Michelle hated the sunrise. The purple and pinks seemingly taunting her. The world kept spinning and continuing on like her life hadn’t imploded. But maybe wanting the sky to cry with her was selfish.

  She looked down into the cup of still warm tea. Little whisps of steam rose up and filled her nose with the gentle smell of forest berries, spices, and honey. The grey sweater rested on her shoulders but it didn’t help her feel any warmer.

  She closed her eyes and rested her head against the glass of her reading nook. Outside, an oak tree that looked like any other, despite the memories clinging to the bark. She didn’t want to see it. Didn’t want to think about any of it. Not even the empty space below the leaves where he used to stand.

  One week. It’d been one week and everything still felt like it was falling apart.

  Everything hurt, and the cold wouldn’t leave her.

  First heartbreaks were awful, and there wasn’t a cure for this. No potion to break her out of this spell. She needed to heal the hard way, but how was she supposed to do that when everything pulled at her pain?

  (*******)

  Sven was crouched low on the roof of the local library. Far from his usual haunts and frankly, this behavior was beneath him. But desperate times and all.

  Not that he was desperate. He wasn’t. Not yet anyway. It had only been three days.

  He just…wanted to test this without her seeing him. If he saw her now and felt nothing, then those feelings had been entirely fabricated. And it was best he not have that revelation right in front of her.

  He was doing her a kindness. Or as close to kindness as was possible, given the situation.

  Or he would be, if she was here.

  Her friend. The human, was here instead. Carrying books under her arm towards the window to return them. He could see the covers from here. The same ones Shell had checked out last time he accompanied her here.

  He growled low, his body tensed to get ready for a pounce he couldn’t act on.

  She. Wasn’t. Here.

  And she wasn’t coming either. Sending her friend to run errands for her? He hadn’t known her to be a coward. It was one of the things he liked about her. That head-strong stubborn nature. She’d fight him, but not return her own library books?

  Michelle had amused him from their first meeting.

  Not many people these days said hello by stabbing him with a silver knife. Not that it had done anything to him, but it was cute that she’d tried.

  He pulled his hood lower over his face. His fangs were poking out and stabbing into his lower lip. This was ridiculous. Barely a week and he was already acting this pathetic.

  That witch had far too much power over him.

  Her other haunts had produced the same results, making his fangs ache and itch.

  Fine. If she wanted to play a game of hide and seek, so be it.

  (*******)

  Michelle didn’t want to leave her house. She didn’t want to go out there and face the passage of time. One week. Seven days and she was still hiding.

  She needed to reason with herself. She was a big girl and the chance of bumping into Sven was near zero. Especially if she was avoiding her like she was him.

  Just a few minutes, she argued with herself. Just go to the park, check the warding spells, and then straight home. Or maybe she’ll go get something sweet. Ice cream or a crepe or something. Wasn’t that part of the post-breakup ritual?

  She stopped at the door. Hanging there from a hook on the wall were two scarves. Hers, with alternating beige and grey colors. And his, that was all black. He didn’t keep much at her house. But this was still here.

  She grabbed her scarf and wrapped it twice around her neck. She didn’t want to think about probably putting all his things in a box and having to give it to him.

  She couldn’t send Helen on that errand. Too risky.

  Or worse, him showing up for it himself.

  She shuddered against the cold air as she stepped outside.

  The park was just a block away from her house. That’s why she had to place the wards there. She couldn’t risk leading anyone who sensed them straight to her home, but too far and they would be useless. What’s the point of a warning system if the danger was at her door? On a cold weekday morning, the park was basically empty. Just her and the trees and the tall buildings that loomed around it.

  A small haven in the urban jungle she was stuck in. The air was almost clean here.

  She sat down on a bench overlooking the small pond, the still water was a gloomy greyish brown. It was pretty much how she felt right now.

  The ward was on the floor next to the bench. No sign of disturbance. Good, nothing she needed to focus on right now.

  Thought maybe a distraction is exactly what she needed. Some moron summoning a demon that she had to kill would be great right about now. Or some other problem she could solve by stabbing it in the heart.

  She might even be doing it a favor, heaven knows her heart wasn’t doing her any favors right now.

  She’d met Sven in this park. Not in this spot, but not far from where she sat.

  She’d been so sure of herself. Catching the one person without a pulse off-guard. Confident in her powers and never once being afraid of him.

  Immune to his charm compulsion too. She was lucky he hadn’t decided to just eat her for her insolence.

