The young man blinks. "You think? I mean, we were together for, like, almost two months now. That's the longest relationship I've ever had!"
You steady your nerves and remind yourself this will all be worth it. You pay the kid's tab and put your hand on his shoulder. "Hey, let's go talk over there," you gesture at the far corner of the club, further away from the music and dancing. "I can barely hear myself think."
"Um, yeah, sure," he says, sitting up and following you like a dutiful puppy. Now that no one's watching, he's all yours.
"Wait," he says, startled as you hold him back against the wall. "What are you—"
And then your fangs pierce his neck. He tenses up then relaxes all at once and you have to prop him up just to keep your grip on him without bending down. You swear you can taste his fear and regret, but it's all bundled up in the freshness of youth. Somehow that always makes it sweeter.
"There you are," you whisper in his ear as you pull back and lick the wounds clean. "Feeling better? No more worry? Just ride out the good feelings while you can."
"Yeah," he mutters. His eyes are crossed. "Feels so good…"
You leave your victim there, all alone in his personal world of bliss. You can't help but notice that no one's come looking for him. He'll be better off without her.
Your appetite largely sated for the moment, you decide to move on, always aware that there's a Hunger for more that you can never fully extinguish.
Next
The lights inside your haven are already blazing brightly as you close the front door and take off your coat. From the office within, you hear Gerard's old fashioned ink pen scratching away at some important missive or another as he burns the proverbial midnight oil.
"I'll be there presently, sir," he says. "Apologies." The writing stops immediately and the ghoul rushes to you and takes your coat, somehow managing to make a trot look dignified. "Was the evening productive?" he asks carefully. "The usual channels have been surprisingly quiet. What little chatter there was about Elysium on the internet seemed to be just as in the dark as we are."