My Vampire Hero

By Elaine Waldron

Nineteen-year-old Jennifer Lundy, daughter of Reverend John Lundy, made the mistake of running away for three days with her boyfriend when she was sixteen. Once the apple of her father’s eye, now he no longer listens to her and doesn’t believe her when she tries to tell him that her present boyfriend, Robert Johnson – who has brown-nosed his way into being her father’s right hand man in his church – is not quite what he puts on to be. Outside the church and away from her father, Robert is controlling, belligerent and abusive. Jennifer is desperate to have her father believe, her. Although her mother, Ruth, knows she is telling the truth, she is so ingrained in her ways that it is difficult for her to speak out for her daughter. She tries, but he doesn’t want to listen. Then one day when Jennifer and Robert get into an argument in a local 7-Eleven everything begins to change. Daniel Forest comes in for a six-pack and can’t get to the cooler door because they are blocking his way. When he asks them to move, Robert becomes belligerent with him and soon finds himself sliding down the other side of the 7-Eleven wall. Daniel pays for his beer and leaves, but Jennifer can’t get his face out of her mind. What’s more, neither can he forget her. She is the first human female he has been attracted to since he was turned. Daniel is a vampire.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elaine Waldron
• Release date: May 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476045092

Elaine Waldron

Elaine Waldron began her career as a novelist with Publish America, publishing her first two books with them. Aside from her novels, she has had numerous short stories published in various magazines and anthologies, such as Amazing Journeys and Trail of Indiscretion, winning best story based on cover art for issue #4. She was a newspaper journalist earlier on in her career, but shortly after leaving the newspaper, she began selling her short stories.Her favorite authors are: L.J. Smith, Stephen King, Stephanie Meyer, Jack Engelhard, and John W. Cassell. She enjoys Shakespeare and her favorite poet is Rainer Maria Rilke, and she mostly reads and listens to his works in German.She is an advocate for preserving our planet, believes in God, and recycles. Loves animals and has two cats.

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My Vampire Hero

Elaine Waldron

Copyright © Sandra Elaine Waldron

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A Symes-Mobberley House eBook

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Nine

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Eleven

Chapter One

Daniel Forest only wanted to grab a six pack of beer and a bag of chips from the 7-Eleven that was only a few miles down the highway from his cabin, but when he walked in, he couldn’t help but notice the pretty honey blonde, early twenties, arguing with a dark-haired man of approximately the same age, back by the beer cooler. Although he didn’t consider their argument his problem, they were standing smack in front of the cooler door he needed to open.

Excuse me, he said rather loudly, as they were practically screaming at one another.

Huh? The blonde whipped her head around, considering him with captivating eyes that were blue as the sky.

Jennifer! The guy yelled, not caring that Daniel needed to open the cooler.

Facing him, Jennifer insisted, I haven’t done anything wrong!

Don’t lie to me, you little bitch!

Daniel sucked in air, losing his patience. Excuse me! he bellowed this time. I need to open the cooler. Would you please move?

By then, the redheaded kid that was working the night shift came out from wherever he had been in the back. Seeing them, he shrugged apologetically to Daniel, but didn’t appear to be in any hurry to argue with the well-built, dark-haired fella.

Daniel held his palms out to his sides as though to ask the kid if he was going to do anything about the problem. The kid went to step up, but then the dark-haired man was suddenly in Daniel’s face. You’re interrupting my conversation with my girlfriend here, he said, scowling.

Your girlfriend? Daniel quipped. This is how you talk to your girlfriend?

The dark-haired man grabbed a fistful of Daniel’s shirt. I’ll talk to my girlfriend any damn way I please!

Seriously? Daniel asked. You really want to do this? His eyes trailed down to the man’s hand holding his shirt.

What? You may be tall, but you don’t look so tough to me.

Unmoved, Daniel held his gaze, It is your business, if you want to argue with your girlfriend… he glanced at her. He almost felt sorry for her. She did look kind of helpless. He focused back on the man that still had hold of his shirt. "And you coming between me and my beer is another, but you do not want to grab my shirt!"

Just did! the man scoffed. What’d ya gonna do about it, fucker?

Daniel’s eyes darted off for a second and he cracked a big smile as though he found something amusing and stretched his neck, and then glanced around the store before bringing his eyes back to the dark-haired fella. You really want to know?

Yeah… Bring it!

