She was his everything, but she frightened him.

 

His friends thought that they were an odd couple. She with her raven hair and light blue, almost white eyes; her skin so pale that she seemed to glow in the darkness. He with his golden curls, sapphire eyes, and sun kissed skin. She was quiet and soft spoken. He was rambunctious and playfully loud. All in all, complete opposites.

 

They had met within the darkness of a club and he had been enthralled in her ever since. She was his world and he was hers.

 

But together they held a dark secret. She had told him one evening, in an unguarded moment. He still remembered the words she used to describe it. She called it “a sinister urge”. He had been in shock, unbelieving. But he soon found that she was indeed what she had said she was.

 

He had grown so accustomed to it now that he barely noticed her leaving his side when they went to all those clubs, in all of those cities.

 

But tonight was different. Tonight his eyes didn’t leave her as she danced with the man of the evening.

 

Her victim.

 

He watched her, gaze unwavering, as she hypnotized her prey with her ice blue stare. She gave him a coy smile before motioning him to follow her.

 

The nameless man followed her through the crowd of people and he found himself being pulled to follow them. She led her man of the moment out one of the side exits that led out into the alley. She pulled him so that they were standing under a street light (she always was an exhibitionist) and brought her lips to his. She trailed her kiss down his neck and inhaled his scent before biting down. Sweet blood filled her mouth and she was so lost in the taste that she failed to realize that her victim was struggling against her.

 

Finally he grew limp, and she allowed him to slide down to the ground. She emitted a sigh as she licked her lips and smiled softly down at the body lying at her feet. That’s when she caught the movement out of the corner of her eye.

 

She looked into the shadows and saw a figure, slightly darker than the inky blackness that surrounded it. She stiffened slightly. She hated when this happened. When someone saw. It was just more blood on her hands.

 

Then the person stepped into the light.

 

He was visibly shaking, although he wasn’t aware of it. She was looking at him like a child who had been caught sneaking candy before dinner. Then her features turned to something that he was unable to read as she walked over to him.

 

“I’ve told you not to follow me,” she said softly.

 

She always spoke softly. It was her demeanor. She never raised her voice, even in anger. Although he feared her most when she was in an angered state. Her eyes would flash and her teeth would elongate, much like they were at the moment.

 

“Let’s go back to the hotel,” she said taking his hand.

 

He was still shaking when they got to their room. They had been silent the entire ride there, the only sound being her running her tongue over her teeth, applying a soft suction as if she had something stuck in between them. She had told him once that it was to make her canines go back to their human form. He shuddered harder.

 

“Justin,” she said softer than usual. “Come lie down.”

 

He hadn’t even realized that she had changed into a night gown or that he had changed into cloth pants and an undershirt. He blinked once before walking over and crawling onto the bed, settling into her arms. She ran her fingers through his hair and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. This never ceased to calm him and his body finally stopped trembling.

 

“Love, I have told you not to watch,” she whispered.

 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered and she looked down at him, her eyes seeming to glow as she looked into his.

 

He tried to look away but he could feel her walking through his thoughts and was held captive. He swallowed hard as a hurt look came over her features and he was finally able to look away.

 

“You are frightened of me,” she said sadly.

 

“No,” he said quickly and she gave him a small smile.

 

“You are afraid of what I could do to you,” she stated.

 

He stared down at their hands, which were joined between them. He felt ashamed under her pensive gaze, guilty for thinking such things. She hooked her finger beneath his chin, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

 

“It’s ok,” she said running the backs of her fingers down his cheek.

 

“I don’t mean to question you,” he said finally. “but-”

 

“It makes you wonder,” she finished.

 

“What makes you not want to?” he asked.

 

“What holds me back?” she rephrased.

 

He nodded, swallowing, trying to wet his throat. She was smiling as she cupped his cheek in her hand and let out a small chuckle.

 

“Justin dear, you hold a piece of me that I wish never to lose,” she said. “You hold the key to my heart. Or at least the key to what’s left of it.”