  He might do that now though. She clung to the scarf, thankful that any attempt to bite her would be thwarted hopefully long enough that she could find another way out.

  She needed to focus on the ward. Her letter opener was in her purse. Hidden by being tucked into a small paperback. A small prick on her finger dropped onto the bench to update and keep it active.

  There. Her errand was done and she could just leave now.

  A rustle in the leaves behind her. She didn’t turn around didn’t need to.

  She closed her eyes and let her other senses take over.

  A heartbeat. Masculine build, jittery movements. On the scrawny side. Not a threat, but probably not someone she wanted to be approached by.

  She was getting sick of this place anyway.

  She stood up and after making sure her things were all tucked away back into her purse she stretched. She never really left her house looking for a fight. Even on good days. Which today wasn’t, but there was always a risk of one finding her.

  She blinked slowly, the same heartbeat just on the edge of her radar. Staying very still for someone twitching out of their skin. She opened her eyes and sighed, it was going to have to be one of those, ‘take the long way home’ kind of days.

  Did she want dark alleys or a big crowd?

  The animal shelter maybe? All the barking tended to cover up conversations. Though given this guy’s human status closer to the river would be better. Easier to dump any body left behind.

  Route decided.

  She kept up with the slow blinking to check if Twitchy was still behind her. He followed, always at the same distance. Possession? Compulsion? Someone who thought they knew how her powers worked?

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Whoever it was, they were in for a nasty surprise.

  Hands in her jacket pockets and body language casual. The roofs of the buildings were low enough she could keep an eye out. No sign of any other followers in front of her and she didn’t want to look back and risk either Twitchy or who sent him knowing that she was on to them.

  It would spoil the game. And she didn’t want them running off to try this again later. She had enough reasons to not leave her house.

  Acting like prey for a bit was a welcome feeling after the past week. Helen had been right, she did need to leave the house for a bit.

  She pulled out her phone, a ploy to use the screen as a mirror to look up and behind her. Nothing she could see, but just because she couldn’t see another stalking would-be predator didn’t mean it wasn’t there.

  She put it back and ducked into her favorite alleyway. It was blocked with a low wall of grey bricks but just on the other side was a river that was great for dumping bodies in.

  She could just hear the rushing water when her back was flush against the wall. The river was plenty full enough for body-dumping. The wall was a bit high at ten feet, but more than manageable.

  Come and get your prey little predator, she promises to make this quick.

  She hid a grin by keeping her back turned to the mouth of the alley. Grey bricks in front of her, red bricks on either side. A metal dumpster to her left.

  Crude, but she could handle just about anything.

  She schooled her face into her best ‘I’m a helpless damsel’ look and turned to see what Twitchy was gonna do.

  He was drowning in some ratted hoodie. Arms shaking as held up a gun pointed at her face. His eyes distant enough for her to be sure that he wasn’t in control.

  “You must be the unluckiest man in town,” she commented as she stepped backwards, her hands held up in false surrender.

  He didn’t answer. Which would be a disappointment if it weren’t par for the course.

  “So who sent you? One of the snobbier covens? A vampire with too much time to kill? An encounter with a succubus?” She prodded.

  Again, no answer. He just stood there with a gun pointed at her. She wondered if it was even loaded. A vampire that wanted to eat her wouldn’t want her dead by gunfire. Apparently death made blood taste worse. And succubi were too petty to let someone else have their kill.

  “I hate compulsion, it ruins my fun.”

  “Then perhaps you need a better idea of fun Shell.”

  Oh no. She knew that voice. Hearing it made a gasp escape without her consent. And it was coming from right above her head. She looked up slowly even while praying to whoever would listen that her ears were messing with her.

  Sven. Looming in a crouched position on the wall to her back. He was wearing his favorite hooded jacket. Dark grey with a white jean vest overtop. Faded jeans and all black sneakers. The hood was covering most of his face but part of it was clear from her low angle.

  His eyes were glowing red and his fangs were out.

  She needed to get out of this alley. Now.

  She straightened her body and tried to take off in a run.

  “Stop her,” Sven didn’t have to raise his voice at all. Just gentle like he was greeting a friend.

  Twitchy aimed his gun right at her head, but he didn’t look at her. His eyes focused on where Sven was. And from the movement of his head she could guess Sven had just jumped down from the wall.

  “Now now sweetheart, what’s the rush?” Sven spoke again. He didn’t sound angry, but that meant little right now.

