A Lonely Prince with Fangs (completed)

Cold Skin Warms Me

"What was that?" I asked Alexandru.

"What do you mean?" He asked back as if that awkward scene between him and Gabriel hadn't happened.

"Do you not like Gabriel?"

"No." He didn't even try to hide it. I felt the unlikeness in his voice and I knew right away that they must have their own history together.

"Why not?" Now he looked a bit hesitant to answer.

"Well, he's related to hunters who believe in killing vampires."

"Wait what! How unfortunate of me. I live with a vampire and yet can only seem to make friends with hunters."

"That's not the only reason I don't like the boy."

"Oh really."

"He's very pompous and thinks he knows it all. He is just like the rest of his family. Though his father is a good man. He was right to leave this town and go back to France." I was impressed with the count for knowing so much about the people in his village. He's seen people come and go and generations of families that have lived here since he was born.

I didn't want to fight him on this, he knows his stuff, and I've only been here for a few days. Well, two if I don't include the day of being asleep and the day I spent with my parents.

"Well, if I'm going to try to live here, I guess you are the best person to go to for information on the townspeople." Thinking of my parents made me sad. I hadn't exactly cried over my parents since finding out they were dead. But now I felt tears coming to my eyes. Why now do I choose to cry over them?

I think the Count knew how I felt. Is that a vampire trait? I felt the iciness of his pale hand as it touched my cheek. He wiped away the single tear that had rolled down my face with one of his long nails.

"You okay?" He asked with a kind half smile. I wasn't okay. I didn't feel like lying either. Why try? I wanted someone to comfort me. I wanted to curl up with a friend that I could trust. So, I grabbed the only thing I could think of. I slid my arms along the sides of Alexandru and just squeezed him tight. I buried my face in his vest and allowed the hiccups and the sobs to come from my mouth. I had never done such a thing. Not even with my parents. Bad dreams were always the cause of going into my parents' room in the middle of the night. I knew my life was too perfect to be true. God pourd blessings upon me. But I took my life for granted. Now I stand here, in a dark castle, hugging a complete stranger who so happens to be a freackin vampire! Why did my life have to turn upside down so fast just because of one wrong decision?

My parents would hug me back and kiss my forehead, telling me that everything was fine. But the way Alexandru hugged me made me go limp.

The cold vampire wrapped his arms around me and hugged me like I was a packet of blood. He hugged me in a way I had never been hugged before. He pulled me so close I was afraid he could hear the beating of my heart. His kindness made me feel loved. I felt like he knew what I was going through exactly. As if he was mentally telling me, "Everything will be fine, I'm here for you." Though he was cold as a dead man, I couldn't help but feel warmth from his touch.

My knees buckled and I crumbled in his arms. He didn't let me fall though. He kept me at the height I was at and didn't let me go.

"I'm sorry Maggy. You don't have to stay here if you don't want to." Only then did it occur to me that he didn't know the real reason I was crying; I hadn't said why. His voice tickled my ear. "Can you stand?" I nodded my head which was against his chest. With how tall he was I could have fit in the crook of his armpit. We pulled apart and he smiled a cute and warm welcoming smile.

"Did Gabriel treat you to lunch?" I nodded and began wiping my tears away. Alexandru and I had dinner together after that. He asked about town and I explained the book I got. Alexandru had never heard of it so we decided to read it together.

After dinner he led me to my room and allowed me to get ready for bed. When he came back in I ushered him to sit on the queen sized bed with me and read allowed. He gave into my pushing and we both sat up against the pillows side-by-side. I felt like a child asking an adult to read me a story. But I also thought I was taking this whole living with a stranger thing a bit too comfortable.

It was really nice listening to his Romanian accent as he read. He even gave each character a different voice, which I highly enjoyed. I had taught myself to read and my parents had never read allowed to me before. So it was different listening to someone read to me. Alexandru didn't seem to mind.

His words carried me off to sleep only to be awoken by a knock at my door in the middle of the night.