Chapter 13: A sea of Heartbeats

I slept like I had never slept before.

Deep in that sleep, I could feel my body healing—every ache dissolving, every burn fading away. It felt like being wrapped in my mother's arms again. Calm. Safe. Whole.

I slept for hours and had no intention of waking anytime soon.

Then someone opened the lid.

I was only half-awake when I heard my name.

"Daniel."

The voice was familiar.

Then again, sharper this time. "Daniel."

My eyes snapped open.

Juliet stood above me.

I slowly sat up in the coffin.

"Have you been asleep since I left?" she asked.

I said nothing.

"What happened?"

Silence.

"You're going to have to talk to me eventually."

Reluctantly, I answered. "I went to see Mark."

"Mark… your friend?"

"Yes."

She sighed and walked to the edge of the bed, sitting down. "I told you. I specifically warned you not to contact him—or anyone from your old life. So what did you do? Did you kill him?"

"Of course not. I couldn't even make it to his front door."

Her eyes narrowed. "Did you go during the day?"

"Yes. As soon as you got into the cab and left."

Her expression hardened. "So you were watching me."

"I just didn't want to run into you."

"Why?"

"Because you're getting sick of me."

She blinked. "What?"

"It's true. Ever since you brought me here, you've been hot and cold. Like I'm some burden you pity and have to drag around."

"No, it's not like that."

"It is. I never asked you to turn me into this."

"But you did," she shot back. "You stood up in front of everyone and declared you wanted to be a vampire."

"I was drunk!" I snapped. "I had no idea what I was saying."

"We speak our deepest truths when we're intoxicated."

I went quiet.

Maybe she was right.

I had always wanted to be strong. Since I was a child. I wanted to protect my mom. My siblings. Protect them from my father's rage.

But I was a coward.

I couldn't stop him.

I couldn't stop the beatings.

And in the end, I couldn't stop him from killing them all.

"Is that my shirt?" Juliet asked suddenly, staring at me. "And my shorts?"

I looked down. "Do you want them back?"

I pulled the shirt over my head and threw it at her face.

"Daniel," she warned, standing. "Let's be civil."

"Why should we?" I removed the cargo shorts and tossed them at her too. "We're vampires, remember? We're monsters now."

I stood there in only my underwear.

"You have no right to be mad right now," she said, her voice rising. "You have no idea what I've been dealing with for the past few hours. And what were you doing while I was gone? Putting yourself at risk. What if you lost control? What if you killed someone? The hunters would track you down and kill you."

I walked past her and dropped onto the sofa, facing her directly.

"Why did you do this to me?" I asked quietly.

She didn't answer immediately.

"You deserved it," she finally said. "I saw the pain in your eyes. You were begging for escape. I gave it to you. It just… comes with responsibility. Power always does."

I stared at the floor, thinking.

After a moment, she rose from the bed and came to sit beside me on the couch.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I've been under a lot of pressure. That's not your fault. But that's over now. I'm here. And it won't be daylight for a few more hours."

She turned toward me.

"Let's make the most of it."

She closed her eyes and leaned in, kissing me.

For a second, I hesitated. Then I kissed her back.

After a few moments, she pulled away and smiled faintly. Her eyes drifted down my body.

"You should get dressed."

"Why?" I asked.

"You need to feed," she said gently. "You must be starving."

I hadn't even thought about it because of our fight.

But she was right.

I was starving.

And this time, the hunger didn't feel emotional.

It felt dangerous.I stood up. "I don't have any new clothes, remember? Ever since you brought me here, I haven't had a change of clothes."

"Oh," she said lightly. "Then you can go through my closet again and pick something… manly."

"Come on, don't say it like that," I replied. "I'm not a creep. And it's not my fault you dress like a tomboy."

She rolled her eyes.

I walked to her closet and scanned through the clothes carefully this time. I picked out a black leather jacket, a fitted brown shirt, and a pair of brown baggy jeans. The material felt good against my skin—strong, solid. I dressed quickly.

When I was done, I looked at myself in the mirror.

I looked different.

Stronger.

"I'm ready," I said.

I turned to her, but she wasn't looking at me. She was standing by the window, staring out into the night.

