Be My Valentine

Hearts and Kittens - Diana Dee B.

I hypnotized my phone, uncertain about whether I should give it a try or not. The wounds were still deep, perhaps too deep to ever heal. I thought he was the one. Five years were wasted on fake love and the whole fantasy shattered like a thin ice layer being crushed under the weight of feet. It felt that way when he announced he never truly loved me. As if I stood in the middle of a lake, the cracking sound of the frozen water underneath me reassured me that the fall would be hard. And when the brain finally acknowledged that he was breaking up with me, those words frosted my limbs and insides just like the cold water, dragging me more and more into the darkest depths. However, it was the moment of seeing him carry away his personal belongings from our apartment and the sound of the door closing behind him that suffocated me the most.

The pain which had flooded my heart back then was still vivid in my memory. I cried and cried. I missed him, hated him, secretly prayed for his return. A few months had passed when my best friend entered the cave of melancholy my apartment turned into. She shook me by my shoulders and tried to talk some sense into me.

“Alice, we are putting an end to your grieving period over the asshole!” She appealed while drawing the curtains of my windows to let the natural light in.

“But…“ Bemused by her sudden intervention, I tried to raise my protests. She cut me off instantly.

“No buts! I will not support this self-neglect of yours anymore. He does not deserve your tears. From what I’ve heard, he’s already dating some new chick.” The new information concerning my ex left a bitter feeling inside my chest. Wasn’t she supposed to be my best friend? Why was she so cruel?

“For God’s sake, why would you tell me this?!” My face twitched into a painful grimace, the image of him being with someone else letting a gloomy sigh out of my mouth. I wasn’t ready to move on. Not yet. Call me pathetic, but the insane hope of us reuniting still swirled in me.

“Alice,” She sat next to me, gently catching my pale hands into hers. “You need to snap back to reality and start living your life. And therefore, I created an account for you on that new supernatural dating app. Here’s your login. Get yourself some hot big Alpha to forget your ex.”

At first, I dismissed the idea of meeting someone new via a dating app. The human apps were full of creeps or manwhores and I doubted there was any difference compared to the apps for supernatural beings. Plus, why would a werewolf or fairy wish to date a human girl like me? But as the days passed, I was dying from curiosity. Rumor had it, most supernatural guys were hot. So why not peek into the market offer?

After the pros and cons analysis I demonstrated in my head, I gathered all the courage and opened my profile on the dating app.

Huh. My bestie picked quite a decent picture of me sitting next to the fireplace in the woods. Sporty, adventurous, likes nature – said the description. Well, it wasn’t far from the truth. At least she was honest when setting up the account for me.

Soon the first message popped up. Someone must have noticed I was online. And then another. And another. Whoa. So, I started scrolling through them all, realizing that supernatural or not, the same category of weirdos occupied the virtual space.

“I want to be the man of your dreams. – Freddy K.”

Too scary.

“I’m lonely. Be my little boo? – Casper”

Too whiney and childish.

“Red roses are, blue violets are. Sweet you sugar is, Valentine mine be. – Master Yoda”

Maybe. Unfortunately, he lived way too far away from this planet. But hold on a second! Valentine? Fidgeting in my seat, I checked the date. It was 13th February, which meant…

Fucking Valentine’s Day was knocking on the door, laughing at my face. Dang it. Something moved in me. Although I wasn’t entirely convinced to swim in the dating waters or look for a serious relationship, I refused to stay home alone crying on my pillow. So, I opened another text message.

“Looking for the new precious. I promise to never leave you... – Gollum”

Yikes! The level of creepiness just reached its maximum. I threw the phone on the opposite side of my couch, my head falling into my palms desperately. This was an absolute waste of time. Maybe I should just order pizza, drink a bottle of wine, and feel sorry for myself. After all, I excelled in those activities in the past couple of months.

No. I didn’t need a new man in my life. More importantly, I didn’t want anyone.

The phone beeped again. Irritated by the useless and stupidest app in the whole universe, I grabbed that device in an attempt to delete my profile for good and get back to the state of sorrow and self-pity.

“Nice background.” said the plain message.

