I. LOST CAUSE

Adelaide Booker's gaze flickered sporadically throughout the crowded bar, eyes raking over every unfamiliar newcomer. The tequila burned as it slid down her throat, though her face remained stoic. There was a faint thrumming in her ears, as her breath shakily left her lips.

Adelaide sat at the edge of the bar, feeling a pair of eyes on her. She turned away from the bar to lock eyes with the man, who was sitting alone at a table. He sipped his drink, and nodded at her, a smile on his face. Adelaide saw past it.

Any one of the people at the bar could've been behind the vampire killings, any one of them could've been tracking her down. The thought made Adelaide grip her glass tighter.

Adelaide and her nest of vampires had heard of the first beheading over a week ago. The killings grew more constant after that—as if someone had suddenly showed up with the determination to wipe every vampire out of Red Lodge.

The killings angered Adelaide. While her past wasn't perfect—she'd admit that, things were finally beginning to change. She had finally found a place to call home, she had finally found vampires who could unteach her monstrous ways.

Adelaide wasn't a saint, but she wasn't evil, either. Not anymore.

Her past was filled with violence and anger, but she had been trying to make amends with those she had wronged. It wasn't super successful—however, as most of the people she had wronged were dead.

Adelaide had never been caught for her killings before—not once during her time on Earth. But then, Adelaide met Lenore.

Lenore was a woman of great respect, with a small nest of vampires behind her. She had taken Adelaide in months prior, promising that she could help her change her ways. Adelaide was hesitant at first, though was grateful for Lenore's care.

Vampires were loyal—extremely so, and Lenore had refused to give up on Adelaide even when she had given up on herself. It wasn't long before Adelaide put her days of human blood behind her, reverting to a diet of strictly cattle blood.

Adelaide had only been living with the other vampires for a few months, the group of supernatural creatures constantly on the move from hunters. The hunters were bloodthirsty, possibly even more so than the vampires themselves.

It seemed the second she tried to do the right thing, however, the actions of her past seemed to catch up with her.

The Booker girl downed the alcohol to the very last drop, slamming a fifty-dollar bill on the table as she stood up to leave. On her way out, she crossed two men. Two very attractive men, if she was being honest, catching the taller one's eye as she slipped out into the parking out.

A shiver ran down Adelaide's spine. She just wanted to go home.

As Adelaide made her way through the dimly lit parking lot, her senses heightened, scanning her surroundings for any signs of danger. The cold night air sent goosebumps against her skin, causing her to wrap her arms tightly around her body.

Instinctively, the brunette quickened her pace, paranoid and wanting to reach safety as soon as possible. She knew that her survival depended on her ability to stay one step ahead of those who sought her demise.

As Adelaide reached her home—a small, dilapidated home nestled deep in the woods— she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her. The house had become her sanctuary, a place where she could hide from the world and the darkness that resided within her. It was the only place where she felt a semblance of peace and belonging.

However, when Adelaide pushed open the door, she was not greeted by the sight of the vampires laughing and joking around. There was a solemn silence as the creatures spoke in hushed whispers, on high alert as they snapped their heads towards her.

"Easy, tigers," Adelaide commented, her sultry voice sending a wave of ease to the vampires, "I don't bite...unless you ask nicely."

Lenore rolled her eyes at Adelaide's remark, though let out a sigh of relief as she stood to her feet. She glanced at Adelaide anxiously. "Conrad's dead. The numbers are rising, Adelaide. We need to get out of here as soon as possible."

Adelaide felt a pang deep within her chest as she processed Lenore's words.

While the Booker girl had never been particularly close with the man, he was one of the better vampires in the nest. He made the best out of his situation, and Adelaide respected him for that. He had a job, he made the lives of those around him brighter. But none of that mattered now, because he was dead.

Adelaide felt her throat go dry, sweat breaking out on her palms. The hunters were getting closer, and it was only a matter of time before the nest was discovered.

"We tracked one of the hunters down and—"

"There's more than one?" Adelaide's voice raised in pitch, interrupting Lenore as her eyebrows furrowed. She no longer could hold in her anxieties as her stomach churned, wondering if the vampires even stood a chance at all.

"If you let me finish," Lenore said, tone growing uneasier by the minute. "We can find the hunters. Explain that we're not evil, maybe that'll do the trick."

Adelaide scoffed. "Wouldn't it just be easier to kill them?"

Lenore shook her head, sighing as she rubbed her temples. "We're not killers, Adelaide. It's time you've accepted that and let go of the past. Not just that—" Lenore sighed out, "there's more where they came from. If we don't leave tonight, there's a chance we'll never live a life of peace again."

