It had been a long, pleasant night, and Sebastian was still slightly buzzed when he arrived back at the estate in the early hours of the morning. He kicked off his shoes at the door and walked, zombie-like and with his eyes half lidded towards his bed. The exhaustion was quickly creeping up on him and Sebastian knew that as soon as his body hit the bed he’d be out completely for at least a solid six hours. He didn’t even bother to get out of his clothes, only face planted into the comforter as he started to drift off.

   Then, like the incessant ticking of a clock, a sound made itself apparent. A heartbeat, slow and steady, the resting heartbeat of a predatory animal. His eyes snapped open, immediately focusing in on the source: his closet. It was dark, but Sebastian had no trouble seeing clearly through it, his pupils dilating in an effort to catch even the smallest movement. He didn’t say a word, only waited for something to happen.