James stood frozen for a moment as he witnessed the horrifying scene unfold before his eyes. A sleek, black car veered off the narrow road and collided with a towering oak tree, the deafening crunch of metal reverberating through the crisp afternoon air. Without hesitation, he sprang into action, his legs propelling him forward as the acrid scent of gasoline assaulted his nostrils. Grimacing against the pungent odor, he sprinted toward the wreckage, his heart pounding in his chest.

Reaching the mangled vehicle, James grasped the driver’s side door with trembling hands and yanked it open with all his might. He froze, his breath catching in his throat as he took in the sight before him. A brunette woman sat slumped in the seat, her face a mask of crimson blood that glistened wetly in the fading sunlight.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, the word escaping his lips in a harsh whisper.

There was no time to waste. With deft movements, James reached across her lap and unfastened the safety belt, the click of the mechanism echoing in the tense silence. He slid his arms beneath her limp form and pulled her free from the twisted metal confines. Clutching her tightly against his chest, he turned and ran, his feet pounding against the asphalt. Mere seconds later, a thunderous explosion rocked the ground beneath them as the car erupted into a blazing inferno. The force of the blast sent James and the woman tumbling to the earth in a tangled heap.

Groaning in pain, James pushed himself up, his gaze falling to his hands, now slick with blood—hers or his own, he couldn’t tell. He looked at the woman he had rescued, taking in her appearance for the first time. She was clad in a sleek leather outfit that hugged her curves, but what caught his attention most were her hands. They were smoking, tendrils of gray vapor curling upward as if her very flesh was smoldering.

“What the fuck?” he exclaimed, his voice a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Scooping her up once more, James raced toward the safety of his nearby house, his mind reeling with questions. As he crossed the threshold, one of her hands burst into flames, the fire licking at her skin. Could she be allergic to sunlight? Desperate to protect her, he burst into his bedroom and shoved her unceremoniously beneath the bed. With a swift tug, he pulled the bedsheets down, draping them over the sides to block out every sliver of sunlight. To his relief, the smoking ceased almost instantly.

“Thank fuck,” he breathed, slumping against the wall in exhaustion.

James sat there, staring blankly into space, his mind struggling to process the surreal events that had just transpired. Time seemed to stretch on endlessly—minutes bleeding into hours—until a faint stirring beneath the bed snapped him back to reality. Cautiously, he lifted the edge of the sheets and peered into the shadowed space beneath. The woman gazed back at him, the blood wiped clean from her face, revealing pale, porcelain skin that seemed to glow faintly in the dimness. Her eyes, now a striking shade of blue, locked onto his and narrowed suspiciously.

“Uh, hi,” he ventured, his voice tentative.

She hissed in response, the sound sharp and feline, her lips curling back slightly to reveal the hint of pointed fangs.

“So, I’m guessing you’re not human,” James said, his tone dry despite the absurdity of the situation.

“What was the first giveaway?” she retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm.

He snorted, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he extended a hand toward her. Quick as a flash, she lashed out, her razor-sharp fingernails slicing across his skin. James yelped in pain, yanking his hand back as blood welled up from the fresh cuts and dripped onto the floor.

“Okay, some ground rules,” he said firmly, cradling his injured hand. “You’re in my house—my mom’s house, technically. I saved you. You crashed your car, and I pulled you from the wreckage. I could’ve left you there to burn, but I didn’t. And I’m also guessing that sunlight hurts you.”

He paused, watching her reaction.

“What?” Her voice was low, guarded.

“You’re a vampire?” he pressed, the word feeling strange on his tongue.

James ducked his head to peer under the blanket again. Her piercing blue eyes studied him for a long moment before she answered, “Yes, I’m a vampire.”

“You know I could really hurt you if I wanted,” he pointed out, gesturing toward the makeshift barrier of sheets.

She frowned, her brows knitting together. “How?”

“I pull the sheet off, and you’ll fry,” he said matter-of-factly.

