The Vampire and the Alpha's Son

The Casino

“Fine, let me give you a brief tour of the establishment, then we’ll convene back here to get you started,” he said in a disheartened tone, coming around the counter to lead me to the door on the left. He eyed me apprehensively from the side. It was natural for them to find my kind attractive, but we also made them nervous, for reasons they couldn’t explain.

I followed him through the simple door, out into the first floor. It was a plain, quiet room, scattered with unoccupied poker tables and fake plants. It had almost a seventies vibe, with a burnt orange shag rug and walls and decorations in varying shades of brown, orange, and gold. There was a bar in one corner that appeared to offer a small collection of alcohol. There was a soft melody playing from the speakers in the ceiling that hung with intricate glass chandeliers, from which there was a soft, yellow glow.

“This is our poker room, which tends to appeal to our older clientele. As you can see, it’s quite empty at this hour, as they are all probably home in bed with their wives.” He stated this matter-of-factly, in full tour guide mode, currently forgetting about his nervous, protective attraction to this strange young lady who had suddenly appeared in the middle of the night. Next he led me back through the reception room to a pair of elevators on the opposite side. We rode up to the second floor while he listed off facts and histories about the casino. It was obviously a well-rehearsed spiel, but I was not interested. I was here for only one reason and I was merely playing along with this façade until I had achieved my goal.

The second floor was clearly the main attraction of the business: roulette, craps, blackjack, more poker tables, a few slot machines, a stage, a few bars, and a restaurant. He took me around the room where a few patrons sat sleepily and looking forlorn, explaining the various games briefly. He then took me to the side of the room designated for food and drink. There was a buffet in the center, surrounded by tables and a bar on either side.

“This is the main source for refreshments in the building,” he said, gesturing to the area as a whole, “However, at this hour, the buffet serves primarily as a snack bar. Though we are open all night long, we have minimal staff and customers after midnight.” He walked up to the buffet as he continued, “Though masks are currently optional, we do ask that our patrons use all necessary safety precautions while handling food. We have plenty of hand sanitizer stations on every floor, as I’m sure you noticed, and one on either side of the buffet. We also prefer customers to use the gloves and tongs provided, if it’s not too much.”

“Right, because of covid, understandable,” I nodded cooperatively, playing along again. Obviously, I was not about to tell him that it was impossible for me to have any such germs to spread. I could not get sick, and all my cells were essentially frozen in time, making my skin a very unfriendly surface to germs I came in contact with. Regardless, I would use all the provided sanitary options anyway, to better fit the role I was playing. I had stopped using a mask around the same time everyone else did. It didn’t make any difference to me, though I did like the convenience of using it to cover my fangs. Not that I had much to smile about unless I was trying to be appealing. There was little excitement in my life currently. Ever since I left my coven almost twenty years ago, my life was only running and feeding. I only stopped for a short time to earn money so I could afford certain niceties when I wanted them.

I had started out in a rainy, cloudy little town in a northern corner of Oregon where my coven still resided, and had set off across the county in a eastern direction without a look back. We did prefer dark, cloudy weather. We would not burn in the sun, as most literature describes, but it did make us feel sluggish and uncomfortable after too much exposure. Due to this, I did pretty much all my traveling at night, and found places to wait out the day when the weather was bright and sunny. When I had the funds, I preferred something with walls and a bed. I had enjoyed living in comfort during the hundred and forty or so years I had been part of a coven. All the strict rules, along with the way they treated humans like cattle, were things I finally decided to live without. The only reason I stayed as long as I did was because it was no easy thing to leave a coven. I had to spend many years gathering resources, making plans, and making allies.

“The upper two floors from here are all slot machines, which have the most use this time of night,” he continued as he wrapped up the tour. He leaned against a wall and crossed his arms, looking at me pensively as he turned off tour guide mode. “So, are you still sure about joining this dark and desperate world?” he asked, sounding doubtful and concerned.

I smiled ruefully at the irony. I had already joined a dark and desolate world many years ago, against my will. “Yes, I am, thank you.”

“Well, since there’s no changing your mind,” he acquiesced disappointedly, rubbing his stubbly face with one hand, “I guess we’ll head back down to the lobby and set you up an account then.” We went back down the elevator and arrived at the desk where he started to describe the details and policies of the casino. “And finally,” he finished as I was filling out paperwork, “You’ll need to start with a fifty dollar minimum deposit to open your account.”

My face fell. All this seemed like a lot of hoops to jump through just to be able to gamble, and I was sure some of it was bullshit, but I didn’t have much of a choice than to accept it, especially since the other two men, who were still at the desk and pretending not to eavesdrop, did not seem eager to intervene on my behalf.

“I only have forty-five dollars,” I said dejectedly, looking down.

The man closed his books with a snap, and wore a sudden triumphant smile as he spoke in a smug voice that tried unsuccessfully to sound apologetic. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, there is nothing more I can do for you at this time.”

I looked at him, my gaze fierce and indignant. I turned on my heels, leaving without saying a word. This was indeed an unfortunate turn of events. Instead of simply moving on to the next town, as I knew I should, my irritation with the condescending man drove me to pursue a more risky course of action. I decided I would double back to the small town I had passed before coming to this place, find a menial job, then return with more funds and relish in the misery of a man who has been proven wrong by an ‘innocent and defenseless young woman’. However, it was still the middle of the night, so it would have to wait until morning. I ran a short distance into the forest that bordered the town and found a tall, leafy tree where I would wait until morning. I could sleep, but I seldom needed to. When I did, I preferred a bed, so I stayed awake for the following hours, watching the humming nightlife of the forest around me as I thought out my plans.