Kian's fluffy blond hair fell into his eyes, obscuring his perfect vision, and he brushed it back in aggravation. His blue eyes shown brightly through the darkness, flashing with hunger as he made his way through the light deprived hallway. His hair tapered and curled against the top of his ears and neck, making the back of his neck itch just a little, but enough so that it angered him; it angered him most of all that there was nothing he could do about it.

Since he had magnificent night vision, he didn't have to feel his way against the wall; instead he walked directly in the middle with his eyes trained straight ahead, his trail of vision was held directly on the light falling into the hall off in the distance. Kian knew that the backstage of the arena was empty, since the band had requested that it be. He also knew that only one person remained in the building at this time; he had just seen everyone else he knew go home. It was a perfect time, a now or never time.

Kian didn't hold much to the whole waiting and seeing approach, he liked to do things when he liked to do them. Of course, sometimes that was troublesome, so he had to play it safe. Safety Kian was the Kian Egan everyone knew as of late. Things tended to get a bit out of control if he wasn't cautious.

There was no sound in the hallway, not even the padding of his feet as he walked; it was almost as if he was floating, or gliding, down the empty space. There was the thudding of a quiet pounding in his ear drums, but he did his best to ignore it. He knew that it was just his hunger swelling as he grew closer.

As Kian approached the light spilling from the open doorway, his eyes ignited and it looked as if blue flames were dancing merrily in his irises. He could feel it, he knew that the lust for food would be over soon.

When Kian stopped outside the door, he didn�t hear the low voice speaking into the telephone like he thought he might, so he judged that the coast was clear and it was time to move in for the kill.

Kian�s first glimpse of the rather large dressing room told him that his band mate was sitting on the edge of the enormous couch, replacing the land-line telephone to its hook.

Shane looked up quickly, gasping slightly as he heard Kian approach, �Ya scared the shite right outta me,� Shane said, breathing a sigh of relief.

�Sorry,� Kian replied, his voice not sounding at all apologetic. His blue eyes stayed fixed on Shane, watching his every move.

�Why didn�t ya go on with everybody else?� The older man asked in his Irish accented voice, his brown eyes going up to meet Kian�s.

Kian shrugged, watching as the brown haired man relaxed considerably onto the couch. �Wanted to make sure ya were okay.�

If Shane thought this was odd at all, he didn�t show it. He simply ran a hand through his spiked hair and leaned his head against the couch�s high back. �You�re acting a wee bit odd, Kian, just so ya know.�

There was no reply, but Shane closed his eyes as if he couldn�t hold them open any longer. He yawned loudly and sighed, �I need sleep.�

�I�ll bet ya do,� Kian muttered, taking the seat beside him.

�What�s that supposed to mean?�

�Long day,� Kian commented, yawning falsely.

�Mmmmhmmm.� Shane stretched his arms out behind his head and stood up, �I should get back to the hotel.� He yawned, �And go ta sleep. I dunno why I�m so tired all of a sudden.�

Kian didn�t move, didn�t speak; he just watched Shane stretch and walk around the room, gathering up his things.

Without looking at his friend, Shane said, �Are ya goin� to just sit there all night? Or are ya comin� back with me?�

Shane could hear Kian stand from the couch and the soft sound of the fabric of his jeans rubbing together as he walked across the room. Kian�s mouth became dry as his eyes searched for a particular spot on Shane�s neck; Kian was behind Shane, but a bit to the right, so he had a clear view of the other man�s exposed neck, where the hair there curled ever so slightly against his skin.

Kian didn�t make any sort of regular sound from his mouth, but Shane knew that he should turn around. It was like he�d heard Kian�s command inside his head, but he knew that was impossible. When Shane did turn to face Kian, he saw that Kian�s lips were parted slightly revealing overly large incisors.

Licking his lips in a slow manor, Kian took a step towards his friend; his head was lowered ever so slightly, and he had a predatory look in his eyes.

�Ermmmm,� Shane coughed, �What do ya think yer doin�?� He took a fumbling step backwards, the treads of his trainers catching on the edge of the fringy rug. Shane fell back a bit, but landed against the wall and steadied himself.

