In the heart of a dense forest filled with towering, ancient trees, there stands a slightly gloomy and imposing mansion. It is a place the residents of the nearby town avoid at all costs, perhaps because it seems abandoned and haunted, or simply because they know the mansion is frightening, as is its inhabitant and owner. Alucard, who appears to be a young man, extremely attractive but distinct from others, values his solitude and peace above all. At this moment, he's not feeling particularly hospitable.

"Damnation!!!" Alucard mutters under his breath upon hearing an odd noise emanating from the vicinity of his stately home. Stroking his hair in annoyance, he exits the bath, irritated that his serenity has been disturbed. "Who dares interrupt my awakening?"

Occasionally, he grows weary of humans and opts for a few years of rest without any contact. Now, just hours after coming out of a decade of absolute silence, his tranquility is disrupted, arousing his curiosity. In his three hundred years of life, no one had dared to venture into his domain, and yet the roaring sound of a speeding car now disrupts the entire place.

Nicole is driving her vehicle at high speed between trees, her face showing amusement as her passenger friend, Susana, becomes increasingly uncomfortable. They have just left a big party, and Susana does not handle her alcohol well, much to Nicole's delight.

Susana is a simple girl, somewhat naïve, accustomed to believing in people's kindness and attempting to live her life peacefully and joyfully like thousands of youngsters around the world. Still living with her parents, she has a job, an enviable boyfriend, and of course, friends... as one would expect.

Nicole, one of Susana's regular acquaintances, is quite different; she's narcissistic, prideful, and often does not hesitate to do what it takes to get what she wants.

"Nicole... I think I can't take it..." Susana's head is spinning, her stomach churning. Without a doubt, if the bumpy road continues, its contents would soon spill out unannounced. "Why didn't we take the usual road?"

"This shortcut will get us home faster." Nicole grins mischievously, plunging deeper into the dark and foreboding forest. "I think you drank too much."

"Why did you... always insist... on me drinking!" Susana articulates slowly, feeling another spasm in her belly. "Maybe it'd be best to stop the car just for a few seconds."

"You're right!!!" Nicole abruptly stops, and with a wry smile, she steps out of the car towards Susana. "Getting some fresh air is best." She pulls her out of the vehicle, pushing her forcefully into the depth of the forest. "You really do look unwell..." Watching her party partner, she simply states with a sinister smile, "Stay here!!! I'll go get help."

"What?" Susana immediately loses her balance but feels relief from the stomach spasms. Embracing the calm of her body and the cool breeze, she finally allows herself to relax, oblivious to Nicole's words. She simply closes her eyes, enjoying the easing of her stomach and body. "I... really... shouldn't have drunk so much..." She lies there, her body and mind at ease.

Unaware, Susana has been left behind by Nicole in a cold and dark place.

Alucard notices a car driving away at high speed, leaping from among the trees, he closely observes the abandoned figure. The girl is young with a lovely face and long golden hair. Kneeling beside her, he admires her slim body, her long and graceful legs. Drawing a deep breath, he senses she's alive with a delightful scent. Immediately, his fangs tingle, and a robust thirst awakens. Perhaps the humans had left him a welcoming gift, an offering of thanks. After all, he had been benevolent to them, taking no human lives during his feedings in the years leading up to his rest. Caressing her soft face, he notices the moan of pleasure that escapes from her luscious lips and, at that moment, he captivates them with a kiss that begins tenderly and turns possessive. She is sweet, soft, responding timidly to each caress of his tongue, and he desires more from her. Placing something comfortable on the cold earthen ground, he sets her down carefully, slowly removing her clothes, admiring every inch of her shivering skin for a few moments. Her eyes, glazed, willingly submit to his every caress and innocent passion, moaning with pleasure. And he, without hesitation, provides what she needs, indulging in her body and blood. After all, she is now in his territory and therefore belongs to him.

Hours pass, and the moon gives way to the majestic sun. Susana groans at the pleasant warmth on her skin and quickly opens her eyes, stretching languidly.

