Chapter One:
The Valet's Office
Nick sighed, tousling the back of his hair with one hand. "Are you ready?" He winced at the sound of the call. He sighed again, turning away from the gilded frame. "Yeah. I'll be down in a moment," he replied. His eyes gleamed in the candlelight. Groaning quietly to himself, he began descending the staircase to the main part of the House. His mouth curved in a slight grin at the sight of his fellows in their human costumes. Kevin was wearing terribly gaudy false fangs over his canine teeth- he was always one for irony- and Joanne wore fishnet stockings that faded from green to blue.
"What's with you guys? You always pick the weirdest clothes when we hunt," Nick said sarcastically. Joanne rolled her eyes. "You don't look so normal, yourself," she teased, gesturing to his two piece suit. "We're supposed to look like we didn't come to the restaurants together, of course. We reserve separate tables, sit with different people, wear different kinds of clothes, arrive at different times. It's all just the act, Jo." She grinned, clutching Kevin's arm and leaning her head against his shoulder. "You're such a weirdo, Nicholas." Nick smirked in a cartoonish manner.
"Where's Danielle?" he asked, sounding slightly nervous. He felt the cold rush of her breath on his ear. "Here," she said softly. Nick shuddered. Joanne and Kevin snickered at his reaction to his Match. Danielle flitted in front of him, dressed in a darling champagne coloured dress. "Shall we?" she suggested playfully, eyes glinting violet underneath blue contacts. Nick held out his hand and his lady took it. They exited the House, ready for the hunt of the week.
~
From across the room, Nick saw Joanne and Kevin watching a pair of patrons at the restaurant discreetly. Nick pointed them out to Danielle. The man's veins were sticking out a bit from his neck, muscle pushing them outwards. He was with a younger girl, maybe 20 at the most. Most likely his daughter. Even from the other side of the dining area, Nick could smell her- warm, desirable, and sweet. She smelled much like the description Danielle always gave for his own blood the night he was accidentally Blooded. He looked away, glancing down at his plate of food. It suddenly wasn't as appealing as it was when the waiter had set it down. He was craving again, now. Danielle placed her hand on top of his, and shook her head.
“Not yet,” she said through the family's link. Nick nodded. “I know,” he said, smiling. “I'm just anxious about it.” Danielle chuckled, retracting her hand and taking a bite of her steak tips. Nick forced himself to eat some of the shrimp on the plate, as awful as it felt to swallow human food. The girl and her father were getting ready to leave- Nick could hear her blood rushing in anticipation of soon-to-come movement. He glanced at Joanne. She nodded. Nick pulled out his wallet and left a fifty dollar bill on the table. He saw Kevin do the same with several smaller bills out of the corner of his eye. Without looking suspicious, the two couples followed the man and his daughter out of the restaurant. The valet was sleeping in his little office as he always was on hunting nights, thanks to Kevin. The man and the young woman knocked repeatedly on the window of the office door, to no avail. Kevin and Joanne made to look like a couple of delinquent teens (as they had been when Blooded) loitering outside the restaurant, while Nick made himself scarce and Danielle waltzed over to the office.
“Has he gone and fallen asleep again?” she asked, as if she owned the place. The girl's father nodded. “I suppose he has. Any idea how to get in there?” Danielle grinned. “My mother owns this restaurant; I've got a key,” she said casually.
“Oh, so your mother's Angelique? I didn't know she had a daughter.” he remarked. The girl smiled serenely at Danielle. “I love your dress,” she said. Dani smiled. “Thank you! My boyfriend bought it for me the other day.” There was a crack. Kevin has flitted over, behind the father, and snapped his neck. Danielle blew in the young woman's face, and her eyes fluttered and she collapsed in a dead sleep on the ground.
“Let's get 'im inside,” Joanne suggested. Nick appeared from behind the office building, taking off his jacket and dress shirt. Danielle pulled her dress over her head, revealing her tank top and shorts underneath. Kevin and Joanne had already changed by the time they were inside.
