The club was loud and smelled like cheap body spray and bargain bin perfume. I hate going out but it's a necessary hazard of the job. I am checking out a new club tonight with rumors about missing girls for an upcoming article I am writing. It seems that every week or so a girl who has been to this club goes missing. It is always a college-age girl who comes alone and lives alone with no family and nobody to report them missing until there is no way of knowing exactly when they disappeared. I fit the general profile of the victim. I appear to be 18-20 with shoulder-length red-brown hair and I am 4’10” tall so I look like an easy target. I decided to wear a loose-fitting flannel skirt with knee-high combat boots and a sheer lace button-up over my black sports bra. My outfit is far from my normal daily wear but it's what the job calls for today.

Bacchus opened about 6 months ago and marketed itself as an affordable high-end club. The cover charge is cheap and the drinks are cheaper but the atmosphere is high-end. It is the ideal place for broke college kids and lonely underemployed singles living alone in the city trying to meet people. I first heard about the missing girls when a distraught young woman came to my favorite coffee shop and asked to put up a missing person poster. Normally this kind of thing wouldn’t interest me but I was desperate for a story and bored out of my mind.

That’s how I met Amanda Powers and started searching for her best friend Jaime Harlen. I spent a week digging up details about Jaime and finding more girls who had gone missing from the same club. Now here I am dressed like bait drinking a cheap long island iced tea and waiting for someone to try to pick me up.

It had already been hours and the last call was only about 20 minutes away. Tonight was going to be a bust and I would have to try again another day. Making my way to the exit I dropped my empty glass on a table and started weaving my way through the crowd to get out of the club. I was just about to exit when I felt a sharp jab of pain in my lower back then a burning sensation ran through me. I recognized the feeling of the sedative right away and knew what was happening to me as a tall dark-haired man slid his arm around my waist and began guiding me out of the building.

“Excuse me, my girlfriend here has had a little too much to drink and I need to get her home before she is completely out.” Tall, dark and rapey said as he shoved our way through the club goers. Once we were out on the street I stammered incoherently to him and stumbled along barely keeping my balance as he took me down the street towards a dark SUV parked on the side of the road. When we got to the SUV he opened the passenger side rear door and shoved me in then got in behind me and said “Drive.”

My head lolled around and I saw there were 3 other people in the SUV with us. 2 men up front who looked like professional bodyguards and the one in the back was a woman in a business suit and platinum blond hair pulled back in a tight bun.

“She isn’t going to be much of a meal, barely more than a light snack for us. We will have to send you out hunting again in another couple of days.” Blondie said. “Why didn’t you get something with a little more meat on her bones?”

“I needed to make a quick grab right at the exit because there werewolves in there tonight. I saw at least a half dozen wolves and there might have been a cat but I'm not sure.” My abductor said, “Besides, she smells amazing. It's the sweetest scent I have ever smelled on a human before.”

“She does smell great. What were the Weres doing there? Did they notice you hunting?” asked Blondie bun.

“I don't know if they saw or smelled me but they left me alone so I think it's fine. Besides, I got what I came for and now we are almost home free and we will be getting our dinner and relaxing.” My captor said and looked at me. “Wow, you are still awake? She is a fighter. She might have some mixed blood in her if the sedative isn't taking full effect.”

“Doesn't matter,” Said blondie as the SUV came to a stop. “We’re here time to take her to dinner.” She looked at me “Guess it's time for you to be our guest of honor, blood bag.” she smiled a fang-filled smile at me.

I was roughly pulled from the SUV and taken to a metal set of doors I recognized as an elevator. As we waited for the elevator I started to mumble again inaudibly causing the vampires to laugh at me. The loud ding was followed by the doors opening and the 2 giant bodyguards drug me into the elevator followed by blondie and my abductor. Bodyguard one pushed the penthouse button on the elevator and it shifted ominously as we started up.

Once the doors opened up into the penthouse I looked around and saw we were the only ones there. I looked over at blondie and said “What are you going to do to me?”

“You are our dinner little one. Now that we are all here we are going to drain you dry and enjoy every drop.” She said licking her lips suggestively.

“Nobody else is coming? Just you 4 and me?” I asked, seemingly confused and looking around.

“Are you expecting a rescue? Do you have someone who you think is going to magically appear and save you?” asked my abductor.

“Oh, I don’t need a rescue. I just wanted to make sure this was everyone who has been abducting girls from Pulse before I took care of it. Do you 4 belong to the local coven of vampires or are you an independent outlier with a death wish?” I asked.

“What do you mean you are going to take care of it? And how do you know anything about vampires and our hierarchy, human?” asked Blondie.

“I wasn’t in the club by chance tonight you morons. I was investigating the disappearances and I happen to know that I am particularly attractive to other supernatural creatures. You see I am not exactly human per se. I am a singularly unique being as far as I know and I should know if there are any more like me out there since I am much older than any of you could imagine. Now answer my question and I will kill you all quickly with as little pain as possible otherwise we are going to have to do things the fun way.” I looked at each of them in turn as I said this waiting for a response.

Blondie looked more confused than angry and said “You are bluffing. I can smell you’re human from here. You are barely old enough to drink. The only thing that is giving me pause at all right now is that sedative should have still had you out.”

