They drove into Arlington the following night for the next-to-last showing of a summer blockbuster at the Studio Movie Grill. As the crowds exited, Hunter and Kai stood in the lobby.

“Movies sure have gotten louder since the last time I saw one in the theater,” Kai said.

“Really? What was the last one you saw?”

“I saw Citizen Kane when I was in California last. Say what you will about it being a historic piece of cinema - all the stories about Orson Welles being a pompous jerk were right on the money.”

“Wait.” Hunter turned to face Kai directly. “Are you telling me you were at the premiere of Citizen Kane?”

“Yeah,” Kai said plaintively. “I was part of a team hired to guard the screening room when he watched what was shot each day. He didn’t want any gossip about who the film might have been about to be made public before it was completed.”

Hunter stood there, nonplussed.

“So let me ask you a question,” Kai said, putting his hands in his pockets. “Did you feel alright during the movie?”

Hunter thought about it earnestly for a moment before replying. “About midway I started to feel overwhelmed, a bit.”

Kai nodded. “All the nuances in the soundtrack, the sounds of the people in front of us talking, the chewing and crunching from the family to our left…?”

“Yeah!” Hunter ran a hand through his hair. “It was so weird, I could hear virtually everything going on in that auditorium.”

“What about smells?” Kai started to walk slowly towards the exit doors. Hunter followed.

“Now that you mention it, yeah,” Hunter said. “Besides the popcorn, that’s a given in any theatre — but it was like I could smell every dinner item that was being brought in there.”

“Think about this, and close your eyes if you need to,” Kai instructed. “Five seats to the right of where you sat, and three rows down — what were they eating?”

Hunter balked and stopped. “What? Are you kidding? How could I…” he stopped mid sentence when a thought smashed into him like a punch to the face. “Sirloin steak sandwich, medium-rare, garlic aioli and a side of truffle fries.”

“What did he have to drink?” Kai stopped walking and looked at his vampire progeny.

“A Moscow Mule before the show,” Hunter said almost immediately. “Two colas with dinner and an Irish coffee during the final act.”

Kai nodded. “Those are your heightened senses and situational awareness clicking into high gear,” he explained. “You may not be paying attention to them in the moment, but your brain is filing away every sight, every smell, every taste and every texture you encounter. How does it feel?”

Hunter started walking for the exits again, smiling. “A little kickass, I’ve gotta admit.”

Kai smiled. Hunter had noticed the one dimple made in Kai’s right cheek the first time he’d seen him smile. And that was when Hunter had been mortal.

“It’s easier to do in enclosed spaces,” Kai continued, opening the exit door and letting Hunter pass by. “A little harder outdoors, so you may have to concentrate a bit harder.”

Hunter nodded. “Heightened senses,” he said. “And, judging from present company, super speed and the ability to fly.”

“Which we’ll get to another day,” Kai said. As the theater patrons passed them by, heading to the main parking lot in front of the building, the pair continued walking towards the far end of the building. “Any questions so far?”

“Just one,” Hunter offered casually. “Why did we park so far away from the theater?”

“So that we could practice part two, the ‘Dinner’ portion of the evening.” He motioned for Hunter to slow his pace, and they walked casually past strips of stores and restaurants that had closed for the evening. They continued on near the east end of the shopping center, where a new phase of the district was still under construction. A four-story concrete parking garage was complete, but hadn’t officially opened. It was where Kai had parked his black sedan.

“Ah, so you figured we were going to be followed by two guys in biker gear?” Hunter asked. They didn’t bother turning their heads.

There’s three there actually, but one’s about to split.

Hunter glanced at Kai, who hadn’t spoken aloud. He was smirking with a certain degree of glee.

I think this is one of our best abilities, to be honest. Telepathy. Go on. Try it.

Nodding, Hunter simply thought about what he wanted to say. Uhhh, let’s see um here uh what could we oh … mmm… testing? Testing? Do you read me?

Kai snickered out loud. It’s not a CB radio, Hun. Just talk to me. Picture me in your mind having a conversation like we just were.

Hunter cracked his neck, a habit he developed long ago when he was trying to concentrate on something deeply. So, you think they’re going to follow us to where we parked?

Kai nodded. There’ve been reports of muggings on the edge of the property at night. Mostly drunk people, so if you want to act a little tipsy to ‘sell them’ on us, feel free.

Passing an unlit path light, Hunter suddenly grabbed hold of it and pretended to retch. Kai stumbled back a pace or two, pointing and laughing. Hunter righted himself after a moment and the two continued to walk.

