Meryl could feel his hands pressed against her face trying to reassure her. His skin felt strange, it was almost velvety. It was the smoothest skin she’d ever felt, but the important thing was his ruby eyes. His eyes transmitted a feeling of peace. It caused her fear to slowly vanish.

On impulse, without stopping her tears, she told him what had happened. For her, it had only been a few hours. She had risen as usual to go to work and some strange men had taken her to the military base. After accepting the deal to make money she had found herself in that dismal place that she no longer recognized as her city.

“It’s a complicated situation,” Caleb whispered still looking at her, “but you’re lucky to be here. Fear not, you’ll get used to your new life. Although, I can’t promise that it will be easy. Eat something and try to rest, it seems that you need it.”

After speaking he left quickly. Meryl stared at the open door. She was still confused but told herself that little by little her situation would improve. She had only one option and that was getting used to the dark world in which she was, but her doubts had not dissipated. She still thought everything was a lie and that he planned to kill and dismember her.

“I have to escape.” Meryl decided in the darkness of the room.

She looked out of the window. The building was tall, but maybe she could get down by reaching the small roof that separated both floors and from there use a tree to reach the ground.

“I can do it,” she whispered motivating herself.

She tied together two sheets that she found in the closet, placed a chair to jam the door and tried to make as little noise when she opened the window.

The night was cool. The air brought with it the sweet smells of the autumn forest.

It was harder than it looked, but she managed to reach the dry tree, which leaned dangerously breaking several branches. Meryl descended carefully and when she set foot on the gravel surrounding the house she felt liberated. Now she would run with the strength of a beast and seek help, but where? In the city surely they would catch her and sell her to another of those sinister beings.

The forest floor was covered by a soft haze that gave it a gloomy air. She started running in a random direction, stepping on fallen leaves and dirtying her feet. Every step she took made her feel freer and far away from this vampire, but she was very wrong, because Caleb was already following her. He was in part amused because he found it funny that she would escape and offended by how she had taken everything. He had made it clear that he would not kill her and yet after the million he’d paid she was desperately trying to flee to certain death.

After several minutes of running tirelessly, Meryl stopped in a small clearing where the tall trees let in the light of a weak sun that the clouds would allow her to distinguish. Meryl put her hands on her knees, making a hellish effort to keep her breathing controlled, drops of sweat rolled down her face until she fell on the dry leaves without a sound.

“At this distance, I should be safe,” Meryl said trying to breathe.

“Your behavior is beginning to offend me,” Caleb’s voice said, dangerously agitating Meryl’s beating heart. “You think you can disappear just like that. Perhaps if I were a human that would be possible, but I’m not.”

Meryl looked up and saw him sitting quietly on the branch of a tall tree with a straight face and eyes fixed on her. That gaze caused chills throughout her body. Suddenly he jumped and Meryl shouted because the height was several meters.

“I thought after we talked I was clear that I will not kill you.

“Why won’t you let me go?” Her voice trembled.

“If I let you go, they’ll kill you and I won’t waste that million I paid for you.”

Meryl bit her lip just as she always did when she was nervous, and at that moment when he came closer, she felt her heart stop and was on the verge of fainting from fear, thinking that he would beat her as punishment for her actions. When his footsteps stopped near enough, he closed his eyes tightly, knowing that everything he tried would be useless, he was faster, stronger and smarter than her.

“Let’s go,” Caleb said, resting his hand on Meryl’s head.

She looked at him childishly just like when her mother scolded her as a child. For a second, she felt like she was at home, with her family. She felt that sweet feeling of safety that she’d only felt when among people she knew.

Caleb walked slowly behind her. Watching her clumsy steps and laughing inside because he knew that far from his protection her life would be a living hell. A strange protective feeling flooded him completely leaving a confused and slightly sour taste in his mouth. He was beginning to understand that this clumsy human could become his weakness. That was not right because he’d only bring pain to her fragmented soul.

They reached the house where Alexander looked at them with a calm expression and half-smile. Nobody said a word as they went inside the warm home until they reached the main room. Meryl was about to collapse when the savory smell of roast chicken teased her nose and it was a torture. She was so hungry that she began to have mild stomach cramps.

“I’m going to shower,” Caleb, said leaving them alone.

“Come eat,” Alexander said placing a chair in front of the dish he had prepared. “Caleb asked me to make you something to eat when you came back. He was very worried. Although, I don’t think a breakfast like this is very appetizing. It’s true that you haven’t eaten anything for a long time.”

Meryl looked at him almost with adoration. She had realized how good a heart he had and now knew that Caleb was not like she thought. He had worried that she had something to eat when she returned and after two days without eating she felt like she was about to die.

Meryl sat down and began to eat in such a manner that Alexander was surprised. It looked like she had not eaten in weeks.

“Now that you are calm.” Alexander began arranging some figurines on top of a buffet. “I wanted to say something. Although you finally see that we do not want to hurt you. There will be some people who will want to.”

“I’ve seen what’s outside. I have lived it and I’m a little more aware that I could’ve been dead.”

“If you’re near we will take care of you.” He smiled.

Meryl did not answer but looked at her plate and blushed. On the one hand, she was happy to be there but still feared for her situation.

The water was freezing and he hoped the cold would clear his head. From the moment, Meryl climbed out of the window Caleb knew her intentions and had let her walk into the forest under his watchful gaze. Caleb knew that running would help her relieve stress. He was the sort of person that thought that physical activity could help one during difficult moments. In fact, it was something he did frequently as his position carried certain risks.

He left the shower and stood in front of a huge mirror. His reflection stared back at him and for a moment he thought it was someone else. That he was another person who looked like a twenty-year-old human with a face that would be strange to Meryl.

“What the hell am I thinking?” he asked himself growling.

He could not deny the delicious aroma emanating from Meryl. He had the desire to taste her, but if he did he would condemn himself. Maybe someday he would have the opportunity to do so without too much danger.