"Good heavens!!! It's as if I've been hit by a truck..." Groaning, Susana rubs her forehead; her head aches, as do certain parts of her body. Glancing around, she tries to understand why her room is so bright that morning. Gasping, she nearly runs out of breath upon realizing she's not at home but amidst trees and bushes. "My God!!! How did I end up here?" As she searches for any sign of her whereabouts, she spots her dress in the bushes. Checking her body, her breath catches in her throat. She's naked with a bloodstain on a carefully laid wolf pelt, as if it protected her from the cold, dirty forest floor. "But what happened here?" Blushing, she grabs her crumpled dress, trying to remember the night's events, but there's no memory. "Where's Nicole?"

Searching the area for her purse or cell phone and finding nothing, she becomes a bit scared, getting to her feet, vigilant of every bush and tree as she dresses. As she straightens her wrinkled clothes, she notices the dried blood on her skin and the furry animal-shaped blanket spread on the ground in that secluded spot.

Biting her lip, she runs toward the dirt road that leads out of the forest, sensing that her life will never be the same again, both in body and mind.

Walking through the trees, Susana tries to find the main road that leads to the city. She still didn't understand what had really happened the previous night, having no idea how she ended up in that place. Her last memory was of Nicole drinking and dancing at the party they were invited to. Spotting a car in the distance, she steps into the middle of the road, waving her arms. Finally, the car stops, giving her the much-needed help.

"Thank you so much, sir..." Susana immediately says as she gets out of the man's car who was kind enough to help her. Looking at her front door, she simply sighs before entering. "How am I going to explain what happened last night?" Entering slowly, she tries to imagine something that would justify her absence from her bed. But how? She had drunk so much that she hardly remembered anything.

"My daughter!!!" Susana's mother immediately rushes towards Susana. "Can I know what happened to you?" She observes her daughter from head to toe and immediately becomes worried. "I was so worried. Why did you come so late? And why is your dress so dirty?"

"I went out with Nicole... remember, Mom?" Susana tries to sound firm, without stumbling over her words, but with no success. "Then... as the party went on... well..." She had to come up with something logical. Only Nicole could tell her what really happened after they left that party. She needed to talk to her as soon as possible. "I thought it would be better to stay at her place... that's it..."

"And you couldn't have let me know?" Her mother sighs disappointed.

"Sorry, Mom..." Susana speaks nervously, not wanting to answer any more questions. Heading to her room, she adds, "I'm going to sleep for a bit, we'll talk later."

"Be careful, my daughter, you're not married yet..." Susana's mother sighs frustrated. "Andre may not like these late-night outings." Taking a deep breath, she adds, staring at her firmly. "Be mindful of your reputation, you're still very young."

"I know, Mom!" Susana bites her lip anxiously. She had met Andre during a job interview, and since that day they had never really separated. She should have been careful not to hurt him. "Don't worry, everything's fine."

She lied with every tooth in her mouth, but now she had to do it until she could talk to Nicole. Only she knew what could have happened and nobody else.

Throwing herself onto the bed, she becomes pensive for a few seconds. Her body tingles as the image of a stunningly beautiful man appears in her mind. Without even realizing it, she slides her fingers along the curve of her neck. Her whole body feels sensitive at that moment, and the sensations are only noticeable when she imagines that stranger touching her so intimately. Blushing intensely, she jumps out of bed and runs to the bathroom. She needed to forget that night, to pretend that nothing had happened and move on with her life, but before that could happen, she had to talk to Nicole to understand what really happened.

After a relaxing shower, Susana wraps a towel around her body and another on her hair. Looking around, she realizes that her purse was hanging on the hook behind her bedroom door. The night before, her friend had insisted so much that she go to that party that she had dragged her out of the house with only the dress and shoes she had on. Taking a deep breath, she takes out her phone ready to call Nicole but, at that moment, it rings.

"Hi, love." Susana takes a deep breath upon hearing her boyfriend's voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, everything's fine!" Andre smiles widely upon hearing his girlfriend's soft voice. "How about we have lunch together today?"

