The night Adrian found her was his fourth in this city he hated. It was too big and too strange for him and the shadows were dirty grey instead of straight black. He wanted to go back home but it was a little late for that. By then anyway. He should have left when he still had a chance.

It was the screams that had led him to her, through the tunnel, into this forlorn alley, right beside the abandoned fabrication hall. It was on one of his lonely walks. There wasn’t any other kind. He didn’t know anyone here, and he felt all right with that. Just a little lonely.

The screams had been the only real sound he had heard in days. Everything else here was just noise. Background noise, traffic noise, people-talking-noise. It was like an ever-ongoing static to him. Unpleasantly artificial and quickly fading from the conscious part of his mind. Not these screams though. They were organic, sweet and very real. They were sound in an ocean of noise. And Adrian found himself unable to resist the call.

She was crying for help, in a way that intrigued him from the first moment. Despite being filled with the desperation and horror of being raped, there was still a transcendent grace to this voice. A sweetness that seemed both girlish and experienced, transmitted on a frequency underneath the fear and helplessness. And even though Adrian was aware of the unorthodoxy of this thought, it seemed to him that there was intend behind it.

The man that was lying on her was huge and surely almost twice as heavy as Adrian. The woman’s short black dress was pulled up over her hips and pulled down at her shoulders. With his thick, fur covered arms the man managed to lift her legs and pin wrists to the asphalt at the same time. Except for her cries the woman was helpless. But this was not the kind of place where cries were answered or even noticed. It was the other kind of place.

Entering the alley, Adrian was standing right behind them. He had almost stumbled over the woman’s legs. With his remarkably accurate senses he noted that they were very shapely and perfectly smooth. A black dragon with seven horns decorated her right ankle. Her arms looked bruised and her wrists were blue. As was her neck where the dark man must have strangulated her to make her weak. Her eyes...

She was looking at him.

Until now Adrian thought that he had not been noticed. The man was still ensnared by his own lust, breathing strangled moans into the woman’s neck. And he wasn’t expecting anyone to be stupid enough to interfere. But she was looking at him. And those were not the eyes of a helpless human being. Not at all.

Those eyes were burning emptiness. A void in cold flames. Her glare held him, dug into his mind and lay open his soul to examine it like a piece of meat. All the while her cries went on uninterrupted, as if her eyes were detached from the rest of her body. Those eyes did not ask for his help. In their entire existence they had probably never asked for anything. They demanded. They commanded. And right now they stared at him with undisguised contempt.

Adrian knew that he should have run then. No. He shouldn’t have come here in the first place. Every fibre in his body screamed at him to turn around and leave, never look back, not even remember that he had ever been here. This was not his business. There was nothing here for him. He should have run.

But he just couldn’t then. And he couldn’t ever again after that.

There was a rusty steel pipe lying right beside them. Adrian guessed that it belonged to the dark man who tensed suddenly when Adrian picked up the pipe.

"Let go of her."

Everything was very silent. Except for the background noise. The man turned around. He had a thin cut beard that looked ridiculous in his giant face. Judging from the look on his face he was not especially bothered. Merely inconvenienced. He grinned.

"What? You want a piece of her? I was first, buddy. You can have her when I’m done."

As if those words reminded her of her duty as a victim, the woman started sobbing.

"Help me! Forgodsake do something! Please..."

Her eyes were still as cold.

"Shut up, bitch!" His huge brown hand was big enough to cover her face almost completely.

Adrian raised the pipe he held in two hands now. "Let go of her."

The man laughed. "Or you what? Cuddle me to death?"

Even before he could finish the last vowel the steel hit his face, breaking his jaw in two. The force of the impact made Adrian stumble back a few steps. There was a surprised look on the man’s face as he let out a strangled scream that was quickly interrupted by the blood pouring down his throat.

As Adrian prepared himself to deliver another blow the man was already backing away. The pain on his face had turned into pure hatred by now. He could have probably struck his opponent unconscious with no more than the back of his hand. But not like this. And the bitch was not worth risking another bone.

Adrian watched him very closely until he was out of the alley. Then he turned to the woman who had been looking in the same direction and now stared at him again. A little inexperienced with situations as this and unsure what was proper to do, Adrian tried offering her a hand.

The woman ignored it, stood up and rearranged her dress. She had to pull it back over her legs and cover her breasts. Her figure was slender and kind of girlish. And of course it was perfectly shaped, just like her lips and every detail of her face. Creatures like her could only originate in dreams. And a few other places.

She lit a cigarette and looked in his eyes again.

"What the fuck do you think you’re doing?"

Maybe she was in shock, thought Adrian. Even though she didn’t look at all shocked. Merely displeased. After some extensive thinking Adrian was really quite sure that there was nothing smart to respond to this question. At least nothing that wouldn’t sound terribly obvious.

"I saved you," he said finally.

The woman shook her head slowly. "Great. That’s just great. Did I ask for your help?"

Adrian nodded slowly. "You screamed ‘help’."

"Oh dear." She put on a grin that would have made the dark man look like a child. "The screaming was part of the game. And you destroyed it. Because you wanted to play big hero you ruined a decent enough fuck. I had to run around here for almost an hour to get that far. Dammit."

Without really understanding why, Adrian wanted to say he was sorry.

"Are you a hooker? Was this... arranged somehow?" he asked.

Her dry laugh marked him a naive kid. "No. Where would be the fun in that? I was here to have fun, to get a good fuck. And you ruined it all. He was so close to coming, and more importantly I was. Couldn’t you have waited at least until we were done?"

