The indolent voice of Callum Wilde grated on Xavier's nerves, which were already frayed after a long day. His eyes flashed with a dangerous shade of red as the bloodthirst in him welled up, seeking violence.
The other man, who remained calm and expressionless, stepped forward and faced Xavier with wary but concerned eyes. He could sense the aggression surrounding him and with it, the threat of destruction.
"Xavier, are you in control?" He asked cautiously.
This man was Sterling Morgan. He could be considered Xavier's best friend if the dangerous man were assumed capable of true friendship. Callum was also a friend they made along the way in their teens.
Xavier blinked, and the deep scarlet in his eyes vanished.
"Are we going to stand at the entrance the entire night?" He asked.
Sterling breathed a sigh of relief while Callum laughed.
"If it pleases the great master, we can proceed to our lounge," Callum said, leading the way through the room.
Unlike the upstairs club, the basement section was quiet with soft music playing. Most people were seated, drinking and having quiet conversations, but a few couples were slow dancing in the central area.
This vibe was a little more in line with the lifestyle of a lot of supernatural beings. However, some enjoyed going upstairs to the human club to party in a rowdier way. This choice was not restricted as long as the established rules were followed.
Once the three people settled in their private lounge, a server in a risqué maroon costume and a lace mask came in to take their order. Callum ordered the brimstone absinthe before waving her away.
"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Xavier?" Callum leaned back in his chair and relaxed.
Sterling also looked at Xavier curiously.
"Just taking a stroll and looking for things to kill," Xavier said casually.
"There is trouble in Lake City? I have not heard anything." Sterling frowned.
Xavier became a little more serious. "I got some intel of a group of organised hunters recruiting unaffiliated supernatural beings for their cause. I followed the information, and it led me to Lake City."
"I am a little hurt that you did not come to visit me immediately," Callum said in his usual lazy way.
Xavier did not take Callum seriously. "We cannot all lead a life of hedonism."
Callum laughed. "That is because you are both too young. When you have been alive as long as I have, you will realise that everything is meaningless. Once you do, you will only seek the pleasures that the world can offer."
Sterling snorted. "Your pleasure is drinking and sleeping. Do not act like you are exploring the world and embracing adrenaline-fuelled activities. You are just as boring as we are, Callum."
"Nobody is as boring as you, Sterling." Callum laughed. "You spent your days in the hospital or your laboratory doing your endless research. At least, Xavier travels, hunts, and kills."
"You know you are admitting that Xavier has the most interesting life," Sterling said with a light laugh.
Callum shrugged. "He is also more likely to die before the two of us."
Xavier did not respond because he was no longer paying attention to his two friends. He did not even care when their fizzling green drink was delivered and served in crystal goblets. His mind was drifting to his encounter the previous night.
Like a movie, the event played in his mind.
Xavier never planned to intervene in the pursuit of the escaped hunter. He believed in his subordinates despite their momentary carelessness at the base. At the time, he was bored and intended to look around the city and find more clues about the hunter group.
However, as he was drifting near the lake, his nose was tickled by an intoxicating scent. He could not quite put a finger on what the aroma was or what it consisted of. But he was certain that it was not human.
Like a hypnotised man, Xavier followed that delicious scent and found himself on the shore of the lake.
That was when he saw her from the shadows…
She was walking with a bit of a skip in her steps, drifting too close to the water. Her eyes lit up when a few fishes came near the shore and flicked some water. She giggled as she leaned to look at them.
That was when he knew what that scent was: sunshine.
As a born vampire, he did not have a vulnerability to sunlight like made vampires. But he was also a creature of darkness and shadow. Therefore, he had an aversion to sunlight and preferred the comfort of night.
However, as he looked at her, he understood the reason humans liked to sit outside during the day and lift their faces to the sun, even when they knew the dangers of skin damage. She was like the first glimpse of the sun for him, full of warmth, light, and comfort.
At that moment, Xavier wanted to rush up to her and capture that sunshine. But he was also cautious. No, he was afraid. Sunshine was perfect, bright and warm, but that did not mean people needed to book a trip to the sun.
So, he kept watching in the shadows.
But then, something unexpected happened. The hunter who had escaped from the holding base came running towards her with malicious intent. His subordinates were not far behind in their pursuit.
The beautiful lady reacted quickly, but she still did not manage to escape.
It took everything in Xavier not to rush up to the hunter and pluck out his heart for putting his filthy hands on his sunshine. The violence in him churned with the need to destroy the man, and he could barely keep his bloodthirst in check.
But when he looked at her calm and unworried look, he remembered that the sun was beautiful but dangerous. So, when the hunter threatened, he spoke up and gave her the opening she needed to act.
And by gods… did she act.
He had imagined she would show her true form when retaliating, but apart from the flash of amber in her eyes that exposed her to him, she did not show her wolf side. Her moves were quick, vicious, and clean.
She was a work of art.
She was perfection.
Unable to control his impulses, Xavier captured her before she could escape the scene. He just wanted to know what it felt like to have her in his arms if for a moment. And it was everything he wanted it to be.
The moment he touched her, he felt alive, warm, and electrified.
It was heaven.
Even when she viciously sunk her little teeth into his arm, he did not mind it.
"Xavier! Xavier! What is wrong with you?" Callum asked with real concern. His voice was no longer that of a self-indulgent hedonist. There was even a hint of fear.
Sterling was also looking at Xavier with caution.