A Vampire's Thirst_Grey

by Bella Roccaforte

  Angus comes to a stop behind him, “We really need to get to Michael before he's on the move.”

  Grey snaps out of his trance. A look of disgust crosses his features. He lets out a groan at the unsavory lot populating the dirty strip club.

  “That's a good vampire. You'd never feed on these low lifes.” Angus' shoulders relax at seeing Grey looking more lucid. Angus tugs at Grey's jacket, “Let's get to the Bubblegum Factory.”

  Grey shakes him off sniffing at the air, “There it is again.” He moves forward with purpose toward the back room.

  He bursts through the door, the room is empty but for the tables and chairs. There's a cigarette still smoking in the ashtray and a half drunk glass of wine. He picks up the glass of wine studying the lip print on the rim.

  “Grey, there's no one here, let's get on with this.” Angus prods him.

  Grey looks up at him with disdain, he wants to rip his vocal chords out to shut him up. His fist is balled at his side trying to control his rage. He's about to do it, to shut him up.

  Two women wearing next to nothing come up behind Angus. Grey loosens his shoulders at the sight and smell of them. He's thirsty in more ways than one.

  “Hello, handsome.” One of them says pushing past Angus.

  “Hello, ladies,” Grey says with a charming smile.

  “Can we get you anything?” The redhead comes to a stop directly in front of Grey and runs her fingers under his collar.

  “I think you can.” A lascivious look crosses his features as he grabs a handful of her ass.

  “What's your pleasure?” The blonde asks from the doorway.

  “I'll have a Scotch to start.” Grey doesn't take his eyes off the redhead. “What is your name?”

  “I'm Ruby.” She says rubbing up against the erection growing his pants.

  “Of course you are.” Angus blurts out. “Grey, we don't have time for this.”

  “There's always time for pleasure.” Grey is rock hard and ready. Images of fucking and drinking Ruby run through his mind. He takes her, pressing his lips against hers hard and forceful.

  She loves it, she wants him, there's no resistance, and she reciprocates allowing him to enter her mouth.

  “Oh for the love of God,” Angus cringes, “Grey, these girls don't have sex. They're for show only.” He tugs at Grey's jacket.

  “Not this girl,” Ruby says in a hungry breath.

  “Oh, that's even worse.” Angus groans, “You kissed her on the mouth.”

  “Shut up, Angus.” Grey turns to him.

  “Grey, come on. We've got to get out of here.” Angus pleads with him.

  Grey can't resist the sound of blood pumping through her veins. He has to drink. Without asking permission, he sinks his teeth into her neck and drinks from her. Ruby's eyes roll back in her head with the ecstasy of the sensation. She wants him to drink from her, fuck her, take her in every way and Grey wants to oblige.

  Screams fill the room along with the sound of smashing glass. The blond stripper stands stunned in the doorway for a full thirty seconds before the bouncer arrives.

  “Hey, what's going on in--” The bodyguard stops in his tracks watching the horror of Grey feeding from the girl. He launches forward and grabs Grey by the upper arms, “Okay sicko, time to go.”

  Grey throws him off with ease, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He goes back to finish drinking from her.

  Angus approaches Grey cautiously, “Grey, you need to stop. You're going to drain her.”

  Grey glances down at Ruby's pale skin, a horrified look of knowing comes over him. “Jesus, what the hell is wrong with me?”

  “I don't know, but you'd better get over this fast,” Angus says laying Ruby on the couch. “Now fix this and let's get out of--” Angus stops mid-sentence. “Oh for fuck's sake.”

  Grey looks around, “What?”

  “We've got to go.” Angus closes the door to the private room and scans the room for another way out.

  “I need to take care of this first,” Panic rides at the edge of Grey's sanity. He knows he fucked up. Feeding on a human, without permission, in a public place.

  “No time,” Angus says opening a door at the back of the room. “Let's go.”

  “No I have to make sure--”

  “Now!” Angus demands, “This hallway will get us out of here and away from The Directive agent that just came through the front door.”

