MAIL ORDER BRIDE: ARISTOCRAT: The Duke’s Engagement (Historical Victorian Duke Romance) (New Adult Romance Short Stories) (68 page)

“I just take a couple classes. For fun more than anything else.” He shrugged. “Something to keep track of the time.”

Becky raised an eyebrow, waiting for more but nothing came as they made their way across the parking lot.

“So do you live around here?” She asked.

The night wind whipped around them and for a split second she was thankful she’d gone with a bun, otherwise her hair would be all over the place.

“Sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” She repeated. How the hell?
It’s like he’s trying not to make sense.
She thought.

Darian shot her a grin. “Why? Do you want to hang out or something?”

Becky returned his grin, but for a couple seconds she didn’t say anything. “Are you asking me to hang out with you?” She raised an eyebrow but her heart skipped a beat, worried about how he would answer her.

He turned to look at her and laughed softly, not answering her question. They made their way closer to Becky’s dorm. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She had been hoping he would say yes, or at least imply that he wanted to see her again, but he hadn’t so much as said a word about it.
He’s probably not interested.
She thought, and he was just trying to be polite by not saying anything. She’d been there before she knew what it was like. 

It doesn’t matter.
She told herself. And it was true. It wasn’t a big deal if he wasn’t interested in her. They would see each other every now and then on Thursdays, but he would probably go back to not noticing her.
Then why did he seem so interested in me last night?

Darian walked beside the woman, he moved closer to her without an effort; it almost looked like he was gliding to most people he was sure of that. He’d seen the way others like him moved. He knew how effortless it looked from the outside.

There was something about her. He’d known it the second he’d seen her. Now it was all beginning to make sense. He’d been traveling last night; but not to this time last. So why had he showed up outside that cafe?

It wasn’t abnormal for him to show up somewhere he often went, so he hadn’t put much thought into why it was here and now that he’d gone to, as opposed to the 1980’s to catch a Nirvana concert.

It was her.
Well, not really her doing it. That wasn’t how this kind of thing worked, but it was her that had brought him here. Sometimes if he was supposed to be in one place at one time everything would get all wonky and work on its own.

He’d once gone to sleep in Paris at the height of the 1940’s and woken up in Japan in the 1800’s. Thankfully he’d been able to steal clothes before anyone took notice of him, though he found that a simple black jacket and jeans did him well in most times it was always best to be safe and know where you were going before you got there.

Darian took a deep breath of her, the scent of blood mixed with coconut, vanilla, and life. Life has its own scent. Some find it disgusting. The decaying of the body, the rebuilding of it. Personally he found it wonderful. He find it beautiful, to Darian it is part of the beauty in life.

Darian looked around them. There was something going on here, something he didn’t fully understand but he did understand that she was part of it. That we were part of it.

Darian needed to see her again and I knew it, but what would be the cost if she had to see him again? What would happen to her?

Darian had had his life taken away from him when he was just a boy. The girl walking beside him was just a girl compared to so many, but he knew the signs. He’d heard about the attraction. The feeling. The urge.

The lust.

That’s what it was. It was a lust for her blood. Just her

s. He could walk into any room and not give a person a second glance, but when you found your one you knew it; because you wanted nothing more than to taste them.

No.
He thought. The chances of finding your one were rare, even for the elders like him, they were beyond rare.

It was a lapse on his behalf. He’d showed up here for some reason and decided she
had
to be involved.

“So,” She cleared her throat. He could hear the nervousness in her voice. He’d been so sidetracked with his own thought he’d almost forgot they were together. “Are you taking any other classes right now?”

“No.” He said.

Becky almost jumped as she turned to face him. She hadn’t noticed he was that close to her. Becky tried not to let it show how taken she was, but failed. She let out a soft laugh.

“You startled me there. I guess I’m not used to walking with someone on my way home from this class.”

She tried to ignore the feeling she got in the pit of her stomach, as her gut twisted.
Something is wrong.
She told herself, brushing the thought away as fast as it popped into her mind. She motioned for them to turn onto a sidewalk.

Becky led the way along the sidewalk, Darian walking beside her silently.

“Tell me,” He spoke softly. “Are you from around here?”

“No.” I said. “I’d moved here for school. What about you?”

“I’m from all over the place.” He looked around in the darkness. “But I like this place just fine. I feel like it could be home if I wanted it to.”

“Then you don’t want it to be?”

“I’m not sure I want any place to be home.” He said after a moment's thought.

Becky’s brow furrowed. He was talking in riddles and she knew it, she wanted to pry but she didn’t want to be rude.
Still…
she thought.

“Where are you from?” She couldn’t help asking. “I mean, where were you born or raised?”

Darian grinned. “I wish I could tell ya.”

Becky’s heart skipped a beat as he turned to her and gave her a wide smile. She swallowed dryly trying not to admit to herself what was happening. She was getting a crush and that was a bad idea.

He was... Becky bit her lip. She couldn’t think of the right word to describe him. She knew he probably wasn’t bad news, but she wasn’t quite sure he was good news.

Still, she wanted to spend more time with him. She wanted to get to know him.

“You don’t know where you grew up?”

“I remember parts of it.” He said looking away from her. “But that’s about it.” He shrugged. “Doesn't really matter though. No going home now.”

