Room six was a small but comfortable room. The walls were painted in a soft blue gray, and the few pieces of furniture were modern. Caleb sat down on the dark red couch, of almost the same material as the booths at the club. On a small glass table sat a serving tray with various sugary drinks and snacks. They were for the volunteer of course.

The door opened and in walked an average looking woman, with brown wavy hair just past her shoulder. Her cheeks were decorated with a healthy blush. A suitable volunteer.

Behind her stood Leo, with short blonde hair and dressed in his signature black button up and black slacks. Leo was at least a head taller than Caleb and also a lot more muscular. If there was anyone who could hold back the vampire, it would be him.

“Hello, I’m Briar, your volunteer for the night. I’ve had some experience with vampires like you, so don’t worry and feel free to feed on me,” the woman said with a smile that actually looked genuine. At least the front desk picked an experienced candidate. Newbies wouldn’t want to return if they had to deal with Caleb for their first time.

Caleb just nodded, and scooted over to make room for Briar. Leo closed the door. He kept watch, staying close by so he could intervene if needed. And knowing Caleb…

The vampire sighed and took the woman’s wrist in his hands. It felt warm to his touch.

She tilted her head.

“Huh, you’re not going to feed from my neck?”

Most vampires would, but not Caleb. Not only was it quite a sensual spot to feed from, it was also a spot where he could easily accidently kill a volunteer. It was dangerous. For him and for her.

“I… I prefer the wrist, if you don’t mind.”

Briar shrugged. “It’s all fine with me. As long as you feel comfortable.”

He sighed, pushing the fabric of the woman’s sweater out of the way. Through his vision he could see the veins pop out, like lines made of glow in the dark ink. He followed each one, to see which was the best option. There!

Despite his intense hatred of the process, his body betrayed him all too easily. An uncontrolable eagerness clawed at his insides when his sharp canines touched the soft, sun-kissed skin. He broke the skin in one swift motion, and the blood started to flow quickly. The woman yelped, but managed to hold still, offering her lifeblood to quench the vampire’s thrist. And so, Caleb drank.

A voice deep in his mind told him this wasn’t right, but he pushed it aside and kept going. Instinct took the foreground. Soon he started to feel the extasy that many vampires described as addicting surging through his veins. He could feel it, feel the energy flow back into his body, warm and rejuvenating. It was almost maddening. His headache started to disappear and the other ailments he had collected over the month also vanished. Oh, he could go on forever!

“Caleb, it’s time to let go.”

Leo’s voice echoed somewhere far away. Caleb paid it no mind. He wasn’t done yet. He wanted to keep going, the feeling of new, fresh blood running through his veins too good to let go.

“Caleb!”

The voice now was louder and a hand was put on his shoulder. Caleb growled, the animalistic sound louder than intended.

“CALEB!”

A forceful hand pried open his jaw. With a sickening squelch the vampire’s teeth released their hold onto the flesh, and Leo quickly placed a bandaid over the wound. With his knee he pinned Caleb down onto the couch so he couldn’t move. Freshly fed vampires were sensitive to the smell of blood and it was best to cover the wound as soon as possible.

When everything had calmed down again, Caleb couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

“I’m sorry for all the trouble. I didn’t mean to growl.”

Briar looked a bit more pale than before, but otherwise she seemed okay. She was halfway through a glass of orange juice.

“Ah, it’s okay. I’ve had way worse to be honest. Before I started volunteering at the VBC, I met vampires in hotel rooms. Can you believe it? I was so naive back then, haha!”

Oh right, Caleb forgot. One of the side effects of a vampire’s feeding was that the victim started to tell the truth. If a vampire didn’t guide the conversation, humans would tell all kinds of embarrassing stuff that they wanted to get off their chest. The effect was only temporarely, but it was sometimes pretty awkward, at least for Caleb.

“Well, at least you’re safe here now. You’re in good hands with Leo over here.”

Briar nodded.

By the time the woman had replenished her energy and Caleb had calmed down, it was already midnight. He thanked her and Leo and then left. At the front desk the staff had changed shifts, because the woman with the ponytail was gone.

The chilly autumn night felt cool again his heated skin. He looked back. The Center’s glass windows reflected his bright red eyes, and he quickly changed their color as not to raise alarm. Rejuvenated, this was as easy as snapping his fingers.