Sophie Morgan (Book 1): Relative Strangers (A Modern Vampire Story) by Helen Treharne

idea what to do next – all he had to do was get up, clock me on the head and throw me in. I’d learned that I could run quite quickly, so I figured I should probably head back to Mickey. With luck, his punch could have knocked vampire number one out, but I guessed it probably hadn’t. I was getting to be right about too many things that night and this was going to be yet another thing. Rather than knock the vamp out, it just seemed to aggravate him even more. Although he had momentarily lost his footing, it had done nothing but stall proceedings for a few seconds.
    I felt totally helpless as I watched the vamp grab Mickey with both shoulders and sink his teeth into his neck.
    "Noooooooo," I shrieked across the street.
    I felt the tears well up again in my eyes and I couldn’t control them this time. Mickey resembled a rag doll being thrown around in the jaws of a very angry puppy. His eyes looked at me across the distance; it was the saddest thing I’d ever seen and yet I could offer him no comfort, no safe harbour. His eyes glazed over as his body surrendered to shock. The only hope I would have of aiding him would rely on me dispatching my own vamp and that wouldn't be easier. He had jumped up from the floor and was holding me in a choke hold.
    Driven by my desire to save Mickey, I performed the only self-defense move I actually knew. A former housemate had taught it to me in an attempt to encourage an interest in going to a kickboxing class with her. I may not have been able to throw a decent punch, but I sure did know how to use a pair of heels when I needed to. I wasn’t off guard this time. I knew what I was fighting and what was likely to happen to me, and to Mickey, if I just sat back and did nothing.
    Rather than blindly panicking, I was going to bloody well take charge of the situation. I brought my hands forward and grabbed the arm wrapped around my neck. I knew it would be pointless to try and pull them off me, they were like a vice ensnaring me, but I could certainly give this ass-hat enough motivation to let me go. I clung to my opponent’s arms, lifted my right knee up and planted my shoe down hard on my opponent’s foot. Although my boot heels were only a couple of inches high, they had a decent point and I forced them into the vampire's canvas shoe and into his foot . No time to be squeamish, Sophie . I twisted my foot around, driving the heel in further.
    The vampire lost its balance and yelped in pain and anger. I used the time wisely, pulling my arms sharply down, simultaneously pulling the vampires forearms with me. He loosened his grip and although he didn't release me entirely, it created enough space for me to wriggle my shoulders forward, bring my head down and then sharply back. I was in luck; with him being the shorter of the two vamps, I avoided the really hard parts of his head and made contact with his nose. Crunch . I shook myself free, pushed him to the side of the van and raced across the street to Mickey. He was doing well to stay conscious, but I wasn’t sure how much longer he had; he’d probably pass out from the pain alone soon.
    "Get off him", I yelled charging. I scanned the street as I ran, scouring the surroundings for anything I could use as a weapon. There was nothing. "I said get off him, you bastard!"
    Probably figuring that Mickey wasn’t going anywhere the vampire the turned his attention to me, dropping Mickey's limp body with a smack.
    Shit. I didn’t have any type of plan at all. I’d managed to stop him feeding off Mickey, but now I’d just served myself up on a plate instead. There was no guarantee that I’d survive another brutal attack, especially unarmed. There was no time to weigh up my options, I had to do something and do it fast. But all I could think to do was bring my arms up to cover my face and close my eyes as the thing before me crouched like a runner at the starting blocks. In a split second, he’d be on me and I’d be sandwiched between the