Chapter 1:

"Y/N! Are you ready yet? We need to leave now if we want to get there before 11!" Your friend Selena's rang through the bathroom door. You rolled your eyes, fastening one last bobby pin in your hair.

You gave yourself a once over in the mirror and smiled. You had to hand it to yourself, you looked damn good. You were wearing a long-sleeve, shear black top that showed off your black bra underneath and a pastel pink miniskirt that left little to the imagination.

After deeming yourself worthy, you exited the bathroom and grinned at your two friends who were touching up their makeup and hair. Selena turned to look at you and she squealed, rushing over to you to give you a hug.

"You look fierce, babe!" She exclaimed, brushing her fingers through your hair to style it in a wave down your back. Your other friend, Katie nodded in agreement and leapt off the bed to come over to you.

"It's not everyday you turn 21, so you have to look your best! And you definitely fit that bill." She gave you and Selena a hug and the three of your laughed and squeezed each other in a group hug.

Tonight, was the first time in months that you had a chance to go out and have fun with your friends. In between university classes and your two jobs, it was difficult to find any time to yourself. But today, on your 21st birthday, you cleared your schedule enough to be able to go out with your friends. Selena and Katie, your roommates and best friends, were both already 21, which made you the baby of the group. Tonight, you were all going to go out and get hammered for one night of endless fun.

"The Uber's here!" Katie exclaimed, looking down at her phone. The three of you squealed, grabbed your stuff, and left the cluttered apartment. You each had a small purse, which held your phone and wallet, and a water bottle, which did not contain water.

The three of you clambered into the uber, already slightly tipsy from pregaming for an hour beforehand. You took a swig of your water bottle, wincing at the sharp bitter taste of the vodka. It was even nastier since it was the cheap kind of vodka instead of the quality stuff. You weren't privileged enough to be able to afford the nice kind of vodka.

"What's this new club we're going to?" You asked, your speech slightly slurred. Selena looked down at her phone.

"It's called The Red Satin." She said, holding up her phone with the club's website. "It's supposed to be really good, it has four and a half stars." You huffed sadly.

"Aw, that probably means it's expensive." You whined softly. Katie gave you a shake.

"Even if it is, we aren't paying for drinks, right?" She gave you a reassuring grin and you returned it, unable to resist her eagerness.

"Right. We're gonna make all the boys work for it!" Selena agreed, throwing an arm around your shoulders. Katie leaned in with a sly smile.

"And maybe Y/N will finally bring a man home instead of always sleeping alone." She teased, causing you to gasp in surprised offense.

"Hey, I'm single by choice." You protested, causing Selena to laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, we all know your sob excuses." Katie grinned and you rolled your eyes, giving her a swift smack to the head. She gasped and her hands flew to her head. "You're gonna ruin my hair!" She exclaimed.

"Relax, drama queen. Your hair is gonna be super messed up by the end of the night anyway." Selena giggled and reached out to playfully tussle Katie's hair. Katie yelped and jerked away as you and Selena burst out laughing.

When you reached The Red Satin, the line was so long, it almost wrapped around the block. The three of you groaned in annoyance and were about to trudge to the back of the line, until you saw the bouncer waving at you.

"Girls get in free before 11!" He called out. The three of you looked at each other and then grinned as you made your way to the entrance, smirking at the men standing at the front of the line, giving you both dirty and appreciative looks. The bouncer stepped aside and nodded politely at you as you went to enter the club.

"Wait." He called, causing the three of you to pause. "You can't take any food or drink with you. you'll have to leave that here." He said, gesturing at your water bottles. The three of you looked at each other and shrugged. You opened the cap of the bottle and threw it back, downing the last two gulps of hard liquor. You winced and made a nasty face as you finished, tossing your empty water bottle at the bouncer. He caught it and smirked as Selena and Katie followed suit.

"You guys seem like you're ready to party." He commented. You grinned and nodded.

"It's my birthday." You announced. The bouncer smiled and nodded his head at you.

"Happy birthday, pretty lady."

The three of you made your way into the crowded club. The glass tables and gorgeous tile floor made this place feel like a posh, sophisticated ballroom, but the energetic techno beat coming from the DJ booth and the crowds of scantily clad women and eager men made it seem more what you'd expect from a club.

