It was time to react. The sun was still high in the sky, but with the windows well covered you couldn't fear the light; you had to learn to live with that new side of you, but it would take a long time before you could accept this irreversible change...however, you decided to remain the girl you always were, to show everyone who you really were.

Firstly, you put aside the black dress that Lady Ashbury had given you, to wear your old clothes again respecting the image that you had created within the hospital; so, you eliminated the more low-cut and showy ones. Of course, you asked Elizabeth for help with that...going back to your home again and your old room could affect your decisions.

To replace the usual and classic hairstyle, you thought it was appropriate to let your long hair down, tying it with some hairpins or ribbons; what you eliminated from your look were the jewels, since you thought them useless for this purpose. You put on a make-up that could illuminate your face with a slight pink tinge on your cheeks and a few black lines around your eyes, to make your gaze even more penetrating. Lastly, a sprinkle of your favorite perfume couldn't be missing, which you put on for good occasions and used as a lucky charm.

In front of the mirror, you looked like an authentic young lady, the "Miss Wright" everyone fell madly in love with...you came out as soon as the moon took the place of the sun in the sky.

A pleasant wind blew on your pure white face; it was so enjoyable, though it once mattered little to you. After all, you had discovered how interesting and liberating it could be to walk under the moonlight and you would have liked it if there had been someone to keep you company...you would have liked that person to be Doctor Ackroyd.

When you saw him there, sitting while he rested, it made you smile; his forearm, folded over a table, supported his head. He must have been very tired to fall asleep in that uncomfortable position.
You found that young frowning expression of him fascinating; for a moment, you feared that if you kept staring at him he would suddenly wake up, even though the idea wouldn't be too bad.

《Who knows what he really thinks of me...would he think I'm beautiful if he saw me like this...?》  You thought with some naivety.

There was no one around, apart from someone walking in the corridors. The patients rested blissfully in their beds and not all doctors were on duty that evening; Ackroyd certainly was, but he had let himself go into a short rest before the night changed again.

Strangely, Doctor Reid wasn't there. Nor McCullum...that atmosphere was too calm to be real.
Before you could leave, a still hoarse voice stopped you.

《...what are you doing here?》  The young doctor was awake again and looked at you questioningly.

《I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to wake you up, doctor.》  You tried to excuse your bad manners fearing you made him angry. On the contrary, his expression appeared calm.

《No, I should apologize for the way you saw me. That's not what I'm supposed to do, not at a time like this.》  Of course, he was referring to the fact that he had fallen asleep during working hours.

At that moment, you just wanted to comfort him, so you approached him again; Ackroyd looked up and saw that something in you had changed.

Your dress highlighted your pale complexion, especially that soft blue with a floral theme you had personally sewn by your trusted tailor; yes, it wasn't a suitable dress for a hospital, but you didn't want to go back to the dark and gloomy state you were in previously.

While you were thinking about that, you heard Ackroyd speak but didn't understand the words.

《W-what did you say?》  You were hoping he could repeat it.

《...nothing important.》  Then, he got up from his seat and went back to check his papers if there were any updates from the nurses...but what he read was only a reflection of his thoughts...he couldn't stop thinking about how gorgeous you were like that.

You couldn't expect anything different from him, but inside you was hidden the need to say what you felt.

《W-would you like to take me out for a short walk...?》

Ackroyd quickly turned to you; he didn't seem like it, but he was incredibly surprised by your unexpected request. That silence seemed deafening to your ears.

Despite this, he composed himself by adjusting his white coat.
《I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it's not possible for me. I need to get back to my work.》

His heart was beating fast. It was evident that he felt uncomfortable and stirred further when you touched his collar.

《Done.》  You simply said; the collar was wrinkled, so you thought it was a good idea to fix it before that bothered him.

《Miss Wright...》  Ackroyd let you do it but didn't continue the sentence. It was better this way, after all.

《It's okay, mine was a silly offer. Have a good work, Dr. Ackroyd.》  When you finished, you walked away until his voice stopped you again.

