Chapter 3

NOT EDITED. Apologies about the grammar mistakes and error. Thank you for supporting my work. It means the world to me :)

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Lying down on his comfortable queen size bed, Blake stared at the ceiling as the scene in the daycare played in his head like a broken tape. He couldn’t get if off his mind. Blake hadn’t expected to see the beautiful girl in the daycare. Neither did he expect her to work there and for her to stumble. He was glad that he quickly wrapped an arm around her waist to prevent her from falling and when he did, he felt a tingling feeling running in him. She was so soft and she fit perfectly his arms. Their faces were a few inches away from each other and Blake felt like he had lost his breath.

Her eyes were beautiful, truly beautiful. They were dark brown in colour with golden flecks in them. They were so enchanting and mesmerizing. Her eyes reminded him of the late sunset. It was so incredibly beautiful. He could never get tired gazing at them. He wished he could get rid of those glasses so he could see it even clearly. When his eyes glanced down at her lips and he felt the urge to kiss her.

The moment he loosened his arm around her and she took a step back, disappointment filled him. He felt empty without her in his arms. He wished he could hold her in his arms once more. He mentally shook his head at what he was thinking. He couldn’t go on liking this girl. Could he?

Well, one thing for sure. That girl was making him lose his mind.

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Ela let out a breath of air as she wiped the sweat on her forehead. She looked around and was satisfied that the place was clean enough. Now, she could finally head home. The day care closed hours ago and Daniel not long after that. Of course, he had asked her if she wanted him to stay or help but Elektra declined his offer and told him to head back home.

She lifted her head and looked at the clock. She was glad that it was eight and it wasn’t that late. Maybe she could go to that diner nearby and grab some dinner and that red velvet cupcake that Darcy liked so much that before she heads home.

The silence in the day care was eerie. No one was there but her. The sound of the clock ticking would make anyone nervous but not her. Her attention picked up when she felt someone's presence in the room. She adjusted her glasses normally as she took her bag from the locker.

“How long are you just going to stand there, Henry?” She asked, knowing it was him.

“Hello to you too, Elektra.” He greeted.

Ela turned and smiled at her friend. He was dressed handsomely in a black leather jacket with a white t-shirt and dark blue denim jeans.

He moved closer to her and pressed his lips to her cheek briefly before pulling away as he smiled at her. “It still amazes me that you know it’s me.” He said with a chuckle at the end.

Ela grinned proudly and shrugged. “It’s a gift.” She said as she started walking out of the day care with Henry following her at her side.

“You’re heading back home?” He asked.

“Yea...but I if I could, I’d try and stop by at the nearby diner.” She answered while she locked the door.

“I think I might have overheard your stepmother saying that she’s visiting a friend tonight and will be back late and the two girls were planning to go to a party.” Henry said as they both started to walk away from the day care.

Elektra turned her face at him and raised her eyebrow. “Might have overheard?” She asked, teasingly.

Henry rolled his eyes and smiled at her. “Okay...I snuck into the house and played with little Darcy and heard them talking about it.” He said.

It was a natural thing for him to play with Darcy. He loved playing with her. She was like the sun, filled with life and energy that it always makes him smile whenever he saw her but of course, the little girl didn’t know about him being a vampire and Ela’s duty. Her innocence made him love her even more. Ela had invited him into her house long time ago and she trusted him with Darcy. He always snuck into the house quietly and played with Darcy. The women in the house were busy enough to check on Darcy and he made sure they were not making too much noise.

Henry was surprised to see Ela looking at him with a worried look on her face. “Was she alright?” She asked.

Henry gave her a nod and smiled. He loved that she cared so much for her sister. She loved her to death.  “She was fine. She asked me to take care of you.” He spoke.

Ela smiled softly, thinking about her dear sister. She then remembered about her stepmother and her stepsisters not being home tonight. So, she thought it’d be okay for her to go to the diner and grab something to eat.

“Hey, I guess I could go to the diner since they’re not home. Want to join me?” She asked.

“It’d be a pleasure, my lady.” He replied as he wrapped his arm around her, both of them walking off to the diner.

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Blake let out a breath when the fresh air hit his face. He needed that. The party was going wild and the room was too crowded that he just had to leave.

