Amaliya was standing with one hip cocked to one side and staring out the window when Cian

literally just appeared beside her. She gave a start and blinked at him. "Wow."

He shrugged, looking a little satisfied with himself for startling her. He was dressed in black

jeans, big black lace-up boots, a shirt that looked like a funked up version of a black cowboy

shirt, and a battered black straw cowboy hat. His now slightly longer hair and scruffy jawline

gave him a totally different look. He looked like he fit into her world a little bit better.

Dressed in tight black jeans, her Bettie Page heels, and a tank top with a sexy devil woman on

it, she felt at ease. Her tattoos were visible and her black hair hung around her shoulders, silky

smooth and shiny.

“Nice,” she said finally. She returned to looking out the window and pondering her lack of

reflection.

Roberto and Samantha were talking softly in the kitchen as they ate the meal Roberto had

prepared. Amaliya had deliberately avoided them.

He shrugged slightly. "I like switching up my look."

"Part of living so long?"

“Yep. Tonight, you will learn how to feed off of several different people, but not take too

much. You need to learn not to kill- "

She started to open her mouth to protest.

"-Or drink so much they end up hospitalized."

She shut her mouth and gave him an annoyed look.

"The trick of surviving is not to be discovered." His smile grew condescending. “You know,

having your entire family know what you are. That sort of thing. ”

“Only my grandmother and-” She stopped herself.

He shook his head and took her arm. “C'mon. Let's get this over with before you put out a

press release that you're here. "

“Shut up,” she said and pulled her arm away.

“We'll be back,” Cian called out as they headed into the hall.

The patter of tiny flip-flopped feet let her know that Samantha was coming. Crossing her arms

over her breasts, she looked annoyed as Samantha flung herself onto Cian and kissed him. She

wasn't jealous of Samantha, but she was the sort of girl who had always looked upon Amaliya as

something odd to be avoided. It was obvious that Samantha felt threatened by her. Amaliya was

determined to ignore and forget what had happened between her and Cian. It had to be a weird

vampire thing. He was not her type. He was short. And he looked too normal.

She had woken up determined to learn what she could from him and then go off and find her

own hot Rob Zombie lookalike. Or a young Ozzy Osbourne clone. That would be nice. Or

maybe both.

“Let's go,” Cian said, taking her arm again and opening the door for her.

They entered a small foyer that had two sets of elevator doors. A long window showed a great

view of South Austin and she looked at the reflection of the empty hallway with remorse. She

hated not knowing what she looked like. She wondered if her makeup looked okay.

“I just realized I have no idea where I am. Since you kidnapped me,” she said a bit tartly.

“I helped you,” Cian corrected her, and stepped into the elevator as the doors opened.

Rolling her eyes, she stepped in with him. They were both silent on the way down. It was

obvious that they were both determined to pretend that the events of the night before had not

happened.

She supposed that a vampire as old as Cian may have some sort of weird need to try to have a

normal life, but she didn't get it. She was looking forward to figuring out this vampire stuff, then

carving a life out for herself far away from all this crap with The Summoner. Yeah, he was

following her, but she was boring. Maybe he would just grow tired of her and leave her be.

Even she knew that was too stupid to even hope. Therefore, she was going to have to keep

running.

The doors opened on a large, boring lobby with treated cement floors and brick walls. They

headed to the doors that opened out onto the street and Amaliya glanced toward the security

guard. The man barely looked at her before returning his gaze to the Austin American Statesman

newspaper he was reading.

Cian shoved the door open for her and she walked outside into the humid spring air. They

were close to Town Lake and it made the air muggy. It took her a moment to figure out where

they were located, but she quickly recognized a few landmarks and realized they were close to

the club scene.

“Where are we going?”

“Headhunters,” Cian answered. “Seems like your kinda place.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, okay, fine. I used to hang out there on occasion.”

“I figured that. Live bands. Sweaty guys with long hair and tattoos.”

