Bliss and Bloodlust

I was nervous as hell.

We were in Daniel's red car, driving to the bar, Bloody Hell it was called, and my palms were sweating. I didn't really know what to expect.

“You okay? We don't have to go you know.” Daniel said as we got closer to downtown.

“I'm fine and I want to go. I'm just over thinking things I guess.”

“No harm will come to you, I promise.”

“I know. I know.”

I didn't say another word until we parked in a reserved parking spot. “Ready.” I only nodded my head afraid my voice would be too shaky. “Hey.” he said, cupping my face. “Relax.”

“I am relaxed.” I said.

“No, you're not. I can smell your fear. Can hear your heart racing. You're safe. There are more humans here than my kind. and were a rather civilized bunch.”

“Okay.” I shut my eyes, took a few deep breaths, and felt myself relaxing a bit.

“That's better.” Dan said after a minute.

He released my face and opened his door. He then helped me out of the car. I adjusted my lilac mini-dress. I was sort of regretting having worn it now. But the looks Dan kept giving me made me think it was had been a good choice. My three inch white slingback pumps were comfortable enough to walk in and my hair was done in a messy bun. I suppose I was sexy.

Dan on the other hand was definitely, without a doubt sexy. He had on gray trousers with a light pink dress shirt, the first few buttons were undone, and dark leather dress shoes. His red blonde hair was unruly and looked darker in the moonlight. He had his aviators on and his wool jacket fitted him perfectly. He looked as if he had just stepped right out of the pages of GQ.

I placed my hand in his. The front of the bar was packed. There were dozens of people waiting to get in. “Humans?” I ask in low voice.

“Yes.”

“Do they all know what you are?”

“No.” he shook his head. “These people are only going to be allowed on the ground level.”

“Ground level?” I repeat.

“Yes. We're headed underground.” When he saw the confusion on my face he said “You'll see.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Never worry with me.” he put his hand on my waist, pulling me to him.

We walked to the entrance in the back. A bouncer was at the door. He only nodded to Daniel as we entered. I could hear the music thumping louder as we walked down a hallway that led out into the main part of the club. We passed a few people along the way, they only nodded to Daniel, importantly, as we passed by and barely acknowledged me, but one eyed me like I was his favourite meal.

Daniel squeezed my hand as I trailed a little behind him, reassuringly. We passed a few rooms before we made it to a set of doors. A short, lean man was leaning against a wall. “Daniel.” he said with a nod

“Carlos.” Daniel said in turn with a small nod. What was with all the nodding?

“And who might this delicious slice of heaven be?” Carlos said in a voice that sent a chill down my spine and not in a good way. He was a vampire, I could sense that now.

“This is Tourie.” said Daniel as he squeezed my hand again trying to reassure me I was safe. “My girl." I smiled at that. "Tourie this is Carlos my right hand man. He runs things up here.”

“Nice to meet you.” I said automatically. He smiled showing a lot of teeth. No fangs but scary all the same.

“Pleasures all mine, love.” He looked at me, his eyes dark, I couldn't quite met his eye. Then he cautiously at Daniel and whatever he read on his face made him backtrack. “Sorry. Look Daniel, Angelique wants to see you.”

“I'll head down there in a bit.” he said then asked, “Why aren't you out there?”

“I've left Harry in charge for a while. I just... needed a break.” I could tell there was something else he wanted to say but wouldn't in front of me.

Dan gave him a look I couldn't decipher and then we walked through the doors and into the bar.

It was larger than I thought it would be. Dimly lit of course, and the decor was black, red and white, a complete 180 from his other club, Midnight. There were a huge bar set in the middle of the club with three bartenders. Tall mirrors lined one wall, the seats were red velvet, a few plush- looking booths were near the packed dance floor and a huge red and white sign that read 'Bloody Hell' was hanging on the wall above the doors we had just entered through. There was a DJ booth near one of the bars, and dance music was blasting through the speakers.

