Superpride

Nothing is easy when it comes to hunting a vampire. Also, it does seem that Damien's sexuality isn't as straightforward as was assumed in the first chapter. Excuse the pun.

Yeah, even though vampires in this world are considered immortal, they still have human-like qualities that make them relatable.

Hopefully our protagonist will be able to escape whatever trouble he's in now. And nice pun.

“All right, Austin. Make sure to turn off all the lights after you tucked the girls into bed. The leftover dinner is in the refrigerator for you all to heat up in the microwave and eat, so don’t use the stove or oven. And only eat at the dining table. Got it?” Austin nodded, not looking up from his phone which was a major pet peeve of mine. “And after I come home, we’ll be discussing your little escapade last night,” I said as I put on my brown leather jacket. “Yes, sir.” A knock on the front door signaled me to open it. Anthony stood at the other side of the threshold, and I stepped back to let him in. “Hey, Austin! What’s up, man?” Anthony said. My son looked up to see Anthony and quickly sprang from the couch. “Oh, hey, Anthony! Uh, nothing much. Just doing my homework.” “On your phone?” Anthony said with a quirked eyebrow. “Oh, uh…” “Well, Austin. Anthony and I will be going out now. Stay in this house and watch the girls,” I ordered. “Yeah…I will,” Austin said as he sat down on the couch. “See you, Austin. Don’t get into too much trouble now,” Anthony said with a smirk. Austin chuckled and nodded before returning his eyes to his phone. Outside, I opened the car door and plopped on the passenger seat. I looked at Anthony who was tapping his thumbs rapidly on the screen of his phone before putting the device in his pocket and looking back at me with a bright smile on his face. I didn’t attend to reinstate my position as a bounty hunter; I really didn’t. However, the electric bill alone convinced me that this bounty was a godsend. I remembered opening the bills while drinking my coffee. The girls were too busy throwing cereal at each other and my son was too busy ignoring me to notice my face paling upon seeing the four digit numbers printed at the bottom of the bills. I then looked at my kids who were completely oblivious of the struggles of life and wanted to do anything to protect that innocence for a little while longer. I faced so much hardship in my life; I didn’t want my kids to suffer as I did. The next thing that I did was call Anthony to tell him that I wanted in on the bounty. I swore the guy must’ve bounced to the ceiling since he was shouting out in excitement. With my right ear still ringing, I then called my work to tell them that I was sick. That was probably the first time I ever asked for a day off, so my manager was very understanding. After that, I proceeded to prepare myself for the imminent mission to hunt a vampire who avoided his court appearance. All because he sucked on some person’s neck in a park. God, some of those freaks had no decency. “So, Damien. Are you ready?” Anthony said. “I guess so. Did you already talk with the bail bondsman?” I asked as I buckled my seatbelt. “Yup, and I already did my research on all the possible locations the vampire could be at.” “And?” “He’s most likely at a bathhouse at the west side of the city.” Anthony cleared his throat. “It’s a…gay bathhouse.” I could see the hint of blush on his face, and I just chuckled. “Well, I guess that’s the first place we’re going then.” “Yeah. Let’s do this!” Anthony said confidently as he turned the engine on and backed out of the driveway. As Anthony drove us to the location, I asked, “So, we’re getting a hundred thousand dollars from this bounty, correct?” “Yup, and I promise you’ll get seventy-five percent of the cut.” “I appreciate that… Do you know anything else about this bounty? I mean, us bounty hunters only get around ten percent of the total bail, so that means the bail for this vampire was set at about a million dollars. That seems a bit much for drinking blood in public.” “Yeah, I was wondering that too. The bail bondsman just told me that this vampire is a repeat offender, hence the high bail.” “What other offenses did he commit?” “He wouldn’t elaborate. He just said that finding and arresting the vampire would be easy. That’s all I’m concerned with. I’ve learned to not ask too many questions and that curiosity can sometimes kill. So, let’s just get this vampire and receive our pay.” “All right.” I laid back against my seat and looked through the side window. “Just don’t get distracted, while we’re in there.” Anthony chuckled. “Don’t worry. This won’t be the first time I go there.” I just rolled my eyes. During the ten-minute drive, Anthony and I made small talk about how our lives had been treating us. I updated him on what happened with Austin last night, which I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t get off work two hours early. I still needed to talk with him. That was going to happen after I accomplish this mission, then I’ll be back home where Austin was babysitting the girls once again. Anthony, on the other hand, was single and had no children to speak of. Lucky him. However, he was the hopeless-romantic type, emphasis on the hopeless part. He would always talk to me about how he couldn’t do one-night stands, even if he met the guy at