My Vampire Bromance

Chapter 5: The Bargain

Oh god! I thought. This is the end for me!

I closed my eyes tightly as the dark-haired man held me against the wall.

I should have known that it was him. Should have known by his allusions to eating people as he walked me to my car that he was the one who killed someone on campus tonight.

I mean, I just walked in on him doing just that to a woman against the side wall of the brick building! No wonder the women never repeated at the bar! I winced as he held my shoulders down.

"What are you doing here?!" he hissed.

I thought I might pass out as I forced myself to open my eyes. What I saw was the same beautiful man who had spoken to me just hours before, except now his teeth were covered with blood. His eyes glowed like a cat's, an inhuman red reflection glinting in and out of them as his gaze roamed my face. There was no hiding my terror. I had just seen him consuming someone's blood. I felt faint all over.

"I thought you went home for the night? What are you doing here?" he asked again.

I tried to speak, still forced against the wall by strong hands. Hands that felt entirely too strong for an average human. I chalked it up to the fact that he was obviously insane. I should have known better than to come here.

After several seconds, I finally found the words to say to the monster in front of me, "Someone was murdered on campus tonight. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," the words came out strangled as I said them.

To my surprise, Victor let me go.

I wanted to run then. To bolt. But fear held me down to the wall that he had just been holding me against. If I tried to escape, there was a good possibility that I'd end up just like that girl in the middle of the alley. Bloody and dead.

"You were worried about me?" Victor asked.

"Yeah," I said. It sounded stupid, "But, um, you're all good, so I guess I'm gonna go now." I tried to sound calm as I went to bend under his arm to get away. He blocked me in again. I began to panic. The more I looked up into that pale face of his, the more I was aware that I had come face to face with a murderer. I wasn't going to make it out alive.

"Don't!" Victor shouted, blocking me in. "Please, don't! Let me explain! This isn't what it looks like." He bared his teeth at me, and I felt my consciousness wane. His teeth were still coated in the girl's blood.

"What?" I sounded queasy.

"Let me explain," Victor boxed me into the brick, making it so I couldn't get away. He was incredibly close, the wool of his overcoat brushing against my plaid shirt. The tweed of his trousers scraped against my pants. The pale complexion of his face was too close to my own. I was aware of the transparency of his skin for the first time.

He didn't look human like he had when he had walked me to my car.

"That girl," he cocked his head to her, "is not dead. She's merely asleep. Hypnotized. She's fine. She'll wake up shortly with a nasty bruise, wondering how she got here."

I swallowed hard, closing my eyes.

"You see," Victor continued. He sounded panicked, "She's fine."

I looked over at the girl. She stirred briefly.

Victor lowered his head as if he were contemplating what to do. "You see, Phillip. I'm not exactly human."

My eyes widened. I swallowed again, my whole body starting to tremble. What the hell have I gotten myself into?