No way.

It was a coincidence. There was no way…

“Sorry I’m late, love,” Whumper coos, and kisses Friend on the cheek after they hug. “Traffic is mental.”

Whumpee keeps her eyes fixes on the standing table in front of her, zoning out slightly when Other Friend talks about how bad the traffic was. Should she excuse herself? Say something came up? Should she tell her friends that they’re in danger?! Would they listen?

No.

They’d call her crazy. Just like all the rest did.

And look at how it turns out for her. She needs to play it cool. She needs to just not react. “Whumpee,” Friend says with a grin. “This is Whumper. Whumper, this is Whumpee.”

Whumpee turns and looks the dead thing in the eyes. Her blood cools and her heart slows the moment their gazes lock. She could almost smell the fear radiating from herself. It was disgusting. Nauseating. Whumper’s smile turns from genuine to keenly sharp, his amber-hued brown eyes raking over Whumpee before his expression turns charming again and he steps in closer to her. The table behind her back blocks any further retreat, so when Whumper beams down at her with too much interest in his eyes, Whumpee stares back.

She couldn’t do anything else.

“I have heard so much about you,” Whumper purrs. “And I was excited to meet the person Friend gushes over 24/7—”

“I don’t gush!” Friend says, her cheeks painted red with a delighted embarrassment.

“—but meeting you in person has just turned all that on its head.”

Whumpee could see it; how easy it was to be charmed by Whumper. How smooth his voice was as he spoke, how it seems to wrap around you and the way his gaze made you feel like you were the most interesting thing in the room. All Whumpee felt was panic, the need to flee screaming at her from the back of her mind. She forces her teeth not to chatter. She was so fucking cold.

“Friend’s told me about you too,” Whumpee says with a forced smile. “Nice to meet you. I think I’m heading out for a smoke. Be back in a few.”

She brushes past Whumper. He doesn’t follow. He couldn’t do anything when they were in a crowded bar. Whumpee keeps herself together as she walks out the back door to the smoking area. She even manages to walk quickly out of the smoking area onto the main street without any problems.

It is when she goes for the shortcut through town that it all goes to shit. A hand wraps around her mouth and yanks her back into an alleyway at dizzying speed. Before she can gasp, her back is shoved against the alley wall. The vampire stands grinning in front of her.

“Leaving so soon, fledgling?”

Whumpee stares at him, debating whether or not to expose herself, but what would happen if Whumper took her seriously? Would it be worse or better for her? Worse, a primal part of her screams. Definitely worse.  

“I’m not,” Whumpee says. “I’m not a fledgling. Listen to my heart. You can hear it, faintly. Still beating.”

Whumper grins like Whumpee just said something endearing. “I know the change is hard, but we don’t have hearts fledgling. It’s hard to let go—”

“I’m not! I’m not a fledgling!” Whumpee snarls, going to push Whumper away but she might as well have tried to push a building. This is bad. This is bad. Whumpee’s heart whispers disturbingly slow in her chest. Her panic dances up and down the blood in her veins that fails to do its proper job the longer Whumper stood in front of her.

“You just need blood darling, did your sire abandon you?” Whumper asks, sympathy filling his voice as he brushes a strand of dark hair away from Whumpee’s face. “Don’t worry, precious. I’ll be your sire now.”

Whumpee’s eyes widen when Whumper draws his sleeve up and bites into his wrist. “No! No, don’t—” Whumpee ducks under Whumper’s arm and tries to get around him but his strong-arm snakes around her waist, dragging her right back to where she was. Her back slams against the brickwork, pulling a pained gasp from her lips.

“It’s okay to be scared. Come on, drink.”

No, no, no, no, no!

“HELP!” Whumpee screams desperately. “SOMEBOD—” Whumper cuts her off, pressing his wrist against her mouth. He holds her there as her mouth fills with the taste of tangy copper. She struggles as he holds her, eyes on her throat, frowning when she doesn’t swallow.

“It’s going to happen either way, darling. There’s no need to drag this out. Come on now,” he says softly, certain. His other hand goes to her neck, and he runs his thumb gently down her throat. Coaxing her to swallow. “Drink.”

His voice consumes her as she stares at him and she squeezes her eyes shut as she forces herself to swallow the wretched oily blood. Just so she could fucking breathe.