“Well, Nick, as it's your first official hunt, you get to do the honours of Revival,” Kevin informed him. Nick steadied his breaths and kneeled before the man. He sat the man up, propping him against the side of the desk. Leaning forward, he snapped the man's neck back into place. His eyes jolted open and he tried to scream. Before he could manage the proper breath, Nick clamped a hand on the man's mouth, silencing him. The man's eyes widened again, having experienced death and being brought back in a matter of minutes was most definitely a traumatizing experience. But Nick would never know. He held a thin finger to his own lips with his free hand. “Don't scream, sir; it'll only make it worse for you,” he ordered. The man's breathing slowed a fraction. "Please don't hurt my daughter," he whispered. Nick felt a sense of cruelty creep up his spine. "She's already dead." The man's eyes filled with tears and he cried out. "No! Show me, you dirty bastards!" Danielle hoisted the unconcious girl up from the floor. Her father wretched and sobbed.
"Kill me too, then. I have nothing without her." he pleaded. Nick smirked. "But, sir, we want to know some things about you, first. What's your name?"
"Aaron Black," he whispered. "And your daugter's?" Mr. Black spat on Nick's shoes. Nick glared at him, slapping him across the face. "Cara," he retorted, spitting a hint of blood out. My mouth watered at the scent.
"Jesus, Nick, hurry up! We're dyin' here," Joanne whined, her southern drawl showing in her angst. Aaron whimpered a little. "Open your mouth and close your eyes. It won't hurt, I swear." Mr. Black did just that, shaking in fear. Nick licked his fingers and stuck them in Mr. Black's mouth. He relaxed, automatically, sighing in ecstacy. He tried to suck on Nick's hand, but he withdrew. "No, no, Mr. Black. No time for that." Aaron Black was in total submission to the coven, now. Nick leaned forwarrd again And pressed his mouth to the man's pulsing neck. He gasped, as if it was pleasing.
"I hate it when the guys do that; it's so awkward," Kevin mumbled, removing the false fangs from his smile. Nick grinned and exposed his own teeth, biting down and digging into Mr. Black's vein. The coven swarmed at the smell of the fresh blood, and Nick took Danielle's and as they shared their real dinner.
~
With the unconcious Cara on his shoulders, Kevin lead the coven to the cars we'd be driving. He laid Cara in the backseat of her own car and put her father's keys in the ignition. "Meet'cha at the House!" he called out happily. Danielle sighed heavily. "That was really nice, Nicholas," she said quietly, smilling. She was so tantalizing, Nick couldn't help but kiss her, then and there. She smiled against his lips, but pulled away too quickly. "Nick, we have to go back home to help Jo and Kevin set up the 'wine cellar' for the girl," she instructed. As her Blood, he had to obey her command. Grudgingly, he opened the car door for her and then got in himself, so as to drive them home.
The house was in tatters when Nick and Danielle arrived.
"Oh, god. I guess she woke up," Danielle sighed. A cry of fear and rage came from the cellar. "I guess so," Nick said, grinning. Kissing Danielle again, he grabbed her waist and pulled her along the corridor to the staircase. "But it's alright; it's more fun when they're feisty." Nick winked. Danielle rolled her eyes, grinning. They quietly slipped down the stairs to see Kevin and Joanne standing beside the fiery Cara, writhing in a chair. Nick coughed to announce his and Danielle's presence. Kevin and Joanne whirled around. "You two took your time!" Jo teased. Cara had frozen in the chair. She stared at the newcomers as if in awe, or shock.
"There's more of you people?" she askede, voice quivering. Kevin snickered, causing Joanne to smack his arm. Nick and Danielle stepped into the light. Cara gasped loudly, staring at Nick. Had he forgotten to put on contacts the whole night? Cara's mouth opened and closed rapidly, as though she couldn't find the appropriate words to fill the space. And then, as if she were made by some invisible force to speak, she asked in almost a whisper, "Nick...?"
