bottom lip and kept her mouth shut. 

One particularly steep drive later, and Ragon and Bell were standing outside the planetarium attached to the Botanical Gardens, just outside the City. Bell recognised the large circular glass building instantly from her website searches, having wanted to visit it for years. 

"This is great," she said, looking up expectantly at the building, and then to the night's sky, which she realised was pitch black, bar the tiny diamond stars that twinkled down at her.

Happy with Bell's response, he opened the door leading into the building. By now his nerves were screaming at him, and he thought longingly of reaching out to hold her hand. Bell however was preoccupied with her surrounds, and missed Ragon's attempt to reach for her, when she pointed enthusiastically up at a large telescope. Using his inhuman reflexes, he withdrew his hand so quickly, that Bell was none the wiser he had ever reached out for her. 

On the wall's hung large photographs and paintings of the solar system. A large image of a mass of purple and blue swirls, around a white central light caught Bell's attention. Her eyes remained locked on this as she ascended a large dark wooden staircase. Upon reaching the top, the pair was greeted by a tall man with a thick black moustache.

"Welcome to the planetarium," he said before pulling a clipboard from a podium and asking, "Reservations?"

Ragon moved over to him at this point and whispered something low in his ear. The moustached man smiled greedily back at Ragon, and the pair exchanged a firm handshake, which Bell thought had been lined with fifty dollar notes; how many she was not sure.  

"Right this way sir," the man said after pocketing his hand shake's contents.

Ragon turned to Bell and gestured for her to follow the man. They walked past several large booths, all of which contained couples that were partaking in a meal, else lying on their backs on soft couches and gazing at the stars while holding hands. Looking up once, Bell realised that the glass roof of the planetarium was magnified, bringing the nights sky into even greater focus. The usually small moon occupied almost half of the large glass panels; outshining Venus or any other star that dare try to outcompete it. The planetarium at night obviously had been converted into a restaurant, allowing the partakers to enjoy a meal while observing the stars. 

Bell's late night googling had missed this. The website she had found described the City's Planetarium as being a communal star gazing experience, where patrons lay on horizontal couches, with specialised magnified glasses on and watched the stars, while a tour guide described the various constellations. Reaching a small metallic door labelled 'Staff only' in bold glowing green lighting, the moustached man retrieved a small group of keys from his waist belt and thrust one into the lock. A moment later and the door pushed forward. 

"Just up to the top level; you should find everything that we discussed earlier waiting for you," he said, now holding the door open as Bell and Ragon walked through it.

Bell lead the way up yet another steep staircase, and she felt Ragon place one hand on the small of her back, offering support. Until now, the fact that this was a date had escaped her notice, and yet this intimate gesture bought this reality crashing down on her. With her mind preoccupied, her foot caught on the last step and she tripped. In an instant Ragon's outstretched arms steadied her, and she blushed furiously. It was amazing how strong he was. He must have been supporting her full weight with his outstretched hand, and yet he held her up as though she were as light as a feather. After that she steadied herself, and upon reaching the landing looked around. They were standing in a very small, poorly lit, concrete room that fit them both, but not comfortably. 

"Are we supposed to be up here?" she asked sheepishly, breathing in a deep whiff of stale air, lined with the faintest trace of brick dust.

Ragon smiled, and without considering it enough to lose confidence, took her hand and directed her to the small door that would lead them out of the room. He pushed it open and Bell gasped. They were standing on top of the building, the warm night's air brushing Bell's hair across her face, causing her to use her free hand and tuck it behind her ear. Though there was no roof to magnify the heavens, the sheer height of the accent made the sky feel closer than ever before. Ragon guided her over to a small table, where a single red rose sat in the middle and a bottle of champagne lay in wait, chilling. Bell let Ragon direct her to the nearest seat, and releasing her hand, held the chair out for her. She sat down quickly, feeling slightly uneasy as he pushed her chair closer to the table with ease. 

"This is insane," she said, her head pulled all the way back, so as to admire the stars above.

The absence of City lights, road lights or residencies, made the night sky appear magnificent. There was nothing around for miles that might be capable of distracting them from the heavens. 

"Insane in a good way? Or insane in a mass murderer kind of way?" Ragon asked, laughing slightly to himself. 

Bell however did not laugh. Instantly his words touched a nerve and she moved her neck so that she was staring at him. Mass murderer; was that what Ragon was? She was just about ready to ask the question she had come here to, when she heard a loud popping noise. She had been so preoccupied with her thoughts, that she had not noticed Ragon opening the champagne and letting the cork fly off into the distance. For a while the sound reverberated off the building's roof. This was only silenced when Ragon had reached for her glass and began pouring; the splash of the fizzing alcohol stifling all other sounds. Sipping quickly at the liquid, Bell realised that only this morning she had been complaining of being hung-over, and yet here she sat, drinking champagne on top of the planetarium. 

"Are you hungry?" Ragon asked.

Bell thought for a moment, her mind recalling the delicious meals that had been served to the couples in the booths below. Yes she was hungry, but she felt uneasy at the thought of eating while her date sat and watched, and so she replied, "no, not really."

Ragon seemed satisfied, and moved his chair a little closer to her. There was something that he wanted to tell her, something that he needed to confess. But as he sat admiring her he realised that tonight was not the night for such revelations. He had thought that perhaps he would come clean about his past, but seeing the look in her eyes made him only want to satisfy her, not push her away; which his confession would surely do. So he continued to sip at the expensive bottle of champagne he had ordered, while wondering desperately what Bell was thinking. A few awkward moments greeted this silence, and Bell continued to indulge in her 'hair of the dog', building up the courage to ask Ragon about the diary entry she had read earlier that day. 

"Would you like to get closer?" Ragon asked.

Bell snorted in response, some of the champagne forcing its way down her trachea and she coughed loudly, as a few sparse drops of burning carbonated liquid forced their way out of her nose.

"Wh... what?" she blurted out, quickly retrieving the napkin besides her and dabbing at her mouth and nose.

"To the stars," Ragon said, indicating the large telescope off to the side.

To the stars! Offcourse to the stars, Bell thought to herself, nodding in response. 

Ragon moved quickly over to the large telescope and sat in one of the chairs, while Bell moved to another chair next to him. For a moment he fiddled with the focus and then finally pulled a constellation into focus. 

"Do you know much about stars or planets?" Ragon asked.

"No not really," she replied. 

Bell loved the stars and the moon; there was something sensual and romantic about the heavens. Yet she had never taken the time to research them; to learn the many names of the twinkling lights that shone down on her every night. As she looked into the telescope at the constellation Ragon had bought into focus, she lamented this fact. There was so much that she didn't know; so many things in heaven and hell: more than she might ever have thought possible. Didn't knowing Ragon prove this? He was a vampire, a walking, talking, breathing; well maybe not breathing; but he was real. If blood drinking night creatures were real, what else might be out there?

"This is the constellation Grandor. It is said that Grandor was the father of four lovely daughters, whose beauties were so great so as to challenge Aphrodite herself. Hearing of the girls, a jealous demon known as Lillith cursed the women. She gave each daughter a power so terrible, that they would never be able to find a love that would accept them. Distraught with misery, and unable to find their soul mates, the four girls died alone, with only their father to love them. The daughter's swore vengeance on Lillith." Ragon said, cutting Bell off from her thoughts and redirecting them to the constellation before her. 

Looking up, Bell saw the four smaller stars all focused around a larger central one. The stars were beautiful, each shining brightly in their own unique way, and adorned by the central star; whose glow though bright, was no match for theirs. Just off to the side of this was another large star. Bell couldn't be certain, but thought perhaps that this one had almost a greenish ting to it. Upon finishing his story, Ragon had glanced at Bell, who continued to stare mesmerised up at Grandor. He sat for a while admiring her like this, occasionally changing the settings on the telescope, so as to bring another star into focus for her to enjoy. 

When finally the last dregs of the champagne had been drunk by Bell, Ragon motioned for them to leave. He stood before her, pulling her chair out slightly so as to allow her to stand. Looking up at Ragon's eyes, Bell lost all thoughts. Only her desires to be with him played any role in her mind, and she leaned in just a fraction of a centimetre closer. Ragon saw her movements; felt her body pull towards his and her heart beat quicken. Reaching down boldly he placed both his hands on either side of her face, cupping her cheeks, and returned her longing look. Pulling her closer to him, he kissed her. It was a longing kiss, which Bell returned enthusiastically. Their tongues danced in each other's mouths, caressing each other adoringly. Bell wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted; just that she didn't want it to end. Ragon had removed his hands from her face and placed them behind her back, urging her forwards. Reaching up, Bell locked her hands around Ragon's neck, pulling his hair slightly, in a desperate attempt to get even closer to him. Never before had she had a kiss like this; never had her core been so struck that she felt weightless and absent to her surrounds. Ragon too was lost in euphoria; completely blinded by his need to be with Bell, until suddenly a horrible thought crossed his mind.




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 09



Feeling Ragon pull away Bell flinched.

Before Ragon could explain anything, Bell interrupted, "Wait, I need to know something. Before, when you were with Kiara, what were you like?"

Ragon stopped holding Bell instantly, his hands falling purposelessly at his sides. His gloomy eyes, which had only moments ago been so contented, locked onto Bell's in misery. 

"She created me," Ragon said, moving back to the table and sitting down, "and I did whatever she wanted. It doesn't make it right but..."

Bell cut him off asking, "does that include murdering fat stock brokers?" 

Empowered by the alcohol, she had spoken her mind so freely that she forgot to conceal that she had read his diary; instead selecting a few choice words to throw accusatorily at him. Now as she looked at Ragon's horrified glare, she saw that he knew what she had done. 

He did not berate her, as she though he might, but looked guilty as he said, "It was a time in my past that I am not proud of. I was a young vampire and blood was the closest thing I could get to happiness; so I took it. How much did you read?" Ragon asked.

"Enough," Bell responded.

She had only read the first page, but took advantage of his unknowing, desperate to know everything about him.

"Then you already know that I am a monster, why did you come here tonight?" Ragon asked.

"I wanted to know, I needed to know who you are," She replied.

"And so now you know," he said sadly, "the diary was mine, my hands wrote it."

He left her no chance to respond, simply retrieved her coat from behind her chair and moved over to the door. 

"Wait," Bell cried after his retreating back.

Ragon turned to face her. 

"Please tell me, I am so confused about all of this. I don't know any better than to be horrified," she said sadly, "it's always someone else who tells me about being a vampire and what it all means! I have been living with you for ages, I don't contact any of my friends; there's basically nothing left of my old life. All I want is to talk to you; for you to treat me like someone other than a person you are stuck with." 

"If you knew more you would hate me," Ragon said flatly.

"Maybe," Bell replied before adding, "But at least I wouldn't sit here wondering what the hell is going on half the time. Do you know right now that there are ten bodies in the morgue and police are looking for their killers? Half of them you killed! You can't just keep me away from everything I have ever known and not expect me to ask questions. I want to know you, to know about what it is to be you. I can't just be your pet for the rest of my life."

"You think yourself as my pet?" Ragon asked incredulously, and when Bell didn't respond he continued. "There are things in my past, things that I can't change, but anything you ask me I will tell you. I will be honest; I won't lie to you." 

Bell resumed her seat next to Ragon. Now was her chance to find out everything she had ever wanted to know about him and his being a vampire. Bell pulled out the mental list she had been editing since first she had met him. 

"When did you become a vampire?" Bell asked, thinking a nice easy question would be a good place to start. 

"In 1815," Ragon replied.

"And Kiara turned you?" she asked.

He nodded.

"How?" Bell asked curiously.

"It's relatively simple actually. Any mortal at the point of death can be changed; although it doesn't work every time. Sometimes, for whatever reason, vampirism doesn't take. To be changed a mortal must be so close to death that only becoming a vampire can save them. That is that medicine will have little effect. Basically they must be dying; a run of the mill flu isn't going to cut it. And because the mortal must be close to death, then if the vampirism doesn't take, they are likely to die, which is probably why so many losses ensue," Ragon replied.

Bell considered his words, "So anyone can become a vampire?" she asked.

Ragon nodded, saying, "Although few would choose it if they knew the cost."

"You mean having to drink blood?" Bell asked.

"Yes that, and the other requirements of immortality," he said, and seeing Bell's curious look, added, "such as intolerance to sun and having to remain in the shadows for all eternity as well as the inevitable loose of humanity."

"And your diary," Bell asked sheepishly, "Were you really that cruel?"

"I hunted almost anything with a pulse," he said, "but I couldn't kill children; it seemed I still retained enough of my mortality to keep that one quality."

"So why not stay with Kiara, killing everyone but children, why not continue the life you were living?" Bell asked.

Ragon had been waiting for this question, fearing it above all others. This was the confession he had meat to make to her when he had broken off from kissing her. He decided now that he would only tell her as much as she needed to know. He couldn't lose her; he wouldn't lose her.

"Because she did something, something that broke me from my blind obedience to her and let me see what a monster I had become," Ragon said.

"What?" Bell asked curiously.

"In the early 1930's I left her once, and lived with Sandra, Thomas, Larissa and Cambridge for a time. For decades I did not speak to Kiara, never sought her out. Then one night many decades later I came across her. She promised me that things would be different. She remembered that when we'd been together I had craved humanity. It wasn't until I followed her back to her residence, that I her cruel plan was revealed. When I got there, there was a child that she had taken. I think she thought, that by stealing the babe we could be whole once more; like a family," Ragon said.

"And that didn't work?" Bell asked.

"No. It was probably the only thing that she could have done to ensure I left her forever," Ragon replied. 

"You know," Bell said, "it's nice just talking to you. Not having to wonder which crazy person you will have to save me from; just having a somewhat regular conversation."

Bell smiled then, it was a warm smile; a smile which portrayed her contentment. Ragon had been honest with her; he had talked to her and at this thought she laughed, comparing this first date to her other experiences with men. Though she was 24 years old, she had been on only a few first dates; and even less second or subsequent dates. The last date she had been on was with Michael, a boy from her uni, who was in the year above her. He had taken her to dinner and then to see a movie. They had watched some boring romance, 'He likes me', and spent the entire film trying to shove his tongue down her throat. She had not phoned him back after that; but laughed fondly at the memory, comparing Michael's actions to Ragon's. 

"Can I ask you a question?" Ragon asked, but not waiting for Bell's reply said, "What happened to your parents?"

Bell blinked a few times at this question. It was so far from anything she might have expected that she found herself completely speechless. The smile from only moments ago was now completely absent from her face. 

After hesitating for a moment she said, "I suppose it's only fair that I answer your invasive question after you have answered mine." Bell sighed and said, "not much, they died when I was a baby, and I had no family to take me in and tell me about them. I went into foster care and spent the next sixteen years jumping from family to family and living out of a garbage bag. When I turned 18 I moved into my own place and applied for college." 

Bell didn't find the conversation involving her parent's particularly enjoyable. The truth was that if she stopped and thought about them for too long it upset her. Their lives and deaths were a complete mystery. When Bell was old enough to ask the foster families who had taken her in what had happened, they all told her the same thing. She had basically been dumped on the doorstep of an adoption centre. 

"Why are you so afraid of the vampires who invited us to their Halloween party?" Bell asked, wanting desperately to change the topic.

Ragon looked at her concerned. He didn't like that Bell thought of him as being afraid. It was true though. He was terrified, not for himself, but for her. Still, he didn't want to alarm her, his answer must be honest but not too honest.

"William and Nikolas are elders in our world. They are basically like royalty. They are in charge, or rather if someone does something wrong than they are responsible for overseeing any punishment," Ragon replied.

"Punishment?" Bell asked, gulping. 

As she spoke, she had reached nervously for her glass and sipped from it, before remembering that it had been empty for ages. She must be drunk! Ragon had noticed her movements, and quickly raced towards the roof exit, pushing the door open and disappearing through it. A moment later and he had returned; a new bottle of white wine in his hands. He opened the bottle, smiling down at Bell and poured a mouthful into her glass.

"Iz et to Mademoiselle's liking?" Ragon asked, imitating a French accent, and waiting eagerly for Bell to try the wine, as his hands imitated curling a moustache. 

Bell picked up the glass and held it up to the light cast down by the stars. She then smelt the liquid, breathing in the slightly intoxicating fumes a little too deeply and coughing. Finally she took a mouthful of wine, swished it around, and then swallowed. She smiled up at Ragon in response, and he filled her glass to the rim. 

The light-hearted moment had almost completely expelled Bell's thoughts about Nicholas and William. Yet as she took another sip of the delicious fruity wine, the phrase punishment, came swimming back into her mind, and their previous conversation came flooding with it.

"You were saying?" Bell asked.

Ragon frowned for only a moment, "They are responsible for certain law enforcement, although they are rarely called on, more than anything they act as a warning. Keep our existence a secret; or else," Ragon said dramatically.

Bell could sense that Ragon didn't want to elaborate; she wanted desperately to know more but not at the expense of him possibly clamming up. She made a mental note to ask Sandra or Larissa about the Elders; tonight was going far too well to ruin it with talk of punishments.

"So basically they are like really old policemen?" Bell asked jokingly.

"Yea, I guess you could say that," Ragon agreed, before adding, "although as you will most probably meet them in a few days, I would advise against it."

"Right," Bell said laughing a little.

It felt like a lifetime since her and Ragon had kissed. She could remember the moment, as though it was off in the distance, but too far away to focus on. Taking another large gulp of the wine Ragon had bought to her, she let the alcohol fuel her will, and boldly placed her hand on the table; hoping Ragon might interpret this as a sign for him to make a move. 

A few minutes of silence followed this. Bell wanted to ask Ragon what he felt about her, why he had asked her on this date, what their kiss had meant... and so many other personal questions. 

"So what happens now?" Bell asked.

She liked the multi meaning of her question, and sat waiting for Ragon to answer.

Ragon cocked his head to one side saying, "I thought that would have been obvious."

Bell was frustrated; Ragon had answered her question with an equally ominous response, leaving the interpretation back to her. She was instantly reminded of a tennis match; the ball was in her court.

In response Bell fluttered her eyelids a few times, hoping to portray a sense of innocence, but did not answer him. In truth she wasn't too sure what she would say if Ragon asked her to be his girlfriend. Did vampires date mortals? What happened if they broke up? Would she be disassociated or worse? So many questions; all of which were best to be asked, when Bells head wasn't floating around the night sky thanks to the bubbles from their first bottle of champagne. 

"Well," Ragon said when it became obvious to him that Bell was not going to jest with him any further, "I think that it is getting late, the restaurant will be shutting soon, and I want to get you back to the safety of the house."

Bell nodded, and allowed Ragon to sweep behind her and pull her chair out. She glanced back at the large telescope that adorned the roof and then glanced up to the stars. Just off in the distance towards the West she could make out Grandor, and the five twinkling stars which adorned it, recalling the legend behind the constellation. As Bell walked down the steep roof access stairway, she realised how late it must be. Almost all of the previously full booths on the main floor of the planetarium were now empty; with their tables set anew for tomorrow night's guests. As they walked towards the grand staircases that lead to the car park, Ragon was greeted once again by the moustached man, who shook his hand again. Bell thought that there was a look of disappointment in his eyes, as he returned his hand to his pocket, this time with nothing in it. 

*** 

When Bell and Ragon finally arrive home it was nearly 2am and Bell had fallen asleep in the car, her head slumped up against the window, partly cradled by her seat belt. Bell had been exhausted, having gotten up so early that day. When the car finally came to a stop inside the garage, Ragon gently picked her up and carried her inside. Expertly he opened her bedroom door and placed her on top of the bed, the large wooden four-poster barely creaking as he laid her under the crisp white linen sheets. Though he had seen her naked before, there was something sinister about removing her clothing without her permission, with this in mind he left her in her outfit. 

His hands gripped tight at the white cover with detailed green leaf embroidery as he pulled it up to cover her. He wanted her desperately to take her, to whisper gently in her ear that he needed her, and to spend the rest of the night making love to her. Instead, still gripping the sheets overly hard, he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. It wasn't the goodnight kiss he had had in mind half an hour ago; but in many ways it was better. It felt innocent and humbling in a way that Ragon hadn't felt since becoming a vampire. With that in mind, he released the bed sheets and left. Bell was so exhausted that she did not even stir when Ragon eased away from the bed. He smiled to himself, admiring how beautiful she was while she slept, then noiselessly closed the door behind him. As he did so he heard something in the house which caught his attention. He then then raced off to the library to investigate the foreign sound. If he had a heart beat it would have been pounding, if not screaming in his chest, urging him on-wards; there was another vampire in his house.

To be continued...  



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 10



Thank you to the wonderful MaxMars for help with editing! You are amazing. Thanks also to all the people taking the time to read this! Love your comments! 

CHAPTER 10-A LAST MINUTE GUEST

"I guess that date night didn't go that well?" Clyde asked obnoxiously the next day.

Bell had awakened a little earlier than the vampires the following evening. She had been desperate to speak with Ragon about last night, and eager to apologise for falling asleep in their car ride home. When she had heard someone rounding the corner from the hallway, she had looked up expectantly, hoping to see Ragon, but instead had met eyes with Clyde. It was difficult for her to hide her eager expression, and Clyde didn't miss the way her face had fallen when he had seen her. It was this more than anything which fuelled his comment. 

"What makes you say that?" Bell asked indifferently.

"Well you two slept in different rooms," Clyde responded coolly.

Bell wanted to retort, but Clyde was correct, not about their date not going well, but about her and Ragon sleeping in different rooms. Still was that a bad thing? She wasn't the sort of girl to jump into bed with a guy or vampire after the first date. Still perhaps if she had not of passed out so early then she would have slept in the same bed with him; hell who was she kidding? She probably would have slept with him. Bell decided against replying to Clyde. She didn't feel like getting into an argument with him; least of all about this. 

Clyde realised this quickly, and deciding not to press the matter, instead asked, "Have you met our latest coven member?"

Bell blinked a few times, as if ensuring the words she had heard were correct.

"What- another one? How many vampires are living here now?" Bell asked.

From behind her, in the living room, a distinctively male voice with a slight lisp replied, "Well that's easy, 7 vampires plus 1 fabulous one; so I guess that makes 8!"

Bell turned to see the 8th member of the coven. He was average height and size with light mouse blonde hair, parted slightly off to the side. His large green eyes and long eyelashes seemed to compliment his outfit, which consisted of a pair of long green casual slacks, a white sleeve shirt rolled up to his elbows, and an olive green patchwork vest done up. Bell knew instantly from his mannerisms, and the way he came over and kissed her on either cheek before admiring her nail polish, that he was gay. 

"I am Patrick Handers, but you my dear, may call me Patrick," he said, bowing slightly and pretending to remove an invisible hat and hold it to his heart. 

Bell blinked a few times, staring back at the flamboyant vampire. After only a moment or two of disbelief she smiled warmly back. Why wouldn't vampires be gay? She thought to herself. 

"What took you so long?" Clyde asked, moving over to Patrick and slapping him on the back before adding, "Ragon and I thought that you wouldn't be able to make it."

"I was away when Ragon's request arrived at my residency in Prague. As soon as I returned to it I left immediately. Alas, I thought I would be too late to be of any use. Yet now as I see the charming Bell, I am glad that my journey has not been in vain," Patrick said, smiling at Bell widely, his small straight teeth gleaming at her. 

Bell was picturing the house, trying to recall if there were enough bedrooms for everyone to sleep in. How many more vampires were coming here to babysit her? She thought if she asked this out loud she may sound rude, so she bit her bottom lip, and made yet another mental note to ask Ragon or one of the girls exactly who was on the party list.

"But you're here now and that's all that matters," Ragon said, sweeping over to Patrick as he spoke, then turning to Bell, a large wide smile plastered all over his face. 

Bell couldn't help but return the smile. It made her incredibly happy that he was so obviously pleased. She thought for a moment that perhaps it was because of her, but she dismissed this almost instantly. Their date had been hours ago, and she had fallen asleep at the end of it. He was clearly glad that one of his friends was here. 

"Well I a famished, and desperate to go out for dinner," Patrick said, his hand poised ever so slightly outwards, in an overtly gay gesture. 

"We haven't had a great experience clubbing with Bell," Ragon said once.

His words were light hearted but his tone was like ice. He meant to make sure that if they all intended to go out tonight then Bell would not be left unattended; not even for a moment. Already too many close calls had occurred; he wouldn't risk it again. Before anyone could reply, Patrick ran over to Bell, moving impossibly fast, so that when he was next to her, he took her hand in his and said, "I won't let her out of my sight. Oh please- there is this club in Brisbane called Fuzzies; it's supposed to have topless waiters," he exclaimed. 

Bell had heard of Fuzzies. It was the City's premier gay club. She had not been there before but she had heard of its many hilarities and unusual events. She couldn't help but smile as Patrick continued to beg for approval, all the while holding onto Bell's hand for dear life. A few moments passed and she felt Patrick's hands release hers. 

A second later and both of his index fingers were pulling her mouth into a large fake smile and he asked, "You see how happy this would make her?".

After that Bell couldn't help but laugh and Sandra and Larissa quickly joined in. There was something refreshing and light heartening about Patrick that made him so unusual and different to the rest of the coven. Her warm laughter flittered over to Ragon and he had no chance of refusing her. In fact he himself was smiling as he nodded his head. Patrick was surprised but delighted.

He took Bell's hand in his and kissed it once saying, "My dear, I approve. I can see the lightness on Ragon's face just by you being here."

Clyde snorted out loud at this. Both Bell and Patrick stared plainly at Clyde, but he smiled back in a fake disbelieving way. 

"So it is settled?" Larissa chimed in, wanting to disparage the protests before they had any ground to stand on.

Larissa had not fed since the last clubbing experience and she, like her mate was hungry. The group quickly agreed, and Larissa and Sandra raced each other to the bathroom screaming, "hot water," on their way. 

Sameth, who Bell had thought seemed to be a little quieter than usual, moved over to the veranda, and pouring himself a large glass of brandy, began sipping it. He was quickly joined by the other males in the house, but when Ragon made to move over to the door, Bell caught his hand to stop him. 

Bell looked at Ragon. She wanted to talk to him about their date, maybe break the water about the possibility of a second date, but looking at him now, she knew she was too shy. Almost immediately after reaching for his hand to get his attention, she dropped it. Perhaps if she had of had a few glasses of wine, or a shot of something stronger than she would have had the courage to. But she was entirely sober, ergo, gutless.

"So is this everyone, or are there more vampires coming out of the closet?" Bell asked. 

As soon as Bell had spoken she blushed, "Wait; that came out wrong. I mean, are there even enough rooms in the house for everyone?"

Ragon was laughing when he said, "Patrick will be staying in a coffin in the living room."

"What?" Bell exclaimed, and when she saw Ragon laughing even louder, she scowled at him saying, "Very funny."

Bell was still glaring when Ragon took her hand. She blinked dumbstruck, unable to move. Suddenly she felt Ragon was interlocking his fingers within hers. Neither spoke, but Bell used her thumb to rub softly over Ragon's cool hard skin, admiring the texture of it. At her touch Ragon smiled. He felt as if he had been rewarded for making the first move. It was amazing how such innocent gestures struck them. Both felt elated at the other's touch, as if they had spent their entire lives searching for this connection. At the same time, their union was so unlikely, as to be laughable. A mortal and a vampire, what happened to not playing with your food? It was ironic, each hoped the other wasn't thinking this; that they couldn't be together, and yet each thought it all the time. Bell, because deep down all she wanted was a normal life, with parents that were still alive; and Ragon because he knew that being a vampire meant living in the darkness forever, and that was something he wouldn't want for anyone. Still, as they held hands these thoughts were lost to them. At that moment, all the pair considered was how right they felt.

***

Fuzzies was exactly as Bell had expected it to be. The moment they had been granted admission by the tall gorgeous black bouncer and the skinny short haired hostess, it was painfully obvious that they were in a gay bar. Immediately Patrick had run to the dance floor and begun boogying with a younger guy, who after seeing Patrick had smiled widely in return. 

"Well I am going to need a drink," Clyde said, moving instantly over to the bar and returning a moment later with a drink in either hand. 

"You shouldn't have," Larissa said, sweeping over and relieving him of the spare bourbon and coke in his left hand. 

"I didn't," Clyde replied, but only after Larissa had stolen his second drink.

Ragon was smiling at the pair when he turned to Bell and asked, "Something to drink?"

Bell nodded enthusiastically: she needed it. 

Though Patrick had danced for almost an hour, when he returned to the group he wasn't red in the face, nor was there a single bead of sweat on him: he looked perfect. It had been organised that half the coven would hunt while the other half babysat Bell. Ragon had spoken about this earlier with the group, when Bell had not been around to protest. Larissa, Sandra, Thomas and Cambridge were the first to feed. Each had found a partner on the dance floor and would take them into the bathrooms, borrow some blood, and then disassociated them afterwards.

"So what are we doing for Halloween?" Patrick asked excitedly, sipping on a martini glass full of fruit, and a dark red liquid.