It was then that Adrian felt truly out of place. As if he had intruded into a world that did not belong to his own.

"You came here to get raped?"

"Hell yes. What do you think I came here for, a church picnic? There is not much a girl could be looking for in this place." She made a step closer. "So tell me. What did you think you were doing? No one ever comes here. You know I didn’t want your help. Why didn’t you just go away like every person with a brain would have?"

He had been asking himself the same question, over and over during the last few minutes.

"I don’t know." He thought for a moment. "I just... couldn’t leave."

Her eyes examined his carefully for a while. Adrian felt like the skin on his soul was slowly being peeled off. He felt dreadfully naked. But he waited. There was nowhere he could go.

A little indecisive she let go of him, unsure of what she had found.

"Ah well," she said, flipping the burnt down cigarette away. "There is not much that can be done now I guess. And I’m still horny like a dog in heat." She cocked her head ever so slightly and Adrian felt hot shivers dripping down his spine. "You want to come with me? Have some fun? We could go somewhere nice."

He should have run when there still had been time.

"I don’t think that’s a good idea," he said.

"Probably not," she admitted. "But you’ll come?"

"Yes."

The club she lead them to was an area even worse than this one. It was still the same other world Adrian was unfamiliar with though. The noise hadn’t changed either. The name of the place was unimaginative at the first. The white letters read "home". In Adrian’s head it sounded strangely disturbing.

As they entered the lights seemed to dim, so that at first he thought he was about to pass out. It was just the candles though, of which there were hundreds. The air was thick and filled with heat. It carried a deafening mixture of perfume, body odours and smoke of various kinds. Some of them made Adrian’s head spin slightly. The door was closed behind them.

In the twilight of the salon he could make out silhouettes of people among the fumes. There were chairs and large crimson cushions and thin black tables. Below the voices that chatted and whispered and laughed were hypnotic rhythms that seemed to entwine with themselves. Everything was moving at a hushed pace. Even the air.

"Come," said the woman and took Adrian by the hand. He assumed that he must have looked kind of lost. At least that was how he felt.

They passed a few of the silhouettes. Adrian saw two women kissing, their tongues repeatedly leashing out at each other like dancing snakes. He saw a man and a woman talking, their already tearing at each other with undisguised lust. He saw a man licking white powder from a woman’s breast while her gaze was focused on someone else.

Adrian took all this in as they approached the bar, feeling like an intruder. He imagined a barrier that had suddenly broken down and he could see things. In a way it was as if he saw people for the very first time. People’s personalities were closer to the surface here than they were outside on the streets. Adrian noticed that everyone who was still able to focus their sight was staring at his companion.

They ordered two drinks. Two tequila sunrise home style because it was what she wanted and Adrian’s experience with cocktails was limited. When he turned to look at her she licked over his lips and smiled. Adrian’s body froze with liquid fire. And she knew that.

She chose a table in a corner for them to sit down. It was darker here but there were also fewer people. And less noise. He felt closer to her voice.

"You’re too tense. You should relax."

Adrian nodded. "I will try."

She climbed over him and sat down on his lap. Her dress slid up again, and Adrian could not remember her putting on panties after the rape.

"Really," she said. Then she began to unzip his jeans. If he hadn’t been hard already he would have surely been by now. "Mmmh... maybe you need to let of some steam first."

But he just couldn’t. At that moment he wasn’t even sure why. Maybe something inside him knew what it would mean. So he backed away.

"I’m sorry," is all he could say as she looked at him with a mixture of surprise and anger.

Then she stood up. It didn’t take her long. After less than ten minutes she had found a substitute. And Arian watched them move in the corner next to him. He couldn’t look away. When the other man was done, she took his rapidly shrinking penis into her mouth and sucked until he got hard again, and then some more until he spurted into her mouth. It was not before then that she released him, leaving him breathless in the corner.

Not that she was satisfied for long. She was needing it badly. Adrian guessed it was because he interrupted the rape. He saw her take on two men while a third was watching. When he came she licked the semen from his stomach. Adrian sat there and watched, not touching his drink. He watched for hours, till the sun rose.

"Can I see you again tomorrow?" he asked. She gave him the gaze again. Inspecting the space behind his eyes. A professional at subterfuge, she still couldn’t hide her puzzled expression. Her own eyes betrayed her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I want to see you again."

"What do you think you’ll get from it?"

"What will it cost you?" he replied. "Do you mind?"

A slight grin crossed her perfect red lips. She didn’t know what was going on. But she was curious. The game interested her.

"Meet me here," she told him. Then she lay something into his hand. The panties she wasn’t wearing. "Don’t forget me."

He didn’t.

When he returned to the place the next night he had no problems finding the way. The smell was already familiar to him and the lack of light didn’t bother him. And this time it was impossible to overlook her.

The stage light made her skin appear pale. But it highlighted every part of her body and caught all her moves well. When she let her hands travel up her legs. When she caressed her breasts. When she dropped her silk panties and let two fingers slip inside her. Somehow Adrian could tell that the expression on her face was not faked. She was enjoying herself openly, loving the attention. And the crowd was staring at her with predators’ eyes, their dicks hard and almost dripping. He couldn’t blame them.

When she left the stage she knew, as everyone else in the room did, that every single male present would fantasise about for the rest of the night. At least. That included Adrian, even though he had been fantasising about her for a lot longer.

She came out of the cabin a little while later, wearing only marginally more than she did after the strip. She walked straight over to him, paying no attention to the stares, and kissed him on the lips. Slow and sensual. It was a show. For all the hungry eyes in the room. She enjoyed being the centre of attention.

"You are very beautiful," he said.

