Chapter 1:

I scan over the crowd as I lean against the bar. The mass of people are crowded in the center, bodies moving together to the booming music of the club.

I make eye contact with a guy standing alone off to the side and he starts walking towards me. He's tall, tan, muscular, and quite handsome. Perfect prey.

I push off from the wall and walk towards him. I stop in front of him and place a hand on his face. I lick my lips when I feel the blood pulsing under his skin. "Want to go dance?"

"Sure," he says with a smirk and we go into the crowd and start dancing. There's no reason why I can't have a bit of fun before my meal.

Our bodies sway together as he runs his hands up and down my sides. After dancing for a couple songs, I get bored and decide to make my move. I turn around and pull his face down towards mine, pressing my lips to his. He kisses back passionately as he holds my hair in his hands tightly with one hand, the other running down my side, pulling my hips towards him.

After a minute he pulls away to breathe. I pull away just to seem normal; I had no need to breathe. As I stare up at him, I can't wait any longer to make my move. "Let's go somewhere more private," I suggest and take his hand, leading him towards the door of the club.

We get outside and I turn towards the left, knowing there is an alleyway right there that's perfect for making sure no one notices me. He willingly follows me and I can't help but smirk at the innocence of this boy. He had no idea what was about to happen to him.

I push him against the wall and resume kissing him. I don't entirely have to fake enjoying it; I may be planning on having him for dinner, but I like to play with my food.

His hands travel all over my body as I start placing kisses down his jaw and to his neck. I have to stop myself from biting right into his neck as soon as I feel the delicious blood pulsing there, so close to the surface.

I open my mouth and press my teeth to his neck, ready to puncture the skin and feel the warm liquid fill my mouth. But I stop when I feel something sharp press against my neck.

"Stop right there, vampire," the guy says before he spins me around and pins me to the wall, the stake pressed against my neck.

"So you're going to kill me," I say, looking him in the eye. I quickly think through the options I have to try to get away. Most seem unlikely to work. Not with a trained vampire hunter right in front of me.

He doesn't move the stake, but I can see him falter. "You don't have it in you to kill me," I tauntingly say after he doesn't do anything for a minute.

He sticks the point harder against my neck. "Oh yeah? You think so?"

"Yes," I reply, staring at him with one eyebrow raised, waiting for his reaction.

Another minute passes and I can see confusion in his eyes. "If I let you go, how do I know you won't kill me right away?"

I laugh lightly at this. "You're actually thinking about letting me get away? Why?"

"As much as I hate vampires, I think we shouldn't be fighting like this, vampire hunters like me against you." He moves the stake from pressed against my neck, but still holds me pressed against the wall by his body.

"You're weird," I say shaking my head at him. "Aren't vampire hunters supposed to, you know, kill vampires? Not let them go?"

The guy sighs in noticeable frustration. "Everyone is always telling me I have to kill vampires. But honestly, I don't want to! I just want a normal life."

"You're telling me. The only human who's ever understood me was Caesar." His eyes widen when he hears this and I laugh lightly. "I probably shouldn't have said that."

"Holy shit, you're old," he blurts out before covering his mouth quickly with his hand.

I smile and laugh loudly at him. "You know, for a human, you're pretty funny."

He genuinely smiles at this. "Same to you, vampire."

I pause for a bit, looking at him. "So, are you going to let me go or what? I promise I won't kill you."

"Promise?" He asks hesitantly.

I nod my head at him. "Yes, I'll go find someone easier that isn't a vampire hunter for my dinner." His shocked face makes me pause. "Hey, a girl has got to eat. I'm hungry."

"Yeah I know. But that doesn't mean I like it…" The hunter pauses again and I can't help but question where this weird man has come from since it's been centuries since I came across someone like him. "Alright I'm going to let you go. But if you make any move to try to attack me, I will kill you." He brings up his stake to emphasize his point.

"Alright hun." He steps back from me and I immediately push off of the wall and jump up on the roof of the club.

He watches me as I start to make my way across the building. "Wait!" I stop and turn towards him. "I never got your name."

"It's Lauren. You?"

"James."

And with that, I take off running across the roof, jumping over to the next building to find someone new for prey, leaving that boy behind. But as I run away, I have a strange feeling in my gut that I'm going to run into James again.