The boys, with Laddie in tow, flee into the night, leaving Star and Sofie alone with only the sound of the television to fill the empty space between them. Star seems apprehensive, flinching like a prey animal when Sofie moves too fast. Sofie does her best to make her feel more at ease. Eventually, she gets up to rummage through the old filing cabinets in the lobby, cursing under her breath. Star turns in her chair and peers over the back of the couch, her brown eyes wide with curiosity.
"What are you doing?" She asks.
"Trying to find Paul's weed."
She begins to tear apart the cabinets and tip over crates and boxes leaving miniature disasters in her wake. She'd feel bad about making such a mess, but this place already looks like a hurricane hit it. Twice. She creeps around the lobby, running her fingers over stones for secret hiding places while Star watches, entirely immersed in Sofie's journey. Sofie sniffs and turns her head toward a small pile of rocks in the far corner of the cave behind David's wheelchair. She stalks the scent like an animal. Not being able to hunt well has really gotten to her. She knows she looks ridiculous slinking across the room like a lion just to get a bag of weed, but it keeps her predatory muscles flexed. She kicks the pile of rocks to the side and finds a huge bag of weed complete with rolling papers and lets out an enormous squeal.
"How did you find that?" Star asks.
Sofie taps her nose.
"Better than a bloodhound," she quips as she crouches down to scoop up the bag. Sofie takes a few nuggets, a small silver grinder, and the rolling papers and tosses the rest back down onto the rock pile before. She sinks into the couch and begins to roll a joint. Her movements are smoother, faster, and more graceful than they were when she was human. Star watches as she seals the rolling paper and sparks the joint, inhaling deeply and holding it in her lungs before passing it over. Star takes a much smaller inhale and coughs, delicately covering her mouth with her hand. Sofie grins and relaxes. Her eyelids start to droop as the high begins to take hold, embracing her like an old friend. She turns her head and bites her lip.
"Have you thought about it?"
Star nods.
"What's it like?"
"It doesn't hurt."
Star frowns.
"That's not what I mean. David didn't talk about how it...feels."
Probably because David enjoys it. Sofie can see the maelstrom of malice, excitement, and joy in his eyes when he hunts. He's fully embraced what he is, but there's nothing he can say to Star that's going to make taking a life sound appealing. She doesn't understand the hunger, the compulsion to give into something that is so dark and animal because it's necessary for your survival. If Marko had tried to explain it to Sofie before he turned her, she wouldn't have believed him. Sofie runs a hand through her hair.
"It's more of a necessity than anything else. You just kind of get used to it. Your survival instinct replaces the guilt."
"Couldn't you just feed off of animals?" Star asks.
"I don't think so."
Star is quiet.
"Did you feel guilty the first time you..."
"Killed someone?"
"Yeah."
Sofie nods. She tried not to let it show, but the guilt was like a knife to the gut. It was poisonous. The night replayed over and over in her head; in her dreams, but eventually, the guilt passed like a storm. The sky was clear again and she could sleep without the heaviness in her heart. Star takes a long drag from the joint before passing it back.
"That's the one thing I can't get over."
"Makes sense," Sofie whispers. "But you know what David will do if you say no."
"Yeah," Star whispers. "I know." She shifts in her seat and tucks her a long strand of hair behind her ear.
Sofie glances over at her.
"It's not much different than being human. Less downsides."
"Killing is a pretty big downside. What if you get caught?"
Sofie has to laugh softly. Star looks away, embarrassed.
"That's not really something we have to worry about. We'll teach you how to hunt, how to stay undetected. We can fly, we're strong, we're fast." She reaches out and covers Star's hand with her own. "We're like a family."
The word seems to strike a chord in Star. Sofie suspects that the girl has been on her own for longer than she cares to say. She's never talked about her parents in all of the years that Sofie knew her in school. Nobody went to Star's house, nobody was there to pick her up at the end of the school day, her parents didn't come to PTA meetings - although, neither did Sofie's - at least her mom had an excuse. A party, another new job after getting fired from countless others for theft, fraud, or telling a customer to fuck off. Star glances up at her with tears in her eyes. She doesn't have to say anything, Sofie just feels it. Years of grief lodged in her body, hidden away from prying eyes. Except Sofie's.