"Thanks sweetie." She kissed him some more. "You liked it?"

"No."

That puzzled look again. The back of her hand brushed against his crotch. "But it turned you on all right."

"Yes."

"Hm. We shouldn’t waste a good erection now, should we?"

He looked into her eyes. Deep. "Don’t mock me."

For a second she was just lost. Adrian could see it clearly. She was confronted with something new. Again he had caught her interest.

"Will you come backstage for a snack?" she asked.

He just nodded. If she only knew.

There was a man in a very tight fitting shirt waiting for them. He handed her a bag filled with white substance. "Don’t do all of it at once," was his only comment.

"Where are we going?" asked Adrian as they took a bent into a long corridor.

"Private party," she said and smiled sharply. "You’ll like it."

A slim staircase lead them down into the basement. And behind a grey steel door others were waiting for them. The light was dim and yellow in the small room. Adrian could tell that the scented oils were meant to cover the smell of the old pipes. There was a lot of space, a glass table in knee height and no chairs. A stunning blonde welcomed them. For a while she even tried to focus on Adrian but her eyes kept switching back to the woman at his side. In the corned across them sat a man whose body made Adrian feel like a mouse. It became evident to him then. She had brought him here to embarrass him.

"I brought a date," she said.

The blonde gave him a mildly evaluating look. "Nice." And that was it. "And what else did you bring?"

A minute later the blonde was drawing lines on the glass table. It had carefully been wiped clean, so none of the cocaine would stick to it. Adrian watched the grams vanish into their noses while he sat there patiently like a good dog.

"Wanna try some?" she asked.

Adrian shook his head. The latino lover guy was already busy licking the substance from the blonde’s exposed thighs.

She moved closer to him. He could feel the heat of her body through his clothes. Her gaze licked over his mind. And for a second she was the little helpless girl every man would dream to protect. She could be anything she wanted.

"Please?" she begged.

The first sniff felt like a shot through his brain. It might have very well been too much. For someone like him anyway. His heart was pumping feverishly.

"First time?"

He nodded. The heat increased as she descended on his lap.

"Believe me. It’s worth it. I will make it."

In his ears his own breath sounded like an hurricane. But it was only her voice that mattered. Her voice that was the sound above the noise. Her moans when he pushed himself into her. It was a melody to him, a music only he could hear. She would spread her legs for him and lift her lips slightly. Inviting him in. She was incredibly wet and so hot it was almost unbearable. Like a fever. And the moment he penetrated her he could feel himself become as hard as a wooden stick.

Beside them the other two were already screaming with pleasure. Adrian could barely hear it. Just noise.

It hadn’t been long before the couples fused. The blonde (her name was Christine) would lower herself on the other girl’s face and take latino’s huge penis in her mouth. It was obvious that she knew what she was doing. Yet when her hips began to move faster her muffled moans showed that she would lose her breath every now and then. The image of her coming was enough to make the dick in front of her spray all over her lips and neck.

Adrian couldn’t even tell how many times he had come yet. Or if at all. All the time he had been inside, as hard as ever. Maybe it didn’t really matter.

When they switched Christine easily took all of him in her mouth. Possibly she enjoyed that more than actual intercourse. And she demonstrated it in every way imaginable. Still Adrian couldn’t take his eyes off Her. Although the way the man was violently pushing those masses of flesh into her made Adrian wince, he knew very well that it was her who used him. Not the other way round.

It might have been hours or mere minutes before she was on him again. Adrian knew that his body was exhausted. All the same he couldn’t stop. And he knew it was her. She made him go on. She would make him continue till he collapsed. Or until she decided that she wanted to end it.

Something tensed inside him and he realised he was about to come. She knew it too. She let him slip out of her and began to massage him with her hands.

"Come for me. Now," she breathed. It was all he needed to hear. When he already felt the juices rising in him she enclosed the tip of him with her mouth.

He watched her as she close her eyes. Saw the slight movements of her neck when she swallowed his semen, drip for drip. A soft shudder went through her entire body and her face displayed subtle signs of sweet ecstasy. And he understood. This was what she wanted. And more than that. What she needed.

When she opened her eyes again he knew that she knew. Her secret was his now as well.

"How did you notice," she asked him the next night. He shrugged.

"I have very good eyes," he said simply.

"I don’t believe you."

"I’m not saying it was easy. But there were a few hints. And the moment when you came."

She looked in his eyes, searching. He held her gaze as long as possible. But she wasn’t stupid and he wasn’t a very good liar either.

But she would pretend that she believed. He could see that the alternative was too disturbing.

"You just keep it to yourself, ok?" She breathed out smoke. "Not that anyone cares."

He bit his lip. There was no reason to destroy her self-built illusions. Not just yet.

"My name is Adrian."

She stared at the smoke in front of her.

"Come on, does it really matter at this point?"

She looked at him.

"Why don’t you tell me your name?"

Maybe it was because of the fact that he knew that she couldn’t tell him then. But Adrian knew it was just a matter of time.

In the weeks that followed they met almost every night. Adrian wouldn’t always accompany her when she was with other men. In fact he did so less and less. It didn’t elude her of course but she did a good job pretending she didn’t care.

"How often do you need to... feed?" he asked her one night, failing to sound casual. Which was kind of funny because he always sounded casual.

"Once a night. At least. More if I want to be in good shape and mood. Do you want me to suck your dick?"

"Didn’t you already have like four tonight?"

She looked at him, and for once it seemed like she wasn’t being the player. "Do you mind?"

After she had swallowed all that came out of him she lit a cigarette. The smoke was lost in the dampness of the club.