He adjusted his jacket before looking at his watch. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw that it was already one o’clock in the morning.

Oh god, he was screwed.

His dad would yell at him if he got back home at this hour and Owen would kill him. He took out his phone and saw numbers of missed calls and messages. He was sure they were from Owen. Without even reading Owen’s messages, he wrote back to him that he was fine and there’s no need for him to worry. He just needed some time alone.

He let out a sigh as he ran his hand through his jet black hair. He just didn’t want to go home quite yet. His home wasn’t even a home since his parents were barely there. They were both too busy working. He only cared about Kate and if it weren’t for her, he would have left the house ages ago.

Blake decided that he wouldn’t go home just yet. A walk sounded nice, he thought as he started walking down the road.

He passed a few houses and he noticed that he was heading to a road where there were less street lamps and seemed quite creepy. The cold wind blew and he shivered. He pulled up the zipper of his jacket and kept on walking. It’s nothing. You’ll be fine, he reminded himself.

He made his way down the dark silent road. There was a park on his left and a graveyard on his right. He started to have goosebumps as shivers ran down his spine. He didn’t know there was a graveyard there. He just moved here. He wasn’t afraid either, well not really. It was just that this area was really creepy.

He startled when he saw something moving in the graveyard. It was so fast that he didn’t get a close look of it.

He let out a small gasp when he heard groans in the air. Just when he was about to find where it came from, something grabbed his arm. He turned and his eyes grew wide when he saw a dead form of a human body staring at him with an empty eye socket. The body was crumpled, maggots crawling out of its flesh and he could see some of its bones.

Pain shot into him when it bit him and clawing his skin violently, like a tiger trying to rip out its prey’s flesh. He shouted in pain as he tried to shake the zombie off him but failed as he felt weak due to the pain.

The pain grew in him and he was starting to lose his vision. Out of a sudden, he saw a sword cutting through the zombie’s neck and slowly, its body sagged and its head dropped to the floor.

Blake fell onto the floor as his eyesight was getting blurry and the pain in him was getting worse. Just before he let himself drown in the darkness, he saw those beautiful sunset eyes looking at him with a worried look on her face.

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Elektra cursed he scurried to Blake who was lying unconscious on the cold pavement floor. Why in the world was he here in the middle of the night?

She looked at his arm and fear sparked in her when she saw the bite mark. He was bitten and that was not good. Zombies do not eat human flesh but one bite from them was deadly poisonous. If he’s not given the antidote soon, he could die. Ela cursed silently. She should have brought the antidote with her.

“Henry, I need help.” She called for her friend.

Henry appeared seconds later next to her. He was surprised to see an unconscious human lying on the ground. He squatted down next to Ela and his eyes saw the bite mark.

“He’s been bitten.” He spoke.

Ela nodded. “I need you to help me get him back to the room.” She said.

Henry raised an eyebrow at her. “Your room?” He asked.

Ela rolled her eyes at him. Did he have to ask that? “Not my room! The secret room underground...Basement!” She exasperated.

Henry held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. No need to shout.” He replied. He picked up the boy gently, carrying him in a fire fighter style.

“Man, he’s heavy.” He grunted. “...and by the way, there’s no more left back there. I’ll see you later, then?”

“Thank you. Yes, just hurry.” She spoke quickly.

Henry nodded and left in a flash. Ela went to her Ducati Superbike 1199 Panigale immediately and brought it to life. The tire screeched and she was off. She needed to get home quick. His life was on the line for god’s sake.

When she saw the dead end, she let out a relief sigh before pushing the one of the buttons on the handle. The wall slide open, revealing a secret passageway to her secret lair, below her house. When she reached the room, she let out another sigh of relief.

The lair was huge. Her father had built this lair when they moved into the house. She was finally able to see it when she was five as she wasn’t able to before and she was amazed at her father’s work.  He did an incredible job. The place was like a secret room that every superhero had. It was brilliant.

It was filled with computers, weapons, and training materials, things that a Protector needs. There’s a training section for the Protector to train and increase her skills. Her father created a few computerized training programs. One of them was a motion sensor training and it was her favourite.