 

“Do you ever-?”

 

“Want to?” she finished. “Yes often. Right now in fact.”

 

She paused, her eyes sliding down to his neck but quickly jumped back to his face.

 

“But I can’t. Never will. What I feel for you is the only human thing left in me. I love you Justin. Love is the most human emotion there is. When I met you I had been this way for a short while, when I was still very much human. Since then, as time has passed, as my feedings have grown in number, I have lost nearly all of any humanity that was left in me. Loving you is my only human attribute. It keeps me sane. And as tempting as it is, as strong as the want to taste you is, I shall never surrender to that desire.”

 

“You could make me one of you,” he said.

 

She laughed out loud then, pulling herself from the bed to walk to the window and look out over the street. The moonlight made her normally pale skin seem almost translucent and made her ice blue eyes stand out even more from under the dark tresses that haloed her face. She smiled.

 

“No Love, I care about you far too much to do anything to harm you. You do not want this life I lead.”

 

“I want to understand,” he said and she looked back at him, her eyes boring holes into him.

 

“Do you know how long it had been since I have felt the sun’s warmth on my skin?” It wasn’t a question to be answered. “Three years.” She sighed. “What I wouldn’t give to see the sunlight shine upon the water, seeing it reflect and shimmer,” she said, looking longingly out the window. “But I can’t.”

 

She closed the curtain tight, cloaking the room in darkness. She waited for the lamp to come on and when light flooded the room, she turned to look at him before going to sit beside him on the bed.

 

“You are so fortunate,” she whispered, stroking his cheek.

 

“I want to-”

 

“No you don’t,” she said flatly, almost abrasively. “You do not want to be like me.”

 

They were silent then, she staring at his face, before her eyes wondered down to his neck. A longing came into her pale blue eyes and he swallowed hard.

 

“Is there a way for you to…” he trailed knowing she could end his sentence better than he could.

 

“Taste you?” she asked, her pupils dilating.

 

“Yeah,” he said shifting slightly, and she thought for a moment.

 

“Yes I suppose there is.”

 

He noticed how her canines had elongated and he knew what she wanted.

 

“Here,” he said and turned his face away from her, exposing his neck to her.”

 

“No,” she said taking his hand and he looked at her curiously.

 

She ran her fingers over his wrist and brought it to her lips, placing feather light kisses there. She drew lazy circles with her tongue before she bit down.

 

He winced, more in shock than in pain. Her teeth withdrew just as quickly as they had seared into his skin and she was leaning forward, kissing his lips softly.

 

“Sweet.” she whispered against his lips. “Just as I knew you would be.”

 

She pulled away and brought his wrist to her lips again, licking away the excess blood that had oozed from the two fang marks in his flesh.

 

They fell back onto the bed, she falling asleep almost immediately. He, however, laid there, contemplating what had just happened.

 

It was a rush that had quickened his heartbeat and sent a chill down his spine. He knew at that moment he was addicted to that feeling. The feeling of her teeth sinking into his flesh, the jolt that it sent through his body.

He had to feel it again.

 

“Ebony?” he whispered.

 

“Maybe in the morning,” she responded and he smiled.

 

He knew it was wrong, but it just felt so right. It was one of those sinister urges that he couldn’t deny. He didn’t want to deny it. He knew that this was tempting her, and it most likely would end in him losing his humanity, but this feeling was too much to resist. She had her sinister urges and now, he had his.

He lived for this.

 

The passion that was etched across her face as he moved inside her. Her body was pressed as close to his as she could get and her normally pale skin was slightly flushed. His eyes were riveted on her mouth, her lips slightly parted, her white teeth with canines elongated and glistening in the moonlight.

 

His thoughts weren’t on his pleasure, or hers for that matter. They were directed solely on what he might be getting after this romp.

 

Ever since that night two years ago, he had been addicted to her drinking him. She had corrupted him. She would take just enough to satisfy herself and keep him alive, but he didn’t want that. He wanted her to take him all the way, but she refused. Yes she had corrupted him, but he wasn’t satisfied with the corruption she wanted to bring on him. He wanted more.

