Chapter One
Hurrying down the sidewalk wearing heels and a halter dress, while visiting New Orleans in August, wasn’t the best-laid plan. There was a book signing today at the convention center and Sadie McKenzie longed to visit her favorite authors. She carried a large messenger bag with a few books she’d hoped to get signed, a map of the floor, pens, highlighters, and a bottle of water. Not knowing what to expect, she wanted to prepare for anything. With the wicked humidity in the air, she didn’t plan on rain. The air grew thicker and the smell of rain was evident. She had everything except her umbrella.
Her heel tip caught in the sidewalk and she stopped. She looked down, then groaned when it pulled off. “Fantastic. Can today get any worse?” She glanced to her side, down an alley between two buildings. She could see the top of the convention center and knew she was close.
Maybe I can take a short cut down this alley and cut a few blocks off.
Sadie had begun writing a story a few months ago and was excited about where it was going. A vampire lost the love of his life centuries ago and, as a cruel joke, his soul mate continued to reincarnate every decade. Her soul was born into a new body, but in time, she would begin to regain her memories of her past lives. The vampire would find her, and she would suddenly become struck ill and perish. The loss of his soul mate would wreck him harder each time he found her, until one time, she was finally able to remain alive. She would live long enough to find her vampire, and he would finally change her to be with him forever.
She smiled as she thought about her story. Had stories like this already been told? Of course, but her story, her characters were different.
She crossed the street, her heel clicking with each step on the blacktop. The dark alley smelled like old liquor. The walls were old brick and dirty, some painted with street art. Passing a dumpster, she held her breath as the stench was undeniable.
Sadie was close to the other side and watched cars pass the back street entrance. Hurrying through the alley, she’d almost reached the end when a set of hands gripped her by the arms, thrusting her against the brick wall.
She dropped her backpack and purse, then coughed as the air from her lungs was expelled. She looked up to find her attacker, but no one was there.
What the hell just happened?
“Oww.” She groaned and rubbed the back of her head.
Had she just had a seizure?
No, she was still standing.
Maybe a strong wind burst?
No, someone grabbed her. She wanted to call out ‘Hello’ but decided a quiet approach was probably best. If someone was trying to attack her, she didn’t want to give him or her any indication of where she stood.
She bent down and picked up her bag and, as she began to stand, a set of footsteps sounded near her.
She gasped and looked in the direction of the sound. In the shadows, she could just make out the large shape as a man approached. The closer he came, the more his physical features became visible. Sadie could see a tall, light-skinned man, topped with unruly hair, but that’s as far as she could get with the murky shade still covering his facial features.
“Who’s there?” she called out. Fear clamped down on her chest and she regretted coming down this shortcut.
No answer.
She pushed away from the wall and reached inside her bag, hoping to find something, anything, she could use to protect herself. She felt one of her pens against her trembling fingers and pulled it out. She grasped it in her fist, brandishing the ball-pointed end like she would a weapon toward an enemy. She only hoped it did the job.
“Thirsty,” the man called. “So fucking thirsty.”
She swallowed the dryness in her throat. “I—I can help get you something to drink and eat. Just let me go, okay?”
“You can’t help me, poppet,” he groaned back at her.
“Poppet? I’m not a device you can toy with,” she said, and took a step back. “Now, let me go before I scream for help.”
“Go ahead,” he threatened. “I like it when they scream.”
“Shit,” she whispered, and took another step back.
What does he want?
Money?
Sex?
Her life?
“Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you. Just let me go, okay?”
“I can’t do that, little lady.” The man was then in her face, his death-like breath wafting over her face in sour waves.
She gagged and took a step back.
How did he move so fast?
He was just over there, and now he’s here?
The man opened his mouth in an evil sneer and his elongated teeth glimmered.
Fangs?
The man had fangs!
“What…wait, is this a joke? Did someone send you after me as a prank because of the book I’m writing?” Pressed for time, she frantically tried to think of a way to get away from this man. He wasn’t a prank. His eyes were wild and dark, very dark. Up close, now, she could see his pale, almost luminescent skin was caked with dirt in multiple areas, his clothes bore dark, crusty looking stains she wasn't even willing to guess the nature of, and he smelled like decay.
“No joke, blood bag. But now you’re mine.” The man had her pinned to the wall in a second, his thick arm spanning her chest and causing the breath to hitch in her chest when she attempted to inhale. He gripped her hair and yanked her head to the side, exposing her neck. He leaned in and inhaled.
She shook, scared, panic rising, and pressed her hands against his chest. “Get off of me,” she screamed. “Help! Help me!”
Her heart raced in her chest and she kicked at her assailant, her high-heel-clad feet connecting several times with his shins, but nothing deterred the man. “Please, someone help me!”
Then, a sharp pain exploded in the side of her neck. It throbbed and burned, and a dizziness flooded her mind.
“Stop!” She pushed against him again, but he wouldn’t move. It was as if the man was stone in human form. He was strong, too strong for her.
He lifted a filthy hand to her neck and began to squeeze. The pain in her neck grew and, even as the pressure across her chest lessened, she still couldn’t catch a breath. She was going to die. No one knew where she was other than in New Orleans for a book signing. This man had bitten into her neck and she would die of infection or strangulation.
Tears slipped from her eyes as her air supply dwindled and she sagged against her captor. She tried once more to catch a breath, sucking at the foul-smelling air surrounding her, but she couldn’t fill her lungs. The feeling of helplessness settled over her like a weighted blanket.
In the distance, she glimpsed a man running toward them. His mouth was open as if he was screaming a war cry.
Was she hallucinating?
Then, suddenly, the blood-stealing man’s hand was removed from her neck, his body ripped away from hers, and thrown across the alley, smacking into the opposite wall with a sickening thud.
Sadie sucked in the glorious, fresh oxygen with a deep gasp. She then dropped to her knees, rolled to her hip, and collapsed on the ground. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she felt warm liquid ooze from her neck, down her chest to puddle on the ground at her side. She imagined she could hear the drip drip drip of her life-fluid hitting the dingy pavement and, oddly, she found the sound somewhat comforting in its steady repetition.