The Tiger Within - Part Thirteen

"Do you want to go on a hunt, for old time's sake?" Rajid asked. Kerry shook her head. "Maybe some other time, if you're going to be in town for awhile. I have this bachelorette party thing to do tonight."1

"Fair enough," Rajid conceded, downing the rest of his ale. "You sure you won't have a drink?"2

"I have to get back to my party now, Rajid. Always a pleasure seeing you alone," Kerry said with a disgruntled look. She turned to walk back to her table, but Rajid grabbed her arm.3

"No, pet," he said with a smile, "the pleasure is all mine." Rajid opened her palm and placed a neatly folded napkin in it. Kerry looked disdainfully down at the napkin and stuffed it into her pocket, eager to get away. "Have a good night, pet. Drive safely."4

"Yeah," Kerry said, retreating back to the table of drunken females. Rajid paid the bartender, and strode out the door.5

Rajid took a walk around the city that night, gathering more information about it's culture and population. He ran across several intoxicated couples having their ways with each other in dark corners of the alleyways, in cars and one even on a park bench. As many chances as he had, Rajid refrained from feeding. He would hunt with 'Kerry', when she chose to join him. He knew it would be soon, for Hjanklia - 'Kerry' - never could resist a nighttime jaunt with her sire.6

"Well," Rajid said into a shadow. "It didn't take you long to find me."7

"Well," came a husky female voice, "you always did have a very unique scent; what can I say?" The figure moved out of the darkness and a sinister smile crept over her lips.8

"My dear," Rajid started, "I haven't seen that look in your eyes for ages. Is this my Hjanklia, resurfacing in this modern world?" She nodded, stepping closer.9

"Let's go," she purred, putting a gentle and seductive hand on her sire's chest. "I want to play." Rajid's tongue traced the sharp point of his extended canines, and in a swirl of smokey darkness, the two beings were gone.10

Rajid shushed his whimpering minion as the duo reappeared, immersed in the shadow of a garden wall. He pointed to a figure slowly stepping out of a vehicle, making it's way up the winding path leading to a massive building.11

"Her," he hissed. Hjanklia's eyes melted into an opaque blood red, and the tiger within was unleashed.12