Chapter 2

That day, earlier in the morning.

The rays of the sun were shining through Nicole's bedroom, where she laid fast asleep. She and her friends had gotten home early this morning and she went fast to sleep. She was privileged to have her own two bedroom apartment where she lived alone. She was born a vampire from birth in Europe to wealthy vampire parents but she was 

ran away at 18 to America to pursue her dreams of becoming a tattoo artist. Here she met her best friend, Angela at the tattoo shop she works at and her boyfriend Charles.

The time on her bedside clock was 10: 58 am, as Nicole rolled under her duvet from one side of the bed to the other. She enjoyed rolling as she slept in the comfort of her bed but these days it was becoming lonely. She felt lonely living alone these days, making her sleep under her duvet for warmth more often.

She gave a little frown in her sleep, as he felt how empty her bed was. She rolled one last time before opening her eyes and staring up to the ceiling. Yeah she was single and it was starting to get to her. Minus her best friend, she had no one to call her own. Being a vampire was isolating on it's own, but being a vampire alone and without love was even more isolating. 

She slowly got out of bed trying to knock that feeling of loneliness off. She had survived this far on her own and she was confident she could keep going. 

She walked across her room to use the toilet. 

She was urinating when she heard a familiar voice in her apartment.

"That's Angela's voice, I wonder what she might be doing", she said.

She sneaked out of the toilet and out of her bedroom to the other bedroom. As she approached the door she could hear soft moans coming from Angela. She placed her ears gently on the closed door to listen.

"Ahhh...Ahhh...Ahhh"

"Ohhhhhh"

"Be a little quiet, we don't want to wake her up", a Male voice said. Nicole knew that was the familiar voice of Charles. They were having sex in her apartment. 

"I want to be on top", Angela requested.

"I like to be in charge", Charles said seductively. "But I'll let you have 5 minutes"

Nicole could hear movement on the bed inside the bedroom as they took different positions before she heard Angela's moaning again.

"Ahhh...Ahhh….Ahhh...Ahhh...Ahhh", she moaned as bounced on him.

"Yeah baby", Charles siad enjoying the ride.

Nicole couldn't bear to listen again as she walked away from the door to the kitchen. There was really nothing in the fridge, she was a vampire and the only things they could consume were blood, their favorite and intoxicating substances like alcohol and drugs. She opened the fridge and brought out some ice which she placed inside a glass cup and poured herself some whisky. She took a sip, as she thought about how she would spend her day.

It was a Saturday morning and she had plans to go to the tattoo parlour later in the afternoon. She doesn't get to see clients in the morning. She loved her job as a tattoo artist, the smell of blood on newly tattooed skin and sometimes some of her clients pay in blood bags as a fetish, even though they didn't know she was a vampire.

She sipped more of her drink as she moved to the sitting room. She sat on the couch and folded both her legs in one direction sideways. 

She would also need to stop at the mall to get some more clothes. She loved fashion and always wore the latest clothes. 

"I should go shopping now", she said excitedly.

She finished drinking her whisky as she placed her cup on the table and went straight to her bedroom. As she passed the passageway, she could hear Angela and Charles moans coming from the other bedroom. They were still going at each other.

She went into the shower, after undressing. She was having a cold shower and she loved it. Her naked skin was glowing as torrents of cold water poured on her. The drops of water followed the curved path of her naked body down the bathroom fall.

Nicole could hear flashes of the moans from Angela's mouth as she listened quietly from behind the closed door. She wished she could have that with someone she loved, as she caressed her body with both hands. 

She didn't stay long in the bathroom before she came out, after she had finished brushing her teeth. She dried her hair, combed them, applied makeup and got dressed. She walked past the other bedroom and didn't hear a sound until she got to the living room. 

"Hey, you look so pretty", Angela said, as she complimented her dress and makeup. Nicole looked gorgeous in her black long sleeve bodycon top, black spandex pants and matching black boots.

"Thank you darling", Nicole said with a smile. 

"Hey Nicole", Charles said from where he sat.

"Hi Charles", Nicole said as he headed for the door.

"Where are you off to?"Angela asked, as she opened the door to exit the apartment. 

"I'm going shopping then I'll stop over at the tattoo shop", Nicole said.

"And lest I forget, you both should clean up the bedroom. I don't want to perceive you both on the bed sheet", she said smiling as she walked away.

Angela smiled too, surprised she caught them in the act of sex.

Outside the apartment building, Nicole walked to where her car was packed, a black 1995 Chevrolet Corvette. She opened the door, got in and drove off heading in the direction of the shopping mall.

                                                                       ***

Earlier in the day, Lucas and his two brothers; Mark and Andrew had left their small town and moved to the big city. Here they could blend in without really causing a stir. The day was still young and the time was 7:48 am. 

"I have to feed!", Lucas said angrily. He was tired of prolonging the inevitable.

"We have to kill someone!"

Mark and Andrew knew he was telling the truth, they too were starving but didn't like the idea of killing anyone but they were running out of options fast.

"You said we could buy blood from humans, where?" Mark asked.

"I haven't yet figured out that part", Andrew said.

"Then you better figure it out fast!" Lucas said impatiently. 

They could perceive humans everywhere, although the streets were empty. The humans were still inside sleeping, while some were awake, working in their houses.

"I'm going to go inside one of these houses and feed on any human I see", Lucas said, threatening.

"You shouldn't do that", Andrew said.

"Are you going to stop me?" Lucas said angrily.

"Keep it down you too. Can you smell that?", Mark asked, as he inhaled the surrounding air. It was euphoric and intoxicating at the same time.

"Ahhh...yes I can perceive it", Lucas said, breathing in more of it. It had started to saturate the whole environment but it's source wasn't yet apparent.

