Emilia's favorite part about this job currently twirled around ice cubes in her glass. A mixture of vodka with some other fancy additions that Jayden paid for. Free alcohol is a nice addition to being a walking meat bag to attract some fanged douche bags.

Her eyes scanned Red Light. The mods weren't kidding when they said to dress fancy. This club was a series of vampires in suits and fine dresses split up into different tables. The covens did not even feel the need to hide that they got along anymore. All the big ones were mingling and flashing their coven emblems of Morelli, Vincent, Petrova, Constantine, and Dashkov. Emilia stood at the bar waiting for Petrova to flash theirs. Then she could have some real fun.

A satyr galloped past her with two drinks in his hands as he made his way to the dance floor. A few others danced around near the DJ's booth. A pack of werewolves claimed the edges of the dance floor where a few tables stood. One of them leered at the satyr as it passed them to join its friends.

A few humans lingered on the other dance floor edges. Emilia could not decide if they were here out of morbid fascination or by accident. She could not seem too interested in how the covens or werewolves reacted, or her cover would be blown. So, she shifted her eyes away and hoped no one disappeared in the night.

Emilia took a long swig of her drink at the last thought. Her gaze fell on a group of young men in suits sitting in the corner. Even in the dim light, she could see the forest green Petrova emblem flash on their ties. They probably worked at one of Petrova's businesses in Westminster. She flashed them a coy smile before turning her head to the dance floor—no need to look desperate. Plus, the satyrs just found a witch to create a little light show why they danced around.  These were the creatures she liked.

Emilia clicked the side of her glass with her nail. A subtle tell of her impatience, but if she timed the habit correctly, it appeared as if she really enjoyed the music.  She glanced to see if any of the Petrova men were watching her before slowly moving her body.

In the shadows, their pale skin looked less sickly. Emilia swallowed some bile while recalling a few of the vampiric cadavers they dissected in her Biology of Creatures course. Their lack of buttholes still bothered her for some reason. Did it just collapse inwards after centuries of not needing to poop? Is there a specific timeframe between when they do have a butthole and do not? Her professor actually seemed pleased with the idea of aging vampires based on the gastro-esophageal systems, but it made Emilia gag.  And now, every time she saw a vampire, she wondered: Does it still a butthole?

Emilia took another swig of her vodka to finish it before turning back to the bartender. Her arm motioned to get the bartender's attention before it was pushed down lightly by a pale hand. Emilia followed the hand and eyed the charcoal pinstriped suit with a forest green tie before meeting a pair of pale blue eyes. She could tell from the soft flicker that he wore colored contacts to hide the red rims. Dating mystical creatures might be some people's fetishes, but it did not mean one had to be careless when certain rules had to be followed.

"You don't need to wait for a drink here." His smooth voice almost purred in her ear.

She let a soft shutter roll through her body. Emilia hoped he mistook it for excitement.

"Where should I get my alcohol?" She turned to him with hooded eyes and a welcoming smile.

He motioned back towards their booth. "At our table."

"I don't usually drink with strangers," Emilia responded, leaning back against the bar.

The dark-haired man extends his hand to her. "Paul."

"Nice to meet you, Paul. My name is Annie." She smiled, shaking his hand.

Emilia went through the mental rolodex of Petrova clan members' names Jayden had given her and could not recall a Paul. So, he either decided to use a fake name or was someone they had not been expecting. Part of her did not want to find out which one it was, but that would mean leaving Jayden. She wouldn't abandon her partner again.

"Shall we go?" Paul asked, motioning towards the booth.

Emilia nodded and let him take her by the arm. The club had enough light that they could not find a way to feed on her inside without causing a stir. Even a subtle neck nibble that might seem seductive to the kinky could become too bloody when unchecked.  The other covens would not take too kindly to having their livelihoods put at risk because of a reckless snack.

The introductions were typical. If Emilia did not know better, she would have mistaken them for a group of five gents getting a drink at the club following a long work week. They could have had a long work week. Petrova had diversified into different areas, including medical, construction, and law. Her mother told her never to trust a vampiric lawyer. They would try to suck you dry in multiple ways.

Stop thinking about your mother and focus. Emilia berated herself.

"You okay," Paul whispered to her.

"Yeah, just had something from work pop into my head.  Coworkers can be such bitches." She laughed while motioning for the one who called himself "David" to fill her glass.

David did not bother to wear contacts. A small red rim surrounded the dark brown of his eyes.