Bell eyed the drink mysteriously, her eyes narrowed. She wasn't entirely certain, but she didn't think that they served Bloody Marys at the bar with actual blood in it. Her preoccupation with Patrick's beverage had completely distracted her from their conversation. As soon as she turned to face Ragon however, she knew that Patrick must have said something important. Ragon and Clyde were exchanging worried looks.

"What?" Patrick asked, also not missing the look between the pair.

"Nikolas and William invited us to one of their balls," Ragon said.

"We're all going," Clyde added.

"All of you? Oh well, you can't refuse them. I guess it is a good thing that one of the coven arrived late. Now I'll be able to keep an eye on Bell tomorrow night." Patrick said, before returning to his drink and sucking hard on the thick liquid in the glass.

"Actually Bell was invited too," Ragon said blankly.

Patrick's eyebrows were instantly halfway up his forehead. His eyes were wide and the straw which had been in his mouth previously had fallen out. 

"Excuse me?" Patrick asked. His eyes were plastered on Bell, looking her up and down incredulously, "Bell was invited? Her name was actually on the invitation?" 

Clyde nodded. 

"I thought mortals were mainly invited as..." Patrick began to say but Ragon cut him off.

"That's enough," Ragon growled.

Patrick looked a little surprised, but moved over to the bar to get another drink, making it painfully obvious that he did not appreciate being yelled at.

"God I'm thirsty!" Clyde said, his eyes locked on a girl opposite him, "when, the hell, are the others going to get back?"

"I need some air," Ragon said, ignoring Clyde entirely. 

Bell, Clyde and Sameth followed Ragon out to the smoking area of the club; Clyde dragging his feet as he left the girl alone. 

She didn't know how lucky she was, Bell thought. 

Bell had to admit the club was beautiful. The dancing area was adorned by a small stage on one side where the DJ sat and a large bar which stretched the entire length of the club. A small hallway serviced the bathrooms and a walkway that lead to the outside smoking area they were heading towards. The outside area was paved, and a small set of stairs led to an elevated garden area, where palms and a large water feature masked the cigarette smoke being blown by the patrons into the air. Bell and Ragon had sat so that they were facing each other, while Sameth and Clyde were puffing on cigarettes, with their eyes on a large group of girls nearby. The group had been talking small talk for a while. This mainly consisted of Clyde making obscene comments about the girls across the club from where they sat, and Bell rolling his eyes at him. She guessed they had been at the club for at least 2 hours by now, and Sandra and the rest of them still had not returned. Bell was just about to ask Ragon why he hadn't fed yet, when a loud scream caught her attention. 

"Bell!" A male voice screamed.

Bell turned to look around, and spying the stairs saw someone she recognised. 

"Ryder," Bell said back loudly, trying to be heard over the music.

In an instant she had jumped up from the bench she had been sitting on, and ran over to her childhood friend. Ryder was one year younger than her, making him 23. He had a pleasant oval face, which in the past had been filled with puppy fat, but now was drawn tight across high cheek bones and a prominent chin. His dark brown hair was parted to the left, and like Bell, he had blue eyes. He had no facial hair at all, but was clean shaven, and though his skin was pale now, Bell knew that if he went into the sun much at all, his entire face would be highlighted by freckles. 

"Long time, no see," Ryder said, hugging her quickly and then releasing her. 

This was very true. For about ten months, when Bell was in 9th grade, Ryder had been her foster brother. Ryder Reid was the only son of Susan and Harold Reid. The couple owned a struggling wedding business, and had decided to foster a child; hoping that the additional government allowances they would receive might help supplement their income. Being with the Reid's was probably the closest time in Bell's life that she felt part of a family. This had nothing to do with her foster parents, and everything to do with Ryder. She wasn't sure what it was. Everywhere the pair went people thought they were brother and sister. Maybe it was because they both had blue eyes and brown hair. Or maybe it was because they were two peas in pod? Either way, Bell loved feeling like she had a brother. She had never been formally adopted by the Reids, only fostered, which made it easy for them to return her when they realised they no longer wanted to look after another child. Still, being returned by parents who didn't want her may not have been the best thing to happen to her, but it certainly wasn't the worst. Bell had never been fortunate enough to be adopted. Each time she had gone to a new family hopeful, and each time she had left disappointed. After her stint with the Reid's, Bell would never again risk hoping for a family of her own. Loosing Ryder had stung her deeply, and the appeal of connecting with a new family, did not outweigh the chance of eventually losing them. Instead, when her next family, the Applebes, took her in, Bell closed herself off from them, and kept them at arm's length. She had begged them to let her take a part time job so that she could save money. When she finally turned 18 years old, she had enough savings so that she would never again have to feel the sting of rejection. But Bell was not angry with Ryder anymore. For years she had been annoyed that he had not fought his parents on their decision. But eventually this emotion had been replaced by sadness and loss; she just missed him. Bell looked at Ryder now, glancing at his black dress pants and pink shirt. 

"I didn't know you were gay?" she said a little boldly. 

Once again she must have partaken in too much alcohol; her statement was testimony to that. 

Ryder laughed out loud, "neither do my parents," he said, clinking glasses with her, before sweeping her into a warm embrace and kissing her once on each cheek. 

Bell smiled in return. She was surprised at how happy she was to see him and took him by the arm, forcing him to follow her. 

"Wow," Ryder said, his eyes locking on Clyde and Ragon, "please tell me we are walking towards those two," he said pointing at the pair. 

Bell smiled and the alcohol gave her laugh a thick rich sound as she nodded her head. As soon as they were within reaching distance of Ragon he stood.

"This is Ryder," Bell said introducing him, "I lived with his family for a while back in high school." 

Ryder shook hands with Clyde first, and Bell said. "That's Clyde, he's a good friend of Ragon's." Ryder moved next to Ragon, and Bell said. "And this is Ragon." She had wanted to follow her statement with something. Like; 'and this is Ragon my gorgeous boyfriend'. But she knew all that she could really say was; and this is Ragon, we went out for dinner last night and kissed oh and he is a vampire. She decided not to give Ragon a description. There was no way in heaven or hell that she was going to be the one to presume that they were together.

When Bell looked back over to Ryder, she saw that his tongue was practically falling out of his head. Turning quickly to see what he was looking at, bell locked eyes with Patrick; walking up the stairs and moving over to the group. Like Ryder, Patrick was making no effort to look as if he weren't ogling Ryder. Behind him, Sandra and Thomas, and Larissa and Cambridge followed him. 

As soon as Patrick had reached the group he leaned his chin on Bell's shoulder and looking dotingly at Ryder asked, "and who might this be?"

Bell opened her mouth to reply, but before she could Ryder had said, "Ryder."

Patrick smiled warmly in reply. 

"Well Ryder, want to get a drink, maybe stretch your legs on the dance floor?" Patrick asked. 

"Sorry, I don't talk to strangers," Ryder replied smiling. 

Clearly ten years hadn't stopped him from being a smart ass

"Well why don't you take the time to get to know me? I'm Patrick," he said.

Ryder shrugged, but then followed Patrick back down the stairs, glancing back at Bell; a huge grin taking over his face. Clearly mind games were as much a part of Patrick's relationships as they were Ragon's. It wasn't until Patrick turned back to smile at Bell, that she realised what was wrong with this situation.

"Holly hell," Bell said, taking Ragon by the elbow, "Is Patrick going to kill Ryder?" 

"Keep your voice down," Ragon said, moving her fingers from his elbow and intertwining them with his own. "He's not going to kill him," Ragon added.

"But..." Bell began.

"But nothing sugar," Sandra said. 

Her cheeks were pink and flushed, and Bell thought that the four of them must have fed. The group of four had appeared suddenly behind her, and she had been a little startled by both their appearance and Sandra's harsh words. She didn't understand why they were so shocked that she would suspect a vampire of biting someone. Wasn't that why they were here? Did they really think that she wouldn't stop them from attacking a friend of hers?

Bell scoffed at Ragon, and pulled her hand out of his, "Don't," she said, storming off to follow Patrick and Ryder.

Ragon waited a few moments before following her. He didn't want to restrain her in any way, and knew that if she felt watched she might rebel against him. That being said, there was no way he was letting her out of his sight. He wasn't about to make that mistake again. As he stalked behind her, Ragon watched in horror at the interest she drew. Everywhere she went she was watched. It was as if she were incapable of being ignored. Ragon stared at her, much like the other men around them. She wasn't wearing a revealing outfit, in fact if anything she was dressed rather PG for a nightclub. Her long black dress almost met the floor, with only her heels and black painted toenails peeking out from underneath. Bell's long brown hair covered most of her arms, which the shoestring straps of her dress threatened to reveal. Her dress was in no way low cut, although the small necklace that she wore drew more attention to her chest than Ragon would have liked. Still, he could hardly criticise this; especially compared to the rest of the women around him. He glanced for the shortest of moments at the woman to his right. She looked to be about 28 and was staring shamelessly at him, slight smudges of mascara highlighting the bags under her eyes. She leered towards him, bending forwards slightly, so as to show off her breasts. 




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 10



"Nice," Bell said. 

She had felt Ragon behind her from the instant she had left. At first she was going to berate him for treating her like a child, but now as she stood facing him she felt sick with jealously.

"Wait..." Ragon yelled, watching Bell increase her pace as she searched the club for Ryder.

Bell held her hand up behind her head dismissing him, but instantly felt his hand grasp hers. 

"Let go of me," she said, trying to shake him away.

He wouldn't give up that easily. He wanted to explain that he wasn't looking at the loose women around him, rather comparing Bell's virtue to theirs. But trying to find these words, with the music blaring in his ears and Bell's razor sharp eyes burning into him was impossible. 

"I... It's just that... Your so..." he mumbled, unable to defend himself. 

"Is there a problem here?" a man's voice asked. 

Instantly Ragon released Bell. The man who was now standing in front of him was taller than he was, and looked as if he were addicted to a range of steroids. Every muscle in his body seemed to be hypertrophied, giving him the appearance of someone who'd had an allergic reaction to a bee attack. 

"No," Ragon said.

He had to fight hard to keep the growl out of his voice. It angered him more than anything else; someone thinking that he was hurting Bell. It was so inconceivably frustrating to have this swollen mortal moron staring up at him, thinking that he had some chance of beating him in a fight. But Ragon had no intention of fighting tonight. He would not risk being separated from Bell for the temporary pleasure of teaching this baboon a lesson. The body building junkie made to move towards him, but Bell stepped between the two.

"It's ok," she said, placing one open palm against his chest and stopping him dead in his tracks. 

The man stared down to Bell's hand. He seemed to contemplate resisting her. His eyes were screwed up and his lips were thin. For a few seconds he remained like this, torn, between his two options. Finally he walked away.

"So you're saving me now?" Ragon joked.

Bell was still too furious to speak to him, and she brushed past him searching for Ryder. Finally, after pacing the club twice she found Ryder and Patrick in a small intimate booth. She blushed as the two men sat whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears and kissing. It was probably the first time she had seen two men making out, and for a moment she watched, unable to hide her curiosity. 

"Err... What's up Bell?" Ryder asked, breaking away from Patrick to stare up at her.

Bell was speechless. What the hell was she meant to say?

Ohh I just wanted to make sure that Patrick hadn't ripped your throat out and drunk your blood? Bell thought to herself. No! Defiantly too cabernet.

Suddenly Ragon's voice cut across Bell's stammering's, "actually we are heading back, and wondered if you were coming?" he asked. 

Both Bell and Patrick stared at Ragon. Was he seriously bailing her out of this after she had been so rude to him?

"So soon?" Patrick asked, his voice failing to hide its serious tone.

Ragon nodded in reply. 

"But I thought that you and Clyde were still hungry?" Patrick asked, his eyebrows narrowing on this last word, clearly hinting at something else.

Bell didn't miss the double meaning, but Ryder, who was now staring at Patrick in awe, didn't bash an eyelid at it. 

"I've lost my appetite, and it won't kill Clyde to miss a meal," Ragon said flatly.

Patrick looked from Ragon and back to Bell, saying, "but the night is so young."

"Then stay out. Bell and I will head back with the others. Sameth and Clyde may remain," Ragon said. Patrick considered his words for a moment, brushing his hand over his charcoal vest in contemplation. 

When Patrick didn't say anything after a moment Bell moved close to Ryder saying, "what's your cell number?"

She had thought of taking his number and phoning him later on tonight to make sure that nothing did happen to him. But the instant that she had asked, she remembered that she didn't have a phone. That had been one of the first things she had realised had been missing since the first night she had met Ragon.

"Here," Ragon said, retrieving a small black iphone from his pocket and handing it to her. 

Bell blinked a few times. It had been ages since she had seen a cell phone. For a moment she held the small metallic object in her hands, as if reacquainting herself with technology. 

"0413 456 879," Ryder said. 

Bell quickly found the contact section, and punched in these numbers under Ryder's name.

She didn't immediately hand back his phone. For a moment she contemplated checking his contact list and seeing what messages he had sent and the phone calls he has made. But almost instantly she dismissed that. That was crazy girlfriend-101.

"What's going on?" a voice asked. 

Bell turned around to see Clyde and the rest of the coven flanked behind him. 

"Were leaving," Ragon said. 

"What?" Clyde asked. 

His tone was angered, as if not feeding had left him hungry and mad. Ragon knew that when Clyde didn't eat, he got grumpy. 

"I can take Bell back, you and Sameth can stay and..." Ragon said, quickly glancing at Ryder before adding, "enjoy yourselves."

Clyde seemed to consider his words for a moment. 

"I'm staying," Clyde said, and Sameth nodded in agreement. 

"Well we will head back with you sugar," Sandra said, looking at Larissa and Cambridge for agreement. 

Before they could nod their heads however, Bell had moved over to the two girls, grabbed their arms and pulled them into a corner.

"What's wrong?" Larissa asked. 

"I need you to do me a favour," Bell said.

Both girls exchanged worried looks, but allowed her to continue.

"Can you, err, stay here?" Bell asked.

Larissa looked knowingly at her, and Sandra smiled widely, stealing the fastest of peaks at Ragon, before nodding her head. 

"I need you to make sure that Patrick doesn't bite Ryder," Bell said. 

Larissa and Sandra were staring at Bell now. Both had thought that the girl had wanted alone time with Ragon, but they had been wrong. 

"You want us to stop Patrick from feeding from him?" Larissa asked her eyebrow's raised. 

Bell considered her words, "yep, that's pretty much the gist of it," she said.

"Bell, it's not really our custom to go around and berate other vamps from feeding from mortals. I mean, hell we all do it. It kind of makes us..." Larissa said, pausing while contemplating the right word.

"Hypocritical," Sandra replied.

Bell was staring at the two in disbelief. 

"Please," she said imploringly, "I just don't want him to get hurt."

Sandra sighed, "I'll talk to Patrick. There are plenty of other guys in here that he can sink his teeth into."

Bell's face went white at her words.

"Don't worry honey," Sandra said, seeing the colour drain out of Bells cheeks, "Larissa and I can be very persuading."

Ragon and Bell drove home in silence after that. Bell was still mad at him, and Ragon tried desperately to think of a way to talk to her. As soon as the engine switched off, Ragon made to open Bell's door, but she had been expecting this and had jumped out almost as soon as the car had stopped. AS she did not have a key to the front door, she had to wait for him to unlock it before she could enter the house. 

"I'm sorry," Ragon said once the pair had entered the house.

Bell turned to face him. She could tell that he meant what he said. 

"Why?" Bell asked, "it's not like we are together. You don't have to do what I say."

The words had slipped out of her mouth before she even knew she was saying them. This was most probably attributed to the alcohol. Ragon was staring at her ashamed. What the hell was he supposed to say to that?

"Is that what you want?" Ragon asked, "for us to be together."

He had done it again; turned the conversation entirely back on her. She wasn't going to play this time.

"How about you tell me what you want for once" she replied. 

In an instant he was next to her. His breathing was fast and erratic, while hers had completely stopped. She was afraid that if she did anything he might stop. Her eyes were plastered on his, and she felt him reach for her hand, and once again intertwine their fingers together. As soon as they were locked like this her eyes closed. It felt so wonderful, that even this most humble of gestures swept her off her feet. With her eyes still closed, she felt Ragon lean in close to her, taking the strains of hair that covered her left ear in his hand and brushing them behind her shoulder. 

"What I want," he breathed into her ear, "is you."

Suddenly Bell's body was on fire. She felt as though she were being engulfed by flames, as tiny electric impulses surged in symphony from every neuron in her body. This spasm of excitement ran havoc all over her body; her sympathetic nervous system pushing her into fight or flight mode, while her body secreted copious amounts of adrenaline. Her toes curled in response to wave after wave of tingling sensations accosting her extremities. Her heart was pumping so erratically that for one horrifying moment, she thought she might have a heart attack. Ragon had felt this change in cardiac rhythm; had heard her heart race in her chest; faster than ever before; faster even than when she had been attacked the night he had saved, her all those weeks ago. He did the only thing he could think of; the only thing he wanted to... He kissed her. 

Her heart hastened in response, and Ragon, hearing the sudden increase, his thought was to pull away. But then Bell's hands were in his hair, and she was dragging him closer. He moved obediently towards her, pressing his hard body up against her soft one and slamming her into the wall behind her. Rather than being hurt, Bell jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck. Ragon supported her like this easily. One of his hands was gripped tight around her neck, cupping her head so as to kiss her more fully. Their tongues were dancing in each other's mouths, and just when Bell thought that this couldn't possibly get any better, she felt his erection press against her stomach; throwing her into another wave of excitement. 

Ragon's hands were still intertwined in Bell's hair, pulling her head back, so as to angle her mouth and expose her neck, bitting hard on her lip as he did so. For a moment she had moved one of her hands from around his neck, and made to place it on his back but Ragon had reached for it and thrown it above her head, pinning it to the wall behind her. Just then he began kissing softly down from her lips and to her neck. The feel of his lips at the crook of her neck was amazing. 

Oh God, she thought to herself, feeling an uncontrollable desire to tear his clothes from him. 

Her unrestrained hand made to undo the black tie of her dress, but Ragon took the hand that fumbled for the strings, and threw it behind her to join her other hand. He had no trouble at all restraining both her hands with only one of his, and took this opportunity to kiss her hard again on the lips, while one hand dragged her dress upwards, revealing a thigh. His fingers were pressed hard against her leg, almost too hard. Once again he was kissing her neck, and lovingly prying her legs further apart, so that she straddled him more fully, his erection pressed up hard against her crotch her molten core. She felt her body move in a rhythmic riding motion, pressing herself into him hard, and feeling herself become wetter and wetter. His hand had made to dive in between her legs, but suddenly he stopped. For a moment his whole body went rigid and then he threw Bell to the ground. 

"Stop!" Ragon yelled. 

"Wh... What?" Bell stammered.

Her eyes were wide in horror. His words had been more of a growl than a sentence, but Bell obeyed his command instantly frozen in place on the floor below him; her chest still heaving with the excitement. Suddenly she gasped; her eyes locked on Ragon's fangs. They were protruding from his mouth. She tried to blink but couldn't; simply stared up at him, his white fangs stealing centre stage. It seemed her mortal body would not let her look away, and so she stared horrified at him. 

"I have to go," Ragon said, and ran from the house, out onto the veranda, and into the night. 

***

It was only fifteen minutes or so, before the rest of the coven arrived home. A car had skidded into the driveway followed by four very fast doors slamming. Patrick was singing loudly to himself and the rest of the group were clearly trying to shut him up, while hurrying to get inside. 

"Aren't you the one who tried to hurt me with your lies, you think I'll crumble..." Patrick sung.

"Enough," Sameth said, moving over to Patrick who had just walked through the front door and placing some gaffe tape over his mouth. 

"Now where did you get that?" Sandra asked smiling.

"You never know when such things are going to come in handy," he replied smiling; his hands blurring as he continued to wind the tape around Patrick's mouth.

"Is the host still out?" Clyde asked, seeing Bell on the couch. 

Bell looked up at the 7 coven members in surprise. "But how did you know?" she asked. 

"Honey, you don't think that Ragon was going to leave you alone for too long did you?" Sandra replied.

Bell continued to look confused. 

"He called us as soon as he left. Explained that he... er... needed to get some blood in himself and that he didn't trust himself around you. Asked us to get home as soon as we could" Larissa explained. 

"We rushed home after he called," Cambridge added.

"Sameth offered to come home and check on you, but we had all," her eyes met Patrick, "well most of us, had had enough," Sandra said. 

"Right," Bell said, and seeing Patrick working the gaffe tape off his mouth asked, "how's Ryder?" 

"Amazing," Patrick said, finally freeing himself. He looked at Bell's shocked face and added, "don't worry, Sandra and Larissa cornered me after you left. I didn't touch him. Besides he was too cute to bite."

Bell was about to say thank you, when Sandra moved over to her and sat next to her on the couch, saying in a whisper, "are you alright honey? Ragon told me what happened."

Bell glanced nervously back at the rest of the coven, hoping that their supernatural hearing would somehow miss this conversation. Bell was just about to reply however, when Clyde jumped into the air, and landed next to her on the couch. 

"I wouldn't worry about it," he said, before smiling mischievously and adding, "he will find someone else to get his rocks off with."

Sandra hissed loudly, before turning to Bell, taking her by the hand, and saying, "he was just hungry, he didn't want to hurt you. He will just be hunting. God knows he should have fed tonight."

Bell thought about how hot and heavy her and Ragon had been less than half an hour ago and shuddered. Was Clyde right? Was he getting more from his next victim than a simple meal?



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 11



Apologies to everyone for not posting this sooner. I haven't been able to get in contact with my editor, but I have gotten a few emails asking where the next chapter was, so I thought I would post it. So excuse the mistakes (it's all me)... Enjoy! Oh and thank you to everyone who keeps commenting. I love it.

CHAPTER 11- THE HALLOWEEN PARTY

Bell had waited until after 3 in the morning for Ragon to return. She had sat on the couch with Sandra and Larissa, playing card games and chatting, all the while her thoughts stuck on Ragon. Patrick had gone to bed early. Occasionally from his room on the second floor, the girls could hear outbursts of songs from 'Pricilla Queen of the Desert.'

"He always loved that film," Larissa said, after one particularly off tune chorus came blasting from above. 

"I like the night life, I like to boogie, On the..." Patrick's voice sung loudly.

"What happened to Sameth's gaffa tape?" Sandra asked, carrying her voice so that the other vampires on the veranda could hear her.

There was muffled laughter from outside, but no one got up.

"Well I think I am going to call it a night... or day... or whatever" Bell said, hopping up from the couch.

Her left leg had gone numb from having it tucked under her right one for so long, and she hobbled for a moment, waiting for the pins and needles to abate.

"Honey, wait a moment," Sandra said, reaching up for Bell's hand.

Bell fell back onto the couch, her numb leg giving out the moment Sandra had pulled her. Instantly she rubbed hard, hoping to fight off the pain of blood re-circulating.

"You know with Ragon, well any vampire really, it's hard for us to control ourselves around mortals. At the end of the day we are predators, when you put a predator in a room with a blood source, no matter how much they care for them... Sometimes emotions just take over. He wouldn't hurt you in his normal frame of mind, but when a vampire is... excited, it's a little more difficult to control ourselves, especially when we are already hungry," Sandra explained. 

"I get it," Bell said, failing to hide her disappointment. 

"But I don't think you do," Larissa said.

"No I do. Maybe vampires and humans shouldn't be together?" Bell asked.

Larissa and Sandra exchanged looks. 

"Well, I don't know. I have never dated a mortal," Sandra said, directing a long glance at Larissa.

"But I have," Larissa added. 

"What?" Bell asked, before adding, "but I thought you and Cambridge had been together for ages?

"We have, but he wasn't always a vampire, not until I decided I couldn't live without him and turned him," Larissa said.

Bell had stopped rubbing her leg; in fact she had stopped doing anything: even breathing. She was staring unblinking, transfixed at Larissa, as if she were looking at her for the first time.

"Tell me everything," Bell said.

Larissa smiled warmly and said, "well it was the late 1780's, and my father was the owner of a large tobacco farm in Minnesota. I was only 6 years old when the first black slaves came to work the fields. Black labour was cheaper than any other sort. I had been forbidden to converse with the Negro men and women. I still had my governess, her name was Mary, but her thoughts were exact opposite to that of my fathers. She spoke of black and white equality, though never around my father. She was what you might say, a forward thinker. In hind sight, had I told anyone back then how she thought, she probably would have been hung. 

So it wasn't until my 8th birthday, when I was playing hide and seek in the grounds with friends from neighbouring estates, that I had my first conversation with a black person. He was about my age, although he was much taller and larger, having been bred for hard labour. I had been hiding behind one of the less used barns when he found me. I can still remember his disjointed English. I had ignored him at first, my father's warnings swimming in my head. But looking closer at the boy, I couldn't see anything dangerous about him. For over two hours we spoke, until finally a large search party, headed by my father, found me. The boy had managed to get away without being seen, and I had lied and told them that I had fallen asleep in the sun. 

It was two full weeks before I saw him again. This time when we met, we talked for almost half of the day and I found out his name; Cambridge. For the next few years we continued meeting in secret and going on adventures. I would spend the day with him, and the night talking to Mary about him. He was the closest thing to a friend I had ever had. He told me about Africa, and the animals there and the arid landscape. It wasn't long before I dreamed of his home land often, seeing what I imagined to be lions, giraffes and elephants. 

By the age of 15 I stopped seeing him as a friend, and began dreaming about the two of us, living in Africa together. My mother had died the previous year, and almost as soon as my father was re-married, his new wife Selena wanted to send me to the city for boarding school. I screamed and cried, but my father was deaf to my requests and spoke only of how it was the premier school for young ladies. On the eve of my departure I decided to meet with Cambridge one last time. I knew that I might be followed; that it was stupid to go out at night: but I had to risk it.

I can still remember trailing through the black people's camps, calling his name. His people didn't want us together almost as much as my family. I could tell by the way they looked at me, that they despised me. But I didn't care if they saw me that night; I had to say goodbye. For a few blissful hours we talked, holding hands. I promised that as soon as I could, I would return. He laughed at me, called me a silly white girl, but I didn't care; I think even then I loved him. Maybe an hour or so later one of Cambridge's friends found us. He told us that my father was looking for me. I moved robotically over to Cambridge, desperation overpowering my innocence and did the one thing I had wanted to for years: kissed him. He returned the kiss eagerly; his hand cupping my cheek, and for the first time in my life I felt uncontrolled and alive. Moments later and I heard a man scream, and felt myself being ripped from Cambridge's arms. 

I was packaged up and sent away that night. Very few females were privy to education in those times, not that you could really call what we learnt, education, but back then it was the elite. The school in the city was full of snobby girls. Each aimed to outcompete the other with the latest fashions, the tightest curls, the largest estate; whatever was coveted at the time. For four horrible years I was stuck there, with only the memory of Cambridge's lips on mine, to keep me company. My father, who had by now had two sons with his new wife and had not forgotten of my betrayal, probably saw me as a mistake. He did not ask me to return home for the summers, and every holiday I remained at the hall. Still, my father did not entirely abandon me. He had left me a tidy sum of money, which I promptly invested, eager to run away at the first chance. 

I must have been about 18 years old when Mary, my old governess, came to visit me one night. She was still just as lovely as before, and asked me about Cambridge, and if I still thought of him. When I told her that I thought of him every day, she told me that she knew a way that he and I could be together: forever. At the time her promise had sounded like the best thing in the world, and I agreed instantly. She told me the cost would be great; that we would not be able to live among normal men and women, and that we would need to be creatures of the night. These terms seemed to me to be acceptable. After all, it was illegal for mixing of black and white people in those days. Off course we would have to keep our lives a secret.

That night she turned me. As soon as I woke as a vampire I felt a hunger within me, and commenced feeding on anything in my path. Desperate to leave my old life behind me, we lit my room on fire, and left the corpse of a girl I had drained in there, so that my father would think I was dead. I was completely different, not just in my abilities: but in my thoughts. I still craved Cambridge, but not as much as I craved blood. Perhaps my upbringing had left me resentful and bitter? Anyway, Mary described my appetite as insatiable. It took her months to get me to calm down and kill with style, and even then, I couldn't drink from a mortal without killing them. Needless to say, I wasn't going to be able to see Cambridge in that state, let along persuade him to be a vampire with me. 

Three years after my transformation I decided I could wait no longer. I was gradually getting better and better, and had even managed drinking from sources without ending their lives. I had also learnt how to disassociate them afterwards, which made life a hell of allot easier. Mary and I commissioned a carriage, and fashioned it so that no light could get in. The trip from town into the country took two days hard riding. We brought a donor with us; some young man from one of the villages we passed through, who directed the carriage during the day, and we feed off during the night. It was late one night when we rode into my father's farm. I was tense with anticipation. I prayed that my father had kept Cambridge on as a farm hand, but even still, I had no idea what he might look like or how he would respond to seeing me.