"Why?" Adrian knew that there was a very simple answer to that. But he just had to know.

"I like the way you taste."

"Is there something different about the way I taste?"

"Maybe." She smiled her cocky smile. "Never swallowed cum before?"

"No."

"Not even your own?"

"No."

"Shame. You don’t know what you’re missing."

He leaned back. "That’s ok. It’s all reserved for you anyway. Don’t want you to starve."

And she laughed. It was the first time that he had heard her do that. And she noticed it, too.

She ground the cigarette under her heals and walked away. He let her go. There was nowhere to run now anyway.

Of course they kept meeting. The incident was never mentioned again.

The nights went by, and Adrian would spend every single one of them with her. When she was feeding he would wait patiently. He never interfered again. He understood though that she enjoyed it when he watched her during her acts, and he tried. As much as it hurt, he tried. Sometimes she would let him partake. She never let any semen go to waste. And Adrian let it happen because he knew that there was nothing he could do. Not yet.

Then there was an incident.

They were spending their time at the club. The last time Adrian had seen her was when she had vanished into one of the smaller doors, three exceptionally muscular men following right behind her. He knew better than to think there was a place for him now. So he sat there, imagining his body sink down into the cushions, receiving the dizziness of the smoke stained air.

He had closed his eyes for just a moment he thought. But when he opened them again he saw a girl. Her hair was shoulder length and dark purple with greyish shades. Her body moved like in slow motion as she lowered herself on him. Adrian couldn’t remember having seen her before. Her face kept escaping his mind. But she smelled of wildflowers.

She didn’t say a word when her hands fumbled with his belt. Adrian had no intention to resist. He had no intention whatsoever. The only thing he felt was indifference. He was so tired. He didn’t care. Nobody did. It was just noise.

There was a vaguely warm sensation when she lead his cock into her body. There was no resistance. No barrier of any kind. It had no meaning. The beginning moans were waves in the ocean of noise. Disturbances in the flow. Nothing more. Until her shriek cut through it like a rusty blade.

Adrian’s eyes opened. And among all the noise he saw her. Shining through. The girl he didn’t know lay beside her on the floor. Those eyes again now. As if her gaze was looking for an answer in him that she couldn’t find in herself.

Standing up he positioned himself right in front of her. He couldn’t let those eyes focus back on the girl at her feet. It would mean her death.

"Leave her alone," he said. "It’s not her fault and you know it."

Again she looked at him, her gaze digging inside his mind, not sure what she was actually looking for. And he could tell she didn’t understand yet. But she made a decision.

They left the club in the same minute, Adrian being dragged along by the hand. He was still dizzy, and his wrist began to hurt. But somehow he didn’t mind.

Cold air hit his mind like a lightning bolt. They were outside. Alone. Her eyes betraying her once more.

"Do you have an apartment?" she asked him in a commanding tone. He nodded.

"Which way?"

He gave her a general direction and she began to pull at him again. Until they were standing in front of his door and she let him step before her to open it. Throwing nervous glances at the walls around her she waited patiently for him to find the key hole. Adrian almost had to laugh, even though he didn’t understand the joke yet.

He thought he saw her wince when he closed the door behind them. Her effort at trying to conceal her insecurity was almost pitiful. Adrian resisted the urge to take her in his arms. It was ridiculous. She would have never let him.

"It’s so small," she said after a while.

"It’s all I can afford," he replied. He searched for her eyes but she avoided him. "Um, we can go to your place if you like."

She shook her head. "I don’t have one."

"Well, where do you sleep?"

"I don’t."

He nodded, having imagined something like that already.

"So. Can I get you something?"

"I want you," she said.

"You have me. I’m yours." He laughed dryly. "I thought that was very obvious."

She came closer to him, so she could look into his eyes. Or maybe so that she didn’t have a chance to look away.

"I want to please you," she said.

"You do. I want to be near you. As much as I can."

"I could please you in so many more ways," she said, touching his arm. Like a flame it quickly spread all over his body. He didn’t know she could do that. "Anything you want, Adrian."

He gasped at the sound of his name. It was music when she said it. And he realised then how bad he had wanted to hear her say it.

"Why?" he mouthed.

"Because it’s my wish." She lead his hand to her breast. "What is yours?"

The blood pumped heavily in his temples and his throat, rushing in his ears. He wasn’t sure if he was able to talk at all. Her face was even closer to his now, her breath brushing over his lips.

"Tell me."

"I want it to be just us," he said. "Just for tonight. I want to be alone with you tonight."

For a moment she looked slightly puzzled, as if unsure what that would mean exactly.

"That is what you want?" she asked. "To be alone with me?"

He nodded.

"Aren’t you scared?"

"A little. And you?"

"Of course not," she replied.

"Of course not," he agreed.

A slight smile played on her lips. Then she whispered into his ear. "If that is your wish, it shall be granted."

"And what will it cost me?"

"Don’t worry. This is not a deal. It’s a gift." A second later he felt her lips on his, her tongue flickering against his. "Tonight I’m all yours."

Adrian remembered lying down on his bed. How she undressed him. Then started kissing him. His mouth, his chest. Licking over his nipples. Down his stomach where she would make his muscles tense. Slowing down the further she got.

She looked up to him. "You have to push my head down."

And he did. He was already very hard by then, had been ever since she started kissing him. But he almost felt like he would burst when she took him in her mouth now. Her tongue licked all around him until his glans glistened. Then she would let it vanish in her mouth, taking a little more in each time her head went down. Watching her do that was almost enough to make him cry. He was close to coming right in her mouth more than once but she always knew when to stop before he did. Make him last longer. And he loved and hated that. Even though not with equal passion.

