Daimon High 2: Denise

Denise’s entire life had been one perfect moment after another. Head Cheerleader, most popular girl in school, always the best boyfriends, perfect grades, and loved by almost everyone. But then she learns she’s actually a succubus—and only one wrong choice away from becoming a demon.

The battle against the demon horde on homecoming changed her. Now instead of pulling energy from those around her, she’s craving blood like a true vampire. She knows she can’t give in, and turns to the four other supernaturals for help.
Then she meets someone like her who seems to have figured out a way to live with the cravings. Is it possible for her to live a normal life? Can she dare trust herself to date again? Or will she run the risk of draining her boyfriends dry since the only one really immune to her charms is dating her best friend.

Mike passed me in the hall and a flash of need hit me hard. My mouth watered. I clenched my jaw, fighting to turn away. I will not follow him. I will not follow him. Near the outer doors, Chad brushed past. My body went rigid, his smell hitting me like a fist in the gut. I stopped breathing, trying not to think about how good he’d taste. No! Not him either. I rushed to the cafeteria, holding my breath as long as possible.
Everyone clamored for my attention, but I didn’t dare respond in my usual way. What if I couldn’t control myself? I stood in the agonizingly slow line for lunch, knowing it wouldn’t satisfy me.
I’m so hungry. I picked up my lunch tray with little hope. School lunch had never been my favorite. But there was no way I could eat what I was really craving.
Biting a guy in the middle of the busy cafeteria would be frowned upon.
I played with the food on my tray, reluctant to try it. Every time I ate at home this weekend, I got sick. I glanced over at Claire sitting a few tables away with Paul. My sense of smell wasn’t nearly as developed as hers, but I could still smell the raw meat she tucked into the roast beef sandwich she’d brought from home.
Maybe I could try that. I peeked around the table at all the jocks and cheerleaders sitting around me. Never mind. It’ll never work. Just the thought of it made me nauseated. I didn’t want raw meat like the werewolf did. I wanted blood.
Picking up a fork full of something, I gagged when my taste buds registered what it was. I couldn’t even bring myself to swallow it. I spit it out into a napkin, hoping no one saw me. No such luck.
“What’s wrong, Denise?” Ginger asked, pulling her attention away from one of the guys at the table. Her dark roots showed under her platinum blonde hair. She used a bottle to match my natural color.
“Nothing.” I pushed the tray away.
Ginger frowned. “I don’t know why you even bother with school lunch. It’s gross.” She bit into a carrot stick she’d brought from home. “Here, try one of these.”
I took it and chewed carefully waiting for the gag reflex, but it didn’t come. Feeling hopeful, I swallowed. Immediately, my stomach heaved. I stumbled away from the table. No way was I going to puke there. I rushed out of the cafeteria and made it to the restroom just in time. I emptied my stomach and then leaned over the bowl for a moment until I remembered where I was. I leaned back against the stall door instead. Resting my head in the corner, the coolness of the metal against my cheek soothed me. I placed my hand on my forehead, wondering if maybe I was coming down with something. Everything felt off ever since the dance on Saturday.
Of course, fighting a bunch of demons could do that to a person. Maybe I’d caught a bug of sorts from biting the demons. Who knew what was in their blood? I washed my mouth out with water, debating on using soap. It couldn’t hurt. I wished I had my toothbrush from my locker. I settled for some gum and checked my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks were flushed, but the rest of my skin looked as pale as always. I applied lip gloss, checking my mascara to make sure it hadn’t smeared. The eyeliner that accentuated my blue eyes was smudged, but I fixed it quick. Everything seemed in order so I pushed the door open to the hallway. It was still my lunch break, so I had a little time.
Making a beeline for Principal Quinn’s office, I ticked off a mental list of the questions I had. Stepping forward to the secretary’s desk I asked to see Quinn.
“She’s not in today, dear.”
“You sure?” She had never missed a day of school since she started as the principal a few months ago.
“Of course I’m sure. She never showed up.”
I nodded absently. I didn’t really want to wait until Quinn showed up. Maybe I could ask Kat in History. A witch would know more about healing a vampire’s upset stomach than anyone else I could think of.
As I walked past the glass wall of the library, I saw Emily studying alone at the table. I debated on interrupting her but thought better of it. I didn’t know if she’d be able to help me. After all, she was only a shapeshifter. I took a step backward just as Emily looked up and waved for me to come in.
“Hey,” she whispered when I got close to her table. “Come here.” She pointed at something in a book. “Have you ever heard of this?”
I leaned over the book, but nothing made sense. I shook my head and then picked up the flap enough to see what book it was. Microbiology.
I raised my eyebrows in sympathy for her.
“It’s for my AP class. I’m trying to get this stupid assignment done and I’m stuck. Figured I’d ask.”
“Sorry, but I won’t be any help at all.”
I watched Emily struggle with the problem in front of her for a few minutes. She bore her normal appearance: soft brown eyes, medium length brown hair, and the easygoing girl next door look. Every guy who passed her table forced me to fight down the craving for their blood. Most didn’t seem to notice Emily now that I was there. I could have lured any one of them in. Instead, I pulled the energy from them. It helped me not feel as sick and allowed me time to think. “Em, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” She put her pencil down.
“What do guys really like?”
She did a quick glance around the room before she transformed her face to look like mine. “This.”
I pushed her shoulder and she turned back to herself. “No, really,” I said. “Besides the physical, what do guys like?”
Carefully putting a marker in her book, she shut it and gave me her full attention. “Would you mind repeating that?”
I bit my lip. “I know it sounds unbelievable coming from me. But I have no idea how to interact with a guy.” I looked around the room to make sure no one was near enough to overhear. “It’s all my strange charm that gets them. I don’t know how to be a real person in a real relationship.”
“I think you do just fine. You talk to the guy, you flirt with him, and you make out with him.” Emily chuckled. “What more do they want?”
“It isn’t that. I want to have something real with a guy. But I don’t know if anything I start with one is because of me or because of…” I trailed off.
“From what I know of boys, they want to feel important. They want to feel like what they do makes a difference. They want to be needed and to have a girl think they’re all that.”
I nodded. “How about the physical?” I breathed slow and deep, trying to keep myself from blushing.
“Well, they all like that, but I think most of them could survive just fine without it.”
“If I have a reputation of being ‘easy’ how can I change that?”
“Are you easy?”
“No.” I sighed. “But everyone thinks I am.”
“I don’t know. It’s pathetic how everyone gets put into a mold in school and no matter how hard they try, they can’t break free of it.”
I looked her over. “You can break free of any mold.”
“Yeah, but not everyone is like me.” She smiled and changed her face to look like Kat, then Claire, then me, then herself again.
“I don’t want people to think I’m a slut.”
“Then change it.”
“How?”
“Don’t be a slut.”
“I’m not.”
“It never bothered you before. You always seemed proud of your track record. You could date any guy you wanted. They were putty in your hands.”
“I don’t want to use them anymore.”
“Then don’t.” Emily shrugged.
“But I can’t get my energy from any other source.”
“Is that really true, or is it just that you don’t want to put the effort into trying?”
I thought about it for a moment. I hadn’t tried much else.
“Haven’t you been able to get energy from people you hang out with instead of sucking it from a boyfriend?”
“Yes, I can pull it from most anywhere there’s a surplus. It’s more refined if I take it from one person. Tastes better, too. But I don’t know what to do without a boyfriend. I don’t know how to define myself if there isn’t a guy with me.”
“You can still have a boyfriend. Maybe if you focus on getting your energy from other places besides just him, he could last a little longer. And you wouldn’t be as tempted to drink his blood if you aren’t starving all the time.”
“Emily, has anyone ever told you you’re a genius?”
“A couple people, but I don’t let it go to my head.” Emily grinned and I snorted.