"I'm sorry, Andre." Susana bites her lip anxiously, not wanting to hurt her boyfriend, but before being with him, she had to figure out who that stranger was from the previous night. "I'm not feeling well."

"What do you mean?" Andre immediately becomes worried. "Did they call the doctor?" His tone of voice changes, as do his plans for the afternoon. "I'll come by and take you to the hospital, no problem."

"Thank you, love," Susana smiles weakly. "But it's not necessary." Sighing, she throws herself back onto the bed. "I think I just need to rest, I drank too much at Nicole's party yesterday."

"I know how manipulative she can be," Andre shakes his head, laughing.

"Okay then," Andre sighs, frustrated that he wasn't with her that night. "Rest." The day he laid his eyes on her, it was love at first sight, but his work now took up most of his time. "See you later."

"Yes, until later," Susana says affectionately. "A kiss."

The call ends and Susana covers her face with a pillow to disguise the shriek that immediately escapes her throat. The frustration she felt in that moment was so overwhelming she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to lie to Andre, but she also couldn't tell him what had happened when she didn't even have a clue herself. Lost in these thoughts, she almost falls off the bed when suddenly, a loud noise breaks the silence of the room.

"Mom!" Susana's eyes widen as she sees her mother burst into her room. "Do you want to give me a heart attack?" She almost broke the door when it hit the wall.

"Where is it?" Susana's mother asks anxiously, holding a broom ready to be used as a weapon.

"What are you talking about?" Susana is confused, imitating her mother as she looks around her room carefully and cautiously.

"The cockroach!" Susana's mother huffs as if it's obvious. "You only scream like that when there's a cockroach in your room."

"Oh... well..." Susana bites her lip, embarrassed. Walking quickly, she takes the broom from her mother's hands. "Sorry, mom, there's no cockroach."

"Then what happened?" Susana's mother furrows her brow, staring at her curiously.

"Well..." Swallowing nervously, Susana laughs awkwardly. "I bumped my little toe... on the corner of the cabinet."

Susana watches as her mother shakes her head and walks away from her room. She didn't want to worry her, knowing that one day she would have to take responsibility for all these lies, but for now, she was the only one who needed to worry about the consequences of her actions, not... her mother.

Chapter 3

Nicole had been anxious ever since she arrived home. She paced back and forth, glancing at the clock, waiting for the right time to call Andre. As each hour passed, her hope grew stronger that her path would finally be clear. Susana wouldn't be able to handle spending the cold night in that dark and desolate place; she would eventually die of hypothermia and thus end the pretense. Nicole couldn't stand that brat always smiling, always happy, being close to her.

Sighing once again, Nicole threw herself onto the sofa, stretching her voluptuous body, fixing her gaze on the window. She finally noticed the sun replacing the moon and immediately grabbed her cellphone. She had to catch Andre before his morning training session so that soon he would be hers and hers alone, forever.

"Good morning, Andre," Nicole exclaimed ecstatically.

"Good morning, Nicole," Andre replied, surprised. "Did you fall out of bed?"

"Well...," Nicole chuckled forcefully. "I was thinking about going to the cinema today. There's a good movie coming out and I have extra tickets."

"I'm sorry, Nicole," Andre replied immediately, sounding apprehensive. Putting his cellphone on speaker, he sat at the edge of the bed, preparing to put on his running shoes. "We won't be able to go. Susana isn't feeling well." He picked up the cellphone again, curious. "I thought you knew, after all, you two were together at that party...or weren't you?"

"Oh yes, we were," Nicole said, avoiding grinding her teeth with the anger building inside her. "But after that, we went our separate ways and I never heard anything else." Punching a pillow, she tried to calm herself as she added, "But tell me...what's going on? Is it serious?"

"I don't think so," Andre replied with a smile. "Probably just a bad hangover." Nodding his head, he added, "After all, she can't handle drinking, and you..." He used a slightly accusatory tone. "You knew that."

