Everette:
I smirk down at the angry woman standing before me. She's clearly scared. I can smell the fear on her, but she's not going to show it.
Her eyes flitter between watching me and looking down at the book that I'm still holding. I could give it back to her, but I won't.
I'm tempted to play the part of one of the vampires in her book and win her heart before I take her life. It would be too easy to lure her with my inhuman charms, only to drink her dry.
'I like your book,' I tell her, completely deadpan.
She doesn't know how to respond. That much is clear from the confusion in her eyes.
'Er,' she begins, but stops short.
'It doesn't seem particularly realistic though,' I continue.
'Realistic? How could it be realistic? Vampires aren't real.' She finally finds her voice.
I don't tell her that she's wrong. What would be the point? She'd just think I'm crazy.
Stepping towards her so that there's barely any space between us, I lean forward to whisper in her ear, 'the world is full of monsters.'
So close to her neck, I can see her jugular artery pulsing. I can feel the warmth flowing off her skin, a mixture of heat and pheromones more intoxicating than I've found in a human in a long time. She smells amazing and I lick my lips, anticipating her taste.
She jumps and I feel my mouth move into a smirk as I smell the fear pulsing through her veins. She doesn't reply as she stumbles back, practically falling off the curb.
I reach out, grabbing her by the arm and twirl us around so that she's now safely planted on the pavement with me between her and the road. It wouldn't do to have my next meal become roadkill.
Her eyes are wide as she clutches to my arms, digging her nails into my shirt sleeves. Her touch is like fire and I don't want to break the contact.
It takes her a second or two to realise that she's the one keeping us here and not me. For a moment, it looks like she's about to tell me off for touching her, when she suddenly lets go and once more steps back.
The new distance between us is strangely disappointing.
She's going to ask for her book, and then she's going to leave. That's not really a problem. I'd planned to follow her anyway and yet right now, that doesn't seem like enough. I want to talk to her. I want to tease her, taunt her even, before ripping her flesh apart with my fangs.
One bite for the road, I think to myself, even though I know one bite will never be enough. I'll bite her and devour her. And then I'll leave her here, dead on the street.
That's why I really can't bite her now.
I take a step towards Farah again, forcing her to step back. I don't stop, though, until her back hits the brick wall behind us. Hands at her side, she clings to that wall, as if for dear life.
She's shaking slightly, and I wonder if she knows just how dangerous I am.
'Please,' she whispers, and I don't think she even knows what she's asking me for. Her voice is a mixture of lust and fear, and it's intoxicating.
I take a final step and take one of her hands in my own, raising her wrist to my lips. I kiss her pulse point, relishing in the way I can feel the flow of blood beneath the surface of her skin.
She whimpers, silently begging me for more, or perhaps begging me to let her live.
It's painful as I do my best to restrain myself. I mustn't bite her, I tell myself on repeat, but it doesn't drown out the need to taste her. I allow one fang to scratch along the soft surface of her wrist, breaking the skin just enough to make her bleed. It's only a drop, but my tongue laps at it eagerly as she leans into me, shivering.
She's still scared. She doesn't understand. But it's clear that she wants more too. I consider giving in. I could control her mind with compulsion, force her to get into my car, but I'm not sure she'd survive the journey.
Her scent would most likely overwhelm me in the confined space.
Instead, I pull back. I drop to a crouch, quicker than I should if I don't want to scare her, so that I can pick up her book from where it has fallen onto the ground.
It's slightly wet and so I give it a quick wipe with the hem of my sleeve. Then stand back up so that I can hand it to her. She accepts it with a shaky hand.
'Go home, Farah,' I say, my voice coated in a compulsive magic that she won't be able to refuse.
She nods her head and then, as if on their own accord, her feet begin to move. I watch as she crosses the road and walks down the street.
I don't like watching her leave, especially when I've not bitten her yet. Until I've made my mark, she's fair game.
Of course, there aren't that many Royals in London. She's unlikely to come across one and yet the idea makes me strangely uneasy, filling me with a jealousy, a possessiveness that I rarely ever feel for my prey.
Farah:
I let myself into my home, unable to remember exactly how I got here. I remember crossing the street to reclaim my book, and I remember him kissing my wrist.
He's pretty weird, old-fashioned even.
Now alone in the safety of my flat, I still can't wrap my head around how he made me feel. He clearly terrified me, though I couldn't place why. I just knew he was dangerous and yet, I'd felt something else too.
Interest? Lust?
Whatever it was, I tell myself that I shouldn't let myself feel it again, as if I could control myself. Just the idea of his kiss to my wrist makes my skin tingle. I'd have let him do so much more than kiss my wrist, if he'd wanted to.
He probably could have asked for anything and I'd have done it without hesitating. Flushed, I open my bedroom window slightly to let in some air. Glancing down at the street below for a second, I think I see someone across the road, but looking back, there's no one there.
Laughing at myself, I step away from the window. I don't know why I expected him to follow me home. I should feel relieved but instead, I feel slightly disappointed.
I want him to kiss me again. I want more than that, but I'll probably never see him again. I tell myself that it is a good thing; he's dangerous and I don't want him.
But as I settle down in my bed, my fingers brush along the place where he kissed me. The touch makes me shiver as I remember how I reacted to him.
Closing my eyes, I try to ignore the aching heat between my legs. Yeah, I really don't want him at all.