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03. I may have to marry you.

"William, go on home early today, I've things to tend to," I said, pressing the intercom button, standing to gather my jacket before heading out of the door.

As I passed him, he gave me a knowing smile, telling me that he knew what I was going to do, whether I wanted him to know or not. I suppressed the urge I had to snarl at him and continued my walk to the elevator, looking down at my watch as I pressed the button for the sixteen-floor. 'I should still be good on time; she be won't be leaving yet.'

I looked around the elevator in disgust, making a mental note to have this elevator scrubbed. It was clear this was a public use elevator as there was some unknown substance on most of the buttons, the carpeting was covered in dirt and crushed, what I believe to be crackers, and filled with disgusting smells, one on top of the other. 'On second thought, scrubbing may not be enough to fix this mass of disgusting human filth. Maybe I should have them install a new one and set this one on fire. Or make them use the stairs. Worthless blood bags like this could use the exercise.' I thought, then pulled myself out of my thoughts as a newly familiar scent reached my nose. 'Mercy.'

As the elevator doors opened, Mercy rushed in, trying to juggle the files and a couple of poster tubes, while simultaneously trying to hold her phone on her shoulder. She didn't seem to notice me as she dropped a few of the rolls and groaned as she struggled to pick them up before the elevator doors could close. I leaned down and picked up the tubes for her, causing her to let out a small yelp, jumping in surprise as she hadn't noticed me before.

"Mr. Vincent, I'm sorry I didn't see you there!" She gasped out, trying to catch her breath as her heartbeat refused to slow down.

"It's quite alright, Mercy. Allow me to assist you." I said with a smile, holding my hand out for the rest of the tubes.

"Oh, no, Sir. You don't have to help me." She mumbled as she held her hand out for the rolls I'd picked up.

I pursed my lips and shook my head, refusing to give them back to her. "I insist. What kind of man would I be if I allowed you to struggle while I stand here, empty-handed?"

"Mercy Krysanthe, are you listening to me?" A high pitched woman's voice said from the other end of the phone, making me wince internally at the sound.

"Yes, mom. I'm still here. I just dropped some things. Can I call you back?" Mercy asked as she gave me a thankful smile, handing me the other three tubes she held, freeing her hands so she could focus on the stack of files and her phone.

"You will call me back when you get home. How are you getting home, by the way?" Her mother asked, her nasally high-pitched shriek driving me near the edge of my sanity, or at least the last shred of sanity that remained. 'I cannot believe this poor girl has had to live with a mother that has a voice like that.'

"I'm going to walk home, mom." Mercy responded with a sigh, rolling her eyes.

"NO!" Both her mother and I said at the same time, making Mercy's heartbeat speed up again as she gasped out, turning her attention to me. She looked up at me, her beautiful gold eyes wide with shock and confusion.

"Mr. Vincent, I can't allow you to do that. I live miles away, and it might take you out of your way to do so." She said, shaking her head, causing her long hazelnut hair to shake ever so softly.

"You cannot walk home alone at night. Not while I have a say in it, especially knowing you live miles away. No, I will drive you home, and that is not up for debate." I said firmly, crossing my arms to show my seriousness. The very thought of allowing this girl to walk home this late at night, and alone no less? I couldn't begin to consider allowing her to do something like that.

"Who is that? Don't you accept a ride from a random man. He might try to rape you or kill you." Her mom said.

"Mom!" Mercy exclaimed, her face turning bright red in embarrassment. "That's my boss, mom. I'll call you when I'm home. I love you." She added, then quickly ended the phone call, letting out a breath of relief when she put her phone in her back pocket.

"Mr. Vincent, you real-" She started to say, but I cut her off before she could finish what she was going to say.

"Do you not comprehend the meaning of; not up for debate, Mercy? It is happening, and nothing you say will change that." I snapped as the elevator doors opened on the ground floor. I began striding forward towards the exit but stopped halfway to the door when I heard Mercy's heartbeat getting fainter. I turned around to find that she was walking after me, but her small stature restricted her from being able to keep up.

'She's a small girl, Alaric. She cannot walk as quickly as you can.' I scolded myself as I waited for her to catch up. When she reached me a few moments later, I couldn't help imagining what it would be like when I held her in my arms. The little thing barely came above my abdomen, and she couldn't have been taller than 5'4, while I stood at 6'6. Though I could throw around any human being like a ragdoll, something about her diminutive stature turned me on.

