That was the worst movie he'd ever seen. The Shining was good. This movie was crap. They shouldn't have produced it. They should have taken the film and wiped their own asses with it, because that's about all it was worth: shit. And yet so many of these mortals seemed to love it. At least The Shining had some good stuff in it - great graphics and such - but this movie was worse than The Village. M. Night Shamalan should have been shot for that one; this movie wasn't even worth the bullet.

1408. He'd have to remember that name so he didn't go see it again. Piece of shit. Usually he didn't go see movies because they quite showing them so early, but it had got dark unusually early this evening and he'd wanted to see what was playing. He should have stayed home to polish his bikes. It would have been more exciting.

The worst part was that the star didn't even know what was going on. He thought he was in a dream or something. Idiot. If that was a dream, it was one of the most physically apparent dreams he'd ever heard of.

Adriano was stepping out of the theatre and into the lobby now. He had to wince and throw on some shades. He hated bright lights. It was ironic, actually; he'd had night blindness as a mortal, and now he couldn't stand anything much brighter than a candle or lighter flame out of the corner of his eye without shades to help him get used to it. At least in the theatre he could sit all the way back to avoid the worst of it. But he hadn't needed shades in there, oddly enough. He'd have thought he would - he certainly wore them into the theatre - but only now did he need the shades once more. He glanced out the window. Yep, his bike was still there - and still unharmed. Good.

Livy sighed as she left the theater, kicking at the carpet as she did so. Well... The movie wasn't that bad. Not as bad as all the grumbling she heard as she was leaving made it out to be.

Livy was only upset because it wasn't as good as the book. No, not neaaarly as good.

But then again, were Stephen King's books ever done justice on the big screen? Of course not. She spotted a few errors here and there with continuity, but then again the way movies were done this day and age, no one could ever remember everything right? Right. They were all only human.

Ah, she'd just go home and read the book again to cheer her up. Or maybe DreamCatcher. Yeah... That one always gave her really cool dreams.

Livy grinned at the thought and picked up the pace as she made her way out to the parking lot. She'd gotten in a little late so she borrowed a spot where another motorcycle had parked. She hoped that whoever had it didn't mind.

It wasn't like her Sportster was all that girly. The black paint with silver flames looked down right awesome to her, and the shimmery green clovers were a nice little touch.

Shifting her helmet under her arm she grinned. Great, the owner of the other bike wasn't back yet. They wouldn't even notice. But as she drew closer she began to examine the bike, but thought better of being snoopish and moved to her own. Pulling her gloves out of a small pocket of her back pack, she sat on her seat and tugged them on before turning to straddle the bike.

Time to head home... Maybe get something to eat on the way? Hmm... There was a Subway on her way home... Or should she head over to Dmitri's place? He said he might be out, but would it hurt to check in?

There was another bike there, too. Also a Harley, by the looks of it, though a bit girly in nature. What idiot would put four-leaf clovers on a - oh. Of course. It was a mortal girl, one that was now straddling the bike as Adriano stepped outside. He stepped over to his bike and unlocked the custom seatbox he'd installed. Pulling out his helmet, he examined the girl. She wasn't too bad at all, but she had the scent of another on her. And she walked like...

Like a cop, he thought to himself, suddenly scowling. Cops, like soldiers, tended to have a certain walk they picked up. It was due to their training, mostly - learning to move quickly without causing a scene, yet at the same time showing that they weren't absent-minded. They knew what was around them.

But cops were nothing to vampires. Less than nothing. Maybe she'd be a fun ride. She did have a nice figure.

Livy thought it would have been obvious who would put four-leaf clovers on their bike. After all, with a plate like 'LKY GRL' what could someone really expect. The symbols had kept her safe so far. Three years without a crash or any serious problems with the bike. Pretty good records as far as she was concerned. And any day she wasn't a smear on the pavement was a good day.

She was just pulling her red hair back away from her face to stick her helmet on as she saw another guy coming out. He seemed about her age, and by the look of him he was the owner of the other Harley.

"Hey! Hah. Uh, sorry, I was running late to catch a flick so I didn't think you'd mind if we shared a spot."

But... He... He was glaring at her... Ehh... That wasn't a good sign.

"Um. I am sorry really... I just didn't think it would be a problem you know? People might think we rode together and would be less likely to mess with our bikes, ya know? I mean... If it's really a problem, I could buy ya a drink or two." She grinned sheepishly. It wasn't illegal to park like that... But she knew some bikers were rather territorial, and she really didn't feel like getting smacked around... And she wouldn't really want to charge him with assaulting an officer... It really wasn't a way to make friends... Was it?

