**************
CHAPTER 3
"That was…" He was speechless. Words could not describe what he felt. Sensing they had a similar problem, Skai giggled.
"Umm, can I get…"
He barely got a chance to complete his words when three devilish mice swooped in and locked hands with Skai.
"Sorry to burst in handsome, we got to steal her for a moment," Kiera announced with a wink.
"Hehhe way to go Skai," Yasmin praised as the girls sauntered towards the restroom.
His long lashes fluttered, watching them leave, mesmerized by what had happened.
"Skai, huh. What a nice na…"
Ba-dump!
Suddenly his brows creased and his expression darkened as a sharp pain coursed through him.
"No, no, no," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Not now, damn it."
*******
Their giggling voices echoed in sync as they sauntered into the restroom with Skai in their midst, bumping shoulders with each other in a playful manner.
"Wow, when we said go get him, I never knew you would hit it off well," Oceana stated.
Skai felt her cheeks burn from their sweet knowing eyes on her but for some reason, she felt her heart still accelerate at the thought of her handsome stranger.
"It was getting to the best part," she stated biting her lips.
"Exactly, you looked like you would collapse from excitement any moment if we hadn't gotten there," Kiera added and tickled her side.
"Hahaha, stop it," Skai giggled while trying to defend and brush off Kiera's naughty fingers.
"Okay, let's get to why we called you here," Oceana said, stealing everyone's glance. "From the look of things, he is into you. You hit a good one. I am sure you will get laid tonight," Oceana explained.
If Skai thought she was blushing earlier on, then the next second proved she had only started as her face turned beet red.
She could not deny that there was indeed a certain chemistry between them.
In fact, the thought of going wild with him and the desires he promised made her insides tingle she could feel butterflies in the pith of her stomach.
She shut her eyelids slowly, her mind replaying his tempestuous words in her brain, the thought making her want to moan and she did something similar letting out a whimper.
"Go for it, girl. Make your birthday wild and memorable," the ever-rowdy Kiera cheered.
"Here," Yasmin pushed her small black purse into her hands. "I put in a condom," she winked. "You know… just in case he doesn't have one."
She licked her lower lips suggestively earning a loud chuckle from the others.
"Come on, we cannot keep handsome waiting lest another girl snatches him. Let's go," Kiera cooed.
A few minutes later, they were back on the dance floor brimming with life and joy. Amidst that, Skai's narrowed gaze swept through the crowd for the sexy stranger she had been with some minutes back.
"So, where is he?" Skai heard Kiera's voice from behind, startling her and she responded with a heavy breath as she turned to face her friend.
"I huh…" she swallowed and composed herself. "I can't find him." She averted her gaze to the bar, but he was nowhere to be found. "I think he's… gone."
Her throat felt like it had tasted bile, her words so heavy it was hard for her lips to quiver those words out loud.
"What the…" Yasmin chipped in and came to stand beside her. "Perhaps something urgent came up and he couldn't wait," she tried to calm her mind.
At first, it was working but her next choice of words seemed to change that fact for Skia.
"Let's just get you another guy."
To their surprise, she shook her head. "Nah, it was different with him. It's not every time you get your heart swept away like this. I'm good. Let's just celebrate as planned."
They returned to their booth and helped themselves to another round of drinks while talking about minor things.
All through, Skai's eyes kept searching for him but no matter what, she did not lay eyes on him again. Time passed quickly and they had to call it a night.
In her drunken state, her friends booked a ride for her and bid their goodbyes. In the end, they did not get to force her but they were happy she had a nice time.
*********
Standing outside the balcony of a very big mansion, a young man leaned forward on the railing with a glass of blue wine in his hand.
His silky silver hair draped down his back to his side as he tilted his head a little and took a swig of his drink.
His eyes peered at the sky through his glass, his thoughts so far, so lost and when he lowered his glass, his lips glistened with the stain of the drink.
The night was still and the air was silent, except for the sound of his breathing that echoed throughout the balcony.
"Just another uneventful eve…"
His aquamarine crystal blue eyes widened and he winced with wrinkles forming at either side of his eyes, the colour in them beginning to change. "Argh…"
At that moment, he felt a sharp pain course through his body directly to his chest, and he knew what was happening.
He clutched his chest hard for what he was worth, shutting his eyes involuntarily and letting the glass cup fall to the ground with a loud shattering sound.