You should be able to hear them from this distance, Kai advised. Give it a try.

“They look like they’re pissed,” said one. 

“They better have cash on them this time,” said the second.

“Whatever they have, get it and let’s get the hell outta here,” said the third. “I’ll meet ya’ll back at the gas station; I gotta fill up.”

There were sounds of fists bumping. Hunter could hear three distinct pairs of footsteps become two.

Right, Kai transmitted to Hunter. When we get into the garage, I can make a quick jump to the opposite end from where we parked. What I want you to do is take my keys and pretend you’re getting in the driver’s seat. They’ll make themselves known. Then I’ll join the party. Just go with the flow.

Hunter nodded in confirmation and held out his hand. Kai tossed him his keys as they reached the unlit parking garage. Kai took a few steps ahead, then disappeared from view. 

Hunter hummed softly as he walked towards the car. For added effect, he tripped over nothing in particular, took a few hobbled steps, and put the key in the door.

“You know it ain’t safe to drink and drive,” said a thick Texan voice.

Hunter turned to find the two bikers. One had a bald head and was about a foot taller than his partner, with cropped red hair and a chain dangling from one hand.

“Annnnd what particular business is it of yours?” Hunter slurred.

“Oh, we’re the Safety Patrol,” said the shorter biker, beginning to twirl the chain around his left side. “And my buddy here’s right. You can get hurt real bad if you try to get in that car right now.”

“And what will make the Safety Patrol get off my ass and let me get in my car?” Hunter was having as much fun as he had back in high school drama club.

“Cash,” said the taller Texas-brogued biker. “You gotta pay the fee to get outta the garage.”

Hunter raised his hands as if to say “I give up,” and reached for his wallet. “Wait,” he said. “I’m getting confused. Am I paying you to get out of here or are you keeping me from driving off - which is it?”

Looks of genuine confusion crossed the bikers’ faces as they pondered the question.

“Shut up!” The shorter one sped up the spinning of his chain. “It’s a robbery - give us what you got!”

They advanced towards Hunter, giving Kai just enough space to fly behind them.

“Actually, you’ve got something we want,” he growled.

The two muggers spun on their heels to see Kai, his eyes glowing red, his fangs fully extended, mouth open in a hiss.

Something primal and, dare he think it — wicked — boiled within Hunter’s body. He got a thrill seeing Kai act like this. He was enjoying the sense of fear and confusion the two thugs were kicking out. And the hunger, the sheer hunger, caused his own fangs to grow. As the hunger intensified, Hunter noticed a light in his peripheral vision - a red glow from behind his eyes.

I take the big one, you take the redhead, Hun.

Kai leaped towards the bald lummox. Hunter jumped, surprised at the spring at his step catapulting him towards the smaller thug. The shock of the sudden attack caused the thug to drop his chain, which clattered noisily on the poured concrete. They both fell to the ground, but Hunter maintained a tight grip as he awaited instructions.

Hunter could hear Kai and the bald guy smack against the sedan, causing a warning beep from the sedan’s security system.

You’ll see the vein in his neck throbbing; that’ll be the one to aim for. All you need is one firm bite; his blood pressure will do all the work for you. Stop when I tell you to stop.

Hunter could hear the bigger biker plead and scream as he was bitten. The scream died away quickly as Kai put a hand over his mouth. Hunter did as he was told and looked down at the redhead’s neck as he protested and tried to struggle. He saw a large vein pulsating and drove his head to it, biting down and puncturing the vein. His mouth filled almost instantly and he began to gulp the contents.

Four mouthfuls will be enough. Count them out. One… Two…

Three… Four…

Hunter continued to suck down the blood. He was lost in the sheer beauty of the moment. He expected it to taste so awful, but this tasted… transformative. It was full of life, full of experience, full of heat and excitement and fear and—

“HUNTER. AS YOUR MAKER, I COMMAND YOU TO STOP.”

Hunter felt a force pushing him off the biker. He blinked as he looked around.

His biker remained laying on the ground. His legs were moving in circles, as if he were trying to run away while still prone. Hunter sat just a foot or two away. He looked towards the sedan. The bald biker was seated, slumped against a concrete support pillar, snoring. Kai stood beside the car, arms folded, staring at Hunter.

“Wh.. what happened?” Hunter asked, rubbing his head, confused.

“You didn’t follow instructions,” Kai said. “Four long pulls is more than enough food to get us through a whole day, maybe two.

“The fact that you couldn’t pull yourself away means you’re still susceptible to bloodlust,” he continued. “We have to drum that out of you. If you drink for too long, you kill. We do not kill without a direct order; it’s the pledge we took.”

