I watched from the shadows as a happy couple made their way down the empty street. They picked the wrong, dark alley tonight. The moon hung high above, illuminating their path, but the nooks of the cityscape hide kept me concealed.

The two laughed and swayed as they traveled. She clung to her escort, unstable on her tall shoes, like a gazelle just learning to walk. Even from here, I could smell that he wasn’t as drunk as he pretended to be. He was playing the part, leading her on.  

They stopped on the far side of a dumpster. The man scanned both sides of his vision. He saw no one. The man pushed the woman against the brick wall and kissed her passionately. She returned his embrace, swept up in the action. She let out a soft moan as he nibbled on her neck, then moved down to her chest.

She switched positions with him, pushing him hard against the wall. He laughed. She kissed his torso again and again, moving slowly down his body.

The pheromones were intoxicating. I nearly got hard myself. They had become reasonably preoccupied enough. It was time to make my move. In an instant, I was upon them. His eyes shot wide upon seeing me. I yanked her head backwards. They both yelped in pain. With one hand, I kept him pinned to the wall. I pulled her neck to my mouth with my other.

My fangs tore into her flesh. The warm, delicious life blood flowed from her carotid artery and into me. Each fading heartbeat filled me more and more with delight. Her whimpers ceased.

I was just about to move onto the man, when a flurry of motion caught my eye. There was someone in this alley. Another, like me.

“These are mine!” I shouted.

I wanted to lay claim to my kill, lest a scavenger try to startle me off. Some vampires hunt in packs. But I am a solo hunter. I typically don’t associate with my own kind. It’s as much of my own choice as it was a choice that was forced on me.

The presence didn’t yield.

“Go away!” I yelled.

I couldn’t go back to feeding until I knew I was alone. Turning my back while another of my kind watched was an invitation to be challenged.

I heard laughing. A woman’s chuckle filled the alley. It filled the space, louder then it could have possibly been. I spun around, searching for the source.

From jumped down from above me. The impact made of the two story fall made her buckle at the knees and waist. I wanted to rip her head off for interrupting me, but I waited to see the face of my observer. With a flick of her neck, she threw back her short, black hair, and stood straight.

I nearly dropped the woman’s body from my grip. The man struggled against my distracted hand, but I kept him there by the tips of my fingers.

I was taken aback by this creatures beauty. She was almost as tall as me, thin as a rail, with features that were both feminine and angular. Her eyes were as dark as a raven, with flecks of red hiding deep within. She smiled at me. Her grin carried humor, and something else I couldn’t quite gleam. I tried to shake it off.

“These, these are my kills. Go out and get your own,” I said.

“I’m not here to steal from you. Although, I would take a sip if you offered.”

“If you’re not here for them, then why are you here at all?” I asked.

She shrugged.

“Can’t a girl come talk to a guy?” she asked.

“You’re no mere girl,” I said.

“That’s right. We are the same. And I’m bored. What’s say we go have some fun?” she asked.

I considered her request. I had never met this woman before. I barely spent any time with my own kind. Still, there was something in the air that made me want to connect with someone, even if just for tonight.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“What’s it matter?”

“I suppose it doesn’t. Come, drink with me,” I offered.

“No. She’s been dead for some time now. And he’s not worth it. Look at him, he’s practically given up. Where’s the sport?” she asked.

She was right. I quickly snapped his neck, and we were on our way.

That night was a blur. We stalked and ate so much. We painted the town red with the blood of our victims. We got drunk on it. We made love of their corpses. Never before had I united with someone so severely. It was astounding.

The sun began to rise. Pale pinks and plums painted the sky. We laid naked in a park, the grass at our backs. I rolled over and kissed her shoulder.

“We should go soon,” I said.

She stood and began to walk away.

“Wait!” I stood and yelled.

She turned back to me.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes.”

“But, what about last night? It was the single greatest experience of my immortal life,” I said.

“And you will always have that.”

“But,”

In a flash she was in front of me. She placed a finger to my lips, then kissed them tenderly. I closed my eyes at her touch, trying to remember every sensation.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” she whispered.

When I opened my eyes, she was gone. But her touch, her lips, her words, her way of living, still lingered with me. And to this day, it still does.