Silly, Irine thought as she entered the party. Silly costume ball. I'd much rather be at a bar drinking beer.
Nevertheless she had found the dress and the mask. When anyone asked what she was she simply said that she was a succubus. The dress was slutty enough, she figured, and the mask looked gothic, so what the hell? Why her parents threw such stupid parties was beyond her. she sat down at a table in the far corner and was just trying to figure out how many shots of Jack Daniel's it would take before she could dance like the others when a stranger came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Did I frighten you?" he said. His voice was low and husky, and Irine found herself thinking it was rather sexy.
"Not really." she said. "Don't worry about it." Irine turned and looked at the stranger. She was glad that his voice matched the rest of him. She figured him about a foot talle than her, his dark hair was slicked back, and his brown eyes were very inviting. Her eyes kept being drawn to his full mouth, more welcome than a warm, lit house in a white blizzard. She surveyed the rest of him, and hoped that it wasn't a vampire costume.
"So what is your name, fair maiden?" he said.
Irine searched her memory for the name. "Lilith."
"I am Nosferatu." he said. She groaned inwardly. It was corny, even if he could carry the outfit and name better than the other guys.
"May I sit with you?" Nosferatu asked. She nodded. 'No' didn't even seem to be an option.
Nosferatu sat down, taking her hand and pressing it to his lips. Irine blushed, but in the back of her mind she thought it was weird that she felt his teeth. She dismissed them as fake fangs.
"Do you drink?"
Irine nodded. She could use a drink. To her surprise, he pulled out from under his cloak a beautiful decanter and wine glasses. He poured a little blood-red wine into each and offered her one.
Nosferatu sipped from his while she examined her glass. The stem was made up of what looked to her to be winged succubi. The candlelight reflected off of their sculpted, nude bodies.
"It seems to be appropiate, seeing as how you are clad as a succubus." Nosferatu observed with a smile that showed off his fangs.
Irine took a drink. The wine was sweet, but not too sweet, and felt somehow silky traveling down her throat.
"What is this?" she asked. "Vino de Nosferatu, of course." he replied. Irine laughed. "It has been in my family for generations. Aged over centuries, they say. You, dear Lilith, are one of few outside my family to taste it. And it is said that one such as you is destined to become the life partner of whomever served you the wine."
Irine's creep alarm should have been going full blast, but she felt no threat from the handsome young man. They finished off their wine, then Nosferatu stood and took her hand.
"Would you be so kind as to accompany me on a walk? I am not very familiar with your town and would like to see it."
Irine smiled and stood. She decided that she was smitten with him. Her head felt like the San Francisco bridge in a thick fog.
The couple stepped out into the slightly chilled night air. Nosferatu offered his arm to her and she took it as they strolled leisurely down the street. Irine was leading him past stores, bars, malls, coffee shops, theaters...houses? No way they could have walked that far!
Irine stopped. "I think we went too far out." she said.
Nosferatu looked into her eyes, and his hand went to her cheek. "Why, do not be upset, my dear Irine. We can turn around if you wish."
She felt surrounded by his sparkling brown eyes, and didn't notice that he called her by a name that she hadn't told him.
"No...that is fine." she said softly. His hands went slowly to her shoulder, skimming lightly down her neck in a way that drove her crazy. His lips seemed even more inviting than before, and Irine was leaning towards him, towards his open arms.
Nosferatu caught her in his embrace. His fingers traced over her neck and shoulders. His voice was low and gentle in her ear, yet reverbrated throughout her entire body as he spoke.
"I was not lying about the wine's effects, my love. But with my name I was not truthful to you."
Irine leaned back and gazed into his face. "What is your name, then?"
"That will be revealed in time." he said. Irine was swept up into the winds of passion as their lips met. Once again she noticed his prominant canines, but this time she knew them to be real.
When at last they broke their kiss, she looked into his eyes and spoke only one thing before his sweet fangs sank into her neck: