Born to be Hated

He loved night clubs the most for staking out his prey. Not only were women easy to convince but they were also massively drunk and by drinking their blood, he could easily, himself, get drunk. So maybe the blonde hadn't been that much of a disappointment. Already he was starting to feel warm and fuzzy and his movements felt light. Around him, the crowds of dancers swayed and turned, creating a world of swirls and colors that he barely noticed. He managed to make it to the doorway of the club before he was able to come back to. He was a predator. Being drunk was like taking the eyesight away from a lion. He liked being drunk in the heat of the moment, with a woman struggling beneath him, her blood rushing down his throat. He needed to be focused, find his next victim, a girl who would fight back, making her blood all the more sweeter. 

He stood outside the doors of the club for a moment, taking in a deep breath to clear his head. Damn. Why'd she have to ruin everything? He turned to head down the street and found himself being bumped into. He stopped, her scent washing over him like fresh laundry.  Magi. He frowned. Normally, he didn't associate with the other factions strictly because he didn't want to have to face any incidents but he felt his blood warm up and a strange desire to taste her blood. Perhaps it what was she said, "I just wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Besides, she wasn't a blonde and he'd had an itching for blondes tonight. Since he'd drank blood already that evening, he was able to smile and keep the red of lust from his eyes. He turned his full body towards her, giving her his attention. To normal humans, he appeared to be only twenty-three, which made it easier for younger women to except his forward invitations and by being half human, he could easily fall into the role. He was like a wolf in sheep's clothing. No, worse, he was the cannibal sheep. 

"Hey, it's alright. It can get disorienting after you come out of there. Trust me, I know." he said, throwing her a charming smile that suggested nothing of his real desires. "You out here by yourself?" He asked her, looking up and down the sidewalk where only couples and groups stood around. The line into the club was still ridiculously long and the bass from inside was muffled but you could still feel it through your body. "Most girls don't come to clubs alone." he advised, pulling out his phone. "Let me call you a cab." It was all a ploy, however. This usually worked for most of them, thankful for his generosity, they normally asked him to ride in the cab home with them, "To make them feel safe", as they would say. Inside the cab was the ultimate game. Letting them decide on their own to invite him into their home. Very rarely was he ever turned down. He lifted his phone to his ear and smiled at her. "My name's Nykolae, by the way." he greeted.

A hotel, huh? A slight smirk appeared on his face as he snapped his phone closed. Even better. "Some friends you have. Good thing you're in the good part of New York. Some parts of the city have crazy people waiting outside clubs to snatch up girls like you." He gave her another friendly smile. "Tessa, huh? Pretty name. You don't hear that name anymore." He shoved his phone back into his pocket and pointed down the street towards Time's Square that lit up the night like day. "I actually live a block down from the hotel. I was on my way there now. Would it be too creepy if we walked together?" he asked her, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking, all of a sudden, like a shy kid. "I mean, I can wait like, ten minutes, if you want; if it makes you feel more comfortable but I just figured you'd want some company." Nykolae hadn't lived five hundred years for no reason. He was an excellent predator and knew how to use human emotions to his advantage. As the wind shifted, her scent washed over him and he had to look away as his vampiric urges took over, causing a red ring in his eyes and his fangs to appear. She smelled so good. He'd never drank from a magi before, tending to keep away from the factions in case he pissed someone off but he'd already stepped over the line here and he definitely didn't want to turn back now. 

He played off his strange behavior by pretending to look for someone. "I think my friend disappeared as well. We were going to walk back to our place together but I think he might have found someone tonight too." When he finally turned back to look at her, he'd gotten himself under control again to appear normal. He couldn't wait to hear her scream...

He fell in step beside her, attempting to keep a polite distance between them. Once they were far enough away from the club, the atmosphere changed. Manhattan was constantly awake, no matter what time of night it was. It was a vampire's paradise. Although Nykolae could still walk around in the daylight thanks to his human half, he still felt comfortable and tended onto to be outside if he was heading somewhere. Like most vampires, he spent most of his waking hours at night. Not only to avoid the annoying light but because the night life in Manhattan was so much more different than the daylight life. During the day, it was tourists, business men and women and delivery boys. The streets were packed with expensive Mercedes and jaguars and it was wall to wall of cabs. Everything was loud, car horns, exhaust fans blowing, Broadway music playing and just the general hub bub of daily life. At night? There was none of that. In fact, the streets weren't packed. You could walk comfortably across the street without fear of being run over. The sidewalks were packed with young adults, dressed in almost nothing  while others hid mysterious things beneath too big clothes. Nykolae liked to think it was the black market of New York that came out at night. Anything you wanted, you could find. That is, if you knew the right person to go to. 

The block they were on hosted the  Broadway Show, 'The Lion King' and currently, there was a show going on because only a homeless man sat outside the theater, playing on a Blackberry, fingers dancing lightening fast across the keyboard, his dirty face lit up by the screen. For the supernatural, New York was also a social hub. Any kind of species lived here. Some tended to stay to their own districts but, like any city, many liked to involve themselves with others and at night, you could find all kinds meandering around, some acting as prostitutes while others simply walked the streets. He had no doubt Tessa knew who and what she was but he had a feeling she didn't realize what he was. He had, after all, just fed on human blood, which gave gave him the appearance and smell, of a normal human, thanks to already having  human blood in his system. Which would make this night all the more easier. She was so clueless.

Once they were gone of the lights of Broadway and back onto plain sidewalk with only street lights to guide their way, Nykolae decided he couldn't wait anymore. He turned his attention to her, giving her a smile. "Are you going to be expecting your friends later tonight? I can give you a number of a great detective I know in case they show up missing in the morning..." He offered. Almost immediately, a suspicious group appeared around the corner in front of them and without giving her any warning, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her down an alley, thrusting her up against a wall, his body covering hers, arms up on either side of her head. It wasn't until the group walked casually past the alleyway, seemingly unaware there had been anyone there moments before and Nykolae let out a sigh. "They are exactly I was talking about." But instead of moving away from her like any normal guy, he kept himself close to her and instead of a defensive position, his body took on an almost possessive posture. He turned his face towards hers, breathing in her scent, the red ring appearing in his eyes that finally marked him for what he was. He smirked at her, the charm and friendliness gone. He was tired of waiting. He was so hungry... He leaned in, lips lightly touching her neck before he snaked his tongue out and licked her, sending chills down his spine. Even without sinking fangs into her neck, she tasted so good. He nearly moaned in ecstasy. "But, unfortunately, they aren't the ones you want to be afraid of..." he said with a low laugh, reaching a hand up and grabbing her chin, forcing her face away from his own, exposing her neck fully. With one quick motion, he bit her, sinking his fangs into her neck, using his body as a shield to keep her from going anywhere. As soon as her blood touched his throat, his mind and body exploded with intensity. Never had he tasted blood like this before. It was almost better than feel good and hallucinogenic drugs. He could feel every particle of his being and it sent his senses spiraling. It wasn't until after he tasted her blood, did he realize he might not be able to stop...

Her screams only managed to intensify this particular meeting, at least, for Nykolae. He didn't even bother to cover her screams, preferring to hear them, giving him the rush of pleasure he craved when feeding. Energy was surging back into his limbs, like he'd been hit with a bolt of lightening. His veins hummed with her magical blood and he felt as if he had no limits. He guessed it was a good thing he'd been hit rather hard, otherwise, he probably would have drained her. He had excellent self control when it came to humans but Nykolae had never had Magi blood before and her rapid heart beat had told him her body was struggling to catch up with the major loss. When the board collided with his shoulder, he felt himself lurch and he let go of her, stumbling away from her as she hurried away. He stood, blocking the alleyway, eyes bright with red and green and his trademark smirk on his face. Blood had seeped at the corners of his lips and he reached up and wiped it away, his eyes never leaving hers. When he spoke, his fangs were still exposed. "Come now, sweetheart! We were only just starting to have a good time! You're going to give up already? Remember, you invited me to come with you." He took a few steps towards her and, when he was close enough to her, managed to snatch the board out of her hands and chuck it to the ground behind him where it clattered on the broken pavement. If it wasn't for the animalistic look on his face, Nykolae just looked like any other guy. It was hard to believe he'd been harboring such a monster. Especially one that had never had Magi blood before. If she had just been human, perhaps he would have wrote her off as being difficult and left, much like the blonde he'd left at the club.

But, just before he could do anymore, the wind picked up around him, blowing dirt and debris into his eyes and he was forced to take a step backwards, shielding his face with his arms. Damn Magi! Growling angrily, he reached forward in the hopes to grab a hold of her before things got any more out of his control. 

He practically choked on the dust and debris flying down his throat and into his eyes and stumbled as she jetted past him, like a whirlwind out of control. Fucking Magi! Good thing he had fresh blood in his system! Even though she was running, her magic was relentless. He managed to look up and with a quick leap, grabbed onto the bottom rung of an escape ladder that ran up the side of the building. Effortlessly, he pulled himself up and, now that he was finally out of the range of her magic, was able to see her pelting for the entrance of the alley. He swore loudly. If she left the alley, he was done for. How did he manage to lose this much control? He'd never been this sloppy. He moved with lightening speed, jumping from the escape staircase to a dumpster further down and from there, he hit the ground running. With fresh human blood in his system, it was a cinch to catch up to her. And no matter how much she tried to cover up her fresh wounds, he would be able to smell her all over New York. He'd already had a taste and he wasn't going to lose his prey. Just before she reached the sidewalk and open space of the street, he caught her, grabbing her by her waist with one arm and the other clasping over her mouth. In one single motion, he stepped back into the shadows of the alley once more and bit into the other side of her neck, his arm around her waist holding her against him.

Fuck, I can't stop... It was as though his human side had suddenly kicked in, realizing just what exactly he was doing. He was acting exactly like a monster, something he had managed to avoid. Sure, he'd been a sex fiend and perhaps he'd taken things by force but he'd never gotten this far. Her fear scent was so strong, it almost overpowered the smell of her blood. It almost wasn't fun anymore. In fact, his human side rebelled against his actions so hard, he found himself, detaching himself and pushing her away just as he bent over and threw up, spraying fresh blood all over the ground. "Get the fuck out of here before I change my mind!" he snarled at her, eyes almost glowing with the red ring and blood dripping from his lips like a demonic fiend. He truly looked terrifying but it was the expression on his face that could remind onlookers that there was a part of him that was still human and despised what his vampire side did. His body heaved and he looked away from her again, his body rejecting the blood from his system once more.