Circle7 Ch. 01

*Author's Note: Hello again, you sexy devils, you! This particular story has multiple, heavy-handed homages, (see if you can spot the inspiration simply from the title), but I've rather enjoyed writing this piece. As this is my first foray into Nonhuman, I would especially welcome constructive feedback. I have ideas in my head for this story that have the potential to create many more chapters if this first one is well received. You should also note that this is an introductory chapter only, and although sensual, there is no sex to be had here (yet). As always, if my stories aren't your cup of tea, no hard feelings. Just put the cup down and leave. Enjoy!*

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Amanda and her friend Nicole were beyond excited. They had called in on a radio contest and won VIP access to the city's hottest club. The line stretched out the door and around the block, filled with chattering twenty-somethings eager to wait away the night, but Amanda and Nicole walked past without a care in the world. Their ID's were checked by the imposing bouncer at the door, then they entered a short hallway, the music from inside already jarring their bones. The double doors were huge, towering over the women, the rich, dark wood forbidding and intriguing. There was no ornamentation, no decorations or flyers or advertisements. Instead, there stood a sign emblazoned in fiery red lettering:

CIRCLE7

The doors opened to a cacophony of sound and light, pulsing and flowing through the two women as though they were caught up in a whitewater current. Unusual for a club, Circle7 had small sunken seating areas that pocketed the perimeter of the club, with the main dance floor taking up a large portion of the first floor. Nicole looked up at the brilliant flashing lights, taking in the exhilarating ambience. As the music wound down, the DJ began an intro from the raised podium that served as the DJ booth.

"Alright, alright, listen up everyone! I know you're all having a great time, and we're gonna keep that good time going in just a minute, but first a word from the main man himself! The king of chaos, the master of mischief, the very soul of Circle7! The one, the only, Lucas Silver!"

The crowd erupted. There was no other word for it. The wall of sound that slammed into Amanda and Nicole was almost a physical force, men and women alike cheering and screaming, stomping the floor as a man took the mic from the DJ, his features partially obscured by the pyrotechnics and smoke emanating from the stage. As a result, Nicole and Amanda heard the enigmatic club owner before they saw him. His voice was low and sensual, dangerous and enticing. From the first syllable uttered, Amanda never wanted to stop listening.

"Ladies and gentleman, good evening. I see we're all enjoying ourselves tonight!"

The crowd exploded again, their excitement reaching a fever pitch. As the smoky haze cleared, Amanda could see the speaker for the first time, and her jaw dropped. He was gorgeous. Tall and strong, he was wearing a black suit over a brilliant red shirt, clinging to his muscular body and blending in with the décor of his club. His face was outlined by a dusting of scruff on his cheeks and well-defined jaw, leading up to a pair of mischievous green eyes that seemed to glitter even in the low light of the club. Amanda was so entranced by his appearance that she barely noticed that Lucas had begun to speak again as the crowd noise died down.

"Here at Circle7, we don't put on airs. We hate pretense and disdain drama. Here, you can let yourselves go and feel free to be yourselves. At Circle7, we don't turn our noses up at gluttony and greed; we don't demonize lust and desire. Here, and only here...WE EMBRACE IT!!!"

Throughout the speech, the entire club was dead silent. A cricket dropping a pin would have been more audible than the audience. Lucas's voice seemed to resonate and expand as he spoke, his oratory soaring in the ears of all listeners. As he bellowed the last sentence, the music flared back to life and the bodies around the women began to thrash with renewed vigor. Amanda and Nicole were swept away with the fervent mood of the room and were soon dancing and grinding along with the writhing mass of bodies.

Lucas Silver, Luke to his friends, smiled broadly as his speech came to a close. Things are going very well, he thought to himself as he descended from the DJ podium. He strode through the crowd as if a ghost, flitting and gliding between the patrons with a grace that belied his size.

