The beat throbs against my bones, drawing me in ever deeper. The thunder of blood all around me is overpowering, nearly overwhelming. Fangs touch the edge of my lips. I sway with the beat. The club's flashing lights blind me, still lost in the thrum of humanity. Bright blues and pinks flash across my eyes, staining my vision. One with the mob, I nearly didn’t notice him. Opening my eyes, I focus on the far corner.
How inopportune, I nearly pout.
He stands alone before stalking towards me, gently nudging mortals out of the way. A young girl tries to cling to him, but he only has eyes for me. Gyrating to the beat, I lean into the man behind me. I’m not going to allow his reappearance to ruin my night, I think with a mischievous smile. I turn to the man at my back and smile suggestively. He doesn’t notice the fangs.
Ignoring my old friend, I head to a private booth hoping for a few more minutes of peace. I knock the senseless human into the booth and draw the curtain behind us. I kiss his wrist gently, taking in the smell of sweat and the aroma of the blood beneath the surface. It thrums for me, pumping away. Awaiting the moment to strike, his passion perfuming the air like a savory fruit, I take an unneeded breath to savor the moment. Fangs cresting, I lick my way up his arm and suck at the pulse in his throat. Gasping, he sinks into the couch. I strike.
A hand catches my hair, distracting me and turning me towards the man clothed in blackness. This time I do pout. With one last look at the human behind me, I offer my hand to my old friend. Grasping it tightly, he pulls me away from my meal back into the pounding din. I glare at him briefly before tugging free of his hand and dancing in circles around him. He disappears and reappears in the strobe light.
I’d been so long since we’d last seen each other. The last time had been in Russia about 50 years ago. He hadn’t changed one bit. And he’d finally come.
My fangs flash. Darkness. His face mere inches from mine. Darkness. A sharp stake pressed against my chest. Darkness. I smile and press into him, drawing blood. Darkness. He grabs my wrist and I coyly follow him into the alley. The cold doesn’t bother me although my halter top and leather pants were no match for the icy air.
“Long time no see,” I accuse softly.
“Well, I’ve been busy tracking down the butcher of late.” It’s almost like old times seeing him here. “Word on the street says that’s you.”
“Are we going to fight now?”
“So you aren’t going to even deny it?” Anger sparks behind his words, a brief flicker in his eyes. “Damn it, Amelia. We had an understanding.”
Turning my back, I tell him “And I’ve told you that I follow my own rules- not yours.”
“Very well, you’ve made your choice.”
I spin and before I could make a witty quip, my breath exploded as his fist crashed into my stomach.
Good thing I don’t need to breath. Baring my teeth, I round housed him across the face. His beautiful skin split and bled. A fierce hunger came over me, coating the night in red.
“I told you baby, thanks for remembering I like it rough,” I told him as my fist cracked across his face. Another blow caught his jaw and I delivered a swift kick to his abdomen. He fell to the ground.
Feeling like a stab to my temple, I groaned at my master’s painful directive ‘Kill the traitor’. I’d kept him alive this long. He was far too interesting of a creature to lose. Michael will come with me.
Michael’s fist slammed across my cheek, a bright light blooming behind my eyes. I blocked his stake to my heart and put space between us.
“I didn’t kill those people, but I have a feeling I know who did.” And then they framed me for it. I’m going to have a word with them once I got my hands on them…
He glared at me but said nothing.
“You’re going to have to trust me.” If it was possible, he would have growled at me I think.
“Ready for another fight, old friend?” I smiled with teeth.