"Well..." Nicole immediately blushed. He couldn't be against her, not now. "I didn't exactly force alcohol down her throat..." Trying not to be too rude, she sounded slightly amused as she added, "But I admit I encouraged her to let loose." Taking a deep breath, she pretended to be a bit flirtatious. "Oh Andre, you have to admit, she doesn't know how to have fun."

"Nicole..." Andre simply rolled his eyes. "Susana is a simple girl. She likes tranquility, peace." His words showed affection, adoration. "You are complete opposites." He smiled widely. "But don't worry, I'll spend the afternoon with her."

"Alright then," Nicole feigned satisfaction in her voice. "Tell her I'll call later to see how she's doing."

"Will do," Andre finally declared, getting ready to leave the house. "See you later."

"Goodbye for now." Nicole sighs in frustration. As soon as she realizes the call has ended, her phone flies against the wall. "Damn it!!!! How is this possible?" She paces back and forth, anger consuming her body, soul, and heart. "That damn woman survived after all the work, all the planning." Picking up one of the flower vases from the table, she explodes again, screaming, "Damn her!!!" Taking a deep breath, she tries to dispel the feeling that is eating away at her, but it's difficult. "I can't understand..." Putting her hands on her head, she abruptly stops, trying to think about what may have gone wrong. "With that delicate dress, with so many wild animals in that dark and frightening forest, nothing happened to her?" She clenches her teeth as she looks at the broken screen of her cellphone. "But does that brat have a lucky charm tattooed on her ass?" Heading towards her room, she looks at the wardrobe, grabbing numerous designer dresses she owned. "But if she thinks I'm giving up, she's mistaken," she mutters, choosing the most revealing and sexy dress she had, smirking confidently. "Maybe a surprise visit to her boyfriend will change his mind about going to the movies."

While Nicole gets lost in her thoughts and diabolical plans, suddenly the silence of her room is interrupted by the sound of her cellphone. Raising an eyebrow, surprised that it still works, she rushes to the living room to check the screen, which immediately shows a great disdain.

"Susana! My friend!" Nicole grits her teeth, her eyes sparkling with anger as she observes the screen, a tone that doesn't match her friendly voice. "Are you alright?"

"Well... not exactly," Susana sighs deeply. "Can you explain what happened last night?"

"Last night we went to a party, don't you remember?" Nicole declares with false innocence.

"Yes, I remember," frustrated, Susana questions again. "But after that, when we left, why didn't you take me straight home?"

"What do you mean?" Nicole becomes apprehensive and quickly feigns indignation. "You said you wanted to walk home... alone."

"Seriously?" Susana ponders for a moment. "I don't remember very well..." Embarrassed, she adds, "I drank too much, and my memory fails me..." Biting her lip, she remembers the attractive stranger who touched her and gave her pleasure like she had never felt before. Taking a deep breath in defeat, she says, "I wanted to try to understand some things that happened."

"But why?" Nicole's soul flares up upon hearing those words. "Did something happen to you?"

"Oh no, nothing happened!" Susana immediately declares in panic, blushing completely. "I'm fine, just with a little headache."

"Oh, good..." Nicole can't help but show her disappointment. "It's probably just a hangover."

"Probably..." Susana agrees, taking a deep breath. "We'll talk later, Nicole. I need to rest for a bit."

"Okay!" Nicole tries to be friendly. "Get well soon."

Hanging up the phone, she throws it again, this time with more force against the wall, completely destroying it.

"Damn it!!!!!" Nicole screams, exasperated.

Susana is too fine for a night outdoors, and worse, there's a feeling that something happened and there's no way to find out unless she confesses. Huffing, Nicole grabs her purse and takes out the SIM card from her broken phone. It's time to go shopping; it always relaxes her. Maybe with a clear mind, she can devise another foolproof plan this time.

"Susana, Susana." Nicole knocks on the door of her apartment. "Enjoy this peace while you can beca... Next time, I won't fail."