What wasn’t that plain looking was the guy who sent it to me. Frankly speaking, he was hot! As per the picture, the man was so handsome, perhaps not in the conventional sense, but he had that appearance that could make him stand out in the crowd. Eyes dark and unfathomable that I could get lost in their depths if I stared long enough. He was wearing a suit and I had to zoom in to confirm my suspicions. Oh yes, he was exceptionally well-built, and I wondered what was hiding underneath that dark shirt. Anxious to learn more about him, I checked his details.

Vampire. Name not provided. And that was all. No further information available. A mystery that tempted me to great extent.

“But there’s nothing at all.” I switched back to my profile, wondering what attracted him that much since the picture was taken during dusk.

“Exactly. I like it dark.” He liked it dark. Hm. On second thought I also liked to watch the starry night. Assuming that was what he talked about, I texted back eagerly.

“Then we have something in common.”

“How about we explore what else we have in common? Dinner sounds good to you?”

“I don’t know.” I hesitated. What if the picture was fake? What if he was dangerous? A reminder of his true nature wailed loudly in my mind followed by big red warning signs. I was trying to flirt with a vampire. A cold shiver ran down my spine. What if he wanted to bite me? Oh… a different type of “biting” invaded my wicked thoughts. Months of celibacy took its toll.

“What if you’re some psycho who wishes to stab me to death and bury me in the woods?”

“Digging a 3-meter-deep hole for a stranger? Nah. That would be too much work.”

“Okay. We can grab a drink tomorrow. Anyway, it’s Valentine’s Day.” I decided to give it a shot.

“Who’s Valentine?”

The bursts of laughter came out unexpectedly. After all that depression, it was a nice change. Did he seriously write that question or were my eyes playing tricks?

“Not who but what. A special day when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts.”

“Ah, human events. I’m not a big fan, to be honest.” He texted back and my mood sank.

“So, does it mean you changed your mind and do not want to take me out for a date?”

The time he took to reply left me in torment. Though when hearing the familiar beeping sound, my heart bounced wildly with excitement.

“No, no. I still would like to meet you in person, Alice.”

“In that case, a little effort is required, Mr…?”

“Rhys.”

**

What would a date with a vampire be like? Although I expected him to make an effort, it was me working my butt off to make the best first impression. Taking a final glance at myself in the mirror, I realized I might have overdone it. Was the dress too tight? Too slutty?

“Don’t you dare wear anything else instead. If the guy is truly so hot, you should invite him to your home.” Advised my best friend. But it wasn’t my style to sleep with a guy on a first date. Moreover, there was one crucial blockade.

“It won’t be the case today. I got my period.”

“Damn, that’s going to be a pain in the ass.” She remarked, her gaze falling to my butt in the red dress. “Literally.”

“Very funny. Forget that option.” I glowered at her silly ideas.

“Never mind. I still wish you luck.” She winked and we parted ways.

It shocked me he looked even better in person. As soon as I entered the bar and met his dark eyes, an invisible force stopped me in my tracks. A smile formed on his perfect face, and I only hoped I didn’t stare with my mouth wide open. He must have been aware of the magical effect his appearance stirred in women. Building various fantasies in my mind, I didn’t even register when the walking s*x on a stick approached me.

“Hey, Alice.” His voice was so ethereal, covering me in silk and spreading the most comforting feeling inside me. I loved hearing him pronounce my name in a such captivating way. My shoulders trembled due to the electrifying vibrancies coming from him. And I wondered if he put a glamour on me because it would perfectly explain why I was so overwhelmed by him.

“Hey…” I managed to produce a single word and he offered his arm gallantly to lead us to our table. This could be better than I originally anticipated.

“Why did you pick me? Considering how beautiful you are, there must have been a long line of suitors waiting for the opportunity.” He queried as if he wasn’t aware of his quality of being f*****g stunning.

“I guess you don’t suck like the others,” I said playfully, grasping the glass of wine which the waitress placed on the table.

“You are mistaken. I do tons of sucking.” I almost choked on the sip I took. Hmm. Humorous. Another good point to be added to the overall “Rhys personality evaluation” I demonstrated internally.

“I have a gift for you.” He stated calmly, yet the sparks of enthusiasm could be spotted in those two dark pools. He placed a simple black box with a silky ribbon on the table and pushed it in my direction.

