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Fangtasia.

I had danced around the idea of coming here for weeks, not because I was afraid of vampires, no, but because I had a soft spot for them. I found them to be incredibly intriguing creatures, and just as incredible was my inability to resist their charm. My last run in with a vampire ended terribly, and left me bitter and cynical. Subsequently increasing my resistance to swooning over one of the undead. But I can't help but have this niggling fear that it will happen all over again, and the outcome will be worse than the last.

And my gut is usually right.

Groaning quietly and shoving that ridiculous fear aside, I stepped forward in line. I was next to be ID'ed, and the vampire checking our plastic cards didn't seem too thrilled to have been given this job. In fact, she looks quite pissed. I reached backward and into my pocket, and suddenly felt stupid for even bringing the card. I don't need it.

"ID?" The blonde vampire asked, holding one hand out while the other sat on her hip.

There was an audible click as I flashed my fangs, indicating I wasn't human. "Do you still need to check?" I asked. I've never been to a vampire bar, or any bar owned by a supernatural. The protocol was unknown to me.

"Yes."

I handed the plastic over and watched while she studied the useless object, managing to look bored and intrigued at the same time. She handed it back.

"Adrian Foster…" She raised an eyebrow and looked me up and down before continuing. "How old are you?"

"A little over three thousand," I said.

"Really now," She deadpanned. "Go on in."

I nodded and stepped past her, reaching for the doorknob and twisting it open-

"Fuck!" I growled, pulling my hand away sharply.

I looked down. The skin on my hand bubbled and blistered, the open wound releasing a strong sulfur smell into the air. Hissing at the pain, I clutched my wrist tightly and balled my hand into a fist, willing my body to begin healing. The vamp caught notice of my distress and abandoned the line of vampires and fangbangers to inquire just why I decided to drop the 'F' bomb loud enough that people three towns over could hear it loud and clear.

"What's wrong with your hand?" She asked, reaching for my wrist.

"Nothing," I winced. "While you're here, though, could you just push open the door for me?"

"Why should I? You want to go in, do it yourself. I have a line to get back to," The vampire drawled, and walked away.

With my elbow, I pushed the handle down, careful not to touch the damned thing again. The door opened, and loud, heavy rock music flowed out from the club, the fast pounding beats beckoning me to enter the building. And eagerly I did so.

Bodies gyrated all around me, human and vampire alike, twisting and grinding to the pace of the music. Humans attempted to keep up with their vampire partners, but found themselves worn out all too quickly. I took a seat at the bar and scanned the dance floor, my eyes flitting from person to person, studying their leather and chain clad bodies, the way they moved, the way their sweat trailed down their flesh. Dancers spun around on the poles set on high platforms, moving erotically with only the speed a vampire could possess. I licked my lips and spun the seat around. The bar tender leaned lazily against the counter, and he seemed to be people watching just as I had been. I tapped his hand lightly, snapping him out of his trance. I grinned.

"Bored?" I asked.

"More than you know," He responded loudly over the music. "What can I get ya?"

"A Tru Blood, if you don't mind," I said. "Type doesn't matter."

Seconds later, an uncapped bottle slid toward me. I gripped the warm glass and brought the bottle to my lips, inhaling the sweet smell. It's nothing compared to the real thing, but this will have to do for now.

A man of about 6'4 approached me, pale as a ghost, and most certainly human. I can hear his heart pounding in his chest, almost in time with the music. A warm smile settled on his lips, and that startled me more than him actually coming up to me. I would have expected a lecherous smirk, a dirty come on, something to that effect. Not this. I raised an eyebrow, skeptical of the human now.

"You don't come to these places often, do you?" He asked, the smile still on his face. "You're certainly not dressed like someone who frequents these clubs."

My eyes dropped from his face to look at my clothes. I had chosen a black button down and grey skinny jeans to wear earlier, and kicked on a pair of old converse before I walked out the door. The human is right; I'm not dressed like one of them. But, I wasn't necessarily looking to fit the part, either, when I chose what to wear. I just wanted to be comfortable.

That, and leather doesn't look good on me.

"I don't frequent these clubs," I said, "actually, this is my first time in one."

He took a seat next to me, but not before getting trapping one of the spikes on his bracelet in his fishnet shirt, and successfully tearing a gaping hole in the material while trying to pull the stud out. His face reddened, and I pretended not to notice what he had done for his sake and continued the conversation.

"So, what's your name, kid?" I asked. He couldn't have been more than twenty-two; the boy smelled young, and…pure. My fangs descended.

"Zack," He sighed, recovering from his embarrassment. "You?"

"Adrian," I mumbled. "Let's cut to the chase, shall we? You're looking to have a taste of my blood, drain me, fuck me, get bitten, or all of the above. Am I right?"

He stammered, caught off guard by the blunt question. "Y-yeah."

"Well which is it?" I should have expected this, after all, the place is filled with humans looking for sex or blood. Or both. I'm not looking for either.

"All but drain you," He chewed his lip.

I smirked, and laughed quietly to myself. I leaned in. "Well, I might just drain you."

His green eyes widened in shock, and he moved to get away, but I grabbed his wrist before he could disappear within the crowd. "I'm kidding. Relax," I smiled. "It was just a joke."

His muscles relaxed in my grasp and he scooted back onto the stool. "Good," He laughed nervously. "What brings you here anyway?"

"I like being around people," I said simply.

Truth be told, I came here because I love being around the dead. Given my profession, and what I am, this was the perfect place to come to. The energy is high, the smell of blood intoxicating enough to get me high, and given the volatile nature of the vampires it's almost guaranteed that humans have died here. The area is teeming with souls. I love it.

"Hmm. Well, if you like being around people why didn't you just go to a regular bar?"

