Paranormal After Dark

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “Jessie, we can’t stay long.” I spoke low enough to not alert Erick.

  “Huh, what?” she asked. She danced, rocking her hips back and forth to the music. She seemed to have Erick under a spell. He watched lustfully, his eyes following each movement of her hips.

  “I have to do that thing tonight, you know,” I said, with a little urgency to my voice.

  “Yeah, sure, we will get to that,” Jessie said with a groan.

  “Alyssa, aren’t you having fun?” Erick asked, momentarily dropping his focus from Jessie’s gyrations.

  “Yeah.” I tried to smile as innocently as possible. “I just have this little thing I need to do tonight.”

  He patted the space next to him on the loveseat. “Don’t leave. I thought we were going to get to know each other. You need more champagne.”

  “Yeah, more champagne,” Jessie blurted out, pretending to be drunk. She grabbed the bottle of champagne and put it to her lips as if drinking. “Mmmm, have a drink, Lyss,” she said with a wink.

  She leaned in, handing the bottle to me, and whispered, “Have a little fun. Don’t you want him?”

  Jessie didn’t give me time to answer. She immediately returned to her hypnotic gyrations. Erick watched me, so I too lifted the bottle to my mouth, pretending to drink the bubbly beverage.

  I used to like champagne, when I was mortal. Now, just the smell of it made me want to retch. Bubbles tickled the tip of my tongue. My stomach flipped, threatening to heave if I swallowed so much as a drop. I lowered the bottle with a fake smile plastered on my face. “Mmm, we need some more of this.”

  Erick got up and pulled me close to him. He pressed his hard body to mine, rocking side to side with the beat of the music. “You’re absolutely right. Let’s get some more.”

  Erick’s advances became more sexual the more he drank. Halfway through the second bottle, he pulled us both on top of him on the love seat.

  I must admit, I savored the delicious warmth of his hand as he squeezed my butt. He lavished attention on both of us, alternating between kissing Jessie and me. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help myself. I let my hands explore his body as he claimed my mouth. Under his loose, silky shirt was a perfect washboard stomach. I traced each ripple down to his obvious arousal, cupping the tent in his jeans.

  He moaned into my mouth. I knew I should stop. The beast inside roared to life, begging for just a small taste.

  Erick’s hand slid down between my legs. His fingertips traced the outline of my sex through my thong.

  “Ah, hmmmm.” I sighed, enjoying his touch.

  It had been so long since I had had the pleasures of a man, and his gestures were quite tempting.

  I lingered too long. I should have stopped myself, but his smell, his touch, his heartbeat, his warmth—it was all too tempting. I wanted so badly to taste him. I needed to taste him. Just one taste wouldn’t hurt, right?

  My thirst, my hunger, the nagging sensation won. I concentrated on my desire to have Erick. I needed to have him, a taste of him. I left his hot mouth and moved my kisses down towards his neck. His succulent vein thumped against my lips; blood pulsed below the surface of his skin, just begging me to take it.

  I tried one last time to fight the urge. No, he’s an innocent. He’s done no harm to anyone.

  His fingers slid underneath my thong, dipping slowly into my wet opening.

  I lost control, giving in to my desire. Opening my mouth wide, I sank my teeth into his neck, severing the vein. My reward was a satisfying rush of hot blood, flooding my mouth.

  He moaned, a pleasurable sound. I hoped he was caught in the moment and had not realized what I had done. I didn’t need him knowing I was sucking the life out of him.

  His hands still explored my nether regions, confirming my suspicion.

  Don’t fight it, let me take you. I willed my desires on him as I drank in his blood. I wanted him, all of him. Every drop of his blood was ecstasy.

  His hand went limp beneath me.

  Shit!

  A moment of clarity hit me. Stop! He’s an innocent!

  I hoped I’d realized this before I was too close to ending his life. I pulled away and rested my head on his chest, trying to regain composure. I listened for the sound of his heart. The soft, fading beat told me I was too late. I had taken too much blood. His heart struggled as it slowly came to a stop. No!