Kian�s face was stoic as he took another step forwards. He was boxing Shane in, deliberately planting himself so Shane couldn�t get past him if he tried.

Shane backed up, pressing himself against the wall; he looked terribly horrified with his mouth open in an 'O' of surprise, "Kian, your teeth are...really rather large."

Kian grinned evilly, further showing his glistening fangs, "Actually, Shane, the line is 'My, what big teeth you have.' We best get this right."

Confusion flashed in Shane's eyes, but he said, "My, what big teeth you have, Kian," in a voice that was the blandest of bland.

"All the better to bite you with my mate." Kian replied, taking a step closer. He let out a low growl that could have been mistaken as a laugh.

Shane looked wildly around, hoping for a possible escape, but found none. Kian's slim form was blocking his way, and if Shane pushed him to the side, he knew things would get worse. Kian had a very bad temper, even on the best of days. Some might call this PMS, but as Kian wasn't a girl, that was impossible. His band mates sometimes called Kian's rapid mood swings, "Kian Pissers," a term that Kian didn't exactly appreciate.

Kian snaked his tongue against his fangs and then licked his lips hungrily, �Shane, your neck looks positively appetizing.�

Shane�s eyes grew wide with fear, �What on earth are ya going on about?� He desperately tried to cover his neck with both his hands, pressing his palms flat against the skin there, but it didn�t cover everything up.

Kian�s eyes were no longer on Shane�s; they had drifted down to a spot on his neck that was over to the side, above the collar bone. Shane could feel that spot pulsing with blood, the sound of it pounding in his ears, drowning out his rapid, ragged breaths.

�I don�t want ya anywhere near�� he paused and swallowed as Kian looked a bit amused, ��me appetizing neck, Kian!� Shane yelled in the best warning tone he could muster. He sounded threatening, but he looked insanely scared, so his words didn�t do any good.

Kian was about to delete the distance between them by taking the final step towards cowering Shane, but he heard the swift shuffle of wind pants and the low padding of sneakers hitting the linoleum floors outside; someone was approaching with much speed. Kian quickly set his hands on either side of Shane�s head, pressing them tightly against the wall and further sticking Shane to the spot.

�Don�t yell, don�t speak, don�t move,� Kian growled under his breath. His eyes commanded Shane to nod, and so he did.

Mark entered the room whistling some unknown tune that caused Kian�s head to whip towards the sound and Shane to cower back against the wall the most he possibly could. If he hadn�t felt so tired at the moment, he would have slipped under Kian�s arms and run like the wind down the hallway, but he felt too sleepy.

Mark stopped in his tracks the second his eyes caught sight of his two band mates against the wall. His eyebrow went up and he cocked his head to the side, �Ermmm, sorry, lads, didn�t know ya wanted some privacy.� He shook his head and turned on his heal, retreating back into the safety of the hallway. He mumbled, �Should have known� once he thought he was out of ear shot.

�No, Mark, wait,� Shane breathed, trying to take a step towards the doorway and the sound of Mark�s footsteps walking the other way, but Kian pushed him back against the wall and shook his head angrily.

�You don�t want this to hurt much, do you?� Kian pouted his lips ever so slightly, looking like his old self for a very split second before his lips pursed together and his eyes hardened with something unreadable.

Shane�s eyes grew wider so that his eyebrows nearly disappeared up into his hairline, �Kian, whatever you�re gonna do, don�t.�

Kian seemed to think this was funny as he tipped his head back and let out a bark of laughter that didn�t sound at all mirthful. Shane cringed at the sound of it and felt goosebumps spread themselves across every bit of his exposed skin; he slunk back as far as he could against the wall, holding his breath.

With a low growl coming from the lowest portion of Kian�s throat, he thrust himself towards Shane, pinning him completely against the wall with his lower body; Shane gasped and felt his body go rigid as the cold, sharp fangs bit into his soft flesh.

Shane sank back, his eyes rolling up in the back of his head as the blood was drained steadily out of him. His mind went blank and his senses shut down so he was just a body, just a waste of space standing there in front of his friend as his life was drained out.

