𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 (𝗢𝗡𝗖 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮)✔

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟰: 𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆

Eric raised an eyebrow, seeing that Cebell looked like she saw a ghost. She quickly got off the stool, nearly making the stool tip over. Eric's smile suddenly turned into a concerned face. He slowly leaned off the counter. Did he say anything wrong?

"What's wrong?" he asked with a hint of concern. Cebell's body froze in place as he just stared at her. His gaze seemed so mysterious but dangerous at the same time. Many questions went through her head. Fangs could only mean one thing.

He's a vampire.

A vampire that somehow didn't devour her when he saw her. Well, maybe it was a close call in the library. She remembered the way he pressed his body against her. His hot breath next to the shell of her ear. Yeah, it was a close call.

"You're. . . you're a vampire?"

Busted.

"Well. . ." Eric then curled his fingers around the edge of the counter, nearly gripping the counter.

"No. I was just the only one in my family who grew their eye teeth out." he lied. Cebell couldn't help but feel anger igniting in her gut. How was he able to talk to vampires without getting devoured? And somehow he brought along a human.

"Why am I here?" she questioned, as he rounded the counter.

"You're here for many reasons. You've survived so long that I am even a bit curious on how." he stopped in front of her.

"And that is what I am going to do." he placed his expensive watch on the small table nearby.

"What are you going to do?" Cebell stumbled on her words. He was a lot taller than her, in which she was equally intimidated by his height. His height easily towered hers.

"That's for me to decide, but first we have to find a doctor." her eyes suddenly widened, her mind was going somewhere else for a second.

"No. Don't give me that look. I am not getting you to do anything bad." Eric couldn't help but roll his eyes and chuckle. Cebell couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash right over her. She was not going to get herself into anything bad.

"So what's the plan?" she questioned, crossing her arms.

"We'll wait until dawn, then I will start looking for our 'doctor'."

* * * *

Eric showed Cebell to a separate room where she could stay in. It was a decent size for a room. Not too big, nor small. There was a queen-size bed in the middle of the room, and up against the wall. White closets were indented in the walls and a small dream catcher hung above the closet. The smallest of things made the room feel safe and comforting. There was a nightstand next to the left side of the bed, with a lamp on top of it.

"This is where you'll be staying for the next little while," his eyes were glued to the back of her head. How her soft, brown hair looked so neat and perfect, and how the fragrance of her hair drove him crazy. It was the same comforting scent when he first saw her.

Cebell slowly entered the room, her shoes slowly sinking into the carpet with each step. She couldn't help but run her hand along the soft, navy, blue bed sheets.

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to give me a shout," he told her before placing his hand on the silver doorknob. He gave her a small smile as he slowly shut the door. She suddenly felt an odd feeling in her chest. It was like something was missing. Did she feel lonely?

With a small sigh, she crawled onto the bed and curled up against a pillow. She was grateful that she was taken in by Eric. Cebell would have probably died out there if it wasn't for him. Forever, she was in his debt. For someone to be so kind to her, especially during these dark times, was hard to come by.

For once she had a safe and secure sanctuary to feel protected. She could finally close her eyes and know that no one was going to hurt her. That no vampires were going to come in during the night and slaughter them in their sleep. This is something she could get used to.

Once Eric closed her door, his hand was clamped down on the handle. It was like he couldn't let go. Almost as if his hand was glued to the handle. He slowly backtracked his hand and stepped away from the door. He placed his hands in his pockets as he slowly walked across the dark hallway. Eric soon entered his room, and closed the door slightly, but not enough for it to be closed.

He then shrugged off his dress coat and tossed it onto a chair. His hands soon fidgeted with the buttons of his dress shirt. Eric's mind soon flashed back to a memory that needed to be burned. His eyes glowed with anger. The memory concealed information on how the sun died. Eric's Father, Jacob Sullivan, was the lord of the house of Sullivan. His father grew tired of the wait for nightfall, so he called a meeting. A meeting that would change humanity's fate. He knew that he was getting too old to run the house of Sullivan. Ever since Eric was born, his Father sensed unusual power with Eric. There was something always different about him. Just the way he grew up to be. Eric was the next heir to the throne.

His father tried passing the crown down to Eric. But Eric never wanted to rule in the first place. He didn't want to bring humanity to its demise. He declined the rights to the crown and walked away from his duties. Eric then moved to New York and worked as a detective. He only worked when the sun would set. He never has been in sunlight before. Vampires burned in sunlight, he knew that for a fact.

But when the sun died two years ago, he knew something wasn't right. His father was supposed to proceed with killing off the sun- - one night a year. But something went wrong. Eric has been searching for two years on how to bring the sun back. But something more was stopping him. Something he never knew.

Eric's fingers suddenly undid the last button of his white dress shirt. He slowly let it slip off his shoulders and fall onto the ground. Afterwards, he sat on the side of his bed and took off both of his shoes. Eric couldn't help but stare out the window, and into the void of darkness. He knew the dark could be a scary place. Especially, when one fears the unknown.

He was glad that he took in Cebell. She wouldn't have lasted one day out there by herself. But his curiosity grew, even more, when he thought about her. How did she survive those vampires, without getting devoured? That was exactly what Eric was going to find out. He had his theories.

That could only mean one thing.