Urban Vampire

I touched my hair where golden highlights had sprouted and ran my hands down my body--my much thinner body. I wasn't wearing a bra under my T-shirt so I could feel that my breasts had perked up considerably. My waist had narrowed, and when I felt my stomach it was tight and muscular."Oh ... shit." I gripped my ass, fearful that my ghetto-booty would have disappeared. I was relieved to find it still present and even more booty-licious since I now had an hourglass figure. I'm not saying I was a size two, but I was freaking hot!I paced back and forth cursing and admiring my new looks. Again I tried to determine if I was afraid—I should have been, but I wasn't. I looked too damned good, and I wasn't even going to pretend. I tried to piece together the exact events of what happened once I left Club Midnight with what's-his-name. Tige. If he wasn't a rapist, then did we … do it?It was fuzzy. We'd driven to his place, I think. I remember a sparsely furnished apartment. He'd been talking

"Where is Tige?""The Rasta? I don't know. When I woke up he was gone. Can somebody tell me what is going on?"The woman dressed like a Greek goddess glanced at one of the men. He was dressed conservatively in a gray suit, his dark hair combed straight back, his style straight up early eighties politician, as if he were going for the Ronald Regan look. What was wrong with these vampires? Didn't they know people didn't walk around dressed like that anymore?Brother Man, though, was different. He wore all black and matched me. He wore nice pants and an expensive looking silk shirt. His almost shaved head gleamed, and he sported a neat goatee. He had a gold stud in his earlobe and understated jewelry on his fingers and wrist. He gave me the eye, starting at my feet and stopping at my eyes. He frowned slightly before crossing his arms and turning away.I dismissed him, too. He was going to be of no help to me. Thanks, brotha."Look," I said. "If you can tell me anything at all tha

After Kent left I tried to sort through my feelings and thoughts. There was no mistaking it. I was no longer the person I had been twenty-four hours ago—if I was a person at all. I wasn't going to get any help from other vamps. They were going to try to kill me. Tige, the Rastafarian, was who I needed to be talking to. Somehow I didn't sense malice in his actions. He had turned me because of the accident. But where was he? Tony had mentioned a Rogue who made a Third—me. Why hadn't he come back to help me, though?Okay, it was a big problem, but I had other pressing concerns. I was one of the undead, so how the hell was I going to work my nine to five? And my friends and family were definitely not going to be happy about this. And you know what? I kinda liked the sun. And I'd never be able to eat another chocolate bar. Also, I'm not sleeping in a coffin! I'm not going to be a fashion victim either. If I had to be undead, I was going to still rock my DKNY and BABY PHAT.I stopped m

"It's in the way you talk," Tony interrupted, "the way you sit, even the way you continue to breathe even though you no longer need oxygen in your lungs." His gaze returned to me. I caught my breath and held it. Damn. He was right. I was making myself breathe. That was why there was such an air of calm about him. It wasn't only that he was a cool guy.He wasn't breathing.I was having a tough time staying focused on what was important instead of on how fine Tony was as he paced back and forth in front of me. "I, um, am I in trouble for killing that man last night? I mean, it was kill or be killed.""Johan? No. Had it been an actual kill you would have been given his seat on the Council. We understand it was his recklessness that caused his death."I could see that there was something more, or Tony wasn't exactly pleased about something, but the human part of me didn't want credit for a murder, and the Vampire part wasn't developed enough to understand why I should."Johan." I spo

He led me down a corridor whose walls were lined with paintings of beaches and natives with children frolicking in the sunshine.The corridor led to a thick wooden door. The door opened to a long, stone stairwell like the one in the Council house. Thinking about that made me wary. Tony led the way but he kept looking back at me as if he thought I was going to chicken out. Hell, at this late hour I had no choice but to trust him.We got to the bottom of the stairs. The temperature was much cooler, and it was definitely underground. I didn't feel as if I was in a cellar, though. The space was very comfortable.The stairs ended in a spacious room that had the feel of 1001 Arabian Nights. There were satin cushions and settees. Silks hung from the ceiling and walls. Colorful pendant lights provided splashes of brightness. The stone floor was covered in expensive throw rugs that at first glance appeared haphazard but were artful."Wow ..." I said, my mouth hanging open. "This ... is ..