“There you go,” he coos. “Good girl. That’s it—” Whumper praises as she swallows more and he finally pulls away. She lurches forward and gasps, while Whumper smiles at her, wiping the blood from the corners of her lips currently dripping down her chin. “Now, my turn.”

“No!”

Whumpee brings her hands up, but Whumper grabs them by the wrist and slams them up against the wall. His teeth are on her neck in seconds, piercing the flesh. Her knees buckle slightly as pain consumes her, her gaze swirling as Whumper draws the blood from her neck.

She can feel it, the thrall, the bind trying to connect Whumper to Whumpee, she can feel it’s magic trying to link them as sire and sired. She lets out a muffles whine, no noise wanting to pass her lips as she struggles to stay coherent while he drinks. Whumper pulls back when he tastes her blood and stares at her with furrows brows.

“Your blood…” he says, smacking his lips together. “You’re not…”

Whumpee lurches forward, bile climbing her throat and she jerks out of Whumper’s loose grip, falling to her knees. When she opens her mouth, the blood expels violently from her body. It looks black in the darkness, like an adder’s poison. She sticks her fingers down her throat to try and get the rest up, but Whumper’s faster.

He yanks her hand from her mouth and drags her to her feet again, pushing her against the wall by her throat as he looks into her eyes. He pulls down her bottom lid and hums fascinates, his eyes lighting up with vicious delight.

“You’re a unicorn,” he says with a grin. “I knew it from the moment I tasted your blood.” As Whumpee feels nausea creep up her throat again she goes to double over, but Whumper grabs her chin and forces her head up so she can’t vomit more of his blood from her system. She can only glare at him down her nose as she struggles. “I’ve only encountered a few of you in my lifetime, but oh. You kindreds are so much fun to play with.”

Whumpee chokes on the blood, but she can’t spit it out and is forced to swallow it again. “That’s it. Good girl,” he coos, his thumb finds her pulse. She shivers as it traces the too slow beating of it. “Y’know, I’ve never tries to make a sire bond with a kindred before,” he says with a leering grin down at her. She shoots him a glare in return. “Who knows, in a few hours maybe you will be my charming little fledgling kindred.”

“G-get’ff of me,” she struggles to get out, lifting her hand to slap Whumper but he catches it and grins.

“Oh no. No, darling. You’re a treasure. So rare a find. You’re mine whether the bond takes hold or not.” Whumpee’s eyes widen and she goes to scream again but Whumper cuts her off, slamming his hand over her mouth and forcing her head back into the wall.

“Now, now, no need to cause a scene.”

She screams into his hand. A familiar warmth climbs up her throat and her eyes bulge as she grabs his wrist and pulls. “MMPH! –”

“Tsk, tsk, Whumpee. My blood is a gift, you don’t want to offend a vampire, do you? We tend to hold grudges.”

Her eyes water as her throat bulges and she cries out behind his hand as she swallows the vile blood again.

“It takes time, doesn’t it, love?” Whumper asks, his brow raising curiously as he leans in, sniffing her scent. Whumpee mumbles a curse behind his hand that he ignores. “For the gifts to take hold. You have to be in my presence a while, don’t you?”

She stills, dropping his wrist and letting her arms go by her sides, refusing to give him any reaction. All she can do is glare at him defiantly. Whumper smirks. “Well, that can be easily arranged.”

Whumpee doesn’t bother to smother her fear. The vampire would pick up on it either way, she reeks of it. “Are you going to behave, or do I have to threaten Friend, and all your other lovely pals, hm?”

Whumpee deflates slightly and Whumper chuckles as he removes his hand from her mouth. “Good girl. Come along.”

He doesn’t leave her side. He wraps his arm around her waist and guides her away from the wall, pulling her close to him like a lover. She stumbles as he pulls her, falling into him. The world spins dizzying as she presses her head into the crook of his shoulder and chest, groaning at the cold, at his presence, at her sight that fails her, her warmth that abandons her because of this fucking bloodsucker being so close.

Whumper escorts her to his car and puts her in the passenger seat, putting her seatbelt on as her mind blurs the world. He snaps his fingers in her face. Whumpee blinks, vision clearing slightly, focusing on him and only him.

“Let’s test it should we?” he asks, a dark giddiness painting his voice. “Whumpee, you’re going to sleep on the way home, aren’t you?”

The words sound like a song, the command so sweet, and oh so convincing. She can feel it, his will pushing against hers and snapping hers like a twig under his boot. It’s not fair, he got his venom in her first…