 

Her back arched then and he felt her convulsions, which brought him back to his reality, pleasure ripping through him.

 

He collapsed on top of her, slightly out of breath. He felt her kiss his shoulder and prayed that she would bite down, but she never did. He sighed, bringing his body to lie down beside her, his arms holding her captive against his chest.

 

He let his fingers draw lazy circles on the soft, ashen skin of her upper arm and she let out a sigh.

 

“Ebony?” he questioned after a moment and she took hold of his wrist.

 

She turned it up toward her and examined the puncture marks, some as new as the morning before, others scars of years before. She brought his wrist to her face and inhaled deeply, the scent of his cologne filling her senses. She flicked her tongue against his pulse point, tasting the salt of his sweat before biting down. His blood filled her mouth and she had to force herself to withdraw, a few precious drops sliding down her chin.

 

She licked away the excess blood, keeping her mouth over the wound until the bleeding had stopped. He was laying calmly against the pillows, reveling in the feeling of being drained. His eyes were closed, his chest rose and fell with heavy breath.

 

His eyes opened suddenly.

 

He wanted more.

 

“No Love,” she whispered resting her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, prepared to sleep.

 

“Yes,” he said and her eyes opened, their luminance shining through the darkness.

 

“No,” she said and he struggled to sit up.

 

“Why not?” he asked, much like a child who hadn’t gotten his way.

 

“I won’t,” she said simply.

 

“I want you to,” he said and she rolled her eyes, pulling herself from the bed, wrapping the sheet around her body.

 

“You are such a child,” she muttered, going to sit on the vanity’s bench, glancing in the mirror and seeing nothing.

 

“Make me one of you,” he said and she looked back at him, an amused grin on her face.

 

“Surely you jest?” she questioned and he looked at her hurt. “Don’t give me that look. Just because you haven’t gotten your way, you are so spoiled.”

 

“No I’m not,” he argued and looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before grinning.

 

She was brushing her hair, so completely sure that she knew what was best for him. So confident that he wouldn’t push her any farther than he was at the moment. Well he had another plan. Her false sense of superiority would be her downfall.

 

“I know you want to.”

 

She looked at him abruptly, the brush almost slipping from her fingers at the sound of his words. They held an authority and for a fleeting moment she was afraid of him and of what he had planned for her.

 

“I know that it takes all your strength not to bite down. Right before you come. I know. Well by all means Love, bite down.”

 

He had stood from the bed, seemingly unaware of his own nakedness. She felt her canines grow at the sight of him before her, his neck shining like a beacon.

 

“You do not want this Justin,” she said softly, calmly, her sense of control wavering for a moment.

 

“Oh but I do, and you want it too. You want a companion,” he said and she cackled.

 

“You watched Interview With The Vampire again didn’t you?” she asked and watched him frown.

 

“Never mind that,” he said slipping back into his authoritative state. “Please Ebony. Take me.”

 

“No,” she said looking away and he let out an aggravated growl.

 

“Why can’t you just give this to me?!” he yelled. “All I want is to be a part of you. Make me one of you!”

 

She was on her feet faster than he could blink. She was standing in front of him and she had a hold of his neck, lifting him so that his feet were off the floor. Her pale blue eyes were flashing wildly and her teeth glinted in the moonlight.

 

“You foolish child! Do you even think about anything but yourself? What about your family, your friends? You’ll never see them again. You won’t want to. All they will look like is a meal. Do you honestly want that?!”

 

Her voice was low and demonic, her features set in anger. He was terrified. She dropped him back onto the bed and walked over to the window calmly, just as if her little outburst had never happened.

 

 “I’ve told you time and time again, you do not want this life I lead,” she said irritatedly.

 

“Yes I do,” he replied and she looked at him pointedly.

 

“You know it would be the end of your career,” she said and watched his face fall, before turning confident again.

 

“I want it,” he said.

