Ryland’s eyes were practically pleading. I could already hear him calling me a right bastard for leaving him. Sorry buddy, but you would, hell, you have done the same to me. I gave him a smirk and quickly maneuvered away from the group. Five runners is quite the haul for a pack of four werewolves, so I didn’t feel any obligation to be the sixth tonight.

We happened to be near a dead drop with a descenting potion, and I was the furthest from our captors. Sure, they were bound to notice in a moment or two but by then I could be de-scented and halfway to safety. It was a full moon tonight and I for one wa-

“Mistress look, he’s trying to run away!” I heard Ryland scream, pointing my direction.

You dick.

Instinct took over and I bolted into the tree line. The dead drop was just a few steps away now but there was no chance I’d have time to down anything before being set upon. Having as many runners as they did I figured they’d only send one wolf, but that would be more than enough if I didn’t level the playing field soon. It’s generally considered suicide to try and run from a wolf pack after you’ve been caught. Should you try and be caught again, well, you can be sure of a rough night.

My original plan was shot but I still had a couple tricks up my sleeve. Notably, there was a watch tower up ahead with a counterweight system that was heavy enough to lift me. I could force a stalemate. That’d be fine. They’d more than likely decide they were well enough off and head back. The sun was setting soon, and a werewolf under moonlight is not a patient thing when it comes to coitus.

Running towards the dead drop, I caught sight of three more runners sitting around a small fire. Amateurs. A lot of the more inexperienced runners like to camp too close to the dead drops in case they decide they want anything. That said, folks like me tend to be in a hurry when we come through, and today was no exception.

A new plan formed in my mind as I approached them. They were quick to react but nowhere near fast enough to get up and outrun a wolf.

“You’re screwed!” I called out, making an effort to run right through the middle of them.

Before they could hardly react I was already gone. Moments later, I heard screaming as they were set upon. No doubt they had fruitlessly tried to access the drop. Like I said, amateurs.

I’d find out some time later that Ryland was quite amused when the wolf showed back up with two more men, neither of which were me. I also found out later that the alpha took a liking to him after ratting me out and gave him quite the royalty treatment that week.

I kept running in case they sent a second wolf. I figured three new targets were probably more than enough to cover me and if I could just put some distance between us I was home free. Bursting through some brush I caught eye of one of the guards off in the distance, no doubt trailing the wolf pack to keep an eye on the runners. It wasn’t Helasia, but I felt better knowing at least someone was keeping an eye on them.

Minutes later, I arrived at a small encampment on the north side of the park. It’s been a favorite hideout of mine for a long time. It’s complete with a treehouse, an enchanted counterweight, a deep firepit to hide light, and handful of other goodies I’ve built up over the years. I don’t really advertise it to the other runners but most of them know it's out here. Even still, there’s almost never anyone around here, we’ve all got our favorite spots. Tonight, like many nights, I intended to use it for refuge. Home base was pretty well known among the regulars so I tended to avoid it on full moons.

The evening air was crisp and it was going to be getting a whole lot colder soon. Getting to work, I foraged for some extra firewood so I wouldn’t dip into the supply I already had on hand. No point in robbing myself tomorrow if I had the time today. More importantly, it gave me a reason to keep moving and stay warm.

During the warmer season I typically sleep up in the treehouse for safety. Colder days make that uncomfortable, if not dangerous, so I’ve taken to sleeping on the ground. Its not quite the gamble you may think though. Sure, there are monstergirls that like to hunt at night, but by and large most of them like to sleep. Besides, it wasn’t a busy season, and I figured another encounter today was unlikely.

As night began to set in, I got my fire going. I even had some rations left over from the last time I had spent the night out there. After some food, water, and warmth, well, I was feeling right as rain. The fire felt especially good in the cold night air.

There wasn’t much to do except think, so I thought. I wondered about how Ryland was getting along. At the time I figured it was fifty-fifty on whether or not the wolf pack was still upset at my antics. That said, they had a lot of runners to appease themselves tonight. That bode quite well for them, Ryland included. Putting the whole debacle out of my mind, I drifted into a trance as the night continued - it was cold and I had nothing else to do but try and stay warm.