"I'm sorry..." She said softly, trying to walk faster to keep up with me. Although I found it quite adorable watching her struggle, I slowed my pace so she wouldn't stress herself to keep up.

"Don't be. I apologize." I said as we arrived at the exit, where I held the door open for her. I was thankful that the parking lot was nearly empty due to the time of night it was, so no one could see Mercy getting into my car. This relief wasn't due to not wanting anyone to see us together, but with Mercy being a new hire, I knew if someone were to see us together, they might make her life much more difficult. "You are going home, does this mean you do not have your second job tonight?" I asked as I opened the passenger side door for her, waiting for her to sit before closing it softly.

"I do, but I need to change and drop everything off." She answered once I sat down next to her, starting the car. I hit the accelerator as I sped out of the parking lot, then reminded myself that I had a human next to me, so I let off and went the speed limit instead.

"How far is your workplace from where you live?" I asked, somehow knowing that I would not like the answer.

"A couple of miles." She responded softly, folding her hands in her lap, looking down.

"A couple, meaning what?"

"Four."

"And how far away do you live?"

"A little over six miles." She responded. Every time she spoke, her voice got a little softer until it was barely above a whisper. She knew I wouldn't accept, and was hesitant to answer. But she also knew that she couldn't ignore my questions either.

"And you planned to walk all that way?" I asked, holding back the growl that I felt coming to the surface. 'This girl will get herself killed, walking alone in a city like this.'

"Yes, Sir." She mumbled, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "Make a right turn here." She added, almost too late for me to make the turn.

I sighed and listened to her directions back home, driving in silence for a few minutes before saying anything more. "So, Mercy Krysanthe, huh?"

"Yeah, my mother is a very... creative woman." She giggled, showing deep, crater-like dimples that I hadn't seen before. "Wait, you heard that?"

"Unlike you, your mother is not a soft-spoken woman," I said with a soft chuckle. It wasn't a lie, as I'm sure any human man would have been able to hear both sides of the conversation just as I could. Though, perhaps, maybe not as well.

Mercy chuckled softly in response to this, her gold eyes alive with laughter as she shook her head with a shrug. After a moment, her face returned to seriousness as she looked over at me, biting her lip before speaking again. "Thank you for driving me home, Mr. Vincent."

"No need to thank me, Mercy. I'm doing as any man would."

"Well, not any man." Mercy responded under her breath, clearly not intending for me to hear it.

"Any man who wouldn't; has no right to call himself a man," I responded as I gripped the steering wheel. 'The things that could happen to this girl, walking over ten miles at night, are despicable. As are the men who would dare do such things. Though I can be quite a charlatan of a man, if the situation pushes me to be so, I could never sink so low as to be like the vile cretins that hide in the shadows, waiting to attack young unexpecting girls.'

"Mr. Vincent? Are you okay?" Mercy asked softly, her face full of worry as she peered at me, waiting for me to snap out of my thoughts.

"You do not need to call me, Mr. Vincent, Mercy. You can refer to me by my name, Alaric." I responded. I did enjoy hearing her call me in such a formal manner, but I knew that hearing her say my name would be much more sensual.

"Are you sure?"

"Quite," I said as we arrived at her apartment building. I looked up at the old and derelict building as I walked around the car, trying to hide my disdain as I opened her door. "I will wait," I said as I leaned against the hood of the vehicle, crossing my arms.

"Mr.- I mean, Alaric, you don't have to." She stuttered out in shock, waving her free hand back and forth. "That's too much. I can't ask you to do that. I'm sure you need to be getting home, anyways."

"You didn't ask me to, Mercy. I've nothing waiting for me at home, and I cannot allow you to walk there. You're wasting your breath arguing with me." I said as I looked down into her beautiful face, wanting nothing more than to pull her into my arms.

"Okay, well, would you like to come up with me? If you insist on driving me to work, I could at least invite you in." She said as she motioned to the building.