 

“All of your friends will become washed up has-beens, so you can live a life of hell for all eternity,” she said and he stared at her hard.

 

“That remains to be seen,” he replied and she sighed.

 

“No it can’t remain to be seen because its not going to happen,” she said, her eyes riveted on the street below and he let out a groan.

 

“Dammit Ebony!” he yelled, slamming his fist on the nightstand. “God dammit, why can’t you just do this.”

 

“Because I love you,” she said.

 

“If you loved me, you would do this for me,” he said and she at his side again, her hand around his neck, his feet once again off the ground.

 

“You wish to be nothing more than food to me?” she asked.

 

Her voice was back to its demonic sound and her eyes were flashing wildly.

 

“No.” he said, his voice hoarse. “I wish to be your equal.”

 

“Dammit you’re frustrating,” she said dropping him again.

 

“Ebony please?” he said softly. “I want to be…I want to be…I don’t even know. I just know I want to be it.”

 

“No Justin,” she said, and he sat down on the bed.

 

He was losing. His mind wondered, searching for any excuse to make her take him. Then it dawned on him and he smiled.

 

“You know I won’t live forever,” he said and she looked back at him.

 

“What?” she asked.

 

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m mortal. You’re immortal. That means you live forever and I don’t.”

 

She looked at him blankly for a moment and he couldn’t contain his smile. He had caught her. She looked out the window again.

 

“I’ll miss you.”

 

“God Dammit Ebony!” he screamed and she giggled. “Don’t you fucking laugh at me.”

 

“I’m sorry but you’re funny,” she said looking at him and she watched his eyes darken.

 

“I know you want it,” he said softly, seductively. “The blood that flows through my veins is bliss. You can taste it right now. Its sweet and…well…bliss. Are you hungry Ebony?”

 

She was looking at his neck now, the longing coming into her eyes. She hadn’t fed tonight. She was hungry…no, starving. She licked her lips and he saw her teeth.

 

“No,” she said looking away.

 

He walked over to her, hooking his finger under her chin and pulling her eyes to meet his. He was still naked, gorgeous, delicious. He brought his lips to hers in a fiery kiss.

 

He ran his tongue over her bottom lip before allowing it to slip into her mouth and scraped it across her right fang, cutting it, allowing her to taste his blood.

 

“You want it.” He said pulling back from her. “Take it.”

 

“Stop it,” she said pushing at his chest.

 

“Never. Come on Ebony. Stop being such a fucking pussy and take it.”

 

She growled at him. No one called her that. No one. She pushed him back onto the bed, where she pounced on him. She couldn’t take it any more. She had to have him.

 

She sat on top of him and swept down, her fangs sinking into his neck. He struggled a little at first, the pain becoming unbearable, but then stopped.

 

She pulled back suddenly and looked down at him, horrified.  He smiled slightly, his breathing heavy, his pupils dilated. She covered her mouth with her hand in shock of her actions.

 

“What have I done?” she muttered to herself.

 

“I knew if I got you mad enough you would…” he trailed, his words turning into a cough.

 

“I could sit here and let you die,” she stated and watched his eyes widen in shock.

 

She gave him a small smirk and he looked around wildly, trying to think of anything to save himself. She was laughing now, as she reached to the bedside table and grabbed the bottle of wine they had finished earlier in the evening. She brought the bottom of the bottle crashing down on the wooden surface, shattering the bottom and leaving the neck, with jagged edges, sharp and menacing.

 

She brought the bottle to her neck and dug into her pulse point, before leaning down, so he could catch her blood in his mouth. He grabbed her head as he sucked the blood greedily.

 

It was heaven. He felt as if he was slowly slipping into sleep. Peacefully bridging the gap between consciousness and dream. Then she pulled away and a pain like no other settled over him. She still sat on top of him, her knees on either side of his stomach, stroking his forehead, trying to comfort him.