“Oh, how thoughtful. Thank you.” A gentleman's move of surprising the lady. Almost giggling like a little girl, I untied the ribbon and slowly opened the box. What could be inside? Chocolate? Flowers? The smile on his face kept stretching until it showed the perfect set of white teeth. He was perhaps more excited than me.

But when I opened the box it contained nothing that I would have ever imagined. Not even in the craziest and most vile dream!

A brief shriek was uttered from my mouth when the eyes fully processed the visuals and sent the signal to brain cells. Out of reflex, my feet bounced off the ground and the chair slid far from the table, almost falling backward. My hands let go of the box and it fell next to my feet with a loud thud.

“What the f**k is that?!” I screamed at my date. The shock on his face was more than evident as he squirmed in his seat nervously.

“What do you mean?” His eyes blinked at me with confusion.

What did I mean?! If that was supposed to be a joke, it was the sickest among all. There were several hearts inside that box and the blood on them indicated they were quite fresh. An ugly thought crept into my mind, that those were the hearts of human beings.

“Is this a prank? Hidden camera?” Agitated, I scanned my surroundings.

“I’m sorry. To be fair, I don’t know much about the events humans celebrate.” Rhys informed me, his voice laced with an honest apology.

“What made you think this is the correct way to impress a woman? Are those real hearts? Did you kill someone because of me? Oh no, don’t tell me. I don’t want to get involved in a murder.” Frightened that he would confirm my suspicions, I covered my ears with my hands. It was a bit immature but how should one react when receiving bloody hearts?

“Based on internet research, a man should send hearts and kittens to his love interest. Well, I couldn’t get live kittens on such short notice but at least I was able to collect some hearts. And since I don’t know your home address, I assumed it would be okay to deliver it in person.”

My jaw rolled on the floor as I stared at him in disbelief. Part of me still naively believed this was just a very unfortunate joke. Though the expression on his face was dead-serious. Rhys truly misunderstood the internet recommendation of sending emojis and memes. And it left me speechless.

“Did I mess it up?” He asked carefully when the silence between us became unbearable. “Don’t worry. Those are not from humans.”

“I hope those are not from kittens either,” I murmured sarcastically and drank the content of my glass in a single gulp. Yeah, on second thought each heart was quite small to originate from a person.

“Um, uh, how to put it…” Guilt was etched deeply into his face.

“Oh. My. GOD!” I jumped off the chair, quickly gathering my belongings. “You are mad!” I shouted over my shoulder and rushed away from him.

“Please don’t go.” His hand grasped mine, forcing me to glance back at him. “I admit. I am a bit rusty in the whole dating area since I haven’t been on a real one for many decades.”

“No, I can’t do this. It’s too much. Goodbye.” Once I successfully freed myself from him, I ran as fast as my legs imprisoned in high heels allowed me to.

A sigh of relief escaped my throat after I finally closed the front door of my apartment and safely tucked myself under the blanket on my couch. Gazing aimlessly forward, I didn’t know how much time had passed when the soft knock on the door got my attention. Who was disturbing me this late on Valentine’s Day?

“Holy s**t! Did you follow me?!” I yelled, feeling enraged and horrified at the same time. The vampire stood there with a hand in his pocket, fidgeting.

“Yeah. That’s inappropriate too?” He shot an innocent look in my direction. That was it. I was certain the man was a sick maniac. Ready to splash a whole tsunami of indignation and fury, I took a deep breath. However, he did not let me even start.

“Could you just give me one more chance? Hey, I have a new gift for you.”

My eyes almost popped out of their holes when he pulled another black box from behind his back. I wanted to slam the door into his face, but he destroyed my poor attempt and put his foot in the doorway. s**t.

“Help! Somebody help me!”

“Shh, there’s no need to panic. It’s just chocolate. See? I even got you a card.”

Anxiously, he opened the box, and indeed there was just chocolate inside. He then showed me the card. My eyes narrowed.

Happy Valentine’s Day. I hope this card will get you finally naked.

“You’re an i***t,” I concluded the obvious.

“Fine. I am an i***t. I am not good at this stuff, seducing someone. I usually snap a finger and they just crawl around my feet. But I want to try it with you. Please.”

I must have lost all the last drops of my sanity because I invited him in. Surprisingly, it turned out to be one of the most pleasant evenings of my life. We talked and laughed and it almost made me forget the previous fiasco.

