Half Bitten

We all piled into Rufus’s Hummer anxiously. The ride on the way there wasn’t long, but it was still dreadful.
All I could think of was Lowlii and how I would miss him so much. Many may argue that in death your body feels nothing. But who is to say that the last feeling endured by the body does not stay for eternity, as does death freeze the body, the blood, and the heart.
As we arrived there, the car started to slow down to a more leisurely pace. I didn’t know if Alec told Rufus to drive slower as a subconscious warning to me, or the rest of the group.
“How long are we supposed to be staying?”
Alec sighed before answering. “That’s Jackie’s choice, not ours.”
“As long as it takes.” I managed to break the three-second silence that engulfed the inside of the car. I’m sick of people thinking I’m anyone but myself.
Becca and Sadie continued to whisper under their breathes as the car swerved into a parking spot of a busy street. When we stepped out of it I heard the faintest sound of music and crowds cheering.
“A club?” I’m going to die at a club?
“It’s not just any club,” Darby smiled happily. “It’s Last Supper Club, hottest club in Seattle.”
I smiled falsely. “I guess so. Now that we’re here.”
As we crossed the street Darby laughed and slowed down to match my pace. Becca and Sadie were ahead by about 5 feet, Rufus and Alec ahead by four. The music grew louder and the sound of the crowd was heavier. When we got to the entrance of the club it looked like an average building with brick exposed. The only thing that told me we ended up at the right place was the frightening body guard standing in front of the door while keeping an eye on the tremendously long line of ‘people’ waiting to step foot inside.
“Are you sure we’re going to have enough time to get back? That line looks long.”
Darby rolled his eyes and chuckled amusingly. Slinging one arm over my shoulders he smirked. “Haven’t we told you that we’re the most powerful family in Washington?”
I stuttered for a few seconds. “I—I believe I’ve heard.”
“Hello.” Alec smiled at the bodyguard as we arrived to him.
The guard growled in a low drone.
“How have you been, Lane?” Rufus made an attempt for small talk. The people waiting on line began to shout in protest; at least that’s what I thought they were doing. All it sounded was like a series of growling noises accompanied by moans.
Darby forced his way passed Alec, Rufus, Becca, and Sadie. Which caused me to drag along with him. He pulled me close enough to make it seem as if we were a couple and directed his attention to the guard. “Hello, how’s the daughter?”
Lane raised a brow as if he knew why Darby was acting the way he was. “Better, now that you’re out of her life.”
Darby laughed as if the acidic comment did not scathe him.
“Have a good night.” The guard smirked and stepped aside, letting us into the door.
The atmosphere in the club was unlike anything I ever experienced. The lights were dim enough to cause your eyes to search for everything and nothing at the same time. Making your mind play with the shadows and shades of everyone that passed by you. The dance floor was full of waves of bodies, one over the other. The girls were beautiful; their hair long enough to make them seem as if they glided through the air like a goddess and their bodies’ skinny enough to look good in anything. With every smile, another man would be lured into a trap. Even they were blessed with sculpted bodies carved by gods and dazzling eyes that could lure the feeblest of people to them.
I continued to make my way around the crowd to the nearest vacant seat. After sitting down, I tried not to initiate eye contact. Normally, when eye contact is made between genders, and only after intent staring occurs, one finds the energy to walk up to the other gender. But here, I could tell it was different.
No one needed to talk to hold a conversation. Words were spoken just by a blink, or even a smile.
Here, it was as if every person owned a window into another person’s mind.
“Hello.” The bartender spoke. I dared to level my eyes to his glare.
Although my they were still adjusting to what little light was shinning, I could tell there was something different about him.
“Do you need anything?”
I shrugged, “what’s best around here?”
The bartender let his voice twist into a chuckle. A chuckle I was all too well familiar with. “Well, it’s not my job to choose for you.”
I leaned closer towards his voice, in hopes that I could see his face more clearly. “What’s your name?”
“Stallon.” He hummed swiftly. “Have you decided what you want?”
“Let the sexy vixen have a cocktail. In fact, make it two.” An overly cocky melodic voice intruded.
Stallon groaned in response and walked to the various bottles of liquid set up behind the bar.
“So, tell me. What’s a pretty vampire like you doing in such a stupid club like this?” the voice continued to speak confidently.
I tried to keep my head down. “Who said I was pretty?”
The melodic voice laughed and cold fingers touched the side of my face. I could feel his eyes running up and down my body, allowing his mind to gain pleasure from the picture he so ignorantly saw. I felt violated and further more, angered.
“Sweetie, have you looked at us? We’re all pretty.”
“I beg to differ.”
He chuckled as he tried to decipher my words. “I didn’t quite catch your name, by the way.”
I tried to chuckle innocently in order to conceal my anger. “The only reason you didn’t catch my name is because I didn’t throw it.”
He chuckled again, this time impatiently. “Well, surely you’d spare me the guessing. My name is Aerie.”
“I didn’t ask, now did I?”
“Here’s your order.” The bartender put down the two glasses of alcohol. “Anything else?”
