I lean against my truck, smoking and watching the moon to rise. Maybe I got the time wrong, but it's my first tour here. I'm eager to find out the hunting habits of my soon to be friends. As a foreign vampire in a new city, it's always wise to not get into the way of the rooted ones. The Internet is a blessing and the signs and signals as to which kind of hunting party you sign up are pretty clear.

The surrounding greenery of the forest trees is rustling at the light breeze, bringing familiar scents to my nose. I wonder how they handle it here. Back in my old town, we were a bunch of idiots trying to find a deer we could catch and the first one to rip its throat open won the race. Sometimes I took part in illegal hunts where you could win the human prey, but I promised myself to be better now. I already have to leave the country, this time I want to stay.

Maybe they are about to see what I'll do if they don't show up. Making sure I'm not another mere human who accidentally tried to find new friends.

A human would leave. I'll start the hunt and see what happens. Throwing the reminiscent of the cigarette in the dirt I make sure not to cause a fire. I smirk; the newbie destroying the hunting grounds out of being careless. That would be nice, wouldn't it be?

Tucking two knives at the holsters of my calves I take in a deep breath. There are the scents of the creatures of the night, the trees and...

I frown. Humans?

Maybe those are some hikers still on their way home. Okay, another obstacle in my way, but that's not too hard to avoid. A silent beeping and the blink of the car's lights can be heard and seen as I lock it to dart off and enjoy the night. Passing by the first few rows of trees something oddly smells on my right.

When I take a look a woman shows up, showing me her fangs and slightly gleaming brown eyes. Guess I did it right. She signals to slow down and we both come to a halt. She is dressed in black leather pants and a matching jacket, clutching against her feminine curves. Even though I realize she is rather little.

"I see you made it!" she beams. Her face looks as if it is made out of marble.

"Nice to meet you." She nods and takes out two little vials. "A shot before the hunt? It's a welcome ritual here." She hands me one of them.

"The boys will join in a few. I think my bike is just too fast for their liking." A smirk in her face betrays her fierceness. I have to grin on my own. I really consider hunting another kind of deer tonight.

"How's your name?" I ask but she only raises the vial. "First things first, when everybody is here I'll introduce you to our little gang." I nod and we both down the liquid inside the vial. It's burning down the throat as if it's gasoline.

"What the hell...?"

She laughs out loud. "Alright! Everything prepared!" She happily yells.

"I'm the grand master tonight and here is our next prey! His name is... ah, who cares right?" Not lowering her voice I start to question her sanity.

"Who are you talki―"

"You, my oblivious friend, signed up for joining a hunting party. What made you think you will be playing in our team?"

"I... wait what?"

"Let the games begin." With that, she starts darting off and leaving me standing there like a fool.

What did just happen? While I still ponder about that weird woman and her monologue a shot breaks out of the pitch black rows of trees to my left. I duck and turn away but the bullet scratches my arm and I can feel the pain where it rips open my T-shirt.

Looking at the thin red line that starts to draw a drop of blood I realize that it doesn't heal. It's just bleeding. I'm bleeding and not healing. My mind starts to race as another shot break out of the trees behind me this time. This time it scratches my leg as I do another attempt to move out of the way. Why am I so slow?! That liquid...

Shit! This one doesn't heal either. My heartbeat increases as I realize what kind of game that is. Before there will be another attempt to go after me I start running. What have I got myself into? What kinds of vampires do this to their own kind?

The brown-eyed woman appears again close enough to me to hear her. "I wouldn't go back to the truck, sweetheart! It won't be there, but in fact, you will face some more barrels of shotguns."

"What the hell is this?" I bark out but trust her every word and change my direction. The woods are full of human scents and I really don't plan on hurting any of them. The ruling Lord of the coven would be furious to hear about this!

Unfortunately, I did not announce my presence here to our authorities. I hate bureaucracy but this time it maybe costs me my life to be so sloppy with rules and laws. Running deeper into the forest I jump aside and up where ever I can hear another shot.

There is so much shooting going on and yelling and I can see their flashlights searching for me and chasing me. I come to a sudden halt as I face a human in front of me at a clearing. I'm not used to being the prey. He is aiming his shotgun at my chest. I'm panting hard out of anxiousness and the physical strain.

Why?! What did I do to them?

"Got ya', bastard!" he remarks and I'm just too perplex to move any further than raising my hands in a humiliating way. It's too late to run again and coming to a gunfight with knives is the most fucked up cliché I could find myself in. More of those humans are stepping out of the surrounding tree lines. They are aiming their different guns and flashlights at me.

"That was fast." The woman sits up in a tree, before more of sliding down the bark than really jumping down. "Well done, Gerald, but this one was a rather easy catch, right? He's not worth more than twenty points."

The guy named Gerald groans. "Come on! You need to give me more than that. Look at that face of his. He's dangerous."

"How did one of my good friends always say? C'est la vie. All of us are dangerous to you." she snarls. The man clicks his tongue before slightly putting down his gun. "That's disappointing."

I lower my arms although there are still a lot of guns pointing at me. The woman positions herself in front of me with a loud whistle on her lips. "Lester!" she barks and a man comes to stand next to her like a statue of long ago times. "Yes, milady!"

"Mat Shakley, you are found to break the law of the Vampire Society of London and will get your trial soon. It may seem ancient to a youngster like you, but we have rules here! You didn't announce your presence in this area. I am the first-in-line of the royal guards." she narrows her eyes at me and said Lester starts to tie up my hands behind my back.

"I am also your worst nightmare if you dare to make me angry and resist to this procedure." She threatens.

I gulp at her cold tone. That's a totally different approach than in the States. I thought the stories about the royal guards here are just myths. I didn't know they really existed.

Another thought strikes my mind. If they are real, what else about the rumors of them is real? "Are you..." I start to stammer and her grin spreads over her face.

"Yes, I'm Eve Blackwood, the Lord's fosterling and you are arrested."