Assaulting an officer? That would be the least of her worries when he got through with her. But on the other hand...no. He wasn't going to mess with that. For one thing, she belonged to another vamp. He could smell him on her - a much older vamp, it seemed, and far more powerful. He most certainly didn't have a death wish.

He reached into her mind, but only briefly. She didn't know who the vamp was. There were parts of her mind that were in a fog, and he was probably somewhere in there, but he'd do well just to leave her alone - especially if the vamp was someone from his own coven. It was one thing getting your coven to protect you if you messed with the wrong girl and didn't know it; it was something else entirely when it was someone in your own coven whose girl you were messing with.

"Not a problem. Good thinking."

And it was. He just didn't like her because she was a fucking pig. Or cop, in layman's terms - meaning anyone that wasn't a criminal or related to one.

She relaxed a little as he said that it was indeed good thinking. Well, at least he wasn't mad at her for that... But... Why did he seem so angry at her?

Oh cripes! She couldn't go to Dmitri's! She promised Greg she'd swing by his party and give her blessings. And he'd said he had a special treat for her that his parents had brought back from Greece.

"Well hey, I was just heading to a party that one of my guy friends from school is throwing. You wanna come along?" She smiled, assuming that like her, he went to DU. "He promised me he'd have some Absinthe for me there, and he always has an outrageous assortment of alcohol. Err... If you're in to drinking of course." She gave a nervous grin.

"His parties are always pretty cool and a bit wild too, if you're into that kind of thing. It wouldn't be a problem if you were interested, really!" She said genuinely as she pulled back her shoulder length hair into a pony tail. "I've known him for a while, he'd be totally cool with it if you wanted to come."

He hadn't done any hijacking in quite a few years. Maybe she was okay. He could certainly feed from her and then kill her if he got really desperate, or else just hypnotize her and kill the rest that she told. Either way, he was up for a party. Why not? He could polish his bikes later. After all, he'd been known to have all-nighters and skip a night out on the town before. Or all-dayers, rather. Vamps didn't have all-nighters, because their days were everyone else's nights and vice versa.

He shrugged.

"Why not? Name's Adriano."

He put on his helmet and wheeled his bike away from the curb. Then he straddled it and started it up. It roared to life and he revved it a few times to get the gas pumping. It had a great system in it, but it was always good to get the gas pumping - or so Jamal, a guy he'd met about twenty years ago on the streets, had told him.

"Lead the way," he said over the noise of the Harley.

Wow... He really didn't speak a lot... Maybe that was why she felt so nervous around him. She was wary of quiet people, you never knew what they were thinking... That definitely wasn't the case with her, she'd say anything that came to her mind, and that was something that could be a problem too.

But at least you knew what she was thinking of.

"Adriano? Well, I'm Olivia, but everyone calls me Livy." She said with a smile.

But the smile faded as she tugged on her helmet and followed his lead. Why was he so grumpy? Wasn't he excited about going to a party?

She nodded though as he told her to lead the way and starting her engine and letting it run for a few seconds before taking off semi slowly. She was sure he'd be able to keep up though, so once on main roads she went as fast as she thought she could. It was close to eleven o'clock, so the roads were pretty empty, so she risked going a fair bit faster than the speed limit.

They were there after about ten minutes of driving, back in a little semi rundown neighborhood, she could hear the music as she turned down the street. It became even louder to her keen ears as she cut her engine off, pulling off her helmet as she waited for Adriano.

He smiled as the cop before him pulled up to a hundred and forty. Well, at least she knew how to ride a Harley. Most people called themselves bikers because they had Harleys; Adriano might have been mafia, but he was a biker at heart - not because he had a Harley, but because he rode it like it was mean to be ridden: fast. Of course, the bike itself wasn't primarily built for speed; that's what Japanese bikes were for. Rather, it was built for style. The wind rushing against him was just a perk.

He pulled his own bike up to the house right behind hers and shut the engine off. He removed his helmet, dismounted, and locked the helmet away. Pocketing his keys he looked up at the place. He might be called weird, but he wasn't about to head into this obviously very brightly lit house without his shades on. At least he'd learned to handle his hearing, or he'd have gone deaf by now. The music could probably be heard three blocks away. Maybe the cops hadn't come because this bitch was a cop. Maybe it was filled with cops. Or maybe the pigs just didn't give a shit. Either was fine by him. He could always get out of a bad situation if he really needed to anyway.

