The Billionaire Vampire Would Kill To Keep Me

*THE VAMPIRE'S HEALER - Chapter 1*My giftsI see death before it comes.Not like grim reaper movies. It's a shadow, a thin black smoke around a person's shoulders. When I see it in the ER, I know no matter what we do, they have maybe an hour.Tonight, I saw it on myself.I was washing my hands in the break room at St. Jude's after a 14-hour shift when I caught it in the mirror. Just a wisp of black curling around my own braids. I froze, hands dripping."Amara? You good?"I turned. Dr. Chen was staring at me."Yeah. Just tired."I have been an ER nurse for four years, and an Okafor healer for twenty-six. My mama taught me to use uziza leaf and bitter bark, to put my hands on a wound and pull the pain out. The hospital calls it "good bedside manner." I know what it really is.But I have never seen the smoke on myself. Not until tonight.The ambulance sirens cut through my thoughts."Trauma incoming! 32-year-old male, multiple lacerations, possible stabbing!"We ran. The doors burst open and they wheeled him in.And then I forgot how to breathe.He was unfair. That's the only word. Skin so pale it looked like it had never seen sun, white shirt soaked in blood, dark hair damp. But his face — God, his face was like a sculpture. Sharp jaw, straight nose, lips too perfect. Even covered in blood, he looked... rich. Not money rich. Old rich.His monitor was flat.No heartbeat."Starting compressions!" Dr. Chen yelled.I grabbed his wrist to check pulse. Nothing. His skin was ice cold.Then his eyes snapped open.Pale grey. Almost silver. And they locked straight onto mine.I gasped and stumbled back."He's awake! He's awake — no pulse on monitor but he's conscious!"The stab wound on his side was deep, at least six inches. I could see it. And as I watched, it started to close. The flesh knitting together like time-lapse video. Blood stopped.What the hell am I seeing?"Everyone out," he said. His voice was low, calm, with a slight accent I couldn't place."This man needs—""I said out."Dr. Chen actually stepped back. There was something in his voice that made you obey.But I didn't move. I was staring at his chest. The wound was almost gone, leaving only smooth, unscarred skin."You," he whispered to me. "You saw it."I should have lied. I should have said no.But my hands were already moving on their own. Healer's instinct. I reached out and placed my palm on where the wound had been.Warmth exploded.For three hundred years, Caspian Vale had not felt warmth. That was his truth.Since 1714, since his brother damned him in a French monastery basement, he had been cold. Blood kept him alive, but never warm. Women, wine, sun — nothing.Until this small Black girl in scrubs with tired eyes touched him and he felt fire shoot through his dead nerves for the first time.He grabbed my wrist. Hard."Don't ever do that again."His hand was still ice, but his grip burned."You shouldn't have touched me," he said, teeth gritted. "You have no idea what you just invited."I yanked my hand back, heart pounding. "You're not human."A flicker of something — amusement? — crossed his perfect face."No. And you are not just a nurse, Amara Okafor."My blood ran cold. How did he know my name? My badge was flipped backwards.He sat up fully now, as if he hadn't just been dead. He leaned close, so close I could smell him — rain and expensive cologne and something metallic."That smoke around you," he whispered, so only I could hear. "When did it start?"My mouth fell open."You see it too?"He didn't answer. He looked towards the ER window. In the dark glass reflection, for a second, I saw a second shadow standing behind him. Tall, in a black coat.Caspian's expression hardened into pure fury."They found you already."He swung his legs off the gurney, grabbed my arm, and pulled me towards the back exit, ignoring the shouts of the doctors."Hey! Where are you— let me go!""If you want to live till morning, you will come with me."We burst into the alley behind the hospital. Cold New Orleans air hit me. He finally let go and turned me to face him."Listen to me carefully, healer. What is hunting you is not death. It's the Order. They hunt your kind. They felt you heal me, and now they will not stop."The black smoke around my shoulders got thicker. I could feel it choking me now, cold fingers around my throat. My knees buckled.Caspian cursed in a language I didn't know.He caught me before I hit the ground. His face was inches from mine."Stay awake. Look at me.""Am I... am I dying?" I choked out."Not tonight."And then he did something insane.He pressed his forehead to mine.Cold met warm. And the black smoke hissed, like water on hot oil.For a second, it retreated.But we both knew — it would be back before midnight.And when I opened my eyes, his silver eyes were no longer silver. They were pitch black, hungry, and locked on my lips like he wanted to devour me.