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It had begun.

Her smile broadened as she arched her eyebrows. “Oh, I’ll have what you’re having,” she said, sliding onto the stool and adjusting her outfit.

I signaled the bartender and ordered a beer for her.

“Thanks. What’s your name?” she asked. “I’m Trisha.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Trisha,” I said, recalling Anna’s crude comment. “I’m John.” I decided to embrace it this evening.

“I haven’t seen you here before,” Trisha said. “Are you from out of town?”

“Yes. That’s right,” I replied. “I’m here for only a few days.”

She smiled again, and I responded with one of my own.

Back in my usual rhythm of the hunt, I found it easy to relax and let the dance play out as it always did. After all, I reminded myself, there was no rush.

As we chatted, however, things didn’t unfold as usual. I observed her, as I did with all my prey, but she wasn’t focused on what I expected. Her eyes mostly stayed on mine. When the chance arose, she seemed only mildly interested in my physique or subtle displays of wealth. Occasionally, she glanced around the bar, but mostly she just watched me.

“Do you play pool?” she asked, pointing across the room.

Turning, I looked to the back corner, where several people were still playing. “I’m afraid not. Not for a long time, anyway.”

I turned back to her as she fidgeted in her seat. She pointed to my still-full beer. “You don’t like the beer?” she asked with a scowl. “Mine’s pretty good, but a bit sour.” She held up her half-empty glass.

She was observant. I grimaced. “I was just so absorbed in the conversation,” I said, picking up my glass. “Cheers.”

I was off my game. By that point, I would have discreetly dumped most of it, but I’d been distracted by trying to figure out what interested this woman and where her focus lay. I didn’t want her to become suspicious, though, so I took a long swallow.

As we talked, I choked down the rest of the vile liquid. Trisha seemed more at ease and finished her drink as well. “You want to get out of here?” she asked.

“Sure,” I said, pleased she was still interested. “I’ll just use the restroom first. I’ll be right back.” I needed to get rid of the awful beer before I did anything else.

“Are you feeling okay?” she asked, her concern evident. I wondered if my expression betrayed my disgust for the beer sloshing around in my stomach.

“Yeah. I’m good. I’ll be only a minute,” I said, heading for the men’s room.

When I stepped out a few minutes later, adjusting my coat, I was surprised to see Trisha waiting by the door. She looked relieved to see me, as if she’d worried I might try to sneak away.

“Let’s go this way,” she said, placing a hand on my chest and pointing to a side exit next to the restrooms.

My distraction by the drink’s inconvenience faded, and once again I found myself engaged in the hunt. Trisha’s hand on my chest sent a shiver through me, and every muscle tightened with anticipation. My canines lengthened for the feed, and I focused on keeping a natural, relaxed pace as I followed her out.

She guided me through the door and into a dark alley beside the club. The only light came from a single bulb above the door and the moon shining down. It was perfect. She pulled me behind a dumpster, out of sight of the door, and began to kiss me in earnest.

I eagerly followed her lead, pressing her against the building’s cool bricks and pinning her in place, savoring the feel of her and what was to come. I pulled back when she tried to deepen the kiss. Instead, I lowered my head and kissed her neck, preparing her for my bite. Before I could sink my fangs in, I heard the club door open and close. Despite my growing excitement, I slowed my movements and kissed her throat gently. She clung to me, grasping my clothing and urging me onward.

I paused, waiting for whoever had entered the alley to leave. They didn’t, though. At that moment, Trisha froze, her body tensing. She had noticed the intruder.

The heavy footfalls gave the man away as he tried to sneak up behind me. If the sound hadn’t alerted me, the man’s scent would have. The heady mix of alcohol and adrenaline warned of trouble.

I stepped back from Trisha and turned to face the threat, keeping the woman safely behind me. A tough-looking man, roughly my height but at least fifty pounds heavier—mostly around the middle—blocked the alley’s exit. He held a knife in one hand and wore a smirk.

Few vampires could tolerate being interrupted during a meal, and no vampire would let a threat go unanswered, especially when it came from a human. Yet I prided myself on my self-control. The only question now was how to dispose of this man without frightening away my meal. I might still be able to salvage the situation, but it would require finesse. I realized I needed to approach this carefully.

But before I could make an opening move, the man shot me a hard look in the dim light. “How much did you give him, Trish?” he asked.

“Enough to drop a guy twice his size,” she said, stepping out from behind her vampire protector. “I thought he’d go down in the bathroom for sure.”