THE VAMPIRE CEO MATE

CHAPTER TEN

Claire knew that Ryan was a vampire. She had expected some sort of transformation like fangs, glowing eyes and many others she hadn't seen. She had known of some of his powers like mind control, telepathy and others but nothing had prepared her for what stood in front of her.

Ryan had transformed just like the other people in the hall revealing his true form. But not for the same reason as theirs but because he needed to protect her from the danger that was about to befall on her from the people in the hall. Her scream had made everything change and worse in a blink of an eye. Claire watched in shock, horror and wonder as Ryan hunched over letting out an explosive and terrifying roar. His skin grayed, fingernails grew into sharped claws and fierce pointed fangs were revealed with large bat looking wings. And finally, his eyes glowed a deadly shade of red.

Claire noticed he grew a few inches taller and his muscles which were already toned bulged under his skin and clothes making him appear huge and bulky. And it didn't take long for his clothes to be ripped open by the force.

Ryan turned his menacing gaze to Claire, showing signs of annoyance and regret. Before she could make a comment, he turned to face the crowd that had already started to inch forward to their table direction.

So things didn't go as planned..... well, he was the one who brought them into this mess. Ryan promised deep within himself to get Claire back home safely even if it was the last thing he did.

Look at what you have done.... the voice in his head started up again. Your foolishness and arrogance is going to get her killed...you jerk.....

A growl escaped his throat, Ryan did not need any distraction at this point. His upmost priority was protecting Claire from the danger threatening to take both of their lives. At this point, Ryan knew he would be regarded as a traitor for choosing to protect a human over his kind.

Before anymore thoughts could cross his mind, a group of creatures charged in their direction. Ryan threw up his hands, immediately creating a force field around Claire. At least Claire needed to be shielded from the danger if he needed to attack. No one would be able to break through that force field as long as he was standing and he would definitely not go down easily.

Using his telekinesis, he threw the first group off him and they flew into various directions. Another group charged at him, each one attacking with their hands and legs but Ryan had very quick reflexes and he handled them with expertise, since he was trained with hand to hand combat and self defense from a young age to protect himself from his enemies he knew that his enemies would either get defeated or give up.

As Ryan continued fighting, the number of the attackers decreased. He was happy with himself even though it's been years since he had fought. Ryan was about to congratulate himself for his victory when he caught sight of one particular being. "Shit.." he whispered to himself.

The creature, a demon, strong and tall with glowing red eyes let out a deep growling laugh. He rivaled Ryan with height and build.

"There is indeed a pile of s**t standing before me".

Claire felt her stomach knot in fear. So far Ryan had held off every attacker. She had felt confident in him and knew that no one was a match for him. But now, for some reason, this creature... this demon struck terror inside her heart. she was unsure if she feared for her life or if the surrounding air was becoming choked up with pure darkness and evil. And it seemed that Ryan sensed that same darkness because his stance became more tense.

"Gabriel.... Hello, old friend", Ryan greeted with a smirk on his face. Claire could see the greeting was a facade and his body was still rigid.

The demon, Gabriel, scoffed. "Old friend now, eh? Last I recalled, we were nowhere remotely close to being called associates much more friends".

"Why throw away a friendship over a w***e?" Ryan said tauntingly.

Gabriel growled. "That w***e was my wife!".

Ryan scoffed with a dismissive hand wave. "Why not fix it and move on then? Theresa wasn't exactly forced to sleep with me. she came willingly, infact she pursued me!".

"She killed herself, you treacherous leech!" Gabriel advanced on Ryan, fists clenched ready to strike. "She was filled with shame and sank into a state of depression! because of you! she is gone!".

"Oh!" Ryan breathed his surprise response. By then, it was clear to him that he absolutely could not get out of this fight. He had to go and open his big stupid mouth and insult the demon dead wife.... Ryan did the only thing he could do and took on a fighting stance, preparing to block the blow that Gabriel raised his closed fist to deliver.

When the swing of his fist connected to Ryan's forearmed guard, Claire swore she had the building shake. She flinched at every punch that Ryan blocked. He was being forced backwards by Gabriel, into the vicinity of the force field Claire stood behind. While guarding the continuous blows, he sought an opening so he could deliver some blows of his own. However, it seemed impossible for the other man didn't give him a chance too.

"I'm going to kill your human,so you can feel the pain that I felt!" Gabriel gave a harder blow. "And then I'm going to kill you!".

Ryan growled at the threat towards Claire. "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!!!!".

He exclaimed before he charged at Gabriel with all the energy he could muster. As his shoulder collided with the demon's abdomen, they fell onto the floor. Their bodies locked in conflict and each attempting to deliver strikes to one another.

Claire watched as the fight continued. Those same emotions she felt in her stomach doubled.

How did it come to this? All she wanted was an unforgettable date with an incredible man.... but now she couldn't believe the date was going to end up like this.