Dan held on to my hand as we made our way through the crowd. There were lots of people gathering at the bar but Dan cut through them all and after getting drinks Dan led me over to a booth that was empty and we sat down.

I began wondering how many of the people here were vampires. I couldn't tell the difference as I observed the ones nearest us.

“So what do you think so far?” he asked, bringing my attention back to him. He was watching my face closely.

“I like it, actually.” I answered honestly. He smiled. “Is that a stripper pole?” I asked after I spotted it near the dance floor. How could I have not noticed it before? There was a pretty young woman was dancing on it. Very acrobatically. And fast. Vampire for sure. Her moves were too graceful to be human.

He chuckled. “Yes. Would you like to try it?”

“Uh... No thanks.” I blushed and he moved closer, wrapping an arm around my waist and taking a sip of his drink. “You said something about underground.” I said a bit nervously, “What's that about?”

“Ready to see?” I nodded my head, excitement, despite my nerves, bubbling up.

Dan led me to a different set of doors than the ones we came through. Another bouncer was waiting there, he too nods to Daniel and eyed me as we pass. I resist the urge to look back as the door closed.

It was surprisingly quiet as we walked down a narrow hallway and around a corner or two to a wall. Daniel did something very fast, too fast for me to catch with his hand and the wall moved, reveling another hallway.

“Wow.” I breathed out.” Daniel smirked and we stepped inside and Dan closed the wall behind us. “You have a secret door.” I said, amazed.

“Cool, huh?” he grinned.

We walked down the well lit secret passage way and got onto an elevator. We descend several floors before we stopped. My heart was racing. When the doors opened we were in another bar completely. People turn their heads our way as we enter. Daniel wrapped an arm around my waist, keeping me protectively close. Most of them turn back to whatever they were doing before we came in, but a few of their eyes lingered.

“Relax.” Daniel whispered in my ear and I did my best to ignore them and let my fear die away. I began looking around.

Most of the place was white but there are hints of red and black in some of the chairs and at the bar. It was even bigger than the place upstairs. There were three bars, a dance floor, more stripper poles but even with the poles it looked classier than it's counterpart. There were huge pillars around the room, beautiful artwork lined the walls. And everyone was dressed so nicely that I sort of felt under dressed. Whatever I was expecting this wasn't it. I though it would be gritter, darker, sinister, but I was pleasantly surprised.

We walked over to the bar on the left. I sat down on a stool, Daniel next to me. “Danny.” said the female bartender in greeting. She was another vampire, young, looking around my age, beautiful with flowing black hair and looked friendlier than the other vampires around. “Who's this divine creature?” she smiled at me.

Did I really look that good tonight or were vampires easy on compliments?

“Tina, this is Tourie. Tourie, Tina.”

“Nice to meet you.” I said in barely audible whisper.

“I finally get to see you. Daniel wouldn't shut up about you." He gave her a dark look that made me nervous. But Tina smiled. "No need to be scared, love.” she whispers so no on else could here, but I'm sure someone could. “So what's your poison?” she asked in a louder voice.

“Uh,” I thought for a second. “I'll have a gin and tonic, with lime, please.”

“Whisky.” said Daniel. She turned away to fix the drinks. “So what do you think?”

“It's gorgeous. How long has this place been open?”

“Upstairs, officially few years. Down here, unofficially decades.”

“Decades?”

“Since the sixties. Under different management though. I've only been here for a few years. That's when we decided to open the upper level. It was risky, but overall it worked out brilliantly.”

“Were you always a business man?”

“Nope. But when you have an unlimited amount of time on your hands, you get to find out what you're good at.” Tina returned with the drinks.

“So some of these people are human, right?”

“Yes, vampire companions, lovers, et cetera.”

I had another look around at the people here. They all looked so normal, laughing and having a good time, but the more I looked around the more I saw the small differences. The vampire's pale skin for one, even the one's with darker complexions had a pale undertone to their hues. Secondly their gracefulness and poise and the fact that they moved faster than humanly possible. A few of them didn't bother slowing down as they made their way from one end of the club to the other. But I suppose this was a safe haven, a place where they can be themselves.