You can't imagine how happy I was when I saw him. He was still young and handsome, with full lips, large muscles and long black dreadlocks that were slightly golden at the edges from all his hours of work under the sun. I asked him to leave with me and he agreed. It was as if no time had passed, and we picked up things right where we left off. That night we said goodbye to Mary and boarded a boat to South America. There were very few options for a black and white couple back then, let alone a black man and a white vampire. For a while I hide what I was from him. It wasn't easy, not being able to go out into the sunlight. I pretended to have caught some mysterious illness on the voyage over. But eventually he worked it out. I thought for sure that he was going to leave me. But he didn't. He just told me that he needed time to think. You can imagine the late night conversations and screaming matches. He wanted to be with me but not as a monster; he had to die to be with me; he was too young to die; he would keep aging while I stayed the same; we could be together forever. There were so many points, for and against, his becoming a vampire to be with me. 

"So," Bell said eagerly, "what happened?"

As she had listened to Larissa's story, she had leaned closer and closer towards her. It was absolutely insane to conceive that for a time Cambridge had contemplated not being with Larissa, vampirism or not; they were such a perfect couple.

"You know what happened," Sandra said smiling, "can you, or can you not see two vampires, madly in love, in front of you today?" 

"Yea, No I know, I mean..." Bell began.

"It's ok," Larissa said, "I know what you mean. Well for about 6 months we continued like this. We were living in a small fishing village off the coast of Columbia. Cambridge had commissioned a job on the docks. From only being there for those few months my activities had drawn attentions, and there was talk of something biting people, draining their blood. Offcourse I disassociated all my victims afterwards, and only took what I needed to survive. But in a small village, full of superstitious natives, my activities did not go unnoticed. Finally one night the villages had had enough, and set a trap for the blood drinker. They cut the wrists of a sacrificial lamb and left the girl outside. When I smelt her blood I was consumed with hunger. I ran straight for her without thinking. As soon as I heard the first scream I knew I had been discovered. The villages surrounded me, holding large flaming torches and yelling in their native tongue. They were spitting at me, and calling me a demon and witch. Cambridge, who had heard the commotion, came over to see what was happening. There was blood all down my dress, and thick red liquid stained my lips from where I had tasted the girl. Without thinking and moving in a flash I leapt over the torches, running as fast as I could into the night. I dared not return to our house, but went to ground for the night. 

The next evening I left a note for Cambridge explaining that I was leaving for Latvia. I had heard from Mary that there were colonies of vampires there and that the weather made it possible for us to come out during the day. I had enough wealth from my investments to buy two tickets for the voyage. I left one ticket for Cambridge and wrote for him to come with me.

4 days later the boat left. I spent the entire first night looking everywhere for Cambridge. Just when I had convinced myself that he had decided to let me go; I found him! He was sitting at the edge of the boat, his shoes were off and his eyes were closed. 'I'm ready' was all he said to me. And the rest is history."

Bell had listened to Larissa and Cambridge's fairy tale intently, comparing it with her own 300 year later version. Still one question remained.

"Do you think you would have stayed together if he decided he didn't want to become a vampire?" Bell asked. 

Larissa frowned for a moment, and Bell knew what she was thinking; no. One mortal and one vampire couldn't be together. It was impractical. In twenty years' time, Bell would be almost 50, and Ragon would be as handsome and perfect as ever. For a few years she could get away being a cougar, but what about when she was 70 or 80 or older; that's if she even lived that long with Kiara, and the rest of Ragon's crazy lifestyle trying to kill her. Not that Ragon would even want her when she was old and wrinkly? But was that her answer? If she didn't want to become a vampire could they really not be together? Bell shuddered at the thought. Only hours ago she had been in utter heaven in his arms, and now she was thinking of how they must be apart. Perhaps being a vampire wouldn't be so bad? It would defiantly suck not being able to go into the sun for the rest of her life; and it might take her a while to get use to the whole drinking blood thing; but look at Larissa and Sandra. Apart from being over 200 years old, they seemed to be normal. They were certainly able to sit here and have a normal conversation with her. But did she want to be with Ragon enough to give up her life? It wasn't quite the same as moving town for a husband's job; this would literally be the end of everything she knew.

"If you had the choice again; would you decide to become a vampire?" Bell asked both girls.

This was the question she needed answered the most. Perhaps she was jumping the gun a bit. She and Ragon weren't even officially together. Still, it seemed crazy for Bell to start a relationship with someone that she ultimately couldn't be with. But perhaps, if love were enough, she would give up everything to be with him. 

Larissa spoke first, 'in a heartbeat," she said, before adding with a small laugh, "or rather without a heartbeat."

Both Bell and Larissa turned to Sandra, who shook her head, saying, "I don't know."

Larissa's jaw dropped. She had expected Sandra to agree with her, to say that being with Thomas was worth more than all the tea in China; hell anything, but this. 

"What?" Larissa asked her voice high pitched from the shock.

"It's not that I wouldn't want to be with Thomas, but I think I would have wanted to have one lifetime with him, and..." she paused, chewing her bottom lip, as her eyes went glassy, "and gotten to have children and be a mother."

Shit, Bell thought to herself. Was she so completely thick? Until now she did not realise what becoming a vampire meant for women especially. No children, forever. Bell had thought that the worst part would have been watching all the people you loved die, but she supposed that after a while, those wounds might close; but what about all the people you never got to know? The children and the grandchildren you had to give up? 

Bell had lots to consider when she finally went to bed. Ragon had still not returned, and to be honest, after the conversation with Larissa and Sandra, she wasn't too sure she knew what she would have done if he were there. Crawling under the covers, Bell thought about Larissa's story and what she should do with her own. Her decision was to wait and see. After all, Bell had only known Ragon for a short time. It would be crazy for her to think that she loved him already; wouldn't it? Still, she couldn't help but remember the look in his eyes when he had reached for her, saying that he wanted her. How was she supposed to ignore how her heart had jumped at that moment? Tomorrow night it would be the Halloween party. Perhaps after that she would know... 

***

The night of Wednesday the 31st of October was a cold one. A southerly wind had swept a storm from the coastline; bringing with it rain and lightning. As if in welcome of Halloween, the moon was full and round, and cast an eerie yellow glow over the city; that was occasionally punctuated by thick grey storm clouds. Even the habitual night-time wildlife surrounding the area had quietened; the normally screeching bats, who swept over the city at sun down, like a black veil, had chosen to rest early, waiting out the storm. 

Bell woke just after 5pm, creeping quickly from her bedroom and returning later with some cereal and milk. 

"Yuck," she said, after taking a mouthful of her breakfast and then spitting it out, so that small bits of cornflakes and milk splattered the bed sheets.

Her hands reached for the milk container and she frowned. Pushing the cereal away she got up, stripped the bed and jumped into the shower. With her head under the water, Bell didn't hear the small knock on her bedroom door. She had taken a hell of a lot longer in the shower than she normally would have. Her mind was still so clouded from last night, and when she finally left the steamy bathroom she startled at the time.

"6.15?" she said, looking at the small clock by her bedside, "Shit."

Still wearing her towel, she swept over to the mirror and begun apply moisturiser. For a moment she considered asking Sandra and Larissa to borrow some foundation, but she quickly dismissed this. The black mascara and eyeliner was still in her bathroom from the night before, and she eyed them nervously. It wasn't her custom to wear allot of makeup. Her face had enough natural colours to get away with a simple layer of moisturiser and a little blush to highlight her cheeks most days. She rarely wore mascara, let alone eyeliner; her eyes being dark enough without either. 

Still, it was a party, she thought, reaching for the eyeliner first.

By the time she was done and had adjusted her costume she didn't even have a moment to check how she looked in the mirror. There was a knock at her bedroom door, and holding the silver and diamond mask onto her face she reached for the knob and opened it.

"Wow," Ragon said locking eyes with the angel before him, "you look angelic."

Bell blushed, but her mask covered it. Reaching behind her, Ragon took the strings for the mask from her, and tied them silently. This close to Bells neck had him instantly thinking of last night. He had knocked on her door earlier, hoping to apologise and speak with her about it, but she had not answered. 

"Thanks," Bell said.

"If we don't leave now we are going to be late," Clyde said from the hallway.

There was a loud thud, and Clyde said, "ouch." 

Sandra had kicked him hard in the shins. She had just about had enough of him trying to put a wedge between Bell and Ragon. 




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 11



"Shall we?" Ragon asked, cocking his elbow for her to take.

For a moment she hesitated. It was only for a fraction of a second, but it was long enough for him to notice. What was she doing? Who was she kidding? Just looking at him, she knew that she wouldn't be able to stay away. After that she reached for him longingly, slipping her hand into his, rather than linking arms with him. 

"Make sure you take lots of photos," Patrick said, waving as the group went to leave.

"Oh darling, I am sorry you can't come," Sandra said.

"I know! I even bought my zombie sailor costumes, just in case. But you know what happened the last time a vampire went to one of their parties and wasn't invited," he remarked grimy.

Sandra nodded, not wanting to extrapolate with Bell so close.

"What will you do?" Bell asked.

"I think I might order in," he replied mysteriously. 

The drive to William and Nikolas's estate took about 40 minutes, and when they finally arrived they were fashionably late. Two large black gates opened creakily when their cars pulled up, and a few dogs instantly begun barking. Bell searched from her window to try and see the dogs, but could not.

When they reached a large cul-de-sac a man in a black suit opened their doors saying, "Welcome."

Ragon tossed his keys to him and he, Sameth and Bell waited for the rest of the coven to arrive in Clyde's care. A few moments later and both their cars were being parked with the rest of the guest's cars in an underground car park. The estate itself was beautiful. Small white lights highlighted what looked like a grape vineyard on either side of the front entrance of the large house. Immediately surrounding the house, were several jasmine bushes, that had been pruned to form a fence, and whose perfume permeated the entire entrance. The house itself was grand. Large French doors were open in welcome and hanging from the ceiling, wedged into the jasmine bushes and dotted on the deck were large orange pumpkins. They had been carved into eerie faces, with small tea light candles placed in the middle.   

As soon as the coven walked into the entrance it was apparent just how seriously these guys took parties. The entire foyer was themed for Halloween, with a giant cauldron in centre stage, from which white heavy fog boiled out of. 

"Dry ice," Bell mumbled to herself.

The ceiling, staircase banisters and tables were draped with thick cobwebs, and there were large open coffins all over, fashioned into chairs and couches. From where she stood, Bell could just make out an outside area off to the side, where fairy lights strewn around the jasmine shrubs twinkled, highlighting more coffin seats. Large iron cages hung from the ceiling, suspended by thick chains. Each contained a man, dressed in various Halloween costumes, dancing to music. Bell looked around for the source of the music, but was unable to find it. She guessed from the occasional delicate notes, followed by fluid rapid tones that it was someone playing a piano.

"Trick or treat," a young man said almost as soon as they had entered. 

As soon as Bell saw him, she gasped. He was young, no more than 18, and he wore no shirt, only a long pair of black fitted pants, a black bowtie and an unbuttoned pair of tails. In his hands was a serving tray, with 4 or 5 glass goblets. The goblets were clearly full of blood, but this was not what had started Bell. The boy was covered in bite marks. They were on his wrists, his neck, hell, everywhere a major artery was. The bites themselves however looked to be old wounds. They were pinking around the edges, as if the healing process had already begun, and they were raised, from layer upon layer of new tissue being laid on top of each other. 

"Which vintage would you prefer?" the waiter asked.

Clyde walked up to him and twiddled his fingers, as if in contemplation, scanning over the various goblets. 

"Otherwise, I'm on tap," the boy said smiling. 

Bell, who had watched as the boy looked down to his arm, felt instantly sick. Coming from his cephalic vein was a cannula, attached to a long extension set. Looking around, she saw another waiter, sitting down on one of the coffin chairs, while an older woman dressed as a dead Cleopatra, sucked hungrily at the tube, as if it were a straw. 

Bringing Bell back to her surroundings, Clyde finally said, "1980's if you have it?" 

"1980's?" Bell whispered low to Ragon.

"It refers to the year the blood source was born," Ragon said simply, in the same low whisper, but when he saw Bells confused face he added, "as in, the person who donated the blood was born in the 1980's. It doesn't mean how long the blood has been kept; blood doesn't keep well."

Bell nodded, thinking that her blood would be in that year range. The waiter bowed once and removed the glass nearest him and handed it to Clyde. 

"Hmmm," Clyde said drinking deeply, "there is just something so appealing about this vintage," he added looking at Bell longingly as he drunk.

Next the waiter turned to face Bell, who had looked quickly away from Clyde. 

"Err... No thanks," Bell said eyeing the red liquid haphazardly.

"Perhaps some juice then?" A cool female voice asked from behind her. 

Bell and Ragon turned quickly to face Kiara. She was wearing a long black dress that split high to reveal two shapely thighs and a large pointed conical hat, with a broom held in one hand. 

A witch, Bell though to herself, how fitting. 

Ragon growled low in response, taking Bell hard by the elbow and directing her behind him, so that he now stood between the two. Bell had winced when Ragon had grabbed her; there would be a bruise there tomorrow. 

"Would you mind fetching some wine?" Sandra asked the waiter, her thick honey voice breaking the tension in the room. 

The waiter nodded once and left to fill the drink order. 

"What's that doing here?" Kiara asked, indicating Bell.

Ragon growled again, advancing on Kiara but a voice from behind stopped him dead in his tracks. 

"Ah Bell, so good of you to join our little suave," the male voice said. 

Ragon didn't turn. He knew instantly from the voice who it was; "William," he whispered under his breath, so that only Bell could hear.

Bell turned to face William, who was flanked by another man, Nikolas she guessed. William wore a medieval knight's outfit, with a long red cape which covered most of a charcoal surcoat, accept for a large red tree in the centre. He skin was olive, and his dark hair reached his shoulders and matched the stubble which adorned his face. Next to him, Nikolas wore a full length white cloak with a large black cross in the middle. Most of his hair was covered by the white hood of the cloak, but Bell could just make out that it was reddish-brown. His eyes were hazel, and his skin was ghostly white, blending in almost perfectly with his robes, and contrasting against his thick moustache. 

"I am William and this," he said indicating the man besides him, "is Nikolas."

"Thank you for inviting me," Bell responded automatically, unsure of what else to say.

"Yes we were all surprised and glad to be invited," Sandra said, moving over to the two elders and kissing them each on the cheek in greeting.

"Ahhh, Sandra, you look as lovely as ever, as do you Larissa" Nikolas commented.

"And Ragon, Cambridge, Thomas, Clyde and Sameth, you are most welcome," came William's voice. 

Ragon nodded once, and Clyde smiled up at them, the blood from his drink staining his lips. 

"I see you have seen that the lovely Kiara has also decided to grace us with her presence," William said, indicating the witch behind them. 

Kiara smiled up warmly at the elders, and said, "yes. I was just suggesting that Bell here might prefer something else to drink."

Ragon knew that Kiara wouldn't risk abusing Bell and upsetting the elders at one of their parties; or at least not in front of them. Just then a tall elderly blonde woman waved at her, and she moved robotically away from the group saying, "excuse me," to the elders and bumping shoulders hard with Bell. 

"Oh William," Nikolas said, touching his partner on the shoulder, "we are so rude. Forgive me child." 

Bell went to speak, but just then the waiter reappeared with a glass of red wine and handed it to her. 

"Oh Bernard," Nikolas said, moving over to the waiter and reaching for his IV, "what would we do without you?"

Starve? Bell though to herself, but quickly hid her smile. It was difficult for her not to think kindly of the elders. They were so far, the very element of gentlemen's, and had done nothing to warrant the fear the coven plainly felt; yet. For a moment Nikolas continued to suck on Bernard's extension set. Bell watched as Bernard looked back at the elder in awe. It was clear that he loved him, and it was also clear that Nikolas loved the taste of him.

"Now Ragon, this coven you have formed, I do hope that you are not responsible for the many mortal deaths that have been reported in the news of late. You know we are charged with keeping our existence a secret, I would hate to have to punish you," William said, his eyes raking Ragon from head to toe as if in admiration. 

Up until now Bell had not been sure if William and Nikolas were partners, or lovers. Now as she watched William undress Ragon with his eyes, it was painfully obvious that they were both. She wondered what William might constitute as an adequate punishment for his killing 5 mortals, and shuddered. Sensual or not: it would not be good. 

Ragon looked up and smiled, "no, I have heard about them though, 10 isn't it?" he lied.

"10 that they know about, we must have had to arrange cleaners to hide..." William said, looking at Nikolas for the answer.

Nikolas scoffed and said, "17," under his breath.

Bell wasn't too sure if Nikolas was angry about the number of mortal murders or the fact that William had spent so long drooling over Ragon. 

"Indeed, 17; unheard of," William said in reply, and Ragon and Clyde exchanged a knowing look. 

Instantly Bell felt uneasy. Ragon had killed 5, but who had killed the other 12? 

"Still, vampires will be vampires," William said, "I trust that if you're coven hears of any unusual activity that you will permit us to investigate."

Ragon nodded in affirmation. 

"Well, please enjoy the festivities," Nikolas said, before adding "there are some blood dipped apples that are simply to die for."

The elders walked off after that; Bernard following a little behind, as Nikolas continued to suck on the IV at his leisure. 

Bell watched the elders go over to other groups of vampires. There were congregations of people standing around small tables, else draped at various points along the grand staircase or sitting outside. Looking more closely at the waiters, she realised that they had started bringing out plates of something other than goblets. Peering more closely at a plate offered to Larissa, Bell went pale. Each plate contained an assortment of blood based canapés. 

"We have a mouth-watering assortment of Halloween goodies. There are warm Blood shots with shaved blood ice, spicy blood sausage, blood mouse topped with a blood crumple, candied blood-dipped apples, and for the vegetarians 100% grain feed bovine blood pies," the waiter said to Larissa.

"What is the outside of the pie made from?" Larissa asked, genuinely interested as she eyed the small morsels.

"A blood baked sheet scented with rosemary," the waiter replied. 

"Hmm, I'll have the pie," Larissa said, reaching for the small dark red canapé. 

Each of the coven members, reached for various canapés in turn, accept for Ragon. The look of horror on Bell's face had been enough to ruin his appetite. 

As soon as Bell thought they were out of ear shot she rounded on the group. 

"How my people have you killed?" she asked, her eyes scanning the 7 immortals, searching for signs of discomfort.

"Today or in general?" Clyde asked; his usually wicked smile failing as it met with Bell's worried face.

"Since you got here," Bell replied, unable to lose focus of her objective despite the uncertain faces that gleamed up at her, and Clyde's indifferent statement.

Sensing her concern, each replied quickly in turn saying "none," accept Ragon who looked around nervously and replied "you know how many."

If that were true than there were 12 people out there who had been killed by vampires not in this coven. Realising this Bell shivered. 

"It's a big city," Sameth replied, "there are bound to be some causalities."

"Casualties that were all drained of blood?" Bell asked her face stuck in doubt.

Sameth considered her words for a moment but it was Ragon who replied, "vampires would know better than to leave corpses lying around," he finished. 

"Ragon's right Bell," Sandra said, now rubbing her shoulder soothingly, "only in overpopulated cities do vamp slayings get noticed."

At these words Bell froze, as did Ragon. Normally Ragon kept a close eye on the comings and goings of the city, but since Bell had been with him his observation of the City's activities had gone on relatively unchecked. Did this mean that there was a large gathering of vampires in town?

"Perhaps it is because of the party?" Cambridge asked.

Ragon considered this, but dismissed it instantly. Tonight's party called for vamps in the area to attend, it did not drag other covens from far away. The elders were very careful to ensure that one area was not overpopulated, else the humans become suspicious. 

"No." Ragon said quickly, "I think Bell is right, William and Nicholas would not invite so many guests that it alerted the human authorities."

"Then why are so many people being killed?" Bell asked.

The entire group stood in silence. Bells words had reflected their own thoughts; why were there so many vamps in town? 

"We must be careful," Larissa said, "Clearly there are others here, especially if the elders are worried about all these murders."

After that half the group moved outside, while Cambridge and Larissa, and Sandra and Thomas moved to the dance floor. Ragon watched as the two couples began dancing to George Winston's 'New Orleans Slow Dance.' Instantly Ragon thought of Bell. He was desperate to get her alone and talk to her, though he knew that this overcrowded room of super hearing vampires was not the right place. Still, the temptation of holding her hand while dancing to this song was overwhelming. He made to move to her, but before he had so much as turned to face her...

"May I?" Clyde asked, bowing low to Bell and holding out his hand for her.

She hesitated for a moment but accepted. She didn't really want to dance; or rather she didn't really know how to dance. The moment however that Clyde had taken her by the hand, and placed his other hand at the small of her back, this changed. At the same time the song began and Clyde swept them over to the dance floor. Clyde directed her perfectly, and her straight posture and rhythmic acceptance of Clyde's directions, gave the pair a fluid motion. Each twirl Bell smiled, and the pair traced a route all around the dance floor, between the other vampire couples. Her white angel's costume and diamond mask sparkled majestically, portraying her as the picture of innocence. 

The momentum of being twirled so many times had almost made Bell loose her balance, but Clyde whispered, "keep your eyes on something fixed."

After that she was lost in Clyde's honey coloured eyes. In that moment she didn't see the sarcastic, bad ass vampire; she just saw a boy dancing with a girl and for the first time she wondered why Clyde was so cold on the outside. All she knew for sure, as she allowed him to dip her low, before recalling her into his arms, was that she didn't know exactly how she felt about him.

"She is lovely," William commented to Ragon, looking over at Bell and Clyde dancing. 

Ragon didn't reply; he was too mesmerised. Though Clyde partnered her, all he saw was her; an angel: gliding along the dance floor. In fact most of the vampires had stopped to admire Bell. Their hungry eyes locked on the large white wings of her costume; her human heart beat adding to her beauty and the beat of the music. But it wasn't her blood that they craved; in that moment, each recalled what it was to be human. Suddenly the frailty of being mortal flashed back them, reminding them of thoughts they had long since forgotten. Some thought of their first kiss, others of their first love. Each was locked in their own trance, inspired by Bell, and they watched in wonder; every turn bringing with it another wave of blissful mortal memories. Suddenly Ragon was pulled from his thoughts of Bell by someone tapping him on the shoulder. 

"Would you dance with me?" Kiara asked.

Ragon glared up at her in disgust. Only she would ruin his admiration of Bell. He wanted to tell her exactly what he thought of her, but looking wearily at the elders he thought better of it. Reluctantly he nodded, taking Kiara by the wrist as they moved over to the dance floor. He did not want to upset the elders tonight. 

Though Ragon danced with Kiara, he, like the rest of the vampires in the room watched Bell. Only Kiara was watching Bell with anger. It frustrated Kiara beyond belief that Ragon could find this mortal appealing. What was it about the girl that Ragon converted? Suddenly Kiara's eyes were small and suspicious, and Kiara's glare changed into a look of realisation. That small pointed chin and high cheek bones, her blue eyes; she had seen them many years before. For a moment she continued to stare at Bell in surprise and shock. Looking at the girl's face in recognition, she knew exactly why Ragon was with her. Only when Ragon stopped moving did she look away. She had been so consumed with her thoughts that she had not realised that the music had stopped. As soon as Ragon dropped her hand however, she looked once at Ragon and then swept from the room. 

As soon as the song finished Bell caught her breath. She hadn't realised until then just how loud her heart had been hammering. She had failed to notice that almost every single vampire at the Halloween party had been staring at her.

"Bell honey, you were wonderful," Sandra said moving over to her and Clyde smiling before adding, "no accounting for taste though," after she looked at Clyde repulsed.

Bell smiled in reply. Suddenly she felt Clyde squeeze her hand, and she gasped pulling away. 

Shit, she thought to herself. She had not even realised that she had still be holding his hand. Suddenly Bell's face was ablaze with embarrassment. Clyde made to say something to her, but Bell spoke first.

"Do you know where the bathroom is?" Bell asked moving to face Larissa.

"Just up the stairs and to the right," Larissa replied, and Bell raced off towards the grand staircase.

A few moments later and Ragon had joined Larissa and Clyde, who were deep in conversation.

"I thought dancing with you might make her sick," Larissa was saying. 

Clyde was about to retort, but the presence of Ragon had made him startle. Clyde's first instinct was to say something sarcastic about having won the first dance, but then he cocked his head to one side, "I thought you were with... Where the hell is Kiara?"

Ragon looked around for a fraction of a second and asked, "Where the hell is Bell?"

In the bathroom Bell splashed cool water on her cheeks, hoping to relieve the burning sensation. She had to admit being in the estate of an elder gay vampire couple had really opened her eyes to classic home décor. The bathroom walls and floors were made of white sandstone, which contrasted drastically with the black shiny marble basins adorned by polished silver taps. There were three toilet cubicles, and a large white marble stand free bath tub that sat at the very edge of the room, adorned by a giant glass window. Reaching down again for the water she had filled in the basin, Bell splashed another handful onto her face and looked up at her reflection in the giant gold leaf boarded mirror. Her mask lay neatly besides her, but as she reached for it, a sound startled her.   




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 11



"Haven't you just been the Bell of the ball?" a cold voice came from one of the cubicles. 

"Who's there?" Bell asked quietly, spinning around, and looking near the toilet door for the source of the noise.

Suddenly, emerging from behind one of the closed doors was Kiara. Her black conical hat was held in her hand, and she moved over to Bell, reaching for something from a small drawstring bag she held.

"What do you want?" Bell asked, moving away instantly, eying her hand reproachfully. 

Kiara smiled at her in response, withdrawing a bright red lipstick, and while admiring her reflection, applied a layer to her lips. 

"If you want to find out about your parents, meet me outside near the large jacaranda in 10 minutes," Kiara said, smacking her lips, before adding, "oh and come alone, otherwise don't bother, and I will know if one of your protectors is close by," she said tapping her ear and sweeping from the room. 

Half a second later and Sandra and Larissa were bursting down the door. Bell jumped at the sight of them, and then smiled weakly. Her face was still covered with dripping water which nicely hid the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead. 

"Honey are you alright?" Sandra asked, her thick Southern accent bringing only a small amount of relieve.

Bell nodded, desperate for a few minutes of solitude to work out her thoughts. What the hell was going on? Did Kiara really know what had happened to her parents? How could she? But then how else would she know that something had happened to them? Glancing over at the window, her eyes met with a large tree, whose normally dark green leaves had fallen away, and had been instead replaced by purple flowers; the jacaranda tree. In the moments it had taken for Sandra and Larissa to refasten her angel's mask, Bell had made up her mind; in 10 minutes she would be waiting for Kiara. 

Leaving the bathroom Bell ran straight into Ragon. He was pacing outside, desperate to ensure that the heart beat that he could hear was hers. 

"What did she say to you?" Ragon asked, "Did she touch you?"

Bell smiled. If she wanted to find out what had happened to her parents, then she needed to pull off some great acting skills. Ragon would not leave her alone for a moment if he thought that Kiara had done something to threaten her. 

"She just said that I was the Bell of the ball, and that tonight I didn't need to worry about her," Bell half lied. 

"I told you, she would be crazy to do anything at one of the elders parties," Clyde said.

"You don't think she is crazy?" Sandra asked incredulously.

"Ok then, she would have to be suicidal," Clyde recorrected. 

In all the commotion of Bell's encounter with Kiara, she had completely forgotten about the awkward moment between her and Clyde. Only one thought occupied her scheming mind now. It wasn't whether or not Kiara was telling the truth, or if she was about to walk into a trap. No. Bell was consumed by the thought of how she could get away from the coven that was trying to protect her long enough to talk to Kiara, and find out exactly what had happened to her parents. 

Ten minutes later and Bell was pacing around the Jacaranda at the very back of the Elders estate. Her plan to get away from the others had worked a treat. The group had split when William had offered Ragon to show him the house and Bell had managed to make each group think that she was with the other. She had had to pass a large olive vineyard and two small stables, until she found the characteristic purple flowers of the Jacaranda tree that she had seen from the bathroom window.

"I almost didn't recognise you little one" Kiara said, moving out from behind the tree to face Bell.

Once again Bell was reminded of how beautiful Kiara was; beautiful and terrible, like a storm at sea. 

"You told me you knew how my parents died," Bell said flatly. 

"But off course, now I can see how much alike you are to your mother," Kiara said, continuing with her sentence as if Bell had not spoken at all.

"You knew my mother?" Bell asked curiously.

"Knew is such a relative term, does one really need to know someone to ripe their throat out?" Kiara asked.

Bell felt her knees shake. Kiara was lying, she had to be.

"You liar," Bell hissed. 

Suddenly Kiara was laughing, "It is rather dramatic I admit. When I saw you with Ragon a few weeks ago, I wanted you gone out of jealously. It was only tonight that I realised who you were, I never dreamed that you were the child I had taken all those years ago. Time has a way of slipping past us immortals," she said.