a club, specifically in a stall in the men’s restroom. I kept telling him that he was looking for love at all the wrong places and that he should just be patient. Love would then come to him, like for me with Annabella. Anthony always ignored my sage advice and continued going out with garbage men who ended up breaking his heart, leaving him behind to pick up the pieces. He didn’t deserve all the heartbreak he received. He was a good man as well as fit with a full head of hair. Along his classical good looks, he was also very caring, making sure everybody in the team back when I was part of it was mentally sound before embarking on a bounty mission. He was the perfect bachelor, and he just needed to reevaluate his life before jumping back into the dating scene. Eventually we parked in front of the bathhouse with the Sun already below the horizon. We entered inside the surprisingly cool-temperated lobby room where the front desk was at. Anthony walked casually to the man at the desk and said, “Hey, Jose! What’s up?” Jose looked up from his book and smiled. “Hey, Anthony. Are you here to renew your membership?” Chuckling, Anthony said, “Not today. My friend and I are actually here to find somebody. His first name is Clarence, we’re hoping he’d be here.” “Yeah, he actually checked in about an hour ago.” Anthony looked at me with a smirk before turning back to Jose. “We’d like to see him if that’s okay.” “And why’s that?” “Well, I haven’t told you this about me before, but…um…” I sighed with impatience and said, “We’re doing a bounty hunter mission. We need to locate a man/vampire named Clarence because he didn’t appear at court with a bail set at around one million dollars. So, if you don’t mind, can we enter this bathhouse and get him.” Jose’s eyes widened as he looked at Anthony who had his head down for some reason. “I see. Can you show me some badge or some form of identification, so I know this isn’t some trick to get free access to the bathhouse?” I pulled out my badge and showed it to Jose. “Satisfied?” “I guess, but I can’t just let you two in. I don’t want any of the patrons getting scared thinking police are raiding the place.” “So, what do you suggest we do then?” Jose smirked as he stood up from his chair and took two folded towels from a shelf before placing them on the desk. “Hope you two are ready to sweat.” The man then looked at me up and down. I grunted and glared at Anthony who just shrugged. “Fine, if that’s how we’ll get in.” Jose nodded. “Just go to your left and you’ll find a locker room to change in. I’ll be expecting you two to return soon with Clarence.” Snatching the towels from the desk, I began walking to the locker room. This wasn’t what I had planned this evening, to change into nothing but a towel around my waist and be surrounded by other half-naked men. “Jeez, I can’t believe you blurted out that I’m a bounty hunter to Jose,” Anthony said as he caught up to me. “His brother was assaulted by a bounty hunter in New York City, and I didn’t want him to think badly of me.” “Does it matter? He didn’t look interested in you anyway.” “True. He looked more interested in you though.” Sighing, I continued walking until we reached the locker room. The temperature had already increased, while we changed and placed all our clothes and other belongings into the lockers. We then exited the room and entered the main area of the bathhouse. The air was thick with steam as men, at least two dozen of them, were sitting and chatting on stone seats and around circular pools of steaming water. Several of the men turned their heads at us, some smiling as they rested their eyes at both Anthony and, unfortunately, me. I was never this naked in public ever since high school during gym class. I couldn’t deny the men were looking at my muscled torso that was sculpted from hours dedicated to boxing during my downtime. And with the light sprinkling of blond hair on my chest, I bet I was a well-done slab of meat based their lusty stares. Ignoring them, I started cruising around the area, looking for Clarence based on the pictures that Anthony sent to my computer earlier today. The place was very warm, and I was already sweating. After looking around, it was clear that Clarence wasn’t in this area. We had to venture deeper into the bathhouse that had small steam rooms where men did more than sweat. “He has to be in one of those steam rooms,” Anthony said as we entered a hallway with doors to the steam rooms on both walls. “He better be. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible.” “Why? Tired of being eye candy for all those men back there?” Anthony said, chuckling. “I’d rather not be anybody’s ‘eye candy,’” I said as I opened a door to see an empty steam room. “Why not? You have a great body and could use someone to help you out with your kids.” Anthony opened the adjacent door and apologized after a man shouted at him. “Anyways, it has been five years since…you know. I think it’s time for you to move on and find someone special.” “Right now is not the time, Anthony.” I looked inside another steam room and saw a man get spit-roasted by two other men who weren’t Clarence. “Focus on your own love life, okay?” “Okay, okay. I got it.” We opened every door to the steam rooms, some unoccupied and others with men in the throes of lust and ecstasy. None of them matched