I had to hold back a chuckle as she said that, for if she knew what I was, she wouldn't have been so quick to invite me in. Though that rumor was false, and vampires did not need an explicit invitation to cross the threshold of another's house, it was funny nonetheless. "Sure," I said as I took the tubes from her and followed her into the building. We had to walk up to the top floor before we reached her apartment door, every floor making my already slim hope for humanity dissipate a bit further. Seeing a young woman like Mercy, living in a place like this, made me realize just how little hope humanity had.

"It's not much, but it's home." Mercy said as she unlocked her door, then stepped to the side to allow me to enter. I had to bow my head so as not to hit it against the frame as I entered her home.

I took a few steps forward, looking around before setting the rolls down on the small desk she had in the opposite corner of the living room. The apartment was little and much smaller than I could ever live. She had a small living space, a pitiful excuse for a kitchen, a cramped bathroom, and a bedroom barely big enough for her queen-sized bed and dresser. Though I suppose for a girl of Mercy's size, this space was not so cramped as it seemed to me.

I watched as Mercy went into the kitchen and pulled out a container from the fridge, then set a pan on the stove, pouring whatever it was into the pan. She stirred it for a few minutes while cooked, quickly bringing a pleasant smell wafting to my nose. 'I don't know what it is, but the smell alone makes me wish I had an appetite for human food, or a need to eat it.'

"Alaric, are you okay with spicy?" She asked me as she seasoned it, pausing before adding hot sauce.

"Mercy, you don't need to cook for me," I said with a shake of my head.

"You insisted on driving me home, and to work, the least I can do is feed you." She said as she returned the hot sauce to the fridge, then scooped the food into two bowls. She motioned for me to sit down at the table as she set down the bowls, then gathered forks and napkins, grabbing two bottles of water before she sat down across from me.

"Is this goulash?" I asked in shock, leaning down to inhale deeply. "I haven't had a homemade goulash in years!" I exclaimed as I grabbed my fork and took a big bite. It was even better than I expected it would be. And for a vampire who can barely taste human food, that was saying something. "Mmm, I may have to marry you," I mumbled as I continued to take big bites, wishing I could taste this in its full glory, as I knew that was the only thing that could make this any better.

Mercy watched me in amusement as I continued to eat as if I hated eaten in years, which was the truth as I hadn't eaten a bite of human food for over fifty years, then giggled as she stood and served me another helping. She had just begun to eat when her phone rang, making her groan in frustration. "I'm sorry I have to take this." She said as she went out onto her balcony, closing the door behind herself before answering the call.

"Hey, Mercy, I accidentally double scheduled you and Diana, and she really needs the hours, so you don't need to come in tonight." The man on the other side of the phone said, his voice ringing in amusement as he spoke.

'Why does this man enjoy denying this girl of the hours she needs to make a living?' I thought when I heard the laughter in his voice. I don't quite understand why, but it irked me to overhear it.

"Josh, I need the hours too!" Mercy exclaimed softly, the sadness in her voice awakening a protective nature that I wasn't aware I had inside of me. "This is the third night in a row that you've told me not to come into work. Is this because I wouldn't sleep with you?" When I heard her say this, I couldn't hold back the snarl that came from my mouth as I whipped around to look at her. She was sitting on the balcony, lighting a cigarette. The shakiness in her voice told me that she was trying hard not to cry and was fighting a losing battle in doing so.

Josh laughed and ended the call without giving her an answer. But I didn't need to hear the man say it, as it was quite clear that she was correct, and that was the exact reason he'd done it.

I waited until the call ended before stepping out on the balcony with Mercy, asking for a cigarette, and smoking it in silence for a few moments before I spoke, giving her the time to gather her thoughts. "Where do you work?"

"I work as a waitress at the dinner over on second avenue, but my boss just called to tell me that I don't need to come in tonight, but thank you for being willing to drive me, Alaric." She responded, attempting to hide her disappointment. If I hadn't heard the phone conversation, I wouldn't have known that she was incredibly upset.

"Thank you for the meal, Mercy. It was amazing, truly. I'll be going so you can enjoy the rest of your night in peace. I'll see you in the morning." I said as I smiled softly at her before leaving her apartment and making my way down to my car.

My drive lasted for about ten minutes before I finally arrived at my destination.

"I'm looking for Josh," I said to the hostess who greeted me when I entered the restaurant.

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