#vampire!riddle

You sit across from him as you always do — too close, he thinks, though he never asks you to move. The room is quiet save for the faint ticking of a clock and the soft rustle of pages turning. You’re reading, unaware, or perhaps pretending to be. Riddle can’t quite tell anymore.

He knows the time. He always knows the time. And yet, he hasn’t dismissed himself. A mistake. A deliberate one.

His fingers tighten imperceptibly around the armrest of his chair, posture still immaculate, back straight, chin lifted. To anyone else, he is the picture of composure.

But beneath it there’s a pulse. Not his, but yours. The faint rise and fall at your throat, the subtle shift of skin when you swallow, the quiet, steady rhythm beneath it all. It is distracting, inconvenient, unacceptable.

"You're closer than usual," he says, voice even, clipped, though his eyes betray him for the briefest moment as they flick once more to your neck.

You glance up. "Am I?"

You don't move. If anything, your head tilts slightly, baring more of that delicate line without thought — or perhaps not without thought at all. That's worse.

Riddle exhales slowly, "It would be wise to maintain a proper distance."

"And if I don't?"

There’s a pause, a dangerous one, because now he is looking again, properly this time, and the sight is… arresting. The curve where your neck meets your shoulder, unguarded, inviting in a way that feels almost deliberate, as though you’ve unknowingly presented him with a test. His gaze sharpens, but the tension beneath it betrays him.

“You will,” he replies, quieter now, “because I’ve instructed you to.”

But you don’t move, and the clock ticks once, twice, each second stretching thinner than the last.

He stands too quickly, turning away as though distance might restore order, but it only makes him more aware of you — of the warmth at his back, of the subtle shift of fabric as you breathe. It’s infuriating. He adjusts his collar, though it is already perfect.

“You are being careless,” he says, voice lower now. “You shouldn’t remain here at this hour.”

“And you?”

That question lands far too cleanly. Because he should have already left; he should have excused himself fifteen minutes ago, before the hunger sharpened, before the sight of your neck became something he could not ignore, before this quiet room turned into something far more dangerous.

He turns back slowly, telling himself it is to correct you, to reassert control — but when he steps closer, it is not discipline guiding him. It is instinct.

His shadow falls over you, and still, you don’t retreat. If anything, your head tilts again, just slightly, exposing more, as if unaware of the effect.

His hand lifts, hesitates, then settles at your wrist, the contact light at first, then tightening just enough to ground himself in something tangible. But it only makes it worse. Because now he can feel it — the rhythm beneath your skin — and see it: the subtle pulse at your throat, beckoning, steady, impossible to ignore.

His gaze drops, drawn helplessly to the exposed line of your neck, to the place where your pulse flutters just beneath the surface. He leans in before he can stop himself; slow, deliberate, as if convincing himself this is still control, still choice.

The air shifts between you, tension tightening, his grip on your wrist firm now, anchoring him as everything else threatens to slip.

“Do you understand,” he murmurs, voice lower, thinner, “what you’re asking of me?”

You don’t answer.

And that silence is dangerous, because it lingers; because it invites.

His lips hover just above your skin, close enough that the warmth of you seeps into something colder, something far less restrained. He pauses there, suspended on the edge of something he has spent so long mastering, his breath brushing faintly against your neck, betraying the strain beneath his control.

This is undignified. This is temptation.

His grip tightens, just short of painful — as if forcing himself back into place, as if reminding himself of rules he refuses to break. His eyes close briefly, jaw set, every inch of him rigid with restraint.

And then, abruptly, he pulls back; like a snapped thread.

His hand releases you at once, as though the contact itself is the problem, and he turns away, shoulders squared, posture perfect once more — too still, too rigid, the control too sharp to be effortless.

“Leave,” he says, voice cutting, precise. “Immediately.”

It was honestly a blessing that Cater had been sent to track down the wayward three who hadn’t shown up for the tea party.

He’d appeared on the scene with a horrified expression and a shout for Ace and Deuce to get out of my way before yelling at me to finish it. 

