Mabel sat in the car and gave the address of a hotel. Amber didn't ask any further questions.

The man sitting in the back looked somewhat pallid. Ever since he met Amber, it seemed that only when his blood was being sucked did a hint of color return to his face.

Recalling the several hard bites she had just given, Amber couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It was her fault; she had overestimated herself.

"Take a rest for a while. I'll wake you up when we arrive."

Amber started the car and heard a soft "mm" from the back, which sounded rather feeble.

All the way, Amber focused on driving. Mabel, who was sitting in the back, seemed extremely tired and fell asleep. With his eyes closed, his long eyelashes were even more distinct.

Mabel, who was dozing off with his eyes closed in the back seat, resembled Cupid who had temporarily laid down his bow and arrow. Even in his slumber, it seemed as if a light was flowing over his body.

As Amber looked at the constantly changing scenery and the flow of traffic outside the window, she thought that he was a human living in a world filled with light, yet now he was bound to her, a member of the vampire clan that thrived in the darkness.

Amber couldn't help but grip the steering wheel tightly, and a sigh echoed within the car.

Upon reaching the hotel, a doorman came forward to open the door. Mabel, who was sitting in the back, woke up.

Seeing how exhausted he looked, Amber supported him and helped him sit in the hotel lobby, then went to handle the check-in procedures for him.

The man's slender body leaned against the sofa in the lobby, and he seemed on the verge of dozing off again.

"Mabel, wake up."

Amber gently patted his cheek. The man sitting there opened his eyes in a daze, and upon seeing Amber, he smiled and said, "Amber..."

"I'll help you go up and rest. Come on."

Amber extended her hand. Despite her seemingly petite stature, with a sudden exertion of strength, she lifted Mabel, who was sitting on the sofa, surprising the staff who had intended to come forward to offer assistance.

Mabel, who was a head taller than Amber, leaned completely on her. Nevertheless, Amber still walked briskly.

Entering the elevator, she pressed the floor number. Mabel, in a dazed state, leaned against her, looking rather disoriented.

"I took some painkillers and feel a bit sleepy."

A muffled voice came from him as he leaned against her shoulder. Amber responded with an "mm" and said, "We'll be there soon. You can have a good rest later."

When the elevator doors opened, there was a long corridor covered with a carpet in front of them. The lighting wasn't very bright; only the wall-mounted lamps, spaced at intervals, were on.

Outside, it was broad daylight, but this corridor seemed like a passage into the night.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The thick carpet muffled their footsteps almost completely. Besides them, no other guests were in sight.

Amber looked at the room numbers, searching for Mabel's room.

Creak.

An extremely soft sound of footsteps emerged in front of them.

Amber's hand reached around from behind and encircled the man's slender waist.

At the end of the corridor, a figure slowly emerged.

Amber squinted slightly. With just one glance, she could determine each other's identity.

It was one of her own kind!

Slap!

Her hand immediately exerted force from the back, pulling the man beside her into her embrace.

Accompanied by a gust of dark wind, the figure at the end of the corridor flashed past Mabel's head. With a dull thud, it landed on the wall, turned around, and rushed back!

Crack!

The figure seemed to take flight, and its sharp fangs were fully exposed!

Amber, holding the man in her arms, instantly crouched down. With a sudden push of her leg upwards!

Bang!

The dark figure was kicked flying and sent straight to the end of the corridor!

Without hesitation, she slid one hand beneath his knees and wrapped the other around his waist, lifting him up in a princess carry!

"Mabel, don't fall asleep yet. Wake up!"

Amber quickened her pace. The man in her arms, however, remained drowsy. The figure that had been kicked to the end of the corridor promptly got up and gave chase!

Bang!

Amber kicked open the door to the staircase with a powerful thrust of her foot. With a firm grip, she hoisted the man's body higher in her arms.

"Hold onto me tightly. Do you hear me!"

As she rushed downstairs, she glanced at the height outside the window. The blood-red hue in Amber's eyes began to spread. At 35 stories high, it was an intimidating drop, especially when she was carrying a human.

The man's striking black eyes fluttered open. As if by instinct, he raised his arms and clung tightly to her neck.

Hearing the commotion of the pursuers behind them, the blood-red tint in Amber's eyes grew deeper. Barely out of the hospital, she was already being tracked down by one of her own kind.

Damn it!

In the past, she had faced her fair share of trouble, but she had always stuck to feeding on blood bags, avoiding using her fangs. Now, things were different. Word had spread about her having a "source of sustenance," and she had a new vulnerability.

With her blood-red eyes fixed on the drowsy Mabel in her arms, she knew that because of her, he had become a target for many vampires.

He would be maliciously toyed with, bitten, and drained of blood, or perhaps even subjected to worse.

For a human like him, he never should have been dragged into this world.

Bang, bang, bang!

The pursuing vampire was getting closer. Amber looked at the height outside the window and tightened her hold on Mabel.

Crack!

She kicked out a pane of glass, and the wind rushed in from outside.

"Don't be afraid. I'll protect you," Amber murmured softly.

All she heard in response was a faint "mm" from the man in her arms. Without a moment's hesitation, she leaped out of the window!

The wind howled wildly, whipping the woman's long black hair into disarray.

Her tousled locks intertwined with the man's shorter hair, partially obscuring their faces.

Mabel's black eyes fluttered open slightly, and he found himself gazing into a pair of eyes that seemed to blaze with blood.

Her sharp fangs were bared, and her red lips curled into a faint smile. "Hold on tight. Don't let go."

As the wind roared past their ears, Mabel squinted his black eyes and tightened his grip, pulling her firmly into his embrace. He looked at the scenery rushing past as they plummeted and actually smiled.

Whoosh!

Amber, clutching Mabel, plummeted rapidly from the 20th floor of the hotel!

"Shit! Someone's falling?"

The hotel guests who witnessed the scene rushed to the window, but to their surprise, there was nothing to be seen. "Was it just my imagination?"

Bang!

A woman landed gracefully on the ground, still holding a man in her arms.

This was the hotel's rear garbage dump. Amber looked up; the vampire who had been chasing them had not followed.

Slowly, she retracted her fangs. As she had suspected, it was all just a malicious game.

Amber continued to carry Mabel in her arms, striding forward with determination. She then leaped over the closed mesh gate of the garbage dump.

She couldn't let him out of her sight.

"...Where are you taking me?"

Mabel mumbled groggily, his breath gently brushing against Amber's ear.

The woman holding him paused briefly, then resumed her brisk pace. Amber replied in a low voice, "To my place."