 

The pain was unbearable. His eyes were squeezed shut as tightly as possible, his entire body tensing. His breathing was hard and erratic, his heart threatening to beat out of his rib cage. It felt as if his insides were exploding and the world around him was imploding and there he was, stuck in the middle of it all. After a moment that seemed like an eternity, it subsided.

 

Then explosions of darkness filled his eyes and it seemed as if he was being born again. Born into an eclipse. His breathing had slowed and almost completely stopped. His heart beat was back to normal yet it was beating in an unfamiliar cadence. One of darkness. The corruption was complete.

 

Finally his eyes opened and she was still sitting atop him. A look of sadness taking over her features. A single tear slid down her cheek and he wiped it away.

 

“Are you happy now?” she asked, climbing off of him.

 

“I…I don’t know,” he said, sitting up slowly.

 

“Well I certainly hope you’re happy. Its gone,” she said her voice breaking.

 

“What’s gone?” he asked looking at her.

 

“The last bit of humanity I had,” she sighed. “You were my humanity Justin. Now its over.”

 

“We aren’t over. We’re just beginning,” he said smiling, his canines, slightly extended, glinting in the moonlight.

He sat watching, waiting. His eyes scanned the wide area of the food court, running over faces and bodies, looking for his prey. It usually wasn’t this difficult. He usually found someone to his liking within minutes of his arrival at his chosen hunting ground.

 

But today was different. He was almost bored, sitting there, watching all the mortals go by. His thoughts traveled to her and he immediately saw her in his mind’s eye. She was on the third floor of this building, seducing a teenager.

 

He smiled.

 

Her victims were always clueless. Even when she went after the doctors or the lawyers, or the other so called pillars of the community; all fell to her in the end.

 

His mind traveled to the night that he had been born to darkness as he called it. She always scowled at him when he said that. She hated anything to do with pop culture and what she called the degradation of their kind. While he immersed himself in everything that was ever written about what he was or what he might have come from, she made her own rules, set her own path. She liked to think that she was paving the way for a new era of their kind.  He thought it was nonsense, a boring way to spend eternity that’s for sure.

 

Suddenly sweet music filled his senses and immediately he could see a choir warming up in front of the fountain downstairs. He felt a dull ache come into his heart. He missed his music. He missed his band mates, his brothers. Ebony was true to her word. They were just another meal to him. So he avoided them as much as possible, his love for them and their safety making him keep his distance. Eventually they all went their separate ways. He hadn’t seen any of them in months. Well not in person. He could see them in his mind when ever he wished.

 

JC was sitting in front of a piano in a studio on the west coast, penning what would be one of the greatest songs he would ever write. His solo album would win him critical acclaim and millions of fans, new and old, all over the world.

 

Joey was standing on a stage in New York City, anxiously awaiting his name to be called for his chance to audition. He wouldn’t get this role but he would meet someone that would be beneficial to career in the future.

 

Chris was laying on a beach somewhere in Jamaica. The young brunette that was laying across his chest wanted nothing more than his money and a little piece of the limelight. Chris would have to learn this lesson the hard way.

 

Lance.

 

Justin’s brows drew together trying to block the man’s name before he could see anymore but it was useless.

 

Lance was passed out on his bed in L.A. Needles and baggies of white powder surrounded him, along with empty bottles of Jack Daniels and Jose Cuervo. The break up of the band had hit him hard. There wasn’t much left of him and what was there, wouldn’t be there long.

 

“Fuck,” Justin muttered, rubbing his temples.

 

Yes he was immortal, yes he was all powerful, but mortal heartaches still plagued him. It was the one thing that he wished would go away once and for all. Ebony said it was his gift. He said it was his curse.

 

His thoughts were interrupted suddenly and one word sounded in his mind.

Danger.

 

It seemed to chant over and over again in his head. His brows furrowed in confusion and he returned his thoughts to her.

 

Her vision exploded into his mind. She was standing in a deserted hallway and the teenager that she had been seducing was in her arms. She seemed to have stopped mid-feed. Her neck was stretched out as it usually did when she was searching for something. Her eyes were moving back and forth quickly and he knew she was listening. Her victim was still alive and was starting to break from her spell. He was trying to pull from her but she just shushed him.