We’d all been startled, but I’d only hesitated briefly before I fired at the vampire that had already injured both Ace and Deuce in the fight.

The stake had pierced the vampire’s chest, and he had dissolved into ashes almost immediately. The only sign that anything had been amiss at all was the utter catastrophe that was the hallways and the steadily growing bruises on me and my friends.

Vases had been smashed, pictures knocked off the walls, and now a pile of ash in the middle of the already dirtied floor.

I couldn’t quite bring myself to look at Ace and Deuce as I stared at the ashes, and it was Cater who spoke first. His voice strained with shock, “Are all of you alright? You didn’t get bitten, did you, Y/n?”

I slowly shook my head, lifting my gaze to look at the orange-haired young man who stared at me with a tightly worried expression.

“It wasn’t their fault, Cater. That guy attacked them first and-”

“I know that, Deuce,” Cater interrupted Deuce before shaking his head slightly, and I felt genuinely bad for him. Not only had he just given the order for me to kill that vampire, but he now was having to deal with the fallout and damage control too.

Worse still was the fact it was Cater having to do this. He was a mature young man, more so than I’d initially realized as I now saw, but he had also always seemed like an innately carefree individual.

I swallowed thickly before speaking. Forcing myself not to shift uncomfortably as I put on a brave face for both myself and everyone else here, “Where’s Riddle? I’ll need to tell him what happened here.”

All three of them looked at me in surprise. Possibly because I was willing to report that I’d just killed a member of the Heatslabyul clan to the infamously strict clan head or possibly because I was willing to deliver the blow that one of his clan’s members had been insane.

Either way, Cater shook his head after a brief moment, “He’s in his office…. I think all three of you had better go, though. I’ll handle cleaning up the hallway, so…”

He trailed off, and I nodded. Forcing myself to move from where I’d been standing before finally chancing a glance over at Ace and Deuce.

Both of them looked my way nervously at the same moment I looked at them, wondering exactly how they’d react to everything that had just happened.

Ace was the first one to straighten, nodding his head at me as Deuce followed suit, “Come on, Y/n. Let’s get this over with.”

I nodded my agreement and followed them, pausing briefly next to Cater to glance at him worriedly, only for him to meet my gaze. 

And for the briefest moments he simply looked tired, but then he noticed me and, like a cloud disappearing from the sky, his face brightened and he gave a little wave as he smiled at me, “Don’t worry, Cay-cay’s got this handled! You go on and meet up with Riddle.”

I nodded distantly, frowning slightly but hurrying on after Ace and Deuce, who’d both paused to look back in confusion. I shook my head at their questioning gazes, not entirely sure what to make of what I saw anyway and finding that it had only made me worry for Cater more, though I was fairly certain he’d meant to reassure me.

The three of us walked along in silence, and I highly suspected that each of us was thinking about our entire experience with the insane vampire back then.

Ace was the first to break the silence, slipping over alongside me and nudging me with his elbow so that I glanced over at him right as he started speaking, “So how much trouble do you think we’re in?”

I had to admit that wasn’t what I’d expected him to say, and I almost sighed in relief before I shook my head slightly, “Hopefully none. After all, we did get attacked by an insane vampire. Most of what happened back there was self-defense, so….”

I trailed off, shrugging slightly before glancing over at Deuce on my other side who nodded with an oddly determined-looking gaze, “Yeah, we were defending ourselves. And I’m sure Cater will back us up too since he saw what was happening.”

I smiled slightly at his words before looking back forward. To be honest, I was less concerned about being in trouble for dispatching an insane vampire and more worried about what this meant for the evaluation.

At the very least, neither Ace nor Deuce seemed to think of me any differently, which was surprising, to say the least. But then they’d know what my job was this entire time.

But who knew how this would go over with Riddle.

It was true that the vampire was insane, that it had attacked us first, and that I’d been doing the job Crowley had given me. But it was also true that the vampire had been a member of Riddle’s clan.

