The club that Nicola led them to was jumping. On a Sunday after the full moon, the crowd was appropriately rowdy and jammed onto the dance floor. Club Neon was true to its name with walls lit up in bright colors and even lights under the rails surrounding the dance floor to separate it from the tables.
Nicola seemed to navigate the crowd like smoke through the smallest openings. Nick felt clumsy as he followed in her wake trying to hold onto her hand. Meanwhile, the werewolves did their best to remain close despite looking a little uncomfortable in the big crowd. Nick would have thought them more social, but he had forgotten that many of the werewolves had been staying in or near their houses of late with the vampire scares.
The beats of the latest house mix thrummed through their bodies as Nicola flagged down a server and took a table. The four put in orders for drinks and soon they were trying to talk over the cranked up music.
“Kind of loud isn’t it?” Logan asked.
“A little bit,” Nick had to nearly yell back, “but after we get our drinks we can hit the dance floor and enjoy it more.”
“I haven’t been out like this in months,” Charlotte said loud enough to be heard. “The last time was with some of the other girls in the house. A girls’ night out with no boys allowed.”
Logan half smiled as he replied, “It was ok. The guys went out to a different bar while you ladies partied it up.”
The girl frowned with a sniff of annoyance drowned out by the music.
Nicola grinned, “I knew you’d be party animals!” She realized her pun and quickly broke into laughter. “You know what I mean.”
Charlotte glanced around to see if anyone was close enough to hear despite the music being pumped into the air. “Do you go out regularly to… you know, look for someone to feed on?”
Nicola raised her eyebrows in slight surprise. “Me?” she asked placing her left hand against her chest. “I don’t bite anyone for blood anymore. Well, except for an occasional nibble on Nick, but other than that I haven’t needed someone else’s blood in decades. Last time that I fed off of someone, I turned an old boyfriend that I thought was ‘the one’,” she added with a dramatic draw of her hands to her breast and throwing her head back as if to fawn over the man.
“And I guess he wasn’t,” Charlotte replied with a faint smile. Nick could tell there had once been someone like that for the girl as well.
Shaking her head, Nicola answered, “No, Mike and I are good friends though. He’s one of our better fighters when we hunt down rogues. Unfortunately, I was into the college athlete scene back then and he was a quarterback and handsome. He’s actually got a good personality, but we drifted over the years. Being a vampire and so long lived has a bit of a curse when it comes to having relationships last.”
“They’re hard enough when you aren’t immortal,” the other woman said with a nod of her head.
“Yup,” she replied taking a drink from her rum and coke. The alcohol could barely phase her kind though so it was more for the taste than the ability to get drunk for her. “I was pretty young when Marek turned me and I had gone through about twenty boyfriends by that time, though we were a lot more conservative back then than they are now. Probably even more so for Nick,” she added with a thumb towards her boyfriend.
Nick shrugged, “I’m a cradle robber now, though in my defense it’s a little hard to find someone older than one hundred thirty to rob my cradle.”
Charlotte looked a bit surprised by the admission as she quickly asked, “One hundred thirty, and yet you aren’t a vampire.”
Shaking his head, he replied, “No, not undead or dead either. I know of at least one voran older than I am, but we’re natural creatures. It’s probably why we’re hard to detect for you. It might even be why we are what we are.”
At their questioning looks, Nick continued, “I think there are more possible vorans that could be made than we actually realize. When Marek attacked me I think my powers really kicked in. Before that I was always healthy and a good athlete, but not necessarily unusual. When I ran into Marek, it seems like I fully triggered into a voran. It seems similar to Lena who reacted to werewolves and then a vampire. Her powers are still growing, but she’s changed forever now.”
“Well, maybe vorans aren’t quite as natural as you think then. If they’re a reaction to the unnatural, then they almost seem to be made rather than be born that way,” Logan stated as he listened to Nick.