“Shut up,” she said with exasperation. But she was pleased in a way that he had her pegged.

Of course, in some ways, she was a stereotype, but she didn't care. She had tried on a lot of looks

and personas when she came to Austin as a student. It was when hanging out with the metalheads

that she finally felt accepted. Plus she loved metal, so it worked out just fine. She had even

played drums for a few bands and slept with the lead singers, of course.

He laughed and said, “Eh, you just look like the girl who'd be hanging out there and dancing

all sexy to music that sounds like just noise to me.”

“Yeah? And how would you know?”

“I've got to spread my hunting around,” he answered. “I sometimes have a bit of a wild metal

diva to entertain myself.”

They reached 6th Street and headed down the sidewalk that was slowly growing crowded.

Thursday night was much busier than Wednesday and lots of college students were out and

about. Strolling past the clubs that were just gearing up for the long night, the various tattoo

parlors and tourist trap stores, they fell into an easy pace with each other.

“Um, wild metal divas, huh? Is that what you call us?”

He shrugged. “Goth girls are tasty, too.”

“Go to the hip-hop club and grind on girls, too?”

Giving her a surprisingly warm smile, he said, “Why, yes I do.”

“You really are an equal opportunity guy.”

“Maybe.”

“Does Samantha go with you?”

“No. I hunt alone. Except for tonight. It's a personal thing. It's just you and your prey and the

thrill of the hunt.”

“But aren't you kinda domesticated now that you live in your own barn?”

Giving her a sharp look, he studied her expression, then gave her a lazy shrug. “Maybe.”

Amaliya smiled at him and bumped him with her shoulder. “You're all bashful over being the

nice vampire!”

Cian frowned at her. “I am not.”

“Oh, you so are. You're all freaking mean to me when I show up, but now I can see you're all

Mr. Nice Vampire.”

“I am not. I could kill you where you stand!”

“Oh, yeah?” She laughed at him and skipped away and into the doorway of a tattoo parlor.

“Do it in front of all these people?”

Cian passed her and gave her an annoyed look.

She hurried along to catch up with him and tucked her hands into her jean pockets. “Aw,

c'mon. It is kinda funny. You're all old and stuff and getting married to Barbie.”

“Don't call her that,” Cian growled.

“Okay, Blondie then, and meanwhile you prowl the streets of Austin hopping into clubs to

take a little sip here and there, but going home to the missus afterward. I think it’s kinda cute. I'm

being instructed by freaking Ward Cleaver.”

Cian grabbed her wrist tightly and tugged her around to face him. His eyes blazed at her and it

was clear he was pissed off. But surrounded by all the people moving up and down the

sidewalks, laughing and talking as they anticipated a night of revelry, she wasn't afraid. He

wouldn't hurt her here.

Besides, from the look on his face, he was mad, but he was feeling the same thing she was.

That dangerous vampire lust.

Sticking her tongue out at him, she pulled her arm free and headed down to Red River, the

street where a few more clubs were located.

“C'mon, Ward. June is waiting at home. We must hurry.”

Turning around, she walked swiftly ahead of him, inwardly laughing at his flustered

expression. She could feel the tingle of her growing arousal at the thought of feeding and she was

having really evil thoughts about Cian. She was a little annoyed with that since he was hooked

up with Blondie and he was so not her type. But being around him made her want to do

lascivious things to him.

Even if he was kinda short.

Walking down Red River, the street was clogged with lots of scantily clad girls standing in

line to get into a club. Their male companions tried to discreetly or not so discreetly check out

every girl in sight. She wove her way through the line noticing a few of the guys checking her

out. Her appearance was far different from the girls in their halter tops and tiny skirts, but when

she was in her mode, she knew she could give off hot vibes.

Or good fuck vibes, as an old boyfriend had told her.

