The calling of the witch - Her cursed Alpha and the vampire pact

Nosferatus

*Tala*

As we approach the heart of town, my stomach churns restlessly. What on earth am I doing here? My mother would be appalled if she could see me now - so out of my element. I should have stayed at the reservation.

I clutch Halyn's arm, whispering, "I don't think I'm going to make it through this."

She counters with a reassuring grin, "Of course you will. Look on the bright side, Tala. Tonight, you're not an outsider. You blend in just fine." She flashes me a mischievous wink.

Self-consciously, I glance down at my outfit, uncertainty gnawing at my confidence.

"You're stunning, Tala," she asserts, her smile radiant, "Trust me, you're going to turn heads tonight."

With an encouraging tug, she leads me towards the entrance, exchanging casual greetings with the doormen before we step inside. I trail behind her, feeling like an unguided child. Catching my reflection in a passing mirror, I see a timid deer caught in headlights rather than a confident woman.

"Tonight, you're a different person," I whisper to myself, desperately seeking a boost of self-assurance, "You're just as cool as everyone else here."

"Ready to dive into this, darling?" Halyn queries, squeezing my hand gently for support.

I inhale deeply, steadying myself, and manage a nod. My voice comes out as a raspy whisper, "I was born for this."

The club is a sprawling, dimly lit room with captivating graffiti adorning the walls. The artwork, a mix of vibrant colors and dark hues, creates a striking contrast against the mostly black-clad guests. To the right, a rectangular bar stretches along the wall, leading to a broad staircase. Curious gazes follow the stairs, which ascend to a balcony where some people observe the dance floor below. Beneath the balcony, cozy couch areas beckon for intimate conversations.

Halyn, noticing my gaze, whispers, "The stairs and balcony are totally off-limits," and then grabs my hand, pulling me towards the bar.

While she orders drinks, I stand and take in the atmosphere. So this is the infamous Nosferatus. My eyes catch sight of windows behind the couch area, revealing a lounge with a small bar beyond. It appears to be a quieter spot, perfect for a conversation.

"Hey, Halyn," a guy with pitch-black hair spiked up and adorned with rings in his ears and nose appears behind us. "And who is your friend?"

"This is Tala, the one I told you about," Halyn answers and embraces the guy.

"Well, hi then and welcome. I'm Marty," he says, offering a friendly smile. “So another res girl… cool.”

Just as I'm settling into the ambiance, three other people come forward from the couches. I can't help but stare at the girl among them. While I have almost grown accustomed to Halyn's Victorian-inspired dresses and corsets, this girl's attire is entirely different. She is dressed in a purple and black satin outfit reminiscent of an old-fashioned French maid, as if she is trying to add some spice to her life. But she doesn't stop there; her purple hair flows freely, and her innocent makeup emphasizes her big eyes and pouty mouth.

The other two are guys. One of them stops and wraps his arm around the girl. His bangs keep falling into his eyes, and he blows them away, glaring around with a bored expression.

"This is Siggy and Ollie," Halyn introduces them after hugging them both. They say hello, and I shyly return the greeting.

The last guy steps forward to greet me, hugging Halyn before turning towards me. Halyn's voice takes on a slightly harsh tone as she says, "This is Tala, and you better behave and not scare her away."

"Don't worry, I swear I'm Mr. Nice Guy," he responds with a short smile, then takes my hand and softly kisses it. "I'm Troy," he says, shooting me a big smile and a wink. Compared to the others, he's dressed rather normally in slim-fit jeans and a tight Iron Maiden t-shirt. His dark hair is slicked back, and his eyes are accentuated by a smudged eyeliner. He's actually quite good looking, and I feel my cheeks heat up as our eyes meet.

"Oh, hi," I say, pulling my hand away, feeling flustered.

"We were on our way to get some drinks at the bar. We are down in the corner by the DJ. Are you joining us?" Siggy rolls her eyes and nudges Ollie, who grabs Troy and drags him towards the bar.

"Sure, I will just give Tala the grand tour, and then we will join you," Halyn says.