  “Shit!” Grey hisses and follows Angus to the back door.

  “Shit is right.” Angus shakes his head, “I'd have been better on my own.”

  They snake their way down the back hallway and out the door. Grey blanches at the smell when they spill out at the back of the building.

  “What the hell is that stench?” Angus puts his hand over his nose and mouth.

  “Death.” Grey answers, he follows his nose to the dumpster. He peers over the top to see the bodies of two men. Both with puncture wounds on their necks. He turns to Angus in a panic, “What do we do?”

  “We get the fuck out of here.” Angus runs toward the front of the building and comes to a halt. “Shite!”

  Grey's right behind him, bumping into him “You dolt.”

  Angus shushes him, “We're on foot.” And takes off in the other direction.

  Grey looks to see three men in the parking lot, one of them standing by his car. He turns heading away from the scene. He passes Angus with ease and stops several blocks away. “Why are we running?”

  “Because they're local Directive operatives,” Angus says out of breath.

  “I've done nothing wrong.” Grey insists.

  “You fed from a human that's not 'in the program', and there are two bodies in the dumpster with vamp marks in their neck. That's what you've done wrong.” Angus paces the sidewalk.

  Grey huffs a laugh, “I'm letting myself get caught up in your panic.”

  “My panic is real. Those Directive guys don't screw around, and now it's going to look like you did the two stiffs in the dumpster.” Angus waves his hands wildly.

  “I didn't.” Grey says with certainty, “And surely I can handle the slap on the wrist for the girl.”

  “I don't think you know how things work down here,” Angus says disgusted. “They like to keep things on the down low. No visits from the home office, if you know what I mean.”

  “I can understand that, but honestly, I don't believe this will warrant a trip from home office.” Grey smiles at Angus' panic.

  “Charles didn't really fill you in did he?” Angus laughs at Grey's ignorance.

  “Just that Michael was wreaking havoc.” Grey shrugs. “Simple, we apprehend him, turn him in or get him to the Company safehouse. Tell the locals, problem solved.”

  “You're a sucker.” Angus laughs. “Charles didn't tell you that Michael's been good for at least four bodies a night, this shits making the news right now. Exsanguinations on the rise in Atlanta are not the kind of headlines The Directive is willing to tolerate. I heard that Clarence Collins himself may be coming here.” Angus' eyes widen, “Clarence fucking Collins.”

  “He's just a vampire.” Grey scoffs.

  “Only one of the most powerful vampires in the world.” Angus shakes his head, “You may not be phased by this, but I am, and you should be. I know you've been around for a long time, but I doubt you're any match for Clarence.”

  “I'm not concerned about matching anyone, least of all Clarence Collins. I'm here to control a young vampire for a friend. I'll be happy to explain that to Clarence, I've had many conversations with him, and he's quite the gentleman.” Grey says with relief in his tone.

  “I can see it now, 'Yeah the stripper that was me, but the stiffs in the dumpster that was Charles' latest convert'.”

  “If I do have to explain it, that's a perfectly good explanation,” Grey says walking back toward the club. “This is foolish, I have nothing to hide. You're welcome to join me, or you can stay here, it’s of no consequence to me which you choose.” />
  “You aren't concerned about what's going to happen to you if you don't take care of this for Charles?” Angus follows Grey down the sidewalk.

  “Not one bit. I'm tired of being Charles' clean-up crew. Perhaps some time spent with The Directive would be best for him.” Grey says unceremoniously.

  Angus is horrified by Grey's words, “Grey, what's gotten into you? You're feeding from humans, having sex with them and now you don't care what happens to your father?”

  Grey spins around grabbing Angus by the collar, “Don't you forget that first and foremost, I'm a vampire.”

  Angus's chest tightens, and he replies without blinking, “I'll never forget it now.”

  Grey drops him and continues back toward his car. He feels like he could crawl out of his skin, he's parched, angry and needs to fuck. Now.

