I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing on the hotel side table. I blearily answered it, knowing the person on the other end wouldn’t expect a lot when it came to responses, thank god. It was way too early to be having full conversations.
“Hello Lilith. There is a job in San Diego,” the man said. He didn’t wait for me to respond. I glanced at the clock while he was talking. 11:26 am, okay so maybe some people were up at this hour. “A huge vampire clan. For the looks of it they’re pretty permanent but will be moving soon. Tomorrow is your best chance. The address is…”
I listened and wrote the address, time, and vampire count on the back of my hand. When the man was finished giving his report I thanked him and hung up. This was cutting into my vacation plans big time but they were so close to my sister’s flat I couldn’t ignore it.
I got up and quickly packed my small amount of possessions. In a job like this you had to pack light. I examined myself in the mirror before I left. My sister thought I worked as an agent for the FBI or something like that but I didn’t like have any battle wounds when I visited, all she’d do is fuss over me the entire time.
My purple hair looked unwashed and needed to be re-dyed. I had a small cut on my cheek from my last job but that was it. She shouldn’t flip too badly from just a tiny scratch, as long as I didn’t make up some long story about how I got it. She’d never believe the truth. I mean werewolves? Come on.
My entire life I’d had to hide my identity and life from my little sister but it was for her own good. She wasn’t born with the freak gene, she shouldn’t have to deal with the life that came with it.
As I was driving to her apartment, only a couple blocks from the nest of vampires I’d been assigned to, I thought about what would happen if I told her everything and took her on a job. We could be like the show supernatural but gender bent.
Except Raven would probably insist we try and ration with anything we tried to fight. She could never just kill something. Even when we were littler and there was a spider she insisted on taking it outside and setting it free instead of just smashing it against the wall. Imagine what would happen if she came face to face with a demon. She’d probably try and move it to somewhere that it couldn’t do as much harm. Which was bull shit.
I arrived at her apartment unannounced around 8 that night. I straightened my leather coat before knocking on her door. When she opened it she was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top. Her hair was up and she had a spoon in her hand.
“Oh my god! Hi! I thought you wouldn’t be here for another week,” she said hugging me.
I smiled and came in. “I got off early as a surprise,”
We spent the rest of the night talking and catching up. It had been months since I last saw her so there was plenty to say. She had gotten a bit taller, finally hitting puberty hard at age 19, and she’d dyed her hair blue, which made her eyes look even bluer.

---

The next morning I left with some excuse about doing paperwork for this branch or something like that. I figured I’d clear out the vampire nest and then spend the rest of the time with my sister. She’d bought us warped tour tickets so this weekend was going to be amazing!
I had knives hidden everywhere you could and probably shouldn’t hide a knife and I had my twin pistols. I was as ready as it gets. After a brief call to the company that sends me on jobs I found out exact location. The apartment complex didn’t look all that big from the outside and they were all only supposed to be in one room to I figured this would be easy.
After some basic scouting around the area I entered the building. The door guy was obviously under some amount of mind control because he opened the door without a word even though I hadn’t told him where I needed to be yet.
I took a deep breath and kicked in the door. Everyone in the room, me included, froze. Tony fucking Perry was standing there in his boxers drinking a glass of what look very much like blood. Vic Fuentes, Kellin Quinn, and Jaime Preciado were all having some jam session and Mike looked like he’d been about to go into a bedroom.
“Um. If you were planning on robbing us you’re kind of failing,” Vic said.
He was right. So what, you know them. That doesn’t mean they aren’t monsters. I took a breath and steeled myself. “Alright, everyone up. Standing, now,”
I sounded more confident then I was. I kicked the door closed with my boot, keeping my eyes on my favorite band (of vampire’s turns out)
“Look. Just take what you want and go,” Tony tried to reason.
They don’t know I’m a hunter. “No. these are wooden bullets. You know exactly what happens if you get shot with one if these little bitches. Why the fuck did it have to be you?”
I murmured that last bit more to myself but naturally they heard. Vic took a step forward and I leveled the gun at his heart.
“So you’re a fan?” He said, cocking his head to one side and completely disregarding the gun aimed at him. “How is it being about to kill your favorite band just because of a little medical ailment?”
“Ailment my ass. You’re a monster and you know it,” I said, still sounding very strong.
There was a flash and something struck me on the head, hard. My gun went off and I heard someone cry out before I fell to the ground. Before I could get back on my feet Tony was straddling me, wrists pinned by his knees. His fangs were inches from my face. His eyes were pitch black and soulless. I saw my own wide eyed reflection in them.
“Tony. Don’t,” I heard someone say.
I thanked god for whoever had just saved my life. However what they said next wasn’t quite as nice.
“Can’t you smell her? She’s not human,” he sounded like Vic but I didn’t want to take my eyes off of Tony to check.
He looked up at who was talking though. “So what? She broke in and tried to kill us. I say that’s rights for a nice murder,”
“You know what happens if we kill the wrong thing,” Vic threatened. “The law will be on our ass in seconds. Its bad enough they sent her. Imagine what’ll happen when she’s dead,”
Tony shouted in rage. “I don’t fucking care,”
Before I could even fully register what was going on Tony was ripping at my neck. I cried out but no one was going to save me. I blacked out.

