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My hand rested on the knob, and my teeth ground together. I didn’t want to be the monster in front of Karl, but the man was pushing it, and I could feel the pressure building.

“Sir,” Karl said again, his expression worried, which only irritated me further.

“Not now,” I ground out through clenched jaws. My hand tightened around the knob, and a crack echoed through the front hall.

I looked down at the weight resting in my palm, then back up at Karl. He wore a stunned expression, but was wise enough not to speak. Our eyes met. I kept my face blank, but I knew the warning was clear enough to see.

“I’ll be back late,” I said quietly. Karl stared wide-eyed as I walked out of the apartment, leaving the door open behind me.

The evening didn’t go as I’d expected. I found my first meal quickly and drank my fill. Still, no matter how much I consumed, I couldn’t drown the feeling of wrongness inside. My thoughts kept drifting back to Karl and the look on the man’s face. Shame blossomed in my chest. I forced the feeling down. I was a vampire, after all, and Karl was human.

I decided to look for another vein to sink my fangs into. But I wasn’t craving another tryst. I wanted to hunt. I needed to move, to feel the thrill I’d experienced that night in the alley behind the dumpster. I headed somewhere more private, pursuing the rush I longed for.

Striding through the dark, I entered a large park lined with scattered trees and far from the busy streets. Before long, I found what I was looking for. A single figure came walking out of the shadows along the paved pathway in my direction. The man huddled against the weather, his head bent toward the ground, hands buried in the oversized pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. He appeared to be coming back from the gym, with a bag slung over one shoulder. He wore clothes more suited for a workout than a walk home in freezing temperatures. I watched him with anticipation as he walked beneath the dim lamps lining the path. He drew closer, moving from one illuminated patch to another. I pulled back into the shadows between two lamps and waited.

Anyone watching would have seen the man step out of one pool of light and vanish before the next. They might have wondered whether he’d changed direction, stopped, or simply walked off the path. In truth, he was under a nearby tree, one of my arms wrapped like a vise around his waist, the other clamped over his mouth to muffle a scream as my sharp teeth sank into his exposed throat.

I drank greedily, not out of hunger, but because I craved the feeling of power. Yet, something still felt off. Instead of feeling powerful, I felt only restlessness. The man’s struggles slowed, and I released my prey, allowing him to slump to the ground. I’d lost my taste for him but remained unsatisfied, unfulfilled. The man was still alive, his breathing slow and even. I closed his wounds and left him along the path where a couple headed in our direction would soon find him. Despite my melancholy, I didn’t want the man to freeze.

I walked on, hardly noticing the cold wind that battered me, tugging at my clothing and whipping my hair from side to side. I was irritated and on edge. I didn’t understand why I felt this way or why I couldn’t feel the pleasure of the hunt as I once had. But I wasn’t giving up for the night; I would find my satisfaction.

Due to the weather, there weren’t many other people out and about, but it was Friday. The bars would be packed. I headed toward several establishments clustered together, hoping to find what I craved. I chose one at random. None of my friends frequented this part of town, so running into one of them wouldn’t be a concern.

I needed one more anonymous encounter and decided I wouldn’t leave this one alive. Perhaps that was what I was missing. I would kill one more time. I would drain one more human, but it would spare others from my wandering attacks that night. That was my justification. I hoped the kill would bring the rush I craved, but the agitation within me remained. If it didn’t, at least I would be so full it would numb me enough to go home and sleep, I thought. But I felt a chill when I considered what it would mean if it didn’t work. If I couldn’t catch what I was chasing, what was the point of it all? I shook off the thought and went hunting.

The bar was crowded, but in a cheery sort of way. It wasn’t the dark, seedy joints I’d been frequenting lately. The clientele was mostly young professionals and a few older couples out together. I waded through the bodies, letting my senses guide me.