The pretty blonde spoke up. Don’t do this, Robert! She looked worriedly to Daniel. Apparently, she feared for him.

She feared for the wrong man.

Before anyone could see what happened, Robert was slammed against the wall on the far side of the store, knocking the magazine display over, and then he kind of wilted to the floor.

Eyes huge, staring in disbelief, the girl just stood there. Oh my God!

The redheaded clerk was stunned, too. Took a couple of steps back.

Daniel lifted the blonde up by her shoulders and gently sat her on her feet to the side of the door, so he could reach in and grab his beer. He held the beer up for her to see. Thanks! And I know it’s your business, but I suggest you get a new boyfriend. One who knows how to treat a pretty young lady…Believe it or not, you can do a lot better. He whirled around then and walked up to the counter by the front door.

The clerk stood there frozen, speechless. A dark spot appeared in the crotch of his pants.

Daniel sat the beer on the counter. Want me to pay for this? Or not?

The redhead bobbed his head and rushed behind the counter; hands shaking visibly as he rang Daniel’s beer and chips up.

Daniel paid for his purchases, smiled encouragingly at the young clerk, and then walked over to the dark-haired man sitting in the floor, staring up at him, not looking so full of himself now.

Don’t touch me! He held up a palm. Please!

Jennifer came up to them, eyes on Daniel first, wondering, but she didn’t say anything. She focused on Robert. Are you okay? Not looking like she really cared all that much, but apparently felt she needed to ask.

I think so, he said, warily eyeing Daniel’s askance.

Daniel offered a hand to help him up.

He was leery but took it and was able to stand. I’m good, he said, obviously not wanting to antagonize Daniel in any way. Just gonna take Jennifer home.

Daniel nodded with a vague, smug grin. You do that. He turned to the girl. You might ought to seriously consider what I said…Especially if Robert doesn’t learn to treat you right.

She bobbed her head.

Evening all! He made a brisk exit and headed to his black Silverado and jumped in, but decided to wait a bit before going home, just pulling his truck out of the lot and around to the side curb; curious to see how Robert was going to treat Jennifer now. Her face had kind of fixed in his mind; something that didn’t happen often. Then, again, she was really pretty.

It wasn’t long and the couple walked out. Robert was ahead of her, leaving her trailing behind and to open her own door on the passenger side. She happened to glance his way, recognized him and smiled sweetly.

He liked the way her mouth tilted up on one side. Very attractive. He returned her smile, and then mumbled, Apparently, getting slammed against the wall hasn’t improved Robert’s manners. His focus remained on her as they pulled out, for she was still smiling at him. Robert didn’t seem to notice, face was forward, concentration elsewhere; probably on his pain and humiliation.

Daniel followed them, hanging back just a little, hoping not to be noticed by Robert, but was surprised to see that the young woman lived only about a city block from the store, just off the highway, and only a couple of blocks from a nondenominational church.

The house was a large, somewhat Victorian style home that he had passed many a time. He figured it had been built years ago before the highway had gone through. He also reasoned that she was living with her folks. He seriously doubted that a young woman her age would be living alone in such a large house.

She jumped out, blonde hair whipping in the strong breeze – something he found strangely attractive – yelling at Robert, who didn’t bother to walk her to the door.

It seemed they had not made up from their fight.

Daniel’s feelings weren’t hurt a bit.

After the woman let herself inside and Robert pulled away from the curb, Daniel followed Robert back to the highway but took a left where Robert took a right. He didn’t care where Robert lived. He headed back to his cabin in his own private neck of the woods. There, he would have a few beers, stuff his face with chips and then go hunting, as he had depleted his supply of blood he had pilfered from the local blood bank.

Blood was his true sustenance. He was a vampire.

He considered that Robert just didn’t know how lucky he was, for feeding from the jerk had definitely crossed his mind. Only, he didn’t want to bring attention to himself.

The young man in the 7-Eleven could definitely describe him, and if Robert were to mysteriously disappear now, fingers just might be pointed his way.

To kill the young clerk, however, did not occur to him, as he didn’t appear to be a day over nineteen; had his whole life ahead of him. No. That would go against Daniel’s grain. He did kill humans when he was really thirsty, but usually the creeps and thugs that roamed the streets at night, looking for homes to break into, gas stations to rob and women to rape. Of course, occasionally, he’d run into someone who really pissed him off. Anyone unfortunate enough to do that tended not to last too long.