 

Justin almost laughed. She thought she owned the world and everyone was supposed to cater to her. Except him of course. He too had the same mentality, but when it came down to which of them was the leader, which one really owned it all, they were equals. They never challenged each other.

 

His mind’s eye returned to her and the teenager was struggling more. He watched her roll her eyes and mutter an obscenity before grabbing the boy around the neck  and viciously turning his head to the side. He heard the crack of the bones as they broke and he winced.

 

That was why he never challenged her.  She could be extremely sadistic if she was pushed far enough.

 

All this time the warning echoed in the back of his mind. It was starting to annoy him.

 

“Meet me at the fountain. Quickly. And watch your back.”

 

Her voice now accompanied the monotonous chant. He stood then, pushing his blue tinted sun glasses further up his nose. He made his way to the escalator and rode down, enjoying the sound of the choir that was still singing near by. As soon as he stepped onto the tile floor she was in front of him. He jumped slightly, startled.

 

“I hate it when you do that,” he grumbled.

 

That chant was really getting annoying. It was only making his headache worse.

 

“We must go,” she said grabbing his arm and trying to pull him toward the exit.

 

“Why?” he asked. “I kept hearing-”

 

“Danger,” she finished for him.

 

“Yeah. What the hell?”

 

“Its your dark senses. They’re warning you. Danger. We have to go now.”

 

She still had a hold of his arm and was pulling them toward the doors.

 

“But-” he said and she spun to face him, her dark hair flowing like a shadowy halo around her face.

 

“God you haven’t fed yet!” she said in an angry whisper.

 

“I didn’t see anything I liked,” he said digging his hands into his pockets and scuffing his sneakers against the floor.

 

“You are so-” she started.

 

“Amazing,” he said smiling at her, his canines glinting under the fluorescent lighting. She scowled.

 

“I cannot believe-” she started again.

 

“That I am this incredibly sexy. I know its hard for me to believe too,” he said, smoothing the front of his shirt, knowing he was trying her patience. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath.

 

“I’ve told you to just pick some one and then start shopping.”

 

“I know but where’s the fun in…”

 

His voice trailed as  the chant in his head became more intense, the beat pulsing with his heart.

 

“We have to go. Now,” she said grabbing his arm and pulling him out the exit.

 

The parking lot was quiet, not a trace of any of the cars owners. She cursed silently.

 

“Even if we did find someone in the parking lot I probably wouldn’t want them,” he said with a smug grin.

 

“You are too damn picky,” she said as they walked up to his motorcycle.

 

He threw his leg over the little V15 and she followed suit looking around uneasily. She had only been a few days old the last time she heard the warning. Warnings of this magnitude meant only one of two things: approaching daylight, which was impossible because it was only seven-thirty, and hunters. She shivered slightly as Justin situated himself on the bike. He looked over his shoulder at her.

 

“Cold?” he asked and she smiled.

 

“Always.”

 

He just rolled his eyes and chuckled softly, jump starting the bike just as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Her head jerked to follow the movement and she saw a young man, no older than Justin when he was alive. He was tall and had a large build. The danger warning was pulsing through her blood now. As he moved closer she caught a glimpse of the pendant around his neck. She didn’t need to see it up close to know what it looked like. A small silver falcon on a chain with a ruby for an eye. The symbol of the hunter.

 

Just as she was about to tell Justin to get them the hell out of there, they jumped into motion, the bike taking them quickly and noisily out of the parking lot and onto the main road. She looked back several times making sure that they weren’t being followed.

 

She returned her attention to the road that was stretched out in front of them. She rested her face against Justin’s shoulder and sighed.

 

“Where are we going?” His voice echoed inside her head.

 

“Back to the hotel,” she thought and he increased his speed.

