Selene felt an odd presence as she slipped out of the loading area and followed the crowd out of the station up a flight of stairs and onto the streets. She paused for a brief moment and allowed the cool night air to sweep over her, the moon poised above the skyscrapers and bathing her in its rays. She breathed in the night air and she was met with dozens of different smells both foul and pleasant, but mostly foul. Her ears caught the sound of footsteps, sizzling grills for late nighters, voices of humans engrossed in their discussions, shouts across a street, the rumbling of car engines and much more. All of this made her feel uneasy. It had been a long time since she had traveled through such busy streets so far away from her wilderness home.

Selene took a quick look around her before pushing herself through the crowd across a small parking lot and onto the sidewalk down the old part of town. Here the buildings were cracked and looked as if they were about to crumble. Several windows were broken and replaced with cardboard in an attempt to lock in the heat. The buildings seemed in a desperate need to be repaired, and overall they looked horribly sad to her eyes. A gathering of teenagers stood outside one of the apartments having nothing else to occupy their time. Each one held a smoke in their hand as they watched the streets with dull expressions, leaning against the red brick wall of the apartment. Their clothes were mostly black and tattered from seeing too many years. One of the girls had a spiked ring in her lip and her hair was short and black styled with gel to keep it lying flat against her skull. Her skin was pale, and her eyes blue, and so Selene knew that she had once been a blonde. The girl caught Selene's eye and looked at her with puzzlement. Selene did not exactly fit in with the crowd as she wore only leather and a crimson corset set off by her unusual white hair that reached past the middle of her back.

Selene turned away and gazed up at a famiLear sign hanging off a building two lots away from the group of teenagers. The sign was written in a foreign language the words glowing red, and outlined in yellow. The front of the building was glass, and an overpowering smell of sauces, and rice floated out of the open door that led into a spacious dinning area. Bright light poured from the ceiling over clean white tables and red booths on either side. Unlike the tables, the floor could do with some cleaning as there were tracks of mud from outside and garbage in the corners and under the tables. Beside the cash register was a display of rice and noodles. There was a swinging door behind the counter and a man pushed through it as she walked up to register. His slanted eyes looked at her and he brightened. "I have not seen you here for many a years." He said, speaking too quickly. It was obvious English was not his first language.

"I have been asked to return for a while Lee." Selene told him in a matter of fact tone. Lee made a sound of acknowledgment and then pointed to a display of yellow tinged rice mixed in with bits of meat and shrimp and covered in a spicy sauce. "The usual?" He asked her.

Selene simply nodded once and watched him as he scooped up the rice with a large spoon and dropped it upon a clean plate. He gave her a large proportion, remembering that she had a bottomless pit for a stomach. Along with the rice was a serving of shrimp and fried wings. He passed the plate over the counter to Selene and smiled. "No need to pay here, food free for you today."

Selene forced a smile and took the plate from his hands. She turned around and found a vacant spot in the corner of the restaurant where one of the lights was broken. She sat herself down in the corner, glanced around once before beginning to eat. She kept her senses alert as she ate, and soon heard voices coming from the kitchen area. She did not understand what was being said for it was in Chinese, but it sounded like an argument. Just moments after a small boy pushed himself through the swinging doors, and chasing after him was his mother dressed in her satin night gown.

The boy's eyes lit up as he saw Selene's face. His mother just missed snatching his arm as he bolted around the counter and ran to Selene. Selene found that he was rather cute with his small little eyes and boyish black hair. He must have been only eight years old and rather short for his age. He paused before Selene and studied her face. He was wearing a black and blue fleece outfit, and slippers on his feet. His mother finally caught up to him and took a firm hold of his shoulders. "I am sorry for disturbing your meal. My son must have heard your voice when he should have been sleeping." She said, trying her best to speak slowly and articulate her words in English. She squeezed the boy's shoulders as she continued to speak, glaring down at the top of his little head. "You should not be up so late when you have school in the morning."

"She is still sad Mamma." The little boy said as he continued to try and peer through the shield of her glasses. Selene returned that glance but unknown to him, he had hit a chord inside of her, and she felt an old emotion rise in her for a brief moment. Then Selene forced herself to smile. It was small, but it made the little boy happy. "I knew you would come back one day. You wouldn't run forever."

