Devour (2 page)

“I’m not worried about it.
The right guy will come along and I’ll be ready when he does. I don’t need some guy just because he’s sexy. They’re fun to play with, but some of us need more than that in a mate,” I huff and pull the front door open.

Jane
is parked out front in the circle drive. Opening the door, we slip into her sleek red sports car. Before I know it, we are pulling out of the drive and rushing through the streets. We make our way to the city gates and give the guards our night pass. No one can enter or leave without a pass. Security is really tight here to protect us from humans.

Once we clear
the gates, Jane speeds off towards The Racing Heart. She doesn’t stop until we slide into a parking spot and kill the engine. “Nice parking job,” I joke.

“Hey, I have the reflexes; I might as well use them.
I even parked right between the lines this time.”

I chuckle
and step out of the car. The night is warm and my body is reveling in the feel of the soft breeze wrapping itself around my skin. Waiting for Jane, we then we walk around the corner to the front of the line.

People like us have connections.
We are rich and powerful. It would be an insult to make us wait in line with all the humans. We pull out our I.D.s and flash them at the burly doorman before he nods. He steps aside and we gain access to the club inside.

This is our favorite club.
We love to come here on Friday nights. Mainly because it’s the hottest club in town and we, therefore, find the hottest guys here. It has a reputation for being the best place for the eighteen and over crowd. We like it because there are less creepy, old men here.

Tonight is no exception.
The music is loud and pulsing throughout. It’s packed in here. A mass of undulating bodies writhe on the dance floor to the electronica pumping through the speakers.

Since we’
re vampires, we don’t drink alcohol. We head straight up to the top floor. It is easiest to see the club from up there and so we can scout out our prospects. Tugging on Jane’s hand, we carefully make our way up the Victorian staircase.

The bottom of my dress falls
to mid-thigh and I have to be careful on my way up the stairs so I don’t flash the people coming up behind me. When we reach the top, I tug my dress in place and push through the crowd as if they don’t matter.

They are just human
, after all. We are the predators and they are our prey. Tonight we are hunting, this isn’t social hour. The scent of blood wafting off of these humans in waves is a sweet, metallic smell that’s unique to each human. Some smell better than others. Mom said it has to do with their vitality and sickness.

We finally reach the railing that overlooks
the dance floor and I take in a deep breath. It is times like this that I appreciate the ability to breathe so I can take in the sweet aroma of blood pumping through the veins of these humans.

Trying
to put all thoughts of the blood ball out of my head, my focus is on the game ahead. As my eyes sweep over the crowd below, they lock on a few prospects.

The first guy I see is tall and stands out above the crowd.
He has shaggy brown hair and hard, angular features. He’s hot, but not exactly what I have in mind tonight.

The next guy that crosses my field of vision is of average height.
He has short cropped, blonde hair and soft, almost baby like features. My first impression is cute but in a boyish way. He is definitely not the one.

I’
m looking for dangerous and edgy tonight. He should be sexy but not too over the top. I want someone that doesn’t flaunt himself around the club. Those men are weak and after one thing only. Since that’s a huge no no, he should be easy on the eyes but in a loner kind of way. There should be privacy for this, not a crowd of friends.

Jane pulls me out of my thoughts as she leans in and points over to the bar.
I grasp her arm tightly. It is him, the guy. He’s so much better than I was picturing in my mind.

Leaning
into her and yelling in her ear, only one simple word slips out. “Mine.”

She just laughs and nods.
“It’s a good thing you get first dibs tonight. That boy is freaking hot. I can almost see the smoke coming off of him. Yummy.”

I ignore her, knowing I
’ve already won. If Jane is anything, she’s loyal. Pulling away from her, my focus is heading down towards the bar. Jane’s more than capable of taking care of herself. I trust that she will find her own sexy stud tonight and we have a set time to meet back at the car. The time is always the same, midnight.

With our persuasion powers, we don’t need much more time than that.
Two hours is plenty of time for the hunt and the feeding.

This guy bec
omes more defined as I move closer to him. He has short, messy, brown hair that screams rebel. His creamy skin is flawless, aside from a tiny scar above his left eye. I can see his sinewy muscles through his thin, grey tee-shirt as my approach inches closer. Then he turns and our eyes meet. I gasp.

My violet eyes t
ake in the sight before me. I’m shocked to see how clear his blue eyes are. They remind me of the ocean on a sunny day. His features and jawline are strong yet approachable. He has a couple days scruff that looks sexy as hell on him. Feeling my jaw drop, I appreciate this dreamy guy.

As
he moves closer, he quirks a smile and I want to melt. Wow, he is super-hot. I’m thrilled to have found him so quickly tonight. I get the weird feeling that he’s definitely dangerous. Shaking off the feeling and continuing toward him, the stars align.

Just when I get within earshot, he steps forward, bringi
ng us inches from each other. I have to halt instantly at the smell that is wafting off of him. He smells delish. There’s no way to even begin to describe how addicting that smell could be for me.

I have to stop my mouth from watering and
my fangs from descending. It’s a struggle but my instincts manage. I smile back and lean in the rest of the way, moving towards his ear.