The vampire sitting next to me shook his head and waited till the bartender left to hand me both the cups. “Ladies first.”
I stared at the glasses half expecting my hand to pick them up and throw them to his face, but instead I took in a breath and lifted my body up. “Well, it’s a nice offer, but I’m going to go join my friends on the dance floor.”
I stepped forward twice and then was frozen in place by Aerie’s devilish voice. “Do you know who I am, little lady?”
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my heart from erupting out of my chest. “I’m not sure I want to. Good bye Aerie.”
I stepped forward again only to crash into what seemed to be a statue.
“Oh, no.” Aerie warned sternly. “No vixen walks away from me. If you want to go to the dance floor, you’ll go. But you’re going with me.” his firm hand wrapped around my wrist and started to pull. He was moving at a fast pace that I had no choice but to trip over my feet. We stopped at what seemed to be the busiest part of the dance floor. Aerie let his hands run down my back to my waist. It took every fiber of my being from groaning in agony because his next action resulted in me being against his body.
“Dance!” he demanded.
It wasn’t as if I had a choice to protest; I was a puppet in unmerciful hands. His body started to sway, his fingers traveled up and down, caressing anything touchable. My stomach started to churn, my head started to feel dizzy. I was so disgusted that I started to tear.
“Awe. Baby, I know I’m that good.” Aerie put his hand on the back of my neck, forcing my head to tilt up. “Let me make those tears go away.” He leaned his head towards me, allowing his lips to mine.
As soon as our lips touched my body grew enraged. I pulled my head back fiercely and started to punch. When I sensed that my body was free of his hold I started to run, weaving past other vampires. I didn’t know where I was going, but my legs seemed to still be running. After running a couple of blocks away and faced with an alley, I dared to stop and wipe away the tears. It felt good to see again, but I wished I could be numb. Numb to everything around me.
I tried to look around for someone recognizable, someone that would embrace me and tell me that I was all right.
I tried to look for Lowlii.
I knew it was completely impossible for him to show, for me to see his kind face, but my mind still ran to look for him.
“Lowlii?” I cried out to the noise in the shadows at the end of the alley. Faced with no answer, I ran closer. “Lowlii? Please be Lowlii.”
“So, this is the rotten vixen who ran away from you?” a voice echoed from behind me.
With a glance, I saw Aerie emerge from the shadow. “Yes, but something tells me she’s not a vampire.”
I stepped back in an attempt to prep myself for running but bumped into another body. The vampire accompanying Aerie had a deep shade of red hair and black eyes, which seemed odd compared to Aerie’s copper brown hair and honey brown eyes. Before I could breathe, I was thrown to the ground carelessly.
“What’s so different about her Aerie?” the redhead snickered. “She’s just like any other helpless vixen in our presence. Weak and feeble.”
“No,” Aerie disagreed while letting his body level down to mine. He raised his disgusting fingers to my lips and set them down. “There’s something different about her. When we kissed—it—it was as if she was stealing my energy away.”
The redhead laughed. “You don’t think she’s the girl from the Legend, right?”
As soon as his words were said, Aerie gasped. “You are, aren’t you?”
“No, no! I’m not!” I tried to drag myself away from him.
“I don’t believe you.” Aerie shifted himself closer to me.
The redhead spoke with certainty. “She is the girl.” After a pause, he smirked. “Which one gets to bite her first?”
Within a second Aerie lunged himself at me, exposing his teeth to the base of my neck. Because of his force, I was knocked further onto the ground. I screamed at the top of my lungs; I didn’t stop until I was sure I heard my scream echo back to me. I could feel his teeth scrap my skin and did everything in my power to stop it.
“Help me!” I screamed once again.
The wind suddenly picked up, causing the leaves on the ground to rustle. Aerie stopped his action and looked up to the sky. “No, not here. They never come into town.”
“We gotta go!” the redhead demanded.
Aerie didn’t agree. “ No, she’s mine! I’m not letting another vampire have her!”
Vicious growling emerged from the opposite end of the alley. Aerie stood up in defense, growling back. The redhead did his best to stay still, but even I could smell the fear off of him.
“No!” Aerie screamed as a four-legged animal jumped out to attack, sending him to the ground. The redhead tried to run but was knocked down himself. In the corner where Aerie fell stood a six-foot high wolf with the most beautiful fur. I would’ve admired the animal if it weren’t for the action of ripping Aerie limb by limb taking place by it. With every shred I cringed and cried out more.
“Stop it!”
The animal seemed not to hear me as it finished off the now devoured carcass.
“Please, stop it!” I pleaded again while the tears rolled down my face.
The large animal turned its attention to me. Its blue eyes were kind, one’s that I recognized but something told me that a change occurred. It took a couple of steps forward to me. In return I screamed again and dragged myself away.
“Please, don’t hurt me!”
It whimpered as if to say what was on its mind and brought its head down closer to my arm.
I screamed once more, still caught in fright and uncertainty.
“Get up!” Alec’s voice demanded from behind me.
I was still too frightened to move. Alec picked me up and stood before me, facing the animal. It growled lowly, with its intentions set on killing Alec.