  Chapter Four

  Mila sits at the poker table sipping her wine with a belly full of blood and pocket full of cash. Humans are so easy, she thinks to herself as she tosses a chip across the table pushing her raven black hair over her shoulder. She considers how to spend the evening, she already knows she'll need to move on from this club and go to the next.

  She writhes in her chair as a warm sensation rolls through her body. She lets out a hum as her core swells. All work and no play makes Mila a dull girl. She thinks about the prospect of finding companionship for the evening.

  Mila stiffens at smelling a vampire nearby. “Shit.” She hisses feeling him draw closer. She closes her eyes and phases out, transporting herself outside the door in time to watch a frantic vampire swing the door open to the room she was in. He stalks in like a rabid animal.

  Time for my exit, she heads quietly for the door wondering if they were Directive. She's been pretty discreet, no one knows what she is and she's been pretty good at keeping it that way. But perhaps not careful enough.

  Her steps become sluggish the further away from the room she gets. There’s something drawing her back in that direction, but fear of being caught propel her forward. She gets outside feeling the need for more blood. The thought of it trickling down her throat sends heat spiraling between her thighs.

  The night is young, she thinks, looking across the street with thirst parching her throat. She's driven to feed, driven to feel, driven to fuck, but can't seem to make her feet move any further away from the front door of the club.

  She wants to go back in, see that vamp again, who was he? What was he doing here if he wasn't Directive?

  She paces outside the club for a moment when the scent of a werewolf catches her attention. They'll know what she is the moment they smell her, and she can't take that chance. She disappears quickly to hide out for the evening. It will be safer that way.

  “You're back,” Hera says in a biting tone as Mila enters the hotel suite.

  “Yeah,” she throws her purse on the wet bar, “And what have you done all day while I was out working.”

  “You're looking at it,” Hera says popping a chocolate into her mouth.

  “You're welcome, by the way.” She rolls her eyes and heads for the bedroom.

  “For what?” Hera goes to stand, but decides better of it, she’d let herself go a bit over the years feeding on more than just blood, she has a sweet tooth and isn’t afraid to sate it. “You going out, having fun, feeding all day.”

  Mila stops in the doorway of the bedroom, “I'll have you know if it weren't for my being out 'having fun' as you put it, your ass would be sitting back in the Underworld.”

  “Both of our asses would be in the Underworld. You should be thanking me, you never would've been able to cross over without me. Cerberus would’ve seen to that.” She turns back toward the TV, “Quit your bitching, I gave you the bigger bedroom.”

  Mila feels an incredible anger taking over, she's fighting against the urge to jump on Hera and beat her. She shakes her head, what the hell is wrong with me?

  Mila looks at the bed calling to her but decides to wash the smell of the strip club off before climbing between the sheets.

  In the shower she lets the water course over her skin, thoughts of the vampire from the club invade her thoughts. He was delicious. His movements smooth and deliberate. Those intense eyes. She’s feeling lost in them, even though she only saw them for a split second as he flashed by her.

  She moves her hands over her body, to her thighs and between her folds to her most sensitive parts. She can feel herself swollen, wet and needy for him, but doesn’t understand what’s coming over her. Her desire is already constant, and she brushes the feeling off as just being her nature to want him.

  Images of him flash through her mind as the heat continues to build in her core. She can feel his hands on her body, getting lost in him.

  “Mila, get hold of yourself.” She says, pulling herself out of the moment.

  Who is he? And what will he do if he finds me?

  Chapter Five

  Grey reaches the parking lot hoping to catch the scent again. There’s nothing, the club appears to be closed. Odd at eight thirty at night.

  There are two cars left in the parking lot aside from his own. He remembers the bodies in the dumpster and sniffs at the air to see if they’re still there. The smell is faint, he’s sure they aren’t there anymore but goes back to check.

  The smell isn’t overpowering as he gets closer and sees no reason to check. He turns back for his car, satisfied that the bodies are gone. Probably removed by The Directive.

  Another scent, one he’s not fond of enters his nostrils. Shit!

  “Coming back to the scene of the crime?” A deep gravely voice calls out from behind the dumpster.

