bite.

Chapter 7

My neck stung like hell!

What the hell was Michael thinking! 

"Did you just brand me, like a cow?" I demanded.

Michael registered the anger in my voice and thought carefully about his next reply.

"Lorna," he began, "That piece of shit in there, is not going to leave you alone until he sees that mark."

"Are you crazy," I snapped, pushing past him.

"Lorna, wait," he called out after me.

Ignoring him, I flipped him off and walked back out into the bar, clutching my neck. There was something really wrong with these vampire men and their masochistic bullshit. 

Back out in the bar, I saw a group of photographers hanging around the VIP section where Sasha and his band were sitting. Quietly, I slipped away, keeping my head low.

"My god, did someone bite you?" a cool voice rang out behind me. 

I lifted my head an saw Keira emerge from the shadows with a drunken man slumped on her shoulder.

"It's none of your business," I snapped.

"I heard that you gave Sasha the brush off. I now understand the reason why, although, I have to say that it's such a pity. The family had such high hopes for the both of you."

"I have no idea about what you are talking about."

"I bet you don't. Well, at least I'm not the only skank in the joint, isn't that right Dave?" 

Keira shook the drunken man and his head lolled back revealing two puncture wounds.

"Are you crazy? There are slayers here!"

"Oh, you're a sweet one. Look around you, Lorna. Everyone here is looking for a meal - why do you think we have so many parties in this place?"

I paused and thought about Magda and the other vampires I saw yesterday in the lobby when I first came in.

"Did you really believe that we followed every rule on that stupid treaty that those un-evolved monkeys forced us to sign?"

"Aren't you afraid of getting caught?"

"No ever dies here. My friend Dave here, will wake up tomorrow believing he had too much of a good time. The franken-vamps are too tracking a real monster, to bother with the likes of me."

"What do you mean?"

"There's monster running about London. It's killing people, vampire and human... last night, it killed my sister," she said, pain bleeding into her voice.

"Keira," I breathed.

"No, no, no, don't Keira me. I don't want your sympathy," she sniffed and glanced down at Dave. "I'm going to do fine with Dave here. I'm going to be fine."

She took a deep breathe in and flashed me an enormous smile and said, "We just gotta keep smiling."

With that, she and Dave slunk back into the shadows, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I headed out into the lobby where I noticed about four members of hotel staff, dragging guests into the lift. All of the guests had red swollen marks on their necks. Suddenly, I felt like I'd been lied to. 

Magda and Francesca told me vampires did not drink human blood. They said it was too risky because our fangs could easily damage a main artery or vein which could kill someone. I couldn't understand why they had lied to me.

This whole night had turned out to be a bit of disaster... and it was showing no signs of improving.

Sasha had appeared, running across the lobby towards me. My hand jumped to my neck to hide the mark Michael left as he came near me.

"Dearest cousin, please let me apologise about what happened earlier," Sasha said taking my arm, "In my celebration, I fear that I had a little too much to drink and made a fool out of myself."

"It's okay, we're cool," I said, wanting him to leave me alone.

"Can I walk you back to your room then?"

"Oh, you don't need to do that," I said.

His eyes drifted to my hand over my neck. He raised an eye brow and asked, "What's wrong with your neck?"

"Nothing," I replied.

His grip on my arm tightened and he started walking briskly towards the elevator, dragging me along with him.

"Hey, what's your problem," I demanded.

I tried pulling myself out of his grip, but he was way too strong. He pulled into the elevator and pulled my hand from my neck. The moment he saw the bite mark on my neck, he let out a humourless laugh.

"Who did it? I want to know the name of the useless prick, who did this to you," he yelled.

"It's none of your business."

Anger flashed through him and lunged at me, throwing me hard against the elevator's mirrored wall. My head smashed against the glass, causing it shatter into a million pieces.

"You are supposed to be mine," he spat.

"Let go of me!" I said, struggling to break free. 

Sasha pushed me harder against the wall and I could feel the air being slowly squeezed out my chest.

"Have you slept with him yet?" he asked.

"Go to hell."

"I take that as a no," he replied, shifting his head to the other side of my neck.

"What are you doing?" I asked nervously.

"Evening the odds," He murmured. 

Lowering his head, I watched his fangs elongate down into his mouth as stared at my neck. I let out a panicked cry and tried to shove him away from me. He responded by grabbing my wrists and pinning them to my sides. 

Everything seemed hopeless, until the elevator doors pinged opened. 

Air suddenly rushed in and Sasha went very still. 

Michael was standing next to Sasha, pressing the steel barrel of a gun against the Sasha's head.