Just when he thought it was all over, and his world was going to turn black, his eyes flicked open and he looked quickly around. Kian was standing in front of him, wiping his mouth. Shane felt his stomach churn as he realized there was blood dripping from Kian�s fangs onto his chin; his own, dark red blood.

Kian looked pleased with himself, that he had held off and had stopped sucking before he�d drained Shane totally dry. Sometimes his overwhelming hunger got the best of him, but if he was to put his plan in motion, he�d need the help of his band mates. So he would spare their lives, and have them unquestionably join him in his pursuit.

Shane sank to the ground, feeling weaker than he ever had before. His head was spinning as he felt, rather than saw, Kian kneel down in front of him. Some part of his consciousness told him that Kian was cutting his own wrist and holding it out to him.

�Drink, Shane,� Kian commanded, putting his wrist directly in front of Shane�s parched mouth. Shane licked his lips and leaned his head back, suddenly feeling dry all over.

�I can�t,� Shane replied faintly.

�Ya have to, or you�re gonna die,� Kian looked sternly into the eyes of his friend, �Do whichever, for I care not, but I�m assuming it�d be best for ya if ya didn�t die.�

�And for yourself,� Shane retorted, taking Kian�s wrist and drinking until Kian pulled away.

The blond stood up, brushing his hands off, and then he helped Shane to his feet. Shane stumbled a bit, but stood strongly after a moment. �Why didn�t ya tell me?�

�Tell you?� Kian echoed, laughing hollowly, �What would ya have said? I�m sure it�d be a pleasant conversation. �Hiya Shane, I�m a vampire.� �Really, Kian? That�s brilliant. Can I join ya in your plan to conquer the world?� Hardly.� He shook his head, �No, ya couldn�t have understood.�

�What plan to conquer the world?� Shane questioned, sounding curious, watching as Kian grabbed his bag and went towards the door.

Kian turned around to glare at him, before swiftly stepping back towards him, �I�ll tell ya about it as we go and get the rest of the lads.�

�What, you�re gonna do this ta them too?� Shane shook his head in anger, �I dunno how well that�ll go over with the record company.�

�Oh, fook them,� Kian muttered, �C�mon.� He took Shane roughly by the elbow and led him out of the room, into the dim hallway, and then out into the dark alleyway that rested behind the building.

It was not a good idea to mess with an aggravated and moody Kian, and it was even less of a good idea to mess with an aggravated and moody Kian who also happened to be a vampire. Shane learned this early on.

�Get in the car, Shane,� Kian hissed, throwing the bag in the back seat and sliding into the driver�s side. Shane stood against the cool brick of the building, watching as the full moon was softly covered by dark ebony clouds. The stars twinkled against the midnight blue sky, making Shane feel a bit better about things, though he wasn�t sure how exactly. �Shane,� Kian�s voice held a warning tone that Shane was used to; used to ignoring that is.

Kian reached over and irritably pushed the door open. Shane raised an eyebrow at him and looked mildly amused, �Ya might want to start treating me a bit differently.�

�Why�s that?� Kian wondered, laughing slightly as he sat back in his seat and turned the ignition on.

Shane shrugged his shoulders very slowly and climbed into the car. As he was buckling up and shutting the door, he said, �I can kick your arse now.�

�Doubtful,� Kian responded, snorting. He turned the car�s lights on and flew out of the parking lot at top speed.

�Why is that doubtful?� Shane wanted to know, shifting in his seat so he was looking at Kian and not out his window. He swallowed hard as Kian up-shifted and sent the car to at least ninety miles per hour on the open highway. There were no other cars around, as it was very late, but Shane was still a bit unnerved by Kian�s driving. �Ya might want to slow down a small bit, Ki.�

Kian rolled his eyes and pushed his foot down onto the gas pedal more. He had a certain lust for lots of things, one of them was speed. �Ya can�t just attack me, I�m the one that created ya.�

�So?� Shane changed positions again, but averted looking out any of the windows onto the highway and the swiftly passing foliage on either side. �I�m gonna be sick.�

�Ya are not,� Kian mumbled, �Where did Mark get off to?�

�How should I know? If you�ll remember correctly, I didn�t have a bit of a chance to ask him.�

�You�re bitter!� Kian bellowed, �That�s rich.�

�Why are you being so haughty?�

�I�m always like this, ya should know that by now.�

�Ya are not,� Shane argued, �Stop it.�

�Bryan�s gone to a club,� Kian muttered, mostly to himself. �Can probably get him distracted and drag him out to the car and then ya can take care of him then.�

�I will not!� Shane cried indignantly. �I want nothing ta do with this!�

�It�s a little late for that,� Kian laughed.

Shane crossed his hands across his chest and leaned back in the leather seat. He turned to his window and watched as Kian thankfully slowed down when they approached the town, �It�s not like I asked for it.�

�Didn�t ya?� Kian remarked, his voice holding a hard, mean edge, �And anyway, shut up.�

Shane laughed out loud, a huge bellow of a guffaw, �That was real good.�

Kian chose not to reply to that, and instead surprisingly stopped at a red light and turned to Shane, �I am in charge here, so stop being such a fooking baby.�

Shane�s eyes narrowed but he didn�t say anything; he, in fact, didn�t utter a word until they had parked at the club, dragged Bryan out, and thrown him into the backseat.

�What the bloody hell are ya doing?� Bryan shouted, righting himself in the small, enclosed backseat of Kian�s overly pricey car.

�Sucking your blood,� Shane murmured, sounding very moody and more like Kian than himself.

�WHAT?� Bryan laughed loudly, �How much have ya had to drink, Shane?� He turned to Kian and watched as the blond pealed out of the parking lot to drive them somewhere more secluded.

�I haven�t had any,� Shane replied heatedly. �Kian�s being bossy again.�

�And you�re being a big mouthed baby,� Kian spat back. He looked in the rear-view mirror at Bryan, �Where�re Mark and Nicky, Bry?�

�Oh, so you�re being nice ta HIM!� Shane commented, huffing a little.

�Quit your whining,� Bryan shot at him, �You�re acting like Kian during his Kian-Pissers.�

Kian blew the hair out of his face and silently counted to ten before asking Bryan to answer his question. Kian then glared at Shane for a few moments before Shane put his hands into the air and gave up his huffing.

�Mark�s at a pub down the road,� Bryan replied, sticking his tongue out a bit in thought, �And I think Nicky�s gone�horseback riding. I dunno, man.�

�Why would Nicky go horseback riding at�� Shane checked his watch, ��Midnight. I think that the places they keep horses are probably closed at this time.�

Bryan stared blankly at him, �I was being sarcastic.�

�It�s called a barnyard, by the way,� Kian commented lightly, his voice not so demanding and cruel anymore, �And, couldn�t ya at LEAST throw out a better guess than horseback riding? Honestly.�

Bryan laughed and shrugged, �He�s probably with Mark.�

�Thank you,� Kian sighed, nodding.

Shane rolled his eyes and set his head back against the seat, �I�m hungry.�

�I want a Big Mac,� Bryan mused, scratching his chin. �MMmmm boy.�

Kian�s eyes bulged and he flipped his hair out of his face in a manner that plainly stated he was working with idiots. �Ermmmm, Shane?� He grunted some sort of response. �Could ya climb in back there and keep Bryan occupied?�

Shane looked at Kian in confusion, �What? Why?�

�Ya won�t be hungry afterwards,� Kian responded, winking obviously.

Cocking his head to the side, Shane stared at Kian, and then after several agonizing moments he got the picture and climbed into the backseat with his band mate.

Bryan didn�t seem to care about this intrusion, he just sat there and soon enough the car was parked and Kian was sitting in a pub�s parking lot, waiting while Shane performed his duty. The music from the pub drifted out onto the quiet road, and the stale smell of cigarette smoke lingered in the air. Kian soon got bored of waiting, and just as he was about to tell Shane to stop dilly dallying and get on with it, Shane�s head popped out the open window.