He thought nothing of feeding from the slime of the world and draining them dry.

Robert, well, he considered marginal.

After finishing off three of his beers and a bag of Lay’s potato chips, he shrugged into his leather jacket, let himself out the back door of his cabin and zipped off, hoping to find someone he would consider appropriate to feed on. If not, he’d settle for a deer or a bear.

Jennifer cried half the night. What was wrong with Robert? It was as though he wasn’t the same man she had dated for the past year. They had met their last year at the local community college and hit it off right away. He had been so nice, attentive, and thoughtful. At least, that was the way he had come across.

Her folks liked him a lot, especially her father, who had his own church. Robert helped out at the church a lot, was practically her dad’s right arm, which made it difficult for her when she tried to tell him some of things she was learning about Robert that she didn’t like. What’s more, her history of screw-ups as a teenager hadn’t helped either. Her dad tended not to always believe her.

It was little things at first. Robert didn’t like Nancy, one of her girlfriends. Said she was a bad influence. So, Jennifer, reluctantly, quit hanging out with her. Then he didn’t want her working at her part time job with the local Denny’s; said the crowd that hung out there was too rough.

To keep peace with Robert, she landed a job at a Dairy Queen, which he didn’t like much better, but she let him know she had to work someplace. She couldn’t expect her parents to pay all her bills, as well as let her live with them. She was nineteen years old and not only wanted, but needed, to be self-reliant.

Now, he was accusing her of seeing her boss, Larry Evans, behind his back. Larry was married! He and his wife had two sons under five years old. Dating Larry had never even crossed her mind.

Robert, being the green-eyed monster he’d become lately, was convinced she was sleeping with him!

Suddenly, the face of the man who had all but pulverized Robert with a mere flick of his wrist came vividly to mind. She had been so upset with Robert that she hadn’t let herself think about him much, but somewhere in the depths of her mind his face had registered. Now that she thought about it. He was really good-looking: piercing hazel eyes that favored yellow; wavy brown hair cut just a couple of inches above his shoulders; sides brushed back, causing it to curl slightly under his ears, while very becoming bangs fell over the left side of his forehead.

Jeeze! she said to herself, amazed that she could recall him so vividly.

He was tall – she guessed to be around six-foot-three – and slim, with a tight muscular frame.

Wondering if she would ever run into him again, she hoped that she would not be with Robert. With that realization, her hand went to her mouth. I don’t believe I just thought that!

Robert spent the rest of the night fuming; had bruises all over his backside and probably a mild concussion, but he didn’t want to go to the hospital. He figured if he just took it easy for a day or two, he’d soon get back in shape. It would be the perfect time to let Jennifer have a couple of days to think about things. He considered that, by then, she would be begging him to take her back. Not that they’d ever really broke up, but they had parted under heated circumstances.

Giving her the cold shoulder had always worked before when he wanted something from her. He figured it would work again. What’s more, she had to feel sorry for him. After all, that idiot had damn near broken every bone in his body, and probably would have, had he thrown him any harder. That was another thing. He wondered at the guy’s strength. Sure, the man was taller than he and well-built, but he wasn’t any wimp, either. Until the incident in the 7-Eleven, he’d never lost a fight in his life. When he thought about it, though, it really wasn’t a fight. He never once swung at the guy. In fact, he wasn’t even quite sure at what moment he was picked up and hurled through the air. He just knew that he had been. It had happened so fast and unexpectedly.

It wouldn’t happen again.

Nope. He was determined that if he ever ran into that mother-fucker again he’d be ready for him. He had eased up on his trips to the gym, but wouldn’t anymore. He’d get back on his high protein diet and work out every day. It wouldn’t take long and he’d be in top shape again.

Chances were, he’d never run into the guy again, but if he did, he would damn well be ready for him.

Ruth Lundy studied Jennifer, who was so unlike Beth, her older sibling, with a slight frown when she came into the kitchen. You look like death warmed over. You and Robert have another fight?

Jennifer frowned miserably and bobbed her head yes.

Her mother finished pouring herself a cup of coffee and offered Jennifer a cup.

Just orange juice for now. Maybe in a few minutes. She helped herself to a glass of orange juice and sat down to the table opposite her mother. Daddy preparing his sermon for tomorrow?

Doesn’t he every Saturday morning? Her expression changed. What did you fight about this time?

He wants me to quit my job at Dairy Queen.

Seriously?

