Rise

Chapter Two

"I don't know about this Emily." Rose said as she read the sign of the karaoke bar.

"It'll be fun." Emily told her as she began to drag her in, "You need unwind anyways."

"Fine." Rose said as she sighed and followed her inside. They followed a woman as she led them to a private room and asked what they wanted to drink. After a few hours they began to make their way back to the university grounds.

"You were right that was fun." Rose told her while laughing. It began to rain and they put their jackets over their heads and started to move faster.

"Where are two pretty ladies like you rushing off to?" A man asked as he walked in front of them. Another man and a woman walked around and cornered them.

"What do you assholes want?" Emily asked as she got closer to Rose. Their blood ran cold as the three people's eyes turned red.

"We just want something to eat that's all." The woman told them with a wicked smile. Rose didn't know what to do as she looked around at the three. An idea came to her and she hoped beyond hope that it would work.

"ALEX!" Rose screamed hoping that he could hear her. Alex turned around as he heard Rose scream for him from a rooftop. He didn't know what was going on but he sprinted in her direction.

"Screaming for your boyfriend?" The woman asked as she grabbed Rose by her hair, "Even if he did come we'd just kill him to."

"PLEASE ALEX!" Emily yelled hoping Rose made the right call. Rose closed her eyes as the woman opened her mouth to bite her. She suddenly felt the woman's grasp release and she opened her eyes again. The two men took a step back as the woman screamed in pain and they saw that her hand was now gone.

"Looking for this?" Alex asked as he threw the hand back to its owner. One of the men ran over with his arm cocked back.

"I'll kill you for that!" He yelled as he tried to punch Alex's stomach but Alex caught his fist and crushed it. The man stumbled back and grabbed his broken hand. Alex dashed behind him and grabbed the back of his head. He slammed the man's head into the asphalt hard enough for it to crack and the man fell limp. The other man grabbed him from behind and started laughing.

"Now what are going to d-" Alex elbowed the man's gut causing him to cough blood. Emily and Rose watched in awe as Alex grabbed the man and begun to slightly pick him up.

"Now what are YOU going to do?" Alex asked him and the man began to plead for his life. The two girls heard a sickening crunch as Alex suddenly squeezed the man hard enough for his spine the break. He turned to the woman who fell down and began to back away from him.

"Alex stop!" Rose yelled as she grabbed his arm. He looked at her with a smile before he turned serious.

"She'll just come after you again. I've already made that mistake once and I won't do it again." He told her as he began to walk towards the woman. Emily stopped Rose from getting involved more than she already had and they watched Alex crouch next to the panicking vampire. The woman tried to say something but Alex punched her hard enough for it to sound like a gunshot. He turned around and walked back to the two girls.

"Let's go back to my place for tonight." Alex said as he walked past them, "It's closer than the university and you two don't need to be out right now."

"Ok." Rose said as they followed him closely. They waved down a taxi and it took them to a large house 20 minutes away. Alex paid the man and watched him drive off before turning to the girls. They were staring in awe at the size of the house that he lived in.

"You live here?" Emily asked him as they reached the door. Alex nodded and they followed him in.

"I'm home!" Alex yelled and they heard footsteps coming from the hall. Emily and Rose were surprised to see their professor walk into the room.

"Shouldn't you be in your dorm room right now?" Ryan asked Alex before he saw the two girls, "You know better than to bring people here."

"You live with Professor Ryan?" Rose asked still surprised by her teacher's presence.

"You guys acted like you never met before this morning." Emily said as she stared at the two men. Ryan sighed before signaling them to follow him. They entered a large living room with a portrait hanging over the fireplace and several seats around a glass table. Rose looked at the portrait and her eyes widened in realization.

"Wait that's you." Rose said as she looked at Alex, "This painting looks way too old for that to be the case."

"You wouldn't believe just how old he is Rose." Ryan said as he sat in one of the chairs, "Alex why did you bring them here?"

"They were attacked by a group of vampires and this is closer than the school." Alex explained as he took his hoodie off. Rose and Emily's jaws nearly dropped as they examined him. He was wearing a sleeveless sports shirt and looked like a male model. Ryan cleared his throat and they turned to him.

"I assume you know that he is a vampire as well?" Ryan asked them and they nodded, "Well I suppose I'll tell you how we met. As you know I've been a professor at the university for quite a while. During my first year of teaching Alex saved me from a vampire, just like he did for you."

"Yeah and just like him I can't shake you off." Alex said as he chuckled at them. He caught the book Ryan threw at him to make him shut up and opened it. Rose and Emily watched him flip through the pages before Ryan began to speak again.

"As I was saying, he ended up showing up at my doorstep wounded and asked me to bring him here." Ryan told them motioning to the room, "After that I guess you could say I became his handler. Speaking of which you have a meeting with Viktor tomorrow."

"So he wouldn't take no for an answer?" Alex asked as he sighed and put the book down, "Something must have happened for him to come all the way over to Blackport. Where's he from again?"

"He's from Moscow." Ryan said as he walked over to the bookcase and threw another book at him, "Stop forgetting important shit Alex!"

"Thanks, I already read the last one." Alex said as he opened the book and flipped through the pages, "Show them their rooms please."

"Fine." Ryan said and signaled the girls to follow him. They followed him up the stairs and he showed them each of their rooms. Both rooms were beautiful, especially compared to the girl's dorm back at the university. Rose was too tired to try and examine the room and instantly fell asleep as she hit the bed.