I look at Maria hesitantly, waiting for her reaction. She hides her reaction well, simply picking up her coffee mug and taking a sip as though this information is unimportant. “Allegra has informed me,” she reveals without skipping a beat. “I am none too pleased, but at least I know you girls will be safe.”
“What if I don’t want to go?” I huff.
“Donato has invited you. It would be extremely rude to turn down the offer.” Maria continues to look at her coffee.
“This is two thousand and eighteen you know,” I say, a little perplexed that they all behave like they’re still in another century.
“I know.” Maria smiles at me—a strangled smile that hides something she does not want to share.
“Great. Looks like we’re going out tonight.”
“Don’t be so glum; you might have fun.” Sofia smiles.
I sit on the end of my bed and look at my heels, unsure if I should wear them or my more comfortable flats. The dress I borrowed from Sofia is a little too tight and short for my liking, but she assures me it’s cutting-edge fashion. I hear Sofia in her room getting ready. Within minutes she is standing in the doorway in a matching dress and sky-high heels. She looks like perfection.
“Ready?” Sofia chimes. “Told you the dress would look good.” She grins as I stand.
“Yes,” I groan with extra emphasis to show how against I am of going. I follow her to the front door.
“Be careful, girls.” Maria looks up from the lounge.
“We will be fine,” Sofia answers. “Come on, the driver is here.”
We climb into the four-wheel-drive black Mercedes and a pang of uncertainty washes over me. I look to Sofia who is grinning from ear to ear. She winks at me and I offer her a forced smile. We sit in silence; my thoughts turn to Dominic as the city rushes past my window. I haven’t heard from him all day and I wonder if it is because he is obeying his father’s orders to not have any contact with me. We arrive at our destination, an unlit back alley behind a decaying building. I grimace at Sofia before hopping out of the car and straightening out my dress.
“This way.” The driver asks for us to follow. His English accent is not what I was expecting and I realize he had not spoken a word the entire time.
I wait for Sofia to go first and I stay close behind her. We come to a wrought iron gate and the driver punches in a code on a keypad before pushing the heavy gate open. The walls of the two buildings are only a meter apart. The narrow alleyway feels claustrophobic. I take in a deep breath and grab a hold of Sofia’s hand; she glances back at me, giving me a reassuring smile.
The driver stops walking abruptly and turns to face us. “Through here.” He points to a set of steps.
“Thank you.” Sofia nods and pulls me after her down the stairs.
I swallow my anxiety as my heart thuds deep within my chest. The door to the entry opens automatically and a beautiful, statuesque blonde greets us with a perfect row of white teeth. I sense she is not a vampire and am surprised that she feels no fear. Taking each of our hands, she presses an invisible stamp on our inner elbow and ushers us through the next set of automated doors. We walk side by side along a corridor lined with various abstract artworks, taking the next flight of stairs down until we come to a set of elevator doors. I press the button and wait, my anxiety slowly increasing as the seconds pass before the doors open and we file in.
“You okay?” Sofia speaks quietly as the doors close.
“I’m fine. Just a little nervous.” I stare at the buttons on the wall.
The elevator pings as it comes to a stop and I sense the surface is much further above us than I dare to think about. We both step through the doors into a foyer decorated like it is from the Renaissance era. Red velvet curtains line the walls and the dark marble floor adds perfectly to the look. We line up behind a line of vampires and humans waiting to get in. The process is slow, causing me to get impatient and fidgety.
“My feet hurt,” I whisper to Sofia.
She giggles and nods toward the English driver who has spotted us and is striding in our direction. “Looks like we won’t have to wait in line after all.” She raises her eyebrows.
“Ladies, this way please,” the driver says.
We quickly step out of line, but not without a few sour looks from the ones we have left behind, and follow the driver as he strides to the front of the line. We are ushered through the doors into the darkened club. The constant thud of the music reverberates deep within my chest. The laser lighting flashes with the beat, causing my head to instantly ache. The sensory overload is far too much, and it drains all my energy trying to block it out. We are led to a roped-off alcove at the back of the club out of the direct onslaught of the fit-inducing lights. I sigh in relief when I sit on the low couch, the lights hidden behind the wall. Sofia plants herself next to me as a waiter delivers two pink-colored drinks. I smile up at him and thank him.
