Eternal Redemption - Book Two ✔

Chapter 3

San Francisco was a city like no other. From what I'd seen of Los Angeles, the streets had been deserted, trash littered everywhere and no person in sight. But in this city, I was so shocked to see several people just casually walking down the street. But they could barely keep my focus for more than a few seconds before my eyes turned back to the glorious surroundings. Nox had told me before that the city was almost entirely surrounded by water. We had entered the city over a small metal bridge, full of old cars scattered across it. I could hear the water if I listened hard enough, mentally picturing the large waves crashing against the shorelines.

Shouts and laughter filled the streets. Vampires were everywhere. A metallic scent filled my nostrils, but upon realizing that they smelled the same as Nox did, I figured that the recognizable scent for vampires were metallic.

Fires burned in large iron barrels, making the shadows dance across the walls of the buildings. Nox had us sticking to the smaller streets, avoiding the more crowded main streets.

"The vampire king of this city is working with Shax, so we don't want him knowing we're here if we can avoid it," Nox said as we turned a corner and started up a steep inclined street. "There are some decent feeding places here that makes it easier for you than if we had to go hunting ourselves."

Feeding places?

A group of vampires stood crowded outside a building, fires burning on either side. Something heavier scented the surrounding air and I inhaled deeply, feeling my nerves tingle. The scent was warm and mouth-watering. Humans. There were humans nearby.

"Nox," I said, taking another deep breath through my nose, letting the delicious scent wash over me. My maker looked at me, his face not giving anything away.

"I know," he said before putting an arm around me, pulling me a little closer to him. "Just relax and if you feel like you can't control yourself, stop breathing."

That was easy for him to say, but I braced myself as we stopped right by the crowd.

"Hello handsome," a woman purred, smiling at Nox as she slid a hand down her exposed stomach. Her wardrobe consisted only of a tightly laced top in some shiny material with matching pants. Her hair was pulled back from her face and in a high ponytail. Brightly red lipstick coated her lips matching her gleaming red eyes, which were encased in dark makeup. She looked positively frightening, but Nox didn't seem disturbed by her, not as much as me.

"We're here for a snack," Nox said, smiling back at the woman, but keeping a firm grip on me.

"She new?" A man asked, stroking his beard and eyeing me up and down. His voice was rugged and slightly hoarse. I locked eyes with him and his hand ceased to move. "What's with her eyes?" I immediately felt every pair of red eyes turned to me, but I kept calm. Nox would know what to say. Hopefully.

"I know, right," Nox simply replied and then I felt his hand caressing my shoulder sending pleasant shivers through my body. "I've got myself a special one." And with that he steered me through the crowd and into the building. I knew he was just doing it to protect me, but I couldn't help but react to his words, his touch. It was like this animal inside of me purred, begging to be let out of its cage.

The inside of the building looked like a hotel, not a grand one like Shax's back in Los Angeles, but a smaller one, modestly decorated and it even had a woman sitting behind the counter in the right corner. Seven vampires were scattered around the room and the heavenly intoxicating scent of human became stronger.

A dark-haired woman behind a large marble counter looked up from whatever she was doing and smiled a beaming white smile.

"Hello, welcome to Feeding Fangs, the biggest Blood Hotel in the Bay area, how may I assist your needs?"