~ The Vampire's Colony

Kieran’s POV.

Three days later, sliding my finger lazily across the carpet in search of my drink, I frown as I bring it to my lips. There's not so much left, so I'm forced to lap the froth caked around the rim.

Beau plays his piano in the background and once in a while, he scribbles down notes across a sheet of paper. I used to be envious of the way he could write music but now I just see it as the prize of being able to call someone like him my best friend.

He stops playing and looks at me.

“Do you think it sounds like the hook in Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson?”

“Play it again?” I say as a blink repeatedly at him.

Beau plays the same note again and I try to compare it to the hook in question.

“No,” I confirm. “They’re completely different. The similarity I can get is at the beginning.”

Beau smirks and points his pen to my direction. “You're learning.”

“Yeah,” I scoff. “It only took me six years to learn one or two things about music.”

Beau rolls his eyes at me. “Everyone learns at their own pace.”

“Speaking of pace, I need to be drunk before Rebecca comes back with her group of friends. I can't deal with that shit.”

Beau snorts but doesn't look back up.

“Do you want one too?” I ask him as I get up to get beers from the living room.

Beau doesn't answer, already lost in the world of music.

When I bring them back into the room though, Beau is standing and frowning at his phone.

“What's wrong?” I ask.

“I got an alert from my vamp,” he mutters.

“Do you need to go feed her soon?” I ask.

“Not soon. She needs me now.” He answers.

Beau sounds worried but it's hard to tell though. Beau has always been the type of guy that doesn't allow fear to edge him. He's always dealing with things with a clear mind and ease.

“What is it?”

“She wants me to come to the Vampire colony.”

“What? Why?” My eyes widen as I blurt out the question.

Whenever a consort and a vampire wants to meet for live feeding, it's usually in a setting close to other humans or at least in a setting that's neutral to both parties.

“Why does she want you to go there?”

Beau scratches his head. “I don't know but she marked it as important. She needs feeding.”

As much as it pains me to see the torment in Kelly’s features, that feeling of envy resurfaces. I know how much it annoys him to have a female vampire, but at least he has a vampire. The one assigned to me rejected me and sent me a mail of rejection and hasn't responded to my reply in over a week.

“Let me take you.” I offer.

Beau snaps his head up. “What?”

I continue. “Seriously, I'll drive you into the colony, wait for you until you're done and then drive us back.”

My best friend shakes his head back and forth harshly. “You can't do that Kieran. What if something happens? I can't let you do that.”

“Well, I sure as hell am not going to let you go alone.” I argued. “Even if you tried, I'll call Rebecca right now and you know how she'll react if she finds out you want to go there on your own.”

Beau arches his eyebrows. “Don't you dare do that!”

“Try me.” I say as I grab my keys off the table and move to the door to get my coat.

~~~~~

Beau points to the last exit to the right. He checks the map on his phone a final time before he nods. “You can stop here”

I ease the car into halt. My nerves are getting the better of me and a cold sweat breaks out on my skin the further we get from the land of the living.

“I shouldn't have let you drive me.” Beau whispers.

“I wouldn't have let you go alone.” I whisper back.

The light in the immortal city is dark and dingy. Beau taps his leg up and down nervously.

I look out of the car window. A few vampires walking the street stare at my car, their red eyes sharp with curiosity. My courage flees into the shadows because even though the vampires look like us, they don't have a moral compass.

Beau bites his lips and stares at the house ahead. He shuts off his phone and nudges my side.

“Will you go in for me?” He asks with an overly bright smile on his face.

“If I could, I would.” I forced a smile in return.

Beau shakes his head at my word.

“I'll be right here waiting.” I assure him.

He reaches for the door handle, swings it open and hops out.

“May your veins be thick with sweet blood.” I shout after him as the door clicks shut.

He jogs up the length of the house and the door opens before he even has the chance to knock. I crane my neck to see what his vampire looks like but the door shuts behind him.

Poor boy.

The moment the door closes, the fear in me doubles. There are not a lot of vampires on the street, but the ones walking already took notice of me. A woman with bright red eyes looks at me without shame and licks her lips.

Shit.

My chest tightens when she takes a step towards my car. She has a cunning smile on her face and even though I want to look away from her, I can't- it seems she has me in a trance. The fear building inside of me is enough to make me choke.

She quickens her pace and soon she's just a few paces away, I swallow hard and lock the car doors. Her pupils dilate into a menacing black orbs as she reaches an arm length from me.

Suddenly, another figure joins her and in a blur of fast movements, she's gone.

I blink in confusion as I try to swallow spit through my dry throat. I whip my head around trying to find her.

Where could she have gone?

I look behind me, just to make sure she doesn't break inside my car and I can see a hooded figure by my passenger window.

The figure leans down so slowly with eyes blazing with fury.

A hand rises up to the window and taps it with the pad of their index finger. Locking my gaze closely at the figure again, my heart skips.

Caius.

My vampire mate.