“It may happen differently for other vorans. I’m not even sure if my mentor Vivian had that kind of reaction. It may simply be a desire for a certain goal could trigger the changes. Never the less, we smell the same to you as any human, so at least in scent we’re natural.”
Shrugging, Logan gave in and sat back into his seat.
“So if you are a reaction to someone unnatural does that mean you’re supposed to destroy it,” Charlotte asked even as Nicola’s eyes showed a bit of surprise over the glass she was drinking from at that moment.
“It may attribute to some of the stories that have men fighting vampires and werewolves. It may even go back into history and legend.”
“How so?”
“Take Greek mythology and the many heroes that rose up to fight monsters. There may even have been vorans that were pumped up into godly status. We can make spikes that glow. There’s a possibility that Zeus could have been a voran using his powers and being mistaken for lightning.”
“Then where does that leave us?” Logan asked with his eyes intent on Nick.
“I only kill what I feel is truly evil and a threat. You two don’t go around killing people or changing them into werewolves to build an army. Why should I kill someone like you when you haven’t really done any wrong?”
“We had Lena hostage,” Charlotte said looking uncomfortable.
Raising his hands, Nick said, “Ramon took her and you stood up for her. Even the rest of your pack has really done little more than try and turn a girl into a werewolf because she didn’t at his hands. Not a good act, but hardly the reason to kill you all. And now look at us. You two stand with us, two werewolves and a vampire drinking drinks and hitting clubs. Ask yourselves if you would have seen this coming before today. Now you see that not all vampires are the evil creatures you thought they were as well. Nicola and I can see the people in you and not the monsters.”
Nicola placed a hand over his drink saying, “Ok, you are cut off mister philosophy. Come dance with me. I didn’t get to dance with you last time, since you were flirting with those girls. Now it’s my turn.”
They hit the dance floor enjoying both the quicker and slower dances for quite awhile. Being a vampire, Nicola would never break a sweat. She always looked perfect. Her mid length blond hair would flick and swish past his face at times, but it always seemed to re-gather itself. Her tight red dress with just spaghetti strings running over her shoulders seemed to defy gravity as it clung to her undulating hips.
Nick found himself smiling as he enjoyed his time with Nicola. They hadn’t had any time like this to just be themselves and hang out. Quiet time in the apartment was nice, but this was a whole new appreciation of the beautiful woman.
His hunter’s senses remained on point as well and let him notice as the siblings found partners. They were dancing and having fun as well, though the two never seemed to get too far from one another. A combination of pack and sibling mentality had them looking out for each other, though Nick doubted anyone aside from he and Nicola could actually harm them.
It was past midnight and the hours of fun shared among the four looked like it would go until closing time, when Nick noted other presences. The werewolves sat with them at the table sipping drinks when they noticed the scent as well. Nicola gave him a nod.
Vampires.
The crowd was still fairly big, though many had retreated to try and get some sleep before the beginning of the workweek. It didn’t take long to lay eyes on the pair of women working the room. They also noted Nicola and the wolves. Quickly
ignoring a number of adoring fans, the women made a near straight line towards their table.
The women, a stunning red head and blond, came up to give Nicola a deprecating shake of their heads.
The red head said with a smirk to the blond, “Look, Lenora, she’s slumming with a pair of dogs.”
Though he doubted anyone would notice over the music and dancing, Nick tensed as he awaited the werewolves’ reactions. Surprisingly, they were quite calm.
“Worse, Vicki, I think she’s trying to invade our pick up spot.”
“Maybe she’s actually trying to pick up Spot?” the red head answered with a laugh.
The blond leaned in and gave Nicola a look that could kill as she stated, “I suggest you and your pets leave. Our sire won’t take kindly to you butting into our territory.”
“This has been my clan’s territory for nearly thirty years and there has never been anyone else to dispute that, you twit,” Nicola replied with a look of steel. She could be confident enough with Nick there to back her up, if not the two werewolves starting to bristle besides. “Who is this sire that thinks he owns any of this city?”
