The Vampire's Call

GRACE

He leaned into me, his green eyes with specks of yellow looking intensely at me. His body was firm and toned as he held me to him. My fingers were sliding shamelessly on his muscles, and he was watching me as I took my time to explore him for the hundredth time now.

He was enjoying it. I could see it by the way his eyes were bleeding to a ruby red. That was always a sign that he was excited, that he liked what I did to him.

I went on tiptoes and crashed my lips on his, and as usual, fireworks exploded. I loved his lips. I loved the way he growled lazily as his tongue chased mine inside my mouth.

“Grace,” he would whisper in between each kiss.

“Yes?” I moaned as his lips moved down my throat.

I ran my fingers into his silky, chocolate-brown hair, pulling his face closer. My body was heating up as the tingles intensified. It craved his touch, his kisses, but it wanted more.

He would never give it to me though. I knew that he would stop after tasting my lips again.

“Haven.” I pouted.

He chuckled and laid a small feather-like kiss on my lips again. “Not yet, angel,” he said with his deep voice. “Soon.”

“You always say that.” I sighed.

“I mean it. I’ll come for you soon. Happy birthday, my love.”

I woke up flushed and breathless again. Again with that dream... The last part was new though. Haven had never spoken that much before.

Since I turned sixteen, I had been having those dreams about him. He was... I had never seen someone like him in real life, but he was a comforting presence in my dreams.

He was even my first crush. How could he not be? He was gorgeous. He made my blood boil and my heart beat so fast. There was just an inexplicable attraction there.

Maybe I should really get myself a boyfriend because I was so worked up every time Haven would visit my dreams. This ache needed to be taken care of—and soon. I was eighteen today, after all! Most of my friends from school had boyfriends, but to me, no one compared to my Haven.

My Haven. I chuckled. He wasn’t even real. Since I was a child, he has been a comforting figure every time something happened to me. I liked to think that he was my guardian angel and that he always was there when I felt sad or hurt.

It was stupid, but my heart didn’t think so. It wanted to believe that he was real.

I stood up from the bed and got ready before I went down to the kitchen and found my grannie there. She was making breakfast for me before school in our small, orange kitchen. I was sure that she hadn’t changed the decoration since the ’70s, but I liked it.

I couldn’t wait to graduate in a few weeks. I wouldn’t miss school. That was for sure. But it also meant that I would need to work. I couldn’t let my grandmother pay for everything. Maybe we could change the decoration in the kitchen with two salaries.

“Happy birthday, my beautiful baby!” she said as soon as she saw me.

“Grannie.” I chuckled. “That’s a bit much.”

I didn’t think that I was beautiful. I wasn’t ugly, but I was meh. I was too small to be a model and too curvy to have that kind of damsel-in-distress vibe. My breasts were so generous that they were often getting in the way, and I won’t even talk about my ass.

I wasn’t fat, but I wasn’t thin either. My golden hair and honey eyes were the prettiest things about me for sure.

“Sit down, kid,” she said happily. “I made you your favorite.”

I sat down at our small table and enjoyed my birthdays breakfast: waffles with whipped cream and blueberries. I loved that woman. I kissed her cheek when I was done and left for school before I would be too late.

My best friend, Lee, was waiting for me in front of the gates. She seemed excited as she waved at me.

“Happy birthday, girl! You look amazing! How does it feel to be eighteen?” She smirked.

I had decided to wear a black crop top with high-waisted washed jeans. The outfit emphasized all of my curves and was appropriate in this hot weather. It was showing just a bit of skin above my jeans, so it made me feel comfortable too.

I tied my golden mane into a loose bun and put on a bit of makeup—just a liner wing, to be precise. I felt good but was glad my friend noticed.

“She’s right, Wolf. You look good.”

I turned around to meet playful hazel-green eyes. That was Daryl Tailor. He was the rock star of our high school. I blushed at his compliment. He was in our class and friendly, but I wasn’t used to have him talk to me.

He was the leader of our swimming team, and even through his shirt, I could see the muscles. That almost made me want to drool. He was nowhere near as beautiful as Haven, but at least he was real.

“Thank you,” I said, trying to hide my embarrassment.

“It’s your birthday? Maybe we should celebrate.” He smiled.

“Oh...I can’t. I have to work tonight at the diner,” I said.

I had been helping my grandmother ever since she had to take me in after my parents died. I was also putting money on the side so I could go to college, or at least attend night classes.

I didn’t want her to touch her small rent, so I worked at the local diner because the owner was a friend of my grannie.

“Another time, then.” He smiled at me.

“Sure.” I smiled back.

He passed us by to go to class, and I heard Lee let out the breath she was holding. I felt the same. That guy was a dream, and I was a horny teenager, especially after my dreams with Haven.

“Can you believe, girl?” she said excitedly. “Daryl fucking Tailor spoke to you!”

“I know,” I said, my heart beating so fast in my chest. “I can’t believe it.”

“You’re so lucky! I’m jealous.” She pouted.

“Let’s get to class before we’re late.” I chuckled.

“Sure.” She joined me.

The day was long, but I was still happy as I left to go to the diner to take my shift. It was a small place, but I liked it there. It was a bit old-fashioned with large booths and leather couches.

The whole staff wished me a happy birthday as soon as I entered the place, and I thanked them all. I walked to the small locker room and put on my uniform and apron. The colors were a pastel pink for the dress and white for the apron.

I didn’t mind, even if it wasn’t something I would have picked for me. I looked like a Barbie in this.

I went into the main room and started taking orders. There were a few clients there already. I preferred to be behind the bar, but I had nothing against being a waitress.

I just hoped that I wouldn’t do anything stupid today. I tended to be a little gauche. Maybe the boss would let it go since it was my birthday. I could only hope.

The night started to fall, and I still had two hours to go before I would be able to go home. The crowd in the diner started to change from people wanting coffee to people wanting to drink beer and eat.

My arms were getting tired after carrying the heavy plates, but I was too busy to think about it.

I laid down the order at a big table before moving to a man alone in his booth. His back was to me, so I didn’t think much about it. I could only see that he had luscious, dark, chocolate-brown hair that reminded me of Haven. I walked to him, my eyes on my piece of paper, ready to take his order.

“Hi! What can I get you?” I asked.

He chuckled, and it sent a shiver down my spine. I never reacted that strongly to a chuckle unless it was my Haven. Surely, that wasn’t possible.

I lifted my gaze from my paper to be met with the green eyes that were looking at me with so much lust this morning in my dream. He was looking fondly back at me, and my jaw dropped. Impossible...

He was radiating confidence as he looked back at me, his messy brown hair on one side. He was wearing a gray suit, and he had his big hands laid on the table.

“Hello, Grace,” he said, his voice so deep.

It took all of my willpower to not whimper in need. I wasn’t ready to be met with the wave of lust and love that coursed through my body as I looked at this man.

Could it be? How? How could a dream be real? How could I dream about a man for years and finally meet him?

“Haven,” I breathed out in utter shock.

He seemed amused, but I saw something dark pass in his eyes. Were they going to turn red? Like in my dream?

This was the real world, Grace. You need to apologize for talking so casually to a patron and quick.