Adelaide nodded as Lenore's words sunk in. She couldn't ignore the sting that she felt at Lenore's constant reminders of Adelaide's past, but she knew that the leader of the nest knew better.

"Okay," Adelaide swallowed, straightening her posture, "when do we leave?"

A slight laugh of pity slipped past Lenore's lips. "You're not going. I don't trust that you'll bring him back unharmed. I'm sending Eli and a few others to bring him here."

Adelaide clenched her fists, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Lenore. "Are you serious?" she seethed, her voice laced with frustration. "You're not even giving me a chance?"

Lenore's expression softened, sympathy evident in her eyes. "Adelaide, it's not about whether or not you've changed. We all believe that you have. But this is about protecting the nest, protecting all of us. We can't afford to take any risks."

Adelaide felt resentment simmer within her veins, yet beneath the rage, she understood Lenore's reasoning. Her impulsive nature had caused enough damage in the past, and Lenore was right to be cautious. Still, it stung to be treated like a liability, like a vampire incapable of redemption.

Taking a deep breath, Adelaide tried to steady her racing heart. She knew that Lenore had her best interests at heart, even if it didn't always feel that way. Frustration colored her voice as she finally spoke, her words strained.

"Fine. If that's what you think is best," she said, forcing herself to meet Lenore's intense gaze. "I'll go and start packing my stuff."

***

With a heavy sigh, Adelaide turned on her heel and made her way to her room. She swung the door open with a bit more force than necessary, frustration bubbling on the surface.

She began folding her clothes and gathering her personal items, each movement passing by with more aggression than the last.

Adelaide couldn't shake the feeling that she was being punished, isolated from her fellow vampires. She had always longed for the acceptance of others, to finally find a family of her own. She was the only one in the nest who had yet to find a mate, and all she felt was the bitter sting of loneliness and rejection.

The brunette suddenly heard the front door creaking open, pausing her packing as she rushed downstairs. She wanted to get a look at the hunter for herself, while perhaps instilling a bit of fear in him to keep him from harming the others.

Adelaide stood a few feet away from Eli as he shook off the bag that had been placed over the hunter's head. The girl's eyes widened with recognition, him being the same man from the bar she had seen a few hours prior.

The hunter was tied up, his mouth covered with a tied bandana. There was a desperate fear in his eyes as Eli bared his fangs at the man. Lenore rounded the corner before he could get too close, her demanding tone echoing throughout the empty house.

"Step back, Eli." She warned, leaning against the door frame. Eli's fangs retracted seconds later, a menacing glare still etched across his features as he stepped away.

Lenore sauntered over to the man, slowly leaning over him. "My name's Lenore, I'm not gonna hurt you," the woman said, proceeding to shove the bandana away from the hunter's mouth, standing in front of him. Adelaide stayed off to the sides as she watched the interaction. "We just want to talk."

"Talk? Yeah, okay," the hunter sighed out, "but, I might have a tough time paying attention to much besides Eli's teeth."

A laugh slipped past Adelaide's lips at the hunter's comment. His eyes darted over to her, and Adelaide gave him a wink in return. He wasn't amused.

"She won't hurt you, either," Lenore assured, "you have my word."

"Not mine, though." Adelaide commented, shutting up abruptly at Lenore's harsh glare seconds later. "Fine. You're off the hook—for now."

The hunter scoffed incredulously, eyes bulging wide as his vision shifted back-and-forth between the three vampires, "Your word? oh, yeah, great—thanks. Listen lady, no offense, but you're not the first vampire I've met."

"We're not like the others." Lenore spoke once more, her words puzzling the hunter as his mouth snapped shut to allow her to continue. "We don't kill humans, and we don't drink their blood—and we haven't for a long time."

The hunter shook his head, "what is this? Is this some joke?"

"Notice you're still alive." Lenore pointed out. The hunter leaned back in his chair.

"Unfortunately," Adelaide chirped from behind Lenore, and the woman and the hunter gave her simultaneous unimpressed glares.

The hunter scoffed. "...Okay, uh, correct me if I'm wrong here, but, shouldn't you be starving to death?"

Lenore shook her head. "We found other ways. Cattle blood."

There was a flash of confusion on the hunter's face, before a lightbulb moment of realization went off in his brain. "You're telling me you're responsible for all the—"

"It's not ideal." Lenore interrupted, understanding the man was referring to the deaths of the cattles in the nearby farms. "In fact, it's disgusting...but, it allows us to get by."

"Why?" Asked the man once more.