  Erick was dead.

  I slid off his lifeless body onto the floor.

  Oh. My. God! What have I done?

  Jessie, unaffected by the death of the man, went through his pockets and found his wallet. She spilt up the money and offered me a handful of bills.

  “You could have saved some for me,” Jessie said in a mocking tone.

  “What have I done?” I whispered to myself. It was one thing to kill a criminal, to end the life of someone who would have done it to me—but an innocent? What was his crime? He was just an overconfident guy. And I killed him!

  Jessie held out the bills, waving them in front of my face. “Aren’t you going to take this? It’s your cut.”

  A strange numbness consumed me. I had only wanted a taste. Why did I give in to temptation?

  The background music seemed muffled and distant. The only thing I could hear was the thought in my head repeating over and over, He was an innocent.

  Jessie must have sensed the mental torture going on inside my head. She shook me out of my trance. “Listen, girly, we’re not done yet.” She inclined her head toward the lifeless body. “We’ve got to get rid of Casanova over here.”

  Panic brought me back to reality. How could we carry a corpse out of here without being noticed?

  Jessie shoved the bills onto my lap and sat down next to the dead body. She lifted the collar on his shirt, inspecting the bite mark on his neck.

  “Nice set of fangs you got there, sister. Why don’t we cover this little, ahem… hickey… up with something.” She flipped the collar all the way up in an attempt to conceal the wound on his neck. “Hmm, that’s not going to work well, now, is it?”

  “Can we sneak him out of here? We can’t leave a dead body lying here in the VIP lounge. People saw us go in here. Someone will find him and wonder which one of us is the mangy animal who mauled him.”

  “Great idea, Lyss.” She jumped to her feet. “You grab one arm and I’ll take the other. We’ll both hold him up and walk him out the front door. If anyone asks, we’ll say he had too much to drink and we’re taking him home to sleep it off.”

  It wasn’t the brightest idea I’d ever heard, but it was the best we had to work with. Thanks to vampire strength, we both easily supported his weight on our shoulders and slowly made our way to the door, trying to look as natural as possible. Crystal spotted us from the bar and followed close behind. We’d just passed through the entrance. I thought we were home free when the bouncer stopped us.

  “Hey, ladies, is he all right?” the bouncer asked.

  I froze. My heart skipped a beat. Shit, we’re busted. We’re going to be outed right here in front of what looks like fifty people. I’ve just mistakenly given away our kind, our secret, with one moment of bloodlust.

  Jessie spoke, her voice a little shaky. “Uh, yeah, he’s just had a bit too much tonight. We’re gonna take him home.”

  The bouncer’s eyes narrowed. A crease formed above his eyebrows. “He looks unconscious. No. I can’t let you leave with him like that. I’m calling an ambulance.”

  Crystal appeared out of nowhere and glided over to the concerned bouncer. Her face the picture of calm, she spoke in hushed tones, leaning into the bouncer’s ear. I could just barely make out what she told him.

  “Sir, he has a known drinking problem that is a bit of an embarrassment to our family. The girls called me when he finished his third bottle in your VIP room. Clearly, your staff ignored the fact that he had drunk enough to cause alcohol poisoning. I’m sure your establishment would like to avoid any legal troubles. If you will just let us go witho
ut anyone else’s involvement, our family will avoid bringing any official attention to this.”

  She extended her hand to the bouncer. He shook it, and I caught the hint of money being transferred. The bouncer smiled and sent us on our way.

  We loaded the body in the car with us and drove a few miles before dumping it in a deserted alley. Crystal bit her tongue.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, baffled, watching her trace the wound on the dead man’s neck with her bloody tongue. “Are you going to turn him?”

  “No, dear, he is already dead. You can only turn one who is at the edge of death. It takes a bit of skill and quite a bit more blood. I’m just concealing the wound.”

  “You’re what?” I asked in amazement.