I swallowed thickly as my feet carried me to the door that I knew led to where Riddle was far too quickly.

But I was going to have to face this at some point anyway, so I might as well do it now.

Ace opened the doors without any hesitation, and I walked in behind him, with Deuce beside me.

Trey turned to look at us, sighing slightly as he looked our way worriedly. But Riddle hardly even twisted in his seat, though he did raise his head as the three of us walked in and waited for him to look at us.

“You missed the tea party,” His tone was calm, but even I could tell it was carefully controlled and that there was an undercurrent there. And this was before he even knew about the insane vampire.

I stepped forward, opening my mouth to speak only for Ace to start before I could even make a sound, “There was an insane vampire. It attacked us while we were on our way here.”

I blinked in surprise at how calm he sounded, almost like he was just casually giving an excuse rather than delivering some news that was bound to be startling for both Trey and Riddle.

I watched as Riddle tensed in his seat, his small body going rigid as Trey’s eyes widened as he faltered, distress coloring his voice, “Are you three all right!?” 

I smiled at Trey’s worry as his gaze darted between the three of us, obviously scanning us for any injury.

“We’re fine. Cater showed up and found us and… I killed the vampire,” I reassured Trey and explained at the same, only faltering once as I spoke. But it was odd. I hadn’t ever had to report killing a vampire to a clan leader before.

In the past, the clan leader had always been with me or the insane vampires hadn’t been part of a clan at all.

I watched as Trey swallowed thickly at my words, but most of my attention rested on Riddle who still hadn’t moved. I didn’t know if he was shocked or just collecting himself and deciding how to respond.

“Clan leader…. It wasn’t their fault. The vampire attacked Y/n and Ace out of nowhere and they acted in self-defense…. Y/n didn’t do anything drastic until Cater gave them the order,” Deuce explained hesitantly, his worried eyes staring pointedly at the back of Riddle’s head as we all waited.

Even Trey turned to look towards the clan leader as the silence continued to stretch, and I swallowed. My mouth seeming to grow steadily drier the more seconds ticked by.

And then at long last he turned, and I blinked in surprise at the expression on his pale, youthful face.

He was smiling.

It wasn’t a massive grin by any means, but it was a small curve to his lips that was obviously meant to reassure us as he looked our way with that pleasant smile on his face.

“You did well then. I’m sure it wasn’t easy,” His voice was light, and I nodded slowly, if confusedly. Completely caught off guard by his surprisingly relaxed reaction.

It was practically the exact opposite of everything I’d expected, and at first I thought I’d overreacted until I glanced around and saw I wasn’t the only one who was surprised. Trey, Ace, and Deuce all looked just as startled as I did, with Trey and Deuce looking relieved while Ace looked downright shocked.

“Still, I do wonder how you were caught off-guard….” I felt myself go still at the soft, almost amused words that slipped from Riddle’s mouth right as I looked back his way.

And while there was still a smile on his face, there was now something almost condescending about it as he tilted his chin like he was trying to look down on me.

And in some cold way, his words made sense. How was I, a vampire hunter, caught off-guard by an insane vampire, the very thing I was supposed to be hunting?

“Riddle-”

Riddle held up a hand, effectively cutting Trey off with just a simple motion as he stood and now walked towards me, tilting his head slightly, “I suppose there is only so much you can do, but I really would have thought you’d be more prepared since you are the head-vampire’s personal hunter whose in charge of evaluating all of the clans.”

I felt myself straighten slightly, a frown slipping onto my face as I tried to place exactly what Riddle was trying to achieve. For one thing, his statement was poorly phrased. It made it sound like he’d known all along there was an insane vampire here and had let them be to test me. And if that were the case, then he was definitely number one on the suspect list for causing the influx of insane vampires.

But I wasn’t about to jump to conclusions quite that easily. Not when I’d been goaded into arguing with clan leaders in the past. 

Both Leona and Idia had already done that, but it hadn’t really been surprising when either of them had done so. In fact, it had been something that obviously fit their personality and had a clear purpose that ranged from gauging my personality to pushing me away in defense.

