by Melody Raven
There was a line outside the building of humans eager to get in.
Ever since his kind had gotten here, there had been no shortage of humans more than willing to fraternize with the Vopura. He wondered whether that was why Tela had become a blood donor. Obviously she needed the money, but maybe she was drawn to danger too.
But he sure as hell wasn’t waiting in any line. “Stay close to me,” he warned. “You still smell like blood, so they’ll be drawn to you.” Even though he wasn’t looking at her, he could feel Tela tense and move closer into him.
He saw the guard out front and he gave the Vopura a little nod as he and Tela were granted access inside.
John had only been to Queens Club once before, and he had a feeling he’d never be there again. Instead of a wide-open dance floor for humans and Vopura to writhe against each other, there was a system of small, closed-off rooms, each with multiple entrances and exits to make it as easy as possible to get lost. Tela haphazardly started darting in and out of rooms, calling her sister’s name. John wasn’t a fan of how much attention this was getting, but he knew that if he tried to make her act more discreetly, she would just make a bigger scene. And considering he didn’t know what her sister looked like, he decided to let this play its course. He stuck close to Tela, making sure any Vopura who approached knew she was with him.
Most of the creatures here wouldn’t know who he was exactly. He was by no means famous, but the slave marks around his neck gave his past away to anybody who looked. His kind weren’t known for going down easy in a fight.
Abruptly, Tela stopped and John walked right into her back. “I see her.” She pointed through the door in front of them to the next room.
He followed her finger to a cluster of people dancing in the middle of the small dance floor. There was no one who stood out who was obviously related to Tela, but he did notice two girls who looked younger than everyone else in the club. Human ages were still hard for him to interpret, but he guessed these two would still be in high school.
Tela started to make her way through the crowd, but John reached out and grabbed her arm. He leaned forward and spoke quietly in her ear. “I’ll get her. Which one is she?”
He could tell from the stubborn set of her jaw that she wanted to fight him, but luckily she was able to contain herself.
Tela pointed once more. “The blonde one.”
Of course it was. No one back from where he came from had fair hair, so blondes tended to get special attention from his kind.
As he moved through the dance floor, the crowd naturally parted for him, human and Vopura alike. He knew he’d always given off a negative energy that his kind picked up on easily, no matter how loud the music was. It was evident that humans picked up on it too. Good.
The blonde that Tela had pointed to, Dani, was dancing with another young girl, and two Vopura males.
They, of course, were oblivious of him, unlike everybody else in the room who had taken a few steps back and were watching with interest. John glanced over to make sure Tela was still where he’d left her before reaching out to put his hand on the back of Dani’s shoulder.
The girl didn’t jump or react much to his touch at all. Who knew how many strangers had their hands on her in the tight quarters of this place? One more sensory overload all of the patrons were exposed to.
He squeezed her shoulder and gave a small tug, forcing the girl to turn toward him. She gave him a curious glance, but her expression turned serious real fast as she realized that no one else in the room was dancing except for her group.
The girl had long blonde hair that was slicked back with sweat. Her shirt was the type that tied around the back, leaving almost all of her skin bared, only a layer of glitter protecting her from the predators in the room. Her eyes were large and blue, just like her sister’s, and the bolt of fear that shot through them was the first bit of common sense he’d seen her display so far.
“Dani?” he asked, just to be sure.
“I, um....”
“Who’s asking?” asked one of the males she was dancing with.
John turned his attention to the young Vopura Dani had been dancing with. He was almost the same height as John, but he had the thin build of the elite. He had a feeling this one had never been in a fistfight in his life. “I’m asking,” he said simply.
The other Vopura, who had been dancing with the young girl John assumed was friends with Dani, looked at John and immediately took a step back. At least this one knew what was good for him.
“Your sister sent me,” he said to Dani. “It’s time to go.”
The girl shook her head in confusion. “What? She never would’ve—”
“Hey, man. She’s not going anywhere with you.” Her Vopura escort shoved at John, a motion that did nothing to physically move him.
He looked down to where the unwanted contact had been and back to the offender. “That’s the last time you touch me,” he said in a low voice that was practically inaudible over the music.
“It’s not worth it,” said the smarter of the two. “Let’s just go.”
“No. I want to dance, and no filthy slave is going to—”
John reached out and grabbed the Vopura’s neck with one hand and squeezed. The crunch beneath his fingers vibrated through him and filled him with a rush of satisfaction.
The vampire fell to the ground, where his friend started to drag him away as Dani let out a loud scream. He would live, but maybe next time he’d know better than to talk so damn much.
John needed to get out of here before any more of these morons tried to stop him. Just because he was now free didn’t mean others would take kindly to a former slave hurting one of the elite. No more talking. He approached Dani and swiftly bent down, grabbing the girl and tossing her over his shoulder. He glanced to her friend and said, “I suggest you come with me,” even as he started to carry the teen out with him.
She was screaming and pounding at him when he reached where Tela was staring at him with a look of horror. Well, she was just going to have to get over that. “Hold onto me and don’t let go until we’re out of here,” he ordered.