"Nice place."

And it was. The large house was obviously well-built, and he had no doubt that the walls severely hampered the noise level. He readied himself as he turned to the woman and waited for her to lead him inside.

"So. You say he's got alcohol. Know if he's got any Budweiser in there, Livy?"

Yeah, he could speak. He just didn't do it all the time. He was fighter and a thinker, not a talker.

"Budweiser? He usually does for the pansy's that don't like really thick beer or hard liquor." She said with a grin. Mostly to tease him of course, because she (only on occasions though0 drank the so called 'King of Beers'. Maybe for whatever piss those American's called beer.

"I'm a Guinness girl if you're talking beer. But me... I prefer Rum or Vodka." She chuckled as she hung her helmet on the handle bar. "Don't worry bout your bike. Put it next to mine and no one will mess with it unless you really piss them off." Most of the people here knew her bike, and her job.

And they knew she wasn't like most other cops. That was always the best thing really. Otherwise she probably wouldn't even know about these things.

"This isn't the best of neighborhoods... Even the cops stay out." She said simply as she hooked her backpack over the other side.

They began to walk up the semi-long driveway back into a stand of woods. Yeah, the neighborhood was so old, that they still had trees in the middle of the city. Well close to the middle anyway.

"My buddy's name is Greg. He's a senior at DU, and he rents this place out from some guy who's trying to make a buck I guess." Taking her hair out of the ponytail she ran her fingers through it quickly as they reached the front steps.

"So, you go to DU as well? Or what?"

"Never tried Guinnes. Jack Daniels is good, though."

That was true. It was good whiskey. Great whiskey, actually. But then again, he really hadn't ever tried Guinness.

"Might have to try some."

He followed her up to the house.

"Most people wouldn't be stupid enough to mess with my bike, anyway. But yeah, will do. And no. I live out of town. The castle out by the river."

"Guinness? You have to really like thick beers for it. A lot of people can't stomach it because they think it feels like drinking pancake syrup or something." she gave a shrug. "I myself like it. And can handle it just fine."

She had to- just had to- raise her eyebrow at the Jack Daniel's comment.

"You won't find that around here buddy." She shook her head. "You're in Crown Royal country with Greg. He won't serve anything but. I think he has stock in it or something... With how many bottles I've known him going through." She chuckled slightly as she pushed the door open, letting herself into the building of music.

At once she felt right at home. There had to be fifty people here, just on the first floor and what she could see in the back yard.

The living room was packed and she was nearly overcome by the urge to join the dancing crowd as she tried to push through them on her way tot he kitchen. She felt a woman grab at her hips, pulling her close for a moment, her body reacting and pushing back against the woman. But she controlled herself again, remembering that she wasn't really alone. It was a hard battle to get to the kitchen, that was only slightly less crowded. But there, in the fridge, pulling out a few bottles of beer, was Greg.

"Yo! Greg! Lot more people here than usual! Got more downstairs?"

"Yeah! Hey Livy!" He said as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Them Bacons let ya off tonight?" He laughed.

"Yeah, I worked dawn shift. Fricken killer too man." She shook her head with a grimace. "But hey, this is Adriano, I thought he'd like to come along and I know you don't mind guests."

"Fuck no Livy. You've never brought a wuss before, eye for talent or something!" He passed one of the beers to Adriano. "Drink up man! Plenty of booze and babes about, but don't leave if you've had too many, that's all I ask. Crash somewhere here instead." He grinned as he started to shove a bottle towards Livy.

"Ah! You know I don't touch that less I have ta!"

Greg grinned. "Course, Guinness is in the fridge babe." He laughed before turning away.

"Told ya he'd be cool." Livy winked as she moved to the fridge. "Make yourself at home. Greg's a great guy. I dunno how he gets all this stuff, and I don't think I want to either... I think I have an idea, but I'm just gonna pretend nothing's happening." She winced slightly as she opened the bottle. "Bad, I know... But hell... No one's gonna find out anyways... It's not hurting anyone. People crash here if there too drunk, I've done it plenty of times."

Adriano nodded as he switched his unopened beer for a bottle of Guinness. Like he said, he'd have to try one. He popped the top off with one thumb into the trash can. He didn't even wince, because in truth it didn't hurt. Most people would have used a bottle opener for a cap like that, though. Then again, the cop hadn't. He took a drink. Not bad. She was right, though; it was definitely thick. But it wasn't bad - not at all.