But Riddle didn’t have that clear aim. Unlike them, he hadn’t really seemed to be against me evaluating the Heartslabyul clan. Maybe slightly annoyed by the prospect, but not particularly against it either.

“Hey! It wasn’t like you knew there was a crazy guy here either. And I hadn’t ever even seen that guy before! For we know he could’ve snuck in here or something,” I blinked in surprise as Ace suddenly appeared right next to me. Pushing his way forward and glowering down at his clan’s leader as he snapped at the shorter man.

But then Deuce spoke up from my other side, nodding slightly with a frown on his face even as he spoke up with a vehemence all his own, “Yeah, he came out of nowhere, clan leader! There was no way to predict that.”

I watched, with a creeping sensation that something was about to go horribly wrong, as the smile disappeared from Riddle’s face and a deep frown appeared.

He scowled at both of the young men before his gaze met mine once more, and I found myself speaking in an oddly calming tone as I recalled what Rook had taught me about insane vampires and what I’d learned on my own, “It can be hard to predict when a vampire is going to go insane. In fact, from what I’ve seen, it’s pretty much impossible to tell up until they have begun to lose their mind….”

“And yet it is still your job to handle these situations, but you didn’t fire until Cater told you too?” His words were all but flung at me, and I blinked in surprise before feeling myself frown. 

He wasn’t entirely wrong, of course. But….

“I didn’t want to do anything until I was sure. I would rather not hurt anyone who is innocent if at all possible,” My tone wavered slightly, but I managed to keep my voice level even as annoyance crept into my words.

“Hey-”

Trey’s interjection went wholly ignored as Riddle stepped closer, practically shoving his way past Ace as he crowded me, “Even after the vampire attacked you?! Heartslabyul has rules against the attacking of mortals.”

I fought the urge to snap back at him, my hand clenching into a fist at my side, but my voice was beyond infuriated as I responded, “And do you enforce that rule with a death sentence?”

I watched as the young man’s left eye twitched at my words, and Trey let out a halfway nervous chuckle before stepping forward with his hands raised. Almost like he was trying to calm two wild animals, “Look, what happened, happened. For now we should probably-”

“Well, at least now I know why the evaluations have been taking so long,” Riddle stepped back, a smile creeping back onto his face as his gaze stayed on me, and I felt my eyes widen slightly.

Trey frowned, his tone changing as he shook his head slightly in an almost warning fashion, “Riddle….”

Apparently heedless of the other man’s words, Riddle continued, smiling at me as if he’d just won some sort of argument, “It is a shame, though. If you were just a bit faster, then perhaps Ace and Deuce here plus a myriad of other new vampires never would have been turned, and this whole matter could have been resolved much sooner… I would’ve expected better from a hunter who works for the head-vampire himself.”

I opened my mouth, a comeback ready that died on my tongue almost immediately as the exact meaning of his words registered and all my fight withered and died. Because while I’d been evaluating clans and befriending vampires, people had been getting attacked and getting turned. 

It was something I’d known already, but now that it had been thrown back in my face by someone other than myself, I could feel a cold sensation sweeping over me.

Because the longer it took me to come to a conclusion with the evaluations, the more people would get killed or turned.

Just like Rook and Epel.

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Previous

I walked around my apartment restlessly as I considered my options. 

Last night, I’d stopped by the Savanaclaw clan to keep my promise of notifying Leona first when I found the cause of the insane vampires, only for him to ask me what my plan was, which had been an ordeal in and of itself. And then, first thing this evening, I’d called Ace and Deuce to tell them that I wouldn’t be coming by tonight because I needed more time to consider my options. 

And in no way had that been a lie. Because that was exactly what I was doing as I paced around. 

The more I’d considered it all, the more it seemed to make sense for me to do what Riddle and Trey had suggested and get ‘marked’ so that I could feign being claimed. 