"Think about it," she whispers. "That's all I ask."
Star turns back to the television as her eyes glaze over.
"I don't think I have much of a choice."
They watch TV in silence. Star falls asleep on Sofie's shoulder. She has half a mind to carry her back to David's room but thinks better of it. Nobody is allowed in there, and she doesn't really feel like dealing with one of David's temper tantrums tonight. Sofie yawns and feels her eyes droop. It's either the weed, or it's close to dawn. She cranes her neck toward the entrance of the cave, but can't quite see the early dregs of sunlight spilling in just yet. She must still have time. Still, her eyes close and she rests her head on top of Star's, slipping into a comfortable sleep.
+++
The moment the boys stop their bikes at the boardwalk, Dwayne practically leaps off of his seat and sprints toward the crowd. David and Marko exchange an amused look while Paul glances around confused. He follows Dwayne for a few feet before Marko pulls him back and shakes his head.
"Where are you going?!" Paul yells.
"I'm meeting Kara!" Dwayne calls. He glances over his shoulder and grins. "Don't follow me!"
David lights a cigarette and the three boys head off to go and hunt. Marko can tell that his brother is itching for a good kill, like a muscle that's in desperate need of stretching. He feels it too. He wants to do something drastic; wild. He takes the cigarette from David's fingers and puffs on it before passing it back and looking at his brother with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"What's the plan?"
A wry grin creeps across David's lips.
"We'll see where the night takes us."
"Sounds like a plan," Marko whispers.
&&&
Dwayne walks toward the carousel, trying to slow his gait, but he can't stop the excitement from bubbling over in his chest. Kara is sitting on a bench smoking a cigarette. She's beautiful - a small, heart-shaped face with wild, platinum hair that's blowing in the cool breeze. She's so delicate. Dwayne can't deny that he definitely has a type. He approaches her slowly and she looks up at him with a big smile.
"I wasn't sure you were gonna show," she says with a soft, musical laugh.
"I don't break promises."
Kara grins and wraps her arms around his waist. She has to stand on her tiptoes to kiss him. They ride the ferris wheel. He kisses her at the top, he wins Charlie a prize - a stuffed elephant, and they spend the rest of the night wandering around the boardwalk watching people. They don't talk much. Dwayne's always been bad at small talk. He prefers intense, passion-filled conversations about books, philosophy, or art. The only person he's really been able to have those kinds of talks with as of late is Marko. The dude knows pretty much everything there is to know about art history. With Kara, he likes the silence. She seems to like it too. She leans into him every chance she gets, letting her fingers intertwine with his. She seems comfortable with him. As they sit on a bench hand in hand, Kara turns to him and smiles. Dwayne quirks an eyebrow.
"What's up?"
"I was just thinking about something," she says in her soft, delicate voice.
"Which is?"
"I was thinking, maybe if you wanted to, you could meet Charlie soon."
Dwayne smiles.
"Yeah?"
Kara bites her lip.
"Yeah, I mean, I like him to meet the people who are really important to me... and I like you a lot."
Dwayne leans into her, brushing his lips over hers. He can feel Kara shiver and hear her heart racing in her chest.
"I like you too."
"You do?"
"I do," he purrs. "I really, really do."
He presses his lips against hers, kissing her slowly and sweetly. Kara sighs into him and her arms snake around his waist. He lets her take control, increasing the intensity of the kiss. Dwayne can already tell that she's falling for him. Fast. She breaks the kiss and runs her fingers through his long, dark hair. She opens and closes her mouth a few times as though she's about to start a sentence and then thinks better of it. Dwayne waits. He's good at that.
"You wanna go back to my place?" She asks as a dark flush creeps into her cheeks. "Charlie's at my mom's for the weekend and I make a mean whiskey and coke."
"I'd love that," Dwayne whispers.
