She was pathetic!
Yes. She must make haste and break this spell as soon as possible—before whatever effects it was having on her became lasting ones.
"Uhhh." The monster hunter grunted in confusion from the other side of the door. "I—I am uncertain about how to respond. Uh. Foul creature?"
Her cheeks burned with shame, and she started bouncing up and down on her heels as she fanned her face, hoping the redness in her cheeks would come down.
"Fuck!" she squeaked under her breath. "Fuck fuck fuck!"
"Are…you…Do you want to tell me what the actual fuck that was, Countess?"
"Uhhh…" Her voice dragged that non-word on for suspiciously long as she attempted, and failed, to come up with something to say that wouldn't deepen her shame.
"I—Gimme a second, Alaric, Darling!" she said. She actively tried not to call him Darling that time. But she couldn't. She
absolutely could not.
Oh shit! she realized. I'm in love with the enemy! I wanna hug him and kiss him and snuggle up with him under a blanket while he drinks hot cocoa and I drink his cocoa flavored blood!
I wanna fuck him in a totally romantic way—perhaps missionary! Or have him hit it from the back while he holds my hands! I love him I love him I love him!
"Vladira!" he bellowed, and he sounded so close to the changing room door now that she imagined his lips pressed up against it.
"Come out here right this instant."
"I'm—I'm naked!" she shouted back. She wasn't. She hadn't even changed a single article of clothing yet. "Fuck!" She just shouted that out loud. "Fuck!" She shouted that too.
After the longest two minutes of her centuries-spanning life, she stepped out of the changing room with her eyes round and huge as she stared at the inexplicable expression on her sweet nemesis's face.
"Hello," she squeaked, her cheeks still red even then, her heart still thumping in her chest.
Alaric stared at her, his eyes narrowing with a question. "What was that?"
"Uhh—I like the hooded bat shirt. Let's definitely get that. Did you find any clothes for yourself?"
"Yes. What was that kiss?"
She looked away and crossed her arms behind her back, holding the shopping basket there as her lip jutted out in a pout.
"I…I…I'm just…"
Suddenly a wave of inspiration hit her. "I'm evil!"
Her partner cocked his head at that. "Well, yes. I know. But—"
"If I told you the reason, it would…it would…betray the full extent of my cruel plan!"
Alaric actually smirked at her. Shit. He was on to her, there was no doubt about it. "You are skilled in the art of seduction," he said at last, making her heart beat even harder.
She felt a powerful sensation inside—like butterflies flapping their wings against the lining of her stomach. But then he continued.
"I won't fall for your tricks. There is no way the Vampire Queen of Wallachia can be this adorable. You are using some manner of profane magic to disguise your vile mannerisms with sweet ones and increase your physical attractiveness. I will not befall your witchery."
Vladira's jaw dropped with sheer awe. He was dumb. Hot, but dumb. Or maybe just too in doctrinated to realize that Vladira was just a woman in the end.
But no—she was the dumb one for even thinking that. He was right, wasn't he? If not for the bloodbond connecting their souls, this wouldn't be happening.
She wouldn't be having these profoundly deep and uncompromising feelings.
Maybe…she should just…tell him?
"Alaric," she murmured, her face tightening as she spoke his name. "I think I need to explain—"
He held up a hand to stop her. "The time for conversation will be when we are alone in our room at the Weekend Inn. Let us finish buying what supplies we need and get on with our evening."
She smiled slightly at that, feeling like she'd been let off the hook.
"Very well."
———
Alaric's head was spinning from the confusing events that had just taken place, but there was no time for that nonsense.
There was still much to do tonight. He had to see about the Pump N' Go's job opening and learn about its recruitment process. He had to get some food in his stomach.
He also had to, regrettably, procure a coffin for Mrs Dracula.
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as they passed aisle after aisle. For some reason, she was all he could focus on.
That…kiss. It was unexpected and seemed so pure compared to what he'd imagined a first kiss with a vampire might be like. And yes—he had imagined it. In fact, he
didn't have to imagine.
On more than one occasion, he'd pretended to allow himself to be seduced by vampire women in the hopes that they would take
him back to their covens.
But Vladira, of course, was an entirely separate entity when compared to the garden variety bloodsucker. She was like a
goddess in comparison.
The word seemed apt for her. Her power, her grace, her beauty—and now, her odd charm.
She had a hold over him, and he had to watch himself from this moment on. He couldn't be found vulnerable like that again.
They bought clothes, food, and some utensils and appliances they gathered would be useful. In the closet of their room he also discovered an automatic cooking device known as a microwave.
The machine fascinated him, but there was one more thing, even more powerful, that they were missing.
"We need cellphones eventually," Vladira said. "You know the device I'm speaking of, yes?"
He nodded, gesturing at a woman waiting in a cashier line who was looking at her own phone.
"Yes. But why do we need them?"
"Well—So I can call you when you are away for too long," she said, her cheeks reddening again.
"If you are delayed at work, I could see myself worrying." He saw her cheeks take on this color earlier, shortly after she'd
kissed him, and here it was happening once more.