But as I’d thought about it all, I’d realized that line of action had more benefits than just preventing Riddle’s ‘mother’ from attacking me. 

Being claimed would mean that I would come across as less of a threat. She’d possibly be more open to talking to a silly little mortal that had been claimed but hadn’t fully committed to vampirism than a vampire hunter working under Crowley.

Of course, it was also quite possible that she would already know I was Crowley's vampire hunter. It certainly seemed like everyone else did at this point. But even then, being supposedly claimed could possibly still work to make her less wary. At least then I would come across as foolish at best, and she might be less wary.

And then, if it turned out that Riddle was correct in his suspicions and she was creating insane vampires for some heinous reason, I would probably end up having to ‘handle’ her. 

But even by considering that, I was getting ahead of myself. I needed to decide who, exactly, I was going to let bite me first.

Even thinking of it made me grimace, but now that I’d come this far, I certainly wasn’t going to get cowed here. I would just have to make my choice carefully.

Vil was, of course, the first one that came to mind, but I wasn’t entirely certain he’d agree. At the very least he wouldn’t like this plan since it put me at risk, but he would quite possibly outright refuse.

In fact, he might even be appalled that I would ask. After all, I didn’t know what vampire decorum there might be about getting bitten, claimed, marked, or any of the above.

Rook and Epel were options too, but I was less confident in their control. I knew neither of them would ever intentionally hurt me, but they were younger vampires, which meant their control was probably lacking. 

And if a vampire's reaction to me when I simply walked by was anything to go off of, then I definitely didn’t want any vampire that lacked in terms of control in any way for my own safety.

And on top of all of that, I knew for a fact neither of them had ever drunk blood from a human, which wasn’t something I couldn’t say for any of the other vampires I knew.

 Bluntly put, if I was going to have to get bitten, I would prefer it be someone experienced for my own sake, as uncomfortable as the whole idea made me. And frankly, I didn’t even want to think about whether technique was an important part of the equation or not.

So Rook and Epel were out.

Adding quickly to that pile were Ace, Deuce, Sebek, Jack, and Azul. I knew all of them were younger vampires, which meant they possibly had less control.

Jade and Floyd were both young too, of course, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that they would somehow be more competent in terms of drinking blood or the entire biting situation in general. 

Another thing that I didn’t entirely want to consider.

And then there was the fact that I also wasn’t sure that I was entirely comfortable with the thought of them biting me. I doubted they would outright hurt me on purpose, but there was something about them that made me hesitate to outright choose them.

I wasn’t actually sure how old Ruggie, Jamil, Kalim, Cater, Trey, or Riddle were, which made judging them a bit more difficult. Though Riddle had mentioned being one of the older members of the Heartslabyul clan.

Ruggie would possibly be okay, but somehow I was also against it being him. In truth, I was concerned that he would have less control, though I couldn’t actually put a finger on why that would be the case.

I knew for a fact that I didn’t want it to be Jamil, simply due to our past. With the entire hypnosis thing, I was just against the idea of it all, even though I was pretty confident that Jamil wouldn’t intentionally hurt me outside of the general, unavoidable injury that came with being bitten.

Kalim was someone I was reasonably comfortable with, but I was also worried he would get excited, for lack of a better word. Plus, I honestly wasn’t sure he would even be able to handle hurting me to the degree the biting itself would take.

I didn’t know Cater, Trey, or Riddle as well as any of the others I’d considered so far. And though it was true Riddle had offered, he’d also done so in a way that implied he would only be willing if there were no other options.

Which brought to mind another person who’d once made a similar offer. 

Malleus had told me that, should I ever wish for it, he would be willing to turn me. And while I wasn’t sure about being turned, his offering implied he was confident in his capabilities of controlling himself, so at the very least he might not drain me by accident.

Malleus was also old, as was Lilia, and with how old  they had implied they were, they had probably drunk blood from a human rather than a baggie before, which meant they had experience.

