Tomorrow I would be travelling to St. Vladimir's but this morning I woke up with hunger like no other. It is time to hunt. Outside my window, the sun was going down. The last rays of sun lit up the sky like a fire, fighting to get out and burn away the pain, the suffering, the need…

My fangs were itching for strigoi blood. It is time to get ready. I put on my combat boots, black thick trousers, high neck leather tight top and my trusted jacket. Tonight, I was the shadow queen, badass and dangerous. The last piece of this ensemble were weapons. Everything from silver stakes, silver knife to bow and arrow. I was going on a hunt for strigoi, and I was going to make it fun. It's a thrill. My hair was up, showing off my promise mark with a few molnija marks as well as a star.

Unlike others, I hunted the strigoi for fun and as a form of dinner. Their blood meant power but also darkness. I needed to be careful to avoid its seductive pull.

I walked past my father room, he was just waking up. I knocked to let him know that I was going on a hunting trip tonight.

- Abe, I'm going to hunt in the forests about an hour away from here.

- Rose, with you around I am surprised there are any strogoi left

I laughed, this was an old joke between us. He knew they were my favourite snack but he was also worried about the danger of the hunt but more so of the feasting. The lure it had. I once shared my experience with him, revealing why and how i did it. It was like a powerful drug, a rush, but also it brought on a satisfaction like no other. Now I had to go out further out to hunt, he was right. The strigoi population went down when I was around. It's a win-win for everyone.

- Someone has to ensure your royal moroi ass remains alive and safe!

This time, the hearty laugh came from Abe. Early morning were our precious moments when we laughed and were simply father and daughter. He came up and gave me a bear hug.

- I love you, Rose, please be safe and let me know when you are done, so I won't worry. I am too young to go grey!

- Okay dad, love you.

- Go and kick some ass!

With that, I departed his room, walked down the corridor and jumped right out of the window. It was such a rush, to feel the air separate beneath my finger-tips. I used my power of air to support my form as I silently landed on the ground next to my bike. Within a minute I was out of the gates, flying on the road towards the forest where the strigoi was most likely hiding. I remember seeing an isolated house deep in the forest in my dream. Its windows were covered up by the wood. A perfect strigoi hide out if I have ever seen one. This was my destination but it was an hour away from where I lived.

"I wonder where will I hunt in America, I need to do some research for the moments like this when the hunger strikes me."

Finally, I neared the forest and slowly made it to the house on the uneven road. After a few minutes, the trees parted to show a simple two story house. Once it must have belonged to a family, I can almost see children playing outside before they would have been called inside by their mother.

"Snap out of it Rose, you are here to hunt not dream"

With the noise my bike was making, I am sure the strigoi were aware that I was here. The question remained, to wait out or just enter and see what fun is awaiting me inside. After a few minutes, I made the decision.

"Lets the games begin"

Silently, I walked up the stair and opened the heavy wooden door. I made my way through the dark house, listening for any movement. It was deadly quiet, the suspension creeping up my spine and igniting the adrenalin rush. This was a scene out of a horror movie realised in real life. Suddenly, I felt a rush of air from above, and pressure of a grip on my neck. I was attacked from above, by a male strigoi. His hand was big, pale and strong. I would feel his breath on my hair. He was tall and must have been a moroi in his previous life. I had to get him off my back and sink my fangs into his neck. The hunger was calling me.

- What do we have here? I delicious smelling moroi, you are quite the treat! I didn't realise you the moroi were doing home delivery!

- You wish, but here is where you are wrong. You are my meal for tonight, along with any of your friends.

- Silence child, you are weak and nothing but a play thing for me.

- Who are you calling a child?

In the next moment, I manoeuvred him on his back, pinning him to the floor and sinking my elongated fangs into his neck. The blood was thick and rich, flowing into my mouth like the best desert on the planet. He must have been young, his blood still held some humanity within him. The emotions flowed into me. By now, the endorphins were working and he stopped struggling and started moaning instead. My bite has quite the effect, the endorphins are stronger than the best orgasm you ever experienced. I was approaching a point of no return. I could feel his life leaving his body, now was time to reach for my steak and kill him. Draining him would lead to darkness unleashing itself. Not a good idea. I reached for the silver steak from my boots and pierced his heart. He was finally dead with a smile on his face. Quite a disturbing sight.

There was movement in the corner of the house and I was instantly alert. A woman strigoi, she must have been his partner. Perhaps, this time I will get to have some fun and fight with this one.

The first mistake she did was scream. Her battle cry made her predictable and I was quickly blocking off her attacks. She was fast, so she must have been older than the guy, who seemed to have been her lover. I got an in and kicked her in the gut. She backed over slightly, but she was strong. The perfect training partner for me, but sadly she was a strigoi so perhaps not. Our skills were equally matched, so I would guess that she was a dhampire before. We continued our dance for a few more minutes, but I was getting bored.

- Lets make it more interesting, shall we?

- Interesting. You killed my lover you bitch, I only awakened him a few weeks ago and wasn't done with him!

- Oh no(!) Damn, if only I knew that before I sucked the life out of him and staked your lover boy! He was delicious. So fresh.

Sarcasm, love it or hate it, but it added spice. She moved to attack me again, but it was too late. I pinned her to the door with my look, lifting her a bit. She was struggling against my gaze as I took her wrist and slowly lowered my fangs into her skin, all the while looking into her eyes. It would have been quite an erotic scene if her eyes weren't wide from fear and shock.

"Didn't expect that huh"

- What are you doing? NO!

Her blood, richer and thicker rushed through my body. "MORE, MORE, MORE" was all that was on my mind. I was like an addict, finally injecting my drug of choice into my veins. Everything else melted away and bliss clouded my mind. I felt the shadows falling thicker all around me, the temptation to finish her off, to let the darkness in and embrace the sweet feeling of power creeping up my spine. I could already image the storm I would cause, the power I would possess and the seductive feeling of it all.

"NO! I had to take back control"

I reach for my stake just in time and pierced her heart. Another second and I would have sucked her dry and then a storm would unleash like no other. This is not the time.

"Not yet, but soon" a promise whispered within my mind "Soon…"

I looked at the time, tonight was fun but I needed to get back and pack before tomorrow. Satisfied and satiated, for now. I texted Abe and got on my motorcycle. When i started it, I felt the deep vibration going through my body. I turned the handles for gas, and a sweet melody f the engine was singing its song just for me. I felt another need rising deep within me, to feel something else beneath me. A need I have yet to satisfy, one that would have to wait. It's time to go home.