“Where does that lead to?” I asked and Daniel followed my eyes across the room to a set of doors that two bouncers were guarding.

He smirked. “The Pleasure Rooms.”

My eyes widened. “Pleasure Rooms?”

He leaned over. “A fuck and or a bite.” he whispered.

“Oh... Gotcha.” My face turned red. I took a sip of my drink to avoid saying much else.

“Daniel, my man, Angie's looking for ya.” A very tall, very dark man said as he approached. He gave me quick but attentive glance.

“I know. I know.” Dan said to the man. Then he whispered to me, “Darling, will you excuse me for a few minutes?” I nodded my head then he walked away with the man down a hall which was pass the elevators we rode down in.

I held my drink tight. I tried not to looked nervous as I surveyed the room again. With Daniel gone I got a few curious and strange looks from what the vampires and even a few human. One guy, a vampire, even winked at me. I turned back to find Tina staring at me.

“Don't be nervous, dear. Want another drink?”

I smiled, “Yes, please.” she handed me another glass.

A man came and sat to my right, a stool between us. “A bloody Mary, extra blood.” he said to Tina and turned his eyes to me. “Hello, hello, my dear.”

“Hi.” I said as I turned back to my drink.

From the corner of my eyes I could still see him staring at me. It was a bit unnerving. He was naturally tan, had short black hair and an accent I couldn't place, but from the sound of it, it was very old. He was handsome but his eyes were strange. They were light brown but with a strange glow to them. I couldn't explain it. I heard him sniffing the air. Weird.

Tina handed him his drink. “Mmm, you smell lovely.” he said and it too k me a minute to realized he had meant me.

I swallowed hard.

“I'm Hendrik. A very old friend of Daniel's.” I bet.

“Tourie.” Shit. Should I have told him that?

“Beautiful name for a beautiful girl”. he sipped his Bloody Mary slowly, but his attention was focused solely on me. “So you're Daniel's huh.” He said I was his, not that I was with him. “He's never brought a woman here before. You must be special.” I didn't respond. He was making me even more nervous. My heart was racing again. I know he could hear it, sense it. “But if you want a real man, look no further than I.”

Tina snorted. A sound I hadn't expected for her, it was so... human. It eased a little of my fear. “Really?” I refused to look into his strange eyes. I knew what his kind could do with eye contact.

He glowered at Tina, but she went to make some more drinks, ignoring him. “Why yes. Daniel's a great vamp, don't get me wrong. Strong, clever, good looking, hell of a business man. But he's a lightweight in comparison.”

“Thanks, but... no thanks.” I said, dismissing his offer gently.

“You'll change you're mind. They all do.” He said darkly, and so sure of himself. He downed his drink and as he got up to leave his face moved closer to mine.

I went as stiff as a board, my hand clutching my glass.

“This is a dangerous world, my dear. And you are a delicate flower." Henrik went on, "You need someone who will protect you. I could give you the world.” he paused, sniffed and said, “He hasn't even fucked you yet. How pathetic.” he sounded disgusted, “And if he hasn't done that then I'm sure he hasn't even bitten-” He paused, smelled me again, then said in seductive voice, “You naughty girl.” he sniffed my hair, “Mmm.” he murmured, then walked away.

I didn't move a muscle until Tina spoke a few moments later. “Are you okay?” she asked.

I swallowed hard and said breathlessly, “Never better.”

“Henrik can be a bit, intense.”

“You don't say.”

When Daniel returned and knew something was wrong. He looked at Tina and I saw her mouth one thing, Hendrik. Daniel face was a mixture of rage, fear and pain before it became passive.

“Come with me.” he said, taking my hand and leading me to the hall he had just come from, away from the vampires whom all had suddenly became so interested in me.

We passed a few people along the way. We went through several doors then when we got to a door at the end of a long hallway we stopped. He held me by the shoulders.