 

They arrived at their destination, parking in the private garage. They took the elevator straight up to the pent house where they were staying.  Justin couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes were moving slowly, watching everything around them. She looked much like she did when she was hunting. The thought of hunting caused his blood to burn. He was hungry. They should have stopped and picked someone up off the street. At this point he would take anything.

 

“Ebony?” he said as they walked into the living room.

 

“No we are not going out any more tonight,” she said sternly.

 

“But Baby I’m hungry,” he whined, sounding much like a five year old child.

 

“And whose fault is that?” she asked raising an eyebrow at him and he scowled at her.

 

“What the hell is your problem?”

 

“Justin, do you not listen to your senses?” she asked walking to stand toe to toe with him. “Danger.” She said flicking him in the forehead. “Its still warning us.”

 

“But it’ll be really quick I promise. Just let me snag a maid or something,” he said.

 

“And draw even more attention to us?” she asked moving to plop down onto the couch. “I don’t think so.”

 

“Then what do I do?” he asked as she picked up her novel from the coffee table.

 

“I don’t know Justin. Write music, practice some old dance routine, read one of those trashy vampire novels. Just get your mind off of it,” she advised and he sighed falling into a chair across the room from her.

 

A few hours had passed and they were still sitting in the living room, she reading, he trying to write music. The hunger was now consuming him. His blood seemed too hot for his body, like lava was flowing through his veins. He looked up at her, content in her reading.

 

“Ebony,” he said softly, doing his best to sound weak, which wasn’t very hard.

 

“If you wouldn’t have such expensive tastes we could find some rats,” she said smiling inwardly.

 

“Eww.”

 

“Well you said you were hungry,” she said looking up at him.

 

He was extremely pale, more than usual. He really did need to feed, but she couldn’t risk it with a hunter nosing around.

 

“Hunter?” he asked and she looked at him pointedly.

 

“Yes,” she said gravely. “Did you see the man in the parking lot when we left the mall?”

 

“Yeah,” he said, “So.”

 

“He was a hunter. Danger, remember?” she asked.

 

“What so he’s like Buffy or something?” he asked.

 

“The way you compare us to the stupid stereotypes of pop culture amazes me,” she muttered. “Yes like Buffy.”

 

“So what. We just kill him,” he said shrugging.

 

“Its not that easy Justin,” she said shivering slightly. “They are born to hunt us, to kill us. It’s in their blood.

 

He almost moaned at the sound of that word. Blood. Red, warm, delicious blood. He was fucking starving. He couldn’t take this burning any more.

 

“Fuck it. I’m going to feed,” he said standing up, ignoring the shocked look on her face.

 

“You can’t go out there!” she exclaimed, following him to the door. “Justin he’s a hunter. Its too dangerous.”

 

“I don’t care. I’m hungry,” he said opening the door.

 

“I’m not letting you go,” she said grabbing onto his arm.

 

She was strong. Stronger than him. She was older and it was a well known fact that power increased with age. It was one of the few things that Anne Rice got right. But he amazed her by taking hold of her wrist and pulling his arm free, walking to the elevator. That was impossible. She was five years older than him.

 

“Justin, you’re only a year old. You can’t fight a hunter. You aren’t strong enough,” she pleaded as he stepped into the elevator. “Plus they come in packs. Where there is one, there are at least ten more to follow.”

 

“I don’t care. I’m going.”

 

“God dammit! You’re too fucking stubborn! Fine! Get your ass fucking killed for all I care!”

 

The elevator doors closed and she slammed her fists against them, leaving dents in the metal.

 

Justin rode the elevator down to the parking garage. A kid in a delivery uniform was hanging around his motorcycle. He smiled. This would be easier than he thought. Then his toes began to tingle and the chant came back into his mind.

 

Danger.

 

Danger.

 

Danger.

 

He pushed it to the back of his mind as he walked closer, purposely kicking a rock to let his presence be known. The boy turned around with a start and Justin smiled at him.

