Part 1
Even before he rounded the block and downshifted his motorcycle, Gabe’s bones thrummed with the pounding rhythms of drums mingled with verberations of guitars and bass strings. It filled the night air, just like the salty stench of the Bay. Cruising on his Triumph always cleared his head and allowed a sense of freedom that only two wheels could provide. Now the only thing on his mind was why he had the wild idea to take Rainer’s suggestion to get out of his loft for the night. Maybe the older immortal was right and he had to relax a little.
“Can’t be alone all the time.”
That’s what Rainer had told him earlier…and he begrudgingly admitted that he was right. For so long, he vainly attempted not to keep close relationships with anyone—especially with mortals—not because he wanted to, but because he had to. It was better to keep everyone at arm’s length or risk them getting caught up in his brutal life.
Gabe reminded himself on a near daily basis why he kept up with his solo life to a bitter degree. It had only been a handful of decades after he had cut ties with his old coven in the search for his own life. He had taken only what he could of meager personal belongings and traveled south, through the Mediterranean and traversed most of the Old World, then back north all the way until he crossed the Celtic Sea and sailed to Ireland. It had been a whirlwind discovering new countries, a myriad of cultures, people, and creatures of the Veil. His senses had never been more alive in those early years by himself.
The turning point all those years ago then was when he encountered a timid, yet kind-hearted mortal woman–Caitlín, remembering how all the rules changed from that moment on. He had encountered her one fateful night, wresting her away from the filthy, sweaty clutches of a bunch of drunkards who very well were intending not to let her see the light of day unscathed. All four of them were far more physically imposing than he appeared, yet chasing the gang off had been easier than swatting a fly once he gave them a taste of someone more bloodthirsty and vicious than they could ever hope to be. Gabe never regretted being converted into a vampire—empathy being an annoyance to him on occasion notwithstanding—and there had been moments that let him appreciate it even more.
She praised him as her savior though he was no saint. Thanked him with open arms and eternal gratitude, bringing him to the small seaside tavern her family ran and owned, each member of her relations welcoming him not as a stranger, but as their friend who rescued one of their own. Up to that point, Gabe had made only passing acquaintances during his travels, more due in fact to him trying to avoid his former coven that he knew would come searching for him eventually. Caitlín’s family would occasionally pry into where he came from or try to get details on him, yet Caitlín herself never pried. She never raised any questions when she saw him quick to avoid the daylight on his sensitive eyes, nor at his eclectic eating habits. She always showed him so much kindness and gentle compassion. Even when she discovered his true nature as an immortal apex predator, she didn’t shrink away in fear nor condemn him.
She embraced him without censure, with nothing but tender sincerity.
Gabe shook his head to clear out and banish those haunting memories before he got himself clipped by a passing car. Something he never aspired for, even worse if he had to explain it to the paramedics if things got really dicey when bones started mending on their own. He sped down towards a small alleyway near the warehouse-turned-nightclub, finding a nearby spot to stow his bike near a trio of flashy crotch rockets. Every sound amplified the moment he shucked off his helmet, the dampness of the night air cooling his warmed skin. A congregation of both young and middle-aged mortals passed by him in the darkness of the night, all strolling towards the beat of the metal music that beckoned them with the promise of debauchery and unrestrained inhibitions. If it wasn’t for the gleam of neon strobe lights on metal and shiny vinyl then they might have blended in with the cover of nightfall. The club was on the edge of town on the far end of the Oakland industrial district, several miles away from his own current residence, more than likely to keep noise complaints to a minimum.
He heard of this club a while back. The Dead Zone if he recalled correctly. It catered towards more heavy metal and leather-appreciating individuals than the sun-shining, pop-happy people. The club was more for the mortals who held twisted dark fantasies about the things that went bump in the night, allowing them to fall just a little closer to the depraved side of human nature without spiraling off into that dark abyss where the real predators resided. And like most establishments that catered to that kind of crowd, it also had its fair share of lowlifes who’d relish taking advantage of some naive, innocent bystander. That much he could glean even while he meandered towards the entrance. Gabe let his gaze shift around the swell of bodies outside the large steel double doors waiting for access inside, conversing and attempting to hear themselves over the thumping heavy metal filtering out the entrance. He didn’t pay much attention to the random pair of women poured into skintight vinyl outfits when he sauntered by on the way towards the short line at the entrance, choosing to ignore their choice brazen commentary about him for the time being. Standing at the side of the doors was a big behemoth of a man, all dark skin and shaved head, muscles straining under his black crew neck despite the slight scotch pot gut.
Skull-thumping music and booze—two perfect things to continue to drown out his senses and take the edge off of things. The blunt he smoked earlier was still blessedly dulling out his cravings, which was a good thing if he wanted to try to at least get lucky that night. Maybe he wouldn’t even see that Melanie woman at the establishment since it was late into the night anyway. He could just try to enjoy the night and not worry about anything.
Just this once.