"See you later, sweethearts," Troy says, looking at me in a way that leaves me unsure of its meaning.

"I will catch you later too, sweetie," Marty says, hugging Halyn. "A pleasure meeting you, Tala. I hope you like this shithole." He extends his hand, and I shake it.

I turn to Halyn and exclaim, "Oh s**t, do the guys here wear makeup?"

"We better get some alcohol into you, or you won't survive the night," Halyn laughs and hands me a shot glass. "Bottoms up."

She quickly downs her drink, but I nervously stare at mine. Halyn looks at me and reassures, "I promise, I will make sure you don't have too much."

Before I can second-guess myself, I close my eyes and gulp down the shot. Surprised, I cough as it burns down my throat. But as the warmth spreads through my belly, the fluttering butterflies inside me calm down. "So, who are those people?" I ask.

"Marty is actually a really sweet guy, one of my best friends, aside from you, of course," she says with a smile. "He can be a bit deep at times, but he's cool. He was the one who dragged me down here, or maybe I dragged him... Anyway, he is like a big brother to everyone. He was my first friend off the reservation."

As someone comes over to greet Halyn, I take the opportunity to look around. I'm truly impressed by this place and can't recall ever seeing anything quite like it. The club itself and the music alone feel exotic to me, and when you add in the guests, it's as if I've landed on a different planet.

"Siggy and Ollie are dating," Halyn continues, handing me a beautifully ornate glass. "They are a fun couple. Siggy is really outgoing and bubbly, while Ollie is more of an emo type."

I take a sip of the wine, and perhaps my expression reflects relief, as Halyn giggles and says, "Seriously, it's just red wine. Do you really think I would serve you blood or something?"

"I remember you mentioning blood-drinking once, saying some people do it," I make a disgusted face.

"It's those vampire goths, the ones on the balcony. Rumor has it they drink each other's blood," Halyn explains, glancing towards the bar. "There are so many rumors about what happens upstairs, where the elite hangs out. But you won't get up there without an invitation."

I take another sip of wine and glance towards the stairs. No one seems to go up there, but then I spot a tall, breathtakingly beautiful woman descending the stairs. As if on cue, people part before her, creating a path for her to walk through the crowd. I'm captivated as I watch her glide past, her eyes empty and devoid of interaction. It's as if she leaves a trail of frost behind her, and once she is gone, the path closes, with many onlookers still gazing in her direction.

"Speaking of staying away from people," Halyn interrupts my thoughts, "Watch out for Troy. He is a big-time player. You would almost think he's compensating for something. I have also heard he's kind of freaky. Well, more freaky than the rest of us."

"I don't want to know what he is into if you think it's freaky," I reply with a nervous laugh.

Halyn laughs too and says, "I just noticed how he was drooling over you, so I wanted to warn you about him."

I nod, feeling the alcohol loosen me up, helping me relax a bit, and I start moving to the heavy rhythm. I turn and spot a couple on one of the couches, passionately kissing and touching each other. Suddenly, I realize what they are doing and quickly look away. "I thought you said no S&M on the tables?"

Halyn turns to look, and the girl is straddling the guy, their movements and expressions giving them away, despite their attempt at discretion.

"Okay, so maybe I lied a bit," she giggles. "You would have never come if I told you the truth. And in my defense, that's not S&M, and they are not on the table. Besides, that stuff happens in regular clubs too." She hands me a fresh glass of red wine. "Come on, let's go find the others."

We make our way through the crowd and join the others in the corner where they're seated. Halyn takes a spot at the end of the couch, and I sit on a stool next to her. Troy immediately moves to the stool beside me, flashing a cocky smile.

"Well, what do you think of this place?" he asks, leaning in close as the music blares.

His voice tickles my ear, and I'm unsure of how to respond, so I simply nod and give him a thumbs up.

"I can tell you are not accustomed to this style. You haven't been a goth for long, have you?" he leans in to inquire.

I turn towards Troy, somewhat surrendering to his smile. He doesn't seem as bad as Halyn described him. In fact, he is kind of cute, even if he does have a bit of a brash side.