I walked over to join her. "Are you checking out our prey?"

She smirked without turning. "Nope."

"Then what?"

She finally looked at me. There was something different in her expression—calculating. Detached.

"Tonight, you'll be the one to pick," she said. "You will hunt. You will feed. And you will do it without losing control."

I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.

"It's all you tonight," she continued. "I'll step back and just watch. Whatever happens… happens."

The words hung in the air longer than they should have.

My heartbeat slowed.

This wasn't a lesson.

It was a test.

I swallowed hard, but I nodded. "I won't lose control again."

She held my gaze for a moment longer, as if trying to see whether I believed that myself.

Then she smiled faintly.

"Let's see."

And suddenly, the hunger inside me didn't just feel dangerous.

It felt inevitable.

We headed out.

The city was silent and draped in darkness, streetlights casting long golden streaks across the pavement. The air felt alive in a way only vampires could understand.

I wondered if we'd even be lucky enough to find someone to feed on tonight.

I checked the time on my phone.

2:22 a.m.

I glanced at her. "Isn't it too late for a hunt? Everyone's probably asleep."

She chuckled softly. "Don't worry about that. There's a reason Abuja is called the city that never sleeps. We're just in a quiet neighborhood. Walk with me. I'll show you around. Tell me about your day."

We moved through the streets, and I followed her lead at every turn.

"You already know most of it," I said. "I tried to see Mark. I couldn't even make it to his door. The sun really weakened me. I thought I was going to die. I mean… I almost did."

She slowed slightly. "That's my fault. I should've warned you. You're still a baby vampire. You've only fed once. You're new to this."

I didn't like the word baby.

"But don't worry," she continued. "I have a spell that can accelerate your transition."

"That would be nice." I glanced at her. "So what were you doing yesterday?"

"Tying up loose ends," she said simply.

"That's it?"

"Yes."

I smiled. "You're kind of sexy when you get all mysterious."

She looked at me, though the alley was too dark to read her expression.

"So you think I'm sexy?" she asked.

"I mean… that was a pretty intense kiss we had earlier."

She tilted her head slightly. "If you do a good job tonight, I might teach you a tongue trick."

My face lit up. "For real?"

"It's all up to you now, Daniel."

I couldn't believe it. This drop-dead gorgeous, powerful vampire might actually be into me.

Cool.

A few minutes later, I heard bass-heavy music vibrating through the air. Neon lights flickered in the distance.

That's when I realized.

We were heading to a nightclub.

Excitement surged through me. I wanted to sprint there, but I forced myself to stay composed.

"You could've told me we were going to a club," I said. "That's basically an all-you-can-eat buffet."

"You're getting a little too excited," she laughed.

"Whatever."

Soon we reached the entrance. A massive glowing sign read:

RECTUM

A long queue stretched outside, people dressed in expensive outfits, laughter and perfume mixing in the air. It had to be one of the most popular clubs in the city.

Instead of joining the line, we walked straight toward the entrance.

The bouncer looked at Juliet once—and immediately stepped aside.

"Good evening, ma'am."

We walked in without hesitation.

"Why did he just let us in?" I asked as we moved down the dim corridor toward the main floor.

"Because," she said calmly, "I own the club."

I stopped for half a second, staring at her.

"You own it?"

She didn't answer. She just pushed the doors open.

The music hit me like a physical force.

The club was massive—layers of flashing lights, laser beams slicing through smoke-filled air. The dance floor was packed. Girls in shimmering dresses and boys in fitted shirts moved to the rhythm, bodies swaying, hands in the air. VIP sections lined the upper levels, overlooking the chaos below. The DJ stood elevated like a god, controlling the pulse of the entire room.

The scent of sweat, perfume, alcohol—

And blood—

Filled my senses all at once.

My hunger stirred instantly.

Juliet leaned closer to me, her voice calm in contrast to the chaos.

"Here they are, Daniel," she said. "A sea of heartbeats. A thousand temptations."

She stepped slightly behind me.

"Take your time. Feel them. Listen to them."

The music thumped through my chest as I scanned the crowd.

"They're not prey," she whispered near my ear. "They're choices."

She smirked.

"Go on. Make it interesting."

The test had begun