"I have never perceived something so pleasant as this before, where is it coming from?" Andrew asked, feeling the urge to feed even more strongly. 

"I think the smell is more concentrated there", Lucas said, as he sniffed the air again pointing towards the direction of the taxi at the end of the street.

Their eyes were basically shut as they relied only on their sense of smell to show them the way.

"I can feel it, it's close!", Lucas said angrily, as he continued sniffing the air.

Their eyes were still tightly shut as they approached the taxi. Lucas was determined to feed this time around and nothing would come between him and his food. His brothers were less talkative as they honed in on their sense of smell, trying to locate their food.

The door of a car seemed to open and slam shut, as their sense of hearing picked the precise location of their prey.

Lucas, Mark and Andrew for the first time opened their eyes to sight their prey, he was the sweetest smelling man they have ever encountered in their lives.

"Hey guys, please I need your help", the taxi man called out to them.

"Our breakfast has invited us over, let's not keep it waiting", Lucas said, with a devilish smile on his face. Mark and Andrew also smiled with him as they got to his spot in a flash. In a twinkle of an eye he was surrounded and trapped in their midst.

"Who are you?!" The taxi man called out. 

"I am a vampire and I can harm you!", he revealed, as he displayed his two long fangs. He was trying to intimidate the brothers.

Lucas laughed at it wickedly, sniffing the sweet intoxicating air around it. He smiled wickedly, displaying his own fangs as they grew long and sharp in an instant.

The vampire was mortified. 

"What kind of vampires are you?" He cried petrified, tears running down his eyes and his nose runny.

"Let's feed!" Lucas called out to his brothers,as they all descended on him, biting him from different places, ripping his flesh open and draining all his blood. 

The vampire gave a death cry as he was being killed that only the Lord of vampire's could hear as they tore him into pieces. The scene was horrific, there was blood spattered everywhere, on the ground, on the car's body and on the brothers bodies. Only his flesh, torn into several pieces and his torn clothes were left of him. 

Their irises turned instantly red, as they managed their first kill and they felt more powerful than ever before. It took a few seconds for their rational thinking to return to them.

"We must hide his flesh and clothes where nobody will ever find it", Mark said, his iris turning blue again.

"Quickly pick them up and let's go!"

They all did before zooming off in a flash.

                                                                       ***

"Aaargh!"Dracula growled from where he sat. An ancient throne made of the finest wood and copper. He looked like he was in his 70's. 

"What is wrong, Sire?" Cobra, his right-hand man asked. He was one of many original vampires Dracula made centuries ago. He was tall and athletic. He looks like someone in his 30's.

"Come to me Cobra", Dracula said in his growl. Cobra climbed the series of steps that led to Dracula's throne. The court of Dracula's throne was dark because it had no windows, it was an underground building with a few lit fire lamps to slightly illuminate the place, as he liked it. 

"Did we not kill the hybrid?!" he asked angrily.

"Yes, we did Sire! We killed the hybrid last night!" Cobra said, still fresh from battle.

"Then why do I still hear the death cry of a vampire being torn to pieces?!" Dracula demanded angrily, as he stood up. He was wearing an all black cloak and inner black suit.

"I don't know Sire, we brought you the head of the hybrid. We lost many Originals in the battle", Cobra said, confused.

"I feel my loss greatly, my originals that have stayed faithfully by my side for centuries are no more", Dracula said, as he sat down slowly on his seat.

"And that is why I feel this pain so greatly! The witch must have more of them, more hybrids",

"Send for the witch's intel!", he ordered.

"It is done, Sire," Cobra said, leaving the large court. It didn't take too long before a human was matched in. Cobra was behind him.

"Move!", he said, nudging the human from behind.

"My Lord Dracula", the human said, taking a bow at the feet of the steps leading up to Dracula's throne.

"Tell me James, have I not been nice to you?"Dracula asked the human from where he sat on his throne.

"You have been, Sire", he said, his voice trembling.

"Tell me James, do I like to be disappointed?" Dracula asked, getting up from his throne and slowly walking down the flight of steps.

"No Sire", he said, looking up at Dracula in fear, as he watched him come down the flight of steps.

"James, have you ever lied to me?", Dracula asked, as he stood in front of him.

"No Sire, never in my entire life", he said, with fear and agony in his eyes as he knelt down. He had been captured as a boy but now was in his 50's. 

"So why did you lie to me?"

Why did you tell me the witch had only one hybrid?!" Dracula said angrily.

"I didn't lie to you Sire", he pleaded with tears in his eyes.

"The witch only has one super vampire".

"How dare you use that language here?!", Cobra said in anguish at James.

"Please forgive me my Lord", he said, terrified and in tears. He didn't mean to upset his master but "super vampire" was the word the hybrid was known amongst the witches, werewolves and amongst the vampire communities, although none of them dared to say it out loud for fear of Dracula.

"There is only one super vampire and that is Lord Dracula!"Cobra shouted.

Dracula had seen and heard enough.

"James, you may leave my sight now", he said coldly.

"Thank you Lord Dracula! Thank you Lord Dracula! Thank you Lord Dracula!", he said with shivers, getting up and bowing his head severally as he moved backwards away from Dracula.

"I have grown fond of this one", Dracula said, as he smiled to himself. 

"They age like fine wine", he said, as James raced to the exit relieved.

"One more thing James", he called out through the vast court.

James stopped in his tracks almost at the exit of the court and turned back.

"What is it my Lord?", he asked slowly.

"It's time for my breakfast", Dracula said wickedly, as he could once again see the fear in James' eyes and in a flash, he was upon him, draining the blood from his neck until he was dead.

"Send out vampire scouts to keep their eyes out for hybrids", Dracula said to Cobra, when he was done feeding, as he walked back majestically to his throne.

"Yes Sire", Cobra said, as he walked past James' corpse.