There were several appealing prospects for the evening’s final act. My eyes eagerly scanned the crowd. A dark-haired man chatted with friends while glancing my way beneath a remarkable set of black lashes. A petite brunette had noticed me the moment I’d arrived and hadn’t taken her eyes off me since. And then there was the tall man in the corner by the window. He was talking with a woman but kept stealing glances at me with beautiful brown eyes. He was handsome, with high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and impeccably styled blond hair. Yes, he was exactly what I was craving. Beauty, strength, and a shy vulnerability I was instantly drawn to. Plus, the expression on the man’s face suggested he might not be too difficult to separate from his companion. I stopped by the bar for a drink and then headed in the man’s direction.

6

JULIAN

The week dragged on, and I thought maybe Friday would never come and I wouldn’t have to keep my promise to Emily. Friday did arrive, however, and even though I wanted to head straight home and crawl into bed, I knew I wouldn’t let Em down. The flu had made it to the city, but it wasn’t widespread yet, and businesses were still open—law firms and bars.

We decided to leave directly after work and go to a place near the office. I suspected Emily had suggested the timing and location to ensure I went along. I planned to have a drink or two and call it a night. We would typically turn something like this into a full night out, but I wasn’t interested. I just wasn’t in the mood.

We arrived at the bar just as it was starting to fill up and secured a table in the corner by one of the large front windows. Once I was there, I had to admit it was nice to be out with Emily. She was wonderful company and talked enough for both of us. She had that amazing ability to know when to press and when to give someone space. I gladly listened as she shared stories about her new apartment and the recent vacation she’d taken with her mom. Maybe I could make it through the evening without discussing my relationship—or lack thereof.

We were on our second round when a man walked through the front door, making me forget why I was there and what I had intended. He stood easily over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and chin-length dark hair that fell in soft waves, looking like he had just stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine. Holy hell, the guy was gorgeous. I realized my mouth was hanging open and quickly clamped it shut. And I wasn’t the only one affected by the stranger. Several heads in the room turned, and one waitress tripped and nearly dropped her tray.

I shook my head, trying to refocus on what Em was saying. I couldn’t help it, though. My eyes kept drifting back to the man by the bar. What was my problem? I’d seen attractive men before, but I’d never felt so flustered. To redirect my attention, I asked Emily a question and dove back into our conversation. I was determined to stop staring at the guy. I simply needed to shift my focus elsewhere. Yet it wasn’t long before I lost my resolve and looked up to find the man. There he was, exactly where he’d been a moment before, but this time he was staring back at me.

My stomach leaped into my throat. The man’s eyes locked onto mine, and I momentarily forgot how to breathe. His blue gaze was hypnotic and sensual, but it also promised real danger. The hair on the back of my neck stood up in warning, yet I couldn’t look away. The spell was broken when the stranger turned to face the bar, but not before he offered me a smile that sent a thrill down my spine.

I was being ridiculous. I reminded myself I wasn’t there to pick anyone up. And even if I were, a guy like that wouldn’t be interested in someone like me. He was way out of my league. I was just getting out of one relationship and wasn’t ready to jump into something new, even as a fleeting distraction—which wasn’t my style. I did move on quickly, but I always fell into another committed relationship.

No.

Time alone. That was what I needed. That was what I’d decided was best for now. Plus, that guy was beautiful, but he also looked like trouble. There was an edge to the look he gave me that set off alarm bells in the back of my mind. Yeah, it was best to put him out of my thoughts. I would not look back up, I told myself.

“Julian? Did you hear anything I just said?” Emily asked. “Or were you looking at the model by the bar?”

“What?”

“You were. You were checking him out.” She grinned at me and glanced toward the bar. “Okay, don’t look now, but I think he’s coming over here.”

Before I could think better of it, I turned my head. The man was making his way through the crowd, and he was indeed headed straight toward us. A vise closed around my throat as I stared, unable to look away. A growing sense of anticipation spread through my chest as I waited to see what would happen next.