And, when she got angry, she made mistakes. Mistakes like the one she made last night when she pulled the trigger.

No, she hadn’t been ready.

Dammit, dammit, dammit, she just wasn’t ready yet! And it was his fault! A few more minutes and maybe it would have been the right time. Maybe she could have evoked some fear, and then they would have been satiated. And if they were satiated, then she could have taken him quietly, and she would have had her reward.

But not this time…

Now, they were turning their backs on her.

She was ignoring her.

She was going to let her suffer.

She was being punished because of him.

She finished snapping the closures on the garment bag and hefted it from the bed then placed it near the door with her laptop and makeup case.

As she stood there, the word “no” suddenly rang through her head born of an ethereal voice.

She didn’t move. She simply continued staring at the luggage, trying to ignore the command.

The hunger continued deep within, hunger that went far beyond the physical. She closed her eyes, waiting for the gnawing sensation to pass, but as she feared it only grew stronger.

They needed to be fed. No… She needed to be fed.

She opened her eyes then stepped over to the window and absently peered through at the sparkling downtown Saint Louis skyline. Crossing her arms, she hugged herself tightly as if steeling against the chilly darkness.

“Not yet,” she murmured. “Not here. It’s too soon.”

The hunger didn’t listen. She could hear the response echoing in her ears with an unnatural hiss, “Yeesssss… Nowwwww…”

“No,” she objected quietly, her voice almost a whimper.

“Yeesssss,” the voice returned. “Ssssheee demandssss a ssssacrificssssse forrr yourrrr failurrrrreeee…”

She allowed her head to hang forward, squeezing her eyes tightly shut once more. What had she done? What pact had she made that now brought her to this point of addiction?