“Listen, the sedative didn't do anything at all. I had to fake that whole thing until I got back here to make sure I got all of you in one place and finished the job in a night because I hate leaving things undone. Now tell me if you are part of the coven and if they know about this and if not why haven't they dealt with you yet?” I started to get irritated and lose my patience. I need to learn to keep my cool as the kids say…. I think they still say that.

“Enough of this nonsense Gerry, Leonn hold her down while we drain her. I am done listening to this ridiculous stalling for time while she tries to talk her way out of here.” Gerry and Leonn, who I could now put to Bodyguard 1 and 2 started moving forward listening to my abductor.

“I guess it is the fun way then. I am gonna lose this shirt because I don't want it ripped or covered in your blood. I am kinda starting to like it.” Gerry or Leonn, not sure, stuck his hand out for me and tried to wrap a big meaty fist around my arm. I grabbed him by the wrist and crushed it, twisted it, and tore his hand off. I am gonna go with Gerry stared down at his stump wide-eyed then looked up in time to see my fist bullet punch a hole through his skull, bye-bye Gerry. Leonn just then got to me and didn’t even hesitate to attack. Kudos to his training because he must have had balls of steel at least until I slid between his legs and ripped them off with my razor-sharp finger talons. Ever hear a man scream like a 5-year-old girl? It's hilarious. I leaped 6 feet into the air and back kicked his head off his shoulders and bye-bye bodyguard number 2.

Less than 5 seconds after the douchebag from the club gave the order both Gerry and Leonn were ash drifting across the room. Blondie and Douchebag were staring at me in horror now. “Last chance to do this the easy way. I killed them quickly because they were all muscle and no brain. You 2 I will take my time with and get the answers I want.”

Blondie stammered, “We aren’t part of the coven they don’t even know we are here. Please we will just leave you don’t have to kill us, we have no choice, it's just what we are.”

“That is where you are wrong, Blondie. I have been around for millennia protecting humans from the monsters of the world. I allow you to live in peace as long as you don’t harm humans. Were’s leave them alone and I have no problem with them at all. The established covens around the world leave them alone and drink donated blood or take small amounts from many people without risking their lives. In recent years I have been bored to tears because most monsters blend in better with humans than some humans do. As long as the monsters of the world live with humans in peace I just sit back and relax without a care in the world. Your little group here got greedy and sloppy. You killed several girls week after week and all from the same club. So here I am, monster to monsters the thing that your ancestors had nightmares about.”

“The Keres…” Blonde whispered

“I was once known by that, and many other names before and after.” I said moving towards blondie and the douche.

“But you are just a myth. Gods aren’t real.” she said

“Oh, I am not a god. They are real though. I have had to kill a few in my time. Nasty assholes when they get uppity. But back on point, I am done here, I have learned all I need to know from you and I want to go home get some chicken and waffles. It always hits the spot after a night of monster hunting.” I finished closing the distance to them and rather than wait for more talking I quickly snatched Blondie's heart from her chest and she dropped to the floor turning to ash before hitting the tile. I turned to Douchebag and felt 3hard thumps on my chest then 2 on my forehead followed by 5 loud bangs. Douchebag had a revolver in his hand and it looked old.

“See if you can kill me now you little psycho.” He looked down at the gun noticing it only fired 5 of the 6 rounds. He started smacking his palm against the cylinder and pulling back the hammer trying to get it to fire the last round. Finally, he looked down the barrel to see if the bullet was still in the cartridge and I ignited a tiny spark of magic in the primer and set the gun off for the final time. Douche brains were flying through the air for about a second before his body caught up and he too began to turn to ash.

“What a fucking moron.” I said as I flicked the flattened bullets off my forehead and pushed them out of my chest. My skin healed instantly from the wounds the bullets caused and I got up to see if there was anything worth stealing in this lovely penthouse of death.

About twenty minutes later I was just finishing up my ransacking of the place when I heard the elevator ding from the other room. I stepped around the corner and saw five very large werewolves and one weretiger standing in half form looking ready to fight the world.

“Why hello there boys,” I glanced around and saw one of them was a female wolf, “and girl. Can I help you with something? Want a snack? I doubt the vampires had much in the way of decent food here. I have to admit I am saving my appetite for my chicken and waffles when I get home.” My stomach growled ominously “Definitely need to be off to get some of that I am starving.”

The weretiger shifted himself into a more human appearance and began speaking in a gravelly but completely coherent voice “Where are the vampires? We followed them here from the club but we had to scent them on foot and in the city it's a slow trip. We thought for sure you would be dead when we got here. How are you still alive?”

“They were baby vamps at best. No more than two hundred at the oldest. I dealt with them then went through their stuff, took what I wanted, and was about to leave when you guys showed up all furry.” I said nonchalantly

“You should come with us. They could come back any minute and we can protect you. Let us take you out of here before they return.” Tigerman said.

“They are ash dude. I’m good. You guys do whatever you want. I am going to go home and get some food and rewatch Dexter for the tenth time. Thanks for the late rescue, maybe next time try showing up before I have to take care of it.” I walked by the shifters and just about stepped on the elevator when a fur-covered arm blocked my way. “Move it or lose it pup. I have had a long night at a shitty club followed by a little fun with vampires and a penthouse with like $50 in it. I am leaving.”

“Let her pass. What's your name?” Tigger asked.

“Mara. How bout you Tigger?” I asked, chuckling to myself.

He looked at me with a confused look on his face then flushed. “I am…” and was cut off by the elevator doors closing and beginning its descent.