"I'm not goth at all, unfortunately, or no, not unfortunately... I mean, I usually wear normal clothes... I actually really like a lot of what you guys wear... but I'm not a member," I stumble over my words, feeling my cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

"It's okay," Troy says with a small laugh. "I happen to think you look very sexy in that outfit. So I promise not to tell anyone that you are not a member," he teases, sending me a playful smile. He then lifts his glass to toast me, and I follow suit, clinking our glasses together.

"Troy, come with me outside for a cigarette," Ollie interjects, still looking bored. "The music sucks anyway, it's the same boring DJ as last week."

"And it has to be right now, of course," Troy replies, sounding a bit annoyed.

"Or I can just go by myself," Ollie shrugs and starts to walk away.

"See you in a minute," Troy whispers in my ear. "They are going through some s**t at the moment. He needs to talk."

Once Troy is gone too, Siggy makes an annoyed motion and turns to Halyn. Although I can't hear them, it's clear that Siggy is complaining about Ollie.

Unable to focus on their conversation, I let my eyes wander, taking in the various types of goth around me. Then, my gaze lands on a small group standing at the balcony railing. They must be the elite Halyn mentioned would be here tonight.

One man in particular steps up to the railing, standing slightly apart from the others. He leans on the railing, gazing out over the dancefloor. I find myself unable to look away, captivated by his presence. He doesn't dress very differently from the others… tight black jeans, an open leather vest over a bare chest, and his hair combed back like many of the guys here. But there's something about him, an air of raw sexiness that leaves me breathless, causing me to look away and blush.

I shake my head, blaming the alcohol for this sudden infatuation. It's not like me to stare like that, especially at a stranger. But the pull is too strong, and my eyes inevitably return to him. There is an intense connection as our gazes meet, and it feels like everything else around me disappears. It's just him, me, and the music. His gaze ignites a hunger and longing within me that I can't quite comprehend. All I can do is continue to stare into his eyes, feeling completely entranced.

When he breaks eye contact, reality rushes back in, and I find myself staring at an empty balcony, feeling lost. The wine no longer has its hold on me; instead, I'm intoxicated by him.

Who is he?

The rest of the night becomes a blur, like a dream. Halyn pulls me around, introducing me to her friends, their faces and names blending together. Troy comes over to talk to me several times, but I struggle to focus on his words. I can't shake the feeling that the stranger's gaze awakened something deep within me, and I can't help but glance up at the balcony, hoping to catch another glimpse of him.

However, I don't see him again, and I manage to convince myself that he is nothing special. It must have been the combination of the music and alcohol that made it seem extraordinary, turning the attraction into an unreal fantasy. Maybe he was just in the right place at the right time.

As it's time to leave, I find myself waiting in the wardrobe area for Halyn to return from the bathroom. I struggle to put on the borrowed coat, feeling a bit disoriented. Suddenly, the room falls silent, and I look up in confusion, only to see everyone staring in the same direction.

Then, he appears from around the corner of the club, surrounded by a group of elites. Time seems to slow down as he glides past, his gaze locked on me. It feels as if he is peering into the depths of my soul, his eyes an almost unnatural shade of blue, reminiscent of tranquil mountain lakes. A crooked, hungry smile plays on his lips, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable under his intense gaze.

My body instinctively reacts, waves of heat emanating from my core, causing my knees to threaten to give way. I grab onto the nearest chair for support, desperately trying to maintain my composure. And then, just like that, he is gone.

"No, stay," I hear Halyn's concerned voice in my ear. "You don't speak to them without their permission."

"Was that the elites?" I manage to ask, my voice barely above a whisper. I realize that I had started to follow him, but Halyn has firmly grabbed onto my arm, preventing me from going any further.

"Yup, that's Noah and his entourage of elites. He owns this place," Halyn explains, still maintaining her grip on my arm. "I don't really know them. They are the vampire goth elite, on a whole different level from the rest of us. But isn't he just unbelievably gorgeous?"

"Unbelievably," I agree, my voice barely audible. The image of him lingers in my mind, etching itself into my memory, as we leave the club, the night filled with a sense of mystery and longing.