His mother patted him on the back with a small slender hand and lightly pushed her son towards the back of the restaurant. He obeyed, his mother's dark brown eyes watching his back, walking solemnly behind the counter and through the swinging door. Through the kitchen there was a door that led upstairs where the family had lived for many years. Her eyes returned to Selene, watching her with a steady gaze through her sunglasses that she never removed. "He has been watching the streets from his window late at night, hoping that you would return. I don’t know how we could ever repay you for saving us from those dreadful creatures.”

Selene winced as she took down another spoonful of rice. She chewed slowly in contemplation, feeling somewhat guilty because of what she was. Swallowing, she finally spoke. “Free food?” She asked. She forced a slight smile on her face to show that she was making an effort to be humorous.

Another customer walked through the door and stopped in the middle of the restaurant, her eyes scanning the empty seats. Selene immediately recognized her for one of the teenagers she had seen earlier. Selene sighed, and ignored the girl while the woman quickly poured Selene a glass of green tea and went behind the counter to address the teenager. The blue eyed girl studied the list of food hanging upon the wall and pointed to a serving of rice and wan tons. She paid for her order, sifting through her pockets for loose change. She carried her plate in her left hand and walked towards Selene. She paused at the edge of the table looking at Selene who busily tried to pretend the girl did not exist. She purposefully cleared her throat, which gave Selene no choice but to look up. “Do you mind if I sit with you?” She asked.

Selene found herself starring at the spiked ring in her lip. The wolf found it strange how humans tortured themselves so that they could appear attractive. Selene shrugged after a moment and made a small motion with her right hand to the booth across from her. “Go ahead.” Selene said absently.

The girl was all too eager to sit down, placing her plate and a glass of water on the table with an audible clink and adjusting herself on the booth till she was comfortable. She ate two large mouthfuls of rice before speaking, her eyes still on her plate though Selene knew she wanted to stare at her. “I am Lea.” She said.

Selene was not actually interested in her name, or whoever she was and so she remained silent, her eyes on her own food. When Lea received no answer she looked up and asked. “What’s your name?”

Selene was also not eager to give out her own name in case someone wished to track her. Granted her face alone was quite recognizable, but a name would move around quite fast for those who may not know she was here. Selene was quickly losing her appetite, but she forced another shrimp down her throat, chewed, swallowed and then spoke. “I don’t have a name.” She said simply, her voice sounding dull and uninterested.

Lea laughed and drank from a glass of water. “Everyone has a name. Some people have nicknames even. If you don’t want to give me your real name, then tell me what others call you.”

Selene sighed and leaned back from the table. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked Lea directly in the eyes through her sunglasses. “Some call me Ghost if that satisfies you.”

Lea seemed slightly puzzled, but more so by her sunglasses. “Why do they call you Ghost? And who are they? And why do you where sunglasses when it is bright in here?”

Selene’s mouth opened and then closed as she tried to decide which question she was going to answer first. It seemed to her that Lea was absolutely filled with curiosity in places that she shouldn’t be. Selene was done with her food, but she did not leave. If she left, this girl may end up following her, and so she needed a way to get this girl to leave first. “I have my own question. Why are you so interested in me?” Selene said, tilting her head in an accusing fashion. “Do you do this to every stranger that passes you at night?”

Lea shook her head. “No.” Lea said, her eyes turning to the table for a moment before she continued. “But you seem very different from other people that pass this part of town.” Selene sensed that the girl was hiding something. She knew she was not lying for her eyes did not twitch like someone who was not speaking the truth, but she did sound hesitant, and was holding something back.

Before Selene could speak, the girl spoke again. “You haven’t answered my questions yet.” Lea shifted in the booth, trying to see through the corner of Selene’s sunglasses. Selene found this strange, and changed her own position just enough so that her eyes could only be viewed through the sunglasses, starring directly at Lea.

“What I know is confidential, and it is best that a young child like you remains oblivious to the depth of my knowledge.” Selene explained in a matter-of-fact tone, her own glare turning intense, but of course, Lea could not see that.