“What is this?” I half shout in Sofia’s direction.
“I have no clue, but it tastes good,” she answers before drinking the rest of her drink.
I allow my eyes to take in the room. I first notice the arched ceiling lined with human skull bones and shudder at the thought of how they may have died. The dance floor is shrouded in darkness, to keep it private I presume, and is packed with both vampires and humans. My eyes lock with Donato’s as he and his friends make their way toward us. His eyes don’t leave mine as they approach.
“Katalina, you came.” He grins and takes a seat next to me. “Hello, Sofia.” He nods in her direction. “This is Marcello and Enzo.” He introduces his two friends who have sat next to Sofia.
“Ciao,” they say together.
I watch Sofia in her element, instantly starting up a conversation in Italian with the two. Donato’s voice interrupts my staring.
He leans in close to me. “So, what do you think?” He grins as he watches me.
“It’s dark down here.” I sip my drink to hide my nerves.
His eyes grow dark. Without looking away from me, he flicks his hand in the air and calls a waiter to our table. He orders a round of drinks, all the while watching me watch the waiter. I feel his gaze upon me and I sit back in the lounge to lean against the backrest. I dare to look back up at him only to find he is smirking at me, the corners of his mouth upturned and his plump lips slightly parted.
“Do I make you nervous?” His smirk turns into a dazzling grin.
“No.” I sit up straight and finish off my drink, placing the empty glass on the table.
“Just think of me as any one of your other friends.” He leans closer.
The waiter arrives with a tray full of various colored drinks and places them carefully on the table. I am grateful for his arrival and I smile at him; he is not a vampire. He winks at me as he leaves the alcove. I had forgotten that Sofia and the other two were here also, sitting just centimeters from me. Donato’s presence seems to have blocked out my surroundings. I watch as the three of them each take a drink from the tray and down it in one swift motion. They all cheer and laugh before taking another, repeating the ritual.
“Shall we?” He extends his hand closer to me holding the clear liquid toward me.
“What is it?”
“Vanilla vodka.” He winks.
I take it from his hand, careful not to touch his fingers. He reaches for another one for himself and holds it up in the air, waiting for me to do the same. I hold it up halfheartedly. I watch him grin at me before clinking our shot glasses together and swallowing the whole amount in one swift motion.
“Your turn.” He raises his eyebrows.
Without thinking I swallow the clear liquid in one smooth move. It heats my throat as it slides down. The flavor is not what I imagined, not the vanilla I was expecting. I open my eyes to catch him watching me.
“Another?” He holds another shot out to me.
I take it and don’t wait for him to grab one for himself. I thirstily swallow the small amount and lick
my lips for any that may remain. I place the glass on the table next to my other empty glasses. I turn to speak to Sofia to realize she is not sitting there. My heart thuds, my eyes darting around the club searching for her.
“It’s okay, she is at the bar with my friends. She’s safe here,” Donato explains.
“Oh, okay,” I manage to mumble as I strain my neck to get a better look around the wall.
“Do you want to go dance?” He leans in again, a little too close for comfort.
I stare at him, astonished. “What?”
He stands towering over me, holding out his hand as he places his empty glass on the table. I stand abruptly, not wanting to touch his hand. The effects of the alcohol have kicked in and I feel myself sway slightly. Ignoring the drunk feeling, I stride past him straight to the dance floor and happily dance on the edges.
“Come on, bloodling.” Donato grabs my hand to drag me closer to the DJ booth.
