A Year Later...

"Well, hello there." I purr, making the sucker turn toward my luring voice. 

There was fear in his face, but as soon as he saw me, he relaxed, and his eyes took off my dress. Seriously, there is not much that this dress hide is so short that if I lift my leg ever so slightly, he would see no underwear underneath it.

Once the unfortunate soul finishes undressing me, his eyes stay on my boobs, and by the lascivious grin on his face, he notices that only this black dress is covering my curvy body.

The guy looks fit and in his early twenties; he's wearing black jogging sweatpants with a tank top so tight that I can make up the lines of his muscles. This guy works out a lot and eats well; by the erection in his pants, he's well-proportionated.

Too bad he's only food.  After I am done with him, I will get my release out of my favorite bartender.

 "Are you lost?" The guy asks, looking around to make sure we are alone, noticing for the first time that it is just him and me in an alley.

"No," I say honestly. 

The guy walks towards me, and I march backward until we are deeper into the alley. He smiles and gives me a predator look, and for a moment, I lose my appetite; he's not the food I eat.

 I like moral guys.

Once my back hits the wall, I wait for him. The bastard puts a hand on each side of my body and leans towards me with a grin full of mischief. 

"Is my lucky day-" 

I am done letting this asshole think he will get laid by forcing me. In a swift motion, I change our position. I turn his face to the side, sink my fangs into his neck, and drink painfully slow for him; the more he struggles, the more I enjoy his blood.

Once he's dead, I step back and watch his lifeless body slump to the floor. I lean down, lick his neck to erase the fangs mark and walk straight to my bar. Killing that bastard put me in the mood.

My feet make a lot of noise, letting Marcus know of my arrival. He turns with a smile that slowly transitions into a glare as soon as he sees me.

There's a frown on my face at his welcoming glare. I walk up to the counter and grab a glass full of vodka to stare at my reflection. There's blood on my lips from my morning's breakfast. Seductively, I lick it off my lips, trying to get Marcus back on the sex train, which, by his face, is not working.

"What do you want?" He snaps at me; he knows my secret. That I am a vampire, I didn't find the need to erase it out of his head if we were having sex every night.

 An involuntary eye roll, then I sit down and gulp straight from the bottle. Every single fucking time he notices I killed.

I look around, and there are a few people at the bar. "Close early?"

"Everyone out! Drinks are on me tonight." That's all he needed to say; in a few seconds, the place was empty. Marcus stands up and switches the open sign to close.

"Oh, come on, it is not like you don't enjoy yourself."

"It has never been my intention of taking advantage of you-" he murmurs. 

Suddenly, his cheeks are kissed pink, reminding me how sweet his blood tastes. "Please. I use compulsion on you. You kept refusing my advances, so I had to resort to other ways of manipulation. If we look at it.  I took advantage of you," I replied with fake amusement. "Now. Let's put that mouth of yours to better use, just like the first time-"

"Please...  Please don't make me. I-I don't want to have sex with you anymore... Is not right-"

"Marcus-" There's a warning in my tone. I jump and walk towards him. He walks backward. I put my hands on his chest and stare at him.

"It is not normal to wake up one day after a heartbreak and have no feelings, remorse, hell, not even anger."

 I grab him by the hem of his shirt, pulling him closer to my face, fangs elongated. "We have been over this; I am a vampire. Why won't you enjoy yourself? You are a man."

"I do enjoy myself, but the guilt kills me," 

I lean close and kiss him on the neck, making him tremble. "Maybe I'll erase the guilt for you so you can feel only pleasure," I murmur while kissing his neck. I open my mouth to bite him when.

Suddenly... 

My body feels him walk in before I see him. He has turned me down for a year and decided now is the best time to turn it back on.

 I stiffen and step back, smiling at Marcus, who hasn't noticed we are no longer alone. I turn slowly to stare at  Leo; he looks even more handsome, which is unfair. His skin is lighter and looks softer.

Saliva goes down my throat, feels sour, and it's hard to fight the urge to glare at him. The asshole has the nerve to sit at the bar two chairs away from me and order a drink. He is wearing a tailor-black suit with a charming red tie. His chisel jaw lifts with a proud smirk.

"Sir, we are close," he says, staring at Leopold.

"I'll make it worth your while," Leo answers. 

Marcus is about to argue, no doubt afraid of me. I put two fingers under his chin, making him look at me. "It's okay. Don't come to the dorm tonight. I'll come see you, ok?"

He smiles with relief. I dust some invisible dust off my dress and turn around. Leo follows me out. I keep walking, trying hard to put some distance between us—

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he says loud enough for me to hear.

"Do I know you?" I stopped walking and turned slowly towards him. 