Tela snapped out of her shock. She had to. Even if she wanted to stand here and dissect what she’d just witnessed, she knew John needed to get out of there ASAP.
She wanted to tell him to just use his vampire speed to carry Dani out of this craziness, but now that she had her sister back, she wasn’t about to let Dani out of her sight.
So she reached out and set a hand on one of John’s surprisingly big biceps and held on tight as he moved through the maze of rooms they’d just come through. Dani was fighting, but Tela couldn’t worry about her right now. The fact that she’d even found her sister was against all odds at this point.
Once they were out on the street, Tela let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Holy crap,” she whispered.
John set Dani down, and Tela immediately hugged her sister tightly. “I’m so mad at you.” She squeezed so hard, she wasn’t sure whether it was a punishing or grateful hug.
Dani was still. She was probably pissed. Tela literally had some brute carry her out of a club. Her friends would never let her live this down.
Good. She didn’t need those friends. Tela leaned back and finally looked at Dani’s face. “What were you doing? What were you thinking?”
“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Dani insisted as she pulled out of Tela’s arms.
“What the hell is going on?” asked the familiar voice of Tiffany, Dani’s best friend and officially the number-one name on Tela’s shit list.
“What’s going on is we’re going home,” said Tela as sternly as possible, considering there was a tear rolling down her cheek. Damn, this whole night had been one long emotional roller coaster.
In all this ruckus, she’d forgotten there was a vampire with her. She looked over to see John on the side of the road, hailing a cab. Between the pain in her neck and her adrenaline rush at ge
tting Dani back, she was so confused. Vampires had brought her nothing but pain and misery ever since they’d invaded the city and upended her life. So how could this one stand out so much?
A car pulled over and stopped in front of John, signaling that it was time to go. There were no cabs patrolling the streets where the vampires lived. But here they were hard at work, bringing mortals back and forth. At this point, they were basically the fast-food industry of the city.
“We’ll talk about this at home. Let’s get in the cab before someone decides we’re a late-night snack.” Tela pushed Dani toward the car. “Are you coming with us, Tiff?” she called, without looking at the girl. She didn’t know whether she could stand to be around the girl right now. She was furious at Dani, but they at least had the bond of sisterly love holding them together. With Tiffany, there was nothing to hold back her rage.
“Okay,” said Tiffany softly as she walked sullenly to the car.
John was talking to the driver, and Dani stared at him warily as she started to climb into the back seat. With the three of them in the back, the ride would be tight. After Tiffany got in the cab, Tela stood awkwardly on the sidewalk as she tried to figure out what was going to happen from here.
Did she have any say in it? John had been so patient and respectful with her all night, but she couldn’t shake the image in her mind of what he’d done to that vampire. With just one little squeeze, the creature that could kill her with barely any effort had dropped to the ground.
John walked around the front of the cab, and Tela had to force herself to stand her ground and not retreat. “I gave the driver your address and paid him. I assume you don’t want my help from here.”
And once again, John had played the gentleman. Tela had spent so much of her energy hating his kind since this had started that she didn’t know whether she had the mental capacity to deal with someone like him. Which shouldn’t be a problem, because she’d probably never see him again. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you tonight.”
He glanced to the cab and then around the street before shrugging. “Who knows? She could’ve been fine on her own. We don’t know her date’s intentions.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
He was quiet. What was there really to say to that? How could Tela ever feel safe with a predator like John roaming the streets? Even if he’d done nothing but help her so far tonight, she was all too aware how much stronger and faster he was than her. And the pain in her neck was one more reminder of the danger all humans were in these days.
“If you don’t get home safe tonight, I’ll feel like a failure,” he warned.
“Ahh, yes. I wouldn’t want to ruin your selfish good deed.” Why was this so awkward? She’d said thank you. Now they should just give a quick good-bye and—
He turned and started to walk away.
“What? That’s it?” said Tela, before kicking herself for even speaking. Damn it.
John looked over his shoulder. “Do you need anything else from me?”
“No.... I.... No.” She didn’t need a good-bye from him. This should be awkward. There wasn’t a normal when it came to vampire-human relations.
She saw his eyes go up and down as he looked her over. She really wanted to know what he was thinking, but she never got the chance to ask. He turned and walked away. She knew the only reason he wasn’t using his vampire speed was because he wanted to make sure she got out safe, which meant she should be booking it. Why wasn’t she booking it?
Because she was spending too much time trying to figure out John, that was why. And that was a lost cause by now. She forced herself to get into the front seat of the cab. The driver sped off as soon as her butt hit the seat, showing that he was also a little uneasy sitting in front of the club.
They all rode in silence on the way to the apartment. Tiffany lived a few floors up from Tela and Dani, so she was going to the same place. Tela had so much yelling and screaming she needed to do, but right now she couldn’t manage it. She was tired and still hadn’t drank any water or juice. Her low blood sugar was rapidly catching up to her. It was definitely in everyone’s best interests if she saved her screaming for the privacy of her apartment.
Not to mention there was some poor cab driver who would have to listen to the fallout.