"Wh... What?" Bell asked.

This time when Kiara laughed it was high pitched and cruel, "don't tell me Ragon never told you. Well, let me set the record straight. 25 years ago I killed your parents and took you."

"Ragon told me that you took a child," she gulped, unable to say 'me,' "to try to get him to stay with you, so that you could be a family," Bell said, remembering his words from their date.

"Ragon is a romantic. He saw you and assumed that I had taken you to try to lure him back to me. I confess; I was surprised when he found me that night. I thought perhaps he had wanted to come back to me, and so I told him that I had changed. I guess he thought I meant to keep you?" Men can be foolish. Before I could stop him and kill you, he had taken you."

Instantly Bell's knuckles were tense. Though it was difficult to tell from underneath her mask, one of her eyes had turned green, while the other stayed blue. A wind rolled down the valley from the mountains that lined the estate, and swept over the fields; settling in the Jacaranda tree, and causing masses of the purple flowers to begin to fall from it.

"Well this chat has been informative, but I have a party to be getting back to, and a promise to keep," Kiara said advancing on her as purple flower fell slowly from the sky like snowflakes.

Bell wanted to scream but she couldn't. Her body was paralysed in fear as she watched Kiara blur towards her. Knowing that there was no escape she squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting the last thing she saw to be Kiara. A moment passed, and Bell kept her eyes closed, trying desperately not to think of Kiara murdering her parents and now her. For a while Bell stood like this, until enough seconds past without anything happening for her to wonder what the hell was taking Kiara so long? Was she going to play with her? Slowly Bell opened her eyes. Large tears slipped from her lower eyelids and spilled down her face. When she had blinked away the tears she saw Kiara, standing about a foot away from her; fangs poised as if about to strike. Bell watched her for a moment confused. Something was wrong. Kiara was not moving; it was as if the moment she had gone to attack Bell, she had frozen in place. Kiara's dark brown hair stood on end, as though it was suspended underwater, and her witches' hat was half way off her head, also floating in mid-air. Her pupils were wide; giving her cold unblinking eyes a ruthless appearance. But as Bell looked closer, she realised that Kiara's eyes, though open, were unfocused, as though she were blind. Bell inched forward, but Kiara did not respond. When Bell was so close, so as to see a small freckle on her attackers right cheek just under her eye, Bell waved her hand in front of her face: nothing. Looking up at the tree she gasped. All around at various levels in the air were suspended purple flowers. It was as if someone had frozen a snow globe after shaking it. Everything was quiet, no wind: nothing. 

Hesitantly, Bell moved over to the flower nearest her and watched it. She realised then, that the flower was still falling, but very, very slowly, almost so slow it was impossible to see its progression through the air. Reaching out to push it, the flower moved sluggishly in response, as if it were stuck in something viscoid, like honey. 

One thought came to her, what the hell was going on?

She took one more glance at Kiara and ran; not wasting any more time for explanations. Whatever was going on, time had slowed down just long enough for Bell to escape, and she wasn't going to stand there wondering why. 

When Bell had finally reached Ragon and the other coven members she was white; whiter than most of the other vampires at the party. The Elders were talking comically to a group of vampires behind Ragon's coven, and Bell eyed them warily. 

"What's wrong?" Sandra asked when she saw Bell running towards them.

The coven had only just realised that Bell had been missing. Her plan had worked well, a little too well. It seems that had time continued at its normal place, Bell would have been long dead before Ragon and the rest of them even realised that she was missing. 

Bells eyes were wild, and she began spluttering out incoherent phrases, trying desperately to keep her voice low so that the Elders did not hear her. "Kiara... attack me... killed my parents..."

Ragon moved over to her protectively as soon as he had seen her. He made to take her hand in his, so as to calm her down, but as soon as he reached for her she pulled away. She was glaring at him. How could he not have told her? Why would he think that it was ok for him to keep the fact that Kiara had killed her parents a secret? Clyde's eyes had widened when he saw this, but he remained where he stood.

"But how did you get away?" Sandra asked in confusion, looking around the party for Kiara, but only seeing the Elders behind them who were talking to a group of vampires she did not know.

"She... froze?" Bell said; her voice segmented in confusion, temporarily forgetting her anger with Ragon. 

"She hesitated? Long enough for you to get away?" Larissa asked, but Bell was shaking her head.

"No she stopped, and everything around her stopped," Bell replied, trying to explain what had happened. 

"But, I don't understand?" Sameth asked, moving over to Bell and looking at her as though he had only just realised she was there. 

Bell made to answer but Ragon stopped her, taking a long meaningful look at the Elders and saying, "No. Not here."



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 12



"Do you have a death wish?" Ragon asked Bell when they were back in the car together. 

Cambridge drove behind them in Clyde's car, with Larissa, Sandra and Thomas for passengers. Both Clyde and Sameth followed the coven on foot, ensuring that the group were not followed. As soon as Ragon had heard Bell's recount of the events between her and Kiara he knew the terrible secret he had been keeping from her was out in the open. 

He muttered instructions to the members of his coven, rushed Bell from the Elders estate, and hurriedly took the keys from the valet, screaming out of the driveway, past the high iron fence and into the night. 

"She told me what happened to my parents?" Bell said flatly, and then thing that that she had been dying to ask burst from her, "why?"

"I don't know why she killed your parents..." Ragon began, but Bell cut him off.

"No. That's not the question. The question is why didn't you tell me?" Bell said, the anger so close to spilling over.

He had expected this.

"I wanted to," he began, uncertain how he could make her understand. Ragon sighed. 

"But you didn't. I don't have a death wish. I had to know, I needed to know. You're a vampire. I get that you don't care about anything living, but these were my parents. Because of Kiara I missed out on a childhood; she took that from me," Bell said. 

"I tried to tell you," Ragon confessed, "but every time I went to..." he paused, "I didn't want you to hate me." He has just been told that he doesn't care about anything living....and no reaction?

"Hate you; for saving me?" Bell asked incredulously, unable to make sense of Ragon's lame justification.

"Hate me, because the reason Kiara killed your parents was so she could lure me back to her," Ragon said sadly, connecting the dots that Bell had failed to.

"She didn't take me to lure you back; she told me that she wanted me dead," Bell said, and then added, "you tried to tell me?"

"In the alley way after..." he began, but Bell cut him off once again.

"That's what you meant the first time you went hunting with me, at that club, when I asked you why you choose me and you told me that I was special. That's when you should have told me," Bell said. 

"You weren't special because Kiara had taken you; you were special because I wanted to save you. You were crying when I took you from her, screaming, and the moment I held you in my arms you quietened. 

I felt you fall asleep as I raced you away from her, and for the first time in many, many years I felt something. There you were this bundle of life, not recoiling away from me, not shivering at my touch, and you made me feel alive; like it was ok for me to live again. You don't know how hard it was for me to let you go, to give you to the orphanage. But I knew I couldn't look after you, or give you a proper childhood. I watched you go inside, and unable to look away, I watched you grow up. 

I was determined to keep you safe, and kept you always in my sight; it was selfish, but I needed you," Ragon said, suddenly stopping as he remembered Bell's words: 'she took me to kill me.'

"Why would Kiara want to kill you?" Ragon asked out-loud, more to himself.

"She said she had promised to," Bell replied.

"Promised who?" Ragon asked in fear.

"She didn't say, she was too busy trying to rip my throat out, like she did my mothers," Bell responded coolly.

"But how did you get away?" Ragon pressed.

"I already told you," Bell replied, unable to see why this of all things was what he was asking.

"I don't understand; she froze?" Ragon asked.

"Yep, just like a statue," Bell replied.

"How did you do it?" he asked. 

"I don't know how, I closed my eyes and then when I opened them she was stuck in pause," Bell said. 

Ragon considered her words. Most concerning to Ragon was what the hell had happened to Kiara. Was she still frozen at the Elders Halloween party? Did Kiara know that it had been Bell who had stopped her? Had the Elders perhaps found Kiara? Were they, at this very moment, questioning her to find out what had happened to her? Would the Elders be coming for Bell now?

All of these thoughts troubled his mind, as he pulled into the driveway, there were too many questions. 

As soon as the car stopped Bell jumped out. Sandra was beside her in a flash, and soon Clyde and Sameth ran up to her too. They were looking at her with concern. One of her angel wings had been crushed by the way she had sat in the car, and it hung down low, giving her the appearance of a wounded bird. 

Bell was not oblivious to the way the rest of the coven watched her, but she wasn't in the mood to talk to any of them. When Ragon opened the door a few moments later she moved straight inside, heard loud music, and gasped. 

"What the hell?" she said.

In the living room was Patrick dressed as a zombie sailor, and Ryder wearing a pirate's costume. They were playing twister, their arms and legs wrapped intricately around each other, placed on various shades of coloured circles. Both were laughing comically, and Bell noticed with a pang of discomfort, that one of Ryder's arms had a large bite mark just over his wrist.

"What?" Patrick asked, looking up at her in surprise, "I told you I was ordering in. Did I miss something?" 

It was all too much. Bell flung her mask on the floor and ran for her room. As soon as she was inside she broke down. For a moment she sat heaving on the floor, her legs pulled up tight to her chin as large tears spilled down her face upsetting her mascara. A small knock at her door caused her to pull her face up, but she ignored it. She didn't want to talk to anyone. 

Another knock came, and Bell trying desperate to organise her thoughts managed to punctuate her sobs to say, "what?"

She didn't look up when she heard the door open slowly. She didn't want whoever it was to see her crying. Suddenly a small hand touched her shoulder. 

The icy cold touch told her it was a vampire; but which one, she did not know. Still crying, she felt herself being lifted and moved into the bathroom. In the large mirror, peering up, she saw Ragon holding her. He settled her on the basin so that he was facing her and her large angel wings were pressed up against the mirror. With one hand he began wiping the mascara stained tears away. 

"I'm sorry," he said. 

Bell blinked back more tears but shook her head. She didn't know what to say or what to do.

"If there was some way that I could have changed all of this, been there a few moments earlier to save your parents from Kiara... I didn't tell you because I thought that Kiara had killed your mum and dad so that she could keep you, and I thought you would blame me for that.

I didn't want you to hate me. It was selfish," he said.

Listening to Ragon's words bought more tears to her eyes. She knew why he hadn't told her, even understood, but it didn't change the fact, that for 20 years she had wondered what had happened to them, and now tonight she knew. 

"I should have realised that you needed to know. And tonight you almost died trying to find out. I won't ever keep anything from you again," he added.

Bell looked up gingerly at him. His words, which she thought would have burned her, were instead soothing. 

"I understand," she whispered, and watched as Ragon's face, tense with anticipation, lightened immediately. 

"All these years, I've watched you, hoped for you, cried with you, but now I see that all I have done is bought you more pain," he said before adding, "maybe it is time that I let you go, let you have a chance to live a normal life. I can take you far away; hide you from all of this..."

Suddenly his hand was in hers, and he drew it to his mouth, and kissed it once on the palm, before locking eyes with her, "I can make you forget, make you forget all of this, it could be just as it always was before you met me. All the hurt gone; all the pain forgotten," he said.

Bell quickly grabbed him, fearful that he might dissociate her, and pulled him close, so that he was pressed in between her legs. 

"What happened wasn't your fault. You saved me, I know you care for me" Bell said.

Ragon shook his head, "I don't just care for you... I love you."

Bell watched mesmerised as his full lips spoke those last three words. Reaching towards him she pulled him even closer, forcing him to press harder between his legs. Reaching outwards, Ragon kissed her hungrily, cupping her cheeks with both his hands and catching some of her hair in his grasp. 

For a moment the pair remained like this, locked to each other in desperate passion. 

But then Ragon pulled away, "wait," he said, moving to look Bell in the eyes, "perhaps tonight is not the night, you've been through so much..." he began, but Bell pulled him back to her and recommenced kissing him, Ragon smiling in response.

Bell relished in the feeling of Ragon's tongue in her mouth, massaging it longingly with her own. One of her hands was clasped onto his brown hair in an effort to bring him even closer. Ragon hesitated for a moment, uncertain if Bell's heightened emotions were fuelling her desires and masking her fears.

A second later and he gave in, reaching quickly for her large white angels wings and gently pulling them away from her shoulders. The large feathered wings fell softly to the floor, and Ragon moved one hand to the back of her white dress, undoing the long zipper from behind. 

Bell mimicked his actions, reaching for his shirt and pulling it up over his head in one motion. His perfect stomach was revealed and she bent down to kiss along his pecks. Ragon pulled her face back towards him and recommenced kissing her. As he did so, he forced her dress down past her stomach, so that it only covered her thighs and crumbled around where she sat on top of the bathroom basin. 

After that, Ragon slipped his fingers under her bra straps and let them fall so that they were loose half way down her arm. Releasing Ragon's hair, Bell reached behind her back and unclasped her white bra, letting it fall to the bathroom floor and join her wings.

Fumbling for his pants zipper, Bell tried to undo it, but her hands were shaking from the adrenaline and after a few moments Ragon smiled. Pausing in kissing her, he reached down to undo it himself. 

Bell looked up blushing, feeling something hard pressed low against her stomach. Instantly Ragon's hands were back on her, desperate to feel her smooth flesh, tracing the wonderful contours of her body, like water rushing down a waterfall. She smelt wonderful. He couldn't quite place the scent, perhaps citrus? 

Hesitantly Bell reached for his swollen member, admiring the smooth texture, but startling a little at the cool feeling of it. At the same time Ragon reached between her legs. 

For a moment he was distracted by the rushing feeling of her femoral artery and paused to massage her thighs. Bell leaned in closer to him, and he continued to trace up her inner thigh, until his fingers reached their target. Bell let out a small moan next to his ear, and opened her mouth to take his earlobe by her tongue and suck on it. 

"I can hear your heart pumping harder and harder, it's shouting at me," he whispered, "I wonder..." he said smiling wickedly as he gently rubbed her clit, and listened for the increased heart rate. 

As soon as Ragon had reached her clit she bit down hard on his ear, and Ragon pulled on her hair, forcing her head back and exposing her neck. 

Blurring towards her, he began sucking on her neck, interchanging between kissing and biting at his leisure, but never breaking the skin. Suddenly he reached for her waist, gently lifting her up, so as to force her out of the remaining half of her dress, and then using one hand to throw it on the floor. He then swept the bathroom cabinet, so as to clear it of all the things on top.

Bell laughed as her toothbrush, Sandra's mascara and eyeliner, and a bar of lemon soap fell to the floor. Then Ragon gently placed her back on top of the cabinet, this time so that she was lying down on her back. Bell made to sit up, but Ragon placed one hand around her throat and lent down to kiss her slowly. With the same slow movement, he traced his spare hand down her breasts, past her belly and pausing to gently part her legs. For a while he teased her, using the back of his fingertips to brush along her thighs, admiring the way she thrust towards him every time he neared her clit.

He continued this until Bell's moans were so loud that he thought the entire house hold would hear them. 

Placing a finger over her lips he whispered, "if I give you what you want will you try to be quiet?"

Bell nodded enthusiastically, and as soon as Ragon began rubbing her clit she used her hand to cover her mouth, trying to stop herself from screaming as she shook from the ecstasy of her orgasm. Ragon continued to stroke her as she came, pressing a finger into her, unable to resist the desire to be inside her. 

At the feeling of his finger inside her, Bell reached hungrily for more; pulling at his shoulder desperately to get him closer.  

"Are you sure?" Ragon asked, holding her face with both of his hands, as he helped her into sitting position.

Bell nodded and then gasped. In an instant Ragon was entering her, his rock hard member slowly pushing inside. He paused, looking at her in concern, wanting to check that she didn't want him to stop. Instantly he felt her fingernails at his back, scrapping hard against his skin. Though she was pressing down as hard as she could, when she withdrew her fingers she saw that the nails were blunted, as if Ragon's skin was like a nail file. 

Still, it had done the desired effect. Ragon had grasped one hand onto the small of her back, and the other onto her neck and pushed hard into her. Desperate to have him further inside him, Bell wrapped her feet around the back of Ragon's legs, locking them together. At this Ragon reached for her, placing his hands behind her back, and pulling her away from the sink, and pressing her against the wall. 

Reaching down he unlocked her left leg, and pulled it up high, so that when he held her thigh, it acted as a lever, allowing him to continue to thrust in and out of her.

Lost in the euphoria of his own pleasure, he began blurring in and out of her as he climaxed. In response Bell began moaning, and Ragon unable to stop himself let his fangs un-sheath, so that large white canines faced her. Bell hadn't missed this, but she was too lost in her own orgasm to be fearful, all she felt was wave after wave of pleasure writhe through her. 

For a moment he considered biting her; how delicious her blood would taste now; full of serotonin, adrenaline and other delightful hormones and molecules. Resisting this urge, he took her by the hair and kissed her long and softly on the lips. Bell kissed back hungrily, feeling the sharp edge of his canines with the tip of her tongue as his thrusting slowed and finally stopped. 

Ragon smiled at her, kissing the beads of sweat from her brow away, and gently moving them over to the sink, released her back onto the bathroom cabinet. 

"Wow," Bell said.

Ragon was still speechless. That had been amazing! He had had sex before, many times before, but it was as if he had connected with Bell, rather than just in the usual way. 

Bell moved over to the shower and turned it on cold. For a few moments she stood under the cool water; it was as if her whole body was on fire. She relished in the water falling over her, and put her head under the spout, enjoying the neutralising sensation as her temperature began slowly to return to normal. 

"May I join you?" Ragon asked from outside.

Bell was surprised at his politeness, and opened the door quickly, inviting him in. She reached for the hot tap quickly, watching the steam rise off Ragon's icy body, as hot water met frosty skin, in burst of steam. Bells sat on the floor of the shower and Ragon joined her. The water pressure was great enough that both were covered sufficiently.

"What do you think happened with Kiara tonight?" Bell asked quietly. 

It was something that she had been thinking about for a while; something that she didn't understand in the slightest. Ragon frowned at her. He was quite as mystified by her abilities as she was. He had never heard of such a thing. 

"I don't know,' he replied.

"Do you think you would be able to do it again?"

"I don't know. I don't really know how it happened the first time. I was really scared, and she just, stopped," she admitted. 

Ragon considered her words carefully. For a moment he stood quit still, letting the fog settle in the bathroom so that Bell could only just make out his frame, white and perfect against the tiles. 

"Rahhhh," he growled suddenly, showing large fangs from mist.

It was Bell who froze. She went white, watching the man she had just made love with turn into a monster. 

"What the hell?" she said. 

"I thought perhaps, if I scared you, then you might freeze me too," Ragon confessed, quickly sheathing his fangs, and taking her hand and kissing it once.

"Well you're going to have to do better than that," she said catching her breath and smiling. 

Ragon grinned. He didn't like the thought of scaring Bell, but if she was able to stop time, then she needed to get a hold of that ability. It had saved her life once, and he shuddered but thought that it might not be the only time she would need to be able to do it. 

"So you think it was me who stopped her?" Bell asked. 

Ragon nodded. He didn't know how, but he was sure that whatever had happened at the Halloween party was Bell's doing. 

"Have you ever done anything like it before?" he questioned.

Bell thought for only a moment, shaking her head in a firm no. 

"But wouldn't you think that if I could stop time, that I would have done it when I was being attacked by those guys at campus?" she asked.

Ragon considered her words. This was something that he too had considered. There must have been times in her past when she would have needed to use such a unique ability, but had been unable to. 

"I don't know," Ragon said, "maybe you just learnt how to?" 

But even as he said these words he knew how stupid they sounded. She hadn't learnt anything; she had simply done it, like it was a natural protection mechanism. He thought of asking Sameth if had ever heard of such a thing. 

He was an old vampire, and out of the entire coven if anyone was going to have heard of someone with the ability to freeze time, than it would be Sameth. 

Half an hour later and Bell, wearing a pair of pyjama pants and a black singlet, finally left her bedroom with Ragon. She had entirely forgotten about Patrick and Ryder, but now, as her and Ragon walked hand in hand over to the kitchen, and she saw the pair playing card games with Sandra and Thomas: it was hard for her to think of anything else.

"How are you feeling Bell?" Sandra asked when she saw her.

Bell's eyes were no longer red and puffy from when she had been crying, rather her cheeks were rosy and there was a spring in her step, as though a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. 

She felt a little guilty for being so overjoyed after her and Ragon's union, having only just learnt the truth about her parent's deaths. But knowing how they had died didn't bring them back, and it didn't change the fact that they had died over twenty years ago; their absence, while being horrible, had been something that she had learnt to live with a long time ago.

"Better," Bell said, surveying the room. 

When her eyes had met with Clyde, she instantly looked away. It wasn't out of embarrassment, or anger, or any emotion that she was sure of.

"Happy Halloween," Ryder said lamely, after a few uncomfortable moments. 

Bell looked at him and then at Patrick. She wanted to say something, but didn't know how to approach the topic. It wasn't that she didn't like Patrick; it was that she didn't like the thought of Patrick treating her friend like a blood bag. Still, blood donor or not, it didn't seem that Ryder was too upset being treated as a pin cushion.




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 12



I hope you didn't freeze him during..." Sandra whispered to Bell, before her and Larissa began giggling.

Bell scoffed, but smiled, looking around the room nervously, hoping that she had been the only one to hear Sandra's comment. She was a little taken aback that they girls suspected her and Ragon had hooked up. She hoped they hadn't been too noisy. The thought of the other vampires being able to hear them was mortifying, and she tried desperately to push this thought from her mind, while Sandra and Larissa continued to giggle, much to her annoyance. 

"Are we going to talk about what happened tonight?" Sameth asked. 

Bell swung around to face him. He was sitting on a bar stool near the kitchen, with a half empty bottle of scotch besides him. Seeing Sameth in the kitchen reminded Bell of food. She moved over to him, bushing past, as she began raiding the cupboards for something, anything to eat. Until then she hadn't realised how hungry she was. 

"Yes, Kiara must be seriously pissed! How she could think to attack you at one of the elders parties. They would have been rife if Kiara attacked one of their guests. We may need to speak with her, let her know that she is not going to lay one of her cheap, manicured fingernails on you," Sandra said.

"But how do we even know if she has un-frozen? Maybe we don't have to worry about her anymore?" Cambridge asked.

Ragon looked sceptical.

"No," Sameth said, "about Bell's slowing down time, or whatever the hell it was."

Bell had been halfway to piling her mouth full of biscuits when she had stopped and stared at Sameth. 

"Have you ever heard of anything like this happening before?" Ragon asked.

Sameth shook his head and one quick glance around at the other vampires told him that they hadn't either. It was true, he had never before heard of a mortal having any powers over vampires. 

"Was Kiara the only thing to freeze?" Sameth questioned.

Bell's mouth was half full of biscuits when she mumbled, "Revrething roun me storped," and then swallowing her mouthful and said, "everything around me stopped, there was no wind, and some flowers that had been falling were frozen in mid-air."

"So it's not just vampires, it's everything that she has this power over," Sameth said considering Bell's answer a concerned look on his face. 

"Maybe it wasn't Bell?" Larissa pipped up.

"But then how?" Ragon asked.

"I don't know, but I have an idea how to find out," Larissa said, a mischievous grin on her face that could have rivalled one of Clyde's.

Half an hour later and everyone accept for Patrick was gathered outside. Ryder had been listening intently to the group's conversation. From what he had gathered there was a vampire after Bell and she had somehow managed to stop them from killing her. The world of vampires was new to him, but he didn't fear it, as most would. There was something magical about it; so he sat and listened, hoping to be able to help, but wanting most of all not to be left out. The moon, though a little higher in the sky, was still large and yellow and the storm clouds that had threatened Brisbane with rain, had now rolled back out to sea. 

"This feels stupid," Bell said loudly, forgetting that the vampires would be able to hear her.

She was standing on one of the highest branches of a large tipiana tree that took up most of Ragon's back yard. She was shaking slightly from her fear of heights, which caused the branch above her that she was holding onto to wobble dramatically. Next to her was Sandra. She was poised like a leopard on the same branch as Bell, needing nothing to steady her.

"It's alright honey, I've got you," she said, watching Bell's hands shake. 

"Why am I doing this again?" She whispered to Sandra.

From down below it was Ragon who answered, "because this is the easiest way for us to see if you freeze yourself to slow down your fall."

"And you're sure you will catch me?" She asked, unable to keep the hysteria out of her voice.

"Always," Ragon replied.

"Oh please," Clyde whispered to Ragon, "And if he doesn't, I will," he yelled up to Bell.

From up the top of the tree Sandra laughed, causing the branch they were standing on to shake, "Clyde honey, were trying to make her scared, not freaking terrified," she said.

Clyde was about to respond, but before he could voice his retort Bell said, "please don't move so much, I am not exactly a big fan of heights."

Sandra stopped quickly, and reached over to steady Bell, a weak smile on her face as she said, "sorry hun."

"Ok, so I am going to go after three," Bell said from up above, talking faster and faster, "you know like one, two ,three then I will jump," Bell said, moving over to the edge of the branch, and looking down at the ground. She moved back a little, re-doubling her grasp on the branch and added, "I am not going to go on three, I am going to after three, so not one, two..."

But before she could finish her sentence, Sandra had pushed her, and she relinquished her grip of the branch and fell, the wind wishing past her ears as her stomach dropped. 

"Ahhh,' she screamed, her arms and legs flailing everywhere. 

Down below Ragon waited as she fell, arms outstretched: ready. Suddenly he felt a rough shove in his side, as he was pushed hard, falling ten metres through the air, and landing crumpled near the neighbour's fence. Bell's eyes had been shut tightly while she fell. It seemed to only last for a moment before she felt someone catching her. Opening her eyes quickly she looked up and saw: Clyde? For a few moments she remained cradled in his arms, unable to think straight. Then Ragon blurred towards them and seeing his stricken face, she quickly jumped out of Clyde's embrace.

"You're welcome," Clyde said smiling politely after her. 

Though Bell had not seen what had happened below on the ground as she fell, it wasn't too difficult for her to guess. Ragon was brushing off bark and dirt from his clothes, while scowling at Clyde. 

"What?" Clyde asked shrugging, at Ragon's death glare, "I told her if you weren't there that I would catch her."

For a moment Ragon considered hitting him, but then Patrick was next to them shaking his head and saying, "I don't think she stopped herself. I kept my eyes on all of you the whole time, and it all looked normal to me."

Bell, who was also shaking her head but not at this, had suddenly turned and said, "Yea, I don't think I did anything but fall, and maybe suffer a small heart attack."

"Well it was worth a shot," Sandra said to Larissa. 

"Any other bright ideas?" Sameth asked the group.

"Well we could try going higher?" Cambridge asked, but Bell shook her head. 

"It's different, when I was with Kiara I thought I was going to die. But when I was up in the tree, I knew that..." she was going to Ragon's name but instead said, "someone would catch me."

"Bell honey, we can't try to kill you, just to see if you can freeze time. What if it wasn't you?" Sandra said.

Sandra had made a valid point, but Bell dismissed it. Though she hadn't said it out loud to anyone, she was almost certain that it had been her that had stopped time and not something or someone else. But she had no way of explaining this to everyone, and absolutely no way of proving it. 

"So what do we do now?" Patrick asked, his eyes roaming over to Ryder.

"Well I am not jumping out of or off anything else," Bell said. 

"Actually I have an idea," Clyde said, watching as Patrick walked over to Ryder, and he moved over to Ragon in a heartbeat, and whispered something in his ear.

Almost as soon as Clyde had finished whispering, Sandra grabbed Bell's hand and said, "come on, let's have a shot. I am sure that you need one after that."

Bell allowed Sandra and Larissa to pull her back inside, just as Ragon raised an eyebrow in response to Clyde. She was half way towards the house, with her back to the group and out of ear shot, when Ragon nodded and said, "as long as everyone agrees."

Patrick, who had been standing nearby, nodded his head. Ryder watched confused, as all the vampires nodded their heads in agreement. Asides from Bell, he had been the only one unable to hear what Clyde had whispered. 

Less than five minutes later and the rest of the group joined the girls inside. Bell had already had three shots of bourbon when Ragon came and sat down beside her. 

"So what brilliant plan did you come up with?" she asked, her hand holding up her fourth shot ready to drink.

Ragon hesitated for a moment, than Clyde moved over to them, took the undrunk shot from Bell, and downed it saying, "it wasn't going to work. Falling out of an aeroplane without a parachute just has too many logistical problems."

Bell gulped loudly, not entirely trusting that Clyde had given up on this scheme. 

"Don't worry," Ragon said, taking Bell by the hand and squeezing it, "I won't let Clyde throw you out of an aeroplane."

"It's too bad you two took your costumes off," Patrick said, "we could have continued the Halloween party here."

"Just because they're not dressed up, doesn't mean they can't still party," Sandra said, pouring two large glasses with Kentuckey bourbon and handing one to each of them. "Trick or treat," she said raising her glass before she shot it.