Another section was filled with armory. There were tons of cool weapons there; guns, bombs, crossbows and many more. There was also a lab section where her dad did his research and created antidotes. Elektra still wasn’t that good as her father on creating antidotes but she was managing. With her father’s notes, she was able to make it.

She saw Henry sitting on a chair as he played with the small ball in his hand. Blake was lying unconscious on the single bed that her dad had placed a long time ago. His face was pale and his lips were turning blue. Fear struck her again. She couldn’t let him die. He had to take the antidote right now.

“Henry?” She asked as she made her way to them.

“I’ve already set it out for you.” He said as he nodded at the small table next to the bed.

“Thank you.” Elektra replied.

Henry stood up and let Ela sat on the chair for her to do her work. She took the tray that had a syringe and a small tube filled with the antidote. She grabbed the syringe and opened the tube, drawing out the antidote into the syringe. When it was done, she tilted Blake’s neck aside, ignoring the sparks that ignite every time she touched him and pushed the needle into his skin, infusing the antidote in him.

When the barrel was empty, she pulled it out and pressed two fingers on his neck, searching for a pulse. She found it and when she noticed that the pulse was normal, she let out a sigh of relief. She looked at Blake and notice the colour of his face was returning and his lips weren’t blue anymore.

She finally took in Blake’s appearance after for so long. His jet black hair was messy but that didn’t stop him from looking handsome. He was dressed in a tight blue t-shirt covered with a black jacket. His muscles were visible and she could see the outline of that sexy abs of his. Her eyes lingered there for a while before moving to look at his beautiful face. God, he’s handsome.

“So...” Henry spoke. Ela turned her face to Henry abruptly and found him looking at her with an amused smile on his face. God, did he notice that she was staring at Blake?

“W-what?” She stuttered.

Henry’s amused smile grew wider. “Nothing.” He said, shrugging.

Elektra knew he was lying and he was teasing her. It was not her fault that she thought this man was attractive. “It’s not what it look like, Henry. He’s from my school.” She said, giving him a stern look.

Henry chuckled. “You said like there was a misunderstanding and stuff. You’re not even my girlfriend. Besides, I’ve heard the news. The Blake Conrad was living in this town. Ladies go nuts over him.”

“Henry...” She called in a warning tone.

“It’s not wrong to be attracted to him, Ela.” He stated. “It’s okay that you like him.”

Ela shook her head furiously before looking at Henry as if he was insane. “I-I don’t even know him, Henry!” She exclaimed.

She looked so flustered that Henry just had to laugh. “Whatever you say, little one.” He said, patting her head.

Ela grunted and Henry chuckled in response. “So, what are you going to do with him?”

Realization hit Ela. Blake Conrad knew her and it would be trouble if he knew her identity. “He can’t be here.” She said as she turned her head to look at him. He was still lying unconscious on the bed and Ela couldn’t do anything about it. “He can’t know who I am.” She added.

Henry nodded. “I know...but you don’t really have to keep your identity, do you?” He pointed out.

Her head snapped to him when she heard his words. Her face was etched with pain and sadness. “I want to have a normal life, Henry. I don’t want people to be scared of me and thinks that I’m a freak.” She said in a broken voice.

Henry’s face softened at her words. “I know, little one. Tell you what, since he’s still unconscious, I’ll bring him to my house. When he’s awake, I’ll just tell him that I found him on the street or something. Okay?”

Ela’s face brightened in relief. “Thank you, Henry.” She said as she hugged him tightly.

“You’re welcome, Ela.” He replied, patting her head affectionately. “...and I will probably cover that bite mark...and if I could erase his memories, I would do it but unfortunately, I do not have that gift.” He said.

Each vampire has a special gift and erasing memories isn’t Henry’s. His gift, however, was telekinesis and it was a pretty cool gift.

“It’s okay. He probably won’t remember anyways...even if he does, he wouldn’t think it’s real.” She spoke.