---

I woke up thrown haphazardly laying on top of something. When I looked down I resisted the urge to scream and throw up. I was laying on a pile of dead girls in a dark room. There was ashes and bones all over the floor. It only took me a couple seconds to put all the pieces together. I was in an incinerator. Fuck.
I got off the small pile as carefully as possible and went over to the metal door. I pounded on it as hard as I could but all I managed was bloodying up my fist. The damn blood suckers had killed me not even knowing I would come back.
I just kept pounding on the door until it finally opened. A very surprised looking Vic was in the doorway. I covered up my bloody knuckles by folding my arms. No need to get killed again just because of a little blood spillage.
“But. You were dead,” He said. I pushed him lightly aside as I exited the awful room.
“Yeah, emphasis on was,” I said brushing ash off my coat. “Where you’re savage friends?”
“They’re in the front room and they aren’t savages,” Vic answered in awe. He was still in shock about the whole not dead thing. “You were dead,”
“Any other brilliant observations there Sherlock?” I asked pulling out my phone. I’d only been dead for a couple days. That was a new record.
“How did you-?” I cut him off.
“Next time you or one of your friends kills someone make sure you know what they are,” I said over my shoulder, walking toward the door. I had every intention to stab that bastard in the heart. Vic followed me out to the front room curiously.
I walked right up to Tony and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and his eyes widened. I didn’t even give him the chance to say anything before I twisted his head and snapped his neck.
“Don’t you ever kill me again,” I said as he tried to get his head back on right. I started toward the door but Tony stopped me.
“Listen here you little bitch,” He said. He’d gotten his neck back on right and I could practically see the bones mending. He grabbed my wrist and I twisted out of his grasp, just about snapping his wrist in the process. “Oh hell no,”
He tried to grab me again but that was not going to happen. I danced around him with an almost dance like ease. He was getting more pissed by the second and I was having quite the fun. That is until Vic stepped in between us.
“You’re acting like children. Both of you go sit on the couch,” Tony obeyed instantly but I just stood there hand on hip. “Did you hear me?”
“Um yeah. I heard you. That doesn’t mean I’m going to listen,” I said. He gave me a slightly pleading look and I rolled my eyes, sitting as far away from Tony on the couch as I could. Vic took a seat on the coffee table in front of us.
“Now. Do you mind telling us what you are?” Vic asked me gently. I felt a little bad for not answering him honestly but I figured that was just the mind control shit.
“Sorry, no can do. I’ve actually got to get home so I can get ready for your concert,” I started to stand but Tony grabbed my wrist.
“What makes you think I’m going to let you leave?” He said with a coy smile.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t need your permission. Let go of me,”
“I don’t think I will,” He said. “You are mine after all,”
I scoffed. “Oh what planet am I your property?”
“Earth I think. Unless we’re somewhere else. I bit you, you’re mine,” he explained with a cocky smirk that made me want to punch him even more.
“You attacked and killed me. In my book that just means you’re an ass hole,” I said, sitting down none the less.
“Well the law says you’re my property. Unless you want to tell us what you are and change my mind,” He said. Vic had been quietly watching the entire conversation, calculating.
Just then the door opened. I turned and found the members of All Time Low filing into the room. Alex’s eyes widened and he came over to me. He grabbed the back of the couch and towered over me, looking me dead in the eye. Fuck, he was going to know. I wanted to turn away or blink or something but I couldn’t.
“Where did you find her?” he said with praise looking to Vic for the answer.
“She actually found them,” I said crossing my arms over my chest. He looked back at me amused.
“Well then. Why did you purposely seek out a vampire clan? And why did you choose mine?” he asked moving so that he wasn’t hovering above me anymore. Instead he sat next to Vic on the coffee table so that he was directly in front of me. “And why do you smell like ashes?”
“Tweedle dumb over here killed me and they don’t know what I am so they just threw me in the incinerator,” I said with a sigh.
Alex laughed. “Seriously? You can’t smell it on her?”
“I can smell something but I don’t know how to place it,” Vic said. Tony just rolled his eyes. I glared at him and he flipped me off. I returned the favor and he looked about ready to lunge at me when Alex added me back into the conversation.
“Well, you’ve been claimed so welcome to the family,” Alex said reaching out and hugging me. I just sat there shocked.
By law I am property of this clan until they die or give me up. If the little fucker next to me wasn’t such a dip shit then I wouldn’t be in this mess. What would my sister do with me trapped here? She must be worried that I’ve been gone for so long.
“Sorry to spoil the whole family thing but I can’t be claimed. I have a sister, a job. People who need me,” I said. Alex pulled back and looked at me with an excited and hopeful look. “She’s not like me though. Human, sorry,”
“That’s all right. After a while they’ll stop looking for you. You were going to have to leave anyway,” Alex said. “And yes you can be claimed. You don’t really have a choice,”
“Okay. I sort of missed the whole what is she thing. Care to explain,” Jack said taking a seat on the couch across from us. Alex moved so he was sitting next to me, his arm draped casually on the back of the couch, incredibly near my shoulders.
