First Draft

Fiona's POV

The man was desirable; I couldn't deny it. He was hot. His dark hair, brown eyes, and caramel skin, combined with his manly scent, were attributes worthy of a dream. However, I'd learned the hard way to steer clear when such perfection was involved.

The stranger appeared out of nowhere, glancing at me and my best friend, Katrina. His velvet voice seemed to stand out in the noisy club, gaining appreciative stares from every woman as far as I could see. They appeared like hungry cats ready to pounce on a mouse in their drunken, carefree state.

While Mr. Sexy chatted with Katrina, I did my best to ignore him. This guy was far too attractive, and I promised myself that in the future, I would only settle for attractive with a side of substance. The guy must have a brain to carry an adult conversation and be trustworthy. My track record was rubbish regarding men, and he was the last thing I needed while nursing a broken heart in a nightclub. And one-night stands were not my cup of tea.

Kat can have him, I thought and giggled. She wouldn't find my reflections amusing, but he was perfect for her. She went through men-hot ones-like I did underwear. Although, I admonished myself for thinking this way; it was true. I often told Kat she acted just like a guy. Love 'em and leave 'em should be her motto. I made eye contact and lifted my chin at the barkeep and ordered another shot of tequila.

I downed the shot as a shudder wracked my body, and wondered why I consumed something so foul tasting and bit into the lime. That's when I noticed Mr.Sexy offering something to Katrina... something I deduced was a tiny pill. I tried to warn her but the mixture of tequila, lime, and surprise resulted in me yelling a strangled, "Kat, no!"

But I was too late.

"Oh, don't be such a fusspot," Kat said, looking at the stranger with a 'come hither' gleam in her eyes.

"Yeah," he said and winked. "You should live a little." He held out his hand, where I saw several tiny pink pills resting in his palm. I couldn't help but notice his golden, smooth forearm.

Focus Fiona, I told myself. "What is it?" I asked, pushing my long raven-colored hair over my shoulder. I felt the ends tickle my mid-back, right above the V of my little black dress.

He chuckled, licked his perfect lips, and said, "Just a little something to amp up the fun. It's harmless, I promise." The arrogant man winked at me.

Kat giggled and sided up closer to him. "Come on, Fiona! Do it. You deserve some fun after what-"

"Don't you dare say his name," I shouted and noticed several people looking over to see what was going on.

Katrina held up her palms and said, "Okay, okay. Fair enough." Katrina, or Kat to most, was my best friend even though we are different, like night and day. But they say opposites attract, right? We were neighbors for years until a plane crash took her parents' lives when she was fifteen. My father mostly adopted her afterward, and we were family-like sisters-and I couldn't help but worry about her.

The stranger smiled my way, lifting his chin. "Come on, gorgeous. Let's party. Just pop this into your mouth. You'll never want to party without one again."

I felt a weird sensation in my tummy, like a knot of anxiety. It did wonders for my eyesight, as well. I was no longer peering through rose-colored glasses. I could see him for what he was now, and I didn't trust him. Suddenly, Mr. Sexy wasn't as hot as I once thought.

I looked at Kat; she was smiling, but her eyes seemed glazed over. I prayed whatever she took wouldn't hurt or kill her. "No thanks," I ventured, smiling.

"Your loss," he told me. "Come on, hot stuff..." He put his hand on the small of Kat's back, urging her toward the dance floor. "Let's leave 'Debbie Downer' at the bar and go dance."

I sighed, rolled my eyes, and watched as he led Kat into the throng of people dancing. Somehow, I'd have to keep my eyes on her.

"Can I buy you a drink?" I heard from behind.

I turned and stared at yet another gorgeous man. Great. They are out in droves tonight, I told myself. If I wanted to hook up, there wouldn't be a good-looking guy in sight. There was something different about this guy, though. His hair was darker than the drug-pushing idiot who led Kat astray. It was jet black, like mine, and his eyes were a clear green, or perhaps gray. It was hard to tell inside the darkened club. I looked away before getting lost in his gaze.

I wanted to scream 'yes', but I remained firm. "That's very kind, but I'm driving," I stated with a smile. Letting people down or hurting their feelings bothered me, and I hated it.

"Oh, I see..." he said with a coy grin.

It was a waste of time to worry over his wounded pride. I could almost smell his confidence-it oozed from his pores. "You know... the designated driver and all that," I said, taking in his lean, muscular form, casual yet sophisticated attire, and almost folded. I was a sucker for a straight man with an eye for fashion. But I held my guard.

He laughed, his baritone voice caused my flesh to pebble. Damn this man!

"Is that why you've been throwing back tequila shots? So you can safely drive your friend home?" He raised his brows and grinned; his gaze landed on my empty shot glass.

"But I'd wager you'd still be in a better state to drive than your friend." He jutted his chin out toward the dance floor where Kat had followed the stranger.

I sighed. And damn this man again. I'm so busted! "I'm sorry," I began when he cut me off.

"Don't be. I was kidding about the drinks. But... you were sensible and did the right thing by not taking what that guy was offering," he said, losing his smile and his tone now serious.

"You saw that?" I asked in bewilderment. What was this guy doing? Was he stalking me, or perhaps he was just observant?