 

He was tall, with broad shoulders and a slim waist. His sandy blonde hair was a little on the longish side, just barely touching his shirt collar. Scared doe brown eyes stared back into Justin’s stormy gray orbs and Justin’s smile widened.

 

“You like the bike?” Justin asked bringing himself closer.

 

“Yeah,” the boy said running his fingers along the leather seat. “Its awesome. I want one like this.”

 

“Really?” Justin asked moving to stand beside him and the boy looked into his eyes.

 

The chant was echoing so loud Justin couldn’t even use his sense of seduction. He would have to do this the dirty way. He struck hard and fast, grabbing the boy quickly, his teeth piercing the artery in his neck and he felt something sharp stabbing him in the side. He winced but didn’t let up, draining his victim until the heart stopped.

 

He allowed the body to drop and wiped his lips. He looked down at himself and stuck in his left side was a dagger. He simply pulled it out and looked at the intricate design carved into the ivory handle. He pushed the boy with his foot and the lifeless body fell onto its back revealing the holder for the knife attached to the boy’s belt.

Justin ripped the sheathe from the boy’s pants, the sound of tearing denim echoing in the silent garage.

 

Justin looked around. Where the hell was he going to dump this thing? He looked around scratching his head. The corners of his mouth turned up as he spied a grate. He walked over to it and using his strength he pulled the grate from the ground. When he went back to pick up the body he noticed the boy’s watch. He shrugged taking it along with the boy’s necklace and wallet, shoving it all in his pocket before picking up the body and carrying it over to the grate where he dropped it into the sewer. He replaced the grate and dusted his hands off, sighing contentedly.

 

Ebony sat on the couch pouting. The chant had stopped a few minutes ago. She was trying to connect with Justin but he was either too far away or he was blocking her out. She didn’t even want to think of the other possibility. One of the few things that her maker told her before he left her was that if you came into contact with a hunter you should run. But she hadn’t told Justin that. He wouldn’t have listened any way. He was so fucking stubborn. Her thoughts were quiet for a moment, her frustration with the situation causing her to feel helpless.

 

She gritted her teeth. Fuck him. If he wanted to go off and get killed she wouldn’t care. Not one fucking bit. There were thousands of men, mortal and immortal that she could have.

 

Who the hell was she kidding? She needed him, much more than she probably should have. He was her world. Everything that she lived for she found in him.

 

She heard the door open and immediately jumped up, running to see him. He was standing there, his skin holding a healthy glow. He was pulling things out of his pocket and setting them on the table. She threw her arms around his neck and he held her close smiling into her hair.

 

“Miss me?” he asked pulling back to look at her and wiggling his eye brows at her.

 

“God damn you,” she said pulling away from him and giving him a swat on the chest.

 

“Come on babe I was only gone like fifteen minutes,” he said.

 

“Yeah but-”

 

“I found a kid in the parking garage,” he said cutting her off.

 

“Really,” she said smiling softly, glad to have him with her.

 

“Hanging around the bike. Mother fucker stabbed me with this,” he said picking the dagger off the table and showing it to her.

 

“That’s nice,” she said running her fingers over the handle.

 

“Yeah. I don’t know what this kid was getting paid but look at this watch,” Justin said picking it up. “This is platinum I know it is.”

 

“How much money is in the wallet,” she asked and he looked through it.

 

“Couple hundred bucks,” he said shrugging and she nodded as he dropped the wallet back on the table. “Oh there was a necklace,” he said digging into his pocket and producing the piece of jewelry.

 

She gasped stepping back from him as he held it out to her. It was a small silver chain with a falcon pendant with a small ruby for an eye.

 

“What?” he asked.

 

“Where did you get that?” she asked.

 

“From my dinner,” he said with a laugh and she looked at him dumbfounded.

 

“What did you say he looked like?” she asked him.

 

“Tall, blonde, young. Like my age,” Justin said and she stumbled to sit in the chair.

 

“Something wrong?” he asked crouching to be eye level with her.

 

“We’re in big trouble,” she said softly as the chant of danger found its way not only into her head but into her heart.