The moment the sun fell behind the western horizon, an electricity traveled through our burrow—a silent tension that was both aggravating and enthralling—igniting a spark of anticipation within each of us. As I walked through the narrow halls and passed the others, I could feel their rising excitement, and it matched my own. Tonight, we would infiltrate yet another blood den, only this time, it would be different.

In the past, the blood dens were small affairs, held in abandoned office buildings, holding no more than twenty leeches at a time. Through Tobin's reconnaissance, we had discovered the most recent den, Sanguis, had popped up in a large, abandoned warehouse, and the anticipated attendance was rumored to be over a hundred, with leeches traveling from nearby cities.

It was going to be an eventful night.

The nameless, faceless leeches, with which Collin's leech informant had spoken, were still present in my thoughts. I struggled with the thought that vampires could have been a part of my past. Was that what had driven me from my home in Washington? I could remember leaving for a reason, a bad one, but I could not remember why. My frustration boiled, causing me to bristle. As I passed a piece of shattered glass and caught my reflection, I paused, took a deep breath, and tried to refocus. Allowing my emotions to control me would not help.

"Are we wearing regalia tonight?" Una asked as she passed me.

I shook my head. "Shiloh wants us to fit in."

"As much as we are able," Una said, smirking. "When in Rome. Human clothes, I suppose. Are we shielding?"

Whenever the Walkers needed to move undetected amongst the vampires, we would soak our clothes in highly concentrated vampire venom. We would drench our skin, too. "Highly concentrated" meant it was fresh—as in, straight from the leech to the fabric. It masked our scent fully for up to two hours. After, the scent would start to wane. It was perfect for tonight.

"Yes," I said. "Shiloh is hunting now. She said to be ready in an hour."

"All right." Una leaned against the wall, cocking her head to the side and crossing her arms. "Are you up for tonight?"

I paused, frowning. "Do I seem like I'm not up for it?"

"Perhaps." She let out a gentle chuckle, running her hand through her short, blonde hair. "I suppose it doesn't matter. Cleaning out this leech den will help clear your mind."

I nodded. "I hope so."

Tobin rounded the corner, his hunting gear replaced by a long-sleeved, black shirt with the sleeves pushed over his thick forearms, and a pair of dark jeans tucked hastily into his boots. The water dripping from his black hair, as well as the pristine quality of his skin told me he had recently bathed, something uncommon for nomadic Walkers.

He stopped beside me, a bit of humor teasing behind the serious frown carved into his porcelain skin. "I heard there may be close to 200 leeches in attendance."

Una scoffed. "There aren't many locations that can host that many leeches."

"Maybe, maybe not," he said, casting a mischievous gaze in my direction. It was the same gaze he wore when he was up to something. I felt a twinge of nostalgia but pushed it away before it could take root in my mind. "Regardless, I plan on enjoying myself."

We shared a laugh before heading to the surface. Shiloh was waiting for us, dressed in plain clothes.

Seeing Shiloh in regular clothes was always a surreal experience. Modern society did not agree with Shiloh as it did with the others. Even Dex, who was slightly older than Shiloh, fit in better than she. There was an otherness attached to my ceannaire, a difference that the other Walkers did not exude. I smiled as we made eye contact, and she offered me an acknowledging nod, her way of greeting us.

As soon as we had all assembled, Shiloh led us into the woods, not a word spoken. I glanced back to Collin, who had been the last to join the group. His dark hair hung low, partially obscuring his eyes, and much to my surprise, I found myself appraising his appearance. The clothes he wore fit well, and it worked with his physique. I quickly shifted away from him, embarrassed. Collin was, for all intents and purposes, my brother. My feelings for him were still a mystery to me, and right before a leech den raid was not the time to iron them out.

I'll think about that later, I thought.

Shiloh led us through the trees and beside the highway. The headlights from the passing cars became a continuous strand of light as we ran toward the city. I glanced to the side, noticing a large SUV filled with two adults and several children. Their heartbeats, as well as the heartbeats of humanity, were a constant buzzing in the background, a reminder of the world I had left.

As the city grew closer, so did the pungent odor of the humans. I still found it odd to reference a species I had been a member of for 18 years as "the humans." I was distancing myself from my former humanity with each passing day, but there was still that longing, that familiar ache to return to what I once was, even though I knew it was impossible. As I glanced around at my new species, my family, I sighed in contentment. I was where I was meant to be.