“Are you okay?” he asked. I only nodded my head. He turned was going to say something but instead turned his head to the left. “Yes, Angelique?”

A red headed woman, emerged down the hall. She was tall, thin and very very beautiful.

“Another word.” she said dully with an slight Irish accent. She glanced at me briefly, without emotion. Daniel turned back to me, then opened the door to what was his office. “I'll be right out here.” I stepped in and he closed the door behind me.

Daniel's office is very neat and tidy and larger than my bedroom. I walked over to his desk. His laptop was open but not on, he had a few folders lying there as well. There were a few file cabinets to the right of the room, two huge bookshelves to the left. A faux window was behind the desk, a gigantic maroon and tan rug hid nearly all of the dark hardwood floor and several plush chairs for guest were in the room, two directly in front of he desk.

I sat down in his chair behind his desk which was soft black leather. I absentmindedly stared into space until Daniel entering the room shook me out of my daydream. “You look good behind a desk.” he said as he shut the door. I stood. Daniel walked over to me and sat down at his chair. “Sit.” he said and he placed me on his lap. “What happened? Did he touch you?”

I shook my head. “No but...” I paused then told him what he had said. “He could he smell me too , I mean, really smell me. Can all vampires smell me like that?”

“No. But Henrik is very old. And different.”

“Different how?”

“I don't know how to explain it.”

When he didn't go on I asked, “How old is he?”

“Old.”

“How old, Daniel?”

He sighed. “No one really knows for sure.” he said, “But rumour is he's been around since before the pyramids.”

Oh. My. God. “So a vampire, older than the pyramids tried to seduce me?” Worry slipped into my voice and it cracked.

“Yes.”

“How old are you Daniel? And don't just say very old.”

He looked at me, his eyes on mine. “I was born in 1709. the year of the Great Frost. My exact birthday I've forgotten but it was in the winter. As you know I was twenty nine when I was turned.” He took my hands in his. “So I am pretty old too.”

“Three hundred years.” I whisper to myself. He was over three hundred years old. Three hundred years old. “Who made you a vampire?” I asked when my brain could work properly again. His head was down but he smiled.

“Another story for another day.”

“Don't shut me out now.” I pleaded.

“It's a long, sad story, that I'd rather tell you in private not here. Not now. Not now.” He kissed my lips sweetly. “Hendrik won't bother you. He'll flirt but you're mine, and he knows it. He won't touch you.”

“So I'm property now?”

He shook his head, “No, darling. Don't take offense but in my world it's the way most of us think. You're a human. I claimed you. So I say you're mine. I have to say it that way. I know you're your own woman.”

“So if you don't say I'm yours then...?”

“Someone like Henrik might they to scoop you up.”

“What's up with his eyes?” I asked as he pulled me into his strong arms, I rested my head on his shoulder.

“Not sure. But I think it's because he's so old that his eyes have begun to change permanently. I don't know anyone else who's as old as he is so I can't say if it's just him or if when we age it happens to us all.”

“Oh.” was all I said. “So who's Angie? She's very pretty.”

He chuckled, “Yeah I guess she is. She's my sister.”

“Really?”

“Not biologically of course. We have the same maker.”

“Oh.” he chuckled again. “So do siblings ever...” my voice trailed off.

“Have sex?” he finished for me, “Yes, but she and I, never. Angelina is my business partner.” So she owned one third of the bar. I wondered who the third partner was. “We look out for one another. She's all the family I have left.” There was a sadness in his eyes.

“Did you have a big family?”

“Not really. My mother died when I was a boy, my brother Jack was killed in war, my sister Anita, from what I hear, lived a long but sad life.”

“What about your father?”

“He was killed.”

He looked away from me. God I hadn't thought about how lonely he must be. What a life to have lived. All his family was now all dead and gone. I knew he must have been thinking of the family he had before he became what he is now.