"Pretty good stuff," he said to her after trying it. "And I don't get drunk easy."

The man was already gone, of course, but now that it was out there his companion would just have to see for herself. He was a vampire, after all. He hadn't fed tonight, though. Really, he could go for about four days without feeding, but he liked to feed every night. He wasn't going to lower his stamina just because he could. He liked to be able to handle himself, after all, even if he was a little inebriated.

It wasn't the bottle top that made her wince, but the guilt at hiding something like this from work. She knew that upstairs, things went on that probably shouldn't. And there were always a few guys downstairs smoking things that aught-not be smoked.

"That would make two of us." She grinned as she tilted back her bottle, taking a long swallow of the delicious, real, beer.

"Pure-blooded Irish, Adriano." She grinned at him almost mischievously. Don't let apperances fool you, I've drunken plenty under the table." She smirked.

The music though was starting to make her body twitch. It was ever so slight... So small. But she felt it... Felt the music in her body... She had to, no, needed to dance. It was her one true addiction. Her one true drug. She only smoked on occasions, used ecstasy even less. But she needed to dance. Needed to feel that wild abandon.

"Hey... Um... You wanna go dance? I was going to hit that mob in the living room... I mean if you wanna go or think you can handle yourself."

"So've I."

Then she asked him to dance.

"Sorry. I don't dance."

For one thing, he wasn't good at it. Well, maybe he had the grace for it now that he was a vampire. But he'd never really paid much attention as a kid to his lessons. For another thing, though, it just wasn't his style. Now, fighting - that was a dance to him. But he didn't do the dancing thing.

"Oh... Uh... That's cool." But it was all she could do to fight the call of the music, to keep herself still. "I love to dance... The feel of the music... People all around... There's really nothing better. I could give up drinking, stop with the few drugs I do... But ask me to stop dancing?" She shook her head. "It's like telling me to stop breathing." She gave a little grin.

"Will you be okay for like... Five minutes?" She asked hopefully. "I swear, just five minutes and you can drag me out if you have to." She was nearly begging him. She knew she didn't have any real obligation to him, but she still felt like she should at least keep him company.

But he was a grown man, he could find company for himself, right?

"Run wild. It's your party; I'm just a guest."

True enough, though it wasn't really her party. But she was his host, so to him it might as well be her party. Either way, who was he to say she couldn't dance? A vampire, certainly, but she didn't - couldn't - know that and he wasn't about to restrict her besides. She was a cop, for one thing. Sounded like she was pretty all right, but she might get a little freaked if she found out he'd been the start of the organized crime war a decade and a half ago. Then again, who knew what she might do if she knew he'd been responsible for countless murders throughout Demaitre, just as her vampire friend no doubt had? Regardless, she wasn't his problem and he wanted to see if he could get some food here - and not of mortal making, either; more of mortal kind than mortal making, in fact. Besides, he was eyeballing several hot young vixens from which he might like to feed - in more ways than one.

Run wild? What was what she did best.

"Just come get me if you need me." She gave him a wink before tip-toeing to kiss his cheek. It wasn't really anything special, she did that to the guys she worked with. A sign of gratitude.

Tossing back another swig of her beer, she set it on the table and made her way to the living room.

Once in the thick of the dance mob she let the music take over her body. She didn't need anything else... The touch of other people, the closeness of the group, the way they all had the same goal. It was thoroughly intoxicating to her senses.

Her body moved at twisted among the mass, against one woman for a moment before being pulled against some guy. Dmitri had called her moves hypnotic before... Her dancing was what drew him to her to begin with... What had bound them together at first...

Dancing... The beat of her life.

Clubbing was fun... But the drinks... the drugs... they were nothing to the dance. Her body was aching for a possessive touch... Someone who would take command as Dmitri did... God she needed him...

He sipped his Guinness at first, but then he downed as he finally decided to make his move. He smirked as he moved forward, but he seemed quite serious as he grabbed one of his potential victims by the arm. She turned around and looked directly into his eyes - and she was caught.

