Sometimes, it's better to
Let Secrets Be Secrets.

//Night//

** Shade **

What was that?  I fix my eyes on the dark passage. Why can't I, a freaking vampire, sense an unknown presence? A shadow, that literally floated blending itself into the dark was standing at that place where we were standing minutes ago and I just couldn't feel anything. "How's this even possible?"

"How is what possible?" Hearing my mumbling, Melvin turns and halts fixing his gaze on the dark passage in front.

"What're you looking at?" Melvin knits his brows together with full confusion plastered on his face.

"Um... I think I saw someone... or something. I'm not sure. But I saw it." I am still trying to locate that shadow or at least feel it.

"Nothing's there. I think Dawn has taken a toll on you." Hearing Dawn's name I frown but Melvin is one of the few who understands when I really frown and when I just pretend to frown.

"What? Don't give me that killer look. I know you very well. Now come." Melvin pulls me towards Dawn and Rain who are still waiting for us in front of the glass door accompanied by an unknown man. As we close towards them, I see a fireplace with burning fire behind the man.

As we reach there, the man asks us to handover the cards that the women have given us at the entrance and tells us to write our names on an antique-looking book, whose pages are sun-kissed. He gives us a black-inked fountain pen which has an ancient intricate design. As we write our names, he shoves the cards in the flaming fire of the fireplace. It surprises all of us. But the next thing shocks us from the core. As soon as the cards burn into ashes, the man takes some ashes into his fist and keeps a heap of ash on the opened page of that ancient book. He then takes the ancient fountain pen and dips the nib into the ashes.

"Is he crazy?" Melvin whispers while Dawn and Rain looks at the man, baffled.

Dipping the pen into the ashes the man writes something beside our names. As he finishes his writing, he gives us a faint smile and asks us to see the book. With frowning eyes, I look at the page. Beside my and Dawn's name number 25 is being written and beside Melvin and Rain's name, number 26. But the numbers are being engraved on the sub-bathed page with ashes. I touch the ash but the blazing heat forces me to pull my hand away.

"Congratulations kids! Shade and Dawn, your number is 25 and Rain and Melvin, your number is 26. Now, since you got your partners for this evening, please proceed and say your numbers together with your respective partner standing in front of the door." We all frown as we look at the smiling man.

"Go! Don't waste your time." The man shoves us towards the glass door. All this while, he had that same smile on his face.

Shocked and surprised, we all stand in front of the glass door. The glass is a simple plain door. But unknowingly, my eyes travel towards a corner of the door. There, I see a few haphazard scratches as if some monster with his claw has clawed the corner of the door repeatedly.

"Shade!" My thoughts break hearing Melvin's voice.

"We'll be going first." Intertwining his fingers with Rain's fingers, Melvin and Rain utters "twenty-six" together. The door opens with a shattering sound as if the glass door has shattered into pieces. But, it is not. The noise of the music is nowlouder. Without further adieu, they step inside the wild party. But as soon as I and Dawn head for the open door, it closes.

We look at each other for a second and realise we also need to utter our numbers. Standing in front of the door we shout, "twenty-five". But this time there is no shattering sound. Rather, a whitish yellow glow illuminates the door. Slowly the door opens with no noise. But as soon as the door is completely ajar, that same throbbing noise of music comes out. We see Rain and Melvin standing in front and waiting for us. Seeing them, we step inside the party but before the door closes, I look back for once and I am shocked. No man is standing there, neither any fire place is there. Only the antique book is lying on the ground. But before I can dash and take the book, Melvin pulls me inside the wild noise and strong neon lights.

☆☆☆

** Dawn **

Blending with the crowd is not my favourite job to do. Still, I am standing in a wild college party amidst some drunk and some sober students with weirdness hovering over me every moment.