Leopold's lips have his famous smirk. "Well, you do," he laughs. "Don't play that game, Isa," Leopold says between laughs.

"What game is that?"  I say with fake innocence.

"Pretending you don't know me," he laughs as he answers the question.

"I don't know you," I say honestly. "You left right after turning me... And when  I was human, we only shared a kiss."

He winces at my words, and I frown at him. "How's life anyway," 

I start to walk towards school. Why does he care? "Like you care," 

 He appears in front of me. "You're right... I don't," he leans closer, smelling my scent. "You are killing-" He continues, and his tone is disapproving. "I can see it."

 A crooked grin plays on my lips. "Never seem to bother you before. Why should it bother  you now?"

"You are different-" 

Changing the subject again. Interesting.

"And?"

"I like it," he gives me his signature smirk, but is off. He's lying. "Why are you so different?"

 A loud chuckle burst out of me like a bullet. "For a moment, it sounded like you care, Leopold." 

I wink at him, turn around, and walk towards school, suddenly in a pleasant mood. He's in front of me, blocking my path, but he doesn't stop there until he puts a hand on each side of my shoulders, pulling me to him. My hand connected with his cheek, and Leopold let go of me, staggering back. 

"What the fuck do you want from me now? Oh, wait," I smirk. "Carmel and Angela bore you? An entire year with the same two girls can get blue." My smirk widens. "Let me guess. You weren't cruel enough a year ago? Am I too happy for your liking?"

Leo flinches and hides his face from me momentarily, making me frown. When he turns to look at me, his smirk is back, but off somehow. Leo walks towards me and puts a hand on my cheek softly. "Isa, I-" 

I slap his hand away hard, not liking that he's trying to be soft now. "So you have come back to fuck up my life more, huh?"

"Isa... If I didn't go with Adak, he would have killed you. What could I do?"

"You are such a fucking liar! He told both of us we were free to go. Don't come back after an entire year with that crap!"

"You're calling me a liar?" I notice him watching my eyes.

"Yes! I am."

"Well, seeing as you were out cold for most of it. How do you know?"

"Actions speak louder than words." Isn't it obvious?

"You are so right," he rubbed my shoulder again, pulling me to him.

"Let go!" Leo raises an eyebrow in a challenging matter. I decide to test something, the same thing I do with Eon whenever I want to have fun. I make my voice break. "Please," I make sure to sound tearful. It works. He lets go of me. I wink at him, turn around, and run toward the school, leaving a path of giggles behind me.

 When I entered the school, the humans scurried off, giving looks of pure hate. I give them a flirty smirk and keep walking towards my bar.

"So," Leopold says casually. "How's the principal acting with this new you?"

I give him a crooked smile. "She's not alive to argue."

 His eyebrows shot up; then he composed himself. "You rule this place?" 

I keep the crooked smile. "Yes." 

He smirks. "So I can have as much fun as I want here?" 

The crooked smile on my face disappears instantly, and a look of shock takes its place. "Why would I let you stay?"

"You love me," he states as if that's true.

"No. Not really," I say honestly, but the old Isa, the one in a hidden cage, moves and rattles it at Leopold's word.

"I'm getting bored with Carmel and Angela," Leo says, studying me.

There it is. I was right.

I pour myself some vodka, staring at Leopold so he can finish that sentence, as I'm sure it is not complete. I gulp the alcohol, and Leo stares right back.

"You seem like the guy that does," I say, pouring myself another glass. " You got bored with me first-"

"Well, I would not have returned if I got bored with you." 

Do you think that was supposed to impress me?

"Well, if I remember correctly, you liked to irritate me," I point out.

"Well, it was fun," he smirks.

I stare at him with a blank face. What is his deal? "Seriously, Leopold, aren't you worried about me killing you in your sleep?"

"Why do you want to kill me, anyway?"

"I can think of a few reasons," I warn.

"Would you care to list them?" Leopold presses.

"Not really."

 Leo runs. One minute, he was across the counter, then next, he was in front of me, pulling me to him until our faces were inches apart.

"What's up with you?" He asks more of himself than me. "I mean, it is great, you are acting more like... Me," he does not seem to like it, which makes me smile. "But the Isa I knew  wouldn't do any of this." There's a nostalgic hint in his tone.

As if he misses the stupid girl.

I try to think back to that night a year ago, about the girl crying her eyes out, but that memory is foggy.

"The Isa you knew, you told her to enjoy her freedom and leave. I haven't seen her ever since-" I lie. I feel her, but she's buried deep within me and not getting out.

Leopold gives me a look of pure relief as if he figured something out. "It was Adak? Leo laughs again, shaking his head. "I knew it!"