Passing the Goth club, she looked over her shoulder to see Cian walking along behind her, his

hazel eyes boring into her. She blew him a kiss and dashed across the street despite the slow

moving traffic to the club with the metal music pouring out of it. Headhunters always had live

music playing every day of the week, and five years ago many of her friends had played here.

For a moment, she wondered if she would recognize anyone.

Once in the bar, she looked around the steamy narrow room with its crazy decorations. It was

decorated with a wild island theme with plenty of fake tropical plants, imposing idols, native

masks, and bamboo blinds. Most of the bands on the bill seemed to be metal bands. Already the

guitars were screeching and the lead singer was growling. The room was packed with the band's

fans and family and she wove through them to the bar. Sliding onto a stool, she saw a few

longtime supporters of the scene gathered in a tight-knit group, talking spiritedly and drinking

heavily.

They wouldn't recognize her. She was never that popular. When she performed with the

bands, she was their cool chick drummer, but the guys got all the glory. Besides, she had only

been in Austin for less than a year when she got the call about her sister, Rachel. And she had

vanished as quickly as she had appeared. It had been terrible not only because her sister was

deathly ill, but also because she had just started to find her niche when it had all drawn to a close

for her.

Now, here she was again, trying to find her niche again. Except this time she was a

bloodsucking fiend with a ticket to eternal youth if she didn't get whacked by her psycho ancient

creator.

“I need a drink,” she decided and signaled for the bartender.

Cian slid onto the barstool next to her and leaned his elbows on the counter. Ordering a drink

for both of them, he took out his money clip, flashing a nice chunk of change. It was a good way

to keep the bartender happy and pouring some strong drinks. Amaliya was sure that was the rule

in any club.

The music was hard and fast, just the way she liked it. She let out a few primal yells and

thrust a fist into the air a few times. Cian just drank his drink slowly and studied the crowd.

Oh, yeah; she was here to learn to hunt.

Leaning against him, she said, “Okay. So where do I start?”

“Well, first off, you have the power to get attention. Use it.”

She looked at him and said, “That's it?”

“You don't feel it?”

Well, actually she did. It was as if she could throw out an invisible net and pull people to her.

She felt it but wasn't sure how to use it. She could feel her body pulsating with the need to feed

and it was making her feel wild and sexy.

Cian leaned toward her, his lips close to her ear. “Find someone you want. And then project it

at them. Call to them inside of yourself.”

Amaliya sipped her drink and enjoyed the burn as she scanned the crowd of writhing people.

Spotting a tall man with long black hair and a heavy beard, she smiled to herself. He kinda had

the Rob Zombie thing going. Dangerous and dark. Concentrating, she flung out her power at

him. To her surprise, he turned and looked at her. As their eyes met, he nodded at her, then

started to move through the crowd toward her .

“See?” Cian said with a smug look.

“That's too easy,” she whispered back.

“You can't see yourself,” Cian said with a wink.

The tall man with the tattoos and dangerous vibe sidled up to the bar next to her and smiled at

her flirtatiously. “You look familiar.”

“I'm not,” she said with a wicked smile. ”But we can change that.” She heard Cian chuckling

behind her and ignored him.

Small talk with band guys she could do all night. It wasn't hard. She had hung out in the scene

long enough to pick up on what they liked to talk about. As the band thrashed on the stage and

their small crowd of fans pumped their fists in the air, she leaned into her prey and drew him in

with her sly looks and vampire powers.

After around fifteen minutes, Cian tapped her shoulder.

“Excuse me. My brother needs something.” She turned to Cian and whispered in an annoyed

voice, “What?”

“You're here to bite him. Not date him. Get him to the bathroom.” Cian's eyes were intense.

Sticking her tongue out, she turned back to the guy, whose name she’d learned was Brant, and

hooked her hand into his. “Come with me,” she said and pulled him along behind her. He came

willingly, just like she knew he would.

Weaving through the throng of people, she aimed for the bathroom. Now that she was so

close to feeding, she could feel that dark need rising and flowing out of her. It seemed as if

others knew this as they pulled away from her subconsciously, letting her pass.