The evening went on without much excitement, that was fine by me. After a couple of hours my senses flared. I’ve always had good sense for when something's not quite right, interdimensional singularity events notwithstanding. Suddenly alert, I started scanning the tree line. Between the fire and the moonlight it really wasn’t that dark. I studied the foliage carefully whilst keeping my ears attuned to the sounds of the night.

I suddenly realized there was someone sitting at the fire with me, a woman. She looked human, although I didn’t recognize her.

“The hell-“ I declared, startled, and jumping back off my log a bit.

For her part, she just sat there, staring into the flames. I wondered how she had been able to sneak up on me like that. I’ve dodged werewolves, tigress, lamia, and all kinds of other silent hunters. It was a little unnerving for a simple human to get the jump on me. I wondered what she was doing here anyway.

“Ma’am?” I asked cautiously.

She sat quietly for a few moments longer before breaking the silence.

“That was quicker than I expected,” she said flatly, still staring into the fire.

I took the time to look around me. A sudden thought occurred that maybe she was a slave brought into the park by one of the guests. It was uncommon, but not unheard of. If she was here, well, maybe I was being hunted by her master.

“What are you looking for?” came the same emotionless voice.

“Anything I should be running from,” I said back distractedly, “like your master maybe.”

This comment earned me an abrupt turn of her head. The movement looked unnatural. Staring at me she got to her feet quicker than what I thought was normal. I was struggling to understand what was going on with this woman.

“I do not have a master,” came that same eerie voice, although I felt I could detect the slightest bit of annoyance.

That one really threw me for a loop. The first thought in my mind was the most absurd. Namely, I wondered if a human woman had come here to hunt a man. Funny as that’d be, I quickly pushed the idea aside. Instead, I pursued a different idea. Namely, I figured it was time to go.

“Well, this has been fun,” I started, “but I think I’m out.”

I turned abruptly to make my disappearance into the woods. No point in hanging around here much longer, I’d been compromised.

Her movements were so fast, yet so elegant and smooth. She was faster than anything I’d ever encountered. As I tried to run I found her standing in my way, opposite of where she’d been a moment before. I stopped for a moment, completely stunned.

“What are you?” I asked my opponent.

I couldn’t tell for sure, but I thought I saw her try to fight a smile for a moment. I took note of her posture. It was very proper. That’s the only way I can describe it. In fact, everything about this chick seemed like an act to exude some sort of regal stoicism.

I tried to make an about face and run again. Turning, I found myself staring right into her eyes. I had caught the movement, but I still struggled to comprehend just how fast she was.

“Enough,” she commanded, bringing a hand up to my face to caress it gently, “I need your blood.”

Now look, with or without context, that’s just a terrifying thing to hear someone tell you. Particularly when they’re clearly much faster and presumably stronger than you could possibly hope to fight against. I don’t mind telling you I was about ready to scream Helasia’s name to the high hills. Even still, I wasn’t sure even Helasia would have been a match for this chick, and that’s saying something.

A sudden wave of realization set in, which was probably a good thing.

“You’re a vampire,” I stated with wide eyes.

“Yes,” she returned.

I had known about vampires for quite some time by this point, but I had never met one. They’re rare, and tend to keep to themselves. The eldest among them are invited to join the keepers, a group of ancients who live up in the mountains to the west.

I knew vampires were somewhat unique among the Mageni. Most notably, they drank blood to recharge their magic in place of seminal fluid. Said magic also kept them permanently alive, provided they were able to continue imbibing blood.

“Come with me,” she said, stretching out a hand.

“And if I refuse?” I returned.

She stared at me a moment before answering.

“Don’t,” she said simply.

By this point I felt pretty confident I wasn’t in any real danger. This was a predator hunt, plain and simple, and I’d be damned if I was just going to give in. I tried one more time to make a break for it. I guess a part of me had hoped that maybe it took a lot of energy for her to move the way she did or that maybe she couldn’t do it over long distances. My hopes were dashed as I ran straight into her, failing to budge her an inch.