"I'll see you later," she said dreamily to the guy she'd been talking and laughing with. The guy got the hint, though he flipped Adriano the bird before going. Adriano could care less. He got forceful with the girl as he kissed her, his hands running over her rack and her ass, between her legs. His kisses moved slowly down her neck as she moaned lightly, half-drunk from booze and half from hypnotic pleasure. Then he bit into her with suddenly released fangs unseen by anyone. She gasped, but then she felt only the pleasure of the feeding. Moments later, she was collapsing into a chair by a wall and Adriano was wading through the crowd once more. Two more times he fed, both with women that were talking with someone else, before he got to his fourth prospect. She was alone. In under five minutes he was fucking her upstairs in a locked bedroom, feeding from her as he did so.

It was almost an hour later that he returned to the main party going on downstairs, fully-clothed of course; and of course, his 'friend' was dead - but that was to be expected of a vampire. He wondered where his host had gotten off to. No matter. His bike was fine - he couldn't hear or smell anyone messing with it - so he just moved through the crowd and headed into the kitchen. He got a Crown Royal just out of curiosity. It wasn't bad - nice and smooth. He drank it as he leaned against the kitchen counter, one hand in his pocket as his eyes watched several people dancing quite seductively. Some of the goings-on that he saw and heard weren't exactly legal, so it was a wonder that there was a cop here at all. Maybe Livy was all right after all.

The five minutes past to fifteen... The fifteen in to an hour... Livy didn't tire, she didn't slow down... She didn't even notice that time had passed at all. To her, in the middle of a rave it was as if it was an eternity, but yet no time at all.

Her hair was damp with sweat, her button down shirt had been shed long ago to show her shoulders, her stomach... Her torso now only covered by a tube top, she was even more absorbed in the dance... A dance that was likely to consume her...

Livy's body pushed and ground against the people she came in contact with. More than once she was pulled against the hips of a man, eager for her body, and hers in turn for a body...

But she needed Dmitri... She needed him to satisfy the ache that rose in her body... Never before had she rose her body to such passions... But then again... How could she have ached for something she never had before?

She needed someone... Livy needed relief...

Her aching body moved it's way to the edge of the crowd somehow, out towards the kitchen again. A man grabbed her hips, pulling her back as he caressed over the short denim shorts. Her arms went back, over her head to run over his shoulders.

Her skin was burning... Red from passion and heat truly... In the thick of the crowd, her temperature had risen, making her pant as she leaned back against the man before she fell away to lean against the wall for a break, her chest rising and falling almost franticly as she shut her eyes.

((Might have to make you suffer. Adriano did just relieve his own desires, after all. xD))

As the woman collapsed against the kitchen counter at last, Adriano drank his whiskey and watched her. She was quite attractive, but he had fed on flesh and blood alike already. He didn't need more sex. He could handle more - he wouldn't even mind - but rebel cop or no, she was still a cop and he wasn't in the mood anymore besides.

"Having fun?" he asked before taking another long drink of his whiskey.

"Fuck... yeah..." Livy panted with a grin. Her legs were trembling as she moved towards him, her beer.

"God... I feel like I'm gonna pass out..." She laughed as she nearly collapsed onto him, but instead fell into a chair next to him, leaning her head on his hip as she tried to catch her breath.

"Hey... Damn... A whole hour? Why didn't you come to get me?" She murmured as she looked at her watch. No wonder why she was exhausted, tired... Why her heart was beating like a drum.

Grabbing her beer off the table she tossed it back, taking a long swig. So thirsty, so tired. She didn't even realize that the beer tasted different than it had before. But hell, it was probably just her imagination anyway.

"So, I take it you were fine on your own? Enjoying some of the sights?" She laughed.

Mortals.

Just from what he'd seen in the last few minutes, he could outstrip any of these pathetic excuses for mortals. He might have once been mortal himself, but he had more than gotten used to having a grace unsurpassed by anything that could even remotely be called mortal: he had grown to love it. And he didn't even dance; that's what gave him a mental chuckle the most.

As she collapsed, he had to move his whiskey; she'd almost knocked it out of his hands. It wouldn't do to go spilling other peoples' booze, no matter how drunk or tired you were.

"Watch it," he said, though not unkindly.

Then she asked him about seeing the sights. He had to afford himself a small mental smirk.

You have no idea.

"You might say that."

He took another drink of his whiskey. If the scent of sex was on him, it was from his victim - for he did not sweat; no vampire he knew did, and he'd met quite a few in the last several years - and it probably couldn't be smelled by any but a vampire through the sweat and booze in the room anyway. It was just another drop to add to the mix.

Weak? No endurance? No, that wasn't Livy.

