Fallen

Chapter 1: How Everything Began
A/N: Leorah Blake’s world gets turned upside down by the events of one fateful night. Will she escape with her life still in tact?

Leorah Blake padded around the dimly lit lab cleaning up after a long day of work. She placed the microscope covers over all of the microscopes one by one before placing the few loose test tubes that lay on the stainless steel countertop back into their place.

Taking off her crisp white lab coat she hung it carefully onto the coat rack that was nestled in the corner behind the door. Leorah took off her reading glasses as she finished shutting down the lab’s computer for the evening. Glancing at her watch she noticed it was nearly after ten at night. “Good lord I didn’t realize it was so late already! I need to get home.”

Grabbing her purse she fished her car keys out quickly. Leorah turned off the lab’s light and locked the door securely behind her. She didn’t try to mask the yawn that escaped her mouth as she trudged towards the elevator. Leorah leaned back against one of the walls in the elevator and let her smoky gray eyes slip closed for just a moment as she waited for her ride to the first floor to be over.

All too soon Leorah felt the elevator jerk to a stop signaling her arrival on the first floor of the hospital. With a heavy sigh she exited the elevator and walked across the lobby towards the main entrance and exit of the hospital. She waved a quick goodnight to the nurse that was behind the large desk that was known as the first floor nurse’s station as she headed out the front door.

Leorah padded across the well lit hospital parking lot to where she had parked her black Lexus IS300. She got about halfway across the parking lot when she was abruptly grabbed from behind. It happened so quickly that Leorah couldn’t find her voice to scream for help. After the temporary shock wore off she twisted and tried to turn around so that she could see who was holding her. “Hey! Let go!”

Leorah struggled against who she assumed was nothing more than a common thief looking to score some cash or anything of value she might have on her. “Look all I have is ten dollars in cash in my purse! It’s not worth it!”

Leorah felt a chill race down her spine when a silky sounding laugh echoed in her ears. “It’s not your money I’m interested in sweetheart, I have other plans for you.” She would have slapped herself if she could have for actually thinking that her attacker’s voice was sexy in a mysterious kind of way.

She began thrashing about wildly trying to escape. The man’s hold on her tightened almost instantly crushing the air from her lungs. “Stay still! This will only hurt for a minute love.” Leorah froze when she felt his hot breath caressing the side of her neck. Just before he had the chance to sink his fangs into the soft flesh of her neck something whipped right past Leorah just barely missing her shoulder.

When a sudden howl of pain erupted from behind her she knew that whatever had just flown past her had struck her attacker. That was all the distraction she needed to send her elbow crashing into his stomach making him release his death grip on her small body. Once free Leorah ran desperately trying to escape. Not even looking where she was going she quickly collided with something that was as sturdy as a brick wall. Large hands came up to grab her arms and she started struggling against them immediately.

“Get off me! Let me go! I’ve got pepper spray and I’m not afraid to use it!”

“Relax woman I’m not going to hurt you. I saved you.” Leorah stopped struggling and opened her eyes to see a tall and very muscular black man standing in front of her. He had on all black leather even his trench coat was black leather and he was wearing a pair of dark black glasses even though the sun had set a long time ago. “Who the hell are you?”

“There’s no time for that right now, Frost is getting up.”

“Frost? Who the hell is that?”

“Look lady just shut up and stay out of the way until I get rid of him!” Leorah glared up at her rescuer as she was shoved forcefully behind him. She watched in awe as the two men raced at each other with inhuman speed. They traded a number of punches that were nearly too fast for her eyes to follow.

Finally getting a look at her attacker she noticed that he was quite handsome. He was about average height and not too muscular of a build. His brown hair was a bit unruly but it gave him a wild look that was appealing to her in a sick sense. His eyes were cold but an electrifying ice blue and his skin was a creamy milk white. He was dressed in all black just like her rescuer. His shirt was black and had a few buttons undone so she could see some of his chest. Black leather pants covered his lower half leaving little to the imagination of the rest of his body. And over that he had on a long black wool trench coat to complete his gothic looking appearance.