《Don't get me wrong, you are an interesting girl, but...maybe too beautiful and elegant to waste her time with a man like me...》  He looked away, probably to avoid your particular gaze.

On the contrary, you smiled.
《This isn't true, Dr. Ackroyd, you save people's lives every day and this must be an immense satisfaction for you...but I have the impression that you think little of yourself...I'm not ashamed to say that I wanted to know better the man you are out of here...》

Ackroyd listened carefully to your every word. There was nothing more you could do at that point, after you expressed your feelings for him; it had never been a thing of you, as it was right for the man to step forward before answering...but he wasn't a gentleman and you weren't a normal young lady as he thought...

When he saw you leave him behind, Waverley Ackroyd went to his patients' room. If he really wanted it, he wouldn't let you go and it was hard to hide the error he had just made.

* * *

You went back to your room to put your thoughts in order. You were sure you made a mistake and now your relationship with Dr. Ackroyd was in danger of falling apart.
You closed the door behind you as if you wanted to isolate yourself from the rest of the world.

《What have you done...you're just a fool, Y/n.》

You sighed for a long time. You didn't know you could feel so bad because of a man. Of course, there could be nothing between you two because of you, that was why you gave up...you were a supernatural being and, if you wished, you could have had what you wanted, even corrupting the hardest mind, like Ackroyd's, but you didn't.

To forget that sad emotion, you searched inside a locker, where you kept a kind of secret diary hidden; actually, it collected all the letters you received from your mysterious suitor and every time you read them, you felt your mind free from any bad thoughts thanks to his meticulous writing and beautiful words. You brought them with you, along with your other things, and reading them would surely help you put your smile back...

But when you reached out into the locker you noticed that there was nothing left inside it.

You opened your eyes wide in terror.

《I-I'm sure I left them here...and with the locker closed! Where have they gone now?!》

You searched the whole room but no sign of them. The only possibility was that someone had taken them believing they were important documents, as this room was still an old laboratory.
There were few people there that night, so it would have been easy to find them before dawn.

《They are precious treasures for me, I cannot afford to lose them like this!》  You said internally slamming the door.

* * *

The smell of blood was everywhere and this made your searches difficult. Unlike before, you now clearly remembered the smell of the paper, the ink printed on it...and a light scented fragrance, probably belonging to the writer.

You raised the wide skirt slightly to speed up your stride and turned your head left and right to find someone, until you felt a faint trace of another smell.

You tried to follow it. The track took you to the back of the hospital.

You followed the path; garbage and other rubbish were piled up here and there, but the smell didn't come from them...you concentrated and noticed the track was suddenly gone.

《How could that happen...》  You said in a low, trembling voice. Whoever it was could be anywhere, even outside the Pembroke borders.

At that moment, the noisy footsteps of some boots approached behind you. Strangely, that scent returned there.

《Have you already given up? What a pity...now that the game was getting fun.》

When you heard his hateful voice you couldn't believe it, even when you turned in his direction and noticed something familiar in his hands.

《Who is this J.P.?》  He held up one of your letters open and with the sender's signature fully visible.  《A suitor, huh? Or maybe a secret lover...which of the two is your next victim?》

Geoffrey McCullum stopped right in front of you. Instinctively, you tried to take it out of his hands but his gesture prevented you.

《G-give it back, please, it has nothing to do with all this!》

The vampire hunter was well aware of that. The dates on the letters were proof that they had been written shortly before you became a vampire...but that wasn't the point...what caught his attention was their content. The sweet and refined words addressed to you made him sick.

Without listening to you, he began to tear it out in front of your face.

《No, don't do it!》

Your hands gripped the man's unbuttoned collar trying to save your last precious letter. McCullum grinned when he saw despair in your eyes.

《I knew you would try to find them. What's the point of keeping these meaningless words...you're really ridiculous.》  He squeezed your wrist tightly. You didn't understand why he was doing all this to you.