  “I’m not sure what you mean, wolf,” Grey says without fully acknowledging him.

  “I think you do.” The wolf comes closer to Grey.

  “Then you’d be wrong, very wrong.” Grey doesn’t stop walking away. He’d like to put as much distance between him and the wolf as possible if only to staunch the smell.

  “Would I?” The wolf catches up to him.

  “Yes,” Grey reaches his car and opens the door.

  The wolf closes the door before Grey can get in, the bold move shocks Grey. “Excuse me, but I’m leaving.”

  “After you answer a few questions.” The wolf says.

  Grey tenses then evaluates his options. He could kill the wolf, that’s certainly an option. Grey narrows his eyes and with a sardonic smile moves toward him.

  Angus runs up and stops between Grey and the wolf. “Hey, Vash, how’s it going?”

  “Angus, I should’ve known you’d be involved in this,” Vash says shaking his head.

  “Involved in what?” Angus feigns innocence.

  “The two bodies in the dumpster?” Vash scrutinizes Grey, “And the vampire.”

  “Can’t say I know anything about the bodies, but yeah, the vamp is mine,” Angus says with a nervous laugh.

  Grey cocks his head at Angus, “Yours?”

  “Well, what I mean to say is, I’m showing him around. But those guys in the dumpster, not us.” Angus holds his hands up in surrender.

  “Really? And who is your vampire friend?” Vash quirks his brow.

  Grey steps forward, “Grey Hart, you must be relatively new here. I spend quite a lot of time in Atlanta.”

  “I’ve been here a little over a year,” Vash says with pride.

  “Ah, yes, just a blip in time.” Grey moves toward his car, “If you’ll excuse me.”

  “I still have some questions for you,” Vash says trying to keep Grey from getting in the car.

  Grey turns to him with a deep threat in his eyes, “You’d do well to take your hands off the Bentley.”

  Vash puffs out his chest, “And you’d do well to answer my questions.”

  “You haven’t asked anything.” Grey’ impatience hangs in the air with an edge to his tone.

  “What do you know about the bodies?” Vash asks point blank.

  “Not a damn thing,” Grey says lowering himself in
to the car. “Is that it?”

  “I’ll be in touch,” Vash says with warning.

  “I’m sure.” Grey slams the door closed.

  Angus trots around the front of the car and slides into the passenger seat. “I’ll see you around, Vash.”

  Grey calmly pulls the car out of the spot and toward the road. “Who the hell is that asshole?”

  “Vash is one of the agents with the Atlanta Directive.” Angus says with warning, “You don’t want to piss him off.”

  “Why?” Grey asks with a scary calmness to him.

  “Because then we have more of The Directive on our ass, just steer clear, okay?” Angus pleads.

  “Fuck him, he better not get in my way,” Grey says gripping the steering wheel. “I need to feed.”

  “Again?” Angus asked annoyed.

  “I could always just take your blood.” Grey arches his brow.

  Angus pulls his collar up closer to his neck, “How about no.”

  Grey smiles, “Then I’m sure you’ll have no objection to me going to the feeding grounds.”

  “No objection from me, boss,” Angus says staring straight ahead through the windshield. “But I do want to get on with finding Michael.”

  “Dammit!” Grey hits the steering wheel with his fist.

  “You forgot didn’t you.” Angus blows out a frustrated breath “Seriously, what is it with you?”

  Grey shakes his head, “I don’t know, I just don’t feel like myself and this thirst and this.” He grips his hard cock in his hand.

  “Whoa, I’m not helping you with that either.” Angus presses himself against the door, putting distance between them.

  “I’m not interested in your help with this.” Grey cringes, “But I do think I need to feed before I go out into public again.”

  “Maybe that will help.” Angus taps his finger to his chin, “Let’s go back to the hotel, you can feed, we can regroup.”

  “Good idea.” Grey nods. He really can’t quite figure out what’s wrong. He hasn’t had trouble with any of those types of urges in a very long time. Before this morning, he hadn’t fed from a live human for nearly a hundred years.