When he was so close it was even painful she let go of him and waited until the muscles in his legs relaxed. Then she let her lips slide up and down the sides of his cock. Adrian wanted to scream but he was long past that point.

He still did though. When she suddenly took all of him in her mouth and started moving her head faster and faster, something like a scream died in his throat. And streams of sperm shot out of him. Gratefully she groaned and swallowed it bit by bit.

It was close to an hour before he could move again. He knew though that he only had this one night with her alone. And he didn’t want to waste a single minute.

His kisses began to cover her entire body. Her skin was smooth and sweet under his lips. Her breath went faster when he sucked at her nipples, caressing the soft curves of her breasts. It didn’t surprise him that he could feel himself getting hard again. Her hips started moving rhythmically when he licked over her stomach.

He looked up at her and smiled. It didn’t take her long to understand. And she pressed his down between her legs.

She gasped and let out a melodious moan when his tongue slipped inside her. He had ever heard her do that before. What he felt then was pure happiness. For tonight she belonged to him. Driven by the need to hear her more, he let his tongue roam free between her legs. And he got enraptured by every token of lust he received from her. It was pure sound. There was no noise.

When her body shuddered with pleasure she was too surprised to scream. Some white fluid began to drip out of her, filling the air with the smell of peaches. And Adrian thought he saw eyes glow crimson. But it could have only been for a second or two. He didn’t listen to the voice in head that told him to run away. Instead he spread her legs, holding them with his arms.

"You are mine," he said to her.

"Yes," she replied. "All yours."

He felt a slight burn as he slid into her. He knew that it must mean something but he didn’t care then. Their bodies soon moved in unison and she crossed her legs behind his back, as if to make sure that he couldn’t get away.

"Oh Adrian... yes... harder... fill me up..."

He could feel her gripping him, adjusting herself to his size. He knew that she could do that but it still never failed to impress him.

He couldn’t resist touching her face now. The surprised look alone was worth it. With his gaze he held hers. And he was lost. In a eyes of a little girl.

"Let go," he whispered. "Please... don’t hold back..."

"Oh god..."

"Please... I want you to come..."

He could see it in her eyes. She didn’t close them this time. They were red like the flames of hell. And behind them the abyss looked back at him. The skin began to stretch over the spikes of her bones. Adrian could feel something gripping his penis, squeezing hard. He didn’t really know if it hurt. He couldn’t tell. But he knew he was just coming harder than he ever had, ejaculating uncontrollably.

The blackness fled from his eyes. He saw her looking up at him. And she smiled.

"Did it feel good?" she asked.

He held her until the sun came up and she let him. It was part of his wish.

The light fell in through the small window above the bed, she slipped out of his grasp and began to pick up the few pieces of clothing she had worn last night. It was over.

She didn’t utter a sound as she got dressed. Not hearing anything from her now was almost painful to him. But he waited. For something, anything.

"Why did you do it?" he asked finally when she was at the door. "You wanted to kill this girl. I saw it in your eyes. Why?"

She looked at him. He didn’t think she could still look at him now as if he were a complete stranger. Not after everything that had happened that night. But she did.

"Because it’s what I like to do sometimes. I fuck and I kill."

"And why didn’t you?"

Her gaze grew even colder.

"I never want to see you again. Don’t dare to come to the club or anywhere near me. I showed you my first trick. Should I ever see you, I will show you my other one."

"Tell me your name." He didn’t care if she killed him now. He wouldn’t let her go like this. "Please. Tell me your name."

"No."

"I love you."

There was something. It had passed her eyes like a storm cloud.

"Don’t. Don’t ever say that again. I will kill you. If you’re lucky I will fuck you good before I do it, if you’re not I will fuck you afterwards. But you will be dead in any case. And believe me, that’s the part you won’t enjoy."

She left and there wasn’t a thing he could do to hold her back. And it was a whole day before she came back. To him it nonetheless seemed like an eternity.

"I’m hungry," she said simply.

After pleasing each other for the reminder of the night, they sank down into his bed feeling pleasantly drained. And though he couldn’t quite believe it she even lay her head on his shoulder and her arm on his chest, signalling to him that she was his.

"You came back," he said after awhile, knowing very well that she wasn’t sleeping.

"I needed a good fuck."

"No need to humour me. Not now."

In the silence her fingers played with the hairs on his chest.

"Tell me?"

"There just seemed no other place to go," she said. Shortly after that he fell asleep holding her close to him. During the night she tried to move away a few times which only resulted in his arms closing even tighter around her body. And for some reason it felt like that was just as it should be.

The next morning they had breakfast together which consisted of coffee and blueberry muffins. She didn’t taste either but Adrian insisted on pouring her a cup anyway. She liked the smell of it. And the sound it made when it went down his throat.

"It’s very silent in here," she said.

"Yes," he said. "I’m very sensitive to noise. It took me a while to find a place that’s as well isolated as this one. I don’t mind the size much."

She nodded slowly.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" he asked.

"It’s just... unfamiliar."

He smiled at her. "You’ll get used to it," he said, and it wasn’t completely devoid of irony. He looked at his watch then and emptied his cup.

"Where are you going?" she asked a little alarmed.

"I’m sorry. I have to go to work."

"You’re working?"

"Perverse, I know. But I really needed the money."

She looked at him. "You were with m... at the club almost every night."

Smiling he leaned over and kissed her. "Seeing you is more important than sleep."

Thinking about that she nearly let him like this.

