Even over the pulsating music and men moaning disturbingly loud, I heard a noise carry above it. It was sweet yet fragile, like a tinkling bell… on helium.

Someone laughed, and as soon as I heard it, my blood froze. I scanned frantically through the crowd. The strobing lights flashed on a purple head of hair, and then I saw her.

Violet, the Halloween vampire from the club, looked directly at me, cackling her strange laugh. Her lips were done in black, and her eyes were marked with thick black liner and silver glitter. She flicked her tongue at me, trying to pose as something menacingly seductive, but it felt all too villainess.

Something about her reminded me of Harley Quinn, the Joker’s would-be-girlfriend, but then I realized what bothered me about that image. She was the girlfriend, the sidekick, the means of distraction while the real trouble moved in.

I rushed forward to grab Jane and Milo, and make an escape, but my path was blocked by a dark haired model of perfection – Lucian. His smile was far more menacing than anything Violet could hope for, but that had to do with how hungry he was. His black eyes were ravenous.

“Care to dance?” Lucian asked, his voice like silk, and my heart hammered in my chest.

“That’s a stupid thing to say!” I shouted to be heard over the music, and that did something to keep my voice even. “It’s really cheesy and cliché! You should’ve said something like, ‘What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?’ or ‘Fancy meeting you here.’”

I clenched my fists at my sides, and I wanted to look around for Milo, but I was too afraid to take my eyes off Lucian.

“I know you’re talking, but all I can hear is mooing.” His smile broadened at that, and I swallowed hard. I wasn’t sure if he meant that my blood was like milk, or that I was just a piece of meat, but either way, it wasn’t complimentary.

Behind me, I heard Violet’s laughter, and she had closed in on me. We were in a room full of people, though. Even if everyone was enamored with them, they wouldn’t be able to ignore me kicking and screaming.

And Lucian wouldn’t dare bite me, not with all the witnesses. Vampires didn’t exactly hide who they were, but they didn’t want it broadcast on the nightly news, either.

This was the only thing I had going for me, and if I stood my ground long enough, somebody would notice me.

“You’re plotting an escape.” Lucian sounded amused. “I’d love to see how that turns out.”

“I’m not here alone,” I said, and Violet giggled behind me. Lucian glared at her, cutting the sound short.

“Maybe not, but your knight in shining armor isn’t here to protect you,” Lucian said with unnerving certainty.

“How do you know that?” I asked

“Because he’d already be here if he were!” He reached out to touch me, sliding one of his repulsively long finger nails down my cheek, and I jerked my head back, terrified of what would happen if he drew blood. “Jumpy, are we?”

He wanted to eat me, and I definitely did not want him to. He was much stronger, faster, and probably even smarter than me. The only thing I had was the room full of people and Milo, so I had to utilize them before it was too late.

I bolted out into the dance floor. Someone grabbed at my dress, and I assumed it was Violet, because Lucian seemed too smart to cause a scene like that. The fabric ripped in the back and I felt a breeze through my panties. If I hadn’t been running for my life, I would’ve been mortified.

With one magical leap, I managed to jump on the nearest platform. It was about two feet off the ground, so it wasn’t that impressive, except I’m 5’3” running through a crowded gay club with a torn dress and a vampire on my tail.

Milo was on the next cube over, though, and I yelled his name, hoping to catch his attention, but he was making out with the saucy little number dancing with him.

I leapt from one platform to another, and Lucian hissed behind me. Landing roughly on the platform, I started falling into a guy, but then Milo caught me with startling ease and grace.

“What’s wrong?” Milo gripped my arm.

“He’s here!” I shouted.

“Who?” Milo scanned the floor

Before I could answer, he snarled, and I knew that he’d spotted Lucian and Violet. His eyes narrowed and his pupils dilated, and I could see him transforming into attack mode. There was something incredibly primal and rather terrifying about it.

“Milo!” I yelled when his hand gripping my arm got painful. I broke his concentration, and his eyes snapped back down to me.

“We have to get out of here,” Milo said. Underneath his new confidence and strength, I saw genuine fear.

Still holding onto me, he jumped off the platform, and I heard some disappointed boo’s from the crowd about his departure. We had made it most of the way to the door when I saw Jane kissing one of the girls in her lesbian sandwich. In all the panic of trying to get out of here, I’d almost forgotten about her.

I thought about leaving her behind for her safety, since vampires were chasing us. But they might have seen her come in with us, so I grabbed her hand. She looked like she wanted to slap it away, but Milo was dragging us, and she saw him shirtless, so she went with it.

Milo yanked us outside. I tripped over my feet, and I wanted to let go of Jane so I could just hang onto to him and concentrate on walking, but Lucian had definitely seen her.

“Why are we rushing? I’m gonna break a damn ankle!” Jane shouted.