Before entering, something weird has happened outside. But my heart is saying otherwise. I feel that it is not weird at all. Rather, strangely I feel, I know something like that can happen. As we step inside, Shade gets pulled by Melvin and I am standing with Rain taking the majestic beauty of the hall. It's a ballroom with high ceilings but instead of soothing and bright light of chandeliers, strong neon lights are illuminating the party and creating paintings of various colours on people's faces. Loud music is throbbing my heart. I am not a fan of loud noise. I always prefer silence and that's one of the reasons I avoid parties so much. And this party is no different. As Rain and I walk deeper into the party, I see a girl from my class, playing tongue hockey with maybe someone senior.

As my eyes fall on them, a bright light passes across and I instantly recognise the boy. It is Tom, one of Dennis' minions. And it hit me like a storm that Dennis too, will be in this party, if he had saved himself from Shade that night. Seeing Melvin talking with a girl, Rain pulls me towards him.

☆☆☆

As we reach there, Rain glares at the girl making her leave and holding Melvin's wrist, she drags him to the bar.

"What were you looking at?" I ask instantly as soon as I find Shade alone as I am curious to know what were the Graynon brothers looking at so intently in the corridor. The neon lights are falling on Shade's eyes and creating a mesmerising effect on me as the electrifying blue of his eyes play with the green neon light.

"Where?" It is loud at the party but still, I can listen Shade's husky voice.

"Nothing... leave it. I don't wanna talk with you." I blurt out my rising anger on him. Yes, I am angry. But not on Shade, rather on myself, as I am getting immensely drawn towards him.

"That works for me too. Stay away from me." Shade brings his lips closer to mine looking straight into my eyes. "Otherwise, you know what I can do." His eyes are lingering over my face. For a split second they rest upon my lips. But, within a blink of an eye, he looks away and moves back creating distance between us. But before he has pulled away, I have seen a tint of guilt in his eyes. For what is he feeling guilty?

I shove him to look at me. "Listen, Mr. Vampire, ai-—" Shade cuts me off by placing a palm over my open mouth and pulls me in a corner. My hot breath is fanning his cold palm as his smooth palm caresses my lips. Stunned by the sudden closeness, I look into his eyes. But, instead of the softness which my heart is yearning to see, I can find anger and fear. What is he afraid of?

Anger is rising in his eyes at every ticking time but so is his fear.

"Don't. You. Dare. Utter. That. Again." His voice is icy cold as he says the last two words clenching his teeth. But instead of being afraid, his words give me a new wave of courage. I dig my teeth on his smooth skin between his index finger and thumb with as much force as I can.

"Ouch!". He removes his palm looking at the spot where my teeth is being imprinted. In the neon lights, I see redness on his skin, like a bruise.

"Aa ah! Vampires also feel pain, huh?" The situation is serious and full of black clouds but I am still feeling like to joke around.

Shade grips my arms tightly. His eyes are glaring daggers at me. But all my fear just vanishes, like a puff. I am really not afraid seeing him angry, as if I know how to calm down his inner beast.

"Stop teasing me Dawn." It is for the first time I hear my name coming out of his mouth. So many times I have heard it before from different people but, never ever I have felt this way. I am completely dazed and having goosebumps just by hearing my name. How can he create such an effect on me with just a single normal name? That too, my name, which I am hearing since my birth?

I am feeling like my name has come out like a shooting star from the core of his heart. I am floating in a different world. A world, in which every whisper, every single sound is only carrying my name from his heart.

"So, the mighty Dawn is afraid?" Shade's raspy voice pulls me out from my imaginary world. Slightly tilting his head and with a raised eyebrow, he is eyeing me with mischief playing in his usually dark eyes. And the little amount of warmth I felt a second ago, has turned into a rage. Shoving away his grip off my arms, I inch closer to him leaving mild gap. Our noses are touching and lips are few inches apart making my heart doing all kinds of dances. But my anger is taking control over my mind and my heart is losing the battle.

I stare directly into his eyes and utter gritting my teeth. "I. Am. Not. Afraid. Of..." I hit my index finger on his chest and look deeply into his eyes trying to understand his mental state as I whisper, "You."