  She kept her eyes on Twitchy. She didn’t want to look at Sven. She didn’t want to be anywhere near him. She swallowed. Twitchy wasn’t going to lower the gun and she wouldn’t survive a bullet to the brain. He would follow Sven’s orders.

  “What happened to ‘I never want to see you again’?” She commented as she tried to calm her panicked and heavy breathing.

  “Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”

  “I have been home. You know, eating ice cream and watching sappy movies. The usual break-up routine. Could have just stopped by.” She would have hated it if he had. She’d thought about putting up anti-vampire defenses just in case.

  “We both know your wards would keep me out if you changed them. And besides, I was going to be gentle about this, but you decided to make that harder.” There was an accusation there she definitely did not deserve.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She refused to turn and look at him. Just hearing his voice was bringing tears to her eyes. Her throat was constricting. She had to get out of this alley. She reached into her purse. The letter opener.

  “Oh no you don’t.” A hand grabbed her from behind. Siezing her wrist in an icy solid grip. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  “First you want nothing to do with me and now you’re stalking me? Make up your mind.” She fought against the grip as best she could while avoiding looking at him. But her physical strength wasn’t much better than the average woman her size. And Sven could lift a tank. Allegedly. According to him.

  “Why won’t you look at me?”

  She gestured towards Twitchy with her free hand, “He made eye contact with you and look at him. No thanks.”

  “We both know it doesn’t work on you. You’re too special to be beaten that easily.” He pulled her closer as he spoke, his voice ending in a whisper by her ear. His breath was cold and still thrilled her.

  His other arm wrapped around her waist and she was truly trapped now.

  “Let me go!”

  “Answer my question,” he demanded slowly with careful enunciation of each word.

  Her heart was pounding, and it wasn’t from fear. “Why do you care?” She yelled as she fought against his hold anyway, it didn’t matter that it was useless and Twitchy still had that gun trained on her.

  Even the world’s worst shot would hit their mark at this range.

  “Why do you think?” He whispered again. Low and quiet and teasing. It was just like his flirting. A handcrafted tone meant to make people swoon and do whatever he asked.

  The tears in her eyes overflowed as she closed them shut. She gave up the fight “It hurts,” she admitted in a soft voice. “I’m avoiding you because being around you hurts.”

  “See? Was that so hard?” His voice was gentle as he removed the arm keeping her pinned to him. He still held on to her wrist though. Not that she could go anywhere.

  “What’s with the audience?” She asked, “Not enough to make me suffer? Need to add salt to whatever wounds you’re going to leave?”

  “You sound as if I’m here to torture you.” Sven sounded so smugly amused, it made her skin crawl. Were her feelings just a game to him now?

  “I can’t imagine what else you’re here for.” She tugged at her wrist, but he refused to give it back. Instead his thumb was running over the pulse point there.

  “There was something I needed to know, and you’re the only one who I could learn it from.” The smugness in his voice was gone. He’d gone back to treating this like a casual conversation. Like he wanted to know what movie she wanted to see.

  “And did you? Can I go now?” She couldn’t match his tone. Not with tears on her face and sobs threatening her every breath. She tried to wipe at them with her free hand but more just kept coming.

  “Yes,” he said it so softly. It might have given her hope if she didn’t know him better, “And no.” So much finality.

  It wasn’t the first time she’d considered the possibility that he might hurt her. Physically at least. But the thought hadn’t crossed her mind since they’d first met. But now it was back in full force. He could snap her entire body in two and she’d be almost completely powerless to stop him.

  But…the grip on her wrist loosened. Not enough for her get free and try running again, but enough to almost make her turn to finally look at him.

  “You’re afraid of me,” Sven whispered. Why did he sound surprised?

  “Um…yeah? You could shatter every bone in my arm and you have a gun being pointed at my head.” She pointed to Twitchy who was still shaking and aiming at her.

  Sven let go of her arm.

  She cradled it to her chest, checking to see if bruises were going to form. She weighed the benefits of trying to run now. She put some distance between them. Not that it would save her, but the at she could breathe now.

  Sven gripped the back of Twitchy’s neck, and in a low voice that made her shiver from something other than the cold, “Forget this happened, live your life, and no more used needles, alright?”

  Twitchy nodded once and slumped over. Falling into Sven’s grasp as he put his unconscious body sitting up against one of the buildings. Then he kicked the gun under the dumpster.

  “That better?” Sven turned to ask her casually. He was acting like it was a spider he’d killed.

  “Marginally,” she told him while looking away.

  “I wanted to see you,” he said.