Few minutes later, Henry and Blake was gone and she was left alone, lying on the bed that Blake had lied down just now. His scent was stuck to the bed and Ela couldn’t help but to inhale them as she buried her face in the pillow. He had this after shave smell and his own unique smell. It was deadly addictive. Though, ishe could smell the

Ela groaned as she rolled onto her back. No, this cannot happen. She had much more to do and a boy was going to be a huge distraction for her. Besides, she was surely not his type. She didn’t stand a chance with him. He was handsome and sexy and she was plain and quiet. It wouldn’t work out. He wouldn’t choose her.

She got off from the bed and entered the small closet as she changed her dirty blooded clothes. After she changed her clothes tiredly, she entered the glass tube at the corner of the lair and pressed the small green button. The glass tube elevated up and in seconds, she was back in her room. Ela immediately launched herself to the bed and closed her eyes, getting a goodnight sleep after a tiring night.

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Blake woke up with a horrible pain in his head. With a grunt, sat up and opened his eyes to find himself on a bed in an unfamiliar room. Where was he and what happened?

“You’re awake.” He heard a voice thick with a British accent and turned to see a person standing near the door.  He was tall and buff, probably in his thirties. Ladies would think that he’s handsome. He wore a black t-shirt and sweatpants with a glass of water in his hands.

The man sat on the edge of the bed and handed Blake the glass of water. Blake gladly took it and drank it greedily. His face scrunched in distaste. “What is this?” He asked.

“It’s an old remedy...to make your head feel better.” Henry answered him coolly.

“What happened?” He asked after drinking the glass empty.

“I found you lying unconscious on the street. So, I took you to my home.” He answered.

Blake eyed the man in front of him curiously. It was odd that he took him to his home instead of sending him to the hospital.

“Thank you.” He replied, ignoring the odd fact. He was grateful that he picked him off the street but he wondered what happened to him.

“Do you know what happened to me?” He asked, turning his head to the British man.

The man shook his head. “I’m afraid not.”

“What time is it?”

The man glanced down at his watch. “It’s eight in the morning.” He answered.

Blake’s eyes widened in surprise. How long had he been unconscious? He still was able to make it to school but he figured that he’d better stay home for today.

“Your phone rang when you were unconscious. It was your friend. I answered it and told him that you were unconscious but fine. He told me to tell you to call him when you’re awake.” The man said.

Owen! Oh god, he was in huge trouble. Owen would kill him for sure when he gets back home. Lifting his head to meet the man, he gave a thankful nod and thanked him. “Thank you...”

“Henry.” He answered.

“Thank you, Henry. I guess I better be off now.” He said as he got off the bed.

“I made breakfast. Would you like to have some before you leave?” He asked.

Right at that moment, his stomach growled. Henry laughed while Blake smiled sheepishly at him. “It would be great. Thank you.” He said.

“I’ll be downstairs. Help yourself and if you need anything, just yell.” He said, disappearing from the room.

Blake got up and made his way to the bathroom. He turned the tap on and splashed water to his face. He looked up and saw his face in the mirror. Man, he was a mess. He sniffed himself and grimaced at the smell of alcohol, sweat and cigarettes from the party.

He splashed more water to his face before walking out of the bathroom and sat on the bed to think for a while. What happened to him? He closed his eyes and tried to remember the events. He remembered escaping the party, going for a walk instead of home and-

Oh, shit.

No way, not in a million years that had happened. He lifted his arm to see the bite mark from the zombie but he found none. That was surely odd. He was sure that the zombie had bitten him. He could still remember the pain and the fear.

His eyes widened when he remembered another piece of the event. Brown eyes. Those beautiful brown eyes were the last thing he saw before he was unconscious. She couldn’t have been there, could she? If she was, what in the world was she doing there? She killed the zombie, he remembered and she had saved him but did those things really happened or was it just him? He didn’t even drink that night. Hence, alcohol couldn’t be the reason.

It got him more confused. He couldn’t believe whether it happened or not. An idea slipped through his mind but he quickly turned it down. Going to Ela and asked whether she had killed a zombie and saved him was a huge no. If he was wrong, that question would make her think that he’s absolutely nuts and he couldn’t have that.

He let out a frustrated sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. Man, he didn’t know what to do. Maybe he would just forget about the events and move on. Nobody was going to believe him if he told them about it anyway. Yes, forgetting it and moving on was the better choice.