"Heh... Sorry... I didn't mean ta bump ya. Legs are a bit shaky, happens when I just stop dancing like that." She giggled softly. "But I'm glad you're having a decent time." Livy nodded, taking another sip of her beer. Huh... It tasted kinda odd now that she took another sip...

Oh well.

"Saaay. Why don't you come out and dance with me for a bit? Please? Just move, I mean, let the music move ya you know?" She giggled as she stood back up, setting her beer, almost empty now, on the counter.

"C'mon! It'll be fun I promise!"

((I didn't spike your beer. Promise. :P))

He pondered it a moment and finally gave up. Why not? He might actually learn something. He downed his whiskey in one multi-gulp and didn't even belch as he set the bottle down on the counter. He didn't sway a bit, either; vampires might get drunk, but it sure as hell took them a lot longer to reach that point than it did mortals - and Adriano had always been able to drink a bear under the table anyway.

"I wouldn't even know where to put my feet."

((Heh heh, oh, I know Adriano didn't ;) ))

"Oh, come on. No one will notice if you can't. But it's easy Adriano." She grinned as she pushed herself back against him, her body swaying to the music slightly. "It's almost like sex really..." Yeah, now that she thought of it, it was. "Just follow your instincts, let the moment carry you through to pleasure."

Livy finished the last swallow of her beer with a sigh and grinned.

"Come on Adriano, I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. You're dancing with me now, and that's final." She said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to the dance floor.

"Ignore everything but me and the music. That's all you gotta do." Her bright green eyes shone back at him, sheer delight in them. She didn't even notice her heart racing faster already, thought it was the excitement of the music.

But a pair of waiting eyes stared at her from across the room, simply waiting...

(( :P ))

Adriano might not have been 'alive', per se, but it wasn't only his vision and hearing that were heightened. All five of his senses were, including his sense of touch - which was why vampires were so good at sex; they knew when their lover was ready for the last shudder and when they were just getting started. So as Adriano started dancing, just swaying his hips from side to side at first like a mezmerized cobra rising slowly from a basket at the seductive tunes of a long flute, he got a sort of 'sixth sense' going. He knew he was being watched. It took him a moment, but he realized through his peripheral vision who it was that was watching them. Just a guy. A mortal, not a vamp. He could tell by the smell of him.

Adriano did a little spin and smirked as he landed gracefully on both feet.

"How was that?" he asked, smirking. He was told he had a seductive smirk; he didn't know if that was true or not, but he liked his smirk well enough. It was a good enough response for most things.

Livy danced, and as she danced, her senses began to overwhelm her. Every touch made her groan with pleasure, her heart was pounding, she could feel the beads of sweat rolling down her skin.

But... But suddenly without warning her vision began to blur, her body began to shake from weakness. She staggered out of the room and sank into a chair. Her pulse was racing... She could feel her heart hammering. Her mouth was so dry...

Panting heavily she looked around for a glass of water... Or... Or something to drink.

But as she stood, she had to lean back against the wall.

Something was wrong... She didn't feel good at all. And... And it wasn't the dancing... It was almost like... Like someone had put something in her drink... And...

Her vision blurred again, making her sink slightly against the wall as she clutched at her chest. It was starting to hurt when she breathed. It was getting hard to get air to her lungs... Why had someone done this? Who? Who had done this?

William, walking through the neighborhood, caught the lingered scent of his sire from the house up the block where a party seemed to be in full swing and appeared to be for some time.

He needed to speak with Dmitri with all that had happened over the last few months and there was no time like the present. Oblivious to the fact that he was significantly older than most of the partygoers visually, larger, more muscled and taller than almost everyone there and the fact he was a black leather clad cowboy he strode through the front door.

Pushing his way into the crowd, he followed his nose realizing more and more that the scent was a secondary scent on a woman somewhere in the house.

Looking around it was clear this was predominately mortal party, but they were alt just enough to not think much of his presence, in fact to some degree he appeared to fit in. A couple of young women came up to him with a drink and began to flirt with him. It had been a while since he had indulged in either blood or sex, at least twenty-four hours so now knowing that his sire was not actually present he took the time to play.

He kept his senses alert though for the woman who would more than likely lead him to Dmitri for their unfinished business.

His sense of smell told Adriano all he needed to know as Livy staggered into the main hall and collapsed onto the bench. Then she was leaning against the wall. There was some kind of opiate in her blood, a sedative from the smell of it, and he had no doubt the guy on the wall was responsible. Still, he acted like he didn't know. He followed her and leaned against the wall himself, though his was casual whereas hers was desperate.

