That dark stranger

40.

By the third drink, I was completely wasted. I was doomed. Reka was red in the face with a stupid smile. All her grace was stripped bare. She stared at Aarav with that raw need some predators on the National Geographic channel have when they watch prey. Aarav pretty much ignored her or me and went on to check on his clients. By then, most of them were gone as the sun lowered on the horizon. All except the guy lingered in the shadows smoking his cigarette. You could only see the red glow of its end in the corner.

"You should get a nice little vampire, stay with your kind or something," said Reka swaying her half-filled drink dangerously between two fingers. I have no idea she was judgmental against different species mating.

"What's wrong with a vampire and a werewolf being together?" I frowned. I could barely keep straight on my chair. The room swirled around like a carousel ride.

"Cold blood and warm blood just don't go well together," she shook her fifth drink at me spilling some on my jeans. She laughed when I jerked away from her. "Don't get me wrong, I like you, girl." She flashed me her sharp teeth.

"You have a thing against dating one," I finished. We were both gone. I have no idea if our conversation made any sense.

"Right," she pointed her index at me while grinning. Aarav was cleaning the tables and went to the back for a minute. When I turned to the side I felt a pressing shadow over my right shoulder.

"Evening girls," said the shadow. We both slowly turned towards it. "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation," there, perched on a seat by the bar, was a tall slim man dressed in a dark red shirt and black pants. His hair was glued to his skull, black jet, and disappearing in the small of his back. His eyes were deep-set, a piercing blue, glowing on his pale face. But what sent a chill down my spine was that smile. If the shark would smile, showing those deadly razor-sharp teeth, this guy had it all.

"Scram, we don't want company," Reka called. The man paid no attention. His icy eyes were set on me. Was he trying to capture my gaze and bespell me?

"Your trick won't work on me," I said, my voice sluggish from the alcohol. At least, I could hold onto some sanity. His grin widened in a terrifying grimace. Whatever the hell he was, it was not pretty.

"Interesting," he noted. Just then Aarav emerged from the kitchen's door he paused and looked up at us.

"Everything's ok, girls?" he frowned at the stranger. The man slipped off his chair and rose his arms.

"I was just leaving," he announced then turned back to us. "Evening, ladies," he bowed with a grace that didn't quite fit him. He turned and left. More like he was suddenly not there anymore. I shuddered.

"What the hell was that creep?" Reka said aloud. I rubbed my hands over my shivering arms. Aarav came back to the bar, the room was now empty with just us hanging by the bar.

"There are dangerous people out there," comments the barman. His eyes were fixed on the curtain of beads. It hasn't moved at all when the guy left. Creepy. Reka leaned over the bar with puppy eyes.

"We were hoping you could drive us home...since you literally don't have any clients," Aarav rolled his eyes.

"Sometimes I ask myself if you are a blessing or a curse," he muttered to himself. Reka giggled and patted me on the back. But I couldn't get in a joyous mood. The chill wouldn't leave me. That man had tried to poke into my mind. If I was some weak little vampire he would have melted my mind like ice cream. I was sober...well, at least, I think I was.

"I want to go home," I turned to Reka. She pulled me close to her and wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

"See, you're not going to let two fragile girls wander in the woods when there are bad guys in the shadows," Reka pleaded. Aarav let out a long sigh of frustration.

"I'm not your play toy. I'm an adult, you shouldn't pull a stunt like that..."

"Yeah, yeah, you're a big cat. Mr. Leopard. I get it," Reka smiled.

"Leopard?" I repeated. They both looked up at me with a smirk. The air shifted around them. Raw power rose along their skin. "Were leopards," I whispered. They both nodded. "Fascinating," I smiled. No wonder they had a thing against werewolves and vampires. But I didn't know much about how it all worked. The political side of clans and rules. I was a newbie in the dark world. A baby so to speak.