Shade grips my index finger in his palm. Swiftly, he entangles our fingers and pulls me closer, closing the mild gap. Our lips are closer than before and for the first time a sweet amber cologne hit my nose. And the fragrance, my God, I am in heaven. The muskiness of the fragrance is hypnotic. His dark eyes are wavering between my eyes and lips. My heart is galloping. A heat is forming inside my core and his cologne is intensifying it, making my lips quiver.

It is slowly getting difficult for me to breathe normally. I am speechless when suddenly; I feel a soft and loving peck on my lips. My breath gets caught in my throat while the softness of Shade's smooth lips lingers on my lips. A rush of warmth hits my heart making me smile like a stupid.

As my eyes drown in his, I feel like my heart has finally reached its destination. My heart is brewing with mixed emotions, but the emotion that is overpowering all is happiness. In the passing lights, I can see a tint of happiness in Shade's eyes. But along with that, there is confusion and... regret.

Regret? I feel a pang of hurt in my heart as I realize that he is regretting the moment we have lived a few seconds ago. I don't know why, but I want to cry. A chunk of sadness is hovering over me.

Get a grip on yourself Dawn. He has not even kissed you. It's just a simple peck. Hmm... a simple peck, that fluttered my heart like never before.

My chain of thoughts break, hearing Rain's snarling comment. "Get a room guys."

Breaking the closeness, we look at Rain and Melvin who are eyeing us like a new target to bully.

"Shut up." Shade and I blurt out together. Confused and surprised, we look at each other. Both irritated and helpless, I sigh and head for the bar. I need a drink to calm down my racing heart.

☆☆☆

Standing in another corner close to the bar, I stare at the wall in front of me as I take a sip of my 'witch's bleeding heart' from the martini glass. Since I am totally stressed out, I have requested the cute bartender to add some extra vodka in the drink.

The wall has an intricate design of old Victorian times and at the centre of the design there is the same sign and symbols that I have seen engraved on the entrance door. I am having a feeling it's not a wall, rather a door, a secret door and if I can push the correct spot, it will open with a creak!

"Shut up. Stop talking nonsense. You're drunk." Smacking behind my head lightly, I mumble as I laugh.

"Really? So soon?" Hearing a voice full of sarcasm so close to my ear, I jump as I move away and turn around. Standing there is the purple-eyed monster.

"What the fuck Dennis? What're you doing here?" I realise that I've not seen Dennis after that day. And if Shade has bitten him that day, then is he a Vampire? Is he here to take revenge? The drink and Dennis are creating a weird effect on me.

"Long time no see. Huh?" He is constantly eye-raping me with an evil grin on his face.

"You bastard!" Rain's shrill scream hit my ears as she stands beside me and gives Dennis a tight slap.

"What the fuck!" Dennis growls like a ferocious animal as his hand involuntarily goes for his cheek which has turned red.

"You better stay away from her. Don't think that since there's no proof for your last act you'll get spared again." Rain threaten him like a police officer.

"Last act? What did I do? I have seen both of you together last time in front of the college gate." There is confusion lingering in his eyes, though it is highly possible of being feigned.

"Don't act smart. Just fuck off!" His so-called innocence and the drink are driving me nuts making me swear.

"I Am smart. I don't need to Act." He slap his chest boasting his ego.

"Fuck off, dick!" I push him away making him stumble back. Rain is trying to control me as she knows that drinks can bring out all suppressed anger of mine.

"Just wait and watch. One day, I'll make sure you fuck my dick!" Dennis tilts his head and eyes me cockily. Slowly, he leans closer to my ears and hisses, "Tell your knight to save his precious little love. This time his love is OUR pawn."

"What the..." Rain shoves Dennis away. He turns around to walk with an evilness in his expression. But before walking away he looks back again and comes closer to my face. "See you soon, PAWN." With that, he goes away leaving me dumbfounded and scared.

☆☆☆

Hello friends!!! I know I'm super late and thanks a lot for your patience. Hope you like this late chapter. 🤣

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Thanks a lot for reading it. I'll try to update as often as possible. Sorry once again for the late update.
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