The proximity and heat from everyone on the dance floor is suffocating. I close my eyes to block it all out. Donato’s hand remains firmly around mine, but he keeps a space between us. I dance with my eyes shut for the next two songs. The freedom to be myself is liberating until I sense someone pressed up against my back. My eyes fly open in anger, thinking it is Donato, only to come face to face with his amused expression. I sniff the air around me and freeze. The human behind me seems to be oblivious that I have stopped dancing and continues to move pressed against my back. Heart racing, I look up at Donato for help. He merely laughs and reaches out for my other hand to yank me into him. His hand lands on my lower back, encouraging me to keep dancing. I am thankful to be separated from the human and step back to keep a small distance from Donato’s muscular chest. I reclaim my hand and continue to dance in my own space. The scent of human lingers, causing my canines to elongate. Closing my eyes once again to block out all that is going on around me, I feel the human gently place his arm around my waist before pressing his torso against me. I swallow the pooled saliva in my mouth and run my tongue along my sharp teeth before prying my eyes open. Donato is centimeters from me, his eyes alight with wicked anticipation. Closing the gap between us, I am sandwiched between him and the mouthwatering human. It takes all my strength and concentration not to turn around and face the stupid human. I take in a sharp breath and see Donato lick his lips. The need to remove myself from the situation soon becomes overshadowed by the deep hunger in my core. The beat of the music thuds in my ears, the heat unbearable, and I struggle to escape. Donato’s hand snakes past my waist. Reaching behind me, he pulls the human’s wrist to his mouth. Eyes locked with mine, he bites down on the tender inner wrist. I watch in complete horror as excitement dances on the edges of my being; I cannot look away from his mouth sucking the life source out of the stupid human. My breathing has escalated and I stare open-mouthed, uncaring who can see what is occurring in front of me. The whole time Donato’s eyes do not leave mine. He offers the wrist to me, not before licking it seductively to remove any smears of blood. Allowing him to place it against my mouth, I open willingly and bite into the salty flesh sucking the warm liquid into my mouth as we sway to the beat of the music. I am lost in all sensation; heat, hunger, and need all consume me. Donato gently removes the wrist from my mouth as he turns me to face the human—a beautiful, stupid human with his blonde hair and electric-blue eyes. He looks down at me, his eyelashes long and dark, sweat beading on his forehead as he tilts his head to the side inviting me to taste him. I hesitate, eyes wide, as Donato’s hand holds the human’s jaw in place.
“Wrap your arms around his neck; no one will know what’s going on,” Donato’s voice tickles my ear.
I do as he says. My arms reach up around the human’s neck and I feel his grip around me pulling me into him. I latch on and bite hard into his sweaty flesh. The salty taste assaults my tongue before the smooth blood flows freely. I suckle his neck as we all sway to the music, eyes closed and in complete euphoria. I lose all sense of time and place. It is just me and the blood source.
“Let go,” a voice whispers in my ear. “Kat, let go.”
My eyes open in disorientation.
“Kat, we have to go,” Donato urges as his hands firmly grip my waist.
I unlatch myself from the willing human and look up at him. His satisfied grin stares back at me and I am confused as to why I had to stop.
“Lick the leftovers off; it will also stop him from bleeding out,” Donato whispers.
I do as he says again before being pulled backwards away from the human and dragged to the nearest door. “What about Sofia?” I squeal remembering where I am and with whom I came.
The moon, which is high in the dark sky, does not give away what hour it is. It does illuminate the empty alleyway between the tall buildings I am standing in—enough to realize there is not another soul near, apart from the one standing next to me.
“Where’s Sofia?” I whisper into the empty night.
“She is safe with Marcello,” Donato answers without taking his eyes off the road beyond the buildings.
“How do you know?”
“Here.” He thrusts his mobile at me. “Ring him.”
“It’s okay.” I push the phone away from me. It is then that he looks at me with concern.
“I told him to get her home safe.”
“What? When?”
“Just before, when I was on the phone.” He looks at me, frustrated.
“Why did we all have to flee the club?”
“There was trouble coming. We weren’t meant to be there in the first place. Usually humans and vampires don’t mix. That was a human club and we were the intruders,” he explains.
“Underground,” I say out loud.
“Yes. Fearless creatures, if not stupid,” he snorts.
“What about that guy? Is he…?” I swallow at the thought of his sweet blood.
“He’s fine. Still alive, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I sigh in relief, which does not go unnoticed by Donato.