Luke was unique. His club had been born of everything he had said in his speech: Gluttony, greed, debauchery and lust. He fed off the emotions his patrons exuded, drawing from them immense strength and vitality. While he was here, in this place that was so completely and totally his, he could even begin to hear the thoughts and influence the minds of those around him. The more he took from his patrons, the more powerful he grew. The amount of energy that he had siphoned tonight was intoxicating, a rush unlike anything any other drug could give. On nights like these, Luke ran wild with the very emotions he fed on. The more lust he took, the more he desired sex. The more anger, the greater his wrath. Tonight's cocktail had been a heady brew of desire, sex, and mischief. Luke smiled inwardly even if he didn't show it.

Time for some fun.

It was the work of a moment for Luke to find the first targets of the night: a large, sullen looking young man in his 20's, accompanied by a vivacious young woman, her eyes bubbly and bright. Luke discarded his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, imitating the appearance of one of the club's bartenders. Sidling up next to the couple, their thoughts became increasingly clear.

The man was in a foul mood, to say the least. Why did we have to come to this stupid club? The game is on and I can't afford to keep buying $20 drinks. Fuck, I wish I could just be drunk right now.

Luke smiled. A borderline alcoholic, already disgruntled with his lovely girlfriend? Too easy. To make matters even more entertaining, the beautiful woman was practically bursting with happiness and excitement.

I can't believe we got in! Andrew was such an ass to the bouncer I thought he might get us kicked out. This place is just beyond cool! Oh my god, is that our bartender? He's looking right at me. Jesus he's gorgeous.

It was all the invitation Luke could ask for. Smiling broadly, he came up to the couple and greeted them.

"Evening, folks. I'm Luke; I'll be helping you tonight. What's your poison?"

Andrew, as the young woman had called him in her head, was just as gruff as his thoughts.

"Anything that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg."

The young woman's face soured as she hit him on the shoulder.

"Andrew! There's no need to be rude! I'm Britney," she said, extending her hand for Luke to shake, "And this sourpuss is Andrew. I'll have a vodka tonic to start."

Luke smiled and began mixing the drink, pouring a beer from the tap to serve to Andrew.

"Andrew, you don't seem to be enjoying your time here tonight. How can we make things better for you here at Circle7?"

"Like I said man, make me a drink that doesn't cost a second mortgage. Your speech about indulging was cool and all, but that doesn't mean shit if it costs 500 bucks at the end of the night."

Britney looked like she was about to hit him again when Luke interjected.

"Well, now, we can't have that, can we? Take a walk over to this side of the bar with me."

As he stood, he gestured to the far end of the bar, where there was a large TV screen flashing rapid images in time to the beat of the music. Luke gestured to one of his other bartenders as he spoke to Andrew.

"Now here, my friend. We want everyone at Circle7 to leave having their best experience possible. So we're going to change this screen here to the game, and your drinks are on the house tonight."

Andrew's bad mood evaporated as quickly as the first drink arrived on the counter. His thoughts quickly turned purely to the booze as he started putting back shot after shot of strong whiskey. Luke grinned broadly and strode back towards Britney, only to see another man standing close to her, leaning over her chair and trying to touch her. Britney wasn't rebuffing his advances, but she was making him work for it. Luke arrived shortly to break up the situation.

"Well now, Britney, seems like Andrew is quickly getting much happier. Can I get you another drink, dear?"

Britney nodded, blushing as she did. Luke worked quickly, handing her the drink and trying again to engage her.

"So tell me, Britney, you seem awfully excited. Happy to be here at Circle7 tonight?"

"Oh my God, yes! I've wanted to come for so long, but it took forever to convince Andrew! I just wanted one night out to dress up and feel fancy. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Absolutely not, love! Why would that ever be an-"

"Hey, asshole, the lady and I were having a conversation."

Luke turned to the new speaker, a ridiculously dressed excuse for a frat boy that relied more on the size of his arms than the size of his brain. Pathetic. Luke adopted an apologetic tone even as he smiled broadly.

"Oh, sir, I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I'll leave you to your conversation, and please, your next round is on me."

Luke made his way back to Andrew, changing the channel on the TV as he did. Andrew was incensed.

"Hey man, what happened? Put the game back on!"

