Glamour Bites

Cassiopeia Holland was a 35 year old vampyre trapped forever in the body of a 19 year old. She was beautiful in every way, long flowing black hair, sharp baby blue eyes. She was everything I had wanted to be as a kid, and everything I had grown out of.



I stood in the darkest part of the vampyre music hall and watched as she taught the newest installment of vampyre strippers. Cassi may not have been a stripper, but her feline grace and beauty made her the perfect teacher.



One of the bad things about coming into a place full of vampyres was that they all knew I was here. I could hear the whispers of the vampyres as they glanced into the corner where the “outsider” stood and glared at them with my own vampyre eyes, but they continued to talk about me.



I grumbled and turned to leave when Cassi’s voice broke through the room and caused a collective shutter to run throughout the room. “Alexia, where are you going? We have yet to talk.”



I turned back to her and smiled, loving the sound of her voice when she spoke. I think it was the soothing, sweet sound only for me, seeing as everyone else around us looked petrified.



I nodded and tilted my head to the side at her playfully, using my own voice manipulation abilities. “I thought that it would be best for you to continue your lesson without me watching you, Cassiopeia.”



She smiled, knowing what I was doing, and moved one hand towards the exit. As soon as her hand moved, everyone in the room scattered, heading toward the exit, moving past me tentatively with fear in their eyes. It was almost pleasant to see and feel their fear.



As the door closed behind the last one, Cassi and I burst into a fit of girlish giggles. She walked over to me and gave me a hug, as she always did. Returning her hug, I took in her sweet scent, like lavender. I was calm with her scent surrounding me and took a deep breath before she released me.



“What are you doing here, Lexi? You never come directly to vampyre territory unless someone’s hurt. Or you have some form of juicy gossip for me.” She had walked across the room while she was talking but turned to smile at me brightly. “Oh my God! I forgot! There was this new band I wanted to check out tonight, but Andreas sent his new girls over. Teeth and Claws? Have you heard of them? They have another show Friday. Want to go with me?”



I loved Cassi. No matter how bad life was or how confused I was, she could always find a way to cheer me up. She had a fascination with bands of all kinds, especially if they were cute and talented. And somehow I always got dragged along to their concerts. Not that I didn’t like music, I was just more a shoot people person. It’s what I did.



I smiled at her and nodded. “Sure I’ll go with you, but just so you know, they’re exactly why I came to see you tonight. I was sent to investigate that band tonight. Apparently, there were rumors that they were all Lycans. I went and found out that that’s the truth.” I sat on one of the chairs and put my hands between my knees. “They’re cuties, Cassi, but one of them.”



I stopped and looked down at my hands. Ian had bothered me. I had known him before he had been turned and knowing that I might have been able to do something and hadn’t been there, bothered me.



I felt her hand on my shoulder and looked up her, not realizing I had gone off into my own world. “Sorry, Cassi, it’s just that I knew one of them before he was turned. You know the position I’m in.”



Cassi nodded and knelt in front of me, smiling. “Yes, I know exactly what position you’re in. I knew you before you were a killing machine. I could have done something to stop it, but it was your calling. As I’m sure being a Lycan is his.” She paused and smiled at me. “So which one is he. and give me the details?”



I laughed lightly and shook my head. “His name is Ian Donne and he’s the bass guitarist. Don’t say a word.” I stopped Cassi before she started her teasing of me with a finger on her lips. “And he’s tall with these amazing green eyes that I could just fall into. I was eight when his parents were killed and he disappeared, but I thought I was in love with him then. Weird, huh? Running into him after all this time.”



I moved my hand from her lips, knowing that she had been able to tease me about my bass guitarist fetish, and shrugged. I didn’t know what else to say, but knowing Cassi, I wouldn’t have to wait long before she found something for me to talk to her about.



“Nice. You always did have a thing for those with blue eyes. And … well you know what I’m going to say so I won’t say it. Now … what about the other guys? Hot? Any my type? You know what I like.” Cassi’s face was playful and serious at the same time, causing me to laugh. The combination of the two emotions was always something that elicited laughter.



I furrowed my eyebrows and stuck my tongue out like I was thinking and nodded. “The lead singer was pretty cute. He was a few years older than me with thick framed black glasses and nice hazel eyes. He was kind of thin and his voice … it was almost vampyre hypnotic. He’s just your type. I can get us backstage on Friday and introduce you to him, if you would like?”



There was no doubt about Cassi’s answer as her smile grew wider and she nodded. “Of course I would love for you to introduce me to your new Lycan friends. My only question is do they know that you’re a Dunpeal? I mean … well you know.”



I sighed and shook my head. Even my own business partners didn’t know that I was half vampyre. The only reason Cassi knew was because she was a vampyre and therefore had no reason to judge me. That and she had found me drinking a drunkard dry when we were in college. From then on, we had been the best of friends.



“No, Cassi. I wouldn’t tell anyone about that. Besides, what kind of a secret would it be if I told everyone?” Now, as usual, I was to change the subject. “Who were you training the dancers for? Which club, I mean.”



Cassi frowned and I knew before she said anything the name of the person behind the training. “Exotic Trophies.” Her voice soft as she said it, but picked up as she continued. “You know him, Lexi. If I had said no, he would have forced me into doing it. I would rather do it willingly than the alternative.”



I shuttered as I thought about what she was saying. It was true. He would have done a lot more than just made her teach dancing. He would have raped and tortured her to the point where she would never be able to walk again. I had see it more than once.



I opened my mouth to say something when I heard someone outside the small room. I shrugged, thinking nothing of it. It was probably someone coming back for something. “You did the right thing, Cassi. I wouldn’t want him to do anything to you. Come on. Let’s head home.”



I stood and held my hand to help her up. “Oh, Alexia, I never knew you cared.” She used my hand to pull herself to her feet and then stopped dead in her tracks, eyes on the doorway.



Her expression told me it wasn’t good, but I had so many enemies, it was hard to tell who it could be, but then the heavy Egyptian accent filled the room and my heart sank as fear rose in my throat. “Yes, Alexia, we never knew you cared.”