�Am I supposed to slit my wrist like you did?� He asked, licking his lips and then wiping them with the sleeve of his jean jacket.

Kian seemed surprised that Shane had managed to turn Bryan without making too much of a fuss; he got to his feet and stood in front of the car. �Yeah, ya should.�

Shane nodded, did a quick thumbs up and disappeared back into the car. Kian could hear the low rumble of voices as Shane explained to Bryan what was going on.

For a fleeting moment Kian got very worried about Shane�s hunger overpowering him, and so he pulled the car door open and grabbed Shane by the back of the shirt, hauling him off the other man. �Enough. Ya can�t kill him.�

�I wasn�t gonna!� Shane complained, wiping his mouth and looking around the parking lot nastily. Kian glanced into the car and saw that Bryan was still very much alive.

�Ya apparently have more self control than most,� Kian sighed heavily, �All right. Inside we go.�

Within an hour, the three Irish vampires had Mark and Nicky in their possession and were leading them back to Kian�s house, as it would soon be daybreak. Mark and Nicky had not yet been turned into a creature of the night, but Kian had specifically told Bryan he could chose whom he wanted, and get it over with as quickly as possible. Kian had put a deadline upon the group, and it was slowly drawing near.

�I�m bloody tired,� Nicky complained, sighing heavily and leaning his head back. �Are we nearly there?�

Kian fought the urge to lose his self control and merely nodded at Nicky in the rearview mirror.

�I�m not tired,� Shane said, bouncing slightly in his seat, �I am hungry, though.�

�You�ve just eaten,� Kian responded coarsely.

Shane frowned at him, �There�s a limit?�

�Pace yourself,� Kian replied in a voice that only Shane could hear. Bryan sat in the middle of the backseat, sandwiched between Mark and Nicky, both of whom were yawning constantly. Bryan seemed to weigh his decision very heavily, and as he was running out of time, Kian was running out of patience. �Bryan,� Kian stated evenly, as he pulled into his driveway, �It�s time.�

Bryan nodded squarely and pushed Mark from the car and onto the pavement. Mark squirmed on the ground and cursed rapidly until Bryan took his hand and pulled him inside the house. Kian got out of the car and leaned against it, waiting and being as tolerant as he could.

�I need a cigarette,� Kian mumbled, flicking an imaginary cigarette to the ground.

�You don�t smoke,� Shane replied unnecessarily. Kian gave him a cold look that silenced him.

*

By the time the sun began to rise, the five lads of Westlife were all tucked neatly into makeshift boxes; these boxes were called �coffins� by Kian but as they weren�t actually regulated coffins the others called them boxes. They would all have proper sleeping quarters by the next sunrise.

It was a surprise to Kian, and inevitably Shane, that the others were so accepting of their newfound immortality. Maybe it was because they knew all along what Kian was, or maybe it was because they really just wanted to live forever. The only one of them who really wasn�t embracing the vampire within was Shane. Though one good thing came of this: he didn�t cringe at the smallest sight of blood anymore.

After getting Nicky some food from his fridge which was stocked with extra stolen from the blood bank in the local hospital, Kian regaled them with the story of how he, himself, had become what he was. It had happened several months before, when he met a very interesting girl; he knew her for two days and she changed his entire life in one brief moment.

After going through the normal steps that occur when something life-altering happens to you, (anger, despair, anger some more, livid rage, random Kian-pissers) Kian devised a plan; a very good plan in his eyes, one that he would need his band mates help on. There was no way they could decline.

�Ya want to take over the world,� Shane stated blankly. �Are ya on something?�

Kian shook his head and sighed, �No. I assure you I�m completely serious. And I don�t do drugs, ya know that.� He leaned back in the dusty chair and crossed his legs. His crisp jeans wrinkled at his knees and he smoothed them out as he spoke. �It�s a perfectly doable plan.� Kian picked at some invisible lint on his red leather jacket and then looked up, his eyes showing no emotion.