Shiloh did not lead us through the city, nor through the Under Passage. Instead, she hooked a left at the outermost highway interchange and skirted around the exterior, taking us no closer than half a mile from the heavily populated areas. The den, she had told us before departing, was in an abandoned warehouse, slightly north of the city in a less-populated part of town. I found it odd that the leeches would not hold their blood orgies within the city limits. They never shied away from the chance to mock us, especially during Fuil Aimsir. Then again, the motivations of leeches were always bizarre to me.

We ran for almost ten minutes before stopping in an alleyway. The smell of fresh venom permeated the space, and I started to salivate from the richness of the scent. Shiloh opened a nearby trashcan, and the odor grew. Upon approach, I realized that the entire container was filled to the brim with venom. I marveled at the way the viscous liquid reflected the moonlight, casting different colors in its own reflection. It was remarkable.

Each of us took turns splashing venom on our clothes and skin, masking our scent. When it was my turn, it took all my strength not to dive headfirst into the container and drown myself in the luxurious venom. There was nothing quite like fresh venom, and from the overwhelming sweetness that tanged the scent, it was from a newborn vampire. I held my breath and proceeded to drench myself in the liquid, and once I had finished, I had to resist the urge to lick my own skin. The struggle was intense.

Once we had all masked our scents, Shiloh led us toward the building. We did not run but walked to our destination, our ears open for any sound that could indicate an attack. The whole thing seemed too good to be true, and Shiloh knew it. The thumping from the horrible techno music thudded like a beacon, drawing us to our bounty, and after about 15 minutes, we found ourselves in the back alley.

The smell of blood saturated the air, and it repelled my senses, forcing me to back against the wall. The scent of blood was not enjoyable for Walkers. We tolerated it. Where there was blood, there was probably leeches. I shook my head and pulled my arm in close, smelling the fresh venom.

We kept against the wall, crouching low behind the trashcans, waiting to be let into the den.

Dex had infiltrated, acting as a bartender, so we could enter without unnecessary detection. All we had to do was wait at the backdoor, and he would appear to let us in. However, as each minute passed, we started to grow restless. Where was he? Why hadn't he shown up yet? The rest of the group, except for Shiloh, began to fidget in anticipation and irritation. Just when I had started to fear the worst, however, the door creaked open, and our second-in-command appeared in the moonlight, two trash bags under his arms.

Shiloh muttered in the ancient language, which earned a smile from Dex, and he propped the door open with a rock. We moved at our inhuman speed, briefly tossing the door as we slipped into the building.

We climbed a ladder, which took us to the top of the building. The middle of the warehouse had been hollowed out due to attempted renovations and a weak foundation, so we had a birds' eye view of everything happening beneath us.

It was like staring into Hell. There were cages suspended from the roof, each containing several screaming humans, and as I watched, a leech poked a stick through the bars, spearing a poor soul through the heart. The human's blood spilled on the crowd below, which I found was a mixture of vampires and humans. Leeches were known to bring humans to these kinds of events. Usually, the night would end with every human losing their life; unless, the leech fancied them for more than just food. I shivered as I thought of the remains we had found after Fuil Aimsir. Brutalized remains from a night or more of debauchery. It made me sick.

"Bella," Shiloh said, and I turned to her. The red lights cast an eerie glow on her skin. "Tell Dex we are in position."

I nodded and headed down a nearby ladder. She was sending me into Hell unaccompanied. She was testing me. Not only would there be a river of blood below, but there would be more venom than I could drink. If I lost my nerve, the entire evening and planning would have been in vain. I had to focus. Before I descended, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and found Collin, a strip of fabric in his hand.

"For your eyes," he said, pointing to my face. "The reflection."

I nodded and covered my eyes with the black cloth. Much like a cat, my eyes reflected the light. It was disconcerting the first time I had seen it, but I had grown used to it. It was most prevalent after I had fed. It was also a way for the leeches to identify us. This was the best way to ensure anonymity.

Although my vision was obscured, I could still see. The fabric was somewhat sheer, and my advanced sight allowed my gaze to piece through the barrier. In addition, my senses were so sharp that I could have made my way in the dark. One of the common training techniques Shiloh had taught me after I had become a Walker was fighting blindfolded. You could never fully rely on your sight, she had said. And, she was right, as usual.

I made my way down the ladder and through the crowd, attempting to walk confidently and inconspicuously. The center of the dance floor was a cesspool of bodies and blood, and it was difficult not to watch. There was also a scent in the crowd that made me pause. It was a leech, but it was also different. It was earthy and fresh, but it was without the overt luxuriousness of the typical leech. What was that?

I shook my head and continued; I had a job to do.

The bar was tucked away in a far corner, and I was relieved to find Dex behind it, cleaning a glass with a rag. He noticed me as I approached, and he nodded in acknowledgment.

