He was doing it again, using that filthy talent of his to seduce his prey, to make them stop struggling and actually [i]anticipate[/i] what he wanted to do with them.. Mila could see the subtle look that passed over Charlie’s face and she could hear the girl shudder with something more complicated than just fear. It made Mila sick to think that his tactics were no worse than what she herself had used on Charlie not too long ago. Stroke the natural, fearful response until it became quiet and pliable and just wanted to [i]melt[/i] on command. It was like Mila was looking at a mirror and seeing her own self working her sinister charm on the girl – only now she felt the horror of it. 

[i]It has to stop. Oh god, make it stop![/i] She’d been reduced to begging, but she didn’t care because it had worked. Booker released the girl with a contemptuous remark that had fallen on deaf ears. She was too preoccupied to pay him any attention as he pushed Charlie and sent her stumbling forward. Mila caught Char in her arms as the slender girl fell heavily into her, still shivering from her encounter with Booker. Charlie was clinging to her as if to get herself as far away from him as possible. Mila felt a sudden swell of emotion as the human leaned instinctively closer to her. Her own arms wrapped around her more securely and she held her close.

Then Charlie looked up at her. The expression on her face managed to reach inside and wrench that human part of Mila until the vampire’s own beautiful features were contorted with guilt and anguish. Mila blinked down at her, her eyes wider than usual, studying Charlie’s face as if she were trying to find the right words to say. The girl’s eyes were wet and wretched, her had lips parted with an awful shudder and she seemed to be silently pleading with the older woman to [i]help[/i] her, to do [i]something[/i]. There was a hint of blame too, and Mila knew she deserved every bit of it. She could see that Charlie thought she was going to die. It made her want to cry, but of course that was something she couldn’t do anymore. Instead she shook her head ever so slightly, unable to look away from the girl’s imploring eyes if she’d tried, her throat feeling painfully constricted. [i]You’re not, you’re not going to die, I won’t let you.[/i] Mila touched the side of her face carefully, hesitantly, as if she might break. She swept her thumb ever so gently over her cheek to wipe away the last tear that had spilled over her pale skin.

[i]”I’m sorry…’[/i] she heard Charlie murmur. 

“Sorry?” Mila choked softly, swallowing the ache as she looked down at her in disbelief. “Don't, please, don’t apologize, I’m the one who-..” 

Lisette was pulling her out of her arms, up into a standing position. The act so infuriated Mila that she nearly lashed out at her but she had to check herself instead because really, they had all the power and if she took a swing at one of them now they would be on her and Charlie before either of them could blink. So she stood there and trembled with fury as Lisette ran her hands all over Charlie and appraised her like she was some kind of material good. The look Mila gave Lisette was murder. 

They were talking about hunting. They wanted Charlie to tag along. The girl was shaking her head emphatically no, but that had only made both Booker and Lisette laugh. 

 [i]“Let's get going then,”[/i] Lisette was saying. [i]“The night won't last forever, darlings. Or at least it won't for some of us."[/i]

“I’m done. I’m not hungry,” Mila lied. In fact, she could feel her own thirst betraying her. She’d only had a taste earlier that night and she was still feeling famished. Up until then, she’d been able to ignore the wickedly tantalizing vulnerability in Charlie and the memory of the times she’d fed from her…but she was scared to think about how long she’d be able to keep the temptation at bay, especially with the scent blood in the air. She told herself she would think of the look that Charlie had just given her, she would recall the tug of human sentiment, and that would be enough to banish her monstrous craving. But she knew it wouldn’t, and she felt ashamed. 

Before she could continue to argue, she heard a sound and snapped her eyes to Lisette, knowing she’d heard it too. 

[i]"Hear that?"[/i]

Mila’s stiffened posture was enough to confirm, though she knew Lisette wasn’t really asking. 

[i]"I-I don't hear anything..."[/i]

[i]"You wouldn't. You're human."[/i]

The vampire said it like it was an insult. Mila gave Lisette a contemptuous look and then glanced at Charlie as if to say [i]ignore her[/i]. The girl looked like she was crumbling. 