“That was foolish,” she said in that same flat tone.

“Are all vampires as void of personality as you?” I chided.

A cold, firm hand forced itself into mine, interlocking our fingers. I stared dumbfounded for a moment. Then she started walking south, dragging me along. Should have stayed with the damn wolf pack, I thought.

It wasn’t just a nice cabin, it was the nicest cabin we had. Enko had insisted we build it to host our most prominent VIPs. It’s not often I make it in there, but it’s always a treat. It came complete with a private spa, a dedicated butler maid, a second story viewing deck, and an enchanted bed that could be used for all sorts of devious things. Most of the offerings we have at the reserve are budget friendly compared to the brothels in town. That said, she could have spent a week at one for what I knew we rented this place for.

“Welcome back madam,” said the maid as we entered. “Will you be needing anything else this evening?”

“No.”

The maid nodded and stepped out. There were separate quarters for her nearby. After the door closed, the vampire finally let go of my hand before turning to me and staring at me blankly. In the light, I could see sharp features paired with red, piercing eyes. Her straight, black hair fell shoulder length. She was beautiful, if not unnerving.

“Have you ever been fed on?” she asked plainly.

In truth, I hadn’t been. Despite my vast experience I’d never actually met a vampire. I’d been bitten before by other types of Mageni, but never with the express purpose of extracting blood. I couldn’t say I was looking forward to the process. I wondered if it would hurt, before shaking my head in response to her question.

A soft hand caressed my cheek again. Her red eyes traced my body up and down like she was measuring up a steak.

“You’re scared,” she said.

Now look, she was absolutely right, but I wasn’t going to full on admit as much. I’m not sure any runner would. I took these words as a personal challenge and used the moment to steel myself.

“I’m bored,” I retorted with a smirk.

Up until now she had done a pretty good job of shielding her emotions. A trait I’ve heard other vampires share. She clearly wasn’t prepared for my comment because she suddenly adopted a genuinely confused look. It was the closest thing to an emotional response she had given yet.

Realizing her break from form, she tried quickly to recover. Even still, I was starting to see beyond the mask and wondered why she was trying to appear so regal.

“Then let me entertain you,” came that familiar flat voice.

A moment later she was behind me, her arms wrapped around my torso tightly, preventing my escape. I was still struggling to comprehend just how fast she was.

“Don’t fight,” she whispered into my ear.

That’ll be the day, I thought, as a pair of fangs sank into the fleshy part of my shoulder. I was surprised to find there wasn’t any pain, more like a pressure. I wondered briefly if vampires had any sort of venom like lamia. A moment later, my question was answered.

A euphoric sensation came over my body like a wave. It’s difficult to describe but it felt a bit like what I imagine being high is like. I could still think, but my body was relaxed, and overall I just felt good.

“Better?” came a whisper into my ear.

“Y-yeahhhh,” I returned, half smiling.

I felt weightless and slap-happy. It's not a feeling I’d ever experienced before. I could feel her draining blood through the open wound, but I didn’t care. I also noticed she had no aura, and I no hard-on. Don’t get me wrong, the mild blood loss may have been partly responsible for that last bit, but the overall experience was just not like anything I’d ever personally gone through, least of all with a Mageni.

The whole time she fed off of me, I kept expecting the punch line, like a venom or an aura that would lead to that most inevitable of encounters with the Mageni, but it never came. The euphoria never died down as she continued to slowly drain blood from me for the next several hours. I didn’t mind. Frankly, I don’t think I minded a thing in the world.

“I needed that,” she said followed by a sigh, some hours later.

I was still feeling pretty good. Maybe even more than I had originally on account of a blood-loss-fueled lightheadedness. I blinked slowly and tried to stare at her. I think she said something but I couldn’t make it out.

“Wha-?” I asked, only half aware.

Rolling her eyes, she snapped her fingers and I was suddenly bound to the enchanted bed. My state of mind was returning to me quickly and I suddenly realized I was cold, lightheaded, and my body actually hurt quite a bit.

I grunted, trying to adjust while I reassessed my situation. Not thinking, I instinctively tried to fight against the enchanted bed, to no avail. Pain shot through my entire body and a sensation I liken to dying waved over me causing me to moan pitifully.

“It’s ok, it’s ok,” she consoled me, trying to gently shush me.

Collapsing back in on myself, I focused on not dying. She must have interpreted this as compliance on my part as she turned away from me, going into the kitchen area.

My mind raced. "Help, I need help. Tied to the bed. Wait, enchanted to it, fuck. Helasia, she can get me off this thing. Is she tracking me? Scream, she’ll hear me."

I took in a deep breath to try my luck but stopped for several reasons. One was the emotional tones in her voice and reassuring mannerisms. That was a departure from earlier. Another was that I found the process of taking in a deep breath painful. But perhaps the most compelling reason was my captor rushing back from the kitchen impossibly fast. Startled, it took me a moment to realize she was offering me a drink from a familiar bottle.

I’ve stitched my bones and skin back together more times than I can count with a good healing brew. I’m not above using one for a particularly bad headache either. I can’t say I had ever used one to replenish the blood in my body, however. I’m really not sure how to describe the feeling, but the presence of death creeping up my spine quickly faded.

“Thank you,” I offered, trying to understand my new predicament.

I looked at her, trying to gauge and interpret her actions. She was naked, and quite stunning. Black hair accentuated pale skin. Her build was much smaller than a typical Mageni and I found myself tracing her curves. She blushed a little, I think.

My next observation was that I myself was also naked. I wondered when that had happened, not that it mattered. These kinds of encounters invariably lead here one way or the other.

After observing my calm, she plopped onto the bed beside me. Propped up on her side, she traced my body with her eyes, before staring at me. I found the blood red color suiting, if not a little unnerving.

“I needed that,” she said, running a fingernail along my stomach.

I was pretty sure she was about to mount me, she was a Mageni after all. These things really only tend to go one way. I still found her lack of an aura to be a strange departure from the norm.

“You seem uh… different,” I said innocently enough.

The subtle smile dropped from her face and she sat up suddenly. I couldn’t see her face but I detected some sort of anxiety.

“Different how?” she asked in that dry, flat tone.

I stared at her backside disbelievingly. I wasn’t sure if this was some sort of tough guy act or what.

“It’s just the two of us in here, you don’t have to keep acting, I already believe you’re tough.”

For her part, she listened to my words silently for a moment and then let out a breath, turning to face me.

“It’s not proper for an elder vampire to show emotion,” she explained, averting her head away.

“You don’t strike me as an elder,” I said, mentally kicking myself for speaking before thinking.

Her head snapped back to look at me with that incredible inhuman speed. The action made my heart jump inside my chest and I feared the worst. Her eyes peered at me angrily. My body was tense and I was helpless to do anything but stare back in fear.

I think she recognized my fear. Whatever the case, her anger faded quickly and she stared at me apologetically.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to scare you. I wouldn’t harm you, no vampire would, it would limit the volunteered.”

The volunteered are humans that go to the keepers’ fortress in the mountains to live out their lives in luxury in return for being blood donors. Not much is known about them other than they always seem happy. Many husbands and maids who have lost their masters opt to become volunteered. It’s always seemed a bit strange to me, but what do I know.

“I… I didn’t mean to offend,” I offered, “are you an elder?”

She stared back at me blankly for a moment before sighing.

“No.”

“Then… why are you trying to act like one?”

I figured I was already in hot water, might as well keep paddling. Besides, she had shown to be compassionate and violence adverse multiple times. If she had been an orc I’d have shut up, but this felt different.

“All vampires strive to become elders.”

“…W-why?”

The look on her face indicated I had asked an absurd question. She opened her mouth to speak but there were no words. She looked confused or deep in thought maybe. For my part, I was rather amused.

“Becoming an elder is the greatest honor that can be bestowed upon a vampire.”

“And you have to shed your emotions to do so?”

“It’s unbecoming to-“

“To show emotions as an elder, yes, yes. Sounds exhausting. What’s wrong with just being you?”

Now that seemed to stop her for a moment. She retreated into her own mind, thinking. After several quiet moments I was going to say something more but she beat me to it.

“I don’t know, it’s just what we do. The elders don’t show their emotions, so the younger of us try to do the same. That way, maybe they’ll see us like them and ask us to join them up in the mountains.”

I listened intently and processed her words. I didn’t understand personally, but then again I’m not a vampire.

“There are lots of mountains, why do you want to live in the fortress?”

She shrugged.

“Food, power, luxury, who wouldn’t want a life of leisure?”

Now that sounded pretty boring to me, but I wasn’t going to bring it up here. Instead, I opted to keep the conversation about her.

“I don’t see any elders here to watch you,” I said.

For her part, she looked down at me curiously.

“And I’m certainly not going to snitch on you to anybody,” I continued, “so… could you just be… you?”

She continued to stare at me intently, I could tell she was thinking again.

“At least in this room… with me?” I concluded.

She remained quiet for a few moments longer before finally looking back to me. Our eyes locked and we shared a brief moment of mutual understanding. She smiled warmly while letting out a gentle sigh of relief.

“Honestly… I would like that very much.”

With that, I officially introduced myself. Her name was Cassonderia, I opted to call her Cass for short. She was searching for volunteered in our corner of the world and had decided to try out the legendary reserve while she was here.

As it turned out, she knew that the strange traveler from another world worked here, but not that it was me. She was quite excited to discover this fact. We spent several minutes discussing various aspects of our lives. It was pleasant conversation, and she was slowly getting more and more comfortable just being herself. I found I liked the personality that was emerging.

“One woman and one man for an entire lifetime?” she started. “The same dick and vag, forever?”

This conversation always seems to come up with the Mageni sooner or later, I guess they just aren’t wired for it.

“I mean, everyone doesn’t do it that way, but traditionally… yeah,” I concluded with a shrug.

“Sounds boring as hell.”

“Says the woman who wants to live at luxury mountain for an eternity,” I chided.

She shook her head smiling. All in all, it was turning into quite the enjoyable evening.

“No, but our military technology is pretty adva- you uh, like what you see?” I asked, having been observing her stare at my still naked form more and more.

“Sorry,” she said, bolting her head up.

“Let me guess, it’s improper for an elder to show lust,” I said in a mock tone.

She laughed, blushing a little.

“Actually, while frowned on, it is considered acceptable to fornicate after a feeding. That way the human is still… happy.”

“Happy?”

“Yeah, you know, that pleasant feeling you got when I bit you.”

“I’m not sure I would have remembered anything.”

“That’s… kind of the point.”

I stared at her for a moment. Then a horrible realization came over me.

“Did… did we have sex?”

She turned her head to me quickly, I still couldn’t get used to how fast she moved.

“No… I wanted to see you wake up, first feeding and all...”

“How exactly would that work? I mean, I usually only have enough blood in my body to operate one head at a time… and you took even that much.”

She stared at me a moment processing before throwing her head back and laughing. It was a genuine laugh, and I found it cute.

“Well,” she started, producing a potion, “we usually need some help.”

I stared in slight disbelief. Most Mageni, I had thought all Mageni, had some sort of method for priming the men under their care and keeping them hard and full of seminal fluid. It occurred to me that vampires didn’t feed on seminal fluid, opting for blood instead. Maybe it made sense they didn’t have such a trait. I wondered if their libido was more akin to a normal woman’s.

“So wait, if vampires don’t feed on seminal fluid, then why would you have have se- I mean fornicate,” I threw this last bit in as a jab at her.

“Doesn’t everyone enjoy it on occasion?”

“Sometimes I used to wonder, but fair enough.”

She smiled down at me, lewd thoughts obviously dominating her mind.

“And here you are,” she said in a predatory tone, “although maybe I should put you under again first.”

I starred at her pleadingly, I wanted to remember this, if for no other reason than I’d never been with a vampire. She placed to the bottle to my lips, inviting me to drink its contents.

