The heels of our shoes click in synchronization as we draw closer to the black door in the alleyway. A steady pulse from the music vibrates along my skin as I grab the cold, metallic handle of the door. I look to Noah, my party-crazed ex, and our eyes connect, the excitement clearly seen in the depths of those edgy, blue eyes.
“You ready?” Noah asks, already knowing the answer.
“Oh yeah,” I reply. He smirks in acknowledgement and wraps his hand around my waist. I yank open the door, and the alleyway comes alive with sound. I take the first step in, confidence strutting its way through my legs. My eyes struggle to take in the room, the ambience of the club bright and loud. I feel a nudge at the base of my back.
“Let’s head over to the bar,” Noah yells in my ear.
I nod, giving the go ahead. He brushes past me, pulling me behind him by the arm. I lean around his broad shoulders, trying to take in the sight before me. The club is packed, bodies moving and dancing in time with the pounding music, making the room sway. Strobe lights and smoke effects make everyone look like shadowy figures, swaying in time to the beat. As we move, I come into contact with a couple: one blonde, attached to the waist of a lean man. They’re dancing, so lost in the music that they don’t even notice my presence.
We continue through the crowd, and I can begin to see the outline of a bar. I tug on Noah’s hand to get his attention, saying, “You go! I’m gonna stay here for a second.”
He gives me a weird look. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just don’t want to drink too much; I read that in the ad,” I say, recalling the flyer I held when Noah told me about the club. Noah isn’t the type to read about what we’re supposed to do, just what the club has to offer and how soon we can go. “And you take it easy too. Don’t need you getting us kicked out,” I finish.
Noah rolls his eyes and replies, “Alright, whatever you say.” He walks off to the bar without a backwards glance, and I sigh, hoping that we’ll be able to get through the night with no problems. I turn slowly, ready to just relax and have fun. I start dancing, moving this way and that, and it’s like time disappears. I make my way around the dance floor, covering every inch of it.
As the song comes to an end, I decide to check on Noah at the bar, wondering at how much time has passed. Taking the first step towards the bar, the hair on the back of my neck jumps to attention and a rush of cold air hits me. I shiver and shake my head, trying to shake off the feeling. I make my way towards the bar and the outline of Noah comes into view.
“Hey, you were out there a while,” Noah starts, but my attention is on the blonde from earlier leaning against his side. “Oh,” he starts, following my eyes to his company, “this is Emery.”
Emery looks up, and our eyes connect; my breath hitches. I can feel the pull instantly. “Hello,” she greets. Her voice is silky, she has an accent that sounds like French and Slovak, adding an appeal to her voice. I’ve never seen one of them with such an aura about them.
She smirks, noticing my obvious reaction to her beauty. I swear under my breath, not knowing what came over me, but at the same time, knowing everything that just happened. I take a step back, right into a broad chest. I have the same reaction as I had earlier on the dance floor, and I try to calm myself down once more. Noah’s eyes dart up, and his face flushes. “Oh jeez, what now?” I think.
I spin around, and all I see is chest. Looking up, I take in his face and the 5 o’clock shadow that’s appearing on it. His hair is out, framing his perfectly angled jawline. I tilt my head back, and angle my eyes up and up until I see the most beautiful set of eyes I have ever seen. They’re deep oceans, but not green and not blue, an otherworldly color. He’s devastatingly handsome, I knew what to expect but it certainly wasn’t this…
“Donovan, how are you?” Emery stands up, reaching out to embrace him but Donovan only has eyes for me. Emery giggles, and leans back into Noah. “Looks like Don’s made his choice for the night.
“And it looks as if you have too,” Donovan indicates to Noah. Noah puffs out his chest at the attention, making Emery start giggling again. She stands up and starts tugging on his arm.
“Come on,” Emery grabs Noah’s arm and starts angling him towards the hallway.
Noah casts me a sparing glance, before giving into Emery’s hold and together they disappear around the corner. I watch their retreating shadows, knowing this moment would come but not ready for it. I believed that I had been ready, I know exactly what I’m getting into but not this soon.
Heat engulfs my shoulder, and I angle my head backwards to see Donovan’s hand. “Why don’t you sit down,” he suggests. I nod, not knowing what else to do and slowly sit down. “What’s your name, beautiful?”
“Kennedy,” I say, trying to get control of myself for the thousandth time tonight.
“Kennedy, what a lovely name,” Donovan replies, “almost as lovely as the woman.”
I know he’s just trying to warm me up to him, but my heart can’t help but melt a little, or more than I care to admit. “Am I to be your consort for the night?”
However, instead of answering, he merely continues to watch me, attentively, and my nerves begin to fade away. His eyes mesmerize me, and as I stare into those dark orbs something inside my being stirs to life. It’s like my soul is on fire and burning bright; I feel reborn and truly alive.
“Are you ready?” Donovan asks me, and I easily slip my hand into his and he lifts me from my seat. He guides me toward the same hallway that Noah and Emery disappeared in and eventually we come to a halt in front of a closed set of bedroom doors. Donovan loosens his grip on me to turn the doorknob.
The door slowly creaks open, and red is all I see, literally. Whoever decorated this room seriously went overboard with the red theme. The bed has dark red satin covers, with the room cast in a dark, ominous light. I walk in first, heading toward the center of the room before turning around. “Mind if I freshen up?”
“Go ahead. Bathroom’s to the right,” Donovan states, going to sit over on the bed.
I open the bathroom door, noting the vintage theme that completely contrasts in comparison to the bedroom. I face myself in the mirror, taking in my dark green eyes and notice my pupils are dilated. I expect this; this is the beginning of the sharing. I pinch my cheeks, though it barely does anything because my skin is so tan from days outside exposed to the sun. I pick up the comb off the sink, combing out the kinks that have worked their way into my hair from all the dancing earlier. I watch the comb, stroke after stroke, as it travels from the roots of my hair to just above my waist. The dark lighting makes my dark brown hair seem jet black, and I enjoy the edge it gives my look.
Satisfied with my appearance, I open the door to see Donovan sitting expectantly on the bed. I walk towards him, taking deep, drawn breaths. I come to a stop in front of him and kneel on the floor. He grasps my head between his hands and opens his mouth wide to allow his fangs to distend. His eyes glow, stark against the darkness of the room and captivate my gaze. I feel nothing, not the insertion of his fangs into my neck, nor the drawing of my soul into his. What I feel is bliss, and as my existence starts to wane, the last thing I see are those glowing set of eyes that reveal the alien in my partner.