She looked at Ryan and his gaze locked briefly with hers allowing her to catch a glimpse of a small sorry smile.

Claire pursed her lips in worry and she didn't know what to do or how to help Ryan.

It seemed that locking eyes with Claire gave Ryan a new found strength and before he knew it, he had the demon in a headlock. Gabriel growled in pain as Ryan's hand tightened around his neck.

"Let go of me, you mother f*****g blood sucker!!". He clawed at Ryan's grip.

Claire looked on, pride and excitement welling up inside her as it seemed that Ryan had gained the upper hand. They would walk out of here alive. The thought of Ryan victory made her smile.

Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of a sharp metal piercing flesh broke. Claire gasped at the sight of Gabriel, still in full headlock holding a dark sword that impaled Ryan's abdomen. Ryan cried out and he coughed out a strange black liquid. Gabriel smiled maliciously as his opponents grip around his neck loosened slightly. They both dropped to their knees as Gabriel began to twist the sword inside Ryan causing him to grit his teeth. His grip was failing fast.

"Ryan!! No!!" Claire ran forward, determined to do something to assist and help him but she had no idea what to do. She was stopped dead in her tracks when she ran into the force field that still stood around her. She let out a frustrating scream and banging her closed fists against the unseen force.

"Ryan!! God damn it!!".

Gabriel with an evil smile on his face, "Tonight, is the night you die, Dragonoff.."

"I wouldn't be so sure..." Ryan wheezed in response. Before his opponent could utter a response, he moved a hand to Gabriel's face covering it. Claire blinked with half fear and shock when she saw the demon explode with her very eyes.

All that was left of him was a blue dust around Ryan. Even the demon's sword had also disappeared.

Ryan fell backward onto the floor. Claire ran over to him, noticing the force field had disappeared. Dropping on her knees she quickly and carefully lifted his head onto her lap. She inspected him taking in his wounds and bruised face with his eyes closed.

"Ryan! baby please!, you protected me but now I need you to wake up". Her fingers stroked his hair gently. it was then she noticed the deep and ugly wound in his belly. The same strange black liquid coming out of it.

Is this is blood?

Claire mind was interrupted by a cough from Ryan, causing him to groan from the pain that racked his entire body.

"Did... did you just call me baby?" he muttered slowly with a smile on his lips.

She couldn't help but giggle at his silly question. "I guess I did, but right now you need help". She looked around the room now noticing that everyone had gone.

Suddenly, Tyler flashed in front of them, a serious expression appearing on his face. "For f**k's sake... " he breathed.

He knelt down next to Claire inspecting his brother closely. "You f*****g arrogant d**k head!!".

"Shut...the f**k up.. Tyler". Ryan slowly breathed out.

"God damn it numbskull. You could have gotten Claire killed", Tyler continued to rage. He turned to face Claire his voice softened. "You are alright, yeah?".

Claire nodded, "It's not his fault, he was defending me because I screamed. I didn't mean for this to happen", she said.

Tyler shook his head, "It's not your fault, Claire. I warned this imbecile not to bring you here but he was being all macho about it", he put on a mocking voice, mimicking Ryan's words. "Those people know better than to f**k with me and what's mine". He switched back to his regular voice raising the volume in annoyance , "Well, how did that work out for you, bug brain?".

"All right, Tyler. Go easy on him. I'm fine thanks to Ryan. He is the one you need to worry about".

Tyler grunted in response before shifting his hands under Ryan's body to lift him up. "You would be blessed as f**k if she even talks to you tomorrow", he muttered lowly for only Ryan to hear. Turning to Claire, he asked again, "Are you certain that you are unharmed?". She nodded.

"All right then, Goodnight Claire".

Before she had the chance to respond, she was flashed into her bedroom, onto her bed. She blinked in confusion but was grateful to be home. She tiredly stripped out of her red tango dress and slipped on a tank top and a pajamas short. Slipping under her covers, she prayed that the nights events was just a dream and she would wake up from it soon.

_______________________________________

The blaring sound from the alarm woke Claire up. Giving a groan, she banged the alarm clock stopping the noise. Was it already 6:30am already?

she looked around the room spotting the discarded dress from her dance with Ryan last night. A frown formed on her face as she recalled last night horrible events. She needed to get ready fast and leave the house not only for her work but also to check up on Ryan to see if he was doing well.

She rose from her bed and walked to her closet to pick an outfit. She wanted to wear something simple but still gorgeous so she picked out a black and white turtle neck top with a black blazer jacket along with a black suit skirt. She added a red pearl necklace for a pop of color, a silver watch and a black heels. She did her hair into curls and added a shade of light red lipstick. Looking at herself in the mirror she was satisfied with what she saw. She grabbed her purse and headed out.

By the time she got to her office, her food and mint tea would be waiting for her in her office. it was one of the best things of being an executive officer in the company.

