Joseph took a step back, retreating further into the beam of sunlight. This - this isn’t real! His heart thundered in his chest, his eyes struggled to focus, his legs shook beneath him. This can’t be real! A nightmare, that’s all it was! He’s been struggling to sleep, this was all the sleep deprivation! Maybe he was still asleep! Yeah, that was it! He’d have weird dreams sometimes, dreams that sometimes felt almost real at the same time!

Alíz growled deep in her throat, blood colored eyes focusing on Joseph. Her fingers twisted into claws, nails extending until they were long and almost as sharp as her fangs. She stalked closer, keeping safe from the light. “Close the curtain,” she growled, claws scraping together softly, “now.”

The world spun around Joseph, his knees threatening to buckle under the weight, “Wh-wh-” his voice failed him. He shook his head numbly, unable to fully process what was happening. He sucked in a breath, pressing a hand against the balcony door to keep himself from falling to the floor. Why wasn’t he waking up? Wake up! Wake up now!

Those blood colored eyes regarded him sleepily, mercilessly, “What’s wrong, Joseph?” Alíz growled, “Come…” her eyes bored into his, “here.”

Joseph sucked in a breath, his body locking up. This wasn’t a dream. He knew now what was happening. What had been happening. His eyes met her scarlet gaze, drawn in by the raging torrent of red, his mind slipping away from him the longer he stared, losing himself in her. He gasped as he tore his eyes away from hers, his body once again back under his control. All this time, she had been taking control away from him! She had been feeding from him!

He whimpered, memories flooding back. Last night, her eyes were red, and she bit into him. She’d done that almost every time they’d meet up. Even the first time they met, she put him under her spell.

“You…” Joseph managed, his throat tight and dry, “drank my blood!” he clutched a hand over his heart, pain flaring in his chest.

“I have,” Alíz admitted, pacing the ray of light Joseph hid in, “and you…” she bared her fangs in what could have been a smile, “have made me very hungry.”

He gulped, his legs finally giving way. Alíz lunged towards him, but Joseph managed to pull himself back …