[i]"Let's go, and Mila! Don't let her slow us down."[/i]

Booker was behind both of them immediately, giving them little choice but to follow Lisette’s swiftly disappearing form. Mila moved to Charlie’s side and nudged her crossed arms. She reached and took one the girl’s hands in her own and held it tight. There wasn’t anything she could say with Booker so close behind them and both vampire’s ability to overhear them anyway, so she gave Char’s hand a squeeze and tried to communicate even just a fraction of what she couldn’t say out loud. [i]I’ll protect you, I swear it.[/i]

They weren’t moving very fast, for their capabilities anyways, but Charlie was stumbling alongside Mila to keep pace. It didn’t take long to reach the unfortunate man and as soon as he came into sight, Lisette skipped off to have her way with him. When Mila felt the impulse to make Charlie look away from the grizzly sight, a nasty voice in her head reminded her that the girl had already experienced it first hand. Still she turned to her anyway to distract her somehow and saw that her face was ashen.

"Charlie...?"

[i]"There you go, Mi."[/i]

Mila shuddered as the scent of the man’s blood suddenly flooded her senses, deliciously intoxicating. Lisette was in front of them already, grinning and shoving the unconscious man into Mila’s arms. She caught his body and held him half upright, her only concern now being the overwhelmingly enticing blood on his neck where Lisette had already had a taste. Mila’s canines were immediately sharp. She wanted nothing else in that moment than to press her lips to the same spot and finish the job. She was practically salivating over him, hesitating only because in the back of her mind she knew there some reason why she [i]didn’t[/i] want to lean down and lap up Lisette’s leftovers…

[i]"No, oh my god no."[/i]

She heard Charlie’s desperate voice and was suddenly conscious of the fact that her mouth was open and quivering over the man’s neck.

[i]"Mitch..."[/i]

Mila wrenched her head back and gave a maddened sort of groan, as if it was nearly too much to ask herself [i]not[/i] to bite down. She physically needed it. 

“You know him?” she rasped, gritting her teeth and looking up, away from the scarlet temptation. “He’s your…your…” she was too distracted to find the right word. She needed to get away from this tormenting scent. She swallowed and half dragged him to a doorstep in the alley, propping him up in sitting position so that he was leaning against the brick. She turned away from him sharply and paced and took deep breaths of the city air and tried to calm herself. 

 “I don’t want him,” she said finally, her eyes still black with bloodlust as she glared at Lisette and then at Booker. 

Booker had chuckled with delight when Charlie backed into him unknowingly. He had put his hands on her thin shoulders and had leaned down to speak to her in a soothing voice. “Watch,” he whispered, his face lighting up as he realized that the human was already fixed on the scene. She was trembling and running her hands over her face in distress. “Relax,” Booker exhaled, smirking as he began kneading her shoulders, making the muscle soft and loose. “A friend of yours? It’s alright, he feels good right now. He loves it even. You like it too, deep down.” 

Mila had finally caught her breath when she noticed what Booker was doing to her. Before he could register her movement, she had shoved him violently away from the girl, sending him sprawling backward until his back hit the brick wall on the opposite side of the alley street. The force of it looked painful but when Booker raised his head, there was grin on his handsome face. 

“You’re too easy to get to, Mila,” he sneered, hiding a wince as he straightened up. 

Mila was walking toward him like she was going to kill him. He backed away from her, still smiling sinisterly, his hands up as if to say [i]ok, ok, enough already.[/i] It didn’t seem to deter her. “You really [i]do[/i] get cranky when you’re hungry,” he teased, as the two of them circled around each other tensely. Mila was being impulsive and she knew it but the need to satiate her hunger was making her feel feral. She lashed out at Booker who narrowly dodged her, the smile gone from his face. 

“Lisette,” he said, not daring to take his eyes off his opponent as he dodged another attack. “Mila doesn’t take very good care of her pets does she?” Mila saw where this was going too late and before she could get to her, Booker had Charlie by the arm again. “Why don’t you let me have her?” he snarled, his grip tight enough to bruise Char’s arm. Now he did glance at Lisette and he jerked his head at her. “I’ll be at the usual place,” he said, giving her a pointed look. “You two play nice for a while. I know [i]we[/i] will.” He grinned and slung Charlie over his shoulder in one fluid motion. Then he was off down the street at an incredible speed. 

Mila leapt to chase after him.