I walked out of the library feeling much better about things than I had in a long time. I’d give her suggestion a try. If I did something every day to gather energy, I could still use regular food to supplement my energy drains if I could figure out why it was making me sick. And the idea of having a boyfriend for real was intoxicating.
I looked at the guys in the hall with much more interest than I’d shown in the last month or longer.
I spotted Shane, a football player. He was actually pretty smart and rather nice to the little guy. He’d be the perfect type of boyfriend. Tony walked past, and my gaze followed him. He was on the basketball team. He’s probably a foot taller than me with huge hands, big enough to palm a basketball. Not to mention his GPA and he drove a nice car.
Andrew had a nicer car, but he wasn’t on any ball team. I would have to be careful if I dated him, unless of course he liked watching the games. Maybe we could go together and I’d be able to absorb the energy from the crowd while cheering. If I got all the energy I needed before going out, then I could still date him without draining him too soon.
But who would I really want to be with? I’d been with those kinds of guys all the time. They were nice for a while, but when it came time to move on, I hadn’t missed a single one. I really only wanted one to have as my boyfriend, and he was immune to my vampire charms. That was a blessing and a curse.
I looked for Kegan in the hallways but couldn’t see a sign of him anywhere. I would probably find him later today, except he’d most likely be with Claire and her boyfriend.
I only had a few minutes left of my lunch period, not enough time to stop by my locker to get my books for geometry. It wouldn’t matter much. Mr. Z. didn’t mind if we shared books. Since I sat by at least four guys in class, I’d be able to use their books. Any one of them would be happy to share a paper and pencil.
I could wait until history to talk to Kat. I felt better now anyway, after absorbing the energy vibes from the guys in the hallway and the library. Maybe it was just an upset stomach. Tomorrow I’d be fine.
The hallways were full. I pulled the excess energy from the surplus vibrating around a couple hundred teenagers. They were an unending source of power. I didn’t even have to touch them anymore to take the energy. I’d learned how to absorb it through breathing.
Boys still threw themselves at me. Claire called it my feel-good-mojo. I gave off a euphoric feeling to the guys I took energy from. Even from the people in the hallways. It was a strange side effect, but it was beneficial. Since people didn’t notice I was stealing energy from them, they let me take it.
Even though I snacked on the energies flowing around me, it wasn’t enough ― more like a sugar rush from candy. It crashed too soon, leaving me with stronger cravings.
I’d only known I was a vampire for a little over a month. Quinn said I’d gotten two recessive genes from my parents which, when combined, turned me into what she called a supernatural. I could suck energy from people from the very beginning. Mom often talked about how tired she grew, caring for me as a baby.
When we first moved to town and met Claire’s family, I enjoyed playing with her right away. She was fun, energetic, and kind of feisty. I could never figure out why she hated me, until Quinn told us about our abilities. I’d been draining her from the moment we met. Plus, she was a werewolf. I’m a vampire. That really put our friendship in jeopardy right away.
I missed those days. Nothing seemed good anymore. Knowing my true identity was horrible. Claire loved it for herself. She said knowing she was a werewolf, and the reasons for her odd behaviors and anger management issues was a relief. Not me. Knowing what I was made it harder to resist. I had never bitten anyone. The only blood I’d tasted was Claire’s, but since her blood was tainted with the essence of werewolf, it wasn’t something I’d go back to.
I slid into the seat next to Michael. He smelled good. I leaned closer and breathed in gently, not wanting him to know I was sniffing him. He had a clean scent. I looked him over, hoping to distract myself. He was muscular ― at least that’s what his tight t-shirt shouted ― and on the track team. Why would he need strong arms if he just ran?
It didn’t matter since I liked what I saw. His jaw line was slightly weak, but he had strong, cheekbones. He was attractive, but more than that, his essence drew me to him. He smelled amazing. What would it hurt to have him as my boyfriend? He would surely be willing.
As my body responded to his scent, I could sense him changing as well. He noticed my interest in him, and his heart beat faster. That sent another flash of smell to me, making him even more interesting. I didn’t understand why it happened, but I recognized it immediately. My mouth watered. My stomach rumbled. I was starving. I wouldn’t bite him. I didn’t want his blood. Not really. The salty tang of his skin was almost tangible on my tongue. My sense of smell and taste were so strongly connected I had to be careful.