《W-why are you telling me this...》

When he saw your sad and confused expression, McCullum threw your diary away sending all your letters flying across the dirty ground.

《Why? Because you are dead.》  When he said that, you felt as if your breathing had stopped and you understood the emptiness that was inside you...it really hurt, even if it came from a numb man like McCullum.

You looked down ignoring what he could do to you in that moment of distraction.

《You say this about me, while you are the most despicable person I have ever met on this Earth!》

You tried to resist him by still being blocked by his hold on you, but you couldn't. The hunter continued to stare seriously at you noticing your lack of strength.

《Hey, where did all your energy from last night go? Do you really think that offending me is the right option?》

You heard him take another step towards you and lowered his head crossing your face a few inches away. You didn't know why, but you backed away when you looked into his blue eyes...that moment of agitation was enough to allow McCullum to feel an intense heat emanating from your cold body.

《Again this thing...》

He couldn't believe it was happening again, as a vampire was unable to exchange heat with another body, especially a human one. To be sure of his theory, he reached out a hand to your cheek expecting it to feel cold and hard.
He opened his mouth slightly when he realized it was soft and warm.

《W-what are you doing now...》

It was embarrassing and uncomfortable, but you didn't stop it; his large, calloused palm caressed you in an unexpectedly gentle way that you haven't heard in a while.

Geoffrey looked down at you. Your wide but restrained neckline showed a bare, fair skin. It was evident that you had a slim build compared to him, but you were unexpectedly curvy, especially on the chest and hips and your waist was incredibly thin. In a way, he couldn't deny that you were a beautiful and attractive girl, despite being a vampire...

Compared to the last time, your dress was worthy of a young lady and it was rare that he could have such a vision, as he used to frequent battered and seedy clubs when he had a break from the work.

Unexpectedly for him too, he touched with two fingers some tufts of hair that fell beside your neck, but without losing contact with your eyes.

This time you tried to really push him away.
《S-stop that–》

《Shut up.》

It all seemed crazy and, fearing the worst, you closed your eyes.

* * *

《...》

《W-what...?》

When you opened your eyes, you saw McCullum so close to your face, especially to your lips...Geoffrey looked at you annoyed, as if you were doing something wrong.

Meanwhile, your retreating took you straight to a wall that heavily touched your back.

《S-stop that, please–》

《Pff, what did you think I wanted to do...》  His words left you confused  《You won't react in any case...by now, I understand what game you're playing...》

《What are you talking about...you are a psychopath!》  When you said that, the vampire hunter started laughing out loud.

《Then, tell me which vampire thinks she's pretty just because she wears such a provocative dress...I warn you, you don't want to get my attention...》

《...you hate me to death, so I don't understand why you are acting this way now...!》  Of course, you didn't understand why he was even touching you like that, as the discomfort grew more and more.

《I said I hate vampires, but I didn't say I hate women. Of course, if a woman is a vampire, she should convince me not to drop me in the first option...》

He gave a slight, sly smile. It was evident that he was making fun of you and you absolutely shouldn't fall into his trap...what he did to your letters was proof that he had no respect for you.

《Stop touching me...》

You said it in a subtle voice to avoid making him irritate; on the contrary, what angered him was the fact that you wanted to push him away.

When he saw you with an agitated expression because of those letters you cared for so much, he wanted to burn them instantly, but he decided to wait and do it in front of you; when the opportunity arose that night and you turned to him, well, since then Geoffrey tried to deny your natural beauty and charm by believing it was just a vampire technique...the fact that you didn't react or try to attack him made you a prey and no longer a dangerous predator.

Suddenly, he widened the dark red scarf slightly.

《Since you're like a hungry puppy, I'll let you drink from my neck, what do you think?》

You didn't believe your ears. On the other side of his skin, you could feel the blood flowing into his body. It had been a while since you had tasted human blood and the desire was strong...but you resisted. It was clear that his "noble" intentions to feed you were just a way to make you fall into temptation.