A second later and music was blaring out of the speakers, and Cambridge and Sandra were dancing together, while their mates watched jealously. Ragon had continued to hold Bell's hand, until Ryde came up to her.

"Me being here, he said, it's not, too much for you is it?" he asked, a puppy dog look taking over in his eyes.

Bell paused to think, turning to stare out of the open veranda doors. 

"It's not too much, I just... I just don't want you getting hurt," she said.

"We're all grown up now Bell, and I know how to take care of myself," he said winking before adding, "besides, how do you know that it isn't Patrick who needs to be careful of me?"

Bell smiled weakly, unable to avoid looking down at his now bandaged wrist, under which a large bite mark was. 

"Do I?" Patrick asked from the other couch, where he was giving Larissa a massage.

His voice was casual, even suggestive, as if he were hoping that there was something dangerous about his new interest. Ryder smiled innocently back at Patrick, batting his eye lashes a few more times than necessary. 

"What did you think of Nikolas and William?" Patrick asked, moving away from Larissa to her annoyance and swooning over the couch, closer to where she and Ryder sat. 

"Well Nikolas was..." she began.

"I know; dreamy right?" Patrick finished for her. 

One of Ryder's eyebrows raised but Patrick leaned over to him, saying, "don't worry, I only have eyes for you."

Bell blushed furiously, while Ryder was lost in Patrick's large green eyes. She was just beginning to feel awkward, when Ragon took her by the hand and said, "I have been dying to dance with you all night."

Bell smiled, and listened to the song that was playing; a slow one: Jezabels, 'Endless summer'. She had just taken Ragon's hand and he had twirled her when the music suddenly changed. 

"Nice," Sandra said, glaring at Clyde, who had just put on, 'I like big butts,' and was humming tunelessly to it, a wicked grin on his face from where he stood near the CD player.

Bell was half way to Clyde, intent on punching him, when Ragon dragged her back to the dance floor.

"Just pretend," he whispered, humming lightly in her ear as he continued to dance with her.

Bell felt like she was floating. Every dip brought a new smile and each turn had her glowing more and more brightly. Had the other vampires thought that she looked like an angel before, it was nothing to how she now glowed. Though her pyjamas were by no means a match for the angelic costume she had adorned hours ago when she had danced with Clyde, it didn't matter. The same feelings of hope, inspiration and remembrance washed over the immortals; and Patrick, who had been watching intently, rested his head in his hand, cupping his cheek, as though he had never seen anything more adorable. It didn't matter that the music had changed, and that they were dancing slowly to loud rap music. Bell's only thoughts rested on Ragon, and the pair continued to glide through the living room, forgetting that everyone was there, entirely oblivious that they were being watched. When Ragon's hypothetical music ended, he swept Bell into his arm, and kissed her slowly on the lips. Bell returned the kiss hungrily, her eyes closed so that everything and everyone in the background faded away. 

"Ohhh," Patrick sighed, unable to look away.

Bell had bitten Ragon's lower lip teasingly, before Ragon pulled away from her. When finally Bell opened her eyes, she was looking disappointedly at him, upset at his ending their perfect moment together so abruptly. Now as she traced his line of vision to the rest of the vampires in the room, she thought she could guess why he had stopped her. Had she not been reminded that they were in a room full of spying eyes, she probably would have jumped him. 

"Well," Clyde said, looking knowingly over at Ragon and then at Patrick, "let's do something fun."

Patrick clapped his hands together excitedly, and Ryder nodded. 

"Hmmm, well we can't play sources, and it's too late to grab a bite to eat at a club, so what does that leave us with?" Clyde mused out loud. 

"How about a nice, friendly game of checkers?" Cambridge asked.

He was ignored almost entirely, when Clyde said, "let's do shots," and moved over to the kitchen in a blur. 

A second later and nine shot glasses were lined up along the kitchen bench, all overflowing with vodka. Ryder was the first to move, quickly jumping up from where he sat next to Patrick and throwing the glass nearest him down the hatch. Bell laughed, and moved into the kitchen and copied him. In no time at all, all the glasses had been emptied, and Clyde was re-filling them. After a while Bell lost count of how many shots she had done before realising that she needed to go to the bathroom. 

Excusing herself she said, "make sure my next one is ready," and then moved over to her room, swaying a little as the alcohol took effect.

She was just checking her reflection in the mirror when a loud crashing noise made her race out the door and into the kitchen. 

"Woops," Ryder said drunkenly, before reaching down behind the kitchen counter to pick up the broken pieces of glass.

"I feel like I should yell out taxi," Clyde said amused, as he looked down mournfully at the smashed vodka bottle. 

"Shit," Ryder said suddenly, and Bell moved over to him.

From where he sat on the floor, Bell could make out that he had cut his finger, which was now bleeding profusely. She made to move towards him, but suddenly there was a long, low growl from behind her. She turned to see Patrick, staring down at Ryder, his eyes wide with hunger. In a second the atmosphere in the room changed. It was as if it was ten degrees colder and Bell watched in horror at the look on Patricks face, recognising the familiar lustful look for blood. From behind his top lip, two sharp fangs were revealed, and without pausing he moved over to Ryder. Ryder looked up helplessly at the monster, too paralysed by fear to respond. 

"No," Bell screamed, throwing her hands up protectively in the air to stop him.

As though obeying her command Patrick stopped. For a moment she blinked confused, and then realised that it wasn't just Patrick who had frozen: everyone had. For a few moments she breathed hard, trying to wrap her head around the situation. 

Glancing around at the other frozen vampires, she was surprised to see that no-one else had been in motion to stop Patrick, as if they were watching him. Dismissing this confusing thought, she deliberated on what to do next. Thinking quickly she tried to pull Ryder away, hoping that if she at least managed to move him, it would be enough time for Ragon or one of the others to stop Patrick. It was hard work. Ryder's dead weight felt as though it was suspended in gelatine, and Bell fought hard against the gravity which tried to keep him in place. 

Panting hard from her efforts, she managed to drag him a few feet away from the group, into the living room, before sudden movement told her that time had re-started. For a moment all eyes were staring curiously at her and Ryder. 

Ryder was surprised to find himself in the living room, but he leant over to Bell smiling and said, "I knew you'd save me." 

"What?" Bell asked, looking back at Patrick, whose face was completely back to normal.

There wasn't a trace of malice or hunger about him, only surprise. After a moment Ragon moved over to where Bell was sitting and gently placed an arm on her shoulder. 

"You did it," he said simply, without the faintest hint of being impressed.

"Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Bell asked.

To her surprise it was Clyde who moved over to her and said, "I thought the best way to err... test you, would be to put you in a more make believe situation."

For a few moments she stared disbelievingly up at him, and said, "but..." pointing to Ryder, lost for words.

"It's fake," Ryder said, putting his finger into his mouth and licking off the dark red liquid, "tomato sauce."

Bell didn't move for a while. She looked back and forth from Patrick to Ryder, and then her eyes rested on Ragon. It was true; she really could stop time.

"So what the hell does this mean?" asked Sameth, from where he was standing in the kitchen, a strange unrecognisable look plastered on his face.

"Well for one thing, we know that Kiara must have unfrozen afterwards. Which means not only do we need to keep protecting Bell from her. And if she has worked out what you did, then she will probably want to kill you more than ever, now that you're a threat to her," Cambridge said, a grim look on his face.



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 13



CHAPTER 13- PATRICKS FLEDGLING

The next few days were occupied with test after test of Bell's ability. At the same time the coven had been on high alert for Kiara; Ragon had been convinced Kiara would want to attack Bell after what had happened at the Halloween party. At night everyone took it in turn to check the perimeter of the house, while Ryder had been forced to wake during the day, when he normally would have been curled up with Patrick, and make sure that there were no mortals hanging about. On the fifth evening, Sandra and Larissa were patrolling the street, checking that there was no trace of Kiara's or Matthew's scent. Although no attack had occurred, and there had not been so much as a whiff of Kiara; the group were determined to get Bell to learn how to use her powers. 

"Have you ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?" Bell asked Ryder, after his fourth failed attempt to get her to stop time. "One day you might be in a real life and death situation, and I will just ignore it because I think you're faking it."

Ryder, who had been pretending to have a seizure after drinking some strange concoction, stood up abruptly. 

"I even used toothpaste to imitate frothing at the mouth," he said, impressed with his resourcefulness. 

She was in part grateful that the coven and Ryder had taken such a proactive approach to try and get her to gain control over her power, but at the same time, she didn't know if her heart could take all the elaborate stunts they were coming up with. Ryder, who had fallen head over heels for Patrick, had remained with the group since the night of the Halloween party. He had returned home a few times, but in the whole he had become a permanent fixture. Part of Bell was glad about this, because it meant that she wasn't the only human there anymore, and part of her was concerned, as she didn't necessarily approve of his becoming a source for Patrick. Now as Ryder began wiping the minty froth away from his mouth, he moved over to where Bell stood in the kitchen, adding coconut cream to a large pot of chicken curry.

"Does that hurt?" Bell asked, trying to be casual, as she indicated the large bite mark on his neck. 

Ryder shrugged, apparently indifferent at his being Patrick's meal ticket.

"Don't you ever let Ragon, you know..." Ryder asked curiously, after getting a spoon to steal some of the bubbling curry.

Bell looked at Ryder confused. Since the Halloween party, Bell and Ragon, although they had not said it out loud, were pretty much official. They slept in the same bed, held hands, and kissed like they were lovers. Still, Ragon had never so much as hinted that he wanted to use Bell for her blood. For a moment this thought concerned her. Surely if he had wanted to take blood from Bell he would have asked. 

Bell shook her head saying, "never."

"Not even when your, you know, in the throes of passion?" Ryder asked incredulously.

Bell had seen Ragon's fangs appear only once when they were having sex. She knew that it was an instinct for him to draw them, but he had been mortified at the time. Clearly Ragon had no intention of feeding off her. For a moment Bell considered Ryder, her eyes resting on the swollen area of tissue where two large holes showed pink underneath a large swelling. Was there some kind of expectation that vampires who date mortals were supposed to be fed from? 

"Did Patrick ask you before he bite you?" Bell asked, wanting to know if there had been some kind of arrangement between the two, or if it was simply that he could not control himself.

"Not the first time," Ryder admitted, "but we spoke about it afterwards. I think it's kind of hot."

Bell blushed. Clearly vampirism was not something that Ryder found even remotely strange, which Bell thought in enough of its self was weird. Still, it was interesting to see how another mortal-vampire relationship operated. Asides from what she had seen in the movies, or had read in Dracula, she had no idea what was normal, and it never seemed to work out well for the human characters in those stories. Bell moved over to the large dining room table, which sat in the corner of the living room, next to the veranda door, and served up two large plates of Rice and curry. She had gotten use to cooking and eating large meals at once, having found that living with vampires wasn't exactly conducive to maintaining a healthy diet. For a while Ryder toyed with the folk in his hand, as if chewing on something in his mind instead of his food. He was just about to speak when Bell reached quickly for the remote and turned the volume up on the television, listening intently to the report.

"Police are on high alert, as murders in the Brisbane area continue to baffle them. Today, at 3.45am, a body was discovered in Taringa. 24 year old Chelsea Livingstone was found dead under an overpass servicing a train station. The coroner's office has not, as of yet, released a statement, but the police have said, that they are treating the death as suspicious." 

For a few minutes Bell continued to listen to the news report, and then Ryder spoke, completely side tracking her.

"Actually," Ryder said, now whispering, "Patrick has offered to turn me."

Bell's folk fell from her hand, spreading rice and curry all over the table and down her shirt, "what?" she asked alarmed, the news report instantly disappearing from her thoughts. 

Had Ryder been trying to provoke a response from her that would result in her stopping time, this would have been the perfect moment, but he continued to stare at her, as though they were having an entirely normal conversation. 

"Yea, the other night, when were, um, in bed together," Ryder said. 

"But you're not going to do it," Bell responded dismissing the notion.

"Well..." Ryder began.

"But; what? You can't! I don't understand; you have only known him for a few days," she stammered, completely astounded. 

"A few days to some people is like a life time to others," Ryder said prophetically.

Bell scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. 

"You can't honestly tell me that you want to spend the rest of... forever with him?" Bell asked, now picking the pieces of rice off the table, and hoping that Patrick wasn't upstairs listening.

"Would it be so horrible if I did?" Ryder asked defensively. "I am not saying that we are going to get married, hell I am not even saying that we will stay together, but, I don't know, I really want to be one; a vampire."

Bell couldn't believe her ears. Was this really happening?

"I don't understand how can you make this choice so light heartedly?" she said.

"Just because it's fast, doesn't make it light hearted. I'm gay Bells, it's not like I have a God to fear losing my soul to, or damnation for drinking blood or whatever," Ryder replied, a slight edge to his voice. 

"But what about Patrick; do you love him?" Bell questioned. 

"Love?" Ryder replied.

"Yes you know: love. The kind of feeling that makes you want to spend the rest of your life, or the rest of your existence with one person. How can you feel that after such short a time? How do you know it is right?" Bell asked.

"Oh Bell. You're sill the same girl, so innocent and unknowing. Do you have any idea how long I have been looking for someone who understands me? Can you imagine how impossibly happy I am that he wants to turn me? This isn't just a gay thing; if Ragon said to you that he wanted to change you, that he couldn't live without out, can you honesty tell me you wouldn't cut your own wrists to hasten the process?" Ryder asked.

Bell looked at him in concern. Yes she liked Ragon, hell maybe she was even starting to love him. But she had spent a hell of a lot longer with Ragon and still wasn't prepared to say that she would want to become a monster to be with him. 

"Why can't you be together the way you are now? Why rush into things?" Bell asked.

This question was close to her heart. It was one that she absolutely feared; the question of time.

"One lifetime to us is like a few years to them. They live forever; today I'm young and beautiful and he likes me; but tomorrow, tomorrow I am some old person who he is paying for private care in a nursing home. I don't want this to be a fleeting moment; I want it to last forever," Ryder replied.

His words had hit Bell like a ton of bricks. She felt winded, as though all the air in her chest had gone and her lungs were too stiff to refill. Was Ryder right? 

Bell thought for a few moments, unsure how to phrase her next question, "but, why... Wouldn't just a few more weeks together be better, to wait, just a little longer?"

Ryder sighed, "have you ever fallen for someone hard; the kind of love that has you up all hours of the night talking on the phone, or else planning secret meetings in the city? It's the kind of love that you almost always only feel when you are 17, when everything is fresh and new and perfect. When the feeling of a kiss or a touch means everything and you can't think of anything else except being with them. That's what I feel like, I don't care if this feeling last five minutes or five centuries: I'd risk it," Ryder declared. 

Bell sat with her head in her hands for a long time. Ryder was still staring at her, his mouth slightly parted in anticipation of a response, but it did not come. He had answered all her questions. There was nothing left she could think to ask. She didn't finish her curry, but took her half eaten plate up to the sink and began cleaning up. Ryder continued to eat in silence. When he put his plate into the sink and rinsed it he smiled half-heartedly at Bell, but did not speak. Moving out of the kitchen he walked up to Patrick's room. His mind was made up; he wanted to be a vampire. 

"Ahh," Bell said a few minutes later, feeling Ragon creep up on her as she placed the last dish into the dishwasher, "maybe we need to get you a bell?"

Ragon smiled, kissing her shoulder and then running his tongue along her collar bone, punctuating this with soft kisses on her neck, until finally he reached her mouth and kissed her passionately. For a few moments, the conversation she had just had with Ryder was swept from her, but then, when the kiss ended she looked at Ragon, concern drawing her eyebrows low.

"What's wrong?" Ragon asked.

"Maybe you're just a bad kisser?" Clyde said, as he blurred into the living room and jumped on the couch. "I'd be happy to act as a comparison if you like Bell."

Bell smiled weakly, but Ragon moved over to Clyde angrily. He had had just about enough of Clyde. He reached down and threw one fast punch, hitting Clyde unaware in the jaw. Bell, who was still in the kitchen, watched the scene unfold. 

"Well I guess I deserve that," Clyde said, now standing from the sofa and rubbing his jaw. 

For a moment neither of them moved, and then Ragon let out a low growl and Clyde smiled. Before Bell knew what was happening the two were brawling. Clyde had moved over to Ragon and shoved him in the chest. He fell hard, hitting the coffee table, whose wooden frame broke under his weight. Quickly Ragon jumped to his feet, and charged at Clyde, forcing him out onto the veranda.

"Stop this," Bell screamed, following the pair onto the balcony. 

For a few moments they continued to wrestle, each throwing fast hits at the other, blurring so quickly that Bell couldn't tell who was who. 

"My moneys on Clyde," Cambridge said, walking out towards Bell.

He was followed by Thomas and Sameth.

"Can't you stop them?" Bell pleaded, her face stuck halfway between a pained and exasperated expression. 

Cambridge frowned, but gestured to Sameth and Thomas, then moved quickly over to Ragon and Clyde who were now grappling on the veranda floor. 

"Aren't you boys a little old to be fighting?" Sandra said when she had joined them all on the veranda. 

Ragon was growling, but one look at Bell had him gaining control of himself, and he stopped struggling with Sameth who was fighting hard to restrain him. A moment later and Thomas and Cambridge released Clyde also. 

"What in god's name are you fighting about?" Larissa asked.

Neither responded, but Ragon looked once at Bell, and she instantly knew that they were fighting over her. 

"Maybe it's time that you left?" Ragon said to Clyde, his voice malevolous.

"I came for you," he said to Ragon, hurt by his words and brushing his shirt straight, "But I'm staying for Bell." 

Ragon had been shocked by Clyde's words, and instantly felt guilty. He had been stupid to let Clyde get to him. Wasn't Bell clearly with him; hadn't she obviously chosen him over Clyde. What did it matter if there was a little rivalry between the two if it meant that there was an extra person protecting her? 

"Ok," Ragon said moving over to Clyde.

Clyde shrugged, moving inside and pouring two large glasses of bourbon and handing one to Ragon in obvious acceptance of peace. Bell watched the whole scene in disbelief, and moved back into the house along with the rest of the vampires. She had been touched and confused by Clyde's declaration. 

"What's all the commotion about?" Patrick asked, walking down the hallway flanked by Ryder.

As soon as Ryder entered the living room, their previous conversation flashed back to Bell, and unable to stop herself she said, "looks' like I'll be the only human here soon."

For a moment Ragon stared at her, and then Patrick asked, "do you disapprove?" 

Ryder was glaring at Bell, hurt by her betrayal of their trust. Right then Bell wished that she could not only stop time, but reverse it. For a moment she tried hard to, hoping that somehow her powers would have advanced; but they did not. She had no idea how to respond, but was mercifully spared having to when Ragon spoke. 

"Disapprove of what?" Ragon asked curiously, not missing the exchange between Bell and Patrick.

"Of my turning Ryder," Patrick answered coolly.

"What?" Sandra said her eyes now fixed on Ryder who had stopped glaring at Bell, and was looking down at his feet. 

"This isn't really the best time to have a fledgling to worry about," Sameth said.

"He will be my responsibility," Patrick said simply.

Though Bell wanted to say something she did not. She felt guilty enough about bringing Ryder's and Patrick's personal life into the spotlight and did not wish to add insult to injury. She tried catching Ryder's eyes a few times, hoping to convey that she was sorry, but he did not look up at her. Instead Patrick moved over to Ryder protectively and the pair moved out onto the balcony together. 

"Well that's just about enough excitement for one day," Clyde said dramatically.

Bell couldn't help but nod her head in agreement. She didn't want Ryder to become a vampire; at the end of the day, she just didn't! There was no way however, that anything that she said would stop him. From what Ryder had told her, it wasn't just about being with Patrick; Ryder wanted to be a vampire. She considered this for a moment. Sure there were things about being a vampire that were appealing, like not aging, being immortal and getting to live for ever. But all of that came at a high price. Had Ryder considered that he would have to watch his parents die, along with everyone else he ever cared about. Not only that, he would have to drink blood. Maybe he would be able to control himself like the others in the coven, but Bell knew that not all vampires had that luxury. Instantly her mind flashed back to Paige, the young girl who had been in the cell opposite her when she had been taken by Kiara. Matthew had killed her in a heartbeat and without remorse. Becoming a vampire didn't just mean you had fangs; after a while humanity faded, making it easier and easier to take a life.

"How long have you known about this?" Ragon asked in a whisper, so that Patrick could not hear. 

"About half an hour before you," she replied.

For most of the night there was tension between Bell and Ryder. Most of the other vampires had left to go hunting. Only Ryder, Bell, Patrick and Thomas remained. 

A few times she approached Ryder so that she could apologise, and finally on her third attempt he said, "look Bell, I know what you're going to say, but it won't change anything."

Bell blinked, "I'm sorry," she said.

Her apology had caught him off guard and he opened his mouth dumbly to speak, but no words came out. 

"It's your decision to make, and even though I don't necessarily think it needs to be made so quickly, I respect whatever you decide to do," Bell said.

"Well, err, thanks," Ryder said scratching his head slightly confused.

After that Ryder moved over to Patrick who was sitting on the sofa reading a book. 

"God I'm starving," Thomas said, pacing around the house. 

Bell watched as he blurred around the room, making her feel motion sick. 

"Why don't you go out, I can watch the kids," Patrick said teasingly, looking up from his book and dog tagging the page of Withering heights that he was up to.

Ryder threw him a dirty stare, but Patrick smiled sweetly back at him. 

"Are you kidding me? Ragon told me that I was not to let Bell out of my sight for even a second," Thomas said. 

"Um, I think I handle babysitting two mortals," Patrick said, "go eat!"

Thomas seemed to consider his words for a second, his hunger overtaking his better judgement, but then shook his head firmly saying, "No I can't."

"I could go with you," Bell said, and at this Thomas shook his head even harder. "I will wait in the car and lock the doors; you won't even know I am there."

"She has a point," Patrick said. "If you leave now you could get back before the others return."

At these words Thomas stopped shaking his head and considered his options. It wasn't like Bell hadn't gone out hunting with them before, and he wouldn't exactly be breaking his promise to Ragon, as long as he didn't let Bell out of his sight. 

He rationalised the logistics of this plan, then moving over to the front door, retrieved a pair of keys and said, "ok, but you don't leave the car."

It was only 10 minutes into their drive when Bell realised that she had just left Ryder and Patrick alone. She thought about what Ryder had said; that he wanted to be a vampire, and hoped like hell that it would not be happening tonight. Perhaps if Ryder had a few more days living with vampires, he would have more time to think and be sure about his decision. Still, who was she to judge him? She was dating a vampire, and she didn't think she had ever met a more caring person. As she thought about this, she couldn't help but draw horrible conclusions about her and Ragon's relationship. What Ryder had said earlier about humans growing old was true, and he wasn't the first one to tell her. She remembered the conversation she had had with Larissa and Sandra. Larissa had turned Cambridge because she didn't want to exist without him, but she had also said that if she had the chance again, she wouldn't become a vampire. Sandra had been turned by Thomas because she was dying, and didn't have a choice, but she still said that she didn't regret this. But Bell and Ryder did have a choice, and Ryder had made his. Bell glanced over to Thomas. She had not really spoken to him about anything personal, but now suddenly felt compelled to, desperate to ease her troubled mind.  

"Ok," Thomas said, pulling the car over to the curb, and bringing Bell back to her surroundings.

"Wh... What?" Bell asked confused. 

Thomas pointed to a man standing near the side of a deserted street in the Valley. It was raining now; large thick drops of water splattered against the windshield, distorting her view. She had not really been paying attention to where they had been driving, and only realised that they were in the Valley when she looked out and saw a burnt down building: Grace Valley Orphanage. Now as she beheld the dampened derelict building, which had once been her home, she couldn't help but feel a little sad. What had happened to all the children who had been in there, waiting to find a new home?




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 13



"Wait here," Thomas said, flicking the headlights off, but leaving the keys in the ignition. "Make sure you lock the doors after I leave."

Bell nodded, and as soon as Thomas slammed the door shut, moved over to the central locking button and hit it. A small clicking noise followed this, as all the doors locked. Looking through the window, Bell watched Thomas flick his coat collar up to shield him from the rain, and move over to the man, who with one hand was smoking a rollie, while the other remained in his pocket. Large thick puffs of smoke came out of his mouth; the tobacco mingled smog curled around his face and disintegrated into the air with each new puff of the smoke. The car was not close enough for Bell to hear what Thomas said to the stranger, and the rain continued to pound on the car making it more and more difficult to see. After a moment Thomas followed his prey further down the alley. Thomas turned quickly to glance at Bell then suddenly grabbed the man, holding him up by his jacket. Bell watched mesmerised as he struggled for a moment, retrieving his hand from his pocket and producing a small switch blade. Thomas, who was drinking hungrily from the man's wrist, had not noticed the blade that was now being pointed at him from behind. Bell screamed in response, fumbling for the door before she realised it was still locked. When she looked up again both men were gone. Without thinking, she unlocked the door and jumped from the car, racing o where she had seen them last and slipping slightly on the wet shiny foot path. Outside the car, the smell of burnt wood assaulted her nostrils. The rain had obviously washed away much of the ash from the wreck, which looked as though it had not been touched since the fire. 

"What the hell happened?" she asked, seeing Thomas standing over the man he had been drinking from, crossing himself, as he touched his hand to his forehead, then sternum, and finally to either side of his shoulders.

The man was sprawled on the floor lying quite still; his arms and legs were stuck out at strange angles and Bell realised suddenly that he was not breathing. The rain was soaking his clothes, and a trickle of blood was been washed from his neck, joining a large puddle besides him, giving it a diluted red colour. Thomas did not respond to her, but with a sombre look on his face reached down to the man he had killed, and retrieved something from his pocket. Moving quickly he put a small black wallet into his own pocket and grabbed Bell by the elbow and ran.

"I told you not to leave the car," Thomas said angrily when they were back in the car sopping wet and speeding away from the crime scene.

Bell was shaking a little from the rain which had soaked through her clothes leaving her with a chill. Fast breaths were fogging up the window, but from the frosted glass she saw the orphanage blur into the distance, and said "but he had a knife, I thought..." 

"I'm a vampire Bell, he might as well have been wielding a rubber chicken for all the good it would have done him," Thomas said.

Thomas looked up at Bell from behind the steering wheel and growled saying, "I didn't mean to kill him. He was a drug dealer; I was pretending to buy some stuff off him and when he jumped me..."

Bell thought better of asking any more questions, and did not press him after his sentence had trailed off. 

After a moment Thomas spoke again saying, "Ragon is going to kill me when he finds out." 

As soon as they arrived home it was apparent that the other vampires had not yet returned. When Thomas opened the door for Bell, she walked through quickly and scanned the house for signs of inhabitants. Even Patrick and Ryder were no longer there. 

Bell was just about to ask where the hell they had gone, but Thomas, who had seen her searching the house for them said, "Ryder is upstairs."

"How do you know?" she asked curiously.

"I can hear him," Thomas replied.

"But how?" Bell asked confused.

"I can hear his heart," he said.

She nodded, rolling her eyes at the obvious answer, than asked, "what about the others?" 

"I don't know," he said.

Bell didn't reply, but watched as Thomas moved over to the veranda door, opened it and stood out on the balcony. Bell followed, watching him peer up at the moon. It was early in the morning and judging by the lighting of the sky at the horizon, the sun would be rising in a few hours. Thomas grasped tightly on the railings, his fingers locking around the metal rim and indenting it; whenever he was away from Sandra, this close to the morning, he was nervous. Even if a vampire did get stuck somewhere when the sun was close to rising, it wasn't like vampires weren't without resources. It was only direct sunlight that was destructive to them. Being out of un-filtered rays, even if it was only behind a UV blocking glass, such as that which lined most cars, afforded them great protection. In some places there was enough cloud cover to allow vampires to walk during the day. They had to drink more blood to maintain this lifestyle; but it was very possible. He knew that if a vampire was caught out during the day, all they needed to do was get inside a car, or a house, or even go to ground, as long as they got away from the damaging UV light. It was true that they would be greatly weakened by their efforts, and perhaps some of the younger vampires would not be able to tolerate it, but Sandra was an old vampire. Unfortunately this thought did not manage to comfort Thomas much, and he continued to stare out past the dark forest, his eyes hungrily raking the valley for any sign of his mate. He was overprotective; just the thought of having to spend eternity without her was unbearable. But then, she wasn't just his mate; she was his soul mate. When he had changed Sandra a connection formed between them. This bond allowed him to connect with her, and if she were close, he could sense where. Now he could tell that she was close by, he could feel her pull, and he could leap from the veranda, and seek her out. But he had promised Ragon not to leave Bell's side, and he had already stretched that promise as far as it could go.