Michael smiled at me and my flirt kicked in. “Hey there, Michael.” I slid just a little closer. “I didn’t have a chance to get my book. Mind if I share with you?” My eyelashes fluttered without me even needing to think about it. The smile on my face came naturally.
Michael’s return smile came fast. “Sure, Denise.” He scooted closer, the chair squeaking against the floor.
A few heads turned in our direction. I smiled pleasantly, used to it by now. Michael blushed, changing his scent again. I had never paid attention to how a guy could smell so different from one moment to the next. His blush indicated he was nervous and slightly embarrassed at the attention we’d drawn. Something as simple as him sliding closer to me did that?
The most popular girl in school could do that to a guy, I guess. I placed my hand on his arm just above his wrist as he pushed the book closer to me. It was a gesture of thanks, but I think he took it to mean a little bit more. I didn’t mind. If he thought I was flirting, I’d let him. I’d broken up with James the night of the dance. I was free. Three days later, I craved the energy I got from a guy. If he was willing to give it, I was willing to take it.
I amused myself through the class period by doing little things to test Michael’s resolve. He wasn’t able to keep his emotions in check very easy. Every little movement of mine resulted in a huge response from him. It was a turn on to see the power I had over him. He wasn’t simple by any means. He was just a male controlled by his hormones.
I couldn’t help what I was. I could take his surplus energy and make something out of it. I could get the nourishment I needed. If I skipped school lunch from here on out it wouldn’t matter. I would still be strong enough just by absorbing his energy.
I breathed in slowly again and let my tongue taste the air. Each guy had a unique taste. It was almost like their fingerprint. I had never run into a guy that had the same energy signature as another. Some were close, but never the same. I’d even dated twins once. I had a couple guys in between, of course. Didn’t want the whole school to think I couldn’t tell the difference between the two, but they were as different as any other guys.
I tentatively reached out with my senses and touched the energy around the boys in the room. Philip across the aisle was sweet in a way that reminded me of Hershey’s kisses. Kyle in front of him was similar to strawberry shortcake. Andrew was like an apple. Morgan was salty, like potato chips. Cory tasted like roast beef. Michael’s scent changed, leaving a slightly bitter aftertaste. I glanced to see him watching me as I looked at each guy around the room. His expression showed jealousy.
“Could you help me with this problem?” I pointed at the next equation. “I can’t remember the formula I’m supposed to use.”
He nodded and leaned closer, his arm touching mine as he explained how to do the problem that was exactly like the one I had just done perfectly. Guys were so easy to manipulate, if you knew how. And I knew how.
I did it way too often and felt a little ashamed of myself and my thoughts. I’d been comparing them to food the entire class period. The little bits of energy pulsing off Michael just whetted my appetite. I wanted him, but I wanted an energy source more.
This had to stop. Whatever guy I dated next deserved to get something from our relationship other than the feel-good vibes I gave off. No one had ever complained about the way I’d treated guys — except Claire. She’d hated me for so long because of what I did. Neither of us knew that our real identities, mortal enemies werewolf and vampire, added to our animosity. We’d come to an understanding. And now that she had a boyfriend, she was much easier to handle.
I eased up on my flirting with Michael. Just enough to make him feel like I was impressed with him, but not enough to encourage him to ask me out.
“Thanks for sharing your book.” I smiled when the bell rang.
“Any time.” He cleared his throat softly and said, “Do you want to go out tonight?”
So much for easing up the flirt. I thought for sure if I turned off the charm it would make it easier to get them to stop. Of course, I forgot to take into consideration that once a guy got started on one track, he was hard to derail.
“I’m sorry Michael, not tonight.” I stood up and moved toward the door. I had to get myself under control first. “Let’s make plans for another night,” I said over my shoulder, slipping out the door before he had a chance to pin down a date.