Blood & Honey #1

*Chapter One*

Inhaling deeply, I draw the superbly mouth-watering scent of humans into my awaiting chest cavity as I step into the bookstore. The alluring sound of their coursing blood sends shivers of delight rocketing down my spine and into my core. This immaculate hunting ground is one of my favorites. It never disappoints. Somewhere in here, there is a human who will foot the bill to feed my deep-seated thirst. A human who fails to understand that their species is not the apex predator of this planet, I am.

I have watched for many years as humans spin fables of my kind, and it is because of these beliefs that killing them requires no real talent.

Go ahead, humans, lock yourselves behind the safety of your doors, bathe in holy water, and surround yourselves with garlic and crosses. It doesn't matter what you try. I will come for you day or night.

In fact, my Creator loves me so much that she bestowed my kind with an ability that makes us the most dangerous beings known to this earth—the ability to compel, to manipulate our quarry, rendering them incapable of using the precious gift bequeathed upon them by their God—free will.

What good is "free will" if I can take it from you?

I'll tell you. It is as useless as your fables and myths.

The aroma of fresh cut and bound pages covered in ink blend together with the old, worn, and used books helplessly piled in the bargain bin. Wicked delight tugs the corners of my mouth upward because, soon, I'll have my teeth sunk deep into a human who will be just as helpless.

I head straight to the romance section, knowing I will find a willing victim there. A deep yearning for blood builds in me when I approach an average looking blonde with shoulder-length hair. I can tell by the way the blonde looks at the cover of the book in her hands that she longs to be held by a dark and mysterious man with a body like the statue of David. For him to adore and worship the ground she walks on while he takes her to pleasurable heights she never knew existed.

Easy prey is predictable prey.

I stand two feet away, the woman too engrossed in the book she's holding to notice me. Arrogance exudes from me with a high tilted chin and deceptively relaxed muscles. I'm all too aware I am nature's prevailing force. The moment this human female sees me, she will be putty in my hands. I don't just resemble the men she reads about and longs for, I am the embodiment of perfection. Compulsion will be unnecessary.

Closing my eyes, I bask in the scent of my target. Splendid.

"Excuse me." I flash an attractive, teeth-baring grin. The blonde looks up from the book, her eyes greedily taking in the beauty of my kind. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I couldn't stop myself from staring."

"Oh?" She places the book back on the shelf, curiosity etched in her tone. This is the moment she has been waiting for. The one where a handsome stranger sweeps her off her feet and carries her to bed for a wild and guilt-free night that ends in wedding bells, two point five kids, and a house that comes with a matching yacht.

"Have we met before?" I fix my gaze onto this human's whiskey-brown irises and draw her into me. Melting her so that I can bend her as I please.

"I don't believe so." The blonde's heart rate picks up as her body enters into excitement at this being the prospective turning point of her middle-aged life.

"You're probably right. If we had, I wouldn't have let you walk away. Not when you have such a pretty face."

"Does that line ever work?" The same smile I initiated the conversation with spreads onto the blonde's face. It's a smile that displays extreme interest despite the way her nose crinkled at my blatantly flirtatious and simultaneously cringe-worthy pickup line.