Clarence’s descriptions. Only one steam room remained and it was behind the door at the end of the hallway and facing perpendicular to the other steam-room doors. “He has to be in there,” Anthony said, pointing at the door. I approached the door and opened it. Inside was a larger room where five men were at surrounding a square-shaped pool of water. Two of the men were fucking doggy-style, while another two were in a cowboy position. The fifth man was relaxing with his lower body submerged into the water. I looked at them and knew none of them were Clarence. “Shit. He should be here,” I said. “Who are you looking for?” the fifth man asked. “A man named Clarence,” Anthony answered. “Oh, he’s right here.” The man then dipped his hand in the steaming water and pulled another man’s head by the hair from below. “Are you ready to fuck me?” the sixth man said. “Clarence. There you are,” I said. “Who the hell are you?” “No one really. Just a person who knows you’ve missed your court appearance and is seeking a percentage of your bail. That’s all.” “What are you… Oh, shit. You’re a bounty hunter, aren’t you?” I nodded. Clarence lifted himself from the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. “Look. Before you decide to take me to the feds, I have an offering for you that you can’t deny.” “A hundred thousand dollars seems like enough of an offering for us,” Anthony interjected and crossed his arms. “It’s not money I’m offering. It’s something more personal than that…and sexual.” Clarence eyed Anthony with lust in his eyes as he approached him. He then dropped his towel and exposed his hard length that pressed against Anthony. “I can fulfill all of your darkest fantasies, as well as your friend’s.” Anthony seemed entranced by the vampire’s seduction, with his glazed eyes and open mouth, but I wasn’t having any of that. Pulling the sex-crazed bloodsucker by the arm, I said, “Not today, pal. You’re not going to fuck your way out of this.” Clarence huffed, but then he smirked at me, looking me up and down like the man at the front desk did. “Want to fuck me in my ass? I’ve been told by plenty of men that i was the tightest ass they ever had.” Facing me, he pressed his lips on my chest and began running his hand down my abs before reaching my cock that surprisingly hardened from his touch. “Oh, God. I can tell you’re so big down there. I want that dick inside me. Right now,” Clarence said as he moaned. Desires that I’ve tried to severe and hide away for years suddenly came rushing out. However, I managed to use the remainder of my mental strength to push the vampire away from me. I then turned him around and clenched his hair, causing him to yelp in response. I wasn’t going to be seduced, especially not by a fucking vampire. “Nice try, but that’s not going to work. Now we’re going back to the locker room where we’ll get dressed and after that, we’ll take you to the feds. Be nice, and you don’t have to ride on the hood of the car.” The vampire grumbled but nodded. I looked at Anthony who was still in an entranced state. “Anthony! Come on!” Jumping, Anthony turned to me before saying, “Oh, right! Sorry.” We were quick to get dressed and leave the bathhouse. It was hard since we had to take turns watching Clarence as the other got dressed, and then we had to watch him as he put on his own clothes. Jose said goodbye to us as we stepped back outside which was dark already with the streetlights and neon signs glowing on the street and buildings. I honestly thought this was going to be the end of the mission, but I was so naïve. As we approached the car, another vehicle, sleek in design and black in color, parked itself on the other side of the street. A man then appeared and approached us with two other men in black suits walking by his side. The man in the center, a person who had to be only in his early twenties, smiled at me. With his dark hair combed immaculately with a side part and his own suit tailored perfectly to emphasize the most defining, masculine angles of his body, I was stunned by his appearance to say the least. He put someone like Clarence to shame, and an incredible power somehow radiated from just his presence. “I’m sorry to bother you, gentlemen,” the man said with a smooth, silky voice. “I’m here to retrieve the man you’re currently holding by the collar of his shirt. So, if you don’t mind…” I sneered and said, “Or what? I’m sorry, but there’s a bounty on this guy, and I’m retrieving him for my share of the bail. So, if you’ll excuse me.” I shoved Clarence towards the car and tried to open it, but it was locked. I looked at Anthony who had the hand of the mysterious man on his shoulder. Suddenly, my friend collapsed to the ground like a rag doll, and I immediately pulled my handgun from its holster. Aiming my weapon right at the fucker’s forehead, I shouted, “Stay back and put your hands up!” The man just smiled and did as I ordered; however, only one of his henchmen was in my view, and that was my major error. Feeling a sting-like pain on the neck, I quickly reversed and saw the other man who was able to sneak behind me. I tried pointing my gun, but my arms became too heavy to lift. My legs felt so weak that I fell to the ground. The last thing that happened was my vision blurring with the hazy image of that man standing above me before I passed out.