Her pale cheeks flushed a faint pink, and she shrank back deeper into the corner beneath the bed, her expression shifting from defianceto fear. Despite her otherworldly nature, James couldn’t help but notice her beauty—firm breasts accentuated by the tight leather, a sculpted backside, and a stunning face framed by long, raven-black hair that spilled over her shoulders.

“What’s your name?” he asked, softening his tone.

“Selene,” she replied, her voice quieter now.

James grinned, his eyes flicking to her hand. “No wedding ring, I see.”

She glanced at her bare fingers, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “No. When you live as long as we do, you don’t tend to marry for long.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Immortality has its pitfalls, huh?”

“Yes,” she agreed, her gaze distant for a moment.

“Do you drink blood?” he asked, curiosity overriding his caution. She nodded silently. “Okay, I’ll be back in a bit. I know a guy.”

Rising to his feet, James grabbed his keys and a wad of cash from his dresser before heading out to his car. He drove to the local blood bank, his mind buzzing with the bizarre reality of harboring a vampire. There, he met his friend Mike, a wiry guy with a sly grin who worked the night shift.

“I need some blood,” James said, cutting straight to the chase.

Mike raised an eyebrow. “What’s it for, anyway?”

“Would you believe me if I told you it’s for a vampire?” James replied, half-joking.

Mike burst out laughing. “You’re serious?”

“Yes,” James said with a grin. “I’ll tell you what—keep it quiet, and maybe I can help you out with a little side business.”

“My man,” Mike said, slapping James’s hand in agreement before handing over a couple of pints of blood for a steep price.

When James returned home, his mother, Lauren, was waiting in the kitchen. Her eyes widened at the sight of the blood bags in his hands. “James, what is that for?”

“Uh,” James hesitated, searching for the right words. “I’ve got a girl upstairs.”

“Really?” Lauren paused, her skepticism evident. “And she’s into blood?”

“Kind of,” James sighed. “Listen, I need your help. We need to make the room dark—no sunlight at all.”

“Why?” she demanded, crossing her arms.

He sighed again, knowing how ridiculous it sounded. “She’s a vampire.”

“You’re shitting me,” Lauren said, her jaw dropping.

“Nope,” James replied, leading her upstairs. “This, I’ve got to see,” she muttered, following close behind.

Kneeling by the bed, James called out softly, “Selene?”

“James,” came her reply, her voice muffled but clear.

“You really do have a woman under there,” Lauren said, incredulous. “Under your bed?”

“I told you,” James said with a shrug.

“She’s a vampire, yes, yes,” Lauren echoed, still processing.

“I got you some blood,” James said, sliding the bags beneath the sheets. “Human, not animal.”

Selene frowned, her eyes narrowing as she examined the bags. “How?”

“Blood bank, dear,” James said with a chuckle, passing them to her. She bit into one, and the sound of slurping filled the room. Lauren’s eyes widened in astonishment, and James raised an eyebrow, grinning as he nodded in confirmation.

“Wow,” Lauren breathed, snapping into action. She began barking orders, and James jumped to comply. Together, they boarded up the windows and hung thick curtains, transforming the room into a lightless sanctuary.

“James?” Selene’s voice called out tentatively.

“Selene, come on out,” he replied.

She crawled from beneath the bed, her leather-clad form unfolding gracefully. Lauren gasped. “Dear, you’re covered in blood. Are you injured?”

“No, I was in an accident, and James saved me,” Selene said, nodding toward him. Her blue eyes glowed faintly in the dimness, and Lauren gasped again.

“What?” Lauren asked, startled.

“Your eyes,” James said, his voice steady as he met Selene’s gaze with a calm that belied the surreal situation unfolding around them. Her striking blue eyes glowed faintly in the dim room, an otherworldly hue that seemed to pierce through the shadows.

“What about them?” she asked, her tone guarded yet curious, her head tilting slightly as she studied him.

“They’re so pretty,” James replied, a genuine warmth in his words. As he spoke, he noticed a subtle flush creeping up her pale cheeks, a hint of color that softened the vampire’s ethereal features. He couldn’t help but grin at her reaction, a spark of amusement lighting up his face.