“My name is Callie.
Whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?”

I lean back and wait for him to make his move.
When he does, he cups my neck and brushes his lips against my ear. Goosebumps erupt across my skin as he says, “I’m Chase. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Callie. Would you like a drink?”

I shake my head no and take his hand in mine.
His skin is callused, like he works with his hands a lot. Mm, sexy is all that I think as my mind is picturing him sweaty from working. Gah, I have to get my mind out of the gutter and focus.

Giving him a come hither smile, he follows me
onto the dance floor. Turning around, he’s already closed the gap between us and has his body inches from mine. Once again, I struggle to remain in control. This is so unlike me. I want to taste him, take his blood right now. I’m so thirsty suddenly.

Brushing my hair out of my face and tucking it behind my ears,
the distance closes between us. He puts his arms around my shoulders and we begin to dance to the techno beat. My body arches into him as we move.

Briefl
y looking up to where I left Jane, I realize she is no longer there, but I know she is okay. Returning my focus to Chase, I release one of my trademark smiles. He lets his hands slide across my body and it’s my turn to dance against him.

He spins me around so that my back is pressed to his chest. The feel of his hands exploring my stomach and then finally gripping my waist, is intense. After throwing my head back against him, he grips me tighter. His breath on my neck sends goose bumps across my body. I let out a little sigh. This is heaven and couldn’t have gone better.

Finally
, the song is done and I peer over my shoulder at him. He winks at me and causes me to almost swoon. It’s too bad he won’t remember me tomorrow. Once I erase his memories of this night, I’ll be forgotten.

For
the first time ever, it makes me sad to think he won’t remember me. I’m torn between wanting him to remember and knowing I can’t let him. It would be breaking all the rules and the vampire council would be all over me. That’s something no one would dare risk.

Returning my focus to Chase
, he pulls me off the dance floor. Our hands are twined together and the anticipation between us is palpable. Despite knowing it’s impossible to be with a human; I can’t help but feel that he’s different somehow.

He sme
lls so yummy that I have to rein myself in as I pull closer to him. As I do, I discretely look down to see what time it is. It is only eleven o’clock, but I am unnerved by this human and his smell is driving me wild. I’m ready to do this.

I moisten
my lips and slowly tip my head up, watching as his gaze lowers and he looks at me intently. Boldly, I use my other hand to fist his tee shirt at his chest and close what little distance remains between us.

His lips brush against mine and the strangest sensation
sweeps through me. It is like butterflies are trying to escape from inside of me. Something is strange about him. I’m nervous and fluttery. Ignoring the sensation, I push forward.

Our lips meet again, only without hesitation this time.
His kiss is hungry and needy. It feels so strong, I have to remind myself that this is just a mere human. The kiss softens and his tongue gently explores the recesses of my mouth.

When I pull away, I’
m breathing hard and my feelings are all over the place. This is unnerving. That’s when he gasps and I instantly know what has happened. My violet eyes have become more intense and bright. I have to get him out of here before my control slips.

Leaning forward again, I shout in his ear.
“Let’s get out of here!”

Chase smiles and begins to tug me towards the exit.
A sigh of relief that this is almost over, escapes my lips. Needing my fix, my perfect composure is waning. I can’t afford to let my human features slide.

Vampires have brightly colored eyes that glow when we are feeding.
We have to be careful about being seen, so our feedings require privacy. In my case, my violet eyes glow a bright purple and people would definitely notice.

Once we exit t
he warmth of the club, I enjoy the soft breeze outside. Keeping my hand wrapped in his, we move further away from the noise.

“Do you live close by?” I ask
breathily.

“Yeah, just two blocks over.”

“Good,” I say into his mouth as my lips land on his and tug his bottom lip gently. He lets a small moan escape.

“Let’s go before I have my way with you in this alley.”

The thought sends chills across my bare skin. Could I do it? I’ve never indulged with a human but something about Chase is so different, it makes me curious.

Truthfully, I’
ve never indulged with anyone. Female vampires, especially royals, are coveted. Besides not being able to leave our city alone, we’re forced to wait until we have finished the mating process.

We must remain pure until our mating night.
Then the breeding begins. Vampires don’t believe in birth control because it’s hard enough for a vampire to conceive. Every life is a blessing when it comes to our kind.

The blood
ball will be the first time I’m actually allowed to begin the mating selection. Since we mate for life, my goal is to take my time and choose right, on my own terms. That doesn’t mean I don’t lust after hot guys, it’s just never been a human before.

Coming
off of my tangent and trying to refocus on my present situation is hard, but I can’t afford to lose track of myself. Knowing that doesn’t necessarily make my mind stop thinking about Chase.

All
my thoughts on the walk to his place circle around how he will taste as his blood spills into my mouth. Will it be sweet or metallic? Maybe it will be bitter and I won’t really enjoy it. Trying to calm myself down, my primary focus is not let my features slip. Showing him my fangs would definitely scare him away.

I
hope that he tastes every bit as good as he looks. I’ve never seen anyone more gorgeous. It’s almost a shame he’s human and won’t remember this. The thought makes me uneasy but is quickly brushed away once again.