You put your fingers around the collar of the jacket and put it back in its place.

《Just as I don't need anyone else's blood, I don't need yours either. If you really want to get bitten, have someone else do it.》  You said fearlessly.

Soon, McCullum began to tire of your hostile attitude. He was pleased to see one of those monsters scream under his brutal blows, to the point of breaking their bones, and particularly hated the Ekon, as they disguised their intentions by pretending to be good and polite people. You had to be like them, after all...

《Why are you so stubborn?》  He walked away, but leaving you with your back to the wall.《Are you still trying to make me believe you're not a leech?》

《I don't care what you believe in, Captain McCullum...I know who I am.》

You tried to slowly escape, but something stopped you again. This time, his grip was around your neck but not squeezing it.

《I told you I wouldn't stop next time...》

You put your hands in front of you and against his chest; after all, you knew he wouldn't keep his word and kill you at any moment.
You looked at him with vivid eyes for the last time...until you opened them wide in shock when you felt his lips on your neck.

* * *

《...what is this...》

His mouth crawled against your white skin. You tilted your head to try to escape him, but his steady body stopped you.

《Is this the smell of a perfume? I can hear it clearly.》He whispered near your ear.

《I-it's not what you think. Let me go or I swear that!–》

《Swear what?》His arms imprisoned you invading your intimate space with arrogance.

《Have you started getting serious now?》

His face was inches from yours. You noticed that his rigid features gave him a charming look that you didn't notice when you first met. The more you looked at him, the more it was impossible not to fall into his eyes, filled with an incomplete revenge, but at the same time very confused, probably by everything that was happening there with you.

You saw something on his face. A few scars invaded his face but didn't ruin it, as many of them were either gone or too light to be noticed. Without thinking, you reached out to the one on his left cheek.

As soon as he felt that strange warmth again, his expression changed abruptly.

《I-I'm sorry, I didn't want to.》You said believing he was angry...

But Geoffrey stopped...or rather, he let you go and moved quickly and away from your figure because of an attack that had taken him by surprise.
In addition to the two of you, Jonathan Reid appeared, enveloped in a menacing aura...the vampire hunter pulled out his crossbow without hesitation and aimed it at the newcomer.

《McCullum...what are you doing here with Miss Wright?》  The vampire doctor released his own blood to use as a weapon; you didn't know he could do such a thing and found it amazing to see.

《What do you say?》  The other looked at him defiantly《I just gave this little leech a friendly warning...》

Dr. Reid hadn't let his guard down.
《I warned you not to bother her again.》

Geoffrey stared at you out of the corner of his eye without completely turning his head. It was clear that he wanted to see what your reaction was, until Jonathan moved first.
Knowing them, they would have fought to the death, so you got in the way to stop them both.

《S-stop it please, you are forgetting this is a hospital!》  You looked straight at Jonathan and turned your back on the hunter.

《Get out of the way, this isn't your business.》The vampire answered you.

The doctor was there to defend you, even though you were worried that the situation might get worse. You didn't know why, but you were nervous...the only thing was you didn't want to admit whose fault it was...
You didn't know what to do and hoped that the two men could finally reach a truce.

Your gaze was focused on them until you met McCullum...what reason did he have to face Jonathan in that way? Was it your fault? These were your thoughts, until you felt a grip behind and around your shoulder.

《I'll take you away from here, Miss Wright.》

Jonathan had suddenly appeared next to you and disappeared into the dark air again, but with you this time.

You didn't even have time to explain. McCullum was standing there, alone, with the crossbow down. His thoughts were obscured by your image and Jonathan's next to you and felt a furious hatred for not teaching that damned vampire a lesson.

He took one last look at your letters on the ground and picked up one in particular; there, the mysterious suitor had praised every part of you, including your physical appearance, and the desire to finally meet you someday...

The "yours" next to his acronym made the hunter raise his eyebrows contemptuously.

《Poor idiot...it's too late for that now...》

He thought as he walked the street around the hospital looking for the Guard's soldiers.