The door to the woman's bathroom opened just as she neared it. Two girls came out, laughing,

their lipstick fresh and glossy and their hair brushed and gleaming. Watching them pass, she

shoved Brant into the room and up against the wall. As she expected, Cian slipped in behind her

and locked the door.

“Okay, this is a little too weird. Your brother is going to watch?” Brant looked ready to bolt.

Cian folded his arms and leaned on the wall across from them.

“Ignore him. Look at me.” She heard her power in her voice and felt it swirling out of her.

Brant's eyes turned to her and she saw his pupils dilate as she hooked him firmly under her

influence. She ran her tongue over her sharpening fangs as she pushed his legs apart and pulled

him down toward her. He was tall so she had to strain, but he came willing into her embrace.

Licking her fangs, she pulled his thick heavy hair back and ran her tongue over his furry throat.

His shudder ignited her hunger even more and she drove her teeth into his neck.

His blood was hot and delicious and she moaned with pleasure as she drank it in with huge

swallows. Her arms gripped the large man even more tightly as she pulled his blood into her. She

felt it renewing her body and her heart pump a little more quickly.

Cian's body pressed up against her from behind and he slid his hand up under her arm and up

to cup her chin. “Stop.”

She growled at him and tried to keep feeding, but his fingers slid between her lips and the

flesh of her victim. He said again, “Lick his wound and stop.”

Cian's strength of will pushed down on her and she realized he was right. Her desire to drain

her prey was strong and she ran her tongue over the wound. Licking the blood away, she drew

back as the holes closed up into two tiny circles. Brant's eyes were glossy and half-closed with

bliss.

“Drink only a little from each one,” Cian whispered as he turned her around. “Only enough to

sate the first bite of the hunger.” Taking her face between his hands, he licked the blood off the

corner of her mouth. “Understand?”

Nodding, she struggled to keep her hunger abated. She did want to drain the tall man

completely dry. It was a terrible need, but she resisted it.

“Now, let him go. Release him, but place in his mind a wonderful thought of a nice time with

you. But make your face hazy in his memory...”

Amaliya turned back to Brant and ran her hand gently down the side of his face. As she had

with Pete, she felt herself drawing up her power from the dark place inside of her and pressing it

into him. Concentrating, she created a memory of a hot little interlude in the bathroom but

obscured her own face.

“Now go to the bar,” she whispered.

Brant slid from her grasp, let himself out, and the door shut behind him. Cian quickly locked

it and turned to her.

“I fucked up.”

“It takes practice.”

Ignoring the smelly toilet and the mirror that would refuse to show her reflection, she leaned

against the graffiti-covered wall and sighed. “Now I want more.”

“You need to feed every night,” Cian said softly. “But a little at a time.”

She nodded.

“Okay. Let's try this again.”

Amaliya licked her lips and smoothed her hair a bit. “Okay. Let's go.”

For the next three hours, she maneuvered through the ever-changing crowd, chatting,

laughing, partying, and finding three more victims. Each time, Cian followed her into the

bathroom and watched over her as she fed. By the third victim, she was able to pull away without

his assistance.

Her last prey, a hot girl, which she saw surprised Cian, was just a small nibble in comparison

to the droughts she had taken from Brant. Even as the girl clung to her, rubbing her body up and

down Amaliya's, she had been able to stop drinking and place a wonderfully erotic memory into

the woman's thoughts.

The girl seemed less affected by the blood loss and took the time to kiss Amaliya softly before

seductively walking past Cian and out the door. He looked at her surprised.

“I had a girlfriend once,” Amaliya said with a shrug.

“Really?”

“She liked me and I thought why not?”

It had been a little more than that. She had figured out that though girls were fun to flirt and

mess around with, she wasn't cut out for a relationship with one.

Cian just arched an eyebrow. “We should head out now. The bartender has noticed your last

two trips in here.”

