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16 years old, in a club. What can I say? My breasts grew out early and with a bit of makeup I could look at least 18 years old. And hell, let's be honest, it was super easy to get fake ID's in this day and age.
I could have gone to an underage club, but where was the fun in that?
And besides, a homeless girl had to find a way to make a living. In this club I could easily pick-pocket people in the crowd. Especially when the night wore on and everyone got even more highly intoxicated.
I lean up against the bar and sip a glass of raspberry vodka as I survey the different crowds mingling on the dance floor and around the small bars.
This club had even less lighting than most clubs, so I had already gathered quite a bit of cash, 2 mobile phones and one wallet.
I check my own phone for the time – it may have originally been someone else's phone but let's just forget that little detail...
It's 2am.
Crap.
I wanted to leave half an hour ago. After 2am, this club was notorious for being swarmed by vampires.
I couldn't stand vampires.
They were hard to tell apart from humans, but they usually had a dark aura about them, a dangerous vibe, and when they smiled... the fangs were terrifying. Vampires didn't have small fangs like the ones you get on Halloween costumes. In real life they were thick at the base, super sharp at the tip, and at least one and half times longer than the normal canine.
I heard the stories of what it felt like to be bitten. It hurt – a lot. But at the same time there were a few rare stories about how it was actually addictive, it could feel good, especially if you were willing.
I shake myself out of my thoughts. I needed to move before a vampire targeted me and tried to sink their fangs into my neck.
I drink the rest of the raspberry vodka and leave it on the bar, clutching my bag to me with my stolen valuables, I make my way to the exit.
With what I had stolen I would be able to eat for at least 2 weeks. That gave me something to smile about.
As I walk through the club, I notice one tall handsome male staring at me at the corner of my vision. I can't resist turning to meet his gaze.
I almost stop walking when I see the blue-black depths of his beautifully dangerous eyes. I keep on track to the exit however, refusing to slow down. I had to make my way to my 'foster' home, where a middle-aged woman I hated, allowed me to sleep on her couch occasionally – if I agreed to clean her house and feed her cat while she was away at work all day.
She wasn't exactly reliable, sometimes she let me stay on her couch, other times she refused to let me in the front door, especially if I didn't clean her house to utter perfection each and every time.
That would lead to nights on the sidewalk, or on a park bench.
Not the most pleasant experience and something I tried to avoid at all costs.
I've made my way to the exit, and I breathe a sigh of relief about the same time I'm blocked in my path.
The tall male from before, dressed in all black, passes by me, and as he does he gently grabs my wrist and tugs me to the side, out of the way of about 5 other males that had been about to walk with me out of the club.
I look up into the eyes of the handsome, I'd say, 20? Year old male. He had a beautifully sculpted face – with a bit of a hard edge to his jaw. But his hair was a messy, sexy, slick style of black thick hair, neatly cut.
"What do you want?" I ask, suspicious of him. I felt safe yet fearful at the same time.
"You come here alone every week," he says, "and leave alone. That's not going to be the case tonight, darling."
I narrow my eyes at him.
"I'm sorry, I have to go, I have to be somewhere," I reply, pretending that I have misheard him.
"Where will you go?" He asks, smiling now.
Strobe lights bounce off his glinting, dangerous, lethal fangs.
Vampire.
I suspected so. He had a magnetic but dark aura hanging off him.
Without another word I bolt for the exit, quick on my feet.
I run out the two front doors and onto the sidewalk, I turn to my right and –
"I asked you a question, darling," The deep masculine voice is slightly scolding from the handsome vampire, who is standing in my path once again. There was no way I could outrun him, "I expect an answer."
"Please, leave me alone," I say, I look to the bouncer to see if he'll help me, but he sees the vampire smile, notices the fangs... and turns to ignore the fact I'm being stalked and hunted down for dinner.
A surge of anger and new fear floods my system. My heart rate increases.
The handsome vampire cocks his head to the side, and raises an eyebrow.
"Scared?" He asks, "Don't be. I won't hurt you."
"That's ironic coming from a vampire talking to a human," I say, turning and walking away from him. There was no point running. Supernatural creatures ruled this city. He could hunt me down and drink my blood against my will if he wanted to, with no repercussions. I just hoped he had the morals to back off when I told him to.
Instead, he suddenly appears beside me.
"Answer my question," he says, sounding more impatient now, "Where are you going?"
"None of your business," I snap, looking anywhere but at his eyes. If he wanted to, he could use compulsion against me.
"I don't mean to be blunt, human," he says, "But I need more slaves at my palace and I've chosen you to come back home with me tonight. I know you don't have a real home. I can give you one. In exchange for your blood, every now and then," we've walked a block down the street, there is no one around. I halt and turn to face him. He has the audacity to try and sound reasonable.
"I'm not interested, comprendo?" I say firmly.
"I am Prince Xavier, Caitlin," he says, ignoring my out-burst. He knew my name? He had clearly done his research on me then, "I get what I want. I've tried to be polite, but it's as simple as this, you're coming with me."
It takes me a moment to realise he just revealed his name. Who he was.
Prince Xavier?
One of the most powerful vampires, alive for god knows how many centuries. He wanted me, as a slave?
"I refuse to go with you," I say, "I –"
"You don't have a choice," Xavier interjects, "I need more slaves. You'll do just fine and fit in well."
I clutch my bag more tightly with two hands and look up and down the street, trying to find a way to escape from him.
Xavier sighs and I take a step back as he steps toward me.
But he doesn't stop his approach, he quickens his stride and suddenly reaches down and lifts me up, over his shoulder.
I struggle wildly, I drop my bag, and I beat my hands on his back.
"Stop this! Right now!" I scream, panic starting to settle in.
"Calm down," Xavier growls at me as I plead for him to let me go.
"Why should I calm down?" I ask, aghast, "You're kidnapping me!"
"You need to calm down," Xavier says, walking into an alley way and reaching down to pull the lid off a man hole. He was taking me into a sewer? "Your heart beat is off the charts, Caitlin, and I'm thirsty. So for your own sake, calm yourself. I rather have a taste of you when I'm back at the palace, where I can show you your new way of life."
"I don't want a new way of life, you're crazy! Put me down! Why are we going down there?" I ask, and he suddenly slides me off his shoulder and stands me in front of him. I watch him reach into his back pocket and he brings forth a blindfold. Oh no.
He spins me around so fast that by the time I realise I'm facing away from him, he had already tired the blind fold around me.
"You'll go down the hole first," he says, next to my ear, calmly and in control, "Ease yourself down slowly. I'll be right behind you." He guides me to the manhole and when I refuse to lean down he forcibly pushes on my shoulders so I have no choice but to get down on my knees.
"I'm scared," I say. I was only 16, and I was being kidnapped by a really hot vampire that wanted me as a slave. I was overwhelmed with emotions.
"You should be," he says, "But I promise not to hurt you, believe me."
Part of me almost wanted to go. I didn't have much of a good life being homeless and all. And that middle aged woman – Cathy. I shiver with disgust, and with some false hope I put my feet in for the first ladder rung.
Maybe my life would be better with this change of events.
After all, some humans willingly became slaves. There must be a reason they wanted to have that life, right? Right?
"Slowly," Xavier's voice is filled with concern, and it gives me a shred of more hope. It's not like I had a choice anyway.
Maybe my life would turn around for the better.
I wouldn't realise how wrong I was for hoping things would change.
Well, they did change.
But they certainly didn't get better.
They got a hell of a lot worse.