Selena led the charge, taking the lead to make her way to the bar. Katie grabbed her hand and yours to serve at the middle man as the three of you made your way through the bustling crowd. You were carefully trying to keep away from people as much as possible, when you tripped over someone's leg and fell forward, releasing Katie's hand. You bumped into something hard just before you fell down and staggered back, regaining your balance. You looked up to see what you bumped into and came face to face with intense, black eyes.

A young man stood before you, his skin translucent and his eyes piercing. Your lips parted as you scanned over his chiseled face and jaw, to his perfect, clear skin, perfect full lower lip, and back up into his eyes. This was the most beautiful man you'd ever seen. He stood tall over the crowd and exuded a sort of stoic confidence that made him undeniably sexy. You swallowed hard and took a breath to say something. To apologize, to flirt, you weren't sure. You never got the chance.

"Watch where you're going, short stack." He snapped rudely, causing the fantasy of him to shatter. You blinked in surprise.

"Short stack?" You demanded, feeling indignation rise in your chest. The man quirked and eyebrow and rolled his eyes before turning away and disappearing into the crowd. Your jaw dropped as you watched him go, feeling bewildered and confused.

"Y/N!" You blinked and turned when you heard your name to see Katie waving her arms at you further away at the bar. You let out a small exhale and pushed through the crowd to get to her. You pushed the hot, rude man from your mind and joined your friends at the bar.

"Sorry girls, I tripped. Let's get hammered!" You exclaimed, grinning as you waved the bartender over.

"What can I get started for you?" The bartender asked, giving Selena a sly smile. She smiled back at him and glanced at you and Katie before replying.

"We'll start with tequila shots please." She said, leaning forward slightly to show a hint of her cleavage. The bartender smirked and nodded, reaching down to grab the shot glasses. He lined them up for you and you raised your eyebrows at Selena who shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"It's this one's birthday today," She said, gesturing at you. "So, is there any chance we can get a discount?"

"It's your birthday?" The bartender asked you. You grinned and presented your ID to him. He squinted at it and smiled broadly. "21, huh? In that case, I'll give you triple shots on the house for all three of you ladies." He placed six more shot glasses on the counter and poured the tequila inside.

"Cheers to 21 years!" Selena announced, raising her glass. You and Katie followed suit, raising your first shot.