He hadn’t meant to say it out loud. That was something Darian never shared with anyone, even the others like him.

Warm hands reached out and touched him. Even threw his clothing he could feel her hands against him.

Her pulse raced against her wrist. He could hear it. His tongue moved over his lips without him realizing what was happening. He could feel his two extra teeth wanting to move forward. He took a deep breath, turning away from her, filling his lungs with fresh air.

He wanted nothing more than to just do it now.
No.
That wasn’t the way it should be and he knew it.

That had been how it was done in the old days; and it had taken a human lifetime to get them to come around.

The change was hard enough, Darian knew that. Despite the fact it had been a very long time since he went through it he still remembered the pain it caused.

He stepped away from her, but still walked close enough that she could touch him.

Some of his brothers saw humans only as a food source, but Darian respected them no less than he did his brothers and sisters.

Humans were weaker, that was true but they still fought tooth and nail. They still tried, they still strived to keep getting better. Most vampires thought they were already the best they could be.

But really, it was the warmth he loved.

If Darian was honest with himself, it was the warmth of the body that he loved. He missed it. He didn’t like being cold. He missed the normal human experiences, like sweating. Something he’d hated for so long suddenly had become something he missed.

Darian pulled away from her.
Of course he did.

She’d been stupid to think that he would want her to touch him. Her cheeks flushed as she looked away. Not that it mattered, it was dark out he couldn’t see her blushing.

She pulled her hand back to herself, fully intent on sticking it in her pocket and never taking it out around him again.

Cold fingers wrapped around her wrist. He pulled her closer to him, his hand sliding down hers and their fingers tangling together.

Becky’s heart raced as he squeezed gently.

“Do you mind?” He asked, motioning down to their interlocked hands.

“Not at all.” She said breathlessly. Becky cleared her throat. “I mean, assuming you don’t.”

He laughed softly. “Not at all. Otherwise I’d have told you not to touch me.”

His words sent a shiver down Becky’s spine.

“So you don’t mind me touching you?” She couldn’t help the flirty grin that spread over her lips. She wasn’t sure if it had been meant in a dirty way or not, but she was interested in how Darian would react to it.

“Depends on where you want to touch me.” His voice sounded like silk as the words rolled off his lips.

Becky’s heart did a backflip in her chest. She could think of one place, but she wasn’t quite sure that was a good idea.

No.
She thought.
I know it’s not a good idea. It’s a bad, bad idea and I know it.
She forced herself to take a deep breath before she said anything she shouldn’t have.

She looked around, they were the only ones walking this way. Most of the dorms were on the other side of the college.

“Do you stay at a dorm?” She asked.

“No, I’ve got… a place that I stay at when I’m here.”

“It sounds like you travel a lot.” Maybe that would get something out of him.

Darian snorted. “You could say that.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence as Becky tried to figure out how to pray, without it being overt that she was trying to pry. She couldn’t think of a way to do it, so instead they walked in silence together, which he didn’t seem to mind.

The silence wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable. It was actually nice to just walk hand in hand with him.

But that had to end eventually, and it ended soon as Becky came to a stop outside her dorm.

“Well, this is me.” She gave him a soft. “Thank you for walking me back to my dorm. It was nice to have the company.”

“The pleasure was all mine, Becky.”

She hated to admit it even to herself, but she loved the way he spoke her name.

His hand shifted in hers, as he brought the back of her hand up to his lips.

“Becky.” Becky knew that voice anywhere. My heart skipped a beat.
What? How?

“Darian?” She asked. She had to be sure. She had to hear him say it.

“You found me. I knew it.” The last three words were barely loud enough for her to hear.

He knew it? What did he know?
What isn’t he telling me?

Becky’s heart raced.

“What’s going on?”

She wasn’t even sure how she had got here, or why she was dressed. The last thing she remembered was being in bed, and then just… being here. She didn’t know how she’d gotten here. She didn’t remember walking, or taking a bus. She looked around.
I don’t even know where I am.

It looked like someone was trying to recreate the 1940’s in their apartment. Complete with a record player and an old looking TV.

“You said you believed in fate, right?” He said taking her hand.

Becky’s heart skipped a beat.

“Yes.”

Why was be bringing that up? What was he getting at?

“Then there is something I need to tell you.” He took a deep, looking away from her.

“What is it?” Becky didn’t know how much longer she could take it. There was something going on and she’d known that for a long time. She shouldn't have ignored her gut,

“You might not believe me.” He warned her. “But… you’re not here. Not really.”

Becky frowned. Of course she was.

“You’re projecting.”

“I’m what?”

“What do you know about astral projection?”

Becky’s brow furrowed. She’d heard about it. “You mean like, sleep walking?”

“Sort of.” He laughed softly. “But not quite.” Darian took a deep breath. “We have to make this quick, before you wake up. You’re still asleep. You…” Becky could see him trying to think things through. “You're having an out of body experience as you asleep.”

“Wait, what?”

“Your body is still in your bed.”

His bluntness took Becky off guard. He sounded like he actually meant what he was saying. How could this be?

“No… no.”

“You believe in fate, don’t you?” She had already told him that. “Why can’t you believe in this?”