Dracula And Anna: Finding The truth

Ch 15: Slip ups

Looking into those eyes, Anna began to realise that there was more to Dracula than she had ever known. There was emotion, true, heartfelt emotion, and to feel emotion like that, one had to have a heart. Only now did she begin to believe what he had told her years ago, but the question was, did he tell her the truth, or did he lie to her?

'I love you, Anna,' he had said so often through her life, 'I want you forever,' and every time he'd sounded like he meant it, but had he really? There was only one way to find out.

'Count,' Anna whispered, their eyes still looking into each other.

'Mm,' it was obvious that he was listening, but he didn't sound very talkative.

'How do you feel about me?' her voice was quivering a little as if she was afraid of rejection, or maybe she was afraid of what she knew he would say. He remained quiet for some time, perhaps trying to figure out why Anna would ask such a question.

'I've told you how I feel about you as often as I can.'

'I just need to hear it.' Too late, the words had just slipped out of her mouth; she couldn't have stopped them if she'd tried. Dracula smiled, very fondly.

'I have loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you, ' his hand gently brushing her hair out of her face, 'I always have, always will, and I hope that you never forget it again.' He leaned forward, and for one wild moment, Anna thought that he was going to kiss her lips, but he kissed her cheek instead. He didn't want to scare her, since she was still unsure about everything.

She was still confused, and until she, herself, remembered how she had become a vampire, then she would not think about the secret way she felt about him, or at least she'd try to. Dracula gently leaned his head against hers, in an affectionate way.

'The night has come,' he whispered to her, 'and I know you'll want to go and discover the truth, so go now, before anyone sees you here.' Anna was surprised, he knew her better than she knew herself. It was true, she wouldn't want anyone to know about this; so she slowly and gently slides off him, her eyes not leaving his, as she does so.

'Don't wander off too far, and make sure you are back here before the sun rises.' Anna, completely speechless, nodded.

'So will you tell me, how I became Dracula's bride?' She had been wandering the castle for about half the night until she ran into Van Helsing, who was busying himself with something, or other.

'I've already told you,' he huffed, slightly out of breath. He'd obviously had a bad day's sleep or just a bad night. Either way, it had put him into an awful mood.

'No, you didn't. You just told me that I was his bride. You never mentioned how it came about!'

Van Helsing looked up from where he was sitting and stopped whatever it was he had been doing. For several moments he remained silent, until finally, he spoke, but very softly.

'I didn't actually see him bite you...' he began, but Anna cut him off.

'If you didn't see him, then how could you possibly know that he...' By this time Van Helsing was shouting over her, and she went silent.

'... Because, Anna, when next I saw you, I could sense the change in you.' She knew what he was talking about, but that still didn't give her the answers she was looking for.

'Did anyone witness the change?'

'Yes.' He had spoken so softly that she almost didn't hear him.

'Who?' Van Helsing turned to her, his eyes meeting with hers.

'You know who.'