The bond between a maker and their fledgling is strong, but when the pair becomes mated, as with Sandra and himself, it was as if she became an extension of himself. Her happiness made him happy, and her sadness made him sad. But it wasn't just emotions, it was so much more. This link between a maker and their fledgling was sacred. This was why many attempted turnings of humans into vampires did not take; it was a link between blood and mind. In some cases, humans were simply incompatible, and this would result in the mortal dying, as they were at the point of death, and only the vampire toxin could bring them back. Normal vampires who made fledglings were afforded a connection with them; when a maker bonded with their fledgling and formed a union, as Sandra and Thomas did, this connection was amplified. Where a maker might only be able to sense their progeny, a bonded vampire could feel so much more of their fledgling. 

Thomas could still remember the moment that this union became activated with Sandra. Before he had to concentrate hard and he could feel her, as though a dull light, lighting his way to her, but now it was so much more than that. One day, many centuries ago, he woke and immediately felt this change; he no longer sense Sandra in such a minimal way, but as a bright luminescence, radiating next to him, and glowing so powerfully in his mind, that it was as if he could feel every breath, see every thought and smell every smell. Had he thought that he loved her before then, then he was mistaken. Being so entirely bonded to someone changes you. It was as if the two were linked entirely, blood and soul, far more than any maker and their vampire. Sharing this bond with a maker was not unheard of, but was relatively rare. It was a sacred union, and many people did not advertise it, for they loved their fledgling so much, that it made them an obvious target for any enemies. To lose a bonded fledgling was said to be excruciating. More so than cutting off a limb, for they became a mirror image to your soul, and to lose them was to deprive your soul, of its mate. Some said that it was impossible to live afterwards. Others said that the vampires who were un-bonded became monsters, because there was nothing left tying them to humanity. It was a risk any maker took; and it was not the only one. There was also the risk that a fledgling betrayed their maker, and killed them. This was no easy feat, but if the fledgling was determined enough, tracing back their bloodline, gave them access to its power. In this way it was possible for younger vampires to become more powerful than older ones. 

For a few moments Bell continued to watch him. 

Like Thomas she was waiting for Ragon's return.

"So are we going to talk about what happened tonight?" she asked.

Thomas did not turn around, but hung his head, "I killed a man, what more is there to say?" 

Bell was surprised by his statement saying, "No, I meant are we going to tell Ragon and the others?"

At this Thomas turned to face her, he was shocked at Bell's indifference to his actions and said, "all life, even that of a drug dealer, is sacred."

"I didn't mean..." Bell began, but Thomas moved inside.

The sky was beginning to lighten. It was still dark, but the kind of darkness that preceded the dawn. Since they had been standing there the birds had begun to chirp, and Bell knew that it wouldn't be long until the new day was upon them. Bell followed Thomas inside, until 6 loud thumps on the veranda made her turn around. 

As she turned she felt cool hands on her shoulder, and Ragon, who had moved away from the others said, "I'm sorry we took so long."

Bell smiled up at Ragon, embracing him warmly, and letting him slide his hand into hers and pull her towards the door, and away from the gradually lighting sky.

"Sorry we cut it so short," Sandra said, sweeping over to Thomas who was dragging a chair over to the window next to a small table. "Someone couldn't make up their mind on what to have," she added, taking a long incredulous look at Sameth. 

Sameth shrugged but looked annoyed and quickly raced up to his bedroom, blurring past Bell so quickly that her dark hair flew across her face. Thomas, who was now sitting on the chair he had dragged over, looked up at his mate. He did not smile, but was happy she was there, feeling the warmth of her presence. Slowly he retrieved a long cylindrical rod from his pocket. Next to the chair, on the table, was an old rag that he was covering with a thick black liquid. Bell looked curiously at the long thin rod, unsure of what to make of it. With a determined look on his face, he forced the rod through the wall, pushing it through until it reached the other side. 

"Oh Jesus, what the hell happened tonight sugar?" Sandra asked, recognising the tools in her mate's hands immediately.

He didn't respond, but reached into his jacket pocket and threw a wallet onto the table. Bell, who was still shocked that Thomas had driven a hole into the living room wall, recognised the wallet instantly. It was the one he had taken from the man he killed tonight. For a moment Sandra hesitated, sweeping a few strains of wayward blonde hair out of her face, before reaching down and picking up the small leather wallet. 

She flipped it open, stared at something for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry honey." 

Unlike Bell, Ragon seemed also to realise the significance of the wallet. 

He stormed over to Sandra, took the wallet from her and looked at it incredulously, "what the hell have you been doing?"

Bell, who had not made up her mind if she was even going to tell Ragon about her and Thomas's outing, now looked sheepishly down at her feet. 

"You said you would watch her," Ragon growled, throwing the wallet at Thomas.

"And I never let her out of my sight," he said, retrieving a driver's license from within the wallet.

"You took her with you?" Ragon roared. 

Before Thomas could answer, bright sunlight poured through the hole in the rod, leaving a very small pin prick sized beam of light in its wake. When Thomas began removing his shirt, Bell looked away, but not before a small cross pendent on a long, thin, silver chain, met her eyes. She had no idea what the hell was going on, but guessed by his catholic gestures in the alleyway, and the way he had referred to life as being precious, that he was upset about having just killed someone. For a moment Bell thought it strange that a vampire was so obviously upset about killing, but then a small scream made her swerve around to face Thomas. 

"Ah," he cried.

As Bell approached she was horrified to see that the pin prick of sun light, coming from the hollow rod, was shining on his chest, and cutting through the flesh. He had positioned himself so that he was kneeling before the tiny beam of light, which was acting like a laser, singing through skin and tissue. The smell of burnt meat assaulted her nostrils, and she instantly felt sick; why was he doing this to himself? 

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked, looking from Sandra and then Ragon, unable to contemplate why they weren't stopping him.

Thomas, smiled weakly up at her, and began moving the small rod rhythmically in the wall, so that a different part of flesh was being burnt. A new scream from Thomas had Bell moving over to the wall, her hand stretched out to block the sunlight, but before she could reach the tiny beam that was doing so much damage, Ragon had stopped her. 

"Leave him," he said angrily.

Bell wasn't sure if Ragon was saying this because he was upset with him, but one nod from Sandra told her that whatever Thomas was doing, it was ok. 

For 5 minutes he continued like this, moving the rod and screaming out as a new wave of pain raped him. Then finally he fell to the floor. Bell leaned down too, her concerned eyes narrowed on the burnt area of flesh that was bubbling and smoking. Suddenly he reached across to the rag he had poured the thick black liquid onto, and clasped it to his chest panting. Thomas's eyes were squinted shut, and his face was curled into a horrified expression. 

"That's enough love," Sandra said, quickly blurring over to the kitchen, wetting a tea towel and speeding back to him. 

Taking the tea towel in one hand, and lovingly removing the black rag, she wiped it across his chest. Flesh sizzled as charcoaled skin met cool liquid, and steam erupted from the wound. She then moved her wrist up to her mouth and bit into it quickly. In a second she was pressing it into his mouth. For a moment Bell thought that he might refuse her offering, but then after a moment his eyes rolled slightly, and he drank from her. The second that his fledgling's blood touched his lips, it was as if he was in heaven. The wound on his chest instantly began healing, and Thomas felt a wave of endorphins wash over him. After a moment, he pulled Sandra's wrist out of his mouth, and sat up. He was staring at her lovingly. Though he very rarely drank from his mate, it was utter bliss when he did. It was as if the bond between them was renewed, and he relished in the feeling of her blood in his system. 

For a while Sandra continued to wipe at his chest with the soaking rag. When finally all the black liquid had been removed Bell gasped. Where before the skin had been blistered, now there was a small a tattoo. Raking her eyes up and down his exposed chest, she saw that this was not the only tattoo, but that there were many others there also, each of which was a name.

Bell read the newest words of a long list, and whispered, "Edward Jenkins."

Thomas did not reply. Unable to stop herself, Bell scrolled through the rest of the names tattooed there, until she reached one that she knew; Sandra Wood. For a moment she stared at the name, and then realised what the list on his chest signified: all the people he had killed.

"I'm going to bed," Ragon said, taking a meaningful look at Bell.

For a few moments she continued to stare at the artwork on Thomas's body, but then he stood, re-buttoning his shirt quickly and kissing Sandra on the forehead. As he did so, Sandra closed her eyes, loving the feeling of her mate's soft lips against her skin.

Once inside her bedroom, Ragon rounded on her.

"How could you be so foolish?" he asked.

Bell's eyes narrowed. So she was foolish? 

"I am allowed to make decisions for myself you know," she said angrily.

"Not if those decisions get you killed," Ragon argued.

"But I haven't been killed have I, I am fine, nothing happed," she said, her heart racing, much to Ragon's annoyance. 

Bell's cheeks blushed, as she fought to keep her temper.

"Don't," Ragon said quickly, turning away from her.

"Don't what?" she spat.

In an instant he was next to her, his hungry eyes rested on her uncertain ones, and one hand placed over her heart, "Don't be afraid."

"Afraid?" she asked. "I'm not afraid; I'm angry."

Ragon smiled, unable to stop himself and kissed her. For a moment Bell struggled, but then she gave in, returning the kiss hungrily. 

The pair was locked like this for a few moments, before Ragon pressed Bell hard against the bedroom wall and whispered, "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"Does that include living?" Bell asked. 

Ragon stopped kissing her and moved over to the bed. He knew full well that he was being over protective of her; he had already stopped her from having a normal life. 

"It's just for a little while. Once your safe, once I know that there is no one after you..." he began.

"You'll what? Disassociate me?" Bell scoffed.

Bell had been expecting Ragon to argue with her the instant she had said this, but he did not. "What?" Bell asked, expecting an answer that did not come. 

Ragon frowned. He had been about to argue with her when a sudden noise, unheard by Bell, caught his attention. Looking up at the ceiling he blinked a few times, as if straining to hear something. 

"Shit," he said in a whisper.

A minute later and he was racing to the bedroom door, throwing it open, and heading for the stairs. Confused, Bell watched him leave, then after a second followed him. When she reached the landing she saw him pounding on Patrick and Ryder's room.

"Patrick, so help me god, you had better open this door," he said loudly.

A few seconds of silence greeted this, during which Sameth came out of his room and Sandra and Thomas, blurring up the stairs, joined them. 

"What's going on?" Cambridge asked when he and Larissa finally made it to the landing also.

"Didn't you hear?" Clyde asked.

He was flanked outside his room, which was opposite to Patricks, one hand on the top of the door, a casual indifferent shrug on his face. He was wearing a long pair of blue track pants and no shirt. For a few moments Bell stared at him, entranced by his perfect body, but then looked away.

"Patrick," Ragon yelled again.

Suddenly the door opened, and Patrick, wiping blood away from his mouth said, "what?"

"Oh Patrick, you didn't?" Sandra said in sudden realisation.

Bell, fearing the worst, pushed past Ragon, knocking hard into Patrick and swept into the room, where Ryder was laying on the bed, apparently asleep. For a moment she stared at him, blinking back tears, then her eyes fell on the dark red blood that had stained the pillow his head was rested on. Reaching a shaky hand over to his neck, trying to avoid the two large puncture wounds, she felt for a pulse, but there was nothing. For a few moments she stayed like this, trying desperately to feel the familiar whoosh of blood within the vein. 

Patrick moved over to Ryder and touched her on the shoulder saying, "he's not dead..."

"Yea he is," Clyde said loudly from the doorway, "well sort of," he added, seeing the murderous look in Bell's eyes. 




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 13



"He's undergoing the transformation," Patrick said.

"That's if he makes it," Clyde said arrogantly.

"What?" Bell asked, her eyes open wide in fear, as she turned to face Clyde. "What do you mean if he makes it?"

When Clyde didn't answer, Bell removed her hands from Ryder's jugular vein, and turned to stare at Patrick, waiting. She wanted to scream at him, to hit him, anything to bring back her friend; her pseudo brother. 

Patrick could sense the anger in Bell, and he said, "it's what he wanted." 

"And if the vampirism doesn't take?" Ragon hissed. 

"It's a risk he said he wanted to take," Patrick said.

Bell thought she saw the tiniest hint of regret in his eyes, but any sympathy she might have felt towards him was smashed by the realisation that Ryder could die: for real. She paced around the room, her eyes constantly drawing back to Ryder.

"How long?" she asked simply.

"When the moon comes up again, we will know," Clyde said.

"I want to stay with him," Bell said, but Sandra moved over to her, and taking her hand in hers replied, "Oh sugar, if he wakes he will be a fledgling, their unpredictable and ravenous for blood, in fact it might be a good idea for you to get out of the house for a while."

Bell looked over to Ragon, who was nodding his head slowly. 

"What?" Sameth asked, and Clyde turned to look at him.

"Sameth, you know full well what trouble fledglings can be. What's the point of us all being here to protect Bell from Kiara when the first thing Ryder wants to do when he's a vampire is drain the first person he sees, which will be Bell?" Larissa said. 

"I will take Bell to..." Ragon began, but Bell interrupted.

"No. I need you to stay here, I need you to watch Ryder," she pleaded.

Patrick looked incredulously at her, and was about to argue when Ragon beat him to it. 

"But... Kiara could come at any moment," he began, his eyes mirroring her concern.

"We've been saying that for days, but nothing has happened. Besides, one of the others can look after me," Bell said.

"I would like to volunteer my services," Clyde said. "My car has full grade UV filtered windows, we could leave now. I am sure there is a motel that we can stay at for the day," Clyde said, unable to hide his grin.

Ragon shook his head, but Bell moved over to him, "I want you to stay here. Please, for me?" 

"I will watch Bell," Sameth said, now moving into the room, and placing one firm hand on Ragon's shoulder. "I am the oldest, I will be best to match Kiara should the need arise."

Ragon glanced at Bell, his sad eyes meeting hers, and nodded once saying, "Okay, if Ryder's transformation goes smoothly, I will join you tomorrow night."

"And I can come too," Sandra said.

"No," Sameth said quickly then added, "Ryder will need as many of us to control him as possible. The last thing we need is for Ryder to cause a scene that the Elders find out about."

Clyde looked disappointed but did not argue; he was watching Sameth, his eyes narrowed slightly. 

"Well there's no point leaving until it gets closer to night fall. Better to get some rest now and leave an hour or so before sunset," Cambridge said, his loud booming voice slicing the tension in the room. 

"It's settled then," Ragon said.

Bell had forgotten entirely about her and Ragon's conversation prior to Ryder's transformation. When the pair went back to their bedroom, neither talked for a while; Bell lay awake, resting her head against his chest, unable to remove the horrible image of Ryder's body from her mind. 

After a moment Bell rolled over, "what's it like to be a new vampire?" she asked, thinking of Ryder.

Ragon, like Bell, had been unable to sleep, and whispered, "close your eyes."

For a moment Bell hesitated, but then did so, thinking that he was trying to get her to fall asleep. She felt him rush away, and then a moment later returned, gently replacing her head back onto his chest,

"Close your eyes," he reiterated, having seen her peeking through them on his return.

She closed them, blushing, "It's hard to explain," he said. "I remember feeling like a vampire more than I do being a human, but the first time; the first time you realise that you can do almost anything, every sense is heightened."

As he said this Bell's nostrils were assaulted by something floral smelling; jasmine? Ragon was holding a few stems of the sweet smelling flower, gently brushing the petals over her cheeks and lips. She breathed in deeply, letting the delicious smell intoxicate her.

"Every smell was intense, completely overriding the senses. It was like everything was new; and each touch was a different experience."

Next he placed a cube of ice against Bells warm skin; Bell felt the icy object, trace a path along her collar bone, sending through her arms and down her spine. The path was highlighted by tiny droplets of water that had been formed as the ice melted against her scorching skin.

"You could hear everything and see everything, and for a while that all felt wonderful. Then eventually, as time passed, there was less and less mystery in the world, and there weren't any surprises left," he said. "Until I met you."

Bell listened to his soothing voice, keeping her eyes shut, until around 10am, when his words had gently lulled her to sleep. As she slept she dreamed of Ragon, of him turning her into a vampire, so that the two of them could spend eternity together. Together they watched the centuries unfold, different wonders in the world were unveiled, but none of that mattered, they had each other. Suddenly a soft knock at the door dragged her from her slumber. 

"It's time," Sameth said from behind the locked door.

Bell moved sluggishly out of bed but replied, "ok," while searching for a pair of jeans to put on. 

When she had finally dressed, Ragon was sitting up in bed watching her. 

"I'm sorry," Ragon said, and when Bell looked confused added, "about before; when you asked if I would disassociate you. Part of me wants to," he said, watching Bells face fall. "But I don't think I would be able to."

Bell didn't answer. She knew exactly what he meant and moved over to the bed, quickly kissing him on the lips saying, "I need you in my life."

"The moon isn't going to slow down for you," Sameth said from behind the door.

Ragon grinned, and swept Bell into his arms saying, "promise me that you won't do anything foolish."

Bell smiled, jumping out of his arms reluctantly, and over to the door saying, "me, foolish? Never."

Bell had wanted to check in on Ryder, but Sameth's insistence that they had to leave immediately, prevented this. 

"Look after her," Ragon said from inside the house as Bell and Sameth moved towards the car. 

Sameth had not answered, as he had been racing over to the car door, in an attempt to escape the sun, before throwing the door open, and launching himself inside. It was about 5.30pm, and the sun, though defiantly dampened, still had enough powerful rays in the sky to cause him discomfort. In those short moments he had been exposed, his skin had already begun to blister, and he felt the horrible tightening of his skin that followed this as his body tried repairing the damage. From behind the UV protected glass of Ragon's car however, the sun was tolerable, and the rays, though still able to penetrate the glass slightly, caused mere discomfort. 

Bell wound down the window to wave, and Ragon, who was still watching from the door, looked up annoyed for a moment at the sky, then said, "I love you." 