"Need a doc?"

She shook her head weakly. "I... I'm okay..." She said weakly. "Just... Just a little out of breath..."

No, she had to tell him. Maybe he could help.

"I think... I think someone put something in my drink." She murmured.

"I think I'm gonna go lie down... I'll be okay."

Staggering down the hall, she slipped into one of the bedrooms she knew of, luckily it was empty and she fell onto the bed. Her body was trembling slightly as she curled up. Fuck... Whatever it was, it was really messing her up... If she was tested for drugs anytime soon... She'd be fired for sure.

Her heart was beating faster than she had ever known, she was panting heavily... Her body was drenched in sweat... What was going on...

Her mind was so overwhelmed by sensations, even in the dark room alone... She didn't even notice when someone opened the door.

As he spoke to the young women, he noted a woman stumble into the hall in some form of a stupor and collapse onto a bench. Then it occurred to him that this was the woman.

A man, no a vampire, followed her out into the hall briefly checking on her before she wandered off into a bedroom. Without excusing himself, he put the drink in his hand into one of the women’s hand he was talking to and pushed through.

Arriving at the door, he could feel her quickened pulse as she fought the urge to give into the drug. He grabbed the handle and walked into the room.

Observing her on the bed he simply said, “Where’s Dmitri?”

She could feel her body burning... Her skin felt like it was on fire, but not the good way out on the dance floor. This felt as if her skin was literally burning, a fever... Or something.

Her breath was sharp and ragged as she lay on the bed.

Livy vaguly heard a voice... Dmitri... Yeah... She wanted Dmitri... Where... Where was he? "Dmitri..." She murmured as a tremor ran through her body. "Dmitri... Where... Where is he..." She whimpered. "What... What did you do to me?"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Greg glared at the door as he watched another man go into Olivia's room. Damnit...

He'd wanted her for a while now, but she was never willing to put out. This was the only way he could think of to get to her, and now some old guy had ruined it.

Moving through the crowd he came to the door, but he waited outside to see what was happening. If this old guy had tried to mess with her, he'd rush in and save the day. Then she'd want to put out. But he'd have to wait... Well, he waited this long, what was a little more.

Walking back, he saw the guy who'd obviously drugged her coming back. It wasn't like he knew the girl or anything, but even he wasn't a block of ice. Here he was starting to enjoy himself and this guy fucked his hostess up. As he walked by Adriano, he grabbed the guy by the chest and walked down to the end of another hall. There was no one there.

From outside, all was quiet save for the muffled music and partying. Then a guy went flying through the second-story window and landed in a bush somewhere outside. The shadow of one mean-looking biker appeared briefly in the window before disappearing again.

Adriano walked back down the hall nonchalant. The scream hadn't been heard and the guy wasn't totally hurt; two broken legs, a fractured shoulder right shoulder blade and a dislocated right elbow was all he'd suffered. He'd be suffering more very shortly. Adriano stepped outside into the night air, buying two syringes filled with liquid methamphetamine on the way, and walked over to where the guy had fallen. He wasn't there. Looking around, he heard him crawling nearby - and then saw him futilely trying to escape. He redoubled his efforts when he looked back over his good shoulder to see Adriano standing there. Adriano then went over and slammed his right fist down into the guy's back - twice. He heard two ribs break hard, and then he gave the guy a mild concussion with a rap on the back of his head with his knuckles. Now semi-conscious, the guy didn't even try to get away as he received two tell-tale puncture marks on his neck. Adriano left enough blood in him to live, but then he slammed the two syringes filled with narcotics into his left arm. Once they were empty, he put several more holes in him and broke the needles off in his veins. Finally, he tossed the syringes into a small puddle nearby to wipe out fingerprints and then calmly walked back into the kitchen and got himself another Crown Royal. He popped the cap off into the garbage and drank it as he went back into the living room to survey the main party. As he did so, he saw another guy walking down the hall on the other side of the room that could have been the twin of the man he'd just beat up.

Damn. Oh, well. That was fun, anyway.

Besides - what was, was. He'd let it go for now. Like he'd thought to himself earlier, it wasn't like he personally knew the lady cop.

“Shit,” William spat out. He moved over, crouched down, grabbed her face, and looked into her eyes. “You’ve been drugged lady.” That pissed him off. This kind of cowardice always did. If you are looking to take something from someone, you do it honestly and up front like a man.

As he knelt there, he recognized the predator was behind him but until it became personal, he would ignore him.

