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heart, but Mischa whirled around, ready to face her opponent.  A black belt in Karate, she knew she could hold her own if necessary, but one look at the creepy face standing in front of her told her this was no ordinary man.
    And he didn’t travel alone. Their sallow skin told her all she needed to know. Vampires.  At least five that she could see, probably more she couldn’t. Had they all caught the scent of her blood? 
     Heart racing, Mischa took a backward step.  “Hello, fellas.  Fancy meeting you here.” Would Rhad hear her if she screamed? Her mind whirled with options.
    She doubted she could outrun any of them, but perhaps she could talk her way out of this situation. Her father had always told her she could sell sand in the desert.
    “I’m just waiting for a friend. He’ll be along any moment.”
    The leader of the pack grinned, revealing snowy white fangs.  Her words had little effect on him. “And he left you all alone? What a pity.” There was a general chorus of sympathetic noises behind him. “Perhaps your ‘friend’ isn’t schooled in the ways of the forest.”
    Mischa clenched her hands into fists at her sides as the vampire licked his lips.  “Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m an easy target.”
    Three of them moved forward in unison, eyes glittering, saliva dripping from their mouths.  One began to hum a low, hypnotic tune. 
    “You will make a fine supper,” another one spoke.        
    Mischa struck immediately, delivering a center kick to the leader’s stomach.  He grunted and doubled over, giving her enough time to spin and trade blows with the next in line.  She knew she wouldn’t win in the end, but at least she wouldn’t go down without a fight. 
    Fear almost blinding her, she fought with determination, unyielding, relentless. If nothing else, she might make them give up on a supper they had to fight so hard to take. 
    “It is useless to fight us.”
    Two of the vampires ducked behind her, and Mischa felt the heat of the fetid breaths on the back of her neck while two more approached her from the front.   Though terror clogged her throat, she knew she wouldn’t scream.  She would face death bravely, defiantly even, never admitting defeat.
    “Get away from her.” A loud snarl followed the sharp command, and Mischa’s knees went weak.
    “It’s about time you got here,” she whispered.
    Rhad launched himself into the center of the nest, his fangs glistening in the light of the moon, and with his face contorted, he looked the like the monster Mischa knew him to be.
    “You didn’t scream,” he chastised her.
    “I was a little busy,” she snapped back.
    The vampires rallied together, muscles bunched, grunting and hissing with each step. 
    “Just stay back.” Rhad directed the order at her, though he never took his eyes off the approaching pack.
    She ignored the command and stood beside him. “I can help.”
    Rhad gave another snarl.  “I said stay back.”
    “Who do you think was holding them off before you got here?” Mischa launched a kick at one vampire’s shin. 
    As the creature screamed in pain, Rhad gave her an assessing look.  “Okay, you can stay, but be careful.”
    Now wasn’t really the time to smile at the concern in his voice, but she did anyway.  It shouldn’t matter that Rhad was growing fond of her. 
    He fought like a demon, using super-human strength to rend and snap until all five of the vampires lay stacked atop one another like discarded rag dolls.  Breathing hard, he leaned against a tree and watched Mischa.  She sensed his eyes moving in tune with her body.
    “Why are you looking at me like that?” she finally asked.
    “You handled yourself very well.”
    “You mean for a woman?”
    Rhad grinned.  “That wasn’t what I was implying.”  He jutted his chin toward the pile of limp bodies.  “Those are vampires.”
    Mischa dusted the dirt from her jeans and shot him a disbelieving look.