Bell smiled quickly, her heart skipping with happiness, but before she could respond, Sameth's foot was on the gas and they were driving away. 

~~~~Thank you so much for all the amazing feedback and comments! It's wonderful to hear what you guys think so please keep it coming and I would love it if you could vote as well. Hope you enjoy :)~~~~~



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 14



Chapter 14- A vision

Bell watched from the side door mirror as Ragon faded into the distance. She could still hear his words, telling her that he loved her; in that moment she knew she felt the same. She wished that she could go back and tell him how she felt, but it was too late now. Still, she only had to wait a few hours before Ryder's transformation was complete, and then they would be together again. 

Suddenly a shiver ran up her body. Her hands and feet were tingling and she felt dizzy. As she let the sensation take over, it began to transverse her extremities, slowly advancing its hold of her, until she was numb all over, as though completely disassociated from her body. She had been looking out the window, watching the scenery blur past as the night hastened, when she went rigid and her eyes widened. Had she not been looking out the window, Sameth would have seen that one of her eyes had turned green, but he continued to drive, completely oblivious to her condition. 

She was transfixed, seeing something other than the rush of trees or the blur of houses as the moon began its ascent into the night sky. No longer was she in the car, but standing in a cold dark room that she recognised: Ragon's family mausoleum. There was muffled screaming coming from somewhere. She turned and gasped. In front of her, tied to the same stone bench that she had slept on all those months ago, was her: Bell. She looked at herself dumbfounded, and saw someone advancing on the restrained version of herself. In the darkness of the tomb it was impossible to make out who was walking towards her. Then suddenly a large silver knife was bought into focus, as the man continued to move towards her, she suddenly knew who he was: Sameth. In Sameth's left hand was the long silver blade, and there was a look of malice in his eyes that she had not seen before. Looking back at herself, she recognised a dull metallic grey tape placed around her mouth; it was the same gaffe tape that Sameth had used on Patrick all those nights ago, to stop him from singing. Then suddenly he spoke, and she listened. 

"I'm doing you a kindness," he said, continuing to move closer to her... 

"You all right Bell?" Sameth asked from the driver's position, pulling her from her vision.

Bell's face had turned white; she didn't know how, but she had just had a vision. She thought back to the version of herself tied to the bench and looked down at the clothes she was wearing. It was the same outfit, the same dark blue skinny legged jeans and long black button up top.

Shit, she thought to herself. But why would Sameth want to hurt her?

"Bell?" Sameth asked again, recalling her to the current place and time as he turned to look at her. 

His voice was not the same calm cool voice it had been earlier, there was an edge to it, one that gave Bell a shiver, completely different to the one that had preceded her vision.  

"Where are we going?" Bell asked finally.

"To a hotel; remember?" Sameth replied, continuing to drive. 

Until now, Bell hadn't been paying much attention to where they were driving. But now as she looked out of the window, she was desperate to know where she was. She needed a plan. She didn't know why Sameth wanted to hurt her, but she knew that her vision was no day dream. For a moment she thought that he was perhaps trying to evoke a response to get her to freeze time, so as to allow her to practise using her powers. But the way he had looked at her in the tomb; his eyes had been empty and cold in her vision and she didn't think he would be able to fake that look of malice. She considered trying to stop time now. But if she were somehow able to do this, what would happen? What if only Sameth froze, than they would crash, and that might kill her before he got the chance to. Trying to remain calm, she surreptitiously unbuckled her seat belt, pretending to turn up the radio as she did so. 

"Oh wow!" Bell said, feigning excitement, "can you pull over for a moment?"

Sameth looked at her confused. She was pointing to a large green vending machine next to a closed service station.

"Just there, it's one of those movie rental booths. I have been dying to watch this new series on HBO, we might as well have something to entertain us," she said. 

Sameth frowned, but pulled over. 

"Do you mind grabbing a couple of dollars," Bell said, reaching for the car handle and beginning to open it. "I think I have seen Ragon throw some change in the console, I'll meet you there." 

Instantly Sameth began searching for coins, and Bell exited the car, moving quickly over to the movie rental machine, and glancing back at the car to check on Sameth's progress. The moment she had turned back to the machine she broke into a run. She didn't know where the hell she was going to go; she just knew that she had to get as far away as possible. The adrenaline which had been pumping through her veins since her vision, aided in her flight. She was running as fast as she could, making her way behind the service station, when suddenly the sound of a car door slamming broke her concentration.

"Bell?" Sameth's voice screamed from over near the car.

Instantly Bell paused, hiding behind a large dumpster that serviced the petrol station. She was panting loudly, and she clasped her hand over her mouth, desperate to muffle her breathing.

"Bell, where are you?" Sameth yelled again, from where he was standing at the green vending machine. 

A few moments of silence followed this, and Bell tried hard to concentrate. Perhaps if she could manage to stop time again it would give her a chance to get away from him. 

"Come out, come out, where ever you are," his voice cooed. 

Bell froze. From where she crouched on the floor behind the rubbish bin, she had seen someone walking nearby. She watched as he blurred into a neighbouring bush, clearly searching it for her. This was it; her chance to get away. If she got back to the road, she might be able to flag down a car. Moving slowly at first, she inched around the service station, careful not to make a noise. Soon she was facing Ragon's car, and for a moment she wondered if Sameth had perhaps left the keys in the ignition. The road was no more than 30 seconds fast sprint from her. Seeing the head lights of a car on the road, she broke into a run, desperate to get close enough to the road to be seen. Instantly Bell began racing along the rocky ground that lead back to the road. She was waving her hands in the air, fighting the urge to start screaming, but desperate to be seen by the driver. Before she could reach the road however, the car had sped away, and she watched the red of the tail lights fade into the distance. She was about to plan her next move when something hard hit her in the back of the head, and she fell down, striking the hard pavement with a loud thud. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was Sameth reaching down and picking her up, a grim look of determination plastered on his face.  

***

When Bell finally came to, it was to the feeling of tight binds being wrapping around her ankles. She tried to speak, but felt sticky tape wrap around her mouth, silencing her. Her eyes were dulling in and out of focus, but finally they pulled a handsome blonde face into view: Sameth. Blinking a few times, Bell looked puzzled up at him, and then the events before she had been struck came crashing back to her. Her head rolled around groggily, and she felt the cool hard stone underneath her. Instantly she knew where she was: Ragon's family mausoleum. Her vision had come true. As Sameth secured the last knot, Bell watched him move back, admiring his handy work. Just then he noticed that she was awake, and he smiled at her. 

"I really am sorry about all of this," he said, moving closer to her. "If it weren't for your ability to stop time I wouldn't have bound you, but... I can't have you getting away from me."

Bell mumbled into the gaffe tape, and Sameth moved over to her quickly, pulling the stick tape across her face, so that her mouth was no longer covered.

"But why?" Bell asked. 

"I would have already killed you, but I had to know," he said, moving so that he was standing directly over her. He reached down and looked Bell straight in the eyes, "How did you know? Back in the car, something happened and you knew what I had planned." 

Bell was breathing hard, "I saw you," she said.

The gaffe tape had left a thick layer of sticky residue on her mouth and face, and it pulled tight as she spoke. For a moment she scanned the room, desperately searching for a way to escape. But she knew that there was no way; no chance. From her temporary imprisonment in this mausoleum she had learnt that no amount of screaming would help; no one would hear her in the deserted cemetery. Hell, even if they did, what would they be able to do against a vampire? Only another vampire might be able to get her out of this, and Ragon was at home, watching Ryder, like she had asked him to. He would have no suspicion that his good friend Sameth had her at his mausoleum, tied up, and about to kill her.

"A vision? You really are a talented little mortal," he said. 

***

Thirty miles away and Ragon and the others anxiously awaited Ryder's awakening. Only Clyde had left the fledgling, insisting that he didn't need the drama and that he wanted to follow up on a hunch. Ragon thought that was typical of him, not caring about anything or anyone. But that wasn't entirely true; Clyde did seem to care about Bell. Even Ragon had been surprised by his declaration that he was staying here for her, to keep her safe from Kiara. Sandra and Thomas were pacing in the hallway; occasionally one of them would poke their head into the room, glance at Ryder and then continue to loop outside. Patrick had left as soon as it had started to get dark to find a source for Ryder. If he woke he would be ravenous, and it would be better for them to bring the meal to him, rather than the other way around. Fledglings needed fresh blood to sustain them, nothing from a bag would do. Still, Ragon had been most insistent that anyone who Patrick bought home for Ryder would not be killed. The very last thing they needed was to draw more attention their situation. The Elders were already suspicious about all the deaths in the area, and Ragon wasn't going to give them a reason to point the finger at him, or anyone in his coven. From downstairs Ragon heard the faint sound of a door closing. With this came the familiar lub dub of a heartbeat. Both Cambridge and Larissa's ears pricked at the noise, and Ragon stood protectively over Ryder.

"Honey, I'm home," Patrick yelled from down stairs, and Ragon relaxed his stance over Ryder, feeling slightly annoyed at how overtly happy Patrick was.

As soon as Patrick walked into the bedroom, Sandra looked at him incredulously. Her eyebrows were raised, as she surveyed the girl who he had by the elbow.  

"What? I am not about to bring him some tall dark and handsome guy and give him a reason to leave me on the first night that he has been made," Patrick said, in response to Sandra's expression. "Anything?" Patrick asked, moving over to sit on the bed next to Ryder and reaching out to brush some hair out of his face. 

At his touch, Ryder stirred and Patrick's eyes widened as he looked down hopefully at his fledgling. The girl he had bought for him was standing in the corner of the room, and Ragon was eyeing her nervously. Patrick was about to touch him again, when Ryder's eyes suddenly opened. He did not move, but remained motionless, staring up at the white ceiling. 

"Don't waste your sight on that," Patrick said, and Ryder sat up, blurring as he did so, to look at his maker. 

Ryder did not speak, or blink, simply stared, wide eyed at Patrick. After a moment Ryder reached out a hand, and touched his face. His fingers ran slowly over his cool marble skin, admiring the texture, all the while never breaking eye contact with Patrick.

"Ryder honey, how you feeling?" Sandra asked, as she and Thomas moved into the room.

He dropped his hand and turned to look at them, his head slightly cocked as he contemplated the pair. Glancing around the room quickly, his eyes fell on Cambridge and then Ragon, until finally he saw the girl. In a second he had jumped from the bed and blurred over to her; the sound of her pulse sang in his ears, drawing him to her, like a siren to their prey. Protectively Ragon moved in front of her and Ryder eyed him warily, as a low growl escaped from his mouth. He acted like a lion fighting over his territory. Patrick too moved over to Ryder, slipping his hand in his.

"Watch," Patrick said, and then moved over to the girl. "You can lull them," Patrick said, taking his free hand to brush the girl's face, as he replaced some wayward strands of hair behind her ear. The girl hesitated, but Patrick purred at her, whispering, "It's ok, everything is going to be alright. We just need to borrow something from you."

The girl was nodding at this, her eyes locked on his. 

"You see?" Patrick said.

A strange smile crept across Ryder's face as he took in everything that Patrick said. Still with his hand on the girl's face, Patrick gently moved her head to the side, exposing her jugular vein. Ryder watched mesmerised, the rhythm of her pulse dancing in his mind, like an old song he had forgotten the words to. 

"You don't need to take much, though you may want to," Patrick said, exposing his fangs. 

Ryder, who had been hypnotised by the vein in the girl's neck, turned to look at Patrick's mouth. At the same time he felt his gums contract, and a sharp pain signified the un-sheathing of his own fangs. Reaching a hand up to his face, he curled back his lips and pressed against his fangs with his index finger. A sudden pain followed this and he drew his hand away, surprised to see blood. He stared at the dark red droplet on his finger, admiring the viscosity of it, as he narrowed his eyes, forcing the blood into even greater focus. A moment later and a smell assaulted his nostrils. He breathed in the coppery tangy scent deeply, closing his eyes as he did so, so as to isolate it from being tainted by all his other heightened senses. This smell, which was more delicious and intoxicating than any other awoke a hunger within him, and as he opened his eyes, they narrowed on the girl. 

"Yes, they're sharp," Patrick said smiling, moving Ryder still closer to the girl.

She remained motionless, until Patrick bent down and in one swift movement bit hard at her neck. The first thought that popped into Ryder's head was that he needed to defend his prey. 

Before he could begin to fight him for his prize, Patrick had withdrawn his head saying, "Your turn."

Ryder did not hesitate, but lunged at the girl, pressing her hard against the wall, as he sank his fangs through her skin. He relished in the feeling of her soft buttery flesh against his fangs, and lapped hungrily at the sweet nectar that spilled from her vein. Too soon he felt hurried hands pulling him away, and he struggled against his retainers, desperate to finish his meal. 

"That's enough," Ragon yelled at him.

For a few moments Ragon and Patrick fought to control Ryder. His hands were reaching out desperately for the girl, who was now slumped against the wall, one shaky hand pressed against her neck. 

"Ryder, stop!" Patrick said commandingly, and to everyone's surprise he did so. 

For a moment Ryder was panting with the efforts of his attempted escape. Then he licked his lips, relishing in the remnants of blood on them. 

"There's one more lesson," Patrick said, moving back over to the girl and lifting her lovingly to her feet. 

Ryder watched as Patrick contemplated the girl, concentrating intently on her eyes, "You need to make her forget, let her go back to her life, this is dissociation," he said.

For a moment the girl looked scared, and then her eyes went dull. Ryder was confused by Patrick's actions, but watched intently. Releasing the girl, Patrick swung around to face Ryder.

"Well?" Patrick asked, taking Ryder's hand and rubbing it softly with his fingers, "how was it?"

"It tastes..." Ryder said, searching for a word to describe the delicious blood, "unimaginable!" When he had finally spoken, two dark red lips enunciated every syllable, and he listened joyously to the sound of his own voice. "I want more." 

*** 

Standing in Ragon's mausoleum, Sameth considered Bell. She really was special: different. How she could stop time and see the future was a complete mystery to him. His face was grim; it was a shame to have to destroy such a unique mortal, but there was no other alternative. In all his years of being a vampire, he had never known anything or anyone to have her powers, and that scared him a little. 

Suddenly he produced a large knife, and Bell recognised it instantly from her vision. Light bounced off the gleaming silver blade, reflecting her eyes eerily, as one blue and one green eye shone in its reflection. 

Why was Sameth doing this? She thought. He was Ragon's friend; he had come to protect her. 

"I don't understand," Bell said, wanting answers. 

"I have to kill you," Sameth said. He didn't truly enjoy taking human life, but he was a vampire, and so killing was a part of him, and he could do it easily when needed.

"But, why?" Bell asked.

"For centuries I have been in love with Kiara. Perhaps you know a little of love?" he said, than remembering the way she had not replied to Ragon after he had professed his feelings for her, added, "perhaps not? But when you have sat and watched the person you have loved for over four hundred years, only for them to fall for another, it changes you: makes you do crazy things." 

"But you helped Ragon get away from her?" Bell said.

"No; I helped Kiara get away from Ragon," he said. "There is an old saying; keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. I have watched Kiara from a distance for ages, she's a misunderstood entity but I love her none the less. I have tried to overcome this weakness, but can't. I need her, and as soon as Ragon told me how she wanted you dead, I knew this was my chance to get her to see me finally."

"You couldn't just take her flowers like a normal person?" Bell asked.

Sameth laughed saying, "Perhaps she will see me in a different light when I take her your body. Can you not imagine how unbearable it was, watching her swoon over Ragon while he despised her? He never deserved her affections, but I appreciate her; when I kill you she will know that."

The tears that were so close to the surface, spilled from her eyes and streamed down her face. Love; this was all about love. This can't be happening, she thought to herself. She tried to pull on the restraints, but nothing happened, they were too well fastened. Her vision, though warning her of Sameth's betrayal, was not enough to save her; now even if she managed to use her gifts, it wouldn't make a difference. Desperately she thought that perhaps if she managed to stall Sameth, someone might realise that something was wrong. She smiled sadly to herself; that wasn't even a plan, but hell it was all she had right now. Besides, she didn't want to die. 

"You're going to kill me?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Sameth nodded, and a few more tears spilled down her face faster. Sameth swept over to her quickly then.

"Please don't cry," he said, wiping them away, his cool fingertips brushing lightly against her cheek. "Kiara will not kill you quickly, she would make you suffer, torment you. With me, it will be over in a second; you won't feel a thing."

Bell couldn't help but cry harder at these words. 

"You don't have to do this," she said, her breathless voice amplified by deep sobs.

"Can't you see? I am doing you a kindness," he said. 




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 14



"A kindness would be to untie me and let me go," Bell said.

"I can use this," he said, now leaning closer and admiring the blade in his hand. "In one fast motion it will all be over; no more senseless attacks, no more watching your friends die, no more pain."  

"It's not my fault that I am stuck in this crazy love triangle between Kiara, Ragon and you," Bell said angrily,

"I know," he purred, "but the heart wants, what the heart wants. I would do anything for her," he said advancing on her, the blade raised, "I will do anything for her."

His eyes were suddenly alight. 

"Perhaps in the afterlife you two will be together, but there is no place for a vampire and whatever the hell you are, in this world," he said, "there is a reason why people are hunting you, the union is unnatural."

Bell blinked; perhaps Sameth was right? Not about killing her, but about her and Ragon being together. If she were a vampire then she would have been able to defend herself against him; and if Ragon were a mortal none of this would be happening in the first place. 

"Close your eyes," Sameth said. 

Bell did not, but kept her eyes plastered on the knife in his hand. 

"It won't do any well to watch" Sameth said, "I have died once."

Bell considered this. If she was about to die, did she really want to watch him kill her? In defeat she closed her eyes, and the last tears were forced free. Sameth whispered something when her eyes were finally shut, but it was too quiet for her to hear, though she thought it sounded like 'I'm sorry.' Suddenly there was a whoosh of air against her face, and Bell felt the knife stab deep into her stomach. At first she felt nothing, but when she looked down at the blood escaping from her body, a sudden throbbing sensation radiated from the wound and she screamed out in pain. As the blade dug deeper she felt her nerves respond, screaming at her, as wave after wave of unbearable agony overtook all her senses. Before the panic could set in, she felt the room around her fade, and then a dull numbness overtook her, until she couldn't feel anything anymore. 

"No!" a voice screamed from the darkness.

Bell heard the noise as if it were from very far away. Then suddenly a new pain grasped her as she was knocked to the ground and fell heavily to the floor. Slowly and painfully she began to open her eyes and saw: Clyde? He was standing in front of her, having knocked Sameth away. A sudden clatter on the floor next to her signified the knife falling to the ground. The noise reverberated off the walls, pinging through her ear drums. Sameth was crouched low now, one hand in front of him. He snarled at Clyde, revolted at his interruption but before he could spring, Clyde attacked again. Sameth fell hard against the sand stone, and Clyde jumped on him, tearing at his flesh with his fangs, while punching with his fists, his rage fuelling his immortal abilities. Sameth's body began to crumple, and he fell heavily to the ground. Sameth screamed loudly, and Bell tried not to watch as she saw Clyde mercilessly reached down to Sameth and pull hard at his head, severing it from his body. 

Bell was breathing fast now as the adrenaline pumped through her body. 

"Cl... Clyde?" she stammered. 

Clyde stared for a moment at what he had done. Sameth's head was still in his hands, but at Bell's words he turned and dropped it to the floor. His hands and face were smeared in thick red blood, while his white cotton shirt was completely soaked in it.

"Bell," Clyde said, reaching down to her and staring at her stomach, where a dark red spot continued to get larger and larger.

In an instant Clyde broke the binds around her wrists and ankles. The tight ropes quickly fell away, as though they were no more than cobwebs. Bell went to reach for her wound, but she suddenly went white, and fell back down to the ground. In an instant Clyde reached his hand under her head, preventing it from falling back onto the hard stone below. With her head in his hand, Clyde watched as her eyes fixed on his face, but then went dull and empty, as she fell unconscious. Quickly tearing her shirt, he surveyed the deep penetrating hole; it was bad. He didn't pause, but swiftly lifted her into his arms. As he ran back to his car, he cradled Bell, pressing one hand firmly against her stomach, trying desperately to slow the bleeding. He felt the sickening squish as his hand pressed against the broken flesh, digging deep into her belly, and Bell jerked in his hands, but remained unconscious.     

"You're going to be ok," Clyde said, blurring through the cemetery as he felt her heart falter. "You have to be..." 





 

EPILOGUE

"Ragon?" Clyde said into the phone receiver.

It hadn't taken him long to carry Bell from the cemetery and to reach his car, but those few moments had been enough for her to loose allot of blood. Once inside his car, he had sped away quickly, desperate to get to the hospital as fast as possible. Now, as he drove, he phoned Ragon.

"It's Bell," Clyde said into the phone that was wedged between his shoulder and ear. 

He looked down at her, his eyes drawn to the thick dark blood that was seeping from the hole in her stomach.

"Sameth... he attacked her," Clyde said.

He was driving as fast as he could; one hand was on the wheel, and the other still pressed firm to Bell's stomach, trying to slow the bleeding, all the while listening intently for Bell's beating heart. 

"I can't put her on," Clyde said, his foot pressing down further onto the accelerator, as her pulse became thready. 

"It's pretty bad," he said, "she's lost a lot of blood, and... and I can feel her heart slowing. I'm about five minutes away from the hospital."

"Wait," Clyde yelled into the phone.

For a few moments Clyde listened carefully, continuing to differentiate between the sound of Bell's heart, the traffic, and the silence at the other end of the line. Finally Ragon spoke again, and Clyde took a deep breath.

"What if she can't make it to the hospital?" Clyde asked.

"You know what I mean," Clyde spat.

The moment he had voiced his concern a long silence followed. He could still hear Ragon's fast breathing and so waited. 

"Fine," Clyde said, hanging up quickly and glancing down at Bell again. 

He didn't know why he cared for this mortal so much. Nor did he know why he was so desperate to save her. There was something special about her, something that drew him to her; she reminded him of an old love, one that he had been unable to save. He knew that Ragon hated being a vampire, hated everything that they stood for; but how could he honestly think that the alternative was better? He took one quick look down at Bell, drawing similarities from her lifeless face and comparing it to a face he missed more than anything else in this world. Suddenly he heard her heart begin to churn and strain to continue to pump blood around her body. Instantly he began rolling up his sleeve; he would not make the same mistake twice; there was no way he was going to let her die... 



******************

********************************

To all my wonderful readers I hope you have enjoyed book one as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I have received plenty of feedback and comments asking where this chapter was and I'm sorry that it has taken so long. BUT the reason for this is because I have been frantically writing book 2 & book 3. Please let me know what you have thought of this to be continued story of Ragon & Bell. I love your comments....good and bad....oh and please don't forget to vote!! thanks!



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 15



CHAPTER 15- CLYDE'S DECISION

"Ragon?" Clyde said into the phone receiver.

It hadn't taken him long to carry Bell from the Cemetery and to reach his car, but those few moments had been enough for her to lose a lot of blood. Once inside his car, he had sped away quickly, desperate to get to the hospital as fast as possible. Now as he drove he phoned Ragon.

"It's Bell," Clyde said into the phone which was wedged between his shoulder and ear. 

He looked down at her, his eyes drawn to the thick dark blood that was seeping from a hole in her stomach.

"Sameth... he attacked her," Clyde said.

He was driving as fast as he could; one hand was on the wheel, and the other still pressed firm to Bell's stomach, trying to slow the bleeding, all the while listening intently for Bell's beating heart. 

"I can't put her on," Clyde screamed, his foot pressing down further onto the accelerator as her pulse became thready. 

"It's pretty bad," he said, "she's lost a lot of blood, and... and I can feel her heart slowing. I'm about five minutes away from the hospital."

"Wait," Clyde yelled into the phone.

For a few moments Clyde listened carefully, continuing to differentiate between the sound of Bell's heart, the traffic, and the silence at the other end of the line. Finally Ragon spoke again and Clyde took a deep breath.

"What if she can't make it to the hospital?" Clyde asked.

"You know what I mean," Clyde spat a moment later.

The instant he had voiced his concern, a long silence followed. He could still hear Ragon's fast breathing and so waited. 

"Fine," Clyde said, hanging up quickly and glancing down at Bell again. 

He didn't know why he cared for this mortal so much. Nor did he know why he was so desperate to save her. There was something special about her, something that drew him to her; she reminded him of an old love, one that he had been unable to save. He knew that Ragon hated being a vampire, hated everything that they stood for but how could he honestly think that the alternative was better? He took one quick look down at Bell, drawing similarities from her lifeless face and comparing it to a face he missed more than anything else in this world. Suddenly he heard her heart begin to churn and strain as it fought to continue to pump blood around her body. Instantly he began rolling up his sleeve; he would not make the same mistake twice. There was no way he was going to let her die. 





A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 16



CHAPTER 16- LIMBO

For three weeks Bell was stuck in limbo, between life and death. Every night Ragon and often Clyde would go in to see her, until the late night visiting hours passed and even then, they would often remain until the nurses, who Clyde would flirt with shamelessly in order to convince them to extend their visiting restrictions, kicked them out. Sometimes Ragon would pace the room, desperately trying to make sense of everything and other times he would sit and hold Bell's hand, willing her to live. During these forced instances, when Clyde ad Ragon were required to tolerate each other's company, the pair did not communicate and each pretended the other was not there. Though Clyde still remained with the coven, he had not spoken to Ragon since the night of Sameth's betrayal. During the day Clyde remained locked in his room and at night he left the house only to feed or visit Bell. Patrick had continued to teach Ryder the ins and outs of being a vampire. Ryder, who had managed not to kill anyone yet, was still as blood hungry as ever. On one particularly memorable occasion, Ryder had insisted on wanting to visit Bell in the hospital. It had not just been Ragon and Clyde who protested but most of the coven, all except Patrick, who couldn't see the harm in Ryder stretching his legs.

"He has been couped up in this house for ages," Patrick said, quickly coming to Ryder's defence after Ryder had asked the coven if he could join them to visit Bell.

"He is a fledgling Patrick!" Ragon yelled. "Taking Ryder to the hospital is like waving a bag of blood in his face and asking him not to drink." 

"I agree," Cambridge said. "Ryder going to the hospital is a terrible idea. You know how heightened your emotions are after you are changed. He might want to hug Bell and end up ripping her head off."

"We are going to have to let him try his strengths soon," Patrick said, grabbing Ryder by the arm and pulling him onto the veranda, where a mesmerised boy waited.

Ryder followed obediently, his eyes locking onto the young man who was wearing a pair of cargo pants and a bright blue shirt. For a moment Ryder squealed, clapping his hands together, as a broad evil grin spread across his face. 

"Remember what I said," Patrick instructed and Ryder groaned, but moved to sit down on the floor of the veranda, within arm's reach of the man, humming tunelessly to himself.

Patrick had insisted on getting Ryder to sit in the same room as a blood source and to practice not attacking them. The first time Ryder had tried this he had almost gone crazy trying to ignore the delicious morsel that awaited him, by running around the veranda as fast as possible so as to tire himself out. This had the effect of making his prey very dizzy and himself even hungrier than he had been initially. Fortunately, since then, his hunger was much more tamed; but still he was irritated at having to wait to be fed. He had fought for a long time with Patrick about accepting this lesson, insisting that it made him feel at best like an inferior student and at worst, like a dog. Though he had tried repeatedly, he still was unable to induce or disassociate his victims. This did not surprise any of the coven members, as being able to use either of these vampiric skills often took years, if not decades to master. Disassociation was usually the first power to develop and it was often thought of as being an innate ability of vampires, owing to the fact that they relied on this ability to allow them to hunt without prosecution. Still, Patrick's efforts to tame Ryder had not all been in vain. Along with learning to mimic the mannerisms of being alive again, Ryder had mastered part of his restrain and had not killed any of the people who he fed from: so far.  

It was almost January, during the middle of the day, when the first shade of hope was delivered to the coven. A ringing noise caught Ragon's attention. It was an odd noise, reverberating off the walls and waking the entire household, who were normally, 'dead to the world,' so to speak, at this time of the day. Ragon however had not been asleep, he should have been but instead he was sitting in Bell's room: thinking. He moved quickly at the noise, searching for the source of the disturbance, until he realised finally that it was the home phone. 

"Hello. It's Dr Ring from the critical care ward at Mercy West, I am calling about Bell," the voice said into the receiver.

Ragon's eyes opened wide, his breathing shallow; she can't be dead.

"Hello? Are you there?" the voice asked, hearing the silence.

"What? Yes. What's happened?" Ragon asked quickly, blurring through the house.

"I have got some good news. Bell has come out of the coma; if you would like to come and see her, she should be responsive," the doctor said.

Ragon reached one shaky hand to the curtains, drawing them open for only a moment before closing them quickly. In that short time his arm had instantly blistered, his flesh writhing in the sunlight. 

"I will be there as soon as possible," Ragon said, hanging up the phone and glaring at the curtains.

Ragon had had to wait until five pm before he could risk leaving the house. A few times he had tried to drive the car to the hospital, quickly racing from the house, to the garage, and speeding along the back streets. Even with the ultra UV protection option he had elected for his car, it was not enough to allow him to drive during the day in this climate. On the third attempt, after making it a full five minutes in the car he gave up and decided to wait until the sun relinquished. Each attempt, though not being enough to seriously harm him, was sufficient to rob him of his strength and by the time it was finally dark, he was starving. 

He had not told Clyde or the others that Bell was awake. He knew that it was selfish but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to be alone with her, to tell her that everything would be ok; he didn't want to share her with anyone. When finally his car pulled into the hospital parking lot he burst through the doors and moved as fast as humanly possible towards her room. When he was almost there, quiet voices met his ears and he paused momentarily to listen.

"So you can't remember anything?" A male voice was asking.

"No, nothing," Bell said and Ragon smiled at the sound of her voice from behind the door. 

"Amnesia is common with injuries such as these," a female with a distinctively medical air said.

"I'm sorry," the man said. "It's just; you're the 10th, 24 year old female to be attacked in Brisbane city in the last few weeks and the first one to survive. I don't want to push you but..."

At these words Ragon had burst into the room, interrupting the man who was speaking. Ragon's eyes darted from the female doctor, who was standing in the corner of the room, to a tall young man who had a small note pad and pen in his hands and then finally to Bell. He was confused to see the surprised look on all of their faces, but moved quickly to stand protectively by her. 

Bell, who was propped up on a pillow in the hospital bed, was looking at Ragon in shock. Her thoughts were interrupted however when a loud cough caught everyone's attention and both Ragon and Bell turned to face the police officer. 

Officer Ryans, as he had introduced himself, looked to be about 29. He was tall and thin with a strong frame, wavy blonde hair, a long face and brown eyes. 

"Well, if you remember anything, anything at all, please call me," the officer said. "My home phone number is on the back, so don't hesitate, day or night."

Ragon looked at the policeman with narrowed eyes which turned to shock as Bell reached out to take his business card. In a flash he had stretched out his own hand and intercepted Bell's, taking the small card quickly. 

"Thanks," he said, pocketing the card.

"I will need a home address and phone number so I can reach you for follow up questions," the officer said, his eyes darting suspiciously to Ragon.

Bell made to open her mouth but Ragon cut her off saying, "We live at 34 Eagle Rd, Mt Cootha."

At these words Bell stretched her head, her eyes twisted with confusion. She didn't live in Mount Cootha; she lived in Paddington, in a one bedroom apartment. Her lease didn't end for another 10 months. What the hell was going on?

"Wait," Bell said, stopping the policeman from taking down this address. "I live in Paddington, not Mt Cootha and I have never seen this man before."

As she spoke, she saw the stranger's face fall. Instantly she felt horrible, like she had just told a small child that there was no such thing as Santa Claus. For the smallest of moments, Ragon hoped that she was joking but one look in her doubtful eyes told him that she was not. 

"Bell?" Ragon said, reaching for her hand adoringly. 

Before he could grab onto it however, she had pulled her hand away. A sharp stab in his heart followed this and he looked at her in disbelief before staring unblinkingly up at the doctor. 

"Who are you?" Bell asked, looking up at the gorgeous stranger, an odd sense of de je vu ringing in her ears.

Ragon blinked, his face breaking further at her words. There were lines in his forehead from the confusion and his eyes were empty. 

"You must be the man who bought her here," the female doctor said moving enthusiastically over to him. "I'm Felicity Brown, Bell's doctor for this evening. Bell has amnesia; she doesn't remember anything before six months ago."

How could this be happening Ragon thought?

"Nothing?" Ragon asked, moving to sit on one of the chairs by Bell's bed. "You can't remember anything at all?"

Bell shook her head.

"It isn't unusual, I wouldn't be too concerned. Most of the time memories just take a little longer to repair," the doctor said. "Bell is alive and after what she has been through, that enough in itself is a miracle."

The police man, who was now looking at Ragon in a calculated sort of way said, "And what's your name?"

"Ragon Patricks," he said coolly. "I'm Bell's boyfriend."

Bell blinked a few times at this. What? She had a boyfriend? And she was living with him? What the hell had happened these past few months?

"So you are the one who found Bell?" Officer Ryans asked. 

Ragon shook his head at these words. It should have been him who found her but it had been Clyde. 

"No," he said gruffly. 

"Well I need to talk to the person who brought Bell in here," Officer Ryans said, putting his notepad and pen away disappointedly. "They may have seen the person who attacked her."

At these words Ragon was suddenly tense. The very last thing that his coven, or any vampire, needed was for the law to be getting involved in vampire matters. 

"What makes you think she was attacked?" Ragon asked. "I thought it was an accident?" 

"She was stabbed," officer Ryans replied coolly.

"But that doesn't mean..." Ragon said.

"And there are bruises on her wrists and ankles from where she was bound," Officer Ryans added. 

"Officer Ryans, a word please," Doctor Brown said, indicating for him to join her outside.

The pair walked around the corner and into a small officer.  

"Some of Bell's x-rays showed abnormalities; there are contusion marks on her ribs consistent with her falling or taking a beating in the last two months prior to this," the doctor said, reaching for a large grey envelope and placing a few x-rays onto a viewer for the officer to see.

Officer Ryans scanned the images, not really knowing what he was looking at. 

"So you're saying someone beat her up and stabbed her?" he asked.

"It's difficult to be sure but these marks here," she said pointing to the x-ray, "are classic strangulation hairline fractures but there is signs of ossification, indicating that these injuries occurred prior to her attack."

The officer considered her words carefully, reaching for his note pad and pen and jotting down a few more scribbled notes. 

Back in Bell's room Ragon was pacing. 

"You really don't remember anything?" he asked imploringly.

