Vampire Wanted

Prologue | Our Heroine Declassified

The universal acknowledgement of the existence of vampires was a few years from fruition, behind countless layers of PR on both sides, arguments in both governments, and above all, a herculean effort to keep it under wraps.

That being said, Ophelia had already managed to confirm their existence between the pages of five-dollar romances you'd find in the clearance bin, the tawdry tales of Edwards and Alexanders and some hapless noblewoman or a clueless teen.

It was her not so secret pleasure.

Countless dog-eared tomes were stacked across her desk or tucked beneath her bed, and in her dreams every so often... things got a little less PG-13. She'd found herself entranced by the world of stock-photo clad covers with scantily clad men, and her cheeks had long since stopped flushing when she ducked into the 'fiction' section of her supermarket.

Her latest pick featured a woman with ample bosom collapsed against an unknown male figure. It was bookmarked with her crumpled Physics homework and wrapped in a deceptive book-cover as she spoke to the other- Sacha Irvine, senior and all around class-act. He'd grown used to her obsession, and more often than not ignored her choice of literature, but after she'd thrust it into his hands ten seconds ago, he'd made a snide comment about her 'educational' novel, prompting her long-winded response.

Ophelia reached across the table to snag a fry, talking between bites of stolen fried food. "If you consider it, the philosophy of it all is the educational part, vampirism just represent our fear of losing our humanity, so we conjure the most frightening things we can think of to deter people from realizing just how amazing it'd be to obtain immortality-"

"Yeah," Sacha interrupted, frowning at her, but choosing not to comment on the theft, still holding the book aloft as he peeled back the cover to examine the erotic image printed below the words 'Blood-Thirst'. "But you'd have to eat people. That's not a deal-breaker for you?"

She shrugged. "They always describe it as being tasty and detached, like the way we eat a steak." She rested her chin on her hand. "I don't see the drawbacks of it, despite your objections." She retrieved the book from his hand, cracking the spine as she opened it, using her stray hand to continue to eat.

"-regrettably, My Lord, I am unable to attend your dinner tonight. I hope you will forgive me for my imprudence."

His eyes were hungry as he accepted her excuse and he offered a tense smile in return, forcing a stiff bow. "Of course. Forgive me for asking, but are you unwell?"

She flushed. "Why would you assume-"

"Your heartbeat is," he smiled, "erratic. Have you caught something during your visit?" His hands moved to envelop her waist. "Perhaps-"

The sound of a plastic tray slamming against the tabletop snapped her out of her trance, and her eyes shot towards the source. It was a stick-thin girl with dark hair that reached her shoulders, and Ophelia watched as it fell into her eyes as she leaned into Sacha, flashing him a weakening smile. "I called you, this morning in the hallway, I don't think you heard-"

Ophelia tuned out the rest of what would be 'the morning-after' conversation he never had. In their two years of friendship, she'd seen this same situation countless times with different partners of varying sexes. It was always difficult to watch him explain that he wasn't the type to commit to a single person. He was fluid in his relationships, and spared no sentiment before moving onto the next.

It was with adoration that Ophelia decided that Sacha was born to be a heart-breaker. With amber-colored eyes, and dirty-blonde hair falling in gentle curls just past his ears, an easy-going smile and a natural charm, he was a knockout, and if she hadn't become his friend, she might of joined the queue that compiled his broken hearts' club.

It was insensitive and a little cruel to roll her eyes at the doe-eyed lovers who traipsed over to their table each week, but after listening to his break-up speech as many times as she had, she'd nearly memorized it.

Slowly lifting her book to give them the illusion of privacy, she allowed herself to sink back into the literary world.

"-perhaps you've caught a whiff of desire? Something you want so badly, you'd give anything to get it?" He smiled again, this time a little more carnally, pulling her flush against him, hands skimming her sides. "Your passion is not as hidden as you think."