Leorah watched in amazement as the man that her rescuer had called Frost suddenly jumped to the rooftop of the hospital and then disappeared into the night as quickly as he had shown up. “Now can you tell me who the hell you are?”

“It’s not safe here, do you have some place we can go?”

“Yeah my apartment isn’t far from here.”

“Do you have a car?”

“Yeah it’s that black Lexus over there.” She pointed to her car and saw his nod of approval.

“Good now let’s get outta here before Frost shows up with reinforcements.”

“Whatever.” Leorah led the man to her car and they both climbed in. “So who are you?”

“Call me Blade.”

“Blade huh? That’s a peculiar name.”

“Yeah well if it wasn’t for me Frost would have been making a meal out of you back there.”

“What do you mean? Who is this Frost guy? Does he have a first name?”

“I mean that he’s a vampire and yeah he has a first name.”

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“What’s his name?”

“His name is Deacon Frost. Why are you so interested in him?”

“Just curious that’s all.”

“Well curiosity can get you killed where Deacon Frost is concerned so you just better forget all about him.”

“And what about you?”

“What about me?”

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“Because I just saved your ass lady! Are you always this ungrateful when you get rescued?”

“I’m sorry. To tell you the truth that’s the first time I’ve ever been rescued.”

“Well with that kind of attitude it could be your last.” Leorah glared at Blade as she turned into her apartment complex. They got out of her car and headed up the stairs to the third story apartment that she called home.

“So Blade, how do you know Deacon Frost?”

“He’s a long time enemy of mine.”

“Enemy? You make it sound like you’re in the middle of a war or something.”

“I am.”

“Who are you supposed to be fighting?”

“The vampires.”

“Right.”

“I don’t expect you to believe me but it’s the truth.”

“So why was Deacon after me?”

“To suck your blood, to turn you into one of his own I don’t know. Maybe you caught his eye or something.”

“Well I don’t see how, I’m just an ordinary woman.” Blade watched as Leorah took down her hair from her ponytail that it had been in. Her hair was long and curly and it was a beautiful dark reddish brown. Her eyes were a striking smoky gray and her skin was a pale shade of milk white.

“I can see why you would catch Deacon’s eye, you’re pretty.” Leorah felt her cheeks turn a light shade of red at Blade’s remark. “Did Deacon say anything to you?”

“Yeah he did. I thought he was a mugger at first so I told him I didn’t have any money.”

“What did he say?”

“He said that he wasn’t after my money and that he had other plans for me.”

“Other plans huh? I’m going to have to figure out what other plans Deacon might have for you.”

“You think he’ll try to get to me again?”

“I don’t think I know. Deacon Frost doesn’t just give up on getting something he wants and for some reason he wants you. Look I’m going to go try and figure out what Deacon has planned, so lock your door.”

“Blade wait! Please don’t leave me here alone. Let me go with you?”

“I suppose that would be best.” Blade turned and headed towards the door with Leorah following behind him. He stopped suddenly when he realized he hadn’t asked the young woman for her name.

“What’s wrong Blade?”

“Nothing I just realized I never got your name.”

“Oh right, it’s Leorah Blake.”

“Leorah, that’s a very unique name.”

“Yeah my mother said that the name has been in my family for centuries.” Blade waited foe Leorah to lock her apartment before grabbing her keys from her. “Hey!”

“I’m driving because you don’t know how to get to my place.”

“Oh yeah, that makes sense.” Once they had climbed into her car again Blade started the engine and headed east towards his place. On the way there the wheels in his mind began turning. Mostly he was thinking about where he had heard Leorah’s name mentioned before and why it was so familiar to him. Blade frowned as he failed to remember where he had first heard Leorah’s name. Gripping the steering wheel tighter he suddenly remembered that his old friend Whistler would probably know the answers that he couldn’t seem to piece together at the moment. Everything would make much more sense once he had a chance to talk to Whistler about Leorah Blake.

A/N: So what do you think so far? Let me know!