“It’s not our place to introduce him to you. When he leads his army in to kill the wolf pack and your little clan in your Lair, he’ll tell you his name as he stakes your heart,” Lenora, the blond vampiress stated with a sneer.
“If you want to take this outside, we can make sure that you won’t be alive to see if he can do it,” Nicola put the threat back on the two girls.
The women stepped back, but still didn’t show any fear. They were beyond it in their superiority of mind.
“You may have the advantage of numbers for now,” Vicki said as she pulled her phone from her purse. “This modern age has many advantages that your old one might have wished for, old lady,” the woman said feeling Nicola’s age like only a vampire could with their own kind. Age in the vampire world tended to equate power and seniority among the clans. Nick knew this more from Vivian’s information than from the vampires in Marek’s clan.
Logan’s hand closed over the woman’s showing hair and claws concentrated to just the one hand in a show of precise control. The strength amplified by the wolf within gave him the power to elicit a little cry of pain from the woman as he crushed both hand and phone in one paw.
“The problem with modern technology is that it is so touchy,” the werewolf said darkly. Red glimmered in his eyes as he rode the edge of the wolf.
As her hand was released, Vicki dropped the remains of her phone as droplets of her blood slipped from her hand. She pulled at a significant piece of glass shard still poking from her skin and turned to Lenora, “Fine, let’s leave. We’ll let him know that these creatures dared to test his authority.”
The blond looked on angrily as she nodded, but the woman would not be cowed completely as she added, “You wait. Next time we meet you’ll be the one to bleed before the fire consumes you in death. We might even get some fur coats out of it in the process.”
When Logan rose towering over the two girls, the sneers slipped as fear crept into their eyes. He was intimidating and they could feel the power the man kept in check and just under the surface. “My pack killed a half dozen vampires the other night. Would those be more of your little clan? If so, please bring them to me. I didn’t get there in time to kill any of you myself unfortunately.”
The women nearly ran for the exit in the face of the large werewolf.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Logan said sitting down again.
Nick looked to Nicola who nodded.
Charlotte noted the exchanged looks and as Nick stood the woman asked, “What?”
“I’m going to try and track them back to this mystery sire of theirs. If we can find them, maybe we can nip this in the bud. As I told you before, my kind was made to hunt these kinds of creatures.”
The women made a run for their car and were off almost instantly. Nick had a short window before they would get out of range, so he got into the Escape and followed as quickly as he could. They had a lead which was fine with Nick since he wanted to make sure that they wouldn’t see him chasing them. They might not think he was a threat to them physically, but they had seen him with the others and might realize that he could be the scout to lead the others to them later. It was, after all, what he was doing now.
They didn’t drive particularly fast and seemed to not be hurried after the first block or so. It made tailing them very easy and Nick settled in letting his sixth sense keep them in range even when he could no longer see them. The little red car shifted lanes and turned here and there, but all the shifting still seemed to be leading them in a certain direction. He guessed that they were just making sure that they couldn’t be easily followed. At times he would follow from the previous road. It was a risk, because if they did turn away too far or he caught the wrong light, they could get quickly out of his range and it would take a lucky guess to find them again.
Luck was on his side, however, and soon the car came to a stop in front of a business center. A `for sale’ sign sat in front of the entry and as Nick pulled in a block down the street, he watched as a pair of men came out to a drawn gate to open it for the women. There were nearly a dozen vehicles parked at the far side of the center to be less noticeable to passing vehicles such as police, he guessed. They were most likely new to the area with limited money and had simply taken it for themselves.
Nick exited the SUV and, using his vampire-like leaping skills and climbing technique, soon was atop a nearby building overlooking the center. He pulled out a set of binoculars that had been stashed in the car from his surveillance of the werewolves. His vision was good, but not good enough to see that far.