Instead, she closed her eyes and marveled at being in a car again. It had been weeks since she’d forked over the money necessary for a cab ride. The prices after the invasion had all skyrocketed because drivers were literally risking their lives by driving, and it was all cash-only since the internet was cut off. In this new world, sometimes money was worth risking your life for. Because if you didn’t have any money, you didn’t have any food. And then you’d die anyway. Wasn’t that a sick joke?
The cab stopped in front of her place and Tela looked over to the driver. “You were paid?”
“Oh yeah,” said the guy. “Your friend gave me a nice tip, too.”
“He’s not my—” She stopped herself. That was hardly important. “I appreciate the ride,” she said as they all started to get out. “Stay safe,” she called as she shut the door.
As the driver drove off, Tela held her arms around herself. It was cold now that John wasn’t carrying her, and the night breeze reminded her that as long as the sun was down, nowhere was safe but the apartment.
Tela had the key out and ready to get them into the building as quick as possible. Even though the one outer door of the building wouldn’t do anything to protect them from a vampire who really wanted to get in, at least they wouldn’t be a convenient meal of opportunity anymore.
Now she could finally get her anger out. Looking at each of the girls disapprovingly, she let out a tired sigh. “I don’t even know where to start with you two.”
“It’s not like you think,” said Dani quickly.
Tela’s eyes raked over Dani, and she let every ounce of her judgment show. “It looks like you’re dressed up to look fancier than a Thanksgiving turkey. Are you purposely trying to get yourself eaten?” Suddenly, things made so much more sense to her. “For fuck’s sake, don’t tell me you’ve been listening to those rumors about how good getting bitten feels. Because I can tell you from experience that it hurts like a bitch.” Tela had really wanted to believe that a vampire bite was all a woman needed to reach the most unbelievable climax of her life, but that idea had quickly been dashed for her tonight. “You know that’s just ridiculous propaganda that the vampires are floating out there to make their meals easier, right?”
“I don’t think you should be yelling at me for putting myself in harm’s way. You literally volunteered yourself to get bit tonight.”
“Don’t do that. You know what I did tonight was for us. So we can make ends meet.”
Dani scoffed. “You think I don’t know that? All I could think about all day was how you’re risking your life for me. It’s not fair, and I’m not going to let you be the only one to put your life on the line.”
“And how the hell is dancing at that club helping us?”
“I didn’t go there for fun! I went there to fall in love.”
Silence hung in the air between them as she tried to figure out what her sister was talking about. “You went there to what?”
“It was my idea,” said Tiffany. “You’re not the only one feeling the crunch. We all are. The only ones who aren’t are the vampires. They don’t have to worry about having someplace to stay or having enough money or supplies. But if we had one on our side, someone to take care of us, we’d be okay. It’s not crazy. I’ve heard plenty of stories of humans and vampires falling in love.”
Tela rubbed at her temples, her headache ever increasing. “You mean you’ve heard of them in movies and romance novels?”
“No. I have a friend whose cousin—”
Tela threw up her hands. “I don’t want to hear it. This isn’t a fairy tale. We can’t rely on some vampire to have a change of heart and save us. And I sure as hell doubt yo
u’re going to find love in a club like that.”
“But a vampire did swoop in tonight,” pointed out Dani. “Who the hell was that?”
Well, that was a question she really didn’t want to answer. “He was a stroke of good luck. Since I have no way of getting in touch with him again, we can’t rely on John to swoop in and help us any time we need it. Besides, I don’t need a lifelong commitment from a vampire. I’m sure any day now the government will figure something out and we’ll be able to get out of here.”
Dani and Tiffany exchanged a disbelieving glance, and Tela didn’t blame them. The words sounded lame, even to her.
“Either way, I can’t leave you if I think you’re gonna go out and do something crazy like this again. Tiffany, I know your mom feels the same. Please promise that you won’t go all crazy again without telling me first.”
“I’m not totally stupid. I left you a note,” pointed out Dani weakly.
“Notes don’t count. Tell me in person and ahead of time so I have a chance to talk you out of it or tie you up or something.”
Dani reluctantly nodded. “All right. I’ll talk to you next time.”
“For the record, you know I never want there to be a next time, right?”
Dani let out a little laugh. “Yeah, I picked up on that.”
“All right. Now can we all go to bed and pretend this never happened?”
The girls both nodded and smiled, probably happy Tela hadn’t yelled at them more.
But even as Tela made her way back to her apartment, she knew she’d never be able to forget this night.
Tela stared at the pitiful contents of the refrigerator. She knew she had enough rice in the pantry to last maybe two more days; the fridge now had nothing but condiments left in it. There was only so far rice and mustard was going to get her.
Even though she knew she was going to have to go back, she couldn’t shake the pit in her stomach. Hell, it wasn’t even as if she had a hunch things could go wrong. She knew from experience how bad it could be. It had taken her almost a week to feel like herself after the last time she’d been bitten. She was pretty sure that when donating blood, you were supposed to wait a whole three months before donating again. But here she was, just one month later, desperate.