+++
"Sooooofiiieeee!" Marko's voice echoes through the lobby. Her head flicks up, the bleariness in her vision fades quickly, and he sees him leading a tall, dark-haired young man down the steps. She quirks an eyebrow and Marko rushes toward her, dragging her off of the sofa, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her hard. Her brain is still foggy, and she melts into him, giggling softly.
"I thought you might want to have some fun," he mumbles into her lips as his hands glide up and down her hips, grabbing her ass and making her moan softly in his ear. She looks over his shoulder. The young man is wandering around the lobby, running his fingers along the walls of the cave and glancing around, his expression childlike and awe-struck. Sofie's eyes flick back to Marko.
"He looks pretty alive to me," she whispers.
"That's the fun part." He turns and beckons the man to come toward them. "Sofie, this is... what was your name again?"
"Steve."
"Steve!" Marko exclaims with a giggle. His eyes are bloodshot and he's grinning from ear to ear. He's high and well-fed. David rolls his eyes and walks past to pull Star from the couch. He glances over at Sofie.
"You've gotta keep that boy on a leash," he mumbles, motioning to Marko.
"I thought that was your job... hey, where's Dwayne?"
"With your friend."
Sofie's jaw drops. David winks at her and leads Star into the bedroom. Paul puts Laddie to bed. The sun will be up in a few hours. Marko hurls himself onto the sofa and puts his feet up on the makeshift coffee table that the boys have made out of a crate. Marko sits on the far end of the couch while Sofie takes the middle. Steve stands, looking lost and confused while Marko chews on his thumbnail, grinning behind his fist.
"What's up, man?"
"I thought we were gonna party," Steve mumbles.
"We are," Marko whispers as he glances at the empty space next to Sofie. "C'mere."
Her adrenaline spikes and instinct takes hold. Logically, she knows this is bizarre, but the animal in her doesn't give a shit. She's had to lock away her predatory instincts for so long that it feels like she's just popped a cork off of a champagne bottle. His blood smells incredible; so much better than the beach trash she's been forced to hunt. They're almost too easy. There's no chase. But this one? This one is fun already. He's confused, high, and a little terrified. Perfect combination. Her eyes drift to Marko.
You picked a good one.
He smiles wide.
Only the best for you, my love.
Sofie's fingers run through his hair. Steve slowly eases himself onto the couch while Marko mindlessly flips through the channels. Sofie closes her eyes and concentrates, listening to Steve's heart thumping like a steady drum. She breathes deeply and quietly, focusing on drawing him toward her. It takes almost no effort thanks to the weed pumping through his system. She opens her eyes to see his hand snake up her thigh. Marko sees it too and bites back a huge grin. Sofie leans into Steve and soon feels his lips ghost across her neck. Marko has shifted his body to watch them, and as Sofie's head lolls to the side, she can see his eyes flash golden and his bottom lip is tucked underneath his teeth. Sofie turns her attention back to Steve and lifts his chin so that his eyes lock with hers. He kisses her, slowly, clumsily. His pulse is racing. It's addicting. She increases the intensity of the kiss and feels Marko's lips on her neck, sending glorious electric shocks up and down her body. She moans softly as Marko's teeth graze her skin. Steve doesn't seem to notice, he's entirely wrapped up in Sofie. All she can focus on is the steady beat of Steve's heart, the smell of his blood, and how fucking good Marko's lips feel as they glide across her skin. Another soft moan spills from her lips and she breaks the kiss, pushing Steve back into the arm of the couch. Without thinking, she climbs on top of him. She's so hungry. Her jaw tingles and it takes every ounce of control she has not to turn in front of him. Steve gazes up at her, his eyes half-closed. Sofie rips his shirt open and kisses his chest, nipping at his skin and taking his nipple between her teeth. He's so warm. She hears Marko laugh behind her.
Good girl.
"Shit," Steve grunts. "Fuck."
Sofie's mouth moves up to his neck. She can feel his pulse racing beneath her lips. She grinds her hips down into his and he gasps. Marko's arms snake around her waist and his teeth tug on her earlobe. She can feel him hardening through his jeans. Her tongue brushes over Steve's jugular. The tension is oozing off of Marko. He wants her to do it. She wants to do it. She just wants to wait until the time is right.