Driving to work she had expected Ryan or Tyler to call or text her about Ryan's condition from last night but she received nothing on the way. That was until she parked her car, her phone notified her of a message sent by Ryan.

Speak of the devil....

Come straight to my office when you arrive....

Her mind immediately jumped to a negative conclusion, Did something happen to him ... His he going to fire me after I almost got him killed last night....

A tap on her car window made her jump.

"Oh, sorry Claire" Madeline called. "I didn't mean to startle you".

Claire sighed and got out of the car. "It's ok Madeline, I guess I'm just a little jumpy today". She grabbed her things and the both of them headed to the elevator.

"Oh, why's that? Does it have to do with your date with Ryan last night?".

"Something like that".

"Why? Did it not go well?".

"It did at first but some weird s**t happened at the end".

Madeline raised her eyebrows, "Weird s**t?"

"Girl, there's a lot of weird s**t happening to me right now". She was about to elaborate when the elevator door opened revealing Tyler standing not too far away from them, heading to the main elevator as well. Claire immediately shut her mouth and Madeline noticed him as well. Tyler looked at the two young ladies and smiled and they both smiled back at him as they walked to the main elevator as well. "I'll fill you in later, Girl. we have so much to talk about". She muttered slowly to Madeline.

"Good morning, Claire" Tyler greeted as the elevator arrived. "I don't think I've met you before Miss... "

"Madeline", She offered her hand to shake his. "Madeline Sanders. I work in the design department".

"Very nice to meet you, Miss Madeline. I'm Tyler Dragonoff".

Madeline's eyes bulged in surprise.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know you were the....."

Tyler giggled,"It's fine Miss Madeline".

Claire rolled her eyes, "Just call her Madeline, Tyler".

"Hah, okay".

They fell into silence while the elevator moved up to their respective floors. Madeline stood in a corner while Claire frowned, she was worried about Ryan.

"How is he?" Claire finally spoke up drawing Tyler attention.

He turned his gaze to her, "Hmm? Oh! huh.. he could be worse".

"He sent me a text to come see him".

Tyler sighed in annoyance. "I told him to give you some time but he never listens".

"Is he angry with me?" her voice becoming timid.

Tyler shook his head. "No, not at you but with himself for not listening. I warned him but he never seems to hear me".

The elevator dinged cutting off Tyler.

"I guess you could go check out what he wants". Was the last thing Tyler said before existing the elevator.

Madeline walked over to Claire with a questioning look. "Not sure what the hell happened last night, but I hope everyone is alright".

"I'll go see right now. Bye girl". She immediately walked straight to Ryan's office.

"Good morning, Claire". Sarah greeted.

"Mr Dragonoff said you could go straight in, he is waiting for you".

Claire nodded, "Good morning, Sarah. Thanks". She knocked softly but opened the door without getting a response. Her eyes scanned the room before she noticed Ryan in his chair at his desk, slumped into a relaxed position with his eyes closed.

Was he asleep? she wondered

"Ryan", she called. At first their was no response from him. She moved closer to his chair standing over his chair.

"Ryan, are you alright?".

She jumped when he suddenly inhaled deeply and his eyes flew open. Ryan looked up at her. "Claire", he called out as he slowly smiled at her. "Good morning".

Claire observed him searching for any sign of what happened yesterday night. His face was completely healed. There was no visible cuts or scars on his skin.

Ryan movements were slow as he stood up and Claire wanted to help him but Ryan put his hand up not letting her to help him.

"I'm fine", he insisted. Ryan straightened himself to his full height causing pain to shoot through his body. He clutched his teeth and closed his eyes waiting for the pain to subside.

"Why are you here? you need to be home resting". She said.

"I'm working".

"You're hurt".

Ryan waved his hand in dismissal. "It will heal soon. Two days maybe three". He smiled in response. "Don't worry about me, love. All that matters to me is you're here standing with me, unharmed. I know I've done my job".

He took her hand and placed a gentle peck on it. "How did you enjoy last night? Did you have fun?".

"To be completely honest, I feel very awful".

"Don't it was my idea to take you there. I take full responsibility. I'm just relieved that you are unharmed. I could never live with myself if something had happened to you".

She locked eyes with him, seeing his genuine emotion. "Thank you for protecting me, Ryan but you have so much explaining to do".

Ryan laughed, "Sure, I will answer anything you want. But that would have to be another time. I called you here to kiss you goodnight since I couldn't do it yesterday".

"You're so cheesy".

Ryan laughed and held both of her hands and slowly dragged her towards him. He leaned down capturing Claire lips in a gentle kiss. Claire arms made their way around his neck, her fingers tangling around his hair. She parted her lips when she felt his tongue making its way into her mouth. The kiss was long and deep which made Claire breathless.

After the kiss Ryan gave her a smirk, "Good night", he muttered.

She smirked back at him, not quite done with him yet. "Now I need a good morning kiss".