“Be good,” she started, seeming to divine my thoughts, “and I’ll let you keep your mind intact.”

Conceding the situation I drank the bottle, unsure exactly what it was. I had been about half hard until this moment. Now I discovered I was completely erect, but couldn’t detect any additional effects.

She climbed atop me and stared down, assessing her prize. She turned her head inquisitively as I stared back up at her.

“I’ve heard rumors that the men at the reserve are legendary lovers,” she started before lowering her head to whisper into my ear, “try not to disappoint.”

“Lady,” I said playfully, “you ain’t monster enough to run me down.”

She looked me up and down inquisitively, gauging my comment against her thoughts. Finally, with a steely resolve she smiled and shifted her weight up and then back down, taking me within her. The sensation was colder than I was anticipating, but quite lovely all the same. Her movements were slow and deliberate, I gathered she was trying to restrain herself for now as she rocked me gently. A familiar pressure began to build and I began to counter her movements with my hips to help prolong myself.

Her fingers snapped again and suddenly my hips were frozen in place. I starred up at her in shock and she beamed triumphantly back down, shaking a single finger back and forth with a devilish grin.

Her pace increased, and I was helpless. The pressure rose until finally I couldn’t contain it any longer. I tried to contain my gasp as I released into her but a mild one forced its way out. Taking this as a que, she increased her pace whilst simultaneously throwing her head back in ecstasy. Her breasts bounced violently as she continued, increasing her speed beyond anything a mere human could achieve. The sensation was unique, and I felt myself beginning to build again.

Clearly aware of my situation, she once again snapped her fingers granting me the use of hips again, but she was moving too fast for it to be of any use… and she knew it.

“Am I monster enough for you now?” she chided, not letting up.

“I-if I… gah, say y-yes will you let up?”

“No,” she said plainly, further increasing her pace.

The sensation was inhuman, I could barely process what was happening to me. I came again and felt the need to go once more just moments later. My body’s resources were getting stretched too thin too fast, I was going to pass out.

“Please!” I begged like an amateur.

She stared down at me with a turn of her head.

“Tell me I’m the most monster girl you’ve ever been with,” she challenged.

My mind was turning to mush, but there was no way I was going to give her that satisfaction. I stubbornly shook my head, trying desperately to cling to my senses. With a laugh she continued, relentless and drunk on lust.

Time passed, I lost track of the orgasms. My entire existence was dedicated to staying awake as she rode me. I was losing.

I felt a hand caress the back of my head and she mercifully began to slow. I felt hot breath beside my ear.

“Say it,” she whispered.

“No,” I whispered back weakly.

With a sigh, she thrusted several more times with deliberate intent, the last of which forced another load out of my poor abused body. I gasped.

“Say it, or I’ll bite you again and ride you until the sun rises.”

There was no way I could manage this pace long enough to make it to sunrise. That was still at least a couple hours away. Besides that, if she bit me I’d probably forget most of what was going on.

Interpreting my silence as stubbornness, she began to rock again. Her movement compelled me to action.

“Alright!” I pleaded.

She stopped and peered down at me in anticipation. She furrowed her eyebrows, prompting me to go on.

“You’re the most monster girl I’ve been with,” I conceded, albeit quietly.

Her demeanor changed suddenly. A warm but wicked smile crept across her face as she stared down at me.

“You, my dear, are a tough man to run down. I was worried you might actually have more in you.”

I stared at her, panting hard. For her part, she stared back, clearly exhausted herself. A snap of her fingers signaled I was free from the enchantments.

“Thank you,” she said, her demeanor shifting once more.

“For what?” I managed through deep breaths.

“For telling me to be me,” she returned, kissing me softly on the head.

I smiled at her and offered a simple nod. In truth, I was happy she had taken the advice too, maybe even more than she was.

We slept after that, I’m not really sure who needed it more, but it was a welcome change of pace.

The next morning she left, continuing her search for volunteered. I’m not sure if she ever made it into the elders. For her sake, I hope not, it sounds awfully boring.