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

~~~

About an hour later, it was safe to say you were more than a little drunk. You and your friends spent most of the hour flirting with the bartender, getting free drinks, flirting with more unsuspecting boys, and getting free drinks from them too. Now you had stumbled onto the dance floor and you were dancing together in a circle, grinding on each other, dropping it to the floor, and basically acting like sluts without really caring who was watching.

Selena was twerking on Katie and you were laughing at their crazy antics, when you accidently bumped into someone's shoulder. You let out a terse apology and regained your balance when you felt a cold hand slip around your waist. You turned in surprise and gasped when you met cool, cat-like eyes.

"Are you alright, love?" His voice was sweet and velvety, and your eyelids fluttered as you forgot where you were for a second. You swallowed hard and placed a smile on your face, trying to focus your vision.

"Yes, I'm fine." You replied, barely noticing when you placed your palms on his chest. this man was sultry and seductive, his piercing eyes seemed like they could look right through you. You bit your lips flirtatiously as you glanced down at his own plump lips. They were beautiful and full, and you imagined your own teeth biting down on them. You were definitely drunker than you first thought.

"You are beautiful." He cooed provocatively. He wore a soft smirk and you were drawn to his aura, his appearance. You leaned closer, letting his other hands slip around your waist as well. "Would you like to dance?" He asked. His voice was barely above a whisper, but you could hear it clearly. You bit your lip and nodded, letting him draw you close. Your heart pounded as the two of you moved together to the beat of the music.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Selena and Katie giving you incredulous looks. You smirked in their direction and Selena applauded, while Katie pumped her fists. You snickered to yourself at your friends. You brought your attention back to the mysterious stranger, who was smirking, looking deep into your eyes. He flipped your around and pulled your back against his chest, dipping his head toward your neck. You could feel his hot breath against your skin as his hands guided your hips against his pelvis in a slow, grinding motion. You shuddered and closed your eyes as you felt his lips press against the skin of your neck.

Your jaw dropped and you leaned your head back at the incredible sensation. They were soft, smooth, and warm and sent shoots of pleasure to the rest of your body. His hands tightened on your body and you pressed your butt against his pelvis, smiling when you heard him growl behind you.

The song ended and he spun you back around, licking his lips alluringly. You bit your lip and leaned in closer as a new song began. Instead of him leaning closer, like you'd expected, his stepped back, releasing you and pulling his hands from your waist. You watched him in surprise as cold washed over you at the separation.

"Thanks for the dance." He said, with a sultry smile. He turned to walk away, and you blinked in surprise.

"Wait!" You called out, reaching out to grab his wrist. He turned to look at you, then down at your hand around his wrist and smirked. "Do you have a name?" You asked, quickly releasing his wrist sheepishly. The man glanced back up at you and quirked an eyebrow. He pursed his lips and squinted at you, scrutinizing. You swallowed hard, waiting for his answer.

"Not to you." He replied, causing your jaw to drop in surprise. He turned away and walked away, leaving you standing there utterly baffled.

You stood rooted to the spot for a few moments, your mouth hanging open. You were completely confused. Was that a rejection? Did he just want to keep an air of mystery or something? Whatever the case, your mood soured significantly. You turned around and looked around for your friends, who had vanished since your dance with the mysterious stranger. You walked around the dance floor, looking around for a familiar head of Selena's sleek raven hair or Katie's bushy brown hair, but you couldn't find them.

You made your way back to the bar and slid onto the stool, hoping that they would find you at some point.

"Long Island Iced Tea, please." You ordered from the bartender. He glanced at you and lifted an eyebrow. He leaned in closer and spoke quietly to you.

"Do you have a way to get home? You're not driving, are you?" He asked. You bristled and shook your head.

"I'm taking an Uber." You reassured. The bartender nodded and went about making your drink.

You looked around the club, hoping to maybe spot Selena or Katie when your eyes landed on a familiar face sitting at the end of the bar. It was the rude stranger from earlier in the club who had called you "short stack". He was scanning the room, sipping his glass of liquor and leaning casually against the bar. His hawk-like eyes roamed over every inch of the room, until they landed on you. His gaze locked with yours and he paused. You quickly looked away, feeling embarrassed that you'd been caught staring.

You waited a few moments before daring to look back in his direction. When you did, you were surprised to see that he was gone. You blinked and looked around, scanning the bar and the surrounding area for him, but he had vanished completely. The bartender placed your drink in front of you as you knotted your brows in confusion. What was with these mysterious men and their disappearing act?

"Y/N! There you are!" Katie suddenly appeared next to you, shouting at the top her lungs. You cringed at her loud voice right next to your ear. You turned to face her to see her hair completely disheveled and messy, just as you'd predicted in the cab. She hugged you tight and her eyes fell hungrily on your drink. She nodded toward it and you shrugged, smiling fondly as she snatched it up and took a few large gulps.

"Are you having fun?" She asked, handing your drink, now half empty, back to you. You shrugged, taking a long gulp of the drink.

"The guy I was dancing with abandoned me." You said, earning a scoff from Katie.

"What a dick!" She shouted, clambering onto the stool next to you. "Selena abandoned me too. She's making out with some ginger on the dance floor." She pointed and sure enough, you spotted Selena lean figure pressed up against a tall red-haired young man, their faces mashed together as they grinded on the dance floor. You burst out laughing at the scene.

