The Hunt was meant to be a family affair. In Detroit, Aiden and his siblings would prowl the town together turning a necessity of unlife into bloody competitive pageantry.

Sacramento wasn't nearly as fun.

Of course, Aiden could hardly blame the city. His own lifestyle had taken a downgrade beyond just the obvious lack of family. Where once he could stroll through a VIP rope in the sharpest contemporary fashion, now he was bribing his way in the door in whatever discount rack outfit he could manage. At least I can still work my way in.

He had lost his assets, but not his touch.

The club was some Nameless Generic Monstrosity. Co-eds and tourists mixed together for overpriced drinks with a DJ that thought adding a bass drop to Lizzo was revolutionary. There were thousands of places like this one all across the country, and that averageness was what made it an ideal place for Aiden to hunt. No one here was a regular. The bartenders didn't really know anyone. The bouncers didn't care. Luring a mortal out of here was a bit like shooting fish in barrel.

Some part of the Lord longed for the sport that used to accompany feeding, but tonight the nostalgia was offset by boredom and hunger.

Sorority girls? No.

Birthday mob? No.

Bachelor Party? Absolutely not.

An hour had passed at the NGM, and Aiden was still haunting a bar stool near the bathrooms. You can't be lazy and picky. We will end up in torpor before you make up your mind.

Another hour passed and Aiden was finally walking out of the club with another type of Nameless Generic Monstrosity. What did they do for a living? Some kind of marketing maybe? What possessed them to ramble so incessantly about their dog? Why had he settled on food with the personality of a cod?

The final hour arrived, and Aiden decided it was nerves that had caused the rambling from his late night snack. They didn't do this sort of thing. Not that they wanted him to leave, but...Amid the stammering Aiden sank his fangs in. The sweet quenching of the thirst. Blood and euphoria filling his body. Aiden drank as long and as deep as he dared, and when he was satisfied sealed the wound neatly.

The snack began to speak again, but Aiden simply put a finger over their lips and peered in their eyes. "When you left the club, you and your guest went to a diner two blocks east. You had scrambled eggs, toast with strawberry jam, and a cup of coffee. Your waitress was rude and didn't bring refills often enough. The conversation was forced, and uncomfortable. After the breakfast the guest paid for both your meals and walked you home. He got cold feet on the way back, but he wasn't much fun anyway. You came upstairs secretly relieved that nothing happened, and slightly embarrassed that you were that drunk and still tried to take someone home.."

At this point Aiden stood up to leave. "Now go take a shower and go to sleep."

By the time Aiden's dinner started moving to the bathroom, the Lord had already slipped out the front door.