The Space Between

Zak

Zak

           I was burning. My skin was on fire. Why couldn’t they all see that I was not ok? I blamed them. All of them. It was all their fault I was this way. They’d pushed me to this point, always wanting more from me. More than I was wanted to give. Especially him.

           Especially Brendan.

           I’d developed a special hatred for him over the past few years. Couldn’t he see how much I hated it here? How much I wanted to go home? Why did he insist on staying on this side of the gate? We could have been quite comfortable on the other side, and I wouldn’t have to deal with these filthy humans around all the time. I hated him. I hated how confident he was. I hated how sure he was in life. I hated his success. I hated his strength. I wanted it. I wanted it all for myself. I’d been following him around since I was a boy. Because the Gods knew, even then, that I wasn’t strong enough to make it on my own.

           He was though.

           No matter what side of the gate he was on he was in control. Of himself. Of his power. Of his abilities. Of those around him. Even this band of ragtag outcast creatures he surrounded himself with in this club. His own little kingdom. Even the other elves looked to him before they looked to me. And they should look to me, I was their second prince, not Brendan. I saw their looks. I heard their whispers. I knew they thought I was weak.

           I needed more Essence. The drug the demons created had me under its grip. As soon as the burn of need wore off, my skin would start itching. Once the itching started the anger of withdrawal started. I couldn’t handle the sweating, the need, the uncontrollable want. I’m surprised no one could smell it on me. I’d promised the demons a female.

           Brittany.

           I hadn’t meant it to be Brittany. She wasn’t supposed to be there. It was supposed to be that faun, Elsbeth. She’d rejected me with her eyes. I could see the way she looked at me. She’d caught me one night, shaking and vomiting, snorting something, any drug I could get, to keep the burning at bay. I was surprised she hadn’t gone to Brendan.

           Brittany. I loved her. I wanted her. I’d thought about contacting the demons and asking where they were keeping her, offering them a trade. Then I’d claim her. I’d finally get her sweet body under mine. I could almost feel her fighting me as I f****d her. I liked it when they fought me, then I could exert my dominance on them. Maybe if I offered them two females for her.

           I’d see how she liked it when I squeezed her neck as I f****d her raw. Then it would be my pleasure to take her life.

           Because I couldn’t take Brendan’s.

           I made my way around the main floor of the club, my eyes hungry for a victim. Someone I could manipulate. Overpower. Maybe a human female today. I was sick of magical flesh. Humans didn’t take as much of my power to control. Plus, I was repulsed by them at the same time I was aroused by them. It made my anger real when I took one. I’d seen one in a tight red dress that had been giving me f**k me eyes all night. She might be easy enough to lead away.

           Too bad it wasn’t that girl I’d seen last Saturday.

           I’d lied to Brendan when I’d told him I hadn’t seen her. I had seen her. My mouth had fallen open at the sight of her. If I was a vampire, I’d have wanted to sink my fangs into her neck. She was long and lean and beautiful. In the week since, I hadn’t seen anyone that piqued my interest as much as she had. I was about to make my way over to her when I watched Brendan step up behind her and say something in her ear.

           Then she’d leaned back against him.

She’d started swaying her body against his.

           That should have been my body.

           I’d watched in disbelief as Brendan’s hands were all over her after that. Those should have been my hands. That was skin I should be feeling right then. Of course, Brendan would make it to her before me, he always tried to take everything I wanted.

           He’d turned her slightly after his hand went under her shirt, as if to protect her should there be any prying eyes. I knew what would happen shortly if I didn’t find a way to stop him. If I didn’t stop him, he’d be upstairs with her, making her his when she should be mine. She clearly wasn’t putting up too much of a fight.

           That’s when the call had come in about Minerva. Brendan didn’t wear an earpiece like the rest of the security staff did, something about trusting us to do our jobs without him hovering over us. I saw my opportunity to get him away from her and I took it, coming around the other way and calling him. He hadn’t been happy about it either.

           Good. f**k him.

           I’d spent the rest of the night searching for her too. I wanted to find her before Brendan did. I was just as confused as Brendan when neither of us could find her. She really had disappeared.

           I’d taken the last of the Essence I had that night after I got home. It was enough to make me forget the next twenty-four hours. I wouldn’t start feeling the need for a few days. I had some human drugs to get me through if it got too bad.

           So, here I was, spending another goddamn Saturday night in this damn club, my eyes burning as I circled the floor. Where did the human in the red dress go? Ah, there she was, standing at the bar with those f**k me eyes pointed at me. I started towards her, weaving my way through the throngs of beings that always packed this place, when I looked across the dance floor and saw her. She was standing on the steps that surrounded the dance floor. Her eyes were closed, and her body was swaying to the music. Her arms were in the air. The strobe lights played over the expanse of skin exposed by the white crop top she had on again. I could swear I saw a rounded bit of flesh at the bottom of that shirt when she had her arms in the air. It was like calm washed over me when I saw her. I forgot about the drugs and the burning in my body when I saw her swaying to the music. I needed her.

           The human slut stepped in front of me at the same time I saw that shapeshifter Brendan had hired stop behind her and lift his phone to his ear. All the sudden, I knew what was happening and I wanted to push this human across the floor and jump to the one swaying on the steps. My hand reached out and closed on her shoulder and I felt her hands land on my chest at the same time I saw Brendan materialize behind the dancer.

My dancer.

           I watched in disbelief as, once again, Brendan’s arms went around her from behind and she leaned back into him. This time, he wasted no time in leading her away. My eyes lowered to the human in front of me who had stopped me from getting what I wanted. She was smiling up at me, batting her eyelashes, her mouth puckered. Oh yes, little human, I had something you could do with that mouth. And then, you are going to die.