Keisha gawked at the boy before her, taken aback by his beauty.
A tall, athletic body leaned casually against the door frame, his long fingers fiddling with a fidget spinner. Mid-length brown hair that was swept to the side with fringes framed his chiseled face which held a bored expression. His cheekbones were high, a perfect complement to his razor-sharp jawline. A straight, prominent nose led down to pink pouty lips set in a stern line. He peered at her through honey-brown eyes that held a mischievous glint in them.
The boy was absolutely gorgeous.
"W-what?" Keisha stuttered, flabbergasted by the beautiful man before her. What was he saying to her?
Rolling his eyes, he scoffed. "Keep staring. When you're done you can wipe the drool off your chin."
Alarmed, Keisha reached up to wipe away the said drool only to discover there was none. Realizing he had tricked her, she crossed her arms with a frown.
"That wasn't funny."
"You're right. You falling however, was."
Keisha gasped at his words, feeling embarrassed at her current state as she was still on the floor. Scurrying to her feet, she shot him an annoyed glare. "Jerk!"
"I'll take that as a compliment, Keisha." He strolled leisurely into the empty classroom and pulled out a chair.
"You know my name?"
"Yes"- the boy sat – "Bowers couldn't stop gushing about you."
"Bowers?" Keisha asked, confused. "Do you mean Mr. Samuel?"
"Will you look at that? She's not as stupid as I thought," he scorned, causing Keisha to glare at him.
"And you're not very smart. If I was stupid, why would I start an investigative club?"
"If you were smart you wouldn't start a dumb club and get mad when nobody shows up."
Keisha gasped, offended at his words. Who did he think he was to talk down at her like that? He may be gorgeous but he was clearly a dick, and Keisha was all too familiar with his kind- spineless bullies that preyed on the weak.
Her blood simmered with pent up anger.
"At least you know you're a nobody," Keisha hissed venomously. "I suppose you're not as stupid as I thought."
The boy glowered at her as she used his own words against him. Clenching his jaw, his voice came out low and menacing.
"Watch your tongue, little girl. You're treading on thin ice."
"Good thing the cold never bothered me anyway," she quipped. "Let it go, Elsa."
He laughed condescendingly, getting up from his chair. Glaring daggers, he stalked toward her, tsking. "I see what you did there, princess. Very clever."
Circling her, he came to a stop behind her so that her back was to him. Keisha stayed still, willing herself not to flinch under his menacing stare.
Without warning, he gripped her arm and yanked her toward him, leaving nothing but inches between them. He was so close that Keisha could feel his hot breath fan her skin, and she involuntarily gasped at the unexpected sensation.
What the hell was this psycho doing?
Tilting his head so his lips were near her ear, he whispered ominously. "But let's get one thing straight, little girl; I'm no fairytale. I'm a fucking nightmare."
Keisha shuddered at the threatening tone in his voice, her knees going weak. She needed to get away from this creep!
Adrenaline rushed through her body and she broke free from his grip, putting some much- needed space between them. Impulsively, her hand lifted to meet his cheek, landing a hard slap.
"You perverted asshole!"
Keisha grabbed her bag and stormed out of the classroom, not bothering to wait for his reaction. She needed to get as far away from that pervert as possible before he tried anything funny again.
Meanwhile, Luka stood frozen in shock. He couldn't believe that he, a pureblood vampire, just got slapped by a lowly human girl. That silly little girl just disrespected him and walked away.
What the actual fuck?
Never in all his hundred and twenty-one years of living had any mortal dared to raise their hand to him, yet this child not only slapped him, she called him an asshole!
Enraged, the vampire slammed the desk that was next to him, instantly smashing it to pieces. Glaring daggers at the door she'd left through, Luka clenched his fist.
That silly girl had made a very costly mistake and she was going to pay dearly for it. He would make sure of it.
After all, nobody crossed the Prince of Hell and left unscathed.
"Keisha Brown," he growled menacingly. "You're fucking dead."
-
(Two days earlier)
"Deal."
Mr. Samuel smirked in victory as Luka accepted his offer. "I'm glad you chose wisely, Luka. I'll hold up my end of the bargain as far as you fulfill yours."
"What do you want from me, Bowers?"
The dean didn't answer, instead motioning for the younger vampire to sit. Begrudgingly, Luka obliged and the dean leaned back in his chair.
"I want to see you heal, Luka. You can't stay bitter forever."
"I thought the lecture was over."
Rolling his eyes, Mr. Samuel sighed. "Fine, I'll cut to the chase. You see the girl that just left my office? She's new here. Her name is Keisha Brown."
"What's that got to do with me? I don't care who you're fucking or drinking."
"I told you already that my relationship with her is platonic, Luka," the dean groaned. "That aside, Keisha is quite a model student. I went through her records and she's got consistently good grades from high school. There are also no disciplinary records, not even a detention."
"Again, what's that got to do with me?" Luka queried in irritation. Could the man just say it straight and stop wasting time?
"Keisha is a nice girl, Luka. I haven't seen a student that well-behaved in ages. She's so polite and innocent, and I must admit, I've grown quite fond of her."
"Is that why you were willing to break protocol just to taste her? Does her blood smell that good?"
"No, Luka. Stop bringing that up."
"Then stop beating around the damn bush and get to the point!"
Mr. Samuel sighed, leaning forward in his office chair. "I want you to befriend Keisha. She's a very good student and as far as I can tell, a very good person as well. You could learn a thing or two from her."
Luka burst into maniacal laughter at that, amused by what the older vampire suggested. "You want me to befriend your little snack? Is this your way of asking me to join a threesome?"
"I'm serious, Luka," Mr. Samuel frowned. "I believe you could learn a lot from that young lady."
"Why? She's not the first nerd on this campus. What's so special about her?"
"She reminds me of you, Luka. Except unlike you, she doesn't wallow in self-pity and take her anger out on others. She's actually trying to take back her life and make something of it. I feel like you need to spend some time around her so that her good behaviour rubs off on you."
"You should know me better, Bowers," Luka scoffed. "I've been in this college for years and all your stupid tactics have never worked on me. What makes you think a mere human can change that?"
"Because she's a fighter, Luka. And that's exactly what you need; someone who will never back down."
The younger vampire let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head in disappointment. "This is stupid and you know it, Bowers."
"Makes perfect sense from where I stand."
"Even if I were to take your idea seriously, you said she's a freshman. I'm a senior so how the fuck am I supposed to talk to her? We don't share classes."
"No, you don't," Mr. Samuel said, smirking smugly. "Which is why you're joining her club."
"What?" Luka deadpanned, only widening the dean's grin.
"Hope you like solving mysteries, Haydes. You're joining the Detective Club."