  “Has Lysander not taught you this yet? Our blood, in very small doses, can help conceal the wounds you create when you feed. The enzymes in our saliva, mixed with a very small amount of our blood, can help skin heal faster. Within an hour, his skin should seal around the puncture wounds, and by the time the police find this man, he will have what will only look like odd bruises.”

  I stood dumfounded for a moment. That was a very nice little parlor trick, and I couldn’t believe Lysander hadn’t told me about this yet. “Must have slipped his mind, I guess.”

  This new revelation on how to hide our nightly feeding was a welcome surprise. I liked having more options than just half-cremating or burying a body.

  “It’s not a perfect process, and since he is already dead, it won’t heal the wound completely, but it will help hide the telltale fang marks.”

  We loaded ourselves into the car. Crystal took the wheel again as we headed back to Lysander’s home.

  I sat silent, deep in thought. Terrible guilt sat like a lead weight in my stomach. I wanted to cry for the loss of Erick’s life. A part of me wished the bouncer had caught us and exposed us for what we were. Erick hadn’t deserved death. He was just a drunk guy. He’d just gone out for a night of fun, and it had ended with his death. If I had stopped drinking that man to death, could I have let him go without killing him?

  “The answer is yes,” Crystal said, not taking her eyes of the road as she drove. “But it takes great self-control to do it.”

  The shock of her answer to my thoughts didn’t stop me from pushing me to know more. “So, in theory, you could feed from multiple people, like taking sips, and not kill anyone?”

  “In theory, yes. But the reality is, those you feed from will know what you are. There is no way to erase the memory of you drinking their blood. You run a real risk of exposing us to mortals and the Acta Sanctorum by trying to make that your nightly feeding routine. However, a situation like tonight might have been okay because of that man’s level of inebriation.”

  Jessie turned around from the front seat to look at me. “Man, you really are new at this, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  She gave me a toothy smile. “You’ll toughen up soon. First few kills are awkward.”

  “Yeah… thanks.” I didn’t need her advice. Jessie, it seemed, had no problem with killing, innocents or not. I knew she wouldn’t really understand. There was no use trying to explain it to her.

  The remainder of the ride home I sat quietly, watching the streetlights and buildings pass by. I tried to avoid thinking about the guilt and shame of killing an innocent, but images of Erick’s face kept flashing into my mind.

  He wasn’t supposed to die.

  We arrived home just before sunrise, and I was grateful for that. I wanted nothing more than to bury myself in the sheets of Lysander’s bed and pretend this night had never happened.

  Chapter 15

  I SPENT A few nights in solitude, mourning the death of Erick, before Crystal managed to convince me to go out again.

  Avid travelers, the Peregrinus never stayed in one place for very long. They took advantage of the time they did have by enjoying all the amenities each city had to offer.

  All of us—everyone except Jessie, who had left early that night—decided to explore the Strip. The boys wanted to try their hand at gambling and the girls wanted to see the changes to the Strip since their last visit. Since I was a native, I offered to act as their tour guide.

  I’d done this plenty of times before, playing tour guide, when members of my family or old friends came to visit. It’s a tradition for Las Vegas locals and usually the only time we make it to the Strip ourselves.

  All eyes were wide, mouths hung open, and mumbles of “wow,” came from the clan as we drove down Las Vegas Boulevard.

  “The Peregrinus have not been to Vegas in well over thirty years,” said Rozaline as she eyed the large buildings we passed.

  “The city has changed quite a bit in the last few years. I doubt you will even recognize the Strip anymore,” I said, trying to sound knowledgeable.

  It was true. In the last thirty years the Strip had grown and reinvented itself more than once. Many of the old casinos that lined Las Vegas Boulevard had been imploded and rebuilt.

  Towering structures and neon lined the famous boulevard; multicolored replicas of the New York skyline, a Camelot castle, a great black pyramid, exploding volcanoes, and pirate ships amazed the clan as we took our slow drive down the Strip.

  Drew and Crystal were delighted by the whimsical Camelot castle, as well as the golden lion on the great pedestal at another casino. Each hotel we passed was a treat to their eyes.

