Taken (Book #2 of the Vampire Legends). Emma Knight

       Chapter One

      Benji leaned towards Rachel and clasped her warm hands. He worried what she would say when he told her his secret. He wavered, trying to determine if he wanted to tell her the truth about himself, or make something up.

      He looked into her green eyes and with his free hand, brushed her hair from her face.

      “Swear again,” Benji said, his voice quivering. “Promise me you won’t tell.”

      “I swear. I swear,” Rachel replied, staring back at him with her large eyes.

      Benji took a deep breath and exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment. He had never shared his secret with anybody before, especially not a human, and he was working through an inner struggle, debating how to tell her. He looked around the covered bridge to make sure nobody else was around.

      He looked back at Rachel, still staring at him, and felt her hand get clammy. He knew she was getting more nervous with each moment of anticipation.

      “I’ve never told anybody this before,” Benji began. “I hope you will still think of me the same way after I tell you.”

      He stopped speaking, closed his mouth and swallowed. He felt his voice getting weak. He didn’t want to continue, but knew he had to at this point.

      “What is it? Just tell me already!” Rachel said.

      Benji inhaled. “I’m a vampire.”

      *

      Rachel stared back at him with a confused look on her face. He felt her warm hand slide out of his, as she took a step backwards. Silence filled the air as they both stood there, staring at each other.

      Benji didn’t know what to do. Should he tell her more, or should he wait for her to say something? He couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but it wasn’t the response he was hoping for. He was angry with himself for letting their relationship get this far, and angry that he told her his secret. He knew it was a bad idea all along, but she gave him no choice. He knew she would leave him if he hadn’t.

      Standing there on the covered bridge, Benji watched as Rachel began to shake her head in disbelief. She looked him up and down as if he were some sort of alien.

      “Vampire?” Rachel said. “Stop lying. Tell me the truth.”

      Benji didn’t know how to respond. He could tell her it was a lie and make up something else: something less scary and more believable. He thought for a moment but knew he had to stick to the truth.

      “I am telling you the truth. I’m a vampire. I haven’t been completely honest with you about everything, but I want to make it right now. I will tell you everything,” Benji said, looking at her, trying to read her changing expressions.

      Rachel took another step backwards and said, “No! This can’t be. Vampires don’t exist.”

      Benji could see her body begin to shake as she moved even further away from him. He wanted to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be OK, but he couldn’t get close to her.

      “Please hear me out,” Benji said, trying to salvage the remaining bits of their relationship. “I was born 3,000 years ago. I live in a castle, but have to flee when danger nears,” Benji said, trying to help Rachel make sense of it all.

      “Stop saying these things. You aren’t making any sense,” Rachel said, waving her hands in the air.

      “I told you I lived with my parents in a house near AHS, but I don’t. I don’t have parents and I don’t live in a house. I live at Lyndvia Castle,” Benji said.

      “This is crazy. I feel like I know nothing about you. I can’t do this,” Rachel said as she turned away.

      “Wait, let me finish. I won’t hurt you, I promise. I don’t feed on humans.”

      “Stop! Don’t come near me. I need to go now,” Rachel shouted as she began to walk quickly away from Benji and the covered bridge.

      Benji