In the darkness between late night and early morning, I find myself alone.

The natural serenity of the cabin is disturbed by mental images of Lucien's eyes. They disappear as soon as I notice, then dance in and out of consciousness, seemingly at his beck and call. A hypnotic voice whispers promises of oblivion as cold, merciless fingers wrap around my throat, then piercing pain shoots through my body.

I wake in a sweat, only to repeat the process.

Sometimes I look over, expecting to see Levi in the wooden chair. It's empty.

No, I'm merely hoping he'll be there.

By morning I'm just as much in need of a shower as I was yesterday. Self pity attempts to wedge into my psyche, but I push it out, not dwelling too much on how I ended up in such a circumstance.

I stretch and slowly climb out of bed, ready to get rid of the nightmares and begin the one called reality. My limbs still weigh twice as much as usual, but the pain in my arms has gotten better. Walking is a bit easier, too. I replace the pajama shorts with my favorite jeans and change out of the shirt from yesterday, putting on one from the pile Levi brought.

As lightly as I can, I tiptoe out of the room on the off chance Levi's sleeping in another room. I pull the door open and it lets out a whine. I cringe. Stillness settles once more, and I pad down the hallway, taking in my temporary residence.

Last night I took my first steps out of the room for a shower, but could barely stay awake while Levi changed my bandage much less look around. This morning I'm more attentive to my surroundings.

The hallway has three doors, one for the bedroom I've been staying in, one for the bathroom, and one I haven't yet opened. I'm sure mystery door number three is another plain bedroom where Levi sleeps—or it could be a crypt stacked with blood bags. Just in case, I'll save that particular surprise for some other time. I have a feeling there's already plenty in store for me today.

At the end of the hallway, there's a kitchen complete with modern white cabinets and countertops. Two sets of plates and two cups sit neatly in a dish rack, the only clutter on an otherwise clean counter. To the right, the room expands from a dining room into a mid-size sitting area next to the main entrance. A scattering of shelves surround a small television, and natural light shines from a large window that faces a sectional couch. A blanket is folded on one side, but there's no sign of Levi.

The lace curtains are pulled to the side and reveal a sight I'd never find in the city—a forest. Not a tree or two, but green leaves as far as I can see, accompanied by the chirping of birds and the occasional shaking of branches as animals scurry from one to the other.

It's not the kind of forest I imagined as a little girl, crawling with creatures ready to poison, eat, or kill you. No, this forest is light, it's full of life. Turns out I've already left behind everything I know. There's no sky-high buildings, no honking of horns or distant sirens as the multitude parades ever onward. Here, it feels as if I have space to exist.

The relative silence is deafening. And to my surprise, I like it.

The knob of the front door rattles and I spin, overcome with the urge to find somewhere to hide.

"Good morning," Levi calls as he steps in, bringing with him the scent of pine and pollen.

My pulse calms at his familiar tone, coupled with the same tired expression on his face I've come to expect. I'm relieved his focus isn't on me as he turns his back to lock the door and then strides into the kitchen.

It's astounding he doesn't make a sound as he carries two brown bags filled to the brim. The tuff of plastic from a French baguette sticks out the top of one, and I can tell it's fresh from the slightly sweet, warm and rich aroma that wafts throughout the room.

"Morning," I greet.

He sets the bags down on the counter and looks over at me, pale rose lips set in an unreadable line. His irises have faded, but they're still red, and breathtakingly beautiful in the morning light. Vampires may be creatures of the night, but Levi looks just as stunning in the day.

If only it were his eyes in my dream, instead of Lucien's.

"Didn't sleep well?" he asks.

My hands automatically feel for the bags under my eyes, they must be worse than I thought. "Uh, no, not really." Note to self: get makeup when the opportunity arises. "But the bed was more than comfortable," I note.

"Mm, good," he hums. Small crinkles appear on his forehead for a split second, then smooth out again into pristine skin. "I bought some things for breakfast."