Hopefully the story will become even more interesting as it continues. 🙂

I understand.

Parking my car on the side of the street, I aimed my eyes at the club which was a favorite location for those bloodsuckers. People called these creatures many names, from monsters and demons to gods who once dominated the imagination of the ancient Greek and Norse people. However, the majority today refer to these heathens as simply vampires, and my son was currently playing in the Devil’s playground. No person, alive or dead, was going to threaten my son’s life, except for me after I find him. After I locked my car, I grazed past the long line of people waiting to enter the venue. Most of them couldn’t have been more than college-aged freshmen, and that observation disappointed me immensely. To know that the younger generations were captivated by these blood-thirsty savages made me worry about the future for my kids and for humanity in general. I soon approached a bouncer who was guarding the entrance. With his bulging muscles that were constricted by his three-sizes-too-small shirt, I stepped in front of him without hesitation and said, “Excuse me, but I have to enter this club and find my son.” “I’m sorry, sir, but you’re going to have to wait in line like everyone else. Unless you’re VIP, I can’t let you in at this moment.” “I just want to get my kid out of there, and I’ll be gone.” The bouncer grunted. “How about you start by going to the back of the line?” This fucker thought he was intimidating when he crossed his arms and puffed out his chest. I just chuckled and stepped closer to the supposed badass. With my own arms crossed, I looked at the man who was at least fifteen years younger than me and zero years of actual experience in combat. Narrowing my eyes, I said, “Really? Make me then.” The bouncer smirked, probably thinking I was kidding. However, I stood my ground and continued to stare daggers at the man who was a good three inches shorter than me. A low growl came from the back of my throat, causing him to flinch and step back. I then bared my teeth, and the tough guy finally got the hint and stepped to the side in surrender. “Get of here as soon as you find your son,” the bouncer mumbled. I just grunted and went through the entrance with a group at the front of the line cursing. Ignoring them, I continued down a hallway before entering the main area of the club. With the pulsing lights and the throbbing beat of music that vibrated the floor beneath my feet, I ventured into the sea of contorting bodies. I scoffed at a man grinding his crotch against the backside of a woman as she made out with another female. I wasn’t a prude about what people did in the bedroom, just as long as it stayed in the bedroom and not in a public area where anyone could record a person’s every movement. A random woman started gyrating her thick ass against me, but I gently pushed her to the side before continuing my search. At the ripe age of forty, the club scene wasn’t for me anymore, if it ever was. I just wanted to get the hell out of here with my only son who I was going to drag by the collar of his shirt if I had to. Stepping into the lounge section of the club with low, round tables that were wrapped with curved seats, I was already sweating. This place was warmer than usual, most likely on purpose since vampires always liked their food warm. I thought I was going to have to return to the dance floor when I veered my eyes towards a group sitting not too far away from where I was standing. Then I found him. My boy was surrounded by other people who I quickly identified as his friends from the football team in which he was the star quarterback. He laughed heartily as he gulped down a beer from a bottle with a young-looking woman with a bob haircut hooked with his arm. Her lips kissed the side of his neck, causing him to smile. Then when I saw the all-too-familiar sharp teeth, I growled again and stomped towards the party. “Austin!” Austin’s eyes became wide open and when he looked at my direction, he spat his beer out and sprang from his seat. “Dad! What…What are you doing here?” “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” Approaching Austin, I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shouted, “The girls told me where you were going! You know better than this! Way better!” “Fuck…” “You’re beyond fucked after I take you back home. I can’t believe you abandoned your sisters to hang out at this literal hell pit!” “I was just having some fun with my friends. I wasn’t doing anything illegal,” Austin retorted. “Oh, and I suppose that young lady’s sharp teeth are dentures? You’re screwed, pal. There’s no way out for you.” I then moved my crosshairs at Austin’s teammates who all looked guilty like a puppy who just torn up a couch. “And if I discover that my son’s at another place like this one, I’ll call all of your parents personally and you can kiss your dreams to play in college football goodbye. Got it?” All five of them nodded quickly, and I pulled my son with me. He kept stumbling on his feet, but I continued walking