Steve's hands sneak up her shirt and he groans. As he goes to unhook her bra, she bites down on his neck. He gasps beneath her, his body jerks, and she uses all of her strength to pin him down. Marko slides off of the couch and moves beside her, running his tongue over the shell of her ear while she drinks. Sofie lifts her head and gasps while Marko takes her place. He sinks his fangs into the wound. Steve twitches, but just barely. The life is quickly slipping from his body. Sofie kisses Marko's neck, biting the skin gently. She pulls a moan from the depths of his throat and watches the life leave Steve's body. When he lifts his head, his mouth is stained crimson. He kisses Sofie hard, licking the excess blood from her lips. She wraps her arms around his neck and they topple to the floor, their mouths fighting for dominance. Sofie pushes his jacket down his shoulders and rips his tank top to shreds. He's so beautiful, cold, and glowing in the dim light of the cave. Marko chuckles and looks up at the body on the couch.
"I've gotta get rid of him."
"The sun's up."
"Nah," he says. "We've got a couple more hours."
Sofie lets out a disgruntled groan and climbs off of him. Marko picks up Steve's corpse and hauls it over his shoulder. Sofie follows him outside, watching as he tosses the limp figure off of the cliff like it weighs nothing. He turns to Sofie and she leaps into his arms, kissing him fast and hard. They tumble to the ground, rolling around in the sand. Sofie manages to pin him to the ground. She pushes Marko's jacket down his shoulders before attacking his chest with open-mouthed kisses and rough bites. Marko runs his hands underneath her dress, gripping her thighs hard. She reaches down to unbutton his jeans and eases herself onto him, moaning softly as he fills her. His angelic features are illuminated in the moonlight. She can never quite get over just how gorgeous he is. Marko's claws dig into her flesh and his fangs drop. She rides him, slowly at first, relishing the way their hips meet in just the right way to put pressure on her clit. Eventually Marko grabs her hips and forces her to speed up. Her orgasm builds quickly and his thumb pulses over her delicate bundle of nerves, making her gasp.
"Marko," she mewls.
"Fuck," he whispers. "Faster."
She obliges, and her own climax washes over her in an instant. Her pace remains relentless and Marko maintains a firm grip on her hips with one hand while the other helps bring her toward a second orgasm. She cries out his name and he lets out a loud moan in response. He growls and his body twitches as he spills into her. She moves her hips in slower circles, milking his orgasm out of him. Marko bites his lip as his head lolls from side to side.
"You're right," she mumbles, kissing along his jawline. "That was fun."
"Told you."
They hear the sound of a bike rumbling behind them. Sofie scrambles off of Marko and he jumps up to zip his pants up. Dwayne chuckles as he dismounts his Triumph and shakes his head. He looks lighter. Sofie has never seen him look so happy.
"What the hell are you two doing?" He laughs.
"We wanted a change of scenery," Marko quips. "Bedroom gets boring sometimes."
Dwayne shakes his head and heads toward the cave entrance. Sofie is suddenly hit with tremendous exhaustion. She looks over at Marko. His eyes are starting to droop and he glances out at the horizon. The sun is starting to rise.
"You made it back just in time, bud," Marko says, clapping his brother on the back as the three of them jump down the rickety steps to the cave entrance. "How was your date?"
"I don't kiss and tell," Dwayne replies.
Marko and Sofie exchange a look. She lets out a loud cackle.
"Oh my God!" She squeals. "You had sex, didn't you?!" She tugs the sleeve of his jacket to get him to face her.
He turns to face her, an enormous mischievous smile spreads across his face.
"I told you, Sof. I don't kiss and tell."
"I'm just going to ask Kara tomorrow night."
"You do that," Dwayne replies, tossing her a wink. He disappears into his bedroom while Sofie and Marko retreat into theirs to escape the rays of sunlight that are beginning to pour into the cave like honey. They fall asleep, exhausted, and comfortably wrapped in each other's arms.