Glade puts the drawing away and Rachel looks up. "What?"
"Sunset."
"How do you know?"
"I can feel a different ray from the sun. Walls are not thick enough to stop it, but the Earth is."
"Cool." She puts down the book, and Glade puts it away. He takes her to a different club and sits down. A young man wanders over but doesn't sit next to them. "Hey Glade. New friend?"
"Hello. This is Rachel. Rachel this is Cole. I have known him for a few years."
"Hi Cole."
"Hello Rachel." A woman comes up to him and pulls him back into the crowd. Glade laughs and watches him trying to dance with the girl. R: "Does he know?"
"Yes, I came here because he wanted to meet me here. He likes me to play with him."
"And you don't mind?"
"It is a nice change from hiding what I am from my target." Cole wanders close and winks at Glade. He follows Cole into the crowd and disappears from view. A woman wanders over to talk to her. "Hi."
"Hi."
"I'm Amber, Cole's sister."
"Hi. I, uh, don't know..."
"Relax, I know what Glade is."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Course I do. Me and Cole got in some trouble a few years ago and he had to show what he can do to help us out of it."
"What happened?"
"Nosy."
"Sorry."
"Never mind. Guess he lets you ask anything you like."
"Yeah. Except watching him hunting."
"He's like that. It's just because he doesn't know you very well yet."
"Might he let me watch when I know him then?"
"Yeah. I never asked. Cole likes it but I'm not interested."
"But Glade says he's married, does she mind him being with guys while she's not here?"
"Oh there's no love in it, nothing like that. Just playing, like kids in the playground."
"But you said..."
"Oh he doesn't want you watching, but that's all it is between them. Cole is gay but there's no love between them, it's just a private thing when he doesn't know you very well. He'll probably let you watch in a couple of weeks."
"I won't push it if he doesn't want me to."
"He might offer after a while."
When Glade disappeared into the crowd he was following Cole. He'd gone to the other side of the club and sat down at a table there. "Handsome creature chasing me? Whatever for?" Glade smiles.
"You know full well why." Glade tries to sit next to him but he wriggles away.
"Not that easy. You're going to have to catch me." Glade moves quickly but purposely misses catching his wrist. Cole goes through the crowd again and sits down again. Glade goes over and sits down next to him, and holds him gently, but Cole wriggles away again. Glade doesn't mind playing, it's nicer when whoever he's drinking from is happy. Cole goes to the darkest table this time, and when Glade sits down next to him he doesn't try to get away. Cola has a knife this time, a miniature one barely an inch long hidden in his boot. Glade takes it and blocks pain for him before using it.
Rachel and Amber are still chatting when they're done. R: "This all still feels a bit weird."
"Yeah, it will do for a while, but you get used to it eventually. What took you two so long?"
G: "He insisted on running away."
C: "But it's so fun, and you know it's tasty when you let me play with you."
R: "You sure it's not him playing with you?"
C: "If he wanted me he could take me." Glade gently pushes him toward the seat. "Fine, you're playing with me." Rachel looks at Amber.
A: "They're always like that. Like I said, weird."
C: "Have you been talking about us?"
A: "Course we have."
G: "Walk?"
R: "Yeah."
C: "See you next week."
G: "Do not hold your breath."
A: "Bye. Remember you can call if you want to talk."
R: "Of course I will. Bye Cole."
C: "See you."
They go to a quiet park, through the streets, which is strange for Glade. R: "You ok?"
G: "Fine."
"I know I don't know you that well but you're acting different."
"I always do after a hunt."
"Are you high?"
"In a way. Too much energy. I have not absorbed it yet."
"What do you usually do?"
"I would sit in a light trance until I am calm."
"Why weren't you like this before?"
"I always get more energy from Cole."
A man walks out of an alley with a knife in his hand, and Glade pushes Rachel behind him. "What ya gonna do?" Glade growls and lets his eyes glow bright in the dark and the man runs away screaming. Glade picks up the knife and watches to make sure he's gone. When he turns to look at Rachel his eyes are still glowing.
"Uh, Glade, your eyes..." He looks away and tries to calm down, but can't yet, so his eyes still glow faintly. "How does that light work?"
"It is like fireflies."
"Triggered by adrenaline?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't your claws grow?"
"There was not enough for that." Rachel shivers slightly from fear more than anything else. "Are you cold?"
"No."
"I understand. It is why I did not try to find you."
"Thanks." He smiles and waits till she's ready to start walking again. After a minute or two the light in his eyes fades to his usual deep blue. "Where now?"
"Where would you like to go?"
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