VALENTINA
________
DEVIL'S LURE.
The name of the club had a different effect on me this time, I barely sent it a second glance, as I walked straight into the building, after showing the Bouncers my ID.
The music was deafening and this time around, I allowed myself a little bit of distraction. I let the sharp smell of alcohol seep through my nostrils, observing how everyone seemed to be paired in different numbers on the dancing floor, by the bar and the dark corners, while they enjoyed themselves.
"Not now, Val." I mumbled underneath my breath, hating that I sounded like Ru.
And not ever.
I mentally noted with a grumble as I headed towards the stairs.
Then, I felt it.
A dark consuming aura.
I knew what that meant.
My body laced with goosebumps and to me, everything fall quiet.
They were here.
Monsters.
I turned back, looking around at the oblivious people still having fun. A number of them must be turning 20 tonight, and there were no soldiers around.
Those monsters could be anywhere lurking in those dark shadows. Someone here wasn't safe.
Well, I wasn't getting paid to protect everyone and we only protected those that we were paid to protect. I had to hurry up to my business, finish it, get out of here, drive away and not look back.
I snapped out of it and the noise rushed back into my ears.
I turned away, up the stairs and finally to the room.
Anastasia was right, the bracelet was on the side table. I scooped it up and tucked it away in one of my pockets.
My business here was done.
Suddenly my body was laced with goosebumps.
I could sense it again, that dark aura.
This ability was something sort of an instinct that I was way too farmilar with. I could always sense the Monsters whenever they were near. Most soldiers said they couldn't, well that must be one of the reasons why I was the best. I had trained not only my physical abilities but my instincts too. I was really just that--
The dark aura hit me like train. Consuming, almost choking.
Goodness!
They were still here? Who could it be that they were looking for?
The Monsters were known to move fast within the shadows, between seconds, taking what they wanted in a flash.
Whosoever they were after was giving them trouble and as much as I was moved to protect, any damaged done by me or to me, would not be paid for or compensated by my Unit.
That would be a case of an unassigned mission.
Could they just get away already!
This wasn't the first time something like this would be happening, but this was the first time I was being so moved to get involved.
I reached my hand up to my pendant but found an empty space. I missed that little piece of rock. This was the first mission I was taking without it. My hand ached to grasp it tightly like I used to anytime I was getting nervo--
Creeeeeaaaakkkk.
Boots against the floor.
No way! The Monsters were heading here?!
Could it had been that it had been after Anastasia and was heading here because it could still sense her presence?
Creeeeaaaakkkk.
I could hear the doorknob pressing downwards this time.
I held my gun tightly.
There were two possible outcomes, if I was caught alone by a monster.
I could die here andddd... I could die here.
How fantastic!
Funny, I had wondered what could go wrong with me coming to get the bracelet.
Well, now I see.
A whole fvcking lot!
Then there was the slim chance of surviving.
Like really slim.
No soldier ever faces a Monster alone, it was deadly but I had been pushed into the corner and I had no choice.
This was happening.
I had never seen a Monster before, most of us had never seen their faces.
I readied myself to see the most horrifying thing I would ever laid my eyes upon, bringing up many unpleasant images in my mind.
I had to be rea--
The door finally flung open, the dark aura rushed into my senses, I reached for my gun, turned around and cocked it---
---but I never fired.
The face that looked back at mine was very much human, more handsome than any face that I had ever seen - more handsome than even my imagination of all the male lead's of the novels that I had recently picked interest in, a standard I deemed impossible to meet not to talk of beating it.
He was a slightly muscular man and taller than I was, he had black defined eyebrows like the starless sky, bewitching brown eyes like desert sand, an attractive face that could pull anyone, a jaw so sharp that it could spilt the whole world into half, lips so red and slim. Then there was his hair, a black curly low cut. Now, I would need him to take off his funny looking cape in order to complete the picture of him in---
'Woh, woh, woh, Valentina! What is wrong with you?'
I really needed to stop, those romance novels were really starting to get into my head.
"Anything I can help you with, mister?"
He arched an eyebrow at me, shutting the door firmly behind him. My hold tightened around my gun and I held my position.
As much as the monsters did not usually attack males, they still had the potential of being in danger if they were to come across them.
I had to warn him.
It would be a crime against mankind if we were to lose a piece of perfect attraction like this. Generations would suffer the consequences.
"You are going to have to get out of here, sir--"
"This is my room, I paid for it." came his husky voice. He spoke, picking each word carefully. He had an accent, I just couldn't figure out where it was from right now because of the overwhelming feeling that was suddenly taking over me.
Why was I so distracted?! This wasn't the first attractive man I had ever seen!
"Put the gun away, I have no time for roleplay," he said, taking off his cape but I was no longer in the mood of picturing him in my head, no matter how nicely structure his body looked through that--
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!
Keep it together, Val! Why was I--
Wait, did he just say role play?
Oh, this was just a misunderstanding. I would just easily clear that up right now.
"Roleplay, I'm not---"
"Put the gun away, human! I'm hungry."
Something happened to me at that moment, something I couldn't describe.
Flashes.
One moment, I was closing my eyes experiencing unrestrained pleasure, the next my back was pressed against someone, while hands worked on me. I was enjoying every moment, and not questioning why I was letting this stranger do this to me. Even after the General walked in on us and I discovered we were in her office, my brain was still so fogged with pleasure that I didn't care.
Till the stranger watched me come undone and everything instantly felt wrong.
It all crashed before my eyes and the next thing I knew, I was falling in an abyss.
Till I finally crashed.
I sprung up with a jerk but the bars above me hit my head and I had no choice but to sit instead.
I could hear voices from a distant away but I didn't know where I was.
It was absolutely dark and that smell?
Putrid.
This place stunk.
This wasn't Anastasia hotel room?
What was I doing here?
"How did you get in here?" I heard a shaky female voice from behind me. "You are not one of us."