2. Lucien
LUCIEN
The scent of lust hangs heavy in the air tonight.
It always does on Halloween. Lust, excitement, anticipation, and a dozen other delicious emotions swirl through The Rot.
Humans and supes alike dance together in harmony.
As a demon, you’d think I’d want the opposite.
But no, lust is much more yummy when people are happy.
Lights of all colors bounce around on beat with the music DJ Vampers pumps out from the DJ booth. People are dressed in slutty costumes and I take in everyone. The party’s just getting started. There’s much more fun to come, I just know it.
My crisp charcoal suit looks immaculate against my deep purple skin.
Most people who don’t know I’m a demon assume I paint my skin every day before coming into The Rot.
But no, this is au naturale, baby. As are my horns.
And my nails grow in black. There’s no mistaking I’m not human or of this world.
But at The Rot, it doesn’t matter. No one cares if I look human or not.
In fact, it’s better that I don’t look human.
It sells the vibe better. My fellow supes feel more at home and the humans feel like this place is special.
The Rot is special. I could live in a sanctuary town, but where’s the fun in that? Humans are fascinating. They’re messy and emotional and endlessly surprising. They’ll look at a demon with horns and purple skin and ask how I got the costume so realistic instead of running away.
Hex is close by, and I’ve popped in a time or two, but it’s so boring compared to living with humans.
And so many rules. Okay, living with humans has so many rules too because we don’t want to break their brains if they learn other creatures exist. I do love finding a monster fucker, though.
Always so so fun, no matter if human or supe.
There’s something missing tonight and I can’t quite place it.
I scan the crowd. The favor table still has plenty of glow sticks and glow-in-the-dark stickers.
Those are always a hit. There are plenty of drink coupons.
The music is perfect. DJ Vampers always knows how to read the room.
He’s the most popular DJ here. Probably the costume.
He dresses like a caricature of a vampire with a big cape and slicked back hair.
He exaggerates a widow’s peak and after Twilight got popular decades ago, he started adding so much glitter to his hair and makeup that it practically rains from him the entire night.
He’s a hoot and my best friend in this realm.
Of course, Vampers isn’t his name, but when he’s here, he insists on it.
Everywhere I look, bodies dance with the music.
The VIP area has a few people sipping fancy drinks and looking down their noses at people.
In one of the special rooms there’s a birthday party for an incubus.
The poor man radiates fear every time he comes in, but I don’t teach virgin incubi how to work their magic.
I’m not an incubus and there are others more suited to the task.
The song changes to something faster and the crowd whoops and hollers. My tail seems to have a mind of its own and sways to the music. It’s peaceful here.
I shut my eyes and just breathe everything in. Sure, there’s a bit of BO, but it doesn’t bother me. I can still take in the essence of everyone. Not in the sucking down someone’s soul kind of way. But just basking in the joy of the space. Being here in the moment. The now.
But something’s still missing, damnit.
There’s the softest jingle, like from a cat collar, of all things.
That’s it. My eyes snap open and I find the shifter at the door.
Their eyes are wide as they take in the place.
I haven’t seen them here before. They’re beautiful.
And hopeful. The kind of hopeful that only exists before life teaches you to stop dreaming for things.
But that’s not what catches my attention.
It’s the way they look around the room. Like they’re seeing magic for the first time.
But underneath the glitter and the excitement, there’s something else.
Loneliness. I know loneliness. I’ve tasted it before.
Everyone who walks into The Rot wants something. A drink. A thrill. A secret. I understand that better than most. Everyone wants something, but no one thinks about what happens when you get everything you wanted and still feel empty.
I know that feeling.
It takes everything in me not to cross the room immediately. But I have to play this cool. They can’t know how much I want them by sight alone. Will they trust me enough to let me touch them? Will they purr at my touch? What does their skin feel like? Is their tail sensitive like mine?
Cat shifters rarely leave sanctuary towns, they’re safer there. They must be from Hex. I can’t imagine someone from the Illinois or Ohio sanctuary towns coming in for my silly little Halloween party.
They’re dressed as a cat which makes me chuckle.
How adorable. Clever, really. Dress as what they are.
Their fluffy white tail swishes from side to side and their ears flatten a little.
Not so much that I want to scoop them away into a quiet room.
They’re nervous, but they stay. They nibble their bottom lip and their eyes seem to glow when they get to the favor table.
They look around before pocketing one of the thick glow sticks on a string.
Their shoulders move as if they’re laughing when they get to the temporary tattoos and the stickers.
They snatch a few of each and look around again.
Lars, one of my bartenders, walks up and hands the cat a coupon for a drink.
The cat’s eyes go right to Lars’s wolf ears.
Lars makes the cat laugh and they both wiggle their ears.
Fuck. Now I’m jealous of one of my favorite employees.
Who am I kidding? I love all my employees, they’re really more like family.
Lars points out the bar and gives the cat a cheeky grin before strolling back over, giving everyone a nice view of his backside. If Lars had his tail out, it’d be wagging.
The cat’s tail swishes in response.
A ridiculous little spark of jealousy ignites in my chest. Excuse me? Why am I jealous? I don’t even know this person.
That won’t do.
I keep my eyes on the cat as I make my way to the bar top. Lars grins that literal wolfish grin when he sees me.
“What can I do for ya, boss?” Lars throws a dishtowel over his shoulder. His amber eyes seem to glow every time the light hits them.
“Did you get the cat’s name?”
“Ah, that’s what that look is about.” He wiggles a finger at my face. “You want him.”
“Of course I want him. Have you seen him?”
Lars sighs and clasps his hands together before leaning his cheek on them. It tugs his tight t-shirt in all the right ways. The man looks like a god sculpted him to perfection, with thick thighs poured into leather pants. But I prefer more delicate features.
He leans in. “Said his name is Sparkle. How cute is that?”
“Sparkle.” I like it. Suits him.
“He’s here alone. How sad? He should be with his friends.” Lars’s shoulders slump and he backs up when he meets my glare.
“I’ll be the one comforting him tonight, so don’t make any plans.”
Lars holds up his hands as he grins again. “No worries. Just thought he was pretty. I’ll keep my hands and comments to myself.”
I nod and scan the crowd again. The faint tinkle of the collar Sparkle wears allows me to track him so easily. “I won’t hurt him, you know. Just wanna talk.”
“I know.” Lars squeezes my arm. “You’re one of the best guys out there. Little bit wild, but that’s why we love ya.” He blows a kiss my way before winking and going back to work.
“You’re a good guy too, Lars. You’ll find your person.” I pat the bar top twice before making a few slow loops around the dance floor to observe Sparkle.
He’s hesitant at first, but a gaggle of girls takes him in. They’re human, but their partners are supernatural, and soon he’s chatting up the entire friend group. I like that he’s not as shy as he first appeared. He seems to be able to make friends easily.
But the way he moves has me mesmerized. I could watch him dance for hours. He has a fluidity that I can’t imagine others aren’t jealous of.
With every new song, I creep closer and closer. His tail is the most fascinating thing. It’s as if it has a life of its own. It moves perfectly with each of his dances, no matter what he does. My own tail sways to the music.
Soon, it’s my time. He leaves his group of new friends and heads to the bar. Back to Lars.
Sparkle bats his lashes, each one tipped with what appears to be fake diamonds.
His lips look so kissable. By the time morning comes, I want to know everything about him.
His favorite food. His biggest dreams. What makes him laugh?
What makes his tail twitch? And maybe, if I’m very lucky, what makes him purr.
Because somehow, in less than a few hours, this beautiful lonely cat has made me want something I haven’t allowed myself to want in a very long time.