“What are you? Some sort of secret agent?” Lea asked, her plucked eyebrows rising. She seemed so enthralled by the assumption that Selene was an under cover agent to some sort of organization. Selene found the girl’s imagination had no boundaries and one day that curiosity of hers would eventually lead her into serious trouble. She watched with an absence of interest as Lea rolled up the sleeves of her black jacket. It was worn and had some obvious repairs on the sleeves, but otherwise it was in fairly good shape.

“You could say that.” Selene said after a moments thought. She saw no other way to answer the girl’s question without her delving deeper into her personal information. At least this way the girl would stop with that particular question and find something else to berate her with.

“Cool.” Lea said, almost jumping out of the chair as she brought up her foot onto the booth so that she could sit on it. Selene found that to be an awkward position, and did not see how it could be comfortable. “So why do you wear those sunglasses? It’s bright in here, but not as bright as the sun you know.”

Selene then wished she had not changed the subject. This girl was never going to quit. Finding an answer she replied in a mild tone, lowering her head to her plate. “I hate the light.”

Lea laughed. “So do I, it is the reason why I only hang with my buddies at night.” Then Lea paused. “But you don’t see me wearing sunglasses at night.”

Selene sighed and lowered her head further as she spoke, preparing herself for Lea’s reaction. “You never quit with the questions do you?” She asked, not really expecting an answer as she reached for either side of her glasses and slowly pulled them off. She raised her with deliberate slowness, looking at Lea as if she had made a terrible mistake.

Lea’s reaction stunned her. So much that she did not register that two figures had entered the restaurant and passed the booth. “Cool.” Lea almost shouted. “Those are awesome contacts.” Selene’s lip twitched, but she said nothing. “I wish they still sold those contacts, but they say it promotes bad behavior. Apparently a lot of teens like to pretend that they are half wolf or something, and even try to fool other students. I heard one time, that one guy went so far as raping a woman in a public bathroom, pretending that he was following his animal instincts.”

“It seems that humans…” Selene was abruptly cut off by a scream that sent both Lea and Selene to their feet. It just hit her now what had actually entered the restaurant. Selene silently cursed herself for being so distracted that she had not noticed earlier.

A man looking about his early thirties held the waitress by the throat, her body suspended in the air, two feet off the ground. Her scream was cut short as his grip tightened around her neck, and she struggled to breathe with haggard gasps. The man that held her had dark curling hair cut close to his skull. His face was deathly pale, and his iris a maggot white. He was not alone as another man who looked much younger stood next to him with a wide grin on his face. His hair was a dirty blonde like dried grass in the summer heat. His own eyes were a bright blue, and were fixated on the woman’s figure, more precisely; her neck.

Just under the skin was her jugular vein, pumping with fresh warm blood. To a vampire it was irresistible. The waitress did not know what to make of them except that their visible fangs screamed vampire. She was stricken with fear, but his tight grasp withheld any attempt at screaming. She found to her horror that air only came in small amounts and she felt light headed as her brain was losing circulation.

The wolf rose, bringing herself to the forefront so fast that Selene did not have a chance to react and suppress her dark counterpart. Selene’s image flickered and it was the wolf that stood, but only for a second as she leaped into the air, propelling herself over the table and onto the floor between the exit and the vampires.

The wolf found the vampire’s uncontrollable lust for blood, and the way they dealt with their prey barbaric. It reminded her of a mosquito, but even a mosquito could not kill, however they were rather annoying, and came in plentiful numbers.

The younger vampire known as Amoir turned his attention towards the wolf with a hint of reluctance. The wolf did not feel sorry for disturbing their meal. His eyes were cold, and screamed death in many different ways. The lust for the female body was written in his face and the way he looked at her. Granted it was the wolf that stood before him, and not Selene, but he knew what Selene had looked like prior to the change.

The wolf lowered her head and snarled with disgust, her sleek white fur standing on ends. The other Vampire known as Derwen smiled, and spoke in a mocking tone. His voice was bitter as he spoke and his words like a cold slap in the face, his eyes still on the woman he held in his grasp. “What makes you think we were actually after this puny human?”