"Oh, I apologize, sir," Luke uttered as he flashed his pearly whites, "I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to point out that the woman you came here with seems rather intrigued by that muscle-bound specimen of stupidity. Looks like they're getting ready to leave..."

Grabbing a glass off the tray of a passing server, Luke handed the drink to Andrew.

"Best remedy things, yeah?"

Luke leaned back against the dark wood of the bar, his eyes reflecting in the light as he watched the exchange with a crooked smile. Bolstered by Luke's words and the overabundance of alcohol, Andrew stumbled back to Britney, roughly pushing at the shoulder of her would-be suitor. The resulting brawl was as short-lived as it was easy to instigate, with both men quickly hauled away by the burly security guards. Before Britney could follow them out, Luke caught her attention with a wave.

"Say now, Britney? Rather than ruin what's left of the night, why don't you forget about those walking testosterone factories and have some fun?"

Britney turned; appalled at Luke's nerve and ready to tee off when she saw who was talking to her. Her thoughts floated to the forefront of her brain, easy pickings for Luke

God he's hot. Andrew probably couldn't get it up right now anyway, and this guy is so...hot.

Okay, so it wasn't a lot of thought.

But I can't just say 'yes'!

Luke jumped in and broke up her train of thought.

"Britney, the look on your face! I simply meant for you to come and have a drink with me. No obligation."

Luke's inherent charm, coupled with his devastating smile and mirthful eyes left Britney with no chance. She returned her own, more nervous smile, and graciously accepted Luke's hand as it slid around her slim waist. The scent of cologne and something...exotic, something spicy hit Britney's nose as she allowed Luke to come close. She smiled, inwardly pleased at her trade-up in men tonight. Drunken asshole that thought he was God's gift...or affable, charismatic club owner that might actually be God's gift. Easy choice, right?

True to his claim, Luke didn't make a move on Britney. He took her to the back of the bar, behind the roped-off velvet curtain into a large room. The expansive room drew back to five smaller, sunken alcoves, each supplied with its own thick curtain to ensure the occupants privacy. The décor matched the rest of Circle7 perfectly, plenty of red and black, the ambience mysterious, yet heavy with sexuality.

Luke led her into one of these sunken seating areas, already occupied by several other patrons. Luke simply introduced Britney and continued the conversation like she was a longtime friend. Expensive champagne flowed, the conversation boomed, and Luke's guests were spirited conversationalists. Britney could feel the alcohol swimming through her system in short order, lowering her inhibitions and enhancing her mood. Her thoughts, quiet at first, began to get louder and louder, until they were a scream in Luke's mind.

This is fun. God, he's cute. Why isn't he paying any attention to me?

At this, Britney began to run her hand over Luke's thigh and although he knew exactly what she was doing, Luke played innocent.

"Oh, have I got something on my pants? Here, I can get that Britney, no need." As he moved her hand and brushed off his slacks, Britney's mental train of thought sped up even further.

What? Is he not into me? Am I not being obvious enough?

Luke decided after a time that the poor young woman had had enough.

"Britney, can I interest you in a tour? There's so much you haven't seen yet." As he spoke, Luke flashed another bright smile at Britney, making her melt.

What does he mean by that? Did he mean- wait, do I care? I'd follow that hunk just about anywhere.

"Umm...s-sure. I mean, yeah that sounds fun."

Without a word, Luke took Britney's hand and gently pulled her along, taking her out of the sunken area they were in and walking toward the back wall. Luke touched some hidden release behind the curtain and it swept back, revealing another short hallway with a curtain at the end.

Despite Luke's easygoing nature and the alcohol flowing through her system, Britney was nevertheless nervous. Just where was she being taken? Luke heard the murmur of her thoughts and interjected.

"Sorry, Britney. I know it's a bit of a walk, but- ah! Here we are!"

Luke led Britney past the farthest curtain, up a narrow spiral staircase, and into a large room, artfully decorated in the same style as the rest of the club. The rest of the room was brightly lit, although that could have been the floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the club; a small door leading out to a balcony the only break in the massive pane of glass.