Still, his troubles did not cease. The pain grew, becoming sharper with every passing second. His lips remained parted—a wordless cry threatening to spill but nothing.
"Urrgh…" His brows furrowed deeply as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Moments later, he lifted his head and opened his eyes. His mesmerizing eyes turned a startling piercing red, and he gritted his teeth in agony.
The transformation had begun, and he could already feel himself becoming stronger and more deadly. He swept a glance around as his vision suddenly changed, blurred by a red hue.
Sharp fangs protruded out of his mouth as the sickening scent of already prepared food blew to his nose.
He snapped his head in the direction of his room. From where he stood, he could see the maid at his door outside the chambers through layers of walls and she was about to knock and walk in.
His eyes suddenly turned sharp as his gaze narrowed down, going straight for her heart.
He swallowed and a huge lump formed in his throat.
"Blood," he grimaced. "Not now." With that sentence, he turned around now facing the world out there. His laboured breathing loudly disrupted his senses.
"Urrghh… No. I cannot stay here. I cannot harm them. I… I need…"
Keeping whatever thoughts were left at bay, he leapt off the balcony without a second thought.
*********
Skai's tipsy eyes remained glued to the road but the occasional movement of the car, taking turns, further heightened her drowsiness.
"Ahh, stop!" she blurted out all of a sudden when she saw the familiar view of her street, shocking the life out of the cab driver.
"Sorry," she muttered and handed him some money from her purse before alighting from his car.
Once he was gone, she lifted her eyes, chewing nothing as her lips pressed tightly while her brain tried to make sense of her environment through all the fuzziness in her mind.
It took some time for the drowsiness to wane before she noted her terrible mistake. She had alighted on the wrong street.
'Urgh!' she grumbled and facepalmed herself. 'I might as well just walk home and hopefully, clear my head.' She finalized inwardly.
Sluggishly she began the long trek home while her mind drifted back to her dance with the handsome stranger.
'A nice birthday,' she hummed inwardly when she felt a hand grab onto her hand and yanked her to the side of a street in the dark.
"Aauum."
Her screams were muffled all of a sudden by a big hand and a slightly big man towered over her, pressing her body to the wall.
"Shhh… Look like I found a worthy target," he said with a grin and raked his eyes over her.
She understood the danger she was in and struggled against his hand when she felt him press his weight on her.
Her eyes went wide in horror as his smile got wider when she felt the sharp end of the cold metal pressed against her neck.
"Behave and be useful in pleasing me hehe."
Watching the lust fill his eyes, Skai's heart thudded wildly and several images flashed in her mind.
Her vision became blurry thanks to the tears welling up in her eyes.
'No… Not… Not again.' She complained internally.
Putting her strength against his, she was clearly weaker adding to the dizzy and tired state the alcohol left her in, she knew she had no chance of defeating him.
While her mind was in a mess, he pushed her hair to the back, revealing her flawless skin to his eyes. Captivated by her beauty, his dagger moved from her neck and he gently caressed her skin with the back of his fingers.
Instinctively, she shut her eyes, her lips quivering, disgust filling her whole and with all the strength she could mutter, kneed him in the groin and pushed him off.
Caught off guard by her actions, he staggered back, gritting in pain. Skai took hold of the opportunity and ran away, going further into the lonely street.
"Come back," he called out and quickly chased after her. "I'll make you pay dearly for this."
No sooner had he said that than she turned to look at him and failed to notice the trash can there when she bumped into it and fell backwards.
He caught up to her quickly, pulling her up with her hair. "Got you now, missy. There's no escape."
Her head pounded from the intense pain of having her hair pulled. Left with no other means of escape, she screamed before his hand grabbed her throat.
"Help!"
WHOOSH!
GBISH!
All she saw was a flick of light and the man holding her was sent flying far from where she was.
Her heart raced wildly in her chest. Her eyes trailed the man who had toppled the trash can and rolled over to the wall on the opposite side.
Her lips fell open, unable to clamp shut while her brain tried to process what had happened.
Slowly, she moved her eyes over to the strange presence of a man who stood with his back to her.
Silver long hair and...
Her eyes went wide when he looked at his side, his menacing sharp piercing eyes settling on her, stealing what was left of her breath away.
Ba-dump!
"Run."