"I'm glad she's having fun!" You yelled, taking a few more sips of the drink.

"Yeah, but she's crazy if she thinks she's going to bring anyone home to the apartment." Katie waggled a finger at Selena, making you laugh.

"So, you want me to bring someone home, but not Selena?" You gave Katie a playful shrug and she grinned at you.

"You're turning into an old maid. She brings someone home every other week!" She exclaimed.

You both laughed together as you placed your finished glass down on the counter. You got up from the seat, feeling a familiar urge to go use the restroom. Alcohol would do that to you.

"I gotta pee." You announced. Katie nodded and gestured to the back of the club. "I think there's a bathroom back there. I'm gonna try to pry Selena away. I'm honestly getting pretty tired."

"Okay! I'll find you at the front of the club and we can go home." You gave Katie a quick hug and then made your way to the back of the club. Your movements were swayed and slightly staggering, thanks to the effects of the many drinks you'd had that night. You were also feeling that familiar dizziness and fuzziness that came from being drunk. You stumbled a couple of times and laughed at yourself.

Finally, you reached the back of the club and entered into a dark hallway. You squinted at the signs on the doors, trying to find the door that lead to the bathroom. You found a sign that guided you up a flight of stairs to a second floor. Finally, you found the women's bathroom, or at least you were pretty sure it was. You opened the door to the single stall bathroom and smiled deliriously. You quickly did your business in the disgusting club toilet and washed your hands. Several times. Even in your drunken state, you had enough sense to know how filthy this place must be.

After leaving the bathroom, you tried to find your way back to the club. You found the flight of stairs that had brought you to the second floor and started climbing down. You continued to descend the stairs, not really noticing how many more stairs there were now compared to earlier. If you'd been in the right state of mind, you probably would have noticed something strange about these stairs. They had red velvet covering and the railings were painted gold, very unlike the filth and grime of the bathroom and hallway.

You reached the bottom, finally, and looked up at the grand mahogany double doors. You crunched your eyebrows together in confusion. You didn't remember this door on your way up to the bathroom. You sighed and mentally scolded yourself for drinking so much. You were so out of touch with your surroundings that you were confusing yourself.

You pushed the door open and walked into what you were expecting to be the hallway outside the club's main room. Instead, you were met with a different hallway. This hallway has the same red velvet carpet on the grounds and dark black walls with gold living. You looked around in confusion as you walked further inside. Had you taken a wrong turn somewhere? Because this definitely wasn't the hallway from the club.

You came up to a large archway that led into another large room where sultry, seductive music was wafting through. You cautious walked through the archway and into a new nightclub. You looked around in awe at the red floors, the gold lining on everything, and sophisticated air of the place. There were people down here too, sitting at tables, at the beautiful bar in the center of the room, and dancing near the DJ booth further away. You started to smile as you looked around, feeling proud of yourself for finding another club underneath the club upstairs. You had a fleeting thought that you shouldn't be down here, but you brushed it aside. You turned around, intending to go find Selena and Katie and bring them down here with you.

You made your way back through the arch and into the hallway again. You turned to the stairwell but paused when you noticed a figure a little way away. Perfect, you thought. You could ask those people about this place to see if you were even allowed down here. You walked over to the figure and tilted your head when you realized it was actually two people pressed against the wall. You stopped in your tracks when you realized that it was a man and a woman. The woman was being pressed against the wall, while the man encased her in his body, his mouth buried in her neck. You gulped and blushed awkwardly when you realized that you were walking in on two people getting it on.

You stepped backwards, hoping to make a quick getaway, when you paused, something about the scene catching your eye. When you looked closer you noticed the woman's arms were shaking in a strange way... almost like spasming. Her legs and back were ramrod straight, and her head was tilted toward you, her eyes wide open. You squinted in confusion at how the man's head was angled against her neck. There was something red dripping down her neck right at the place his mouth pressed against her skin. Was that... blood?

You gasped loudly and the man's head jerked up at the sound. Your eyes bugged out of head, your jaw dropped, and your heart leapt out of your chest as his head turned and landed on you. His mouth was covered in blood and the woman's neck had a huge gash in the side. Your gaze focused on the man's sharp fangs and blood red eyes.

Was this a dream? This had to be a dream.

The man stepped back, and the woman collapsed at his feet. Passed out? Dead? You didn't know. There was only one word echoing in your head like through a megaphone. Run.

You stumbled back and turned around, hoping to sprint away from the horrors behind you. just as you took one step forward, the man was suddenly in front of you, blocking your exit. You gasped and opened your mouth to scream, but your heart was lodged in your throat, preventing any sound from escaping. An ice cold hand latched around your bicep and you looked up into the man's blood red eyes, terror like you'd never felt before coursing through your veins.

"Where do you think you're going, poppet?" He growled, his tongue darting out to lick the blood around his mouth. You gasped for breath as fear for your life clawed into your throat and head.

You looked up into his red, red eyes and felt bugs run over your entire body before your eyes rolled up into the back of your head and you passed out, the image of his eyes and his fangs haunting you still.