"Aren't vampires people, too?" I shook my head. "Regular bars don't have the same appeal as these types of places, besides, what do you think the humans would do if I walked in and ordered a Tru Blood? They'd try and stake me," I laughed.

He grinned. "Not all humans wanna kill you guys."

"No, but not all humans are tolerant, or completely tolerant."

"That's true. Sadly," He lamented. "If only everyone could be accepting. Vampires are certainly making progress, though," Zach said lightly.

"Mmm."

I checked the time on my phone. It's only eleven; still fairly early, especially for this crowd. People are only now just starting to leave their homes and venture into Louisiana's nightlife.

"Whoah," I said, clutching the side of my head. Suddenly, I became dizzy. The room swam around me for a minute or two before everything settled. A pressure formed in my chest and spread down to my abdomen, and soon my skin began to feel as if it is being stretched outward.

I know exactly what this is.

"I call to thee, oh spirit of enchantment

I call to thee this token of sacrifice

As it will serve as a home and sanctuary for you.

You will find a friend of loyal and true blood in me, and I in you.

I call you and will that you be bound to this token

You are welcomed and cherished forever

You are beckoned as you are the true answer…."

The words rang loudly in my ears, drowning out every sound around me, even the music blasting from the speakers placed on the wall not a foot away from me. I placed the bottle of Tru Blood down on the bar and staggered away in the direction of the invocation. The voices are close…very close.

Here? Why?

My brow furrowed. I shut my eyes and allowed my other senses to take over, and focused on the voices performing the spell. They are down the hall somewhere, behind one of the service doors. I clung to the walls away from the dancing crowd, and disappeared into the shadows. And quite literally.

The shadows allowed me to travel effortlessly, and invisibly, no matter where I am or what form I am in. And thank god for the low lighting; the club is filled with shadows. I passed through the wall, and tiptoed silently down the hall behind the door marked 'Employees Only' and paused before one of the doors lining the empty hallway. The invocation is damn near deafening. Wincing against the sound, I passed through the door once more and stepped into the room.

Before me stood a group of vampires, and a human, too, I noted, sniffing the air. They held hands, and under the lead of a witch, they repeated the spell over and over until she directed them to open their eyes and cease speaking. My eyes scanned the group, and I quickly recognized the female vampire from earlier.

Why would they call for one of us? I thought, and crept forward toward the cluster of vampires unnoticed. I bent my head down between two of them, and whispered:

"Can I hold hands, too?"

A dark haired vampire whirled around and grabbed me tightly by the throat. His fangs lowered and his lip curled back in a snarl as he spoke.

"Who are you?" He asked, his voice harsh and loud. Instead of answering, I smiled. "Answer me before I kill you."

I grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back with ease, and drove my fist into his spine. The vampire dropped to his knees on the floor, and I, with my free hand, took hold of his chin.

"Someone far older than you, and much stronger. And I don't take kindly to threats; so if you touch me again, or threaten me, again," I lowered my voice and turned his head toward me, "I'll kill you."

I released the vampire and sent him flying into the desk in front of him. The others stood in silence, watching the ordeal, and clearly unsure of how to react. I looked up. A tall, blonde vampire glanced from me to the brown haired vamp with a smirk on his face, his blue eyes glowing with amusement. The woman I had met earlier stood beside him, the same smile on her face. The witch and the human are on edge; both of them seemed to be caught off guard by the violence, and a little afraid by it as well.

"Who are you?" The blonde vampire asked, his voice deep and smooth like silk.

"My name is Adrian. You summoned me?"

Well, they didn't actually summon me. Any one of us could have responded to the call. But, with me being the closest, the pull was stronger. I had no choice but to answer it.

The witch spoke, her disbelief clear and apparent. "You're a Hound?"

"Yes, I am."

The female vampire spoke. "I thought you were a vampire?"

"I'm a special case," I said slowly. "Vampire-Hound hybrid. But, that's beside the point. Why did you summon me?"

"Pam, show Ms. Griffin out," He ordered. She ushered the witch out of the room, and once the two were a good distance away, he continued speaking. "Recently, a few things that are detrimental to our safety occurred, and vampires have begun disappearing-"

"And at a rapid pace," The dark haired one said. "My name is Bill, and I am the King of Louisiana. It is my duty to ensure that the vampires residing in this very state are safe. But, we cannot do it alone."

"No, we can't," The blonde said. "Summoning you was our last resort. We weren't even sure if you Hounds were real, and we took a big enough chance working with a witch and wasting our time with that spell. So, we have a job for you."

"Which is?" I stepped forward.

The vampire leaned down on the desk, supporting himself with his arms and shooting a glance toward the door as Pam returned. "We need protection. All of us here."

"Even the human?" I asked, regarding the blonde standing off to the side.

"Is it a problem for you to look after me?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips. Feisty. I grinned at her.

"Not at all, and I mean no offence to you, really. But," I started, looking over at Eric once more, "what I'm used to, is humans being nothing more than playthings...pets…personal blood bags. But times have changed, I suppose."

"Not entirely," Pam said.

I laughed. "Well, I assume this one holds a certain value…if she's so important you need a Hound to look after her."

"Sookie is very valuable, yes," Eric said. "We can't have anything happen to her. Which is why I requested your services; you are strong enough to fend off any creature, be it vampire or werewolf, am I right?"

"You are correct. I can kill both easily."

"Will you help us then?"

I sighed. "I have no choice. The spell you cast? It bound me to you. You are my Keeper, now. Whatever task you give me, I have to complete."

His eyebrow arched. "Interesting."

"Yeah…very interesting," I mumbled. I'm not exactly enthusiastic about having to belong to anyone, let alone a vampire. Or having to act as a body guard for these vamps. Though, it is something to do…and maybe it will add a little excitement into my life.