Freak Show by Trina M Lee

power sent a tickle down my spine, but I sat stiffly, refusing to show it. “Thanks anyway, but my vampire fantasy has already come true.”
    “Fair enough.” With a nod, he moved on, but his unreadable gaze stayed locked on mine until he disappeared high in the crowd.
    A high-pitched squeal rang out as Jenner made his selection. He led the excited brunette back to the stage. She pressed a hand to her mouth, glancing around nervously. The tense energy oozing from the audience thickened as they waited in restless anticipation.
    In various colors and strengths, several spotlights blinked on at the same time, bathing the stage in a warm glow. The light chased the dark back, revealing a chaise lounge. Black velvet with silver trim, it was a pricey piece of furniture. Also on the stage stood a table with a bottle of champagne.
    Jenner pressed a glass into her hand, encouraging her to drink. I could see her hand shaking from where I sat. Her energy was frantic and jumpy. It drew me the way wounded prey draws a predator. Everything about her screamed “easy target.”
    “Are you afraid, my dear?” Jenner asked, capturing her hand as it fluttered. He raised it to his lips, kissing her upturned wrist.
    She nodded, her eyes darting around the room. She was like a deer in the headlights up there. “A little bit. I’m not changing my mind though.”
    “It’s too late for that.” Jenner’s wicked chuckle rubbed me the wrong way. It grated on my nerves. I gritted my teeth and tried not to squirm in my seat. He sniffed her wrist, inhaling the aroma of her blood. “You’re mine now. That’s why you came here, isn’t it?”
    “Oh, yes.” She giggled when he kissed her wrist.
    “What’s your name, beautiful?” Jenner cast a smirk our way, ensuring we were watching every move he made.
    “Layna.” The one word was a sigh. It didn’t take much for a vampire of Harley’s bloodline to seduce a woman. I knew firsthand.
    Again, she peered out anxiously at the crowd. Jenner took her face in his hands and kissed her, a deep exploration of her mouth that was a hot display of passion and hunger. “They aren’t here,” he murmured against her lips. “They see you, but you no longer see them. All you see is me.”
    My stomach clenched, and I crossed one leg over the other, finding it hard to sit still. I was uneasy with my growing curiosity. I despised the fact that I wanted to see this.
    Layna forgot all about the watching audience. She fell heavily under Jenner’s thrall, seeing him as the undead master he painted himself as. Her eyes took on a strange glazed appearance. She moved robotically as he guided her to the chaise lounge. I don’t think she even blinked.
    Jenner’s movements were smooth and calculated. He brushed the hair back from her face, smiling when she quivered at his touch. “Tell me how I make you feel.”
    A blush colored her cheeks. She sipped the champagne and giggled again. “You make me feel nervous but excited. I have butterflies.”
    “More like bats,” I snickered. A woman in the next row shushed me. Jenner slowly swung his gaze my way; unspoken promises glittered in his strange eyes. I clamped my mouth shut and focused on shielding against the onslaught of feverish energy.
    “There’s no need to be nervous. You want this. Tell me you want this.” Jenner plucked the empty glass from Layna’s hand and set it aside.
    “I do,” she gushed, reaching for him. “I want it.”
    I rolled my eyes but kept my snide comments to myself. This was ridiculous. The people seated all around me were eating it up. When Jenner began to undress his victim, I realized why. A few gasps filled the silence, most likely from other newbies like me. Everyone else watched expectantly.
    Layna welcomed his touch. With each caress, he freed her of another piece of clothing until she stood bared to us all. Jenner eased her back against the large, rounded arm of the chaise lounge. He sat between her legs and pulled her