I was right – the new black Porsche in Panera’s front parking lot is Blake’s. He holds open the door for me and starts the car, driving quickly yet controlled.

After just over ten minutes I see my apartment building on the right – grayed and peeling siding, dead brown grass sticking out from under dirty snow piles, and old pop cans littered around the front yard. It’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere – surrounded by cornfields and over five miles away from the nearest city. We drive right by my small apartment complex. “Umm . . . Blake? We just drove by it,” I say, waiting for him to pull a U-turn.

Instead, he keeps driving straight. “I know.” Blake murmurs, eyes focused on the road. I’m confused – why aren’t we turning around?

“Then why aren’t we-”

“Serendipity, I’m not going to take you home,” Blake cuts me off calmly. “I’m going to bring you to where you truly belong.”

I struggle to understand his words. “You’re . . . kidnapping me?”

“In the general sense of the term, yes.” He replies bluntly. “But, you must know that it is not my intention to hurt you. I just want t-” I don’t get to hear what he wants though, because I deliver a quick blow to his cheek, causing him to swerve sharply into a nearby tree.
Luckily, the impact was small; we sideswipe the small cedar at only about 20 mph. The jolt is enough to shock us both, though, and I have just enough time to leap out of the car and start across the vacant road before I hear a string of loud swear words behind me. Despite the fact that I can run a mile in less than five minutes (four fifty-three, to be exact), I only make it a couple of steps before I am suddenly flat on the snowy ground, both arms pinned above my head.
Blake’s strong hands encircle my thin wrists, and his face is only inches away from mine. “Let me go!” I scream as loudly as I can, hoping that someone sees or hears me. “Help! Let me-” A warm hand covers my mouth firmly, and I choke slightly.
“It’s useless to struggle, Serendipity,” Blake says seriously. I squirm and kick as hard as I can. “Just stop fighting me!” I finally bite down on Blake’s hand – the one over my mouth.
“Help! I’m over here! Plea-” I manage to get out before Blake covers my mouth again, this time with his warm lips. My body goes slack as he kisses me deeply, sitting up and pulling me into his muscular chest in one fluid motion. I’ve never felt this way while kissing someone before – I feel so whole. As if I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life.
Blake twists his fingers in my long, snow-filled hair and our tongues meet as I return his kiss. Our kiss grows more passionate by the second, and I feel as though I can’t get close enough to Blake. I never want this to end.
It does end though, and too soon. We both sit gasping for a minute, and I lean my forehead against his hard chest. It’s obvious that neither of us has expected that.
Blake helps me stand up after a minute, and we walk to the car in silence. There’s no way I can get away from him. It’s just not physically possible – he’s too strong, too fast. Right now, I’m not even sure if I want to run away any more.
Blake holds open the door for me again and hands me a fluffy green blanket that he pulls out of the trunk. I quickly fall asleep to the easy rhythms of the moving car, tired from a long day of stress and adventure.
.

.

.
“Serendipity,” There’s hot breath on my neck, a warm hand on my shoulder. “You can wake up – we’re stopping for the night.” I sit up and open my caramel eyes slowly, blinking, and take in our location. I’m on a comfortable king-size bed with cream and maroon sheets, comforter, and pillows.
“Where?” My voice is scratchy from unused during my nap. My head is pounding and I feel sick to my stomach. I look at the digital clock on the nightstand – 9:12 p.m. I must have slept for a long time.
“The Hotel de la Montagne in Montreal,” Blake says quietly, watching my face curiously.
This takes me a minute to process. “Montreal . . . Canada?” Blake’s short nod confirms my question. Why the heck are we in Canada? And how did I get on this bed?
Blake sits next to me on the bed, taking one of my hands in both of his. “Do you feel okay, Serendipity? Do you feel sick at all? Nausea, headache . . .?” I nod and pull the covers all the way up to my chin with one hand. Suddenly I’m freezing cold.
Blake notices my shiver and puts a hand to my forehead. “S***, you’re burning up.” He releases my hand and stands up, moving over to a large duffel bag on the creamy carpeting and digging around in it. “D*mn, I didn’t think it would happen so fast.” Blake mutters under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear.
He brings me a glass of cold water and a couple of pretty red pills that I don’t recognize. “Take these – you’ll feel better.” I almost refuse to take the strange pills, but Blake’s expression looks genuinely concerned as he watches me swallow the pills and chase them with the cool water. The effects are almost immediate. My headache and nausea go away and I feel less dizzy.
“What were those?” I ask, shocked. Tylenol and Advil have never really worked for me when I get headaches.
“They’re . . . um . . . special pills,” Blake says evasively, and promptly changes the subject. “So, Serendipity, when exactly is your birthday?” The question catches me a little off-guard - why does he want to know my birthday all of a sudden?
“April ninth,” I answer truthfully and watch his expression grow increasingly worried. “Blake, why do you want to know my birthday?”
“Oh, no reason,” He practically ignores my question. This p*sses me off.
“Blake, stop it!” I explode. “I need some answers here! In case you haven’t realized – you’ve kidnapped me, brought me to some random Canadian hotel, and fed me strange pills and you haven’t explained any of it!”
“You’re right, Serendipity,” Blake says. “I’m sorry, it’s just – you aren’t going to like my answers.” I wait patiently for him to continue, gently squeezing his warm hand. Blake brings up his dark brown eyes to meet mine. “Serendipity Blythe Lanier, you are a vampire.”