"W-wow," Britney stammered, eyes wide at the sight, "This is incredible!"

Luke grinned behind her as he stepped closer, encircling her with his powerful arms.

"Yes, it's quite lovely, isn't it? It's all one-way glass, so we can see out, but no one can see in. It looks just like another wall." As he spoke, Luke's full lips inched closer and closer to Britney's neck. He didn't need any special ability to see that she was practically vibrating with need, her lips parted and breath coming in small gasps. He closed the last millimeter of space between them and planted a single, lingering kiss where her neck met her collarbone.

An exquisite pleasure shot through Britney's body. Never in her life had she been as aroused from something as simple as a kiss. It was as though every nerve in her body had been sensitized a hundred fold. Britney leaned back into Luke, tilting her head to the side to allow him access. Luke kissed his way alone her collar, each touch of his lips a delight that drew ragged, panting breaths from her lungs. She clutched uselessly at his arms, still tightly encircled around her as he continued to send more ecstasy through her body than she thought humanly possible. From the depths of her pleasure addled brain, a single cogent thought arose.

Holy shit, did he drug me? Is that why this feels so good?

Luke, of course, heard her and pulled back, turning her around to face him.

"Britney, are you sure you're alright, dear? I certainly wouldn't want to do anything you weren't comfortable with."

Never mind. I don't care if I'm drugged, I want him.

With that, Britney pressed her lips to Luke's and promptly screamed. If the kiss on her neck had felt like ecstasy, then kissing Luke on the lips killed her and sent her straight to Heaven. It was bliss. It was pleasure. It was so mind-numbingly amazing that Britney's poor brain simply didn't know how to process it. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she went limp, slumping bonelessly onto the luxurious sofa beside them.

Luke broke away with a gasp. Merely tasting the rapturous creature before him had topped him up like no dozen other women ever had. His body was alight with emotion and power. But Britney didn't impart the near-desperation of his normal meals. She didn't taste of a need for escape, or even like sex. She tasted of an emotion that Luke hadn't felt in hundreds of years.

Britney had made him feel...happy.

There were a great many people that thought they were happy, in Luke's experience. From billionaires to bimbos, the Hollywood elite to stay at home moms, millions of people on Earth thought they were happy, often mistaking happiness for being content, or satisfied, or any myriad amalgam of emotions. This was different.

This was not the mere acceptance of being content. Not the fleeting sensation of satisfaction. Like an uncut drug, it was pure, unadulterated happiness. It was joy; it was...purity, so powerful that it nearly overwhelmed Luke. Britney stirred lightly as Luke stumbled towards the door leading to the balcony. He had the wherewithal to instruct her to come by again soon, not even managing to turn around as he focused his energy into not slurring his words.

As Britney snuck off, heels in her hands and head bashfully downcast, Luke stepped onto the private balcony overlooking Circle7. It was just after midnight, yet the club was still packed with sweaty mingling bodies, desperate for escape from the monotony of their mundane lives. Luke drank in their need, their urgency, feeling his body try to balance out the heady dose of whatever he had taken from Britney. His strength surged as the strobing lights played across the crowd below. Gluttony and sin, debauchery and excess, these were the only meals that truly sated Luke's voracious appetite.

What the fuck had just happened?

Lucas Silver didn't stumble. He didn't get drunk or slur his words. He certainly didn't send a woman on her way unfulfilled. It simply wasn't done.

Luke's mind whirled as he surveyed his club, his eyes reflecting in the light again as he rested his arms pensively on the railings. As he strayed deeper into his own thoughts, he forgot one more thing that Lucas Silver never, ever did.

He never exposed himself.

However, as the pulsing red lights of the club played across Luke's face, his eyes reflected back only an eerie, haunting blue, in stark contrast to the décor of his club, not to mention his normal eye color.

Unfortunately for Luke, it was at that moment that Amanda, fresh off the dance floor, had chosen to take another look around the well-appointed club as she sidled up to the bar.

At the moment Luke's eyes began to glow, Amanda was staring right at him.

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To be continued...