"And what about my breakfast?" she asked innocently.

That day Adrian was a little late for work. But nobody minded much, since he was known to be an efficient worker. And that day he seemed to be especially motivated.

When Adrian came home in the evening he found the apartment empty. In no hurry at all he looked in the bathroom, checked his answering machine for messages and searched his bed for pieces of her clothing. He found nothing.

Long after midnight she slid back in, finding him in his chair.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

The door fell shut behind her. "Out. Feeding," she added after a while.

He nodded to himself, his expression unchanged. "You could have left a message before you left."

That slightly puzzled her. "Why?"

"Because I was worried."

"Why do you worry about me? Men should worry about themselves when I’m around."

He stood up. "Look, just forget it, ok? I don’t know what I was thinking. It was obviously very stupid in any case."

With her eyes she tried to find his but he avoided them effectively.

"Do you want me to go?" she asked.

He looked up now, thinking. "No."

"Then I will stay." She walked over to him and finally found his eyes. "You know what I am, Adrian. Get used to it."

That night Adrian was less gentle than usual. She registered his subtle aggression, not minding it at all. She enjoyed all kinds and facets of sex, it was what she was made for. She also noticed that he held her tighter now when he pushed into her. As if he wanted to claim her as his and make sure that she knew.

Adrian awoke missing the warmth of her body. Then there was the smell of steaming coffee. For a second he was completely disorientated.

"What are you doing?" he uttered as she handed him a cup, sitting down next to him on the bed. He could only look at the coffee. Then at her.

"Does that make you happy?" she inquired.

And waking up more Adrian began to catch on. "Yes," he said. "Yes, it does."

She smiled. The next moment Adrian pulled her back into bed.

He didn’t go to work that day. Instead they stayed in bed, enjoying each other in every way. And he made sure that she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

"What about souls?" he asked her while she was cuddling up at his side, her leg covering his crotch.

"Souls?"

"Yes. Aren’t you supposed to offer your talents in exchange for souls?"

"What use should I have for them?"

"Well," he mused. "Feed from them maybe?"

She pinched him lightly. "You know very well what I feed from. Don’t worry. I can’t do anything to your soul. Souls cannot be manipulated like that. They belong only to themselves. I’m merely after your sperm."

Even though Adrian felt slightly silly, he was relieved. "That’s a comfort then."

"Don’t be so sure. I have a huge appetite. I can suck you dry."

"Proof."

Her tongue touched his upper lip. "Now?"

He swallowed. "Ah. Give me a few minutes, ok?"

"Ok." Her head sank back to his shoulder.

"A soul," she said then, "is something that I can never have."

No. There could not have been a trace of emotion in her voice then.

One night things just changed.

Adrian woke up from the noise of his door closing. Her red eyes gleamed in the dark. It was shortly after midnight, and he hadn’t expected her back from the club that early.

"What’s wrong?" he asked.

"They closed down the club," she told him.

"Who did?"

"The cops. I have to find a place to hide."

Finally fully retrieving his senses from the dreams he got up and moved towards her.

"You will stay here," Adrian said firmly.

"They’ll be looking for me."

"They won’t find you here."

"And they’ll be looking for this." She held up the nylon bag.

"What is this?" He knew though. He just asked for the protocol.

"My stuff. Coke mostly, some speed and MDMA. Things I am fond of. And I sell some occasionally, when I need cash. The club was a good place for that."

"Not anymore."

"I do not have to stay here if it bothers you," she said. Their eyes met and Adrian understood. It was a simple choice. Nothing more.

"You stay," he said. "I will think of something, should they really come here."

She gave him a treat-smile. "Thank you. I’d really rather stay here." Her arms closed around his neck. "And since I don’t think I can sell any of it any time soon, there’s more for us." There was a purring sound. "We could see how much I can lick from your body parts."

She waited for some reaction from his body. But there was none.

"Maybe some other time," he said.

A moment of silence followed in which she tried to read him. Eventually her body withdrew from his and took position in front of him. He had never refused her before.

"Adrian, I’m hot. I need to be fucked."

"Not tonight, ok? It’s late. I’m tired."

"I want to blow you. I want to suck your dick. I need to swallow your cum."

He did not even raise his voice. "I said no."

In one casual move he turned around and went back to bed, leaving her standing in the middle of the room.

"I am a human being," he whispered, knowing well that she could hear him. "I need sleep."

"I don’t sleep. I can’t."

"Do whatever you like."

One room away she heard his eyes close. He was not sleeping.

Adrian listened to the sound of her sniffing the coke. The noise of the small crystals. How the flames inside her devoured it all, took it all in. And it seemed to go on forever.

When he got up in the morning to go to work she gave him one quick glance. It burned into his mind like fire. Standing outside his apartment he found himself wishing he had said something before he left. Something to let her know.

Maybe it would have made a difference. That was what he was thinking as the day passed by, second by second. Maybe it would have made a difference. Or maybe it wouldn’t.

The noise crept to him as he climbed the stairs. The moment he heard it he knew what was going on. His mind picked up the fragments and put them together. In his head noise was visual, always. Just like this noise. Adrian had never learned how to turn it off though.

So he kept collecting the pieces in his head. The picture already explicit but still growing in size and clarity. His legs moved on as if they didn’t belong to him. His hand reached for the door as if it belonged to someone. As if he was the stranger.

There was no moment of hesitation when he stepped in. No room for dreaded surprise. It was all clear and inevitable.

