It was a petite, stout child. Limp, brown hair hung in messy rags down their back. I shifted my gaze upwards, raking their form to meet pestilent, bloody eyes. One of them gouged out of its orbits, suspended by a trail of gore.

The eyes belonged on the face of a horrifying monster.

A werewolf.

It let out a long, eerie howl, throwing its head back, catching the glint of the moonlight on its sharp, razor teeth.

Behind the werewolf, another creature appeared. This one was less of a horrid view than the latter. Pale, white skin, a black cape, and dark hair slicked backward with a trace of gel, gave me the impression that a vampire stood in front of my door. He grinned, his fangs dripping with blood.

“Trick or treat!”

The costumed children eagerly shoved their candy bags in front of me, their parents chatting casually on the sidewalk. I scooped a handful of chocolate from the basket next to the doorway and dumped them in the werewolf kid’s bag.

“That’s a great costume you’ve got there,” I said, itching not to run my hand across the fur. It looked so real and interesting. Without a doubt, it was worth studying under a microscope. Who knew what kind of bullshit humans used to create such a thing who hovered between artificial and realistic?

The werewolf let out another howl and bounded excitedly down the stairs, growling something who sounded like a “thank you,” under their breath. The vampire inched forward, waiting for his share.

“I also like your costume,” I told him, watching his smile grow wider from the extra sweets I slipped into his outstretched bag. “Did you make it all by yourself?”

“My Mama made it for me. She also did my hair and makeup.”

“Yeah?” A familiar pang of anger and pain crept into my heart. I pushed it down. Swallowed the emotion whole. It would do me no good to reflect on the past. “Your Mama did a wonderful job.”

At that, the kid beamed. I could just about tell how much it meant to him to have me compliment his mother and outfit.

“Thank you,” he said politely, “Goodnight, miss.”

He turned back and hurried to a tall woman’s side. She had the same hair as him, her smile kind and warm. My insides twisted into knots as she grabbed the child’s hand and walked down the road with him. Their happy chatter died alongside the unusual silence of the night.

“Woah, you’re still on that?”

Inwardly, I cringed. Strong arms wrapped around my waist as a heavy, hot breath pressed against the side of my neck.

“Rhea, I already told you not to answer the door to any of those punk-ass kids.”

I gritted my teeth and felt myself boiling in anger. I fucking hated it when people touched me out of nowhere, especially by the likes of a slime. A slime who had his disgusting self pressed against me.

“A lot of children like Halloween,” I said in my sickeningly sweet voice, pushing down my desire to rip his arms into shreds. “What harm would it do to praise their costumes and offer them lots of candy, Kayden?”

Kayden’s hand slipped inside the front of my shirt, his lips grazing behind my ear. “It’s harming me that you’re spending more time stationed in front of the door, than with your boyfriend.”

I rolled my eyes so far back, I was damn near positive I saw my brain. Kayden continued to make advances, despite how frigid and uninterested I remained.

I couldn’t help myself. He was so fucking gross. For the millionth time in five years, I regretted burning down my mansion. I regretted leaving it in a desolate state, the burnt debris skirting the perimeters of the territory my parents had once proudly owned.

The battle between the demons, sorcerers, and humans had been so intense, I hadn’t even wanted to stick around and witness how it unfolded.

And that’s what I felt the angriest about. It wasn’t like I could have done anything to change the outcome, but when I saw my baby brother, Jude, and his friends following my Mom through the door of the party, my façade almost fell.

I wanted to scream, cry and tear my hair out, but all I could do was watch, obey, and slip a retort here and there. I’d wanted to jump in and do something – anything! – before my parents delivered their final blow.

In the end, Jude was the one who outdid himself. I wasn’t too certain about what happened to him after I fled the scene, but at least, Jude had survived. Even after vanishing without a trace, after remaining out of my radar for five, long, torturous years, I clung to the hope that he was still alive.

He had to be.

His survival was the only reason why I was still breathing, coping with nasty-ass Kayden’s behavior, and leeching off several, rich men to provide for myself. Having no place to live or friends to rely on was difficult. All I had were my charms and looks to woo any men into opening their doors for me. 

Tensions in the city skyrocketed when the law enforcement announced that the city may be dealing with supernatural forces, forces even greater than regular humans. Fortunately, things had calmed down since then.

No demons had splurged an attack on the city and sorcerers were smart enough to lay low for the time being. Kayden was only one of the many individuals who did not believe magical creatures existed, and instead, opted to think terrorists were behind the Great Attack of half a decade ago.

My thoughts shifted away, as Kayden’s fingers expertly ran over my breasts.

“Rhea.” He led me into his room, kicking the door shut with one foot. I barely had the time to control my frustration before that horny dog hovered over the front of my chest, ripping the shirt buttons off. “Rhea, I want you.”

I could think about one thousand reasons why he should not desire me in the slightest. Only harm came to those who veered too close to me. Principally those who remained for a longer period.

His lips pressed against mine, searching wildly for the pure ecstasy I never failed to give him. I returned his kisses, just as passionately. We fell back on the bed, our clothes disappearing over the edge, one layer at a time.

Kayden believed he was my boyfriend, despite our casual relationship. I never denied it, but never accepted it either. It worked for both of us, I daresay. It was okay for him because he was a stupid man who used every spare second of his day seeking sex.

It was fine with me because I needed him to believe I was his submissive lover. I needed him to believe I was desired, that I had human characteristics and that I also wanted to enjoy myself here and there.

And if that meant giving myself away to some slimebag I could hardly stand, then so be it.

Because, seriously...

If even Kayden refused to acknowledge my existence - my worth - how the fuck could I expect Jude to do so?