Malignant

I

"Are you sure here's where you exactly tracked them?" I asked Nathan as I eyed the sketchy area I was in. The buildings in this part of New York were vacant and rundown. It was the perfect place for people to host wild parties, the homeless to squat, and for vampires to lurk. It was pretty much an open buffet for them throughout the week. A body could easily be found here and ruled out drug-related. A small breath escaped my lips, becoming visible in the cool, crisp air.

"That's the exact coordinates that are coming up on my screen. What do you see?" Nathan's deep voice came through the phone once more. I lick my slightly chapped lips and scanned my surroundings once more. There wasn't a single car in sight on the street. Dogs could be heard barking off in the distance but so could the sound of honking cars. No one really drove through this part of the city at night. People were scared their cars would get hijacked if they stopped at a stop sign.

I glance back at my car and give it a contemplative look. Should I even be here right now?

"A couple abandoned buildings and an empty street. You definitely—" I pause when I hear the sound of something falling over. I look towards the alleyway next to the building I was standing in front of. Someone or something was over there. I slowly began to walk that direction, coming to stand in the entrance of the dimly lit alleyway.

"Emily?" I slowly began to walk towards the alleyway. "What's going on?" Nate asks, a hint of concern in his voice.

"I gotta go." I ended the call and put my phone away. I move my hand to the inside of my jacket, letting my fingers wrap around the wooden stake I had tucked away in a pocket. I enter the alleyway, my eyes scanning each area that was viable to the naked eye. There, in the center of the alleyway, was a knocked over trash can. I walk around it, going deeper into the alley. "Hello?" I called out as if someone would answer me. A small huff escapes my lips as I put my stake back on the inside of my jacket.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to go snooping in dark alleyways?" A velvety voice spoke up through the silence suddenly. I quickly spun around to face the direction of the voice. No one was there. I furrowed my brows before turning around to resume investigating the area thoroughly. When I turned, my eyes found the chest of a tall figure. "Boo." I look up at the source of the smooth voice, my strong demeanor faltering slightly.

The man that stood before me was gorgeous. The golden light from the single street light closest to us lit half of his face, giving me a chance to look him over. His blonde hair laid messily on his head as if it was intentionally styled that way. His cheekbones we're slightly sunken in but complimented his bone structure. The mystery man wore a grin on his face as he stared down at me with what looked like crystal blue eyes. "Well, hello there." He greeted, his grin turning into a smirk as he spoke.

I remained silent as I began to take steps back, carefully sliding my hand back into my jacket to get my stake. "I take it you're looking for this?" He held up my stake, wiggling it with three fingers before snapping it in half. "I'm starting to think the Council does this on purpose." He mutters to himself before acknowledging my existence again. A wicked grin grew onto his face as he began to walk towards me. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Vincent Monroe."

I turned on my heels to run, but he appeared in front of me, causing my body to collide with his. "So tell me, how does someone as beautiful as you get pulled into the Guardians?" He asks, studying me just as I had done him previously. Vincent lightly ran his fingers over my left cheek, causing me to flinch from the coldness. If there were any question as to if he was a vampire, they were definitely answered now.

I slapped his hand away and took a step back. "Don't touch me." I snap, earning an amused noise from him.

"Feisty. I like that." He confesses, stepping towards me again.