Before you got eaten

Accidents occurred, but only in the movies. Why did this happen to her? She shouldn't complain, even though she was in the arms of the most handsome man. She felt light, as if he were holding her entire weight.

"He is so strong," she murmured as he raised his brows and stared at her. That's when she returned to her scenes and jerked upward while taking a few steps back, then whirled around, heart pounding.

Only to find herself face-to-face with the most intimidating guy she'd ever seen. Not just because he's hot—though he certainly was; he's also a vampire.

Still, there was something more to him, something different, powerful, and overwhelming, though she didn't have a clue what it was.

Was it his powers that lingered around him all the time?

What happened? She could have just asked. However, in this tension, she tried to look around in the ranks. Thank God no one was there to witness such a romantic scene.

Worse, those all-knowing eyes were already laser-focused on her, and Lauren was instantly scared that he could see everything she had tried so hard and so long to hide.

She tried to duck her head and tried to yank her gaze from his, but she couldn't. Lauren was enslaved by his gaze and hypnotised by the intense magnetism that washed over her in waves.

She should not, but somehow she did look down at the floor. Yeah, it was a more important and interesting thing than looking at his handsome face. Before it even got to her face, she was confused about what was happening.

"You shouldn't use this stool here," a deep, baritone voice echoed in the ranks. She looked up and caught him staring at her.

"Huh?"

A vampire is talking to me? Lauren thought and craned her head up.

He was grinning, one corner of his mouth turning up in a crooked little smile that Lauren felt in every single cell, which only made it worse because that smirk said he knew exactly what kind of effect he was having on her and, worse, that he was enjoying it.

Not understanding what he referred to. Although his statement was obviously about the stool, she had obviously lost consciousness for some time.

"I'm referring to the stool," he informed, reaching past her and picking up the fallen stool.

He pointed it out for her to see: "You shouldn't use these loose stools. You are welcome to use the ladders if needed."

" However, why do you desire it?" He proceeded while taking the same book Lauren was attempting to take a moment ago. "Is this the book?"

He read the title: Rose's Last Wish. He shouldn't say anything more because Lauren had stopped her breathing too.

"Here you go," he passed the book and took the stool while putting it behind the rank. He turned over and came near her.

She clutched the book when he was quite close to her. He observed how little she appeared next to him. While she kept looking down, how scared was she?

"You know what happened in this book?"

"Uh, No-" She looked up, curious as to why he was questioning this. How could she have known if she hadn't read it before?

"In this book, she found the love of her life." Lauren stared at him and gulped, "Despite the problems in their way. They always stayed together. But what?" The words were low and rumbly and so close.

Yes, both of them were trying to be together. The end of the first series was not good enough. It made Lauren curious about what happened next. It was like a cliffhanger at the end that annoyed her.

Elliott didn't say anything more but kept staring at her. She should ask what happened next because she was quite curious to know what happened and why he was telling her this out of nowhere.

"W-what happened?"

Her eagerness made him answer her honestly: "She died in the end." She gulped air into her lungs.

He turned and let his back rest on the rank of the books. He said, "They promise to meet in the heavens again."

Elliott shrugged and continued, "Perhaps, they are not the stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy. He waited for that moment to come... the death, obviously."

"Why- why are you telling me this? I remember not asking you about this book at the first place." He didn't answer.

Elliott drank her in, his eyes raking over her slowly. She tried to ignore the immediate tension, the electricity humming in the air between them. She took a step back.

'I am falling to pieces in his gaze.' She confirmed.

"Gosh, it is hot out here," he murmured and looked away.

"No, it is September. How can it be hot in September?" Lauren narrowed her eyes at him. How could he say that, didn't he notice her packed in a ball of warm wool?

However, she couldn't help but ask. "Have you been to Valendia?"

"Yeah, the sun there is like fire."

"Well, the air here is like ice." Her hands went to hug her again, feeling the cold air pass where they stood.

"I don't mind. The sun is so different in the winter, and I adore it with my whole being." He seemed pleasant in appearance, with a warm smile on his lips and eyes that hadn't shone till now.

"Quite the poet, aren't you?"

"Speak for yourself," remarked Elliot, and Lauren could feel herself getting irritated with him at that moment.

"I need to go," she forced the words past a jaw. She didn't even know, she'd been clenching.

"Yeah, you do," he took a small step back, nodding toward the door she just walked through. "The door's that way." It was not the response Lauren was expecting, and it caught her off guard.

He shrugged, "It doesn't matter if it hits you or not as long as you leave this place. I warned your uncle you wouldn't be safe here, but he obviously doesn't like you much."

Anger flashed through her at his words, burning away the last of the numbness that had plagued her.

"Who exactly are you supposed to be anyway?"

"I am no one." He said calmly. "Now get the fuck out."

The last was said in a snarl that yanked her heart into her throat. But it also slammed her temper straight into hell.

"Are you out of stock of blood, or do you just simply act like this?" Lauren demanded.

Moving her milky hand and pointing towards him in a way that told how annoyed she was right now.

Completely forget that he was a vampire who could simply kill her right here and no one will be able to find out.

"Or is this simply your normal, charming personality?"

The words rushed out fast and furious before she even realised what she was going to say.

Lauren, on the other hand, did not regret her actions once they were done. How would she do that when shock flashed over his face, eliminating his annoying smirk?

"Go to hell."

"And leave you here alone?" Lauren smirked when he gritted his teeth.

She didn't know when she became so confident around a vampire like this. Maybe, she was always like this but didn't know that she had this ability too.

But now Elliott's eyes were moving, studying her. He looked at her with such intensity that she wondered if he was even aware he was doing it.

"Lauren," he mouthed the name, barely speaking at all.

He was pouring molten lava into her limbs and she never even knew she could melt straight to death. Being angry about something so insignificant and immediately melting because he called her name, which confused her.

"What?" Lauren managed to say, blinking upwardly and avoiding the eye contact.

There was silence for at least a minute. Then he fired back, "I've got to say, if that's the best you've got, I give you about an hour."

Lauren knew she shouldn't ask, but he looked so smug and serious, she couldn't help herself.

"Before what?" And now the word was quiet, nervous and terrified all at once.

Lauren took a step back to save her life. She registered the slight movement in the air between them.

"Before you get eaten by something, don't you know, or have you forgotten already what happened a week ago?"

The words hang in the air between them, dark and somber, but he didn't go. He didn't do anything but stand there, staring at her with tortured eyes.

"Seriously? That's what you decided to go with?" Lauren rolled her eyes. "Then," she took the courageous steps near him, almost staring into his eyes.

"Kill me!"