“One day you won’t care for them; they’ll just be a food source. He was tasty, wasn’t he?” He grins at me.
I look to the ground, embarrassed by my behavior.
“Hey.” He gently lifts my chin with his hand until I am gazing up at him. “Don’t be embarrassed. This is who you are now. He enjoyed us feeding on him as much as we did,” he states before wiping the side of my mouth with his thumb.
“Get your hands off her.” A deep growl echoes between the buildings.
Donato chuckles before sucking the blood off his thumb. “Oh brother, long time no see.” He keeps his eyes on me.
I watch as Toby jumps down from the tall building landing a few feet from us. I am relieved to see him. I watch the two eye each other up and hope that it doesn’t turn into a pissing contest.
“Katalina, are you okay?” His stare is intense.
“I’m fine.” I manage a small smile.
“Let me get you home and away from this over-privileged brat,” he snarls.
“Toviah, you chose not to be an over-privileged brat.” Donato shakes his head in disgust.
“Do not call me that again,” Toby roars.
“Why? Scared she will learn the truth about you?” Donato spits.
I lean against the cool stone wall as my eyes dart from Toby to Donato and back. Confusion circulates my thoughts. “Why did you call him ‘brother’?” I interrupt them.
“Do you want to explain this one? Or shall I?” Donato stares daggers at Toby.
“I am Allegra’s first son. I chose to not be a part of the family a long time ago,” Toby explains with gritted teeth.
“What a stupid decision that was,” Donato snorts.
I stare at Toby with a thousand unspoken questions. He looks at me with a guarded expression, wishing I had not learned this about him. He sighs, hesitating before taking a step toward me. “Let me get you home,” he breathes.
“Always the savior,” Donato scoffs.
“Katalina.” A familiar voice echoes down the alleyway.
I turn to see Sofia standing outside the open door of a cab. Relief washes over me and I dart past Donato in her direction to come to an unsteady stop beside her. “Thank goodness you are okay.” I hug her tightly.
“Let’s go home,” she whispers.
Stealing a glance back down the alley I see that Donato is gone and Toby stands with his arms crossed, a look of annoyance plastered on his face. I see him mouth a few profanities before disappearing in the opposite direction.
Happy to be in the safety of the cab, I steal a glance at Sofia. “Thank you for coming back.”
“I never left. I was looking for you. Where did you go?”
“Donato and I were in the alley the whole time. He said you were with Marcello on your way home,” I answer.
“I wasn’t going anywhere without you.” She smiles. “You really should have your phone on you.”
“I know.”
“What were Donato and Toby wanting with each other?” She raises her eyebrows accusingly.
“No idea,” I lie through my teeth. I sit staring out the window of the cab the rest of the way home, the darkened buildings providing a visual distraction.
Sofia leaves me to my own devices when we get home. She does not mention she knows that I lied to her face. I suspect she is waiting for the right time to approach the Donato and Toby subject again. I find my phone in my room, no missed calls or text messages from Toby, Donato, or Dominic. I switch it off, in desperate need of sleep. Exhaustion has crept up on me since I have not slept for forty-eight hours. I don’t bother undressing but instead climb into bed after kicking my heels off. Sleep finds me instantly.
I dream of red. Red everywhere—covering me and the walls that surround me. Warm, thick, red blood that I lick off my hands and the face of my victim, a beautiful girl, not much younger than me. Her blonde hair is a light shade of crimson. I pat it down ensuring it looks pretty before I drop her to the floor with a thud.
I wake on the floor. The thud was me falling off the bed, my sheets in a heap around me. Hunger pains cripple me. I struggle to untangle myself from the damn sheets, tearing at them until I am free. I arrive at the blood fridge within seconds, knocking into the walls on my way. I pull the door open and grab a bag, not bothering to pierce it with a straw. Sinking my teeth into the bag, I suck the contents, which spill over my chin and down my shirt. By now my breathing is at fever point. I need more, I need it straight form the source. Grabbing another bag after another hoping to satiate my thirst, I drink all that is available and slump to the floor defeated. It is then that Maria finds me. She looks at me with sympathy.
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