I somewhat leaned away from picking either of them, though, simply due to how my interactions with both Malleus and Lilia had gone. Though between the two, things had been less weird with Lilia, the simple fact Malleus had offered to turn me made me hesitate to pick him.

And there were still other options too. 

Idia, for instance, wasn’t affected by me, which made him a very good option. But, being totally honest, I didn’t actually think he would do it. Not with how anxious he was. 

In fact, I was worried he’d pass out at the very thought of having to get that close to me, much less having to bite me.

Finally, as the only remaining option, there was Leona. 

Leona had controlled himself when I’d bled in front of him before, which was a comforting thought in regard to the level of control he probably had. And while I didn’t know about his biting experience, it was honestly hard to picture him losing control of himself.

In fact, it was easier to picture Malleus or Lilia losing control of themselves, which was odd, considering they were probably the oldest vampires in my list of options.

Finally, as another point towards the Leona option, when I’d told him what Riddle had told me, he’d been rather disgruntled but grudgingly accepting of the possible necessity of my being bitten.

I frowned, at last plopping down on my couch as I realized I’d already narrowed down my list to two main options. Leona and Vil.

I didn’t know if either of them would agree, though. Vil would probably be the more likely one to refuse, but he was also the one I leaned towards. In fact, if I were to be wholly honest with myself, he was the only one I wanted to do it anyway.

I was comfortable with Vil and trusted him implicitly. I’d known him for so long, though I’d also known for quite some time that my affection for him edged just a little too far beyond the line known as friendship, which could definitely complicate matters when I considered exactly how close to me he’d have to get to actually bite me.

On the flipside, I didn’t exactly think Leona would outright hurt me intentionally either. He was both reliable and trustworthy, but I also wasn’t nearly as close to him as I was to Vil. By the same token, though, there was safety in that I didn’t have near the feelings for him that I held for Vil.

But, at the end of the day… I didn’t want it to be him. I wanted it to be Vil. A thought that was somewhat frightening in and of itself. Because was I truly that insane? That I could have such a strong preference even though I knew the issues it could cause between Vil and me.

I leaned back, letting my head rest against the back of my couch as I stared up at the ceiling and let my fingers curl around the cross charm that hung, as it always did, from my necklace that had been latched around my neck all evening. 

A small reminder that I knew exactly who my choice was going to be, even though I’d spent so much time debating my numerous options.

I smiled tiredly, almost disappointed in myself. But I was going to prove all of those rumors right.

I’d gone from being beyond wary of Vil, to befriending him, to relying on both his protection and him as a companion, and now I was quite literally going to ask him to bite me. 

I’d pretty much done a 180 in my relationship with Vil, and now spent most of my time with him ignoring the feelings I had for him simply because it was all just too complicated.  And that wasn’t even considering the way he’d always dodged the matter. 

After a while, I’d simply stopped trying to broach it long before Crowley had ever gotten himself involved in my life.

Because, no matter how I thought of what a relationship between us could truly be like, Vil was a vampire, and I wasn’t. In fact, I was a vampire hunter.

It was both cliché and ridiculous, and I knew that. Especially since even though I was going to ask him to do the one thing vampires were best known for, I probably still wouldn’t come clean with him about my feelings. Not when I knew he’d likely turn me down.

But then I’d known for quite some time now that I was a coward.

I inhaled, closing my eyes as I resolved myself. It was asking enough of me to deal with the idea of him biting me, much less requesting it, when I’d been avoiding being bitten by a vampire for over a year now.

Besides, I didn’t even know if he would agree. And if he didn’t, I supposed that would mean going on to my next option and dealing with that entire mess.

I could face my feelings for Vil and what exactly they meant for my future and our relationship later. Maybe after the entire insane vampire issue was resolved. 

Assuming everything went well, I would have more time then anyway.

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I stared almost numbly at Riddle, who held my gaze unflinchingly as I exhaled evenly, “So you're saying that I’m going to have to go and get myself bitten so that this woman, your mother, will think that I’m claimed; otherwise, she’ll attack me without any warning?”

Riddle nodