A/N: I took some liberties with Tremere abilities for this but I decided that being able to raise undead seemed like something they could do if they wanted. Also my first shot at writing dialogue for a Malkavian. Tell me what you think.

1. Stalked

Every once in a while, my ordinary night-to-night undead existence is thrown completely ass over teakettle by little things like zombies. Yes, I said zombies. Bona-fide, Night of The Living Dead, skeletal hands clawing up from the ground zombies. My undead life was just getting better and better.

I was out on the prowl one summery night, the night-time air cool against my face. I stood in the shadows across the street from a church converted into a gothic nightclub and waited for the drunken party-animals to begin spilling out. Why go to all the effort of stalking your prey when you can so easily have your prey come to you?

The heavy wooden doors leading to the inside of the church/club swung outwards, reddish light and the heavy bass thump of dance music spilling into the night. A single young woman tottered out on six inch spike heels. The skirt of her little black party dress fluttered against her thighs in the breeze. She'd stepped outside for a quick cigarette, her face illuminated by the flame of her lighter.

Smooth skin, short, dark hair. Alone. Just the way I like them.

The young woman walked slowly down the stone steps that led from the street to the wooden doors, blowing a stream of grey smoke from her nostrils as she came. Just a little closer, now, I thought, feeling my inner Beast rise to the surface. With an effort I forced it back down. I hadn't fed for a couple of nights and the inner vampire was starting to get a little uppity about it. This, of course, is the bane of vampirism - the constant need for blood and the eternal struggle to keep hold of your humanity. I'd done well, so far. I hadn't killed anybody accidentally whilst feeding on them and those I had killed...well it was self defense. Mostly.

The young woman was apparently leaving the gothic nightclub for other haunts. Which suited me just fine as her path was taking her right past my position under an elm tree. I took a silent step out from beneath the tree as she passed and fell into step behind her, footfalls soft on the cracked concrete sidewalk. She had no idea I was there. This close to her I could hear the gentle beat of her heart. Up ahead was an alleyway between the pawnshop and adult store. In the display window of the adult store were a number of leather bondage items and whips. Handcuffs too. Kinky.

The girl paused to look in the display window of the adult store, Cupid's it was called. Cute. I stopped just beyond the pool of light cast by a streetlamp and waited. The young woman lit another cigarette and set off again. I hoped the nicotine in her blood wouldn't ruin the taste of it. My intended victim passed by the mouth of the alley and headed past the pawnshop. I glanced around quickly. At this late hour, the streets were empty. I turned to look back at the old church. The doors stood closed. Within, people would be committing acts of sin way beyond what people could have conceived of back when the Bible was written.

I sped up until I was right behind the girl; she whirled around, eyes going wide in fear. Her long-dulled instincts sharpened as she felt the Beast within me. Too late though. I captured her eyes with mine and let my vampire Presence wash over her. He face slackened and her eyes rolled back, mesmerised. Making doubly sure nobody was around, I gently put an arm around her narrow shoulders and guided her into the alleyway. The alley reeked of stale urine and cheap wine. Rubbish from overflowing dumpsters littered the ground and I could hear the little scritchy sounds of rats foraging through the crap.

I drew the young girl behind one of the dumpsters, her eyelides fluttering as she fought the Presence. I gently held her head to one side, revealing the pale skin of her throat. The vein beneath her skin pulsed rather invitingly. Or, if I'm being perfectly honest, it pulsed erotically.

I opened my mouth and felt the fangs extend and was just seconds away from piercing that beautiful smooth skin when the homeless guy barged into the alleyway, pushing a rusty shopping trolley filled with his few possessions with one hand and chugging down a beer with the other. I sighed heavily and with an effort, retracted the fangs. One of these nights, I was just going to say "Screw it" and buy some blood from the Kindred-run blood bank. It was only a six block walk from my crappy apartment, for fuck's sake.

The homeless person stopped next us, eyeing us knowingly. His hands shook as he raised the bottle to his lips.

"Gonna do the deed in the dark, are ya, darling?" he said, his voice frail "Old Bill don't get to see much in the way of pretty girls these days. How about you let me watch? Huh?"

My Beast rose up even higher than I'd ever let it before and I bared my fangs at him. "Run," I snarled. My normally pleasant speaking voice turned into a guttural growl, more animal than human. I could smell the urine that splashed down his pants and he ran screaming, trolley forgotten.

By this time, the girl had come most of the way around and was blinking in the half-light. "What...where am I?" I no longer had time to be gentle with her. I rammed the Beast back with an effort of will and forced her head to one side. Her hands beat futilely at me then went limp as I fed.

Her racing heart rate slowed as her blood pressure decreased. My thirst slaked, I gently eased her down to the ground, fully in control of myself again. One of the rats ran over her foot. I sighed again. Note to self, remember to find a safer place to leave half-exsanguinated girl next time. If I left her here, some other predator with fewer scruples than a rabid cat would likely rape her to death. Or kill her and then rape her.

I picked up the half-conscious young woman and carried her out of the alley. As we passed back into the streetlights, I saw the smile on her face. I can't explain how or why, but being fed on by a Kindred sends humans into a rather...euphoric state. I looked around for somewhere safe to put her until she could wake up. I decided to take a chance and quickly ran back to the converted church. I jogged up the stone steps and laid her just in front of the doors. Sooner or later, a patron or staff member would find her and all I would be well.