"We're ready," I said in the ancient language, one of the phrases I knew fluently, and I took off my blindfold.

"Everything's read," he said cryptically.

I nodded and turned away, my gaze panning over the right side of the building, noticing a large figure bent over one of the side tables. As I was about to return to Shiloh and the others, I heard a strong, surprised voice say, "Bella?"

I momentarily thought it was Dex, but the voice was wrong. It was too perfect, too deep, and lacked the tiny touch of humanity Dex had acquired by masquerading as the principal of a high school. Turning over my left shoulder, I noticed the figure was standing, and his eyes were locked on me.

The lights danced across the room, briefly illuminating his face for a moment. A leech. A big one, but that was not what drew my attention. Its eyes were yellow—no, gold—with flecks of what I could only describe as butterscotch. I turned back to the crowd, intending to head back to the others, but I paused. There was something…familiar about the gold eyes. How could that be?

"Bella?" A different voice called to me from near the center of the dancing, writhing bodies. This one was lighter in tone but still masculine. There was a slight drawl to it, also, almost southern. I turned and noticed another leech moving toward me, his light blond hair barely shielding his golden irises. "She's here."

Realization shot through me like an electrical current, setting me on edge. They had to be the leeches who had been asking about me. I realized that if I wanted to know who they were and what I was to them, now was the opportune moment. My eyes rolled up and found the others had vanished from their position at the top of the building. Where had they gone? Their absence shook away any residual curiosity, and I reminded myself what was most important.

Before I could move further, a hand shot out and touched my shoulder. I turned to find Rix staring down at me, the dark hood doing little to hide his concern.

"A bheil thu ceart gu leòr?" He asked in the ancient language. Are you okay?

I started to nod; however, as Rix shifted to the left, I noticed another golden-eyed vampire moving through the crowd. She was shorter than the other two. Her hair was black and cut very short, which somehow made her appear smaller. When our eyes met, something akin to a smile appeared, and her eyes lit up. It was strange. Leeches never looked at us that way. As I stepped away from Rix, the light caught my eyes, and the female leech stopped in her tracks, her almost-smile fading to a look of mild shock and horror. Had I been identified?

There was a tugging at the back of my mind which had started from the first moment I had seen the big one. It had intensified with each yellow eye, and now, it was almost impossible not to acknowledge its presence. The longer I stared at the small leech, the worse it became. What was this? I couldn't explain it…nor could I…

All at once, I found myself drowned, submerged by the wave of emotion that hit me. I gasped as I was hit by the most overwhelming sensation of hatred and rage I had ever known. It was not just for the leeches around me, but for this unknown face staring at me, looking at me as though I was somehow connected to her—as though I were a friend.

How could I be…how could I be anything to her...I am nothing to her…nothing to any of them…I am nothing…

The thoughts pounded through my head to the angry beat of my heart, and in that moment, I could not maintain my calm. I could not bury it inside as I had been doing. I couldn't do it anymore. I had to let it out.

And let it out I did.

I reached out to the closest leech, which happened to be a red-eyed beast fresh from the "dance floor," the innocent blood still tanging his scent. Once my hands found his neck, I pulled him close and promptly ripped it from his shoulders, permitting him only a second to cry for help. The liquid spilt from his body, but the scent did not faze me. I dropped his headless remains and moved onto the next available creature. Each one became faceless, nameless, indistinguishable from the next, like a Monet painting examined close. The strobe lights cast an eerie glow on the canvas of my destruction, my loss of control.

I felt hands on my shoulders, and as I turned, I noticed that I was surrounded by leeches, each one on the verge of ending my life. Before I could even contemplate where my actions had led me, six shadows fell upon my attackers and stripped them away. Rather than stop to see what became of them, I propelled myself above the crowd, landing on the other side of the building and finding myself among more leeches. I smiled as they approached me.

A large explosion of heat and light cut through the dark decay of the building, and the entire complex began to burn. Dex. He had lined the edge of the building with vampire venom. Shiloh had instructed that he burn it to the ground, trapping the leeches inside. The vampires began to scream and scramble toward the few exits that weren't engulfed in flames, but the rest of the Walkers were waiting for them.

I moved forward, taking down four leeches, one right after the other, and fighting my way to the center of the room. There were humans trapped in the cages above the floor. They cried for help, and I noticed how the rope was starting to smoke due to the smoldering heat. Before I could move, the large, yellow-eyed vampire sailed through the air, landing on top of the cage. The humans screamed and huddled against the far corner of the cage.