despite his complaint to slow down. We soon made it out of the club, my hand still tight around his shirt’s collar. Several people outside laughed and pulled their phones out to take pictures of the spectacle. Austin cursed, but I didn’t care about his embarrassment. He was the one who decided to play with a person who could suck his soul as her meal. I felt no empathy for him at that moment. God forbid his mother was still alive and discovered this. I pushed my son onto the front passenger seat, and I quickly went around the front of the car to the driver seat. Turning on the engine, I performed a hard U-turn and started driving our way back home. We didn’t speak for the fifteen-minute drive, only the radio was filling the silence. Austin had his arms crossed with his body pressed against the car door. I could tell he was pissed, pissed that I embarrassed him in front of his friends who will gossip about this the next school day. However, I was even more pissed, which I would feel for my son rather than sorrow and grief if I discovered that his body was found at a dark alley with all his blood drained. I loved him too much to respect his dignity, and I promised Annabella that I would protect our three children with my own life. Austin was hating what I did, but in time he’ll understand. We eventually made our way back home, a small, two-story house in a quiet neighborhood. Most of the houses had their lights out since the time was two in the morning. After parking the car on the paved driveway, I got out of my car and made my way to the front door. On the small porch that was lit by a single light right above the door, I then turned to the car where Austin was in, a form of protest he did ever since he was five. This stunt didn’t work after he threw an apple at his kindergarten teacher, and it wasn’t working now as I motioned my hand for him to come out. A moment passed, and Austin got out of the car. I sighed as I unlocked the door and entered inside the living room where my twin girls, Isabel and Joanna, were sitting on the couch and watching the television. My next-door neighbor was sitting on the nearby recliner who stood and walked towards me with a smile. “Thank you for watching the girls,” I said, shaking my neighbor’s hand. “Oh, it was no problem. Your girls are perfect angels.” I heard the front door close with a loud slam that was proceeded with heavy footsteps on the stairway. “Sorry about that.” “It’s all right. Teenagers are a definite handful,” my neighbor said with a gentle smile. She then leaned forward and said, “However, I’d advise to give your son the firm hand if he ever acts that way in front of company again.” I just chuckled and said, “I’ll make sure it won’t come to that.” “I trust you. Being a single father is hard, so if you ever need me to watch over the girls when you’re at work, just let me know.” “I really appreciate that.” She nodded, and I led the elderly woman to the porch before saying goodbye. After entering back inside and locking the door, I pinched the bridge of my nose and wanted nothing more than to fall asleep. But when I heard the girls laughing from a cartoon they were watching, I knew I still needed to get those two into their sleepwear and to brush their teeth before going to bed. That was going to be a trial all by itself. Walking to the back of the couch, I place a hand on both my girls’ heads and said, “Did your neighbor take good care of you two?” The girls nodded, and Isabel then turned her head and asked, “Is Austin in trouble?” I looked at the cartoon of a man slamming a large hammer on a sneaky mole and said, “He certainly is.” “Good!” Joanna said which made me smile as I patted her blond-haired head. “At least you two aren’t. But you will if you don’t turn that TV off and get ready for bed.” Both girls sighed, but they obeyed my order and turned off the television before walking sluggishly upstairs. The living room was a mess with dolls and other toys scattered on the floor with an unfinished turkey sandwich lying on the coffee table. I yawned and took the sandwich to the kitchen where I threw it in the trash can before dropping the plate into the sink already filled with dishes. I then turned off the living room lamp, handling the rest of the mess was going to have to wait until tomorrow. I really needed to sleep if I was going to have any energy for work starting again tomorrow at noon. Thankfully, the girls were already in their pajamas with their teeth brushed and their small bodies tucked under their blankets. I kissed both girls on the forehead and turned off ceiling light, leaving only their nightlight on that rotated glowing silhouettes of ponies around their shared bedroom. I left their door slightly open before walking towards my own bedroom. Then I had to hear music coming from Austin’s room which made me almost forget why I wasn’t in bed and deep asleep right then. I didn’t bother to knock as I opened the door and saw my son lying on his bed. His stereo was playing some repetitive rock song, which I turned off with a pull of the plug. “Sleep. Now,” I