I've Got a Nice Big Vampire Problem

My heart rate picked up and Mackenzie backed up into me, stifling her cry of pain by biting her lip with her teeth.

It was obvious she had heard the door as well.

"Abby, if we die in here, promise me you'll find me in my next life," she said.

Tears clouded my eyes as a grin flashed across my face. Mackenzie didn't believe in God, but rather being reincarnated into another being.

"I promise," I whispered. "Even if I'm a squirrel and you're a lion I'll find you."

She giggled, sucking in breath to hide her pain. "I promise I won't eat you."

A tear fell onto my tongue as I smiled. "Liar."

Darrell appeared in the doorway. Mackenzie moaned. No longer willing to hold my tears back, I let them flow out. I didn't even know how I had any tears left. I had become a crying machine ever since Conan had kidnapped me.

Darrell immediately took in the scene in front of him.

His brother taking slow steps to either side, trying to get around Falvor. Falvor standing in front Mackenzie and me, his defensive posture speaking novels. Mackenzie and I sitting on the ground, Mackenzie sitting between my legs, her shoulder bleeding profusely.

Killer paused, looked at his brother and they both nodded. With stealthy steps, they began towards us.

Mackenzie began to shake as if she were freezing.

"Kenzie?" I asked my voice high. "Are you okay?"

"Abby, it's kinda' cold in here," she whispered.

I paled. That could be a sign of turning. Oh, I wished I knew what happened, or better, how to help. I felt so useless.

Darrell and Killer came ever closer. Falvor didn't move, just studied them both.

I closed my eyes, laying my face in Mackenzie's hair. I trusted Falvor to protect us from Killer, but only for a short time. Against Darrell and Killer, two of the biggest men I had ever seen in my whole entire life, I knew he had no chance. He had been deprived of blood for fifty years, and a bleeding girl was sitting right behind him, another beside her with a pounding heart.

"ABIGAIL!"

My heart slammed against my chest. Yes. No. YES! No.

My eyes opened and my head whipped up.

Conan.

There he stood, in all of his gorgeous glory, ten feet away from me.

I barely noticed the three vampires behind him move into the room towards Darrell and Killer.

The relief I felt was overwhelming. My breath whooshed out of my lungs as if I had been holding my breath the whole time I had been away from him.

He disappeared, and reappeared in front of me, kneeling, his panicked glance sweeping over me and Mackenzie. I wanted to throw myself at him but Mackenzie was leaning on me, so I couldn't move.

Mackenzie smiled. "So you're Conan," she said, then winced.

He looked at her and gave a nod. I studied him. Even in his panicked state, he was blindingly gorgeous. He looked even more tired than normal.

"You're Mackenzie, am I right?" He asked. She nodded, wincing.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the three vampires destroying what looked like limbs and chests. I gagged.

"Abigail," Conan said, his tone demanding my attention. I looked at him. "Keep your eyes over here." I nodded. Well that wouldn't be very hard.

Falvor was guarding the door, his back to us, his eyes facing down the tunnel. I pointed to him. "Conan, that's Falvor."

Conan looked at him, then back at me, obviously shocked. His shock quickly disappeared with a look at the blood on my shirt. "We'll deal with that later. Right now I need to make sure that you get out here safely."

"Me too, please," Mackenzie said, her shivering getting more severe.

Conan turned his gaze to her and nodded again. "Well of course. Abigail would kill me if I left you here."

I nodded, my jaw set. I still couldn't get over the fact that Conan was here, in this hellhole, coming to save me.

A friendly vampire appeared beside me. I looked up and recognized him, but couldn't place his name.

He nodded at me and swooped down to pick Mackenzie up. Mackenzie cried out as he lifted her. It clicked. He was Gavin.

Now sure that Mackenzie would be okay, I looked at Conan. The moment our eyes met mine flooded with more tears. Conan grabbed my waist and pulled me into him as he stood, crushing me in the biggest hug I had ever gotten. He was holding me so close to him it hurt. My feet were no longer touching the ground. My arms found their way around his neck and I clung to him.

His head nuzzled itself into my neck. "I'm so sorry," he whispered hoarsely. I didn't know what he was apologizing for; all I knew is that I wouldn't let him take the blame for whatever it was.

I shook my head as I sobbed. "I thought we talked abo-about this. S-stop apologizing for th-things that aren't your fault."

I could feel his chin on my shoulder. His touch still left my heart screaming and my skin on fire, even when I was crying my heart out.

"Wrap your legs around my waist," he ordered quietly. I did as he was told, my face on his shoulder. His gigantic arm held me up while the other pointed at the other two vampires. "You lead the way. You take the back. Gavin and I will walk in between. Our objective is to get out of here as fast as possible."

I couldn't see their reactions, but even if I had been facing them I doubted I would be able to see them with all my tears anyways.

"Falvor?" Conan said. I turned to look this time, wiping my eyes, though more just replaced them. I continued wiping them to see what was going on.

Falvor turned to look at Conan. He still had that scary determination in his eyes. "I will take the rear." I blinked, quite shocked at hearing his voice. His voice was deep and orderly, just like a sergeant would sound like. There was no trace of the defeated Falvor anymore.

Conan nodded. "Okay, let's go."

I gave Falvor a weak smile and he nodded at me. I put my head back on Conan's shoulder, giving a sigh.

The scenery suddenly started zooming past as furious speeds. I inhaled quickly, and then smiled. I don't know why I expected Conan and his other vampires to use human velocity, but I had, and the speed they were going at shocked me.

I watched as the tunnel disappeared behind us, then the hall with all its blurring images, then into pitch black darkness. I closed my eyes knowing what was coming up. The bloody room. A few seconds of darkness passed.

Suddenly my eyes lids were tinted orange. I opened my eyes and looked up. The sky was gray, threatening to explode in thunderstorms any moment. I smiled up into the daunting clouds, happier than I could remember ever being.

Mackenzie screamed a strangled whoop.

I laughed and laid my head down again on his rock hard shoulder. I inhaled his scent and stared at the side of his neck. The rain started to pour down on us and I was soaked immediately. My yellow shirt was ripped all the way around and the fringes were stuck to my stomach. My jeans were itchy and uncomfortable, and I didn't care.

Conan was back.