I snarled and found myself on top as well. As I approached, though, I noticed that the vampire was attempting to coax the humans out of the hatch he had just opened. Was he intending on keeping them for himself? Or, perhaps he was from the lords, wanting to make sure there were no witnesses? As he turned over his shoulder, I noted the same golden eyes, and the same rage erupted again.

The leech dodged my attack, extending a hand. "Bella! Stop! Don't you recognize me?"

Ignoring the raging familiarity of his voice, I launched myself at him. He reached out and grabbed my wrists, stopping my assault, but I was quicker. I coiled my body inward, pressing my feet against his chest and kicking him off the cage. Without stopping to consider what had become of him, I swung below the cage and pulled with all my strength. The cage came loose, and I fell to the floor with it resting on my shoulders. The living humans escaped and skittered down a hallway.

The rest of the Walkers had dispatched a large majority of the leeches, but I noticed several were clawing through parts of the walls where the fire had no spread. In some parts, however, the leeches were scraping through regardless of the fire singeing their fingers. I smirked. It was time to take the fight outside.

Collin signaled to me, and I joined the rest of the Walkers in climbing out of a hole that had formed in the roof. Once we had made it outside, we positioned ourselves around the building to wait for the leeches to appear. Sure enough, after a minute, they started to pour from the inferno, gasping and screeching for their lives.

The first leech crawled from the black cloud of smoke, her hair and skin singed, smelling of burning venom. She glanced from side to side, and shrieked when I approached her. Her red eyes glowed with fear as she tried to scurry away from me, but I grabbed her leg and pulled her back to me. She pleaded with me in a language I couldn't identify, but I silenced her by pulling her head from her shoulders. I tossed her remains into the fiery building.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Collin battling it out with two leeches, and I chose to join him. As he tore the limbs from a large vampire, I crushed the spine of a younger male vampire. As I finished off my prey, I turned in time to see Collin slice through the vampire's tough skin with his teeth, the venom spurting through the air, and he pushed the body into the flames.

As he turned back to me, he pulled back the hood of his sweater, which was still fixed atop his head, and I was struck by his appearance. He had been injured on his forehead, and his blood poured steadily down his cheek, dripping off his chin. The sight of Collin's injury sent a tremor of fear within me, and I was at his side in an instant.

I ripped off a long piece of my sweater and dabbed the excess blood, clearing it from his face, but the wound continued to bleed. Without must hesitation, I bit the tip of my finger, drawing my own blood, and I began to trace the edges of the wound, just as Una had instructed me. Collin stood, motionless, an intense glimmer passing over his face. I finished and marveled at the way my blood clotted and created a natural suture, closing his wound.

A wave of embarrassment hit me, and I tried to retreat from him, realizing I had acted without his permission, but he caught my wrist and pulled me closer. I looked up at him, noting the way the fiery glow was reflected in his eyes, and he pulled me close to him. Our chests touched as we embraced, and I felt the tension and anxiety diffuse, evaporating into the sky alongside the weightless embers and remnants of the vampires.

I pulled away for only a minute. "Collin—"

His lips crashed into mine, catching me off guard, and I felt his grip on me tighten. My internal tension was replaced by something else—a desire I had no recollection of every feeling before that moment. I needed him. I wanted him. My hands tightened around him, wanting him closer than we had ever been.

"Collin? Bella?" Una's voice cut through our intimacy, and we separated moments before she appeared around a corner. She motioned for us to follow. "Something's happening."

We stepped away from one another and followed. Although the kiss and emotions I felt with Collin were still there, swirling in my mind, my responsibilities as a Walker came first. However, I told myself I would speak to Collin about this the first chance we got to be alone. For the first time in…however long, I felt comfortable with that.

**Begin long-winded apology**

I am so sorry it took me so long to post. I wish I could tell you that my life has been going soooo well that I just forgot about this story. Well. No.
In 2015, I went through a divorce and started (what would eventually turn out to be) an emotionally abusive relationship. This was all while I was pursuing my Bachelor's in English. I broke up with the dickwad in January of this year, and I vowed to stay single. I made it to June before the best guy I've ever met swept me off my feet. We are now 6 months into what has become the best, most amazing, most therapeutic relationship of my life. I also just graduated yesterday.

Moreover, this past summer, I spent two months backpacking through Europe, and it was definitely helped me overcome a lot of demons.

I am hoping to be able to dedicate more time to this story. Of course, now comes the arduous process of finding a job.

Either way. Needless to say, thank you for sticking by me. Your endless messages of support and interest really helped me.

Onwards and upwards