“I'll be the talk of the club,” she laughed.

“Something like that,” he agreed. “But we were more conspicuous with me coming in here

with you.”

Licking the rest of the blood from her teeth and sucking on her bottom lip, she shrugged, then

nodded. “Yeah, true.”

Cian's hand reached out and pulled her toward him. She went willingly to him, knowing what

he would do. His cool tongue slowly licked the blood off her chin and the edges of her lips. Her

own tongue flicked out to touch his and he pulled away quickly.

Despite his grim expression, she could feel his desire to pull her close and bite her throat and

taste the rich blood that now flowed through her. Pressing herself past his restraining hands, she

rested her forehead against his and laid her hands on his shoulders.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

His mouth brushed over hers, then he easily slipped past her and snagged her hand. Pulling

her behind him, they plunged back into the club and the tightly packed crowd parted for them

without hesitation.

When they got outside, Cian kept walking quickly, pulling her along behind him.

“I told you I would fuck up your life,” Amaliya said to his back.

He let go of her hand, turned around, and his hazel eyes flashed at her. “I'm the one keeping

you in my city. It's my mistake to make.”

“Why are you keeping me here? Why don't you call your old boss up and say, 'Hey, guess

who's here? Come get her!'. Or don't you have his number?”

“We both know he already knows you're here. He's probably watching us right now. My

question is how long will he let us both go without interfering?”

Amaliya blinked a few times, then said, “Oh, shit.”

“You seem to forget that we are made of the same blood and we are both his little toys. He's

left me alone for a very long time and now having you here has drawn his attention back to me. I

am in danger, too. And probably the faster I teach you our ways, and then set you free, the better

it will be for me. Maybe he'll find my interference amusing.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“No one helped me. I told you that before.” He shook his head and walked on. “I'm trying to

help you because no one helped me.”

Hurrying to catch up, she fell into step with him as they walked down the darkened street.

They avoided 6th Street this time and ended up walking up a barely populated back street.

“Thanks,” she said and meant it. He was risking a lot and he had that cute little thing back at

his apartment that was madly in love with him. Amaliya wanted to feed on him again as he fed

from her, but she couldn't' say she even liked him that much. She was drawn to him despite him

being completely not her type, but she wondered if that had to do with blood and power.

“You're welcome,” he said after a moment.

Her fingers nudged his palm and his hand closed over hers. They walked along in silence for a

few minutes.

“Sorry I made Samantha upset.”

“She has a right to be. You have awakened in me long dormant aspects of myself.”

Amaliya pondered this. “Huh?”

“I've been playing human for a long time. You make me remember that I am a vampire in

every sense of the word. That is why you need to learn to take care of yourself and leave.”

Though his words hurt her, she understood completely. Fighting back the sense of rejection,

she nodded. “Yeah. I know.”

“I survived this long. So can you,” he said softly. “You're smarter than you give yourself

credit for and if you could just curb your tendency to take the easiest route-”

“I do not,” she protested.

He looked at her pointedly. “You don't just go with your whims and take whatever option

seems easiest?”

“Okay, when you put it like that,” she admitted. “But my need to run away seems to be

coming in handy.”

Laughing at this comment, he reached out and took her by the shoulders. “You just need to

not depend on your good luck to pull you through.”

“Good luck! Give me a freaking break. I have the worst luck known to man. Or woman. Or

small dogs and cats.” She shook her head and broke away from him to keep walking.

“You have better luck than you think you do,” Cian said firmly.

Turning back toward him, she said, “Yeah? Prove it?”

“You found me.”

“Yeah, and awakening your inner vampire, scaring the shit out of your girlfriend, and

screwing up your life.”

“Then that's my bad luck,” he corrected her. He smiled and walked up to her.

In her heels, she was a little taller than him.

“I train you. You leave. I go back to planning my wedding. You get smart and outwit The

Summoner and we both live happily ever after.”

“I think happily ever after is bullshit,” Amaliya responded.