Lauren, standing nearby with her arms crossed, broke the moment with a practical offer. “You’re welcome to stay here until night-time. Is there anyone you can contact?”

“Yes,” Selene nodded, her response brief but firm.

“Not much for words, are you, dear?” Lauren chuckled, her tone maternal as she fished her mobile phone from her pocket and handed it to Selene. The vampire accepted it with a faint nod of gratitude, her slender fingers deftly dialing a number before pressing the device to her ear.

“Andrew,” she said into the phone, her voice low but clear. There was a pause as muffled words filtered through from the other end. “I’m safe. I ran into a pack of wolves. They hunted me, but I managed to escape—crashed the car, though. They injured me. A human saved me.”

James and Lauren exchanged a glance as the silence stretched on the line, the weight of her words hanging in the air.

“He knows about us,” Selene added with a casual shrug, her eyes flicking toward James. “Don’t worry, I don’t think we’ll have any issues?”

She looked at him expectantly, and James grinned, unfazed. “Vampires are cool.”

She snorted, a dry, amused sound. “No, we won’t have a problem. I can wait until nightfall. See you soon.” With that, she snapped the phone shut and handed it back to Lauren.

“Thank you,” she said simply.

James paused, his mind catching on something she’d said. “Did you say werewolves?”

“Yes,” she confirmed, her expression unchanging.

“They exist?” His voice rose slightly, incredulity creeping in.

“Yes,” she nodded again, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Well, fuck me,” James muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Lauren snorted, shooting him a look. “James, language.”

“Yes, Mom,” he sighed, exasperation lacing his tone. “I’ve got puberty, girls, school, and shit to sort out, and then you throw this on my proverbial lap.”

Selene smirked, a small, fleeting smile that revealed the tip of one sharp fang—a detail that only deepened the surreal charm of the moment.

“Now that is cute,” James said, pointing at her grin.

“What is?” she asked, her brow furrowing slightly.

“You smiling,” he replied, his own grin widening. “Just out of curiosity, how old are you?”

“James!” Lauren gasped, her voice sharp with reprimand.

“Ma?” he shot back, raising an eyebrow.

“Never ask a lady her age,” she scolded, hands on her hips.

“521,” Selene interjected calmly, unfazed by the exchange.

James blinked, processing the number. “You don’t look a day over 400.”

She chuckled—a soft, melodic sound—and nodded. “Thank you.”

The hours until nightfall seemed to crawl by, each minute stretching into an eternity. For Selene, the wait was a restless anticipation of returning to the safety of her own kind. For James, it was a bittersweet countdown to saying goodbye to her and the glimpse of a world he’d never imagined. He found himself stealing glances at her, marveling at how someone so ancient could carry such timeless beauty—her leather-clad form a striking contrast to the mundane setting of his bedroom.

Eventually, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Selene sniffed the air, her senses sharp. “It’ll be dark soon.”

“You can smell that?” James asked, intrigued.

“It’s all in the nose,” she replied, tapping the side of her face lightly. He grinned, charmed by the casual way she revealed her supernatural quirks.

“I’ll be sad to see you go,” he admitted, his voice softening. “You’re very pretty.”

“Thank you,” she said, and there it was again—that faint blush coloring her cheeks, a touch of humanity in her otherwise otherworldly demeanor.

The darkness settled over the house like a heavy blanket, and soon after, the sharp honk of a car horn sounded from outside. Selene rose gracefully to her feet, and James followed her downstairs, his eyes lingering on the way her leather outfit hugged her tightly packed frame. Lauren joined them, offering a warm smile. “Will you be okay?”

“Yes,” Selene assured her.

“Do you need to be invited in?” Lauren asked, half-serious.

“Huh?” Selene’s brow creased in confusion.

James laughed, catching on. “Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Buffy?”

“Oh,” she said, realization dawning. She frowned slightly. “No, that’s all Hollywood.”