Sunset to Sunrise (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7.5)

I had been a creature of sympathy once. The long nights of caging my hungers so as not to bring harm to innocents had been hell, a torture I was glad to be rid of. My past played a strong role in who I have become, yet perhaps not as much as she has. Alexa. The wolf destined to be a vampire though never meant to be mine. Circumstance is a fucking bitch.

It has certainly occurred to me that this was some much-deserved punishment. God, Fate, whatever name the powers-that-be answer to, it has made no secret of its intent to destroy me from the inside out. I didn’t doubt that this punishment was just.

My victim’s strangled cries grew hoarse as her blood flowed. She weakened quickly. Too quickly for my liking. Ah well. Not every kill can be the big one that leaves me walking on clouds for three days. Too bad.

I held her close, draining her of life and finding renewal in that. Her blood filled my mouth, tangy and gratifying. Her energy grew frail as it became part of me. I fed on her as thoroughly as one can. With her final screams echoing in my ears, I pierced the carotid and finished her off.

I collapsed on the bed beside her, staring up at the ceiling. I could almost hear Alexa nagging me about killing inside the nightclub we both shared. She was a silent partner; her name appeared on none of the paperwork. So I would kill anywhere I damn well pleased.

The rush of the kill filled me with a sense of wonder. A pleasant tingle crept over me to encompass my entire body. A roar like waves on the ocean sounded in my ears. I felt weightless, like I floated above the bed. The high from the kill could never be replicated. This was the moment I existed for.

I enjoyed the myriad of sensations for a while, losing myself in a haze of sheer delight. All thought ceased as, for a few precious moments, I was set free of it all. Hunting and killing were the only things that kept me sane even as it drove me mad. A strange and twisted catch twenty-two.

I rolled out of bed long before I wanted to. Enjoying my high while lying next to a corpse wasn’t my idea of a great time. A glance at the brunette revealed a woman who had died with fear in her eyes. I couldn’t stand to look at her. It was over. Not my problem.

A shower in the adjoined bathroom cleansed me of her scent and blood. That was as clean as I’d ever get again. If anyone’s soul was tainted, it was mine.

I ran a comb through my short, wet hair, pushing the dark mess around on my head until it stayed put. My pupils were dilated like gaping black holes, making it impossible to tell that my eyes were in fact two different colors.

Those cursed brown and blue orbs had brought me much pain and judgment during my human life. Living in a time when such features were mistaken for signs of the devil, I’d endured much hell. Although all things considered, maybe my accusers hadn’t been so far off the mark.

After dressing in a dark shirt and black slacks, I slipped into my favorite jacket, a long, black leather duster. I’d swiped it from a victim leaving a Goth rock party several years ago. That might be tasteless, but the jacket was a worthy find.

Casting a look back at the dead woman in my bed, I lingered, waiting for some emotion to hit me. Guilt, sorrow, dread. Anything. I hadn’t felt much emotion in a while now. Tonight was no different.

With a shrug, I exited the room and locked the door behind me. The hallway outside my room was rife with sex-charged, bloodlust-driven energy. I was far from the only vampire here taking advantage of the humans smitten with us. Although, I likely was the only one with a lifeless body in my bed.

I strolled down the hall, basking in the freely given energy lining my path like a metaphysical red carpet. The sound of loud music and voices grew as I drew closer to the entry to the nightclub.

Pulling my phone from my pocket, I studied the time and briefly wondered if Alexa had landed safely in Las Vegas. Annoyed with myself, I scowled and shoved her from my thoughts.

The party was still going hard at The Wicked Kiss, despite it being past last call. The dance floor was littered with people unable to drag themselves away. There were more humans than vampires present, which was just the way we liked it.

My gaze fell upon Willow, the fallen angel with a penchant for tequila. I didn’t know him well, but I knew enough. He was a devoted friend to Alexa, and I suspected that he’d been involved in her life much longer than any of us knew.

“So how’s the poison tonight?” I asked, sliding onto the stool next to him.

Willow raised a tequila shooter and nodded in greeting. “As good as it gets. Which is pretty damn good as long as I don’t stop.”

I could relate to that. Already my gaze wandered the room, seeking another victim to keep this buzz going.

“Have you been here long?”

“Long enough to get drunk, sober up, and start again.” He gave me a knowing once over, lingering on my gaping pupils. “You too?”