Slapping her slightly, “Hey there little lady, where is Dmitri?” She could not keep focus and her muscle control was for crap. Hell, as far as she was concerned at this point she may have thought he was Dmitri. Dropping her head back down onto the bed, he looked around but she did not have a bag or jacket on her with identification. It must be somewhere in the house. If he could find it, he would at least be able to track her later to figure out where she met up with his sire. Since everything had fallen apart with his last mate, Dmitri seemed to have dropped off the radar for William.

The pain... She felt the slap harder than he actually hit her, the pain intensified by whatever she'd been give. "No!" She gasped. "Don't... Please.." She moaned as she fell back against the pillows.

She tried to see who it was. Tried to figure out what was going on.

But her eyes were blurred, her body weak. "Dmitri? Where are you?" She whimpered, still holding the side of her face. What was going on. "Please, do-... don't hurt me... I.. I don't know..." She whimpered.

Why... Why did he want Dmitri? Who was he and why had he done this to her? He could have just talked to her. She would have told him

"Why are you doing this to me? I... I didn't do anything." She panted, clutching at her chest again as her breaths became more frantic.

This was going nowhere quickly. Falling back into the chair in the corner William crossed his legs and threw his hat onto his foot. “Pulling his fingers through his hair, he said, “Lady, I didn’t do anything to you. I do need you to pull your shit together though so you can tell me what I need to know.”

Pulling a pack of cigarettes out from his pocket, he lit one and sat there smoking while waiting to see what time would bring him; there were still a few hours until daylight.

Greg growled impatiently... What should he do?

Making up his mind he pushed the door open. "Livy? Livy, are you alright girl?" He asked, frowning with concern as he moved to the bed.

"Man! What the hell did you do to her?!" Might as well accuse the man who was on the scene right? "She's a fucking cop! You drugged a fucking cop. Get the hell out of here man! I don't need assholes like you around here, drugging up the wrong people for your playtime!" He said as he pulled her into his arms.

Shit... Maybe he had used too much. She seemed to be having a bad time with it... Wasn't a meth user? Fuck... But it was too late now. He already had his fall guy, if Livy died from an overdose, he'd be clear.

"Greg... Wh... Someone... They... They did something to my drink."

"Shh... Lay still baby. You look awful, just lay here. I'll take care of you." He soothed.

"Where... Can you call Dmitri? He... he can give me a ride home... Please?"

"Just stay here. Rest." He said as she began to shake. Shit...

"What the hell did you do to her man?" He persisted. "Get her some water! Quick before she has a fucking heart attack."

William sat there without expression as the coward put on his act. He could smell the drug on the man from when he applied it to her drink.

As Greg shouted at him frantically, his cold soulless eyes reflected the light from the hall showing the hollowness of his soul as he continued to take slow deliberate drags off the cigarette in his hand.

“Yes Greg, call Dmitri,” he said sardonically with a smile that slowly worked its way onto the man in black’s face. “I would not want a man like Dmitri to find out you killed his woman; he is not as understanding as I am. Trust me it’s my word he would be taking when it’s time to account for her death.”

"Who the fuck is Dmitri?" He glared at the other man who dared challenge him in his home. "I wouldn't do a thing to my girl."

"Dmitri... He... He's my boyfriend... Please... Call him? I don't feel good at all."

Boyfriend? She had a fucking boyfriend now? When the hell did that happen? Well it wasn't like that would have stopped him. he would have just been a hell of a lot more careful.

"You know him?" He said, glaring back up at the still unnamed man. "You here with her then?" Shit... She brought more than one person here? When did that happen? Usualy she introduced everyone to him so he'd know they were with her. "Keep an eye on her damnit..." He sighed as he lay her back down gently and went of to get a large glass of water.

"You... You know Dmitri? Please... Ca-" Rolling over slightly she threw up suddenly over the edge of the bed. Once- twice... Only stomach acid on the third. But her body was still weak, still hot and shaky.

"Fuck..." Greg muttered as he came back. Well at least some of the drugs might be out of her system. Grabbing a tissue from the bedside he wiped her mouth. "Hey, you give her the water, I'm gonna go find a guy she came with tonight." He said as he set the glass down, heading out to look for Adriano.

"Yo! Fuck, man! You with Livy right? She ain't doing good. You know where she lives? Take her home?" He asked, pretending he didn't know what was wrong with her. "I think someone put something in her drink. She doesn't know who. You see anything?"