MY SUGAR MUMMY IS A BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRE

The old truck rumbled down the dirt road, its headlights cutting through the early morning mist. Inside, Blake gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white with tension. Beside him, Reggie sat quietly, his usual calm demeanor replaced by visible anxiety. In the back seat, Randal gazed out the window, lost in thought.

Blake's worn leather jacket was covered in dust, evidence of the dusty road. His face was gaunt, dark circles under his eyes betraying his lack of sleep. As they approached the cabin where they had left Rose, his jaw clenched tighter.

"I can't believe we're coming back empty-handed," he muttered, breaking the tense silence.

Reggie glanced at him, his voice low and somber. "We didn't have a choice, Blake. After the interference of Duncan and what happened to Gunther... we needed time to regroup."

Randal leaned forward, his voice heavy with emotion. "At least we were able to give Gunther a proper burial. He deserved that much."

Blake nodded grimly, the memory of the cathedral where they had laid their friend to rest still fresh in his mind. As they pulled up to the cabin, he killed the engine, the sudden silence oppressive.

"Let's go," he said, climbing out of the truck. "Rose needs to know what happened."

The three vampires approached the cabin cautiously, each step measured and deliberate. Blake led the way, his enhanced senses alert for any sign of danger. Reggie and Randal followed close behind, their own supernatural instincts on high alert.

As they reached the door, Blake hesitated, his hand on the handle. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what they might find inside. With a nod to his companions, he pushed the door open.

The sight that greeted them made their undead hearts clench.

Rose hung limply from the chains they had left her in, her body a canvas of bruises and cuts. Her once vibrant hair was matted with blood and sweat, hanging in tangled strands around her face. Her clothes, already tattered when they left, were now little more than rags.

"Rose," Blake whispered, rushing forward.

As he approached, Rose's head snapped up, her eyes flying open. But the eyes that met Blake's weren't the warm brown he remembered. They were solid black, gleaming with malevolent intelligence.

"Well, well," Rose's mouth moved, but the voice that emerged was not her own. It was cold, mocking, dripping with disdain. "The prodigal husband returns. And he's brought his little friends."

Blake stumbled to a halt, his face a mask of horror and grief. "Nemisis," he growled.

The entity wearing Rose's face smiled, the expression a grotesque parody of Rose's usual warmth. "In the flesh," it sneered. "Or should I say, in Rose's flesh? I must say, I've grown quite comfortable here in your absence."

Reggie stepped forward, his voice tight with barely controlled anger. "Let her go, Nemisis. You have no right to her."

The Nemisis laughed, the sound echoing unnaturally in the small cabin. "No right? Oh, but I have every right. Your precious Rose invited me in, remember? With that lovely little oath she swore with Damien."

Randal moved to Rose's side, his eyes scanning her injuries. "She needs blood," he muttered to Blake. "These wounds... they're not healing properly."

The Nemisis turned its gaze to Randal, its black eyes glittering with amusement. "Ah, the faithful knight. Always trying to help. Tell me, how does it feel to be so utterly useless?"

Randal flinched but stood his ground, refusing to be baited.

Blake stepped closer, his voice low and dangerous. "Enough games. We're here to free Rose from you."

The entity's smile widened, revealing fangs that seemed too sharp even for a vampire. "Free her? Oh, Blake. Sweet, naive Blake. Don't you understand? Rose doesn't want to be free."

"You're lying," Blake spat.

"Am I?" the Nemisis asked, cocking Rose's head to one side. "Why don't you ask her yourself? Rose, dear, why don't you come out and play?"

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Rose's body began to tremble. Her eyes flickered, black giving way to brown for just a second before being swallowed by darkness again.

"Blake?" Rose's voice, weak and confused, broke through. "Blake, is that you?"

"Rose!" Blake surged forward, only to be held back by Reggie's firm grip on his arm.

"Careful," Reggie warned. "It could be a trick."

The Nemisis laughed again. "Smart man. But no trick this time. Go ahead, Rose. Tell your beloved husband how you really feel."

Rose's eyes cleared again, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Blake," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. Did you find Damien?"

Blake's face crumpled, his own eyes filling with blood-tinged tears. "Rose, I... There's something you need to know."

The Nemisis's grin was triumphant. "Oh, this should be good. Go on, Blake. Tell her what happened."

Reggie stepped forward, his voice urgent. "Rose, listen to me. You need to fight the Nemisis. Don't let it control you."

Rose's gaze shifted to Reggie, her eyes clearing once more. "Reggie? What... what's happening?"

Before Reggie could respond, the Nemisis seized control again. "Enough of this touching reunion," it snarled. "You came here with a purpose, didn't you? To save poor, helpless Rose? Well, you're too late. She's mine now."

Blake's face contorted with rage and desperation. "You're wrong," he growled. "Rose is stronger than you. She'll fight you."

Inside Rose's mind, a battle was raging. She could hear Blake's voice, feel his presence, and it gave her strength. With every ounce of willpower she possessed, she pushed against the Nemesis's control.

"Get... out... of... my... head!" Rose's voice, her true voice, broke through for a moment.

The Nemisis snarled in frustration. "Foolish girl! You can't fight me. You're weak, pathetic. Just like your friends."

"No," Rose gasped, fighting for control. "They're... not weak. And neither... am I!"

The three vampires watched in awe and fear as Rose's body convulsed, her eyes flickering rapidly between black and brown. The air in the cabin seemed to thicken, charged with an unseen energy.

"Rose," Blake called out, his voice filled with love and desperation. "We're here. We believe in you. Fight it!"

With a final, gut-wrenching scream, Rose's body went rigid. For a long, tense moment, everything was still. Then, slowly, her eyes opened.

They were brown.

"Blake?" Rose whispered, her voice hoarse but her own. "I... I think it's gone. For now, at least."

Blake rushed forward, carefully freeing Rose from the chains. He cradled her in his arms, his body shaking with relief and pent-up emotion.

"You did it," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You fought it off."

Rose's weak smile faded as she looked at the faces of her knights. "But something's wrong," she said. "I can feel it. What happened?"

The three men exchanged pained glances. Finally, Blake took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he had to say.

"Rose," he began, his voice gentle but filled with sorrow. "There's something you need to know. It's about Gunther."

Rose's face paled even further, her hand gripping Blake's arm tightly. "Gunther? What about him? Is he okay?"

The pain in Blake's eyes told Rose everything she needed to know before he even spoke. "No," she whispered, shaking her head in denial. "No, please..."

"I'm so sorry, Rose," Blake said, his voice breaking. "Gunther's gone. Duncan... Duncan killed him."

Rose's anguished cry echoed through the cabin, a sound of pure grief and loss. As Blake held her, murmuring words of comfort she couldn't hear through her sobs, Reggie and Randal stood by helplessly.

In that moment of shared sorrow, none of them noticed the faint flicker of darkness that passed through Rose's eyes, there and gone in an instant. The Nemisis might have been subdued, but it wasn't defeated.