“I'm so sorry. I shouldn't-”

“Don't be, everyone has to die sometime. Come on,” he said cheerfully, “I've got more to show you.” And with that he took my hand and led me from the his office.

We headed back into the bar. I met a few more vampires, the ones Dan trusted to be around me that is, all of which scared me slightly. It was nothing they did, just the fact that I knew what the were that was always at the forefront of my mind.

Daniel asked me to dance and with a little persuasion I agreed, informing him again that I wasn't much of a dancer but he wouldn't take no for an answer. We got some curious and interesting looks as we danced close to each other. I felt self conscious under their intense gazes and because he was so graceful on his feet and I stepped on his twice.

“Relax, darling. Let me lead.” his voice was seductive.

I tried not to look like such a fool. He was patient with me and soon I found myself not thinking about what I was doing or who was watching.

“Have I told you how exquisite you look tonight?” he whispered in my ear. His breath was sweet and it tickled my face.

“I don't think you had.”

“Well you are.”

“Thank you.” He smiled and I smiled in return.

“Why are they looking at us like that?” I asked softly. We were nearly the only ones dancing now.

“Because you're sexy as hell.”

I snorted. “Seriously? Is it because you're the hot shot here or because you never bring any women here?”

His eyebrows knitted together. “Where did you hear that?”

I played innocence. “I dunno. A little birdie may have mentioned it.”

“Hmm.” he murmured then dipped me low, one hand on my lower back, holding me up and the other ran down my neck, between my breast, then my stomach before scooping me back up again.

“Whoa.” I said breathlessly. He spun me around and held me from behind, my back to his chest, before spinning me until we were face to face again. He chuckled low and deep before his lips quickly brushed mine. I stared at him for a long time before I spoke. “This isn't what I expected.”

“What had you expected?”

“I don't know, something much more sinister, much darker.”

“Well, we are much more than then brooding and bloodsucking predators. Some of us anyway.”

“Good to know.”

“Are you disappointed with it?”

“No, not at all. It's so beautiful here.”

We danced together for a long while before we went back to the bar. I got one last drink and checked my phone. Cassie had text me an hour ago. I hadn't told her I was out with Daniel. I text her back and told her we could do lunch tomorrow.

It was two in the morning and I was getting tired but tried not to show it. The bar stayed open all night, well the vampire part that is.“Ready to go?” Daniel asked me when I tried to stifle a yawn.

“We can stay longer.”

“Nah. Let's get out of here.”

We made our way back upstairs and out of the bar which was just shutting down, and everyone was leaving through the front entrance. Before I knew it we were on the road, I shut my eyes for a bit and was home all too soon. Dan helped me to the door, his hand on my waist.

“Why aren't you drunk?” I asked him as I turned my key in the lock. He had drank way more than me.

“That's because I can handle my liquor, darling.”

“Funny.”

I stepped inside and told him goodnight. He kissed me softly but as he pulled away I grabbed his collar and pulled him to me again. Our mouths worked fast as did our hands. My back hit the door frame as things began heating up. It was as if I couldn't stop myself. My tongue brushed his fangs which drove him wild. I ran my fingers through his hair and his hand was gliding up my thighs, up my mini dress when the house lights came on.

Aunt Bren was standing at the top of the stairs with a baseball bat in hand. When she saw that it was just us she put the bat down. “Oops, sorry.” she said as she took us in. We both looked disheveled, our hair a mess and our clothes slightly winkled. I tried to regain my composure. Daniel, who's eyes were darker, and fangs still extended, looked away.

“Hey Bren.” he said.

“Hey, you're home.” I said to her.”

“Hi.” she said, looking at us, embarrassed, “I'll just... yeah.” she turned off the light and walked back to her room.

Daniel chuckled as he smoothed out my dress. “Good night darling.” He gave me a quick kiss, tilting my chin up with his thumb and finger.

“Bye.” I said in a breathy whisper. “I had a lovely time tonight.”

“Me too.” He smiled wickedly, he got in his car and drove away, leaving me all hot and bothered.