But then, when I realized that I stood alone in the middle of a dance floor, that I was afraid that everyone else would leave me. Jane, in her narcissistic desire for a sidekick, never would.
I went over to the bar and tried to order a drink, but I almost got myself kicked out. I couldn’t pass for twenty-one, and the bartender thought it’d be good to alert the bouncers that I’d snuck in. I scurried off into the dark recesses of the club so they couldn’t find me.
Hiding against the dark corners, I found several couples making out in a way that was only appropriate in pornography. With the lack of lighting, I couldn’t really see much of anything, but I put my hands up to my temples to shield myself as best as I could anyway.
Milo danced shirtless on one of the platforms, and he was definitely the most glorious thing here. Everyone vied for his attention, and I hoped that he made the right choices.
We hadn’t exactly had the birds and bees talk. Maybe Jack had, in conjunction with a talk about drinking another person’s blood. Those topics would probably be coming up pretty quickly, and I could only hope that he was well-informed.
Even over the pulsating music and men moaning disturbingly loud, I heard a noise carry above it. It was sweet yet fragile, like a tinkling bell… on helium.
Someone laughed, and as soon as I heard it, my blood froze. I scanned frantically through the crowd. The strobing lights flashed on a purple head of hair, and then I saw her.
Violet, the Halloween vampire from the club, looked directly at me, cackling her strange laugh. Her lips were done in black, and her eyes were marked with thick black liner and silver glitter. She flicked her tongue at me, trying to pose as something menacingly seductive, but it felt all too villainess.
Something about her reminded me of Harley Quinn, the Joker’s would-be-girlfriend, but then I realized what bothered me about that image. She was the girlfriend, the sidekick, the means of distraction while the real trouble moved in.
I rushed forward to grab Jane and Milo, and make an escape, but my path was blocked by a dark haired model of perfection – Lucian. His smile was far more menacing than anything Violet could hope for, but that had to do with how hungry he was. His black eyes were ravenous.
“Care to dance?” Lucian asked, his voice like silk, and my heart hammered in my chest.
“That’s a stupid thing to say!” I shouted to be heard over the music, and that did something to keep my voice even. “It’s really cheesy and cliché! You should’ve said something like, ‘What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?’ or ‘Fancy meeting you here.’”
I clenched my fists at my sides, and I wanted to look around for Milo, but I was too afraid to take my eyes off Lucian.
“I know you’re talking, but all I can hear is mooing.” His smile broadened at that, and I swallowed hard. I wasn’t sure if he meant that my blood was like milk, or that I was just a piece of meat, but either way, it wasn’t complimentary.
Behind me, I heard Violet’s laughter, and she had closed in on me. We were in a room full of people, though. Even if everyone was enamored with them, they wouldn’t be able to ignore me kicking and screaming.
And Lucian wouldn’t dare bite me, not with all the witnesses. Vampires didn’t exactly hide who they were, but they didn’t want it broadcast on the nightly news, either.
This was the only thing I had going for me, and if I stood my ground long enough, somebody would notice me.
“You’re plotting an escape.” Lucian sounded amused. “I’d love to see how that turns out.”
“I’m not here alone,” I said, and Violet giggled behind me. Lucian glared at her, cutting the sound short.
“Maybe not, but your knight in shining armor isn’t here to protect you,” Lucian said with unnerving certainty.
“How do you know that?” I asked
“Because he’d already be here if he were!” He reached out to touch me, sliding one of his repulsively long finger nails down my cheek, and I jerked my head back, terrified of what would happen if he drew blood. “Jumpy, are we?”
He wanted to eat me, and I definitely did not want him to. He was much stronger, faster, and probably even smarter than me. The only thing I had was the room full of people and Milo, so I had to utilize them before it was too late.
I bolted out into the dance floor. Someone grabbed at my dress, and I assumed it was Violet, because Lucian seemed too smart to cause a scene like that. The fabric ripped in the back and I felt a breeze through my panties. If I hadn’t been running for my life, I would’ve been mortified.
With one magical leap, I managed to jump on the nearest platform. It was about two feet off the ground, so it wasn’t that impressive, except I’m 5’3” running through a crowded gay club with a torn dress and a vampire on my tail.