One by one, he pulls out the contents of the grocery bags. I walk over and help unpack. By the time we're done, there are a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, sausages, six kinds of fruit, and cartons of orange juice, cranberry juice, and milk.

"I'm not used to eating breakfast, so..." Levi looks at me sheepishly. "Tell me what you'd like, and I'll make it."

Heat blossoms in my cheeks. No one's ever asked what I actually wanted to eat before, let alone offered to make it. Usually I get what I get, and I've always been grateful for it. "Oh, um..." I look over our stock of ingredients. "How about eggs, toast, and sausage...with a side of fruit?"

It's nothing complex or stunning, and it won't take any amount of skill like what he made for dinner, but it's the best I can think of on the spot.

"Sounds good." He picks up the sausage and eggs and walks over to the stove.

"I'll start on the fruit," I offer and slide over the apples, oranges, and various berries next to the sink to rinse them off.

"You sure? No need to feel obligated, you can sit down if you need."

I look over my shoulder to see him watching me. The heat on my cheeks intensifies. "I'm sure."

My voice sounds like a squeaky toy, how reassuring. I clear my throat. "I don't cook very well, but I can at least handle chopping fruit."

"Alright," he says. "I wouldn't say I'm a very good cook, either."

"What?"

He chuckles at my incredulous exclamation, and the timbre of his voice fills the room. A smile spreads on my face, mirrored by warmth bubbling up in my chest. "Based on last night's dinner I'd say you're at least better than me, and could probably out-do some of the chefs at my last job."

"I appreciate the sentiment." Levi actually sounds happy for once, and that makes me smile more. One trick I've learned from waiting tables is that compliments go a long way, and I'm glad he seems to be taking mine genuinely, because I really do mean it.

"Besides cooking, what do you like to do?" I ask.

The sausage pops and fizzles on the stove, mixing with the smell of the fresh bread and has me absolutely salivating. I'm careful to not let any water touch my bandage as I wash off the fruit.

"I...go on walks," he answers.

"Oh, me too," I chime.

"I hope yours are more enjoyable than mine."

At his words my movements pause, but only for a second. He couldn't be referring to the same depressive weight my walks entail, could he? I look at him again, wondering how much I could have in common with a vampire. "Why aren't yours enjoyable?"

"Mm..." Hot oil sputters as he flips the sausage, but he doesn't so much as flinch. "Perhaps I chose the wrong locations."

"Oh."

My face scrunches as I turn off the faucet. Every time a topic involves something about his vampire nature, he shies away from it. But I can't imagine why vampires couldn't go on walks wherever they wanted to. I know I certainly couldn't stop him from walking down my street.

"Is there a cutting board and knife?" I ask.

"In the bottom cabinet to your right. And there's a knife block right here," he answers.

I'm still mulling over his response, trying to piece together what he's not telling me as I pull out the wooden cutting board. He places a paring knife and a larger chef's knife on the counter beside the washed fruit.

Reflexively, I take the knife and an apple, but freeze mid-motion. I can't help but recall my recent history. Flashbacks from the night he found me resurface, and I trace my finger along the sharp side of the blade. All those emotions didn't just go away. They're inside, somewhere, waiting for my next pitfall. Gaping jaws that will swallow me over and over again.

Now that I think about it, he left me alone, more than once, and probably had these on the counter the whole time. He just gave me a weapon, one I could easily use against myself or on him, without a second thought. Considering how he found me, wouldn't he think twice? I put the knife down, wondering if I should speak or let my thoughts be.

I guess it's better to leave skeletons in the closet, no matter how fresh.

"Sausage is almost done, how do you want your eggs?" Levi asks.

"Oh, um, sunny side up, please." I shake my head, wiping my thoughts clean and start carefully slicing the fruit. He may have saved me, but I'm still not sure why. I can't say he really cares if I live or die, maybe he just didn't want Lucien to get to me first.

A chill runs down my spine.

Inner demons are the worst kind.

❤️‍🩹 Siberia