"Those are some really cool contacts." Emilia smiled, leaning back in the booth.

"Thanks," David smirked while sharing a look with Paul. "It's for my girlfriend. She likes when we play vampires.  Kind of cool that some get to walk among us now, right?

Emilia gasped before laughing. "Oh my gosh! It totally is.  I wonder if there are any here tonight?"  David shrugged at her while the other guys smiled.  

"Would you be scared if there were?" Paul asked.

"Nah," Emilia sighed with a wave of her hand.  "I think it is probably more hype.  I hear they usually take spare blood from blood banks now anyway.  So, David, did you two meet your girlfriend on Bifrost? I heard it is all the rage. One of my friends wants to date a leprechaun. She said it'd be amazing if he told her to find his gold. Total sploosh-fest. Her words, not mine."

The table erupted into laughter. Emilia smiled while looking around the table. The tale wasn't a complete lie. One of her classmates was obsessed with having trysts with a variety of mythical creatures. She even started a checklist. Said the romance stories she would write after were part of her retirement plan.

"You have some interesting friends, Annie." Paul smiled. His arm snaking around her shoulder. "Maybe, if things go well, I could meet them for breakfast."

Emilia held her smile. She tried not to think about the double edge to his words. Had things gotten so out of hand in London that they actually got away with this type of bullshit? Maybe the guild did need to enforce international standards. Vampires could roam in the city freely, but they had to act within reason and the law. There were still hunters who would take vampires out without remorse due to long-standing grudges. So, many decided to still hide in plain sight. But, these guys did not seem to know which way to go. 

Emilia took a sip of her drink while thinking, They probably all still have buttholes.

"Maybe." She whispered before clicking her tongue. "If you're able to keep me that long."

Paul leaned his head back and laughed. Emilia held her smile and sipped from her glass. If his game reflected anything like the guys she knew, he would let her finish the rest of this drink before suggesting that they go outside for some air. The rest of the guys seemed to be subtly shifting in their seats, indicating they were ready to eat. A pack killing, well, probably not. They don't look that dumb. Some vampires just enjoyed getting small shots of fresh blood and gain their real meals from the bag feeds. So, they just came to clubs, looking for an idiotic girl to get fresh shots out of and to feel the old rush.

They'd have Paul make the girl go unconscious outside in an alley.  The rest would come out in timed intervals to take a hit before depositing her at home or leaving the girl in the alley. If they were smart, they'd steal the girl's purse to make it look like a mugging and provide a witch ointment to heal the wound and stop her from turning. Emilia decided to remain positive that her worst-case scenario was going into snooze mode.

"That's a really nice necklace you have," Paul muttered in her ear.

"Thanks." Emilia fingered the beads of her necklace. "It's a family heirloom from my grandmother. She loved finding pieces at antique shops."

The pleasant conversation continued for a few more minutes before Paul moved to transition Emilia outside. They grabbed her coat on the way out, and she clutched onto her purse as he led her towards an alley beside the club. She knew they probably had about ten to fifteen minutes before another one of his friends joined them. That would be enough time for some kissing, petting, and her to be unconscious.

It had been a while since Emilia felt sexy, and she hoped Jayden provided her a few moments before cornering the guy to ask his stupid questions. She'd hate to have this be all work. Emilia almost enjoyed playing Annie and flirting with the vampire. It made her begin to understand while some girls became blood bags.

Paul had her up against the wall almost instantly when they entered the side alley. His lips were quickly upon hers. She felt a soft prick against her lips as he sucked on her bottom lip. The moan of pleasure immediately turned into a hiss as he pushed himself away from her. Pieces of brick crumbled to her feet.

Emilia brought a hand to her lip and looked at the small amount of blood on her fingers.

"Ouch," she stated in a sarcastic tone while watching Paul clutch his throat in front of her.

"What the fuck did you do?" Paul hissed at her painfully.

Jayden walked from behind a few wheelie bins with a bemused smile. "I'd be interested to know too."

***

Dating Advice from a Hunter:

Never think challenging a satyr to a drinking game is a cute way to flirt.  Those creatures will happily let you kill your liver to enjoy watching you stumble around drunk.  It is better to stick to card games with these guys or even have a dance-off.   As long as you don't try to keep pace with their evolved alcohol tolerance, you are in for a fun date!

Happy hunting,

E.V.

Chapter Word Count: 1,847

Total Word Count: 4, 837