Now, he thinks I’m seeing Larry.

Your boss? Isn’t he married?

Yes! Doesn’t matter. I’m not seeing anyone but Robert… Mom, I used to believe he was the sweetest, nicest man I ever met. Not lately. What has come over him?

Speaking softly now, Ruth replied, I know your father would heartily disagree with me. However, as much as I don’t want to believe Robert is really like that, I’m thinking that it is just possible that a lot of his goody-goodness is a bit of a ruse. I suspect that maybe Robert has always had some of these tendencies. He was simply hiding it from, not only you, but all of us. Then again, I could be wrong.

Dad really likes him, though.

Ruth snickered. Yeah…Your father is a good man, but he’s always been kind of a chump. Don’t tell him I said that though… For a clergyman, I do not believe he’s always realistic to the nature of some people. Robert is such a huge help at the church, it would be difficult to convince him otherwise.

Jennifer gave her mother a quizzical nod. You really think Robert could be faking all the goody-goodness?

Well… Maybe not all of it. I may have exaggerated just a bit. But you know what I’m talking about.

Yes. Just because Robert has volunteered to help out with so many things during the services, handing out the pamphlets and assisting the deacons, doesn’t mean he is perfect. But Dad seems to think he is. She took a sip of her orange juice and sat her glass down. When I tried to talk to him about Robert wanting me to quit my job at Denny’s, he sided with Robert. Robert convinced him that he was just looking out for my welfare.

Yeah. I told your father that I wasn’t so sure it was that simple. Of course, he didn’t listen to me either.

Mom, I don’t want to quit my job at Dairy Queen.

Then don’t. Stand your ground. Be more like Beth. She’s strong. She sat her coffee cup aside. Tell me, Jennifer. Are you still in love with Robert?

I don’t know. I thought I was… but then something happened last night, besides our fight, that made me wonder.

Oh? Curious, Ruth leaned in closer. Something you haven’t told me?

Jennifer bit her bottom lip, pondering. Yes. Something did.

I’m all ears.

Jennifer went on to tell her mother, in great detail, of the good-looking man that had knocked Robert against the wall, when he got in his face.

Really? Ruth asked; eyes wide with curiosity.

"Then he picked me up by my shoulders as though I were a bag of flour and sat me to the side. It was like it was effortless to him… And, Mom… He is really good-looking. When I first got home, I was still mad at Robert, but after a while, I kept seeing this guy’s face and thinking how drop-dead gorgeous he is. She shrugged. Should I be doing that if I am in love with Robert?"

I would think that maybe you are waking up to what you really want. That perhaps you’re not so enchanted by Robert anymore. And, seeing this guy under such circumstances –Well, he kind of got your attention. Maybe made you realize there might be someone out there better for you.

Jennifer finished off her orange juice. Well, I’ll probably never see him again. I won’t ever forget his face, though. If one can call a man beautiful, Mom? I tell you, he was beautiful.

Ruth grinned. Yes. Some men are, as you say, beautiful. I used to think your dad was beautiful…and in some ways he still is, to me. In spite of his bald spot. She smiled kiddingly.

You’re still in love with him.

That I am. Don’t believe that will ever change.

I hope it never does, either. She stood. Guess I’ll get that coffee now. Then I need to get ready for work. Robert’s working at the store this morning, so I don’t have to worry about him insisting on giving me a ride. I don’t remember when I drove my own car to work last.

I was beginning to wonder why you even bought it, Ruth said and stood too. I think I’ll go see how your father is coming along with his sermon.

Please don’t tell him about my fight with Robert.

Mum’s the word, hon. Ruth walked out of the room.

During lunchtime, Robert texted Jennifer and asked to see her after work. Still very upset with him, she said she just wanted to go home when she got off. Of course, he took it the wrong way, accusing her of seeing someone else behind his back; strongly suggesting that it was her boss. She told him to take a long walk off a short pier and not to bother her anymore. That did it. He showed up at Dairy Queen just as she was getting off at six, practically colliding with him when she walked out the door.

What the hell are you doing here? she gasped, staring up into angry eyes.

Just making sure you’re not leaving with Larry.

You’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me!

Not trusting her, he pulled open the door and glanced inside. Sure enough, Larry was running around behind the counter, trying to keep abreast of his employees and their workload. Robert closed the door and grunted.

You’re such an idiot! Jennifer blurted and headed off to her black Ford Focus.

Right behind her,