Something was wrong with the way her back was bent. And instinctively he wanted to kill the man who kept strangling her harder and harder as he thrust his hairy cock into her. But Adrian of course knew that not even with the two other men pushing her to the floor and filling her mouth until she choked were any danger to her. She could have killed either or all of them in the blink of an eye. No, she was here because she wanted to. Because she liked it.

Watching a while, the man with the hairy cock eventually noticed him and stopped.

"What the fuck do you want?"

Adrian looked at him. "Get out," he said simply. "All of you. Now."

The three exchanged glances, irritated.

"Oh yeah, and what if we don’t?" asked hairy cock.

Adrian thought about this.

"I will kill you," he said then. The way he said it, it was not even a threat. It was a fact. And the three men understood. They dressed quickly and in complete silence, then left in the same manner.

She just sat there, licked dried sperm from her hand and lit a cigarette. It disturbed Adrian that she didn’t bother to put on clothes or hide the strangulation marks on her neck. Of course she knew that. And Adrian wouldn’t lower himself even more by telling her to cover herself. He positioned himself in front of her and tried not to stare at the sore parts of her body.

"You made a mistake," he said eventually. "I want to know why. Why did you do this?"

Smoke crept over her lips. "I didn’t have much of a choice, did I? You know what I need." As a demonstration she licked over her hand again. "What I feed on."

"You could have gone out," Adrian managed to whisper. There was no room for crying now. For giving in.

"And go where? The club is closed. And there are people out there looking for me. What the hell did you think?"

"No. You knew what would happen. You planned it. Do not ever do that again."

There was something new in his voice now. Something untraceable, unfamiliar. But it kindled ancient instincts in her.

With one fluid move she was on her feet and facing him.

"Don’t dare to threaten me, human," she hissed. "I will do whatever I like to do, whenever I like. Wherever I like."

Adrian shook his head. "Not here."

Her eyes a faint crimson now she gazed at him. It made his the room behind his mind ache.

"So you’re breaking your word, are you? You said I could stay, no matter what. You are a liar like all men."

She searched his face for a reaction. But there was none.

"All right. I’ll go."

Adrian got in her way even before she could make the first step.

"No."

"Let me go." But he wouldn’t let her past him.

With one weak motion she tried to move him aside. It didn’t work.

"You will not leave this place," he said firmly.

The force of her blow threw him against the wall and left him gasping for air. She walked over to the door. Gathering his strength Adrian got up and put himself in her way. Her eyes were a bright shimmering red now. A deep growl escaped her throat. It made his muscles tighten in pure, clean fear.

But he didn’t move.

"You’re not going to leave," he managed to spit out along with some blood bubbles.

The following blow to his face made him spin, and he found himself wondering if he’d be able to stare down his back after this. But he only looked at his blood on the carpet.

"You cannot keep me!" she screamed. "No one can keep me!"

Adrian fought with his mind for consciousness. It occurred to him that he could have lost more blood than he thought if it was already so hard for him to stay awake.

"You wanted to hurt me," he thought and hoped that his mouth said it. Even in his head it sounded a little funny.

"And why not? I’m a goddamn demon, bitch!" Her voice sounded as red as her eyes. "I please, I hurt. And I kill."

"No, you were mad at me." Something escaped Adrian’s throat that could have been a laugh once. "You cared."

Grabbing his hair she pulled him up.

"I don’t love you, you sick fuck! I do not love anyone! You were convenient! Get it in your head!"

She let him fall. In Adrian’s head the pain mixed into a cocktail.

"And do not think that I will not kill you. I would not think about it twice," she added. "I don’t have a conscience. Or a soul."

"But I love you," Adrian said. He got up and threw himself at her, holding her tight with his arms. "I will not let you go."

Her body tensed. Everything inside her screamed and twisted, readying itself the kill. It was madness. He had to know that she could kill him in an instant. Right here and now. It wouldn’t even take any effort. And she would enjoy the feeling afterwards.

"Never," he muttered in her ear. "I will never let you go."

The powers inside her began to break through the surface, making the air blister. But he only held her tighter.

"Never let you go."

Deep down her throat she swallowed.

"Don’t," she whispered. "Don’t ever let me go." Her arms closed around him. "Don’t ever let me go."

It was over.

Adrian’s wounds healed quickly. She made sure of that. Day and night she would stay with him, bring him food and tea, caress his head. She knew that she had hurt him badly. But she also knew that he would heal. She could do that.

One night when she was bringing him coffee he pulled her into bed with him instead, and they both sucked on the other one like addicts after a long dead period. She came four times in a few hours and Adrian came almost as often, while every single drop was carefully licked up, as not to spill anything.

"You’re like a kitten," Adrian said as he watched her. "You keep coming back as long as I feed you."

"Only if you keep giving me good cream," she said with a smile.

"Is it good?" he inquired.

"Very," she assured him, licking her lips. "More?"

Adrian laughed. "You seem rather peckish today, kitten. Or insatiable rather."

"I haven’t had a meal in weeks."

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since that day," she said.

Adrian looked at her.

"You were here? All the time?"

"Yes."

"But... you need substance. You need sperm."

"True." She snuggled close to him. "But I only want your sperm now."

Very slowly he began to stroke her hair, his eyes lost in thought. "Is that possible?"

"I don’t know. I never tried anything like that before." She looked up to him. "But I want to now."

A smile swept on his face. "Well, I will do my best."

"You better," she purred. It made his body vibrate with warmth.

"You could have killed me," he said after a while.

"Yes. I almost did. But I decided against it."

His hand kept going over her hair. Apparently everything was said.

"Will you ask me for my name again?"

"What?" He couldn’t hide his surprise at this.

"Ask for my name, Adrian."

"Tell me your name. Please."