“Well, this little lady is a Giver but I’m detecting some shifter in her,” Alex said with a smile. He was met with a lot of blank looks. “Right. I forgot you’re all too young for that. We’ll start at the beginning.”
“When the Vampira nocturne was created back in the 1400s we were vicious and always thirsty. You guys know about that, but around 1547-ish I don’t quite remember the exact date but a couple human who thought themselves all powerful summoned an angel. Needless to say they were all killed on the spot. All but one who was only there to help her family. The angel kissed this girl on the forehead, marking her for all eternity. Something in her blood and the blood of all her children made them unable to die and she could defend her sister and parents forever. This was brilliant except we were in the picture,”
“The Vampira traded with London. They got the girl and London would be safe. After a lot of fancy document signing we finally got her. This girl could be drunken from time after time without running out of blood. It was the solution to killing human, but the girl hated her life and refused to have children. I’d always been under the understanding that she never bore children but obviously she did. We have one of her decedent’s right here,”
The room was silent for a moment as everyone put the pieces together. I sighed. Yup, I’m a walking blood bank and now I’ve got some regular customers.
Jaime said what everyone was thinking. “She can be drunken from forever,”
“And she’s immortal. We quite literally never have to kill another human,” Alex said with a smile.
Vic looked like this was Christmas for him. That was weird, I’d always thought vampires loved killing. I guess there’s some that don’t.
“So I’m stuck with her forever?” Tony asked. He was like the douche-y brother I never wanted.
Everyone but Tony and I laughed. “Looks like it tone,”
“Okay. I know I can’t get out of the claiming but I promised my sister we’d go to warped tomorrow,” I said. Time to negotiate my ass off.
“No can do. You could just be planning to run away,” Vic said apologetically. He was surprisingly nice for an inhumane killing machine.
“What if Alex or someone comes home with me. Proves I’m not lying and you’ll be at warped tomorrow anyway. I just want one last night of human normalcy,” I argued.
He thought for a moment and then he and Alex had a telepathic conversation. Finally he turned back to me. “We’ve agreed that until we’ve known you for a little while longer we don’t want you leaving. How about you and your sister spend the night here. Say you won a thing or something like that,”
I sighed. “No, I won’t bring Raven into this place. I’ll stay here but tomorrow I get to wander the festival. Deal?”
Vic nodded. “That should be fine,”
“Alright then. Who wants to watch a movie!?” Jack exclaimed jumping up and going over to the small selection of movies. “Kellin! How are we still friends, you fuck? You don’t have Home Alone,”
“You borrowed it last time you were here and I never saw it again,” He defended, going to the kitchen. Alex stood and followed along with Jaime. I didn’t know it took three rock stars to make popcorn. I’ll have to keep that in mind.
I had assumed they all lived here but I guess I’d been wrong. This was just Kellin’s place. Why are they all staying here when they have their own houses? Weird. I wiggled down on the couch a bit so that I could rest my head comfortably. I really didn’t feel like watching a movie so I’d decided to sleep through it and then get up when it’s over.
“Ooo. Nightmare before Christmas anyone?” Jack said holding up the Blu-ray disc. There was a general agreement among everyone so he put the movie in and then took up his place next to where my legs were propped on the coffee table. The couch arm didn’t look very comfy but it must have been for him since he settled in, watching the screen intently even though it was only the commercials.
I realized I was staring and leaned back again. The lights went out and I closed my eyes. Not even 5 fucking seconds later someone jumped over the couch and into the ample space between Tony and me. I opened one eye a little bit and saw Alex with a big bowl of popcorn. His legs were spend out in front of him, taking up a vast amount of the coffee table and he had one arm thrown casual across the top of the couch, very close to my head.
“Come here,” I heard and then Alex poked my arm.
I opened my eyes and found that Tony had left the couch to go sit with Jaime on one of the love seats. Alex took up most of the couch laying down on but there was a sliver of space where I could lay too. I was not that damn skinny though.
“Oh bull shit. Come here,” he said. Adding a bit of control to the command. I sighed and moved over on the couch so that he was sort of spooning me and I had my head rested on his arm. I wasn’t too worried about cutting off his circulation since, well, he didn’t have any.
I hadn’t even realized I fell asleep until I woke up hours later. Everyone had pretty much fallen asleep where they were, me included. The credits for the movie were playing but someone had turned it down enough so that the music was a nice back ground sound. I turned in Alex’s embrace until I was facing his chest.
I looked up for a moment and saw him smiling down at me. It wasn’t a scary smile or anything and he didn’t have his fangs out but I still worried as he lowered his head toward mine. Instead of doing anything bad he just kissed my forehead and then closed his eyes. I couldn’t tell if he was asleep yet since he didn’t have any breath to even out.
It was strange to think that weeks ago I would have killed to be here like this, but now I’d rather be just about anywhere else. If they weren’t monsters then things would be different. Why can’t they just be human? I fell asleep with fantasies of hanging out with human versions of the very people around me.

Notes

really guys? 3 subscribers? that's a lot more then i'd thought this story would get!
which would you prefer? Vamp or human bands?