Two buildings, one on each side of the paved way, appeared to be their base of operations. If these buildings were abandoned, then they shouldn’t be powered or have any other necessary utilities, but the building on the right had light coming from a couple different windows. They were at the very edge of his sixth sense, but he could feel more vampire presences from the center.
Being so intent on his observation, Nick nearly missed the movement coming from behind him. But nearly for a voran, still gave him enough time to ready himself for an attack.
A man dressed in black appeared on the far side of the roof to try and take him from behind. Seeing Nick standing there facing in his direction, the man in black threw discretion out the window as a sword slid from the long sleeves of his jacket into his right hand. Running with the speed of a vampire, the man crossed the roof in seconds and attempted to take Nick’s head in a single swipe.
Ducking the weapon and drawing out his own in the form of three aura blades on his right hand, Nick quickly slid away from the man. As he moved to his left, the aura blades clipped the man’s right leg. The surprise of the move pulled a grunt from the vampire. His sword tried to catch Nick in the sweep of his backhand, but Nick was rolling low across the roof and out of range.
“Who are you?” the black shape hissed angrily. The right thigh was bared from the slashes and bleeding. Unlike the attack on the werewolves, Nick knew he would have to kill this man or risk him bringing the entire clan on top of him.
“Should’ve asked before you attacked,” Nick said with an evil chuckle.
The sword attacked again more conservatively as the vampire favored his injured leg. It was a flesh wound, especially to a vampire. The man moved well and Nick could tell he was trained to fight, but the sword wasn’t comfortable in his hand just yet. It was a new skill and, unless he got lucky, Nick had him outclassed.
Nick was the one to ask the next question, “Who is your sire? What are his plans for attack?”
The man sneered at him. Apparently it was a clan trait, Nick thought somewhat amused. “I fight for the master. He doesn’t tell me his plans. I merely serve to advance his goals.”
“Oh, and what are those then?”
The man feigned another series of attacks, which Nick danced back to avoid and be
gan to lead the man to the left. Both being right handed, Nick could play away from his strength, though he couldn’t necessarily use his either.
Ducking and slashing low, the voran caused the man to kick his left leg back to avoid the blow and stood slashing back across to strike the cloth of the coat. Pushing his position, Nick struck higher slashing the man’s left arm. The shining blades had the guard retreating faster. He had figured out that he was in trouble.
“You aren’t a vampire!” the man snarled angrily.
“No, I am a vampire hunter,” he stated continuing to push forward.
The man’s eyes rose in surprise. “There’s no human that can match our speed.”
“I’m a voran. We’re more than human.”
Scoring twice more on the left leg and arm, the vampire was slowing and in pain. Sweat was on his forehead. Vampires almost never sweat, but the pain of the aura blades was more than a normal sword to its kind.
“If you have any answers for me, you might want to spill them now. You aren’t going to last much longer. My blades kill your kind quite well.”
Fear shone from his white eyes. In full vampire mode, the man in black could draw no new strength or speed. The voran was toying with him and he knew it now.
“He is Cyrus. His army will wipe you from the map. You have his name, but it won’t do you any good. He will turn you or kill you. He finds men that can kill and turns them.”
“What were you before he turned you?” Nick asked feeling sorry for the man he once was.
“I was a marine.”
Nick nodded. “Your country thanks you for your service and will mourn your loss, son.”
He meant the words. It was admirable that the young man had served his country and a great loss that this Cyrus had taken him.
It was over in seconds. The sword fell with his hand still gripping the handle when it was cut off at the wrist. The blades plunged into the vampire’s heart going for a mercifully quick ending. Nick stepped back as the fire swept over the body before it could even fall to the ground.
The voran took a last look at the building center. The dust of the marine would leave no trace, but his disappearance would be noticed most likely. He was a guard and it wouldn’t take long to figure out that he was gone. Nick could only hope that they would think that he wandered off on his own for a kill.
Vorans and Vampires (Book 1): Voran the Night Guardian Page 20