• Chapter Two
    Wonderland is a large building, or at least as large as a gay club can get without being utterly ostentatious. Even standing outside, I can hear the faint bass of the music. Adair, James and I are standing on the street just outside of the club, Adair and I sticking out like sore thumbs but James blending in perfectly, even though he looks broken-hearted and miserable. He gets us past the doorman and then leaves us for the bar, telling us bother that we have a mike hidden in the collar of our shirts and he’ll be able to hear if one of us gets in trouble.
    Once James leaves us, Adair is immediately swarmed by a rocker-looking guy wearing, of all things, sunglasses, even though we’re in a dark club, and a more innocent looking black boy. He gives me a look that obviously means ‘screw the world’ and allows the two men to drag him into the middle of the crowded, hot, sweaty dance-floor.
    I walk over to the bar, feeling out of place. I think of joining James, but that won’t do; I need to play the naïve single guy, and anyway, James looks apt to kill anyone who comes near him.
    I choose a place at the bar where I’ll (hopefully) be noticed, and order a beer, sipping at it slowly as I try to pick out who might be Ashley. I’m almost finished with my beer and am about to order another when a slender hand grabs my wrist. “Let me.”
    A man with a very faint foreign accent that I can’t pinpoint snuck up beside me while I was looking for Ashley. He’s very, very handsome, with shoulder length, curly, jet black hair, along with weird coloured gray-blue-purple eyes. He’s dressed in slacks and a tight-fitting button down shirt, and the way he’s looking at me is admittedly arousing. “Here. Your drink.”
    In the midst of my checking him out he’s order my second beer. I really have to start paying attention. He smiles at me broadly. “I haven’t seen you here before.”
    I smile in return, if somewhat hesitantly after realizing that he has fangs. “It’s my first time. I mean, coming here.”
    He grins. “Why are you here, then?”
    “I’m actually looking for Ashley Langton. Do you know where I can find him?”
    “If you dance with me, I’d be happy to show you.”
    I stare at him. Ulterior motive much? I glance past this guy to James, who’s watching us with interest, having obviously picked up on our conversation over my in-collar microphone. I sigh and stand up. “Fine. Come on.”
    The guy’s whole face lights up. “Yes!” He jumps to his feet and drags me to the dance floor; he’s about four inches taller than me, putting him at six foot, maybe, although my powers of height perception have never been that good. I shake my head; he looks like an oversized (horny) dog. I speak, shouting to be heard over the music. “Where are you from?”
    My reply is swift, as if he was expecting me to ask this. “Born in Rome, grew up in Germany, England, and France! I moved here when I was twenty four!”
    “How old are you now?
    He smirks, showing those fangs off again. “Thirty-one. You?”
    He is such a liar. “I’ll be thirty in a month.”
    He grins that hot but oh-so-full of fangs grin, a cold hand on my waist. “Nice.”
    The music fades into another song and I look at him. “Song’s over. Where’s Ashley?”
    He grabs my hand, pulling me away from the crowds and behind the bar, passing through a door and into a hallway. We go down the hallway a little and he opens a door, leading me into an office of sorts. There is no noise of the now-distant club here, and he turns, grinning. “I’m Ashley. You’re Ryan, right?”
    I choke on air or spit, although I’m not sure which, because I immediately start coughing. He looks alarmed, putting a freaking cold hand on my shoulder. “Oh! Are you okay?”
    I manage to get myself under control and straighten up, glaring at him. “You couldn’t just say who you were?”
    Ashley grins and I can’t help but relax a little. “Because I wanted to dance.”
    “Why am I here in the first place? Not just to be sexually harassed, I hope.”
    He shakes his head, perching himself on the edge of his desk. “No, no… It’s quite a serious matter, really. I’m the head of all the vampires in New York state, as well as the parts of the city that extend beyond state borders. My people are being killed. Most think it’s the werecreature clans, but I know it isn’t.”
    “And what does this have to do with me?”
    “I need you and James and that other guy to find who’s been killing the vampires. I was speaking to Faolan, the head of the werewolves, and he told me they’ve been having issues, too.”
    “How? None of us are vampires.”
    He grins. “James is.”
    “How did you…?”
    “You three walked in and he reeked of newborn. He went home with Angel Rogers the other night, which explains why Angel’s been avoiding me.” He shook his head. “I’m really sorry. It’s the first time a vampire patron has bitten a human club member. We all really like James, so it’s surprising Angel would do that, especially since we all know that James has a boyfriend.”
    I choke again, making it the second time today, although the night isn’t over yet. “Boyfriend?”
    “Yeah. That other guy who walked in with you? Kind of quiet, good-looking…”
    I shake my head. “That’s not his boyfriend. That’s his best friend.”
    Ashley looks at me and then laughs, his voice endearing. “Oh, my… Don’t I feel stupid? It’s just… James is always talking about him and how they’re constantly fighting. It’s sad, really.”
    “Tell me about it.” I look at him and sigh. “I’ve been trying to get them together for years and they’re both idiots about it.” I glance at my watch. “Jeez, it’s almost eleven… I have to get home to my girlfriend.”
    Ashley winces. “Oh, the two things I didn’t want to hear. You’re straight and you’re taken.”
    I shake my head. “Technically, I’m bisexual.” I look at him and smile. “So you can walk me out if you’d like.”
    He smiles back at me, grabbing my hand and walking out of the back of the club. I spot Adair immediately; he looks half-wasted at the bar, with the same guys from before and another one hovering over him. James is farther away, watching Adair with a confused, upset look on his face. He spots Ashley and I and makes a face of sorrow before going back to watching Adair who, might I add, is watching him in return. I sigh and look up at Ashley. “Well… Since the guys are busy… I should go.”
    Ashley puts a hand on my chin. “Please, Ryan, find the person who’s doing this. I don’t know how much longer I can keep the peace.”
    I can only avert my eyes. “I’ll do my best.”
    “I’ll call you when I can…”
    “Okay.”
    He tilts my head back, kissing me on the corner of the mouth which could be a friendly gesture but it comes off as sexual. I flush a hot, hot red and murmur a goodbye before running out of the club, embarrassed.
    It’s raining again, which only serves to cool my hot face. Why do I have to fall for people so easily?