Bell shook her head quickly. She was looking at Ragon in wild disbelief. Ragon was gorgeous and he was her boyfriend? 

"We really live together?" Bell asked blushing.

Live together? That was what she was thinking about? Ragon wanted to shake Bell; what they had was so much more than two people living together; he loved her. 

"Yes," he said sadly. 

"I'm sorry," Bell began, but before she could say anything more the door opened and officer Ryans and the female doctor walked back inside. 

"Bell, for the duration of your hospitalisation I am going to post a plain clothed policeman on watch," he said, his eyes darting angrily up at Ragon. "When your memory does come back, I am hoping that you will be able to help us find the person responsible for all these deaths."

"When can she come home?" Ragon asked, ignoring the officer and directing his attention to Doctor Brown.

For a moment Dr Brown looked at the officer sheepishly then said, "Well, as soon as she recovers, though her retrograde amnesia may take longer to heal than the rest of her body but she will need round the clock care and...."

"Actually," Officer Ryans interrupted. "I'm not so sure it is a good idea for Bell to return home with you."

At these words Ragon had to supress a growl. His fists were bawled in deep concentration, as he fought the desire to walk right over to this prissy officer and snap his neck. Officer Ryan had not missed this and he gestured down at his holster, where a concealed gun was hanging. Ragon smiled grimly at this. Let him try, he thought, enjoying the vision of this baboon attempting to stop him with mere bullets. 

"Well I'm not sure that's your call," Ragon said between gritted teeth.

Officer Ryans made to move towards Ragon but Bell sat up quickly, the effort forcing her to cry out in pain. Both men looked over to her instantly.

"Perhaps both of you should leave," Dr Brown said, moving over to Bell and placing a hand on her wrist. 

"I'll be back soon Bell," Ragon said, moving over to her and kissing her on the forehead.

"So will I," Officer Ryans said, holding the door open for Ragon to leave first.



A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 17



CHAPTER 17- A STROLL THROUGH THE MORGUE

That night, after Ragon stormed through the house in a rage, he told the coven that Bell was conscious but had lost her memory.

"What do you mean she doesn't know who you are?" Sandra had asked as soon as Ragon had mentioned Bell's amnesia. 

"It's retrograde," Ragon replied, "it will come back."

Even as he had said this, a small part of him hoped it wasn't true. When he had heard Dr Brown's diagnosis, he had been upset, even terrified but then, as he thought about it longer, the prospect of her being able to forget all the horrible things that had happened to her in the last few months, seemed like a gift. Perhaps if he hadn't of been so hot headed and territorial, he wouldn't have told her that they were together. He scoffed then, remembering the catalyst as to why he had made this proclamation; Officer Ryans.

"And there's a policeman whose asking a lot of questions about what happened to her," Ragon said. "I heard him say that Bell wasn't the only other 24 year old female who had been attacked."

At these words the entire coven went quiet. Even Clyde, who had been half way to the door, intent on visiting Bell at the hospital, had stopped to listen. 

"What do you mean '24 year old females'?" Clyde asked, speaking to Ragon for the first time since the night he had rescued Bell. 

"The deaths, the ones that the Elder's mentioned, 10 of them were girls who were 24 years old," Ragon said.

"What are you saying?" Sandra asked. "We know who attacked Bell, it was Sameth, but he couldn't have killed all those other girls; he was barely out of our sight, accept for the night that he-" 

"I know," Ragon admitted, cutting Sandra off, unwilling to hear to the rest of her sentence. "But it seems too stranger coincidence that 10 other girls, the same age as Bell have been killed." 

"But I thought it was Kiara who wanted Bell dead," Cambridge said. "So why would she be randomly killing 24 years olds'; she knows exactly what Bell looks like and where to find her."

"I agree," Thomas said. "It can't just be Kiara who is after Bell."

"But if it is true that whoever is killing these other 24 year olds, is actually after Bell and that's a huge but, they must not know what she looks like, just her age," Larissa piped up. 

This affirmation was followed by silence. The entire reason for the coven's existence was to protect Bell and now they find out that there has been someone going around killing girls the same age as her. 

"But why would someone be after Bell?" Thomas asked, a puzzled expression on his face. 

"Perhaps because of what she can do? Maybe someone at the Halloween party saw her?" Sandra voiced. 

"But if they saw here, then they would know what she looks like," Thomas said, moving over to Sandra and taking her hand in his. 

"When did these deaths first start happening," Clyde said. 

"I don't know," Ragon admitted, shaking his head in frustration. 

In truth he had not been following the news or anything else mortal related since Bell had come to live with him. Suddenly he felt underprepared, as if whoever was after her could walk into the hospital room where she was and kill her at any moment. He knew what he needed to do; he had to find out more about the girls who had been killed.

*** 

A little less than half an hour later, he and Clyde were sneaking into the city morgue. He had asked Sandra and LBellssa to watch Bell until the morning, hoping at least that with their protection she would be ok during the night. Cambridge and Thomas had remained with Patrick to assist him with keeping Ryder at bay. The car ride over to the city morgue had been met mostly with silence. Ragon had thought of confronting Clyde about what he felt towards Bell, but had thought better of it. The last thing he needed was to know that Clyde really did have feelings for her; that would complicate things. The pair was dressed as inconspicuously as possible, wearing black jeans, no-descript shifts and baseball caps. When Ragon knocked on the front door, he was pleased to find that no one answered. He had been unsure what sort of hours coroners kept. The job, in itself was a dark one, and he thought perhaps that they might have works outside normal business hours. For a few moments Clyde rummaged through his pockets, finally retrieving a credit card and a bobby pin. 

"Seriously?" Ragon asked, looking at the tools in Clyde's hands.

"Do you have a better idea?" Clyde asked, now flicking the card between the door and scrambling the lock. 

Ragon didn't answer. 

Ten minutes later and the door opened. They had only just crossed the threshold when a loud whaling signified that they had tripped an alarm. For a moment they looked around the large entrance wildly, searching for the source of the disturbance. The room was a dull green colour, with white walls and olive laminate flooring. A small water cooler, two old brown couches and a small green counter was all that occupied the waiting room, along with a half dead palm in a large pot, which looked as if it desperately needed watering. Finally, after searching the entire waiting area, Ragon spotted a small red flashing light. He blurred over to it, releasing that it was embedded in a metallic box that was firmly attached to the wall behind the counter. 

Clyde looked disappointed at this.

"What?" Ragon asked, holding the remnants of the coroner's security system in his hands, still omitting a dull robotic noise.

"If I had of known that there was an alarm, I wouldn't have gone to all the effort of picking the lock," he said, a small grin breaking his otherwise indifferent face. 

"We don't have long," Ragon said, indicating a door on their left. 

The pair quickly raced through it, entering a long, dark hallway. There were no lights on, except for a low glowing green one that read 'exit'. Still, the pair was easily able to navigate around the various names on each adjoining door, until they found the one they had been searching for: 'Morgue authorised personal only'. Pushing open the door, there was a notable drop in temperature. The room itself was sterile looking. Two large metallic workbenches stood centre stage, with a large instrument tray on either side. Along one of the walls were many rows of handles and Clyde moved over to them purposefully. 

"Eny, meny, miny, mo," he said, moving to one of the handles, turning it and pulling out a heavy draw on which a cadaver lay. 

This continued for a while, as Ragon rummaged through a filing cabinet near a small office desk.

"Well she looks to be mid-twenties," Clyde said after he had opened the fifth draw which revealed a young girl's body.

There was a large white tarp that entirely covered her body. Clyde had unzipped only the uppermost part of the cover to expose the girl's face. Her eyes were closed and her lips were bluish purple, while her face was a dazzling white. Ragon did not look up, but pulled out four or five files that he had found. Holding them in his hand, he moved over to where Clyde stood. When finally he was next to Clyde he looked down; he couldn't help but feel an odd pang of guilt and sadness. He felt responsible somehow. 

"What was that?" Clyde asked, hearing a noise and looking around the room dramatically.

Ragon responded immediately; quickly he closed the draw containing the body and still cradling the files, he dashed over to the door. From outside he could see a flashlight searching the long corridor.

"Shit," he whispered. 

"Time to go," Clyde said moving to follow Ragon out of the room.

But before Clyde could grasp onto the handle, he felt Ragon pull his collar tight, sending him flying backwards and into the centre of the room.

"What are you doing?" Clyde hissed, as Ragon began open draws at random. "If we don't get out of here soon -"

But he was cut off speaking when Ragon found what he was looking for. 

In an instant Ragon jumped onto an empty slab and said, "There's no time, pick one and get in."

Clyde looked horrified for a moment. Then sighing loudly he began searching for his own, pulling the draws open with such vigour, until finally he found an unoccupied one slab. 

"This is undignified," Clyde said lying down flat onto the cold metal draw and closing his door.

A second later and the pair heard the door to the morgue open. 

"Did you see the lock though?" one man asked.

"Yea, I saw it," another responded. "But why the hell would someone want to break into a morgue."

"Looking for a date?" the first man asked and the pair laughed loudly.

"There's no one here," the second man said.

"They could be hiding," the first man suggested and Ragon and Clyde heard a draw slide open.

"Yuck Ern; this wasn't in the job description," the second man said. 

"Quit crying and help me check," the first man said angrily.

"Oh man, dead bodies give me the heeby jeebies," the second man said, reluctantly opening one of the draws in front of him. 

As he looked down he saw the body of a man. He looked to be about 27 years old, with blond hair and handsome features. There was something odd about how he was positioned and how he was wearing regular clothes.

"Oi, are they supposed to be dressed like this Ern?" he asked. 

"Like what?" Ern replied, moving over to stare at the slab with the man's body. 

For a second Ern hesitated, than reached a shaking hand out to touch the man's neck, startling a little at how cold the body felt. Clyde felt the two fingers press hard on his jugular vein, which had not pulsed for many, many years. It took all of his will power not to scare the hell out of the guard. 

After a while Ern seemed to be happy and closed the door to Clyde's slab saying, "Definitely dead."

For another few minutes the pair continued like this until they were satisfied. 

"Probably just kids doing it for a dare," Ern said, closing the door to the morgue behind him and slowly retracing their steps back along the corridor and out of the building. 

Ragon and Clyde waited until they were quite certain that the guards had left before leaving the safety of the slabs.

"You do realise how much you owe me for this," Clyde said, pulling his body off the metallic slab and reclosing the door behind him. 

Ragon couldn't help but laugh as he moved to open the door to the morgue before he and Clyde crept along the hallway, back towards the entrance. Back inside the car Ragon flipped through the files he had stolen. All the reports contained details of girls aged 24 when they had been killed. Thumbing through the files frantically he searched for something, anything that might tie them to Bell in some way. It didn't take him long to find the missing link. 

"What?" Clyde asked, when Ragon let out a long sigh.

"Grace Valley Orphanage," Ragon said simply.

"What; that orphanage that burnt down a few months back?" Clyde asked. 

Ragon looked at Clyde instantly at these words. "What?" he asked.

"I heard it on the news, back when I first met Bell," Clyde said. "She said that was where she had grown up."

"It was," Ragon said, "And so did the rest of these 24 year old girls. And the first death dates back almost two months ago, that's well before the first time she started using her powers."

"So there is someone after her; but why? I mean if it was a vamp and they knew she had powers over us, I can understand why someone would have it in for her..." Clyde said in a hiss. 

Ragon nodded slowly, placing the files on the floor of the car then looking sombrely out of the window. For a while he stared at the blurring houses they past, his mind troubled. It was only when they passed a large, well lit building, that he realised they were not heading back to the house. 

"Where do you think you're going?" Ragon asked, already knowing the answer. 

"I thought we should visit Bell," Clyde responded coolly.

Ragon huffed but did not argue. In truth he wanted to see her too, although it was nearly one in the morning and not exactly the best time to be sneaking into the hospital to see her, having just broken into the city morgue.

"So you think that all these girls are being killed because of Bell; because they are trying to kill her but don't know what she looks like?" Clyde asked as they walked to a well shadowed area of the hospital, intent on finding an open window to climb through. "So what are they going to do; kill every 24 year old girl in the area and hope that they get the right one?"

"I don't know," Ragon replied, lifting himself through the small window that was on the second level of the hospital. "It makes sense that if they were responsible for the Grace Valley Orphanage burning down, that they could have gotten their hands on a list of all the girls that were born in the same year; but I can't figure out how they know what year she was born in or which orphanage she even went to."

Their conversation was cut short when they heard a nurse whistling tunelessly to herself and for a moment they both froze, hoping the shadows of the store cupboard they had found themselves in would be sufficient to hide them from sight. Fortunately, after a moment the nurse left and Clyde let out a long low sigh.

"Well what the hell is going on?" Clyde asked, as they left the room and made their way towards Bell. "How can someone know which orphanage Bell went to but not know what she looks like? And why the hell do they want her dead if they started killing girls before she even started freezing people?" 

Ragon did not know the answers to these questions. He had been wondering the same thing himself. There must be something about Bell that he didn't know, some reason why someone wanted her dead and was prepared to kill every 24 year old girl who went to Grace Valley Orphanage. 

As the pair rounded the corner near Bell's room, Ragon couldn't contain his excitement. He hated being away from her and the prospect of seeing her, even with Clyde around, was enough to add a spring to his step. Ragon's face had fallen almost instantly however, when he pushed open the door and his eager eyes met Officer Ryans. 

"What are you doing here?" Officer Ryans asked in an angry whisper, looking first at Ragon and then over to Clyde. 

Bell was half-asleep in her bed and Officer Ryans was sitting in a chair next to her, reading a slightly ratty book that was so crumpled it was impossible to make out the title. From his plain clothing of jeans and a white t-shirt, it was obvious that he was no longer working. 

"I could ask you the same thing," Ragon said in the same low voice.

"I told you I would put a police man on to watch her," Officer Ryans said no longer trying to keep his voice low. "But you're not supposed to be here now. It's outside of visiting hours. How did you both sneak in?"

Ragon glared at him but it was Clyde who spoke. "Guess the security is not all it's cracked up to be," he said arrogantly.

Ragon had to supress a grin; the fact that Clyde was on his side made him immensely happy. For a moment it seemed as if the officer would retort, but then a long yawn from the bed told everyone that Bell had woken. As soon as her eyelids fluttered open, Clyde was by her side. 

"How you feeling beautiful?" Clyde asked, letting a wide smile spread across his face as he winked once. 

"Like she should be getting rest and peace from unauthorised visitors," Officer Ryans said, moving from his chair, throwing his book down and advancing on Clyde. 

"Unauthorised?" Clyde scoffed. "I didn't realise you needed a permit to visit a sick friend."

Bell was looking up in confusion at Clyde. 

"I'm Clyde; the knight in shining armour who bought you here," Clyde said, introducing himself to her.

At these words Officer Ryans moved over to Clyde saying, "I need to ask you some questions about that."

"That's fine, although you'll need to make an appointment with my secretary," Clyde said smugly.

Officer Ryans looked at him, his eyebrows raised. Who the hell did these two think they were? Breaking into hospitals and talking to a policeman like they were descendants of God. For a moment Officer Ryans thought of arresting him but one glance at Bell made him reconsider this. 

Instead he reached into his jeans pocket and retrieved a small notebook, saying, "How about here and now?" 

Clyde shrugged, moved over to the chair that the policeman had previously been sitting on and dragged it next to Bell. "Fire away," he said, crossing his legs and fanning interest.

"Please retrace your movements on the day that you bought Bell to the hospital," he asked. 

"Hmm, let see, well I stayed in bed most of the day; it was pretty hot out and I burn easily..." Clyde began, pausing to smile at Ragon's inaudible growl, "then, around dinner time I decided to go and fetch a snack. I have been on a liquid diet, so I thought I would treat myself with something I would regret later."

Bell had laughed at this and for a moment Ragon turned hopefully to look at her. But then her face returned to its previous indifferent expression and Ragon looked down in disappointment. Bell had not known why she had laughed at this; it had been instinctive and escaped her before she had had enough time to consider her response. 

"Anyway, long story short; on my way home I saw Bell on the side of the road near the driveway. When I got to her, I thought perhaps that she had been jogging or something and had fallen over, but then I saw that she was bleeding and so I raced her to the hospital."

"What did you think happened to her?" Officer Ryans asked, scribbling quickly on his notepad. 

"How should I know? I'm not a doctor; maybe she got clipped by a car?" Clyde said. 

Officer Ryans eyes narrowed even further at this, "You didn't realise she had been stabbed?" he asked. 

"No. I just saw the blood and took her here," Clyde responded coolly. 

"And there was no one else around; no binds on her hands or ankles; nothing..." Officer Ryans began, but at these words Bell had turned white, her face suddenly fearful.

"Can't you do this someplace else?" Ragon asked, his angry eyes glaring at Officer Ryans and Clyde, before turning to look at Bell, his eyebrows raised in concern.

"Sure, later," Officer Ryans said, not wanting to leave Bell alone. "Can you come buy the station tomorrow morning some time to make a statement?"

Clyde looked at Ragon for the slightest of seconds then turned to Officer Ryans and said, "I have a prior engagement in the morning; can I call you?" 

Reluctantly Officer Ryans pulled his business card and handed it to Clyde. He did not write down his afterhours contact details on the back of it, as he had done for Bell, but rather shoved the card haphazardly into Clyde's outstretched hand. Clyde didn't bother reading it but crumpled it so that it would fit into his back pocket.

"What's going on in here?" a male voice asked, turning the handle of the hospital door before entering the room.

Though the man who opened the door was elderly, the livid look on his face did not suggest frailty in the slightest. He gripped his white hair manically and wrinkled his already lined forehead when his eyes fell on the unauthorised visitors who were causing a ruckus in one of his rounds rooms. 

"This patient needs rest," he said, glaring at Officer Ryans, before his eyes fell on Clyde and Ragon. "And who are you?" 

Clyde pressed one undignified finger to his chest saying, "Mwah?"

He couldn't help but love ridiculing humans, especially up tight ones. There was something deliciously irresistible about mocking them. Unlike Clyde, Ragon was more respectful of his elders, even though technically he was about three times older than this man. Moving swiftly over to Clyde, Ragon pulled the chair out from under-him; for a minute it looked as if Clyde would fall to the ground, but at the last moment caught himself, glaring up at Ragon for spoiling his fun. 




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 17



"Were leaving," Ragon said.

Clyde opened his mouth to protest but Ragon glared at him. 

"Be well," Ragon said to Bell, sweeping down and kissing her quickly on the forehead, before she could move away from him.

Clyde moved instinctively over to Bell also but before he could even begin puckering his lips, Ragon had grabbed him by the shirt, pulling it tight as he held him back. 

"But wait, when can Bell come home?" Clyde asked, pulling his shirt free of Ragon's grasp and brushing the new crinkles out of it.

At these words Dr Phillips, who had been preoccupied with scratching his nose, turned to retrieve Bell's chart, which hung at the end of her bed. 

"Hmm," he said out loud, as he mused through the details, "I don't see why she can't go home now?" 

"But doc!" Officer Ryans said, moving over to face him. "This girl has been attacked; she doesn't remember who she is, surely she shouldn't be-"

But he was cut off speaking when the doctor held his hand up in the air to call for silence, while he continued to scan her hospital sheet. 

"Bell has retrograde amnesia," Doctor Phillips said, clearing his throat loudly. "Her best chance at restoring her memories is by being around people she knows; staying in a hospital for several more days will hardly be conducive to her repairing this loss."

"But she was attacked," Officer Ryans said loudly. 

"And so should be protected by the police, not being kept in a hospital like a safe house," the doctor said. "Her injuries, though serious after her initial admittance, will heal just as fast at home. I see no reason to keep her captive here, that is if her friends," he said indicating Ragon and Clyde, "will consent to care for her."

Clyde was nodding enthusiastically but Officer Ryans moved quickly over to Doctor Phillips, grabbing him forcefully by the elbow and saying, "I had an understanding with Dr Brown. She assured me that Bell would be able to stay here and-"

"Ah, Dr Brown you say?" he replied, "Yes, that does not surprise me at all. There are people in here that are seriously unwell," Dr Phillips said, taking Bell's pulse, "but Miss Sol here is clearly on the road to recovering. Sometimes the mind takes longer than the body to regenerate, so I see no reason why she needs to be unnecessarily taking up a hospital bed, when she clearly would recover much faster at home, where she can be surrounded by friends and family to help restore her memory." 

From the upright posture of the old doctor and the way he checked his wrist watch religiously, Ragon suspected that Dr Philips was an ex medic from the war. His desire to conserve medical resources by discharging patients was fairly indicative of someone who had saved lives during a war. It was almost as if he were afraid that at any moment they could be taken by surprise, at which point they would need ample number of hospital beds and the likes. 

"Well, I supposed I could organise having a guard on detail at your premises," Officer Ryans said, looking reluctantly at Ragon. "Though I really think that she would be safer elsewhere. 

"I think that we can handle Bell's security a little better than-" Clyde began, before Ragon elbowed him hard in the guts.

For a few moments Clyde looked up at Ragon, menace framing his face, then Dr Phillips cleared his throat, "Well I will leave it up to you to co-ordinate her safety," he said, looking at Officer Ryans. "I think we should keep you in for two more nights, just to be sure, after that we will reassess your condition and likely discharge you, by which point I trust your safekeeping will have been organised." 

After that there was no argument. Ragon and Clyde left reluctantly, clinging to the hope that at the very least, in a little less than 48 hours, Bell would be safe and sound back home.

"How much do you really know about him?" Officer Ryans asked Bell, after a long silence.

"Nothing," Bell said, a small smile sweeping her face, before the realisation of these words hit her like a ton of bricks. "Why?"

"I don't know; I just get a bad feeling from him. When I spoke with one of your doctors... never mind," he said, looking at her concerned face. "I just, I don't want anything to happen to you."

Officer Ryans looked at Bell, toying with the temptation to leave the chair by her side and inch closer. His need to protect her was not without reason.

"The second girl who was killed," he said, looking down at his hands which were bawled into fists, "I knew her."

"Oh god, that's horrible. I'm so sorry," Bell said, the concern wrinkling her eyes.

Bell wanted to ask more. The past six months of her life were an absolute blur and so the prospect of discovering something, even anything about why she had been attacked by this serial killer, was very appealing. But this was clearly a delicate topic for Officer Ryans and although he had bought it up, she didn't feel it was her place to ask more. 

"She was an old friend," he said in a low whisper, as if the memory of her was still painful. "We went to the same high school. Five months ago I got a call and went out to a derelict house in New Farm. When I saw her..." he said, trailing off as his face turned a shade lighter. "You're the first person I've told," he said. "If the squad found out that I knew her, I would be thrown off the case." Officer Ryans paused, but then after a moment of chewing on his tongue he added, "I have to catch this bastard."

Bell nodded; it was suddenly obvious why he was so protective of her. She had wondered about this, having felt a connection to him that she couldn't justify. This connection was thrown into even further disbelief, by the fact that Officer Ryans was particularly gorgeous, young and clearly a very compassionate person. In the hours that she had been awake, it had always been him sitting by her bed. At first it had bothered her that Ragon, her supposed boyfriend, was not there more, but then she would remember that they had only been together for about six months, or at least, she had only known him for six months, and perhaps it was a bit too much for one person to deal with. But there was something familiar about Ragon. His face, though not entirely clear in her mind, seemed to trigger all sorts of memories that were blurred and hazy. A few times she thought she could picture him at the library at university, or else perhaps in a lecture with her, or studying in the great hall. 

"Well as soon as I remember, I promise I will do everything I can to help you catch them Officer" she said.

"It's Lee," he said kindly. 

Bell nodded her head. She had meant what she'd said. Officer Ryans had spent god knows how many hours in her hospital room, watching her and making sure that no one came back to finish what they started; the very least she could do was help him. 

***

Back at the house, Ragon had explained to the coven about discovering that not only had the first girl been killed well and truly before Bell had started freezing people, but also that Bell and the rest of the 24 year old girls, had all gone to the same orphanage. 

"But then why do they want her dead?" Thomas asked.

Ragon shrugged but Sandra said, "Clearly someone knows something and I'll bet it has to do with Bell being able to stop time."

Thomas was nodding in affirmation, but it was Ragon who answered, "There is something kind of familiar about this whole situation, like I have read it before, in a story."

"Yes, I think I saw a movie like this," Clyde said sarcastically. "About the girl who was dating a vampire until she started being able to freeze time, so everyone tried to kill her."

Clyde couldn't contain his laughter and Ragon tried ignored him, moving to his library, so that he was away from the ringing noise that reverberated off the wooden floors and sought to follow him down the hallway. 

"What cha doing?" Larissa and Sandra asked, knocking on the library door less than ten minutes later. 

As they peered into the room, they saw that Ragon was on the second storey, behind a large desk and after a moment they joined him, climbing the spiral stair case gracefully. Nearing the desk they saw that Ragon was looking at his laptop and had begun drawing what looked like a family tree. 

"Who are they?" Sandra asked, looking at what appeared to be an old black and white newspaper clipping, torn and crumpled, with two people standing next to each other.

The newspaper article read: 'Police no closer to finding missing couple and child.' It was obvious that Ragon had kept this clipping for many years and when Larissa looked closer she gasped; it was dated the 1st of July 1988. 

"These were Bell's biological parents," Ragon said, tracing their faces with his fingers. "Bell doesn't know that I know who her parents were; I was going to tell her the night that..." but he broke off. "And now she doesn't know who I am and I will have to hide this from her all over again, until she is ready to know."

Larissa moved closer to Ragon, touching a concerned hand onto his shoulder and gently prying the article from his fingers and pulling it closer to read. For a moment she stared at the couple, comparing Bell's high cheek bones with her mothers and the shape of Bell's eyes to her fathers, before beginning to read the clipping: 

'Police no closer to finding missing couple and child. It had been almost 2 weeks since the mysterious disappearance of Brisbane couple, George and Sarah Hutton, and their 2 year old daughter. Friends of the family say that the Hutton's were a quiet, well like and respected members of the community of Bardon. Police continue to label their disappearance as suspicious. Forensic officers surveying the family home say that there were no signs of their intending to leave and there has been no activity on the couple's financial accounts, or on their passports. While police state that they remain hopeful, the daily searches of the Bardon state forest have now been reduced to every three days. The community is urged that if they have any knowledge concerning the whereabouts of the Hutton family or anything pertaining to the case, that they should contact Crime stoppers or phone the police directly.'

"I knew that she was adopted, but I just assumed that she knew who her parents were," Larissa said, returning the article to the desk. 

"I should have told her but..." Ragon began, breaking off as he stared into the distance.

"It's ok honey; don't dwell on this now. Let's just focus on getting her better; you'll have plenty of time to talk about such things later," Sandra said.

Ragon nodded sadly. 

"Why do you have this out now?" Larissa asked.

Ragon pulled the large piece of white paper that he had been drawing on before and showed it to both girls. As soon as they saw it, it became clear exactly what Ragon was doing. There were a few names written on the paper, all culminating to one name: Bell Sol, which was joined by one line to two other names: George and Bridget Hutton, whose names were also linked to other various names.

"You're tracing her family tree?" Sandra asked. "But why?"

"I think it is the only way to find out what is going on. There is something different about Bell, something special and I don't know what else to do. Obviously someone wants her dead. There must be a reason why and this is the only place I can think to start. I can't protect her if I don't know who I am supposed to be protecting her from," Ragon said.

"But how did you find all these people?" Larissa asked, looking down at the many names that preceded her parents, so that it was possible to discern her grandparents and great grandparents. 

"I know your old," Ragon said, winking once at Sandra, but you have heard of the internet: haven't you?"

Larissa rolled her eyes and Sandra ruffled her hair teasingly. For a moment Ragon continued to read, then traced another line from her great grandmother, to her great, great, grandfather and added wrote 'Dolores Grand.' 

"Why are you only tracing her fore-bearers? Do you not think it would be better to include other immediate family, like aunties and uncles or cousins?" Sandra asked. 

Ragon looked up at Sandra, moved the piece of paper so that he was once again in the region of Bell's name and drew a straight line across from her, where he wrote the name 'Jamie Hutton.' He then took the pen and wrote '1st July 1982 -- 1st of July 1982' and put a small letter d above the name. 

"Bell had a brother?" Sandra asked, looking down at the name. 

"Yea, but he died when he was only 2 days old. I found his death certificate on the internet," Ragon said. "Her parents were all she had."

"And her mother and father; they didn't have any brothers or sisters?" Larissa asked. 

"None that I can find," Ragon said, throwing his pen down in frustration. 

"What's wrong?" Larissa asked.

"I can't trace it any further back than Dolores Grand," he said, beginning to close the internet search pages he had opened, clicking the mouse a little harder than necessary as he furiously shut down his search. 

"So what are you going to do next?" Sandra asked, looking down at the incomplete family tree.

He had left only one search engine opened and typed in the words, 'department of births, deaths and marriages.' After a moment an official looking website loaded and Ragon clicked on the link that said, 'titles office'. Another moment passed and Ragon clicked the contacts link and a new page loaded. It was completely white, with an official government banner on the top of the page and small black cursive writing that said: 'All letters should be addressed to Central Titles Office, Room 101, Floor 7, 121 Adelaide ST, Brisbane QLD 4000. Response may take up to 10 business days.'

"There," Ragon said, pointing to the computer screen and the address of the Central Tiles Office.

After that his eyes strained to the large trap-door which led to the roof. He didn't bother opening it; he knew that it would be morning already and that meant that he would have to wait another ten or so hours before he could put his plan in motion.

***

Though Ragon was loathed to invite Clyde on his mission to trace back Bell's lineage, he knew from their most recent trip to the morgue, that Clyde had valuable lock picking skills. It therefore made sense to include him in his scheme to break into the Central Titles Office. Once again Sandra and Larissa had volunteered to watch Bell while Cambridge and Thomas remained at home with Patrick to keep an eye on Ryder. 

At the mention of babysitting Ryder, Ragon couldn't help but feel a little guilty that he had not honoured Bell's request to ensure that Ryder's transformation went smoothly. Though he had not spent any time with the little fledgling since his making, Clyde had heard that Ryder was slowly beginning to act more like a vampire and less like a monster.

"What's the difference?" Ragon asked sarcastically, when he and Clyde were clothed all in black, dressed once again for breaking and entering.

"Be careful." Sandra said, pushing herself in front of Clyde so that she was facing Ragon while Larissa moved over to the front door.

Before Larissa could leave the house however, Cambridge had swept over to his mate and kissed her passionately on the lips. She smiled after this and reached a hand out to cup his dark cheek saying, "I love you."

***

"Let me have a go," Ragon said when they had reached Adelaide Street and were staring up at the tall government building. 

"Bobby pins and cards won't work on this one," Clyde said smiling.

Ragon was confused by the eerie smile on Clyde's face, until he saw him take a giant leap, springing off the pavement and landing smoothly onto the second level of the building.

"We're going to have to climb the rest of the way," Clyde said, looking up and then beginning his accent.

Ragon also looked up at the building. It had to be at least fifteen stories high and there was no other landing until the tenth floor. For a while the pair struggled to scale the old brick building, using their inhuman abilities to propel from window to window, until they were finally standing on another small landing on the tenth floor.

"That's our ticket in," Clyde said, walking across the small landing and shaking a relatively flimsy door. 

After that Clyde reached for a bobby pin and handed it to Ragon, who took it apprehensively. For a while he fiddled with the lock, frustrated at how easy Clyde had made it look yesterday. 

"Would you like me to-" Clyde began, but Ragon held up his hand, unwilling to admit defeat.

"Almost got it," Ragon said, his tongue between his teeth.

Then suddenly he felt the bobby pin bend and snap in two. Clyde grinned and let out a small low laugh, which was instantly silenced when Ragon furled his hand into a fist and smashed the door down. There was no alarm, simply a loud noise that signified the glass breaking. 

"Smooth," Clyde said.

Ragon growled but reached his hand through the broken glass door and unlocked it, so that he could slide it open. As soon as they were inside, they quickly found the fire escape stairs and climbed the next two staircases in a blur, arriving at the twelfth floor in seconds.

"Which room?" Clyde asked, looking down the long hallway they found themselves in and scanning the numbers above the doors.

"101," Ragon replied, quickly finding the right door and pushing it open.

Immediately the pair was faced with what looked like an enormous storage room. There was one large computer off to the side that appeared as if it pre-dated the century. There were several keyboards attached to the one monitor and an enormous server driver that hummed noisily, as if several fans were needed to keep it from over-heating. 

"So what are we looking for?" Clyde asked, moving to sit on a leather roller chair, before propping his feet up onto the table.

"Anyone related to Bell," Ragon said, moving also over to the computer. "Accept her name will be registered as 'Sarah Hutton.'"

Clyde's eyebrows rose half way up his forehead; clearly this was news to him.

"I have traced back her great, great, grand-mother; her name was Dolores Grand," Ragon said. "Maybe we should start there."

It took them almost half an hour to figure out how to turn the computer on and another ten minutes for it to warm up. When finally an ancient search program opened Clyde typed in the name and waited. 

"Here we go," Clyde said, double clicking on the only Dolores Grand. "It says that her file is reference GR 45638."

The moment Clyde had yelled out the reference number, Ragon was whizzing around the huge room, searching for a matching number. It was less than a minute later when he swooped back in front of Clyde, a large folder of dusty files clutched tightly in his arms. For the next hour the pair scanned through every document in the file, desperate to find a reference to Dolores Grand. After what felt like a very long time, Clyde cheered dramatically and puffed his chest out, holding out a crumpled and torn piece of paper as if it were the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. 

"Dolores Grand, daughter of Philip and Georgina Grand, who were sent to the Australian penal colonies in 1788 for crimes against the British Government," Clyde read out loud.

"That's it?" Ragon asked, snatching the paper away from Clyde and scanning the document. 

There were no pictures in the files, but what looked to be a scanned copy of the original transport document. 

It was difficult to read the leger but Ragon squinted and read out, "'Georgina (with child) and husband Philip Rogers, transported from British isle correctional.' What does this say?" Ragon asked, handing the delicate document over to Clyde who took it and scanned over it carefully.

"'Transported from British Isle Correctional facility in 1766. Sentence: shipment to the Australia's. Survived by parent Lady Geraldine Grand.'"




A Dark Night with a Dark Stranger Ch. 17



In a heartbeat the pair were racing back to the computer and typing in the name 'Lady Geraldine Grand.' They waited with baited breath for the page to load but instead a small link appeared next to their query and they clicked it, both of their faces falling as they read the words, 'document exceeded hardcopy storage length; original held by British Government, REF LG237896."