She nodded slightly, as if overcoming an inner barrier.

"Salena," she said. "That is my true name."

"I love you, Salena," was the first thing he said. "What’s wrong? You are trembling."

Adrian reached for the blanket and drew it over her shoulders.

Then he understood. "You are scared."

"You know my true name now. You have power over me. I will do everything you want me to do. It is a great gift."

"Why did you do that?"

"I am not capable of killing you now," she said. "Also, it’s fair."

He drew her closer and kissed her brow. "Don’t be scared. I will never let you come to harm. I promise."

"I believe you," she said. And the trembling subsided.

The following days were good for them. A lot of the time had to be spent inside, with Salena still being wanted. They made the best of it and tried unusual positions in all possible places. Being who she was, Salena was able to bend her body in impossible angles. And even though some didn’t seem healthy to the average human mind, Adrian found out he appreciated all of them. Also he liked to call Salena by her name whenever the opportunity arose. With a mixture of interest and affection he noticed she would reflectively raise her head slightly every time. Like a pet.

Adrian also noted that she meant what she had said. She didn’t leave the house to hunt. He was her only source. And Adrian knew that even when she would never love him, this was as close as he could get. It made him happy.

"I need to tell you something," he said, lying beside her. They had just had a classic round of sex in the bed. It had become something of a tradition they would return to after a few rows of more exotic activity. Those were also the times Adrian felt closest to her.

"The closing of the club was my doing. I gave the cops a hint."

"I know," she said simply.

"You know?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"You are not that hard to figure out most of the time, Adrian. Besides, I can read your thoughts."

Adrian sat up. "You can?"

"Uh huh."

"Bloody hell."

It took him a while to rediscover what he originally wanted to say. "I... I only did that because-"

"I know." Gently she pressed his chest back into the cushions. "Rest. I might need your service again shortly."

There were a few moments of relaxed silence that Adrian cherished. Then he destroyed everything by speaking.

"Salena?"

"Yes sweety?"

"Will you miss me when I’m gone?"

She didn’t answer. Adrian didn’t know what he expected. And somehow he still managed to make everything worse.

"Like when I’m dead," he continued. "Will you mourn me?"

"Yes," she said heavily. "I would mourn."

"Salena..."

"Adrian, don’t."

Adrian was silent. He knew he could make her tell him truth. And he knew it wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

Therefore he never asked her again. And they both tried to forget it was ever mentioned. It worked for a while. Adrian did his best to ignore it and Salena did her best to distract him.

Another thing could not be ignored though. Salena was getting weaker. Every day she would appear paler, more fragile. It was as if the strength was gradually drawn from her. As best as she could Salena tried to hide it but that only alarmed Adrian more. He knew her too well to be fooled by such attempts.

"You need to eat something," Adrian said one morning. He had made himself breakfast. Somehow Salena had never figured out how to do that.

"I am not hungry," she replied, looking away. Deep shadows were growing below her eyes.

"Maybe you should try it."

"I do not eat food."

"Because you never tried..."

"It’s not what I need," she said. And they both knew that was the truth. And the problem.

A few days later Adrian couldn’t stand the state she was in anymore. It hurt him to see her like that. It had become by far worse than the alternative. And he told her.

"No," was her answer.

"Salena, you need to eat. You need strength. It was stupid of me to keep you. You need to go out and hunt."

"No," she repeated. "I am yours. I’m not going anywhere."

Adrian kneeled down in front of the chair she sat in. "Look at yourself. You are dying."

"I don’t die. Things like me don’t die."

"You’re not a thing. It does something to you." Still she wouldn’t look into his eyes. "You know I can command you."

"Yes, you can," she admitted. "And I would have to obey. Even if it made me break my word. Something I am not allowed to do. It’s against the rules."

"What rules?"

"There are always rules." She finally looked at him. "You have that power. Do you want to make me do that?"

Adrian didn’t. And he didn’t know what to do. Until the most obvious idea came to him. In the end it was all very simple. Plain and simple.

"I want to give you something," he told her. A weak smile crossed her face. All her smiled had become weak lately.

"Another present?"

"More like a gift," he said. "Like the one I got from you."

Her expression turned serious. But Adrian wouldn’t give her the chance to read his thoughts now. This had to be done the right way.

"I want to give you my soul," he said.

"You don’t mean that."

"Yes, I do."

"No..."

"Listen to me." His hand closed around hers. Adrian almost withdrew when he felt how cold it was. There was no time to lose. "You cannot stay like this. If it doesn’t kill you, something else will happen to you. I can see that. And I won’t let it happen."

"You can’t do that," she said simply.

"Yes, I can. I have found a way. It’s actually quite simple."

"I was not made to have a soul, Adrian. I am a demon."

"After this you won’t be anymore," he stated firmly. "And you will love me."

"Adrian..."

"Do you love me now? Tell me the truth, demon."

She raised her head slightly, as if acknowledging him. "No. I don’t."

Adrian nodded. "When you have a soul you will be able to."

"And you?" she asked him. "Do you know what it means to be without a soul? I do not want you to lose that."

"I will always love you, Salena," he said. "No matter what happens."

Salena fell silent. There was nothing more to say. Adrian began the ritual.

The effects were unspectacular. From one moment to the next Salena simply knew that she had a soul. It was as if she had always had one. And the same moment she had another bright distinct feeling. She looked at Adrian, his wavy brown hair, the shine on his lips, the way his fingers would stretch. And she loved him.

It was not before she looked into his eyes that she understood the price he had paid for her. What she saw in his eyes was not love. Only emptiness.

The End.