  “What?” She didn’t look up from her arm, the would-have been bruises healing with a small application of her magic.

  “I needed to see if you were…less appealing now that the spell is gone.”

  She was going to start crying again. Or maybe puke. Or both. She didn’t respond to him either way. And she didn’t want the answer to that question. She didn’t want to hear him say it.

  “I admit, there is a difference. It’s…less intense. Less controlling. I don’t have the urge to break the arm of anyone who looks at you.”

  “That was your worst quality,” she tried to joke. But the shaking made her sound pathetic to her ears. What he must think of her now. Appealing certainly isn’t the word she would use.

  “Was it now? Then all the better it’s gone. For both of us.”

  She heard his footstep. He was more than capable of walking without it being heard. He was doing it on purpose. Then another clear and deliberate step.

  She backed away slowly as he stalked forward. Her back touched the wall across from where Twitchy was resting. No where for her to run.

  She closed her eyes again as he crowded her space. Curling up just a bit to keep herself from looking at whatever expression he was making.

  “Please,” she begged. “Please just let me go.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that Michelle,” his voice was close. Too close. She could practically see the arms on either side of her caging her in. She refused to open her eyes, and his lack of pulse made him invisible to her abilities. But she could still feel his presence everywhere around her.

  “Why not?”

  “That fairy’s spell might be broken, but I’m still in love with you.” Impossibly closer. She knew if she opened her eyes he would be right there.

  She couldn’t let herself hope. “How can you be sure?” She had no idea how to break a fairy’s spell. She was very careful to not interact with fair folk at all. Too risky.

  “I have ways, little witch.” She could feel his breath on her face. Did he think she was going to kiss him? That wasn’t happening.

  “I’m not convinced.”

  “Open your eyes.” He said in the same tone he’d used on Twitchy. Not an order, not a suggestion, something he was certain she’d do. Just because he’d said it.

  “No.” She was too afraid. Too hurt already. Too tired for this anymore.

  A hand wiped away the tears from her face, “My dear heart, I really hurt you that day, didn’t I?”

  She refused to give him that satisfaction.

  “I’m sorry. I was…shocked. And upset. And I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. You did nothing wrong.” The hand was gone from her face and she was glad for it.

  “I don’t forgive you,” she told him. Not that it mattered. What they had was poisoned and dead.

  “We can work on it. If you would look at me.”

  “I don’t want to.” Refusing a vampire this close was probably not the smartest thing she’d ever done. But at this point how many more bad choices could she make?

  The hand was back on her face, a thumb tracing over her lips.

  He wouldn’t, would he?

  “I’m going to get you back in my arms Shell.” It was a vow, a promise and a threat all at once. “You won’t get away from me that easily, not now. Not when I know for certain that this is real.”

  “Well, I’m not certain!” She cried. “How can I be? After…The past year has been a lie!”

  “Not entirely. And I intend to prove it.” The gentle in his voice was fading fast. He was getting angry.

  “You can’t,” she sobbed, slapping his hand away and covering her face as more tears fell. “You can’t. I can’t do this.”

  It occurred to her too late that he had let her do that.

  The bricks next to her head were cracking. She could hear it.

  “I see.” The anger was there, his words stilted and stiff. Her scarf was being pulled at. It was the only warning she got.

  Then he was on her. One hand covering her mouth and the other pushing her shoulder into the wall. Presenting her neck for him. She trashed and hit him with all her might. But it was useless.

  His teeth sunk into her flesh. The hand muffled her scream from the stinging pain of both the bite and the betrayal. Her useless nails couldn’t even sink into him as she clung to him to keep herself upright.

  She’d knew on paper what a vampire bite could do. But this was a the first time he’d bit her, the first time he’d let her get bit by anything.

  Then a burst of…something within her. Coming from the bite. A supernova of emotions not her own.

  Anger. Despair. Fear. Desperation. Determination. Love.

  Love?

  In a moment both far too fast and far too long he finally removed his fangs from her neck.

  She gasped and shuddered. Her body not obeying her as she trembled in his arms.

  “Do you understand now?” He panted into her shoulder. “I have to get you back. I won’t accept any other outcome.”

  “You love me,” she was still shaking. But she did understand.

  “I do. I truly do. And I am not letting you go again.”

  “Yeah. I got the memo.” It was hard to speak with how hard she was breathing. “Okay. Okay, you win. Jerk”

  “Follow me. I have a gift waiting for you. I’m not a blood magic expert, but fairy blood should be useful to you somehow, surely.”