Erik

The moon glinted off his transparent green eyes as he slid through the deserted streets of the small town. Most everyone was in bed at this time of night… the time when vampires roamed and werewolves howled. The wolf at his side padded along with velvety soft steps, making no sound as befitted a creature of the night. The creature stopped and held up one sinewy hand, the lacquered nails shining dully in the moonlight.

“All is quiet,” he hissed, a smile curling his red lips, his sharp teeth just peeking through. Wolf nodded, understanding his master, even when no words were spoken. The two dark creatures entered the nearest building, slipping unnoticed through the brick wall.

“Wait here,” the creature commanded, rising weightless through the ceiling into the upper stories. Wolf waited patiently, knowing a tasty treat was to come later if the night’s hunt was successful.

Up, up, up through the floors the creature flew until he reached the top. There she was… the girl of his dreams, her golden hair spilled like sunlight across her satin pillow. The creature approached, watching as her chest rose and fell with each deep breath, the laces on her nightdress loosened as she slumbered. He morphed into complete human form and touched her cheek.

“Erik?” the girl murmured, her eyes fluttering open to reveal two perfect blue orbs. Her rosebud lips opened as she smiled, recognizing the man who visited her chambers quite frequently.

The creature nodded, his skeletal head now resembling the head of a human. He tossed his chestnut curls from his shoulders and sat on the edge of her bed, his green eyes searching her face… her long, supple neck. “It is I,” he whispered, his voice tender and deep.

She reached up to wrap her arms around his shoulders as he bent his face to her, his lips finding her neck, her satin skin cool to the touch. He kissed her, parting his lips and pressing his sharp teeth gently against her.

“Erik… please… let me love you,” she whispered, tangling her fingers in his thick curls.

The creature called Erik grinned as his teeth pierced her flesh and her blood flowed thickly over his tongue. He sucked at her life force, stopping before her heart stopped, and laid her back on the bed.

“I will see you soon,” he smiled as she closed her thick-lashed eyes and breathed deeply, a smile on her full lips.

Erik floated down to the lower floors, his conscious heavy with the fill of blood, his lust for her life satisfied for the moment with his brief drink. He paused on the floor above street level, looking at the servants in their beds, and smiled darkly. A pet for his pet, he thought as he surveyed the room, his eyes lingering on a small boy in a cradle in the corner. He lifted the lad, the soft black curls so tender above the angel face. The toddler wrapped his chubby arms around the vampire’s neck and sighed blissfully, happy to be caressed in his sleeping state. Erik brought him down to the ground floor where Wolf still waited patiently.

“A pet… what do you think?” he asked his furry friend, showing him the sleeping child.

Wolf grinned and advanced slowly, happy with the gift his master had brought him yet again…

* * *

“We have been searching for days,” the Inspector gently stated for what seemed like the tenth time. “We may never find him.”

Amilie’s father paced a few more steps past the large stone fireplace in the servants’ quarters. “Are you sure no one was here last night?” he demanded of the quavering women huddled nearby.

“No one, Senor,” the eldest of the servants replied in a hushed tone. She raised a hand to brush a wisp of iron gray hair from her forehead.

Amilie watched, horrified at the thought of someone coming in and taking little Josef. He had been her favorite and she had already petitioned her father about training him to be her personal stable boy. As she watched the goings-on in the lower floors of the large house, green eyes and warm lips flitted through her memory.

“Erik,” she breathed…

* * *

Tap, tap, tap…

Erik’s eyes opened slightly at the sound that reverberated through his wooden bed. What was making that awful racket?

Tap, tap…

There it was again. “Wolf?” he hissed, hoping his companion would hear him and investigate.

“Mi nombre Josef, no Wolf,” came a small voice on the other side of the wood. Then Erik remembered. The child he had brought Wolf must be awake and hungry. Erik opened the lid of the box and peeked through the slit he created.

“Come,” he beckoned, motioning for the child to join him in his satin lined bed. The boy climbed in and snuggled in the crook of the vampire’s cold arm, his chubby cheek warm against Erik’s neck.

“Buenos noches,” Josef whispered, his long lashes dark against his soft cheek as he drifted back to sleep, the wooden lid drawn by a long, cold hand, closing out the light of dawn.

* * *