"I did." He threw me a winning grin. "It wasn't like the guy was being cautious. I'd wager quite a few people saw him offering you and your friend a handful of his happy pills. It's normal nowadays, but that doesn't mean it's safe. Quite the contrary..."

So, he's not a stalker, but something much worse. He's handsome and can carry an intelligent conversation. Attractive with substance is what I wanted in a man, but it was too soon. "Do you know what those pills were?" I asked, holding my breath.

"Yeah, a nasty little drug called Sexflex." He managed the word like it was dirty, his lips curled in a snarl.

While the name didn't surprise me, I'd never heard of it before. "Is it dangerous? I mean, will my friend be all right?" I looked over my shoulder to see if I could spot Kat among the throng of drunken dancers.

"That depends," he answered with a shrug. "She'll be okay if you get her away from the creep who gave that shit to her and don't let her take anymore."

"Right, thanks," I said. "I'm going to find her now and take her home. Thanks for the offer of a drink. Maybe some other time... and I'm Fiona, by the way." I held out my hand.

He took my fingers in his large, warm hand and a flush crept over my chest. "Charmed to meet you, Fiona. I'm Rowan and I'll accept the rain check. And I'm holding you to it."

"Well, thanks for everything, Rowan. I better dash. You know... drugged and drunk friend." I smiled and held his gaze a bit too long. Another time, perhaps, I said to myself.

"No problem. Please be careful." He smiled and left me staring after him. I turned away and made my way toward the dance floor, searching for Kat. Pushing my way through the swarm of sweaty bodies, I searched for a blonde in a short pink dress. Before spotting a flicker of hot pink, people shoved, cursed me, and almost knocked me on my ass more than once.

I stood on my tiptoes and saw her.

I fought the crowd again, keeping my eyes focused on where I last saw Kat. She disappeared down a hallway with the stranger at the back left of the club. I prayed they were heading to the restrooms. "Aha," I said aloud to the empty hall when I noticed the bathrooms. The ladies were on the left and the men were on the right.

I didn't see her shady companion in the hallway and assumed he was in the men's room. I opened the other door yelling, "Kit Kat... Are you in here?" Silence hit me in the heart. I used my palm to slap all seven stalls open. Nothing.

Where was she? I felt dread at this point and rushed from the bathroom, spotting a silver service door. Why would she leave with a stranger out the back door? The door was heavy, so I put some hip into it and a blast of cold winter wind hit me. With the door open, I spotted Kat and the stranger in what appeared an embrace.

"Kat, what the hell?" I yelled. The guy turned toward my voice, and I recoiled in shock while the wind whipped through my bare legs.

He had Kat pushed up against a brick wall and she appeared unconscious. The stranger grinned at me, a smile that was the epitome of 'wicked'. Blood covered his face and I swear I saw fangs. I wondered if the freak somehow laced my drink without me knowing. This can't be real. I fought the temptation to flee and charged toward him. "Get away from her. What in the hell are you doing?"

He let go of Kat and I watched her crumple to the cold, wet concrete. I shoved him, trying to reach my friend, but he was stronger than me. He grabbed my long tresses with one hand, pulling me to him with his other arm. I pushed on his chest to no avail and saw him eyeing my neck, which I tried covering with my hands. It didn't take long to realize it was only a matter of time before he overpowered me.

I tried remembering everything I'd read about vampires and, even though it sounded crazy, there was no other explanation-he was a vampire or something, not human. Up close and personal, I could see his bloody fangs, and I stomped on his foot and tried to knee him in the balls. He was holding me too tight to do any damage, but I continued to fight like a wild cat. I reached up to claw his face without making a purchase.

The next thing I knew, the monster hit the ground and warm arms engulfed me from behind. "Are you okay, Fiona?" I turned in relief at the sound of Rowan's voice.

My reassurance was brief as I heard a growl from the ground where the creature stirred. Oh shit, I thought with terror.

"Go check on your friend. I'll deal with this guy."

Without thinking, I rushed to Kat. I was almost afraid to look at her neck. How could this be happening? This was like something out of a horror movie. Blood was streaming from two puncture wounds on the side of her neck and she was groaning. "It's okay, Kitty Kat," I told her. "I've got you now." I prayed it wasn't a lie.

"Help me," she whispered, and I cradled her head in the crook of my arm. I now had a ring-side seat to the gruesome fight between Rowan and the sharp-fanged monster, who landed a punch to Rowan's pretty jaw. I wondered if I should run for help. But I couldn't leave Kat like this.

At that moment, the door opened, and I heard music drift from inside the club. It seemed ironic that while everyone was having a grand time inside, we were fighting for our lives. I did a double take of the man who emerged. He was the spitting image of Rowan.

I shook my head and peered closer. He had the same black-as-night hair, the same eyes, and the same build. I would almost swear they were the same person if it weren't for the difference in clothing. It's obvious they were twins or brothers, but at that moment, I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was he was helping Rowan fight off this modern-day Dracula.

Even with both men fighting, Dracula 2.0 had changed before my eyes. His eyes appeared black, sharp fangs covered his bloody bottom lip, and his hands now sported long, razor-like claws. I couldn't watch it anymore. I held Kat, closed my eyes and took deep breaths, and prayed.

Lord, please don't let us die.

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I am looking for honest feedback. This is a new genre for me and I hope you enjoy it. If so, please give it a vote. I'll be updating regularly and working on my other stories, as well.