�I don�t see anything doable about it,� Nicky said, shaking his head, �Ya really are off your rocker.�

Kian looked at him, ignored his comment, and moved on, �I�d like ta know what�s wrong with it.�

�Ya don�t know?� Bryan asked, �Well, I�ll tell ya.� He held his hand up and ticked off the reasons on his fingers, �One: it won�t work. Two: it won�t work. Oh, and three. It won�t work.�

Mark leaned over towards Bryan and cleared his throat, �Bry, those were the same reasons.�

Bryan shot him an irritated look, �I know that, Mark.�

Mark held his hands up in surrender, �Just checking. Don�t bite me head off.�

�Listen,� Kian said calmly, �We have fans.�

�Yes, and I really think that record sales would go down considerably if we begin turning them allllllll.� Shane rolled his eyes and looked positively put-out at Kian�s idea.

�Shut up,� Kian spat; Shane opened his mouth to protest but Kian held a hand up to silence him. He turned to the rest of the group, �Concerts, publicity, photo shoots, interviews, television spots�� He paused, looking around at the blank faces of his fellows, �Ya see where I�m goin� with this?�

�Yeah,� Mark replied, �To jail.�

Kian laughed loudly, �No, not to jail.�

�Wait,� Bryan said, holding his hand up; he looked to Shane, who was polishing his exposed fangs on his sleeve, �Who says vampires don�t buy records?�

�What?� Shane asked, letting his hand drop to his lap; his fangs disappeared into his mouth and he licked his dry lips, �What�re ya goin� on about?�

�You said sales will go down,� Bryan said, �Didn�t ya? And who says vampires don�t buy records?�

Kian�s eyebrows went up, �Bryan��

Bryan turned towards him, �What?�

�Shut up,� Kian, Mark and Nicky all said simultaneously. Bryan shook his head angrily and flopped back against Kian�s moldy looking couch. His home was what you could call �lived-in� if you wanted to be nice about it, but really it was unkempt and dirty; it was like a bachelor pad that way, but really it was because Kian didn�t care about how his house looked. He was never in it, and if he was, he was in the basement.

Nicky raised his hand cautiously, �Question.� He didn�t wait for anyone to tell him to go ahead, �What if we�re caught?�

�We won�t be caught,� Kian assured him, sounding arrogant. �The chances are very slim.�

�I don�t like chances,� Nicky muttered, examining his fingernails with great interest. His blond hair flopped into his face and he shoved it back.

�Emmm,� Mark sat forward in his seat, his caramel brown hair shifting out of his eyes, �What did you do to Nicky Bryne?�

*

"Come on, lads, I'm hunngryyy," Nicky whined, licking his already exposed teeth.

"Hey, that�s my line, we all know I'm the 'fat' one," Bryan muttered sarcastically.

�Be patient my children, we shall eat soon enough," Kian's voice was barely above a whisper and his eyes were held tight on the door.

"Since when am I taking orders from you, Kian," Shane huffed, running a hand through his thick hair.

Bryan nodded vigorously, "Yeah, and since when am I your child?"

"Since, NOW," Kian growled, pushing a hand against Shane�s neck and slamming him against the wall.

"I'm just hungry," Mark mused blandly, shrugging at Nicky who threw him a withering look.

Kian ran his hands through his hair, messing it up and then letting it fall back into place. Against the street lamp, his face looked even more pale than usual. The yellow glow of the light cascaded down upon them, though they didn�t look conspicuous.

The five of them were standing about beside the venu for tomorrow�s concert; it looked like they were staking out the place, which was exactly what they were doing if you looked at it that way. They needed food, and this was the place to get it as unsuspecting girls were milling around inside. A concert had just ended and few still remained; the band had already left.

�Okay,� Kian breathed, �This is it.�

�It? What do ya mean?� Bryan looked suddenly nervous. Mark glanced at him and gave him an encouraging smile.

�IT is time to put our plan into action,� Kian answered as if this were very obvious. He pulled away from where he had been leaning against the lamppost, �Come on, lads.�

The five of them began walking together towards the entrance of the building; once near the door, Shane reached out and cautiously opened it. Kian stepped forward, turned back to them and gave them a strong, stern look. When he nodded and ducked inside, everyone followed.