  “Ah, this is wonderful,” exclaimed Crystal, watching a rollercoaster zooming around the front of another casino. “Things have certainly changed.”

  “Yes. This was all probably a dirt lot the last time you were here,” I responded, still trying to show off my knowledge.

  As is the custom in Vegas, the Strip was always expanding. New casinos popped up every few years, each one bigger and flashier than the ones prior.

  “Amazing,” Rozaline said, as a small replica of a volcano began its explosive show. It sent watery blasts, colored with orange lights, shooting up to the sky. The effect resembled boiling lava.

  “If you think that’s cool, you should check out the pirate ship battle next door.” I chuckled at their astonishment. Just like any other tourist, they pointed while they oooh-ed and ahhh-ed at each casino. It was a refreshing sight to see, and a reminder that even though I was a vampire now, I could still enjoy some of the simple pleasures of being alive. Monster or not, everyone loves to be entertained—and Vegas was never short on that. I made a mental note to come back to the Strip more often and really allow myself to take it all in with my fresh, new eyes.

  A longstanding Vegas tourist tradition is to see the Strip on foot. I would have been a horrible tour guide if I denied them that wonderful opportunity, so I made the suggestion. “Let’s park and go see some sights.”

  No tour is complete without the crowds of people, the smut peddlers, and the chance for photos in front of the various attractions.

  We parked and made our way into a casino.

  I’d forgotten how strong the scent of the people around me would be. I was getting much better at controlling my urges and the monster within. Still, being surrounded by so many people, I was briefly startled by the aroma as we entered the recirculated air of the casino.

  The flood of smells rushed toward me. My mouth watered with anticipation as I filtered through the scents in the air, finding one in particular that enticed me. I found myself slowing down as we passed a pair of ladies sitting at a blackjack table. I slowly breathed in their perfume as my eyes fixed on the exposed neck of a blonde woman.

  Citrus with a hint of vanilla: her scent was tantalizing. My mouth watered as my tongue traced the edges of one of my sharp fangs.

  Lysander must have caught my interest. “Discretion, Alyssa,” he cautioned, grabbing my arm while pushing me forward.

  It was the first time we had spoken since our fight a few evenings ago.

  I bit my lip and snapped to attention, wishing I had taken time to hunt before allowing mys
elf to be surrounded by so many people. I didn’t need another repeat of the club incident. Breathing slowly through my mouth, I tried not to smell the air.

  The memory of Erick and the guilt that followed his death helped me push the monster down.

  I was still angry at Lysander for the harsh words during our fight, but I was thankful for his presence. Though annoying at times, he did prevent me from making mistakes. Being surrounded by tons of humans, I knew I’d need his guidance tonight.

  He escorted me through the casino as we tried to catch up to the rest of the clan. They must not have noticed my pause. They swiftly maneuvered through the crowds, heading to the front door that led to the Strip.

  Outside the casino was a sea of people. The pirate show in the front always drew a huge crowd. Swarms of people packed themselves onto the small replica of a pier, between two battling ships. There was no way to make it through the crowd. We were stuck until the show ended. I didn’t mind that much. It had been years since I’d seen the pirates.

  I settled in to watch the battle when a familiar sensation struck me.

  I was being watched.

  The skin on the back of my neck prickled and my hair stood on end. There were so many people around that I couldn’t tell from which direction the odd sensation was coming. I did know one thing, though. The source was another immortal nearby.

  In the short time I’d been a vampire, this sensation was the only telltale sign of another immortal’s presence. I’d gotten used to the feeling as the clan came and went during their stay at Lysander’s home.

  I turned my head, looking left and right, hoping to spot the person who was causing this paranoid feeling. The rest of the clan was out of sight, so I assumed it wasn’t one of them I was sensing.

  The crowd of people was so tightly packed it was almost impossible to move. The loud shouts of pirates and the boom of fake cannons sounded to the left and right. A flash of light accompanied a cannon blast. The flames from the cannon fire illuminated the cause of my worry.