Hunter nodded and wiped his mouth. Fresh blood smeared across the back of his hand. “And what happened just then? Did you pull me back?”

“The Maker’s Command is the only telekinetic power I have,” Kai said, “over you or anyone or anything. It uses a lot of energy.”

Hunter tried to stand up but was kept in place by a continued force he couldn’t control.

“It’s a time out, in other words,” Kai said. “While I move these guys to that far corner, you just sit there and… think about what you did.”

“Did you really just talk to me like a father?”

Kai gave him a glare, a grin, and a wink, then started dragging the bald guy to a corner of the garage still bathed in moonlight. While he crossed Hunter’s path to drag the mumbling and emotionally crippled redhead into position, Hunter thought about how much work he had to do in order to adjust. Some things clicked right away; he’d have to really practice other things, like his self-control. 

“You’re out of the penalty box now,” Kai said. “You can stand. We still have to set these guys up for morning.”

Hunter accepted Kai’s hand as leverage and stood up. They walked to the corner where the thugs were seated, heads against each other. As they walked, Kai explained how to gain a human’s influence.

“You lock onto their gaze,” he said. “Just like you focused on talking to me telepathically, you focus on sending them a message, but you say it verbally.”

“You mean talk,” Hunter said. “I talk to them.”

Kai sighed. “It’s more intense than that, Hun. It’s a two-tiered connection. It’s the stare that tells them what emotion to hang onto. You hold them with the stare as well as the message. Just follow my lead.”

Kai put a hand underneath the bald guy’s head and tilted it, causing the man to open his eyes with a flutter. As soon as they did, Kai’s eyes began to glow bright green. Hunter remembered him saying this was meant to instill calm in his target.

“Don’t worry, you big lug,” Kai said. “You just got a little wild at the bar. You and your buddy here thought you parked your bikes in this lot, but you got lost. You’re just gonna sleep it off ‘til morning.”

“Sleep it off til morning.” The big biker’s voice was monotone and robotic. His head then rolled back to his shoulder, a small trail of drool leaving the corner of his mouth.

Kai’s eyes stopped glowing. “Your turn,” he said to Kai.

“How do I do.. the green thing?”

“Whatever emotion you want to attach, have it ready in your eyes, add to it with your words,” Kai said.

Hunter nodded, and as he reached to pick up the redhead’s chin, he thought his own calming thoughts. As the young thug’s eyes opened and met Hunter’s, he could feel his eyes altering again. A glowing aura of green light surrounded his field of vision, and he knew he was in.

“You’re very safe,” Hunter intoned. “You just overdid it tonight and got lost. You’re going to take a nap here in this garage.”

“Nap in the garage…” replied the thug. Hunter relaxed his hand, and the man’s head rested softly on his chest. The green light went away from Hunter’s eyeline.

“Very good, Hun,” said Kai. “Really good.”

“Thanks, Vampy,” Hunter said with a smile.

“Yeah, still not sure about that. Oh, before we leave, you need to heal the bite marks,” Kai said, pointing to the wounds on the redhead’s neck. “You can either lick them directly, or lick your thumb and give ‘em a quick smear.”

Wrinkling his nose a bit, Hunter lifted his thumb and gave it a long lick. He then knelt down and rubbed it against the guy’s wounds. As soon as he moved his thumb away, the bite marks began to shrink and seal up like two halves of a sweater being zipped together.

“Wild,” Hunter whispered in awe.

Kai patted him on the back and motioned him towards the car.

“So, if I can’t call you Vampy, what can I call you,” Hunter asked, tossing the keys back to Kai.

“What’s wrong with Kai?”

“You call me Hun, but your name’s already short. What’s it short for?”

They opened their respective doors and climbed into the sedan.

“My given name was Caeden,” Kai said. “I think it was rooted in Gaelic or something. In the 1960s, I’d been around a hundred years, I thought I was due for a change, and in researching the hippie and surfer culture I came across the name Kai.”

Hunter took out his phone and tapped some buttons.

Kai started the ignition and looked quizzically at his lover.

“Kaidan,” Hunter read. “A japanese word. The ‘Kai’ part means ‘mysterious and rare.’”

“That sort of describes me, I guess,” Kai reasoned. “What about the other part?”

“When used with ‘dan,’ it generally refers to ghost stories.”

“I’m not a ghost,” Kai said, starting to steer the car toward the exit.

“I’ll work on it,” Hunter sighed. 

They shared a laugh as they drove away from the parking garage, leaving their prey asleep to wait for the morning light.