"Survival." Lenore said simply. "No deaths, no missing locals...no reason for people like you to come looking for people like us. We blend in."

"At least we did, until you and the Brady Bunch decided to show up." Adelaide commented, absentmindedly picking at her nails, glancing up at the hunter with an unintrigued look.

"Ignore her. She's...not as assimilated to this lifestyle as we are." Lenore explained, much to Adelaide's dismay.

Sam scoffed. "So she is dangerous."

Adelaide took a step towards Sam, a challenging fire in her eyes. "Why don't we find out?"

Lenore shook her head. "Not dangerous. Just learning." She continued with her explanation. "Our kind is practically extinct. It turns out, we weren't quite as high up on the food chain as we imagined."

"Why are we explaining ourselves to this killer?" Eli asked, growing impatient.

"Eli." Lenore warned, attempting to diffuse the tension. Eli wasn't having it.

"We choke on cow's blood so that none of them suffer." Eli spoke angrily, gritting his teeth. "Tonight, they murdered Conrad—and they celebrated."

"Eli, that's enough." Lenore hissed, her look of warning growing more intense.

"Yeah, Eli, that's enough." The hunter agreed sassily, a hint of smugness in his eyes.

"What's done is done," Lenore sighed out, turning her attention from the two vampires back to the hunter. "We're leaving this town tonight."

"Then why did you bring me here? Why are you even talking to me?"

"Believe me, I'd rather not. But, I know your kind. Once you have the scent, you'll keep tracking us. It doesn't matter where we go. Hunters will find us."

The hunter blinked and shifted in his seat. "So, you're asking us not to follow you?"

"We have a right to live. We're not hurting anyone."

"Right, so you keep saying," the hunter drawled out, licking his lips in thought, "give me one good reason why I should believe you."

Lenore knelt down to the hunter, her hands on her thighs as she came face to face with him. "Fine," she snarled, "you know what I'm going to do?"

The hunter looked to the ground in fear. He tilted his neck as far away as he could from Lenore, though the woman continued speaking. "I'm going to let you go."

The hunter met her eyes, a look of muted shock on his face.

"Take him back," Lenore ordered, leaning into a standing position as her eyes glazed over the hunter. "Not a mark on him."

Adelaide sighed as Eli and a few other vampires took the hunter out of the house. "Well, that was a waste of time."

Lenore glanced at Adelaide. "It wasn't. Hopefully the hunters give us enough time to slip out of here and leave us alone for good."

Adelaide hummed. "Right, because that's realistic."

***

The Booker girl had been listening to be Eli and Lenore argue for over an hour. As much as she tried to ignore their raised voices, it was difficult to hear anything else in the empty household.

Adelaide understood Eli's concerns, worried that Lenore's plan would be faulty. However, the woman assured him everything would be alright, and sent him on his way to gather the other vampires.

The brunette zipped up her backpack, ensuring she had brought her very few belongings with her. She proceeded to walk down the stairs, leaving her bag on the counter.

"Are we going?" Adelaide asked, brushing off her jeans as she made her way over to the Lenore, who was sealing a box with tape.

When Lenore noticed Adelaide approaching, she took a breath. "We're getting there. Do me a favor and take this outside, please?" The woman motioned to the freshly sealed box to the side.

Adelaide nodded.

She made her way outside, the front porch light doing little to aid her vision in the darkness. The vampire was humming to herself, completely entranced in her own world as she opened the trunk of Lenore's car.

Her fingers grazed against the metal, grabbing the box by her feet as she stuffed it in with the rest of the bins. However, Adelaide barely got a chance to close the car door before she heard a faint rustling behind her.

The vampire paused, head turning slowly as she swallowed anxiously. Her instincts, as always, proved themselves correct as she came face to face with a man.

Adelaide vaguely recognized the man in front of her—he wasn't the man who had been kidnapped, but it was the man with the unnerving smile who had been drinking solitarily at the bar.

She was right to have been apprehensive of him. She should've warned Lenore about him earlier. However, Adelaide didn't have time for questions as she felt the hunter harshly grab her arm.

It had been a while since the brunette came across such a life threatening encounter, and without thinking, she extracted her fangs from her mouth and flashed her sharp teeth to defend herself.

The vampire snapped at the air, her teeth biting into nothing. She quickly grew defenseless, crying out in pain as she felt a knife plunge into her. She was unable to retaliate as she felt her limbs go limp in the grip of the man.

"Dead man's blood, bitch." He whispered menacingly into her ear, and everything went black.

— argentsires
yay first chapter is out!! im actually so excited for this book ive had this chapter written since july...im only ten chapters in but updates will be consistent!
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