ordered. Sighing, Austin turned his back towards me and didn’t say anything more. I knew I should’ve sat on the side of my son’s bed and asked him to talk to me. However, I didn’t have the time, energy, or patience to be fatherly, especially since I’ve been doing this role for eighteen years without any breaks. “We’ll talk about what you did after I get home from work tomorrow,”I said instead. I fully closed the door; I at least respected my son’s privacy. Walking into my room, I kicked off my shoes and took off my shirt I wore for work before flopping onto my king-sized bed and groaned after a spring stabbed my lower back. The cool bedsheets relaxed my sore muscles a little and as I pulled my phone out to place it on the nightstand, the damn thing started buzzing. I thought, who the hell called during two in the morning? Not even telemarketers were that annoying. Looking at the screen, I was surprised to see Anthony’s name. Tapping my thumb on the answer button, I said, “Hello? Anthony?” “Hey, Chief! Sorry for calling you so late,” Anthony said cheerfully. “Anthony, I told you countless times to stop calling me that. Especially since I’m no longer in the business that doesn’t even have ranks may I add.” “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I didn’t call you during two in the morning just to be lectured.” I yawned. “So, why did you?” Hearing a nervous chuckle, I then asked, “What is it, Anthony?” “Well…there’s this new…bounty that is now on the market, and I was wondering if you’d come along and—“ “No, Anthony.” “Oh, come on! This bounty is paying one-hundred thousand dollars, and all we have to do is locate some vampire who was drinking in public, and by that I mean—“ “Yeah, I know what you mean.” I sighed. “So, that’s the catch, huh? A vampire is the bounty.” “Just a vampire who has been recently turned, so he poses little to no threat.” “Then why the high bounty?” “Come on. Does that matter? It’s a hundred thousand freaking dollars, man! And with just the two of us, you’d have more than enough to pay any debts you have with tens of thousands still left over.” “Okay, hold on. Not only are you trying to convince me to go back to the bounty hunter business that I quit over five years ago, but you also want to handle this bounty with just the two of us. Is there something you’re not telling me, Anthony?” Anthony didn’t say anything for a moment, but then a heavy sigh was heard. “Well…fine. I’ll tell you. I’m in a little debt.” “How much?” “Not much. Just…twenty-five thousand.” I groaned and said, “You really need to stop spending money you don’t have, especially on a man who only loves you for the money you don’t have.” “I know, I know. I learned my lesson and broke up with the dude. However, he won’t give back any of the stuff that I bought him, and I need a way to pay some of my debt soon before I get repoed. Please, Damien! You can get seventy-five percent of the bounty. I just need the other twenty-five percent to pay for my debts. I won’t ask you for another bounty hunt ever again after that.” I didn’t say anything. I just stared at the popcorn ceiling that I looked at like the stars of the night sky. “Are you still there, Damien?” “Yeah.” “Just think about it, okay? I know your job as a security guard isn’t paying very much, so this bounty can help with a lot. Also, you’re an expert on vampires with your family being—“ “I really need to sleep right now, Anthony. Then when I get at least four hours of sleep, I’ll decide then, all right? You’re asking for a lot, and I need time to think.” “Yeah, I totally understand. I’ll let you think…but be quick since the bounty won’t be available forever.” “Yeah, sure. Good night, Anthony.” “Good night, Chief! I mean—“ Hanging up the call, I tossed my phone onto the nightstand and nestled my face into my pillow. Opening my eyes slightly, I saw the picture of my family, including Annabella who smiled radiantly. Suddenly the bed felt much colder, and I pulled the blanket over my body for the much needed warmth only another human could provide. Falling asleep took longer than usual. But my eyelids eventually became heavy, and the memory of my wedding day being the last thing I thought of before I drifted to sleep.

In a world where vampires were not only monsters and demons, but were also gods and goddesses of various myths from Greek to Norse. And in today’s society, vampires are revered as celebrities and politicians, gradually sinking their teeth into every aspect of human civilization. Damien must live in this reality as a single father with three children as he tries to make ends meet for his family. Then after a bounty hunt goes wrong, he must confront his demons, both figuratively and literally. Mostly in the form of a twenty-something-year-old man who is more than meets the eye.

Yeah, sorry about that. I just wanted the title to match more with Sweetheart, West Virginia since the name is also a term of endearment. I’m control freaking like that. Hopefully it’ll grow on you as the story continues. And I also thought about the cereal when I changed the name haha.