“Dance with me.” He requested at a certain moment.

“But there is no music.” I chuckled, lowering my head shyly.

“Then I will hum it for you.”

And he did. Pressing me against his breathtaking body, he hummed a beautiful melody that blunted my senses and put my guard completely down.

“Did you cast a spell on me? I know that vampires can glamour others.” I asked, bewitched by his charm.

“No. Why do you think so?”

“Because I can’t explain what’s pulling me towards you that much. There are all those alerts in my head telling me I should run away, yet I am incapable to resist the temptation and mystery around you.”

“Maybe it’s fate.” Could that be? I had doubts.

“I stopped believing in souls being predestined for each other a long time ago.”

“Then how do you explain this?”

Leaning closer, his hot breath touched my skin and created tiny goosebumps all over my body. This was deliberate and unhurried as if he was speaking to me silently, saying with the brush of his lips on mine what he could not say in words. He traced slow, feathery kisses across my mouth, each as measured as the beat of a heart, each saying I was precious and wanted. No longer could I keep my hands at my sides. I cupped the back of his neck, tangling my fingers in the locks of his hair, feeling how his pulse hammered against my palms.

His grip on me was firm while his mouth thoroughly explored mine. The sweet and tingling taste of our kiss made me dizzy and it even intensified after his tongue flicked lightly across my lips, sending delicious shudders through my whole body. As if my bones melted and nerves seared, I sank deeper into the warmth of his embrace. I could feel how much he wanted me in the trembling of his own hands and the mad pounding of his heart against mine. Yet he took his time and remained gentle with me, so unbelievably gentle.

All the pieces inside me that felt broken and jagged after my former boyfriend broke up with me began to knit together and heal. As bizarre as it was, I felt light, almost as if I could float. And I had no rational explanation for that.

“Rhys…” I whispered but pushed him away from me. Immediately I hated myself for breaking away from him. I wanted him closer to me so badly, it was like an ache, an agonizing hot ache that spread out from my stomach to speed my heart and set my skin to burn.

“You fight it although it’s apparent, undeniable. We belong together, Alice. Despite all the odds.” He groaned against my cheek, yearning to get another taste of my lips.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t want you, Rhys. It’s… I am out of order this week.” My face flushed red due to the embarrassing confession. Damn you mother nature! If I could, I would be already covering the floor with my clothes. To my astonishment, Rhys responded with a peal of laughter.

“Alice, you little tease. I’m a vampire, remember?”

“Ew! Disgusting!” I slapped his chest. My hand hurt a little, so goddamn firm and strong were those muscles.

“I refuse to feel bad for lusting after your blood.” He declared. But what did it mean? Did he want to eat me? Like suck my blood dry?

“Does it hurt when it’s for the first time?” I asked, nibbling my bottom lip nervously. He gaped a little and cleared his throat before blessing me with the answer.

“Well, some women claim it to be painful when the hymen tears during their first intimate moment with a man.”

Rolling my eyes at him, I had to hit that gorgeous chest once again. And then clarified it for him.

“I didn’t mean that. The bite.”

“A little. Depends on whether it’s an act of affection or just feeding.” Teeth elongated into fangs and I shuddered.

“Do you want to feed on me?” I asked startled.

“No, Alice. You got it all wrong.” His voice deepened as he pulled me closer. Shivers ran through my spine again. “I want to worship you. If you let me.”

If I let him… Now would that be wise? My lips parted, wavering before giving him a clear answer. The truth was this man terrified me. He was so wrong for me, yet he had some magnetic force that didn’t allow me to get far from him. But was it worth all the adventure? How many disasters awaited me with him? I simply closed my eyes and let the heart speak for me.

Author Pen name: Diana Dee B.

Author’s works: fantasy romance stories available on

Dreame: Diana Dee B.

Inkitt: DianaDeeB

4 completed stories, all on DREAME: The Blind Bond, Alpha King & his Trophy, The Return of the Prodigal Alpha, His H(a)unted Mate

2 ongoing stories: Tempted by the Demoness (IN.KITT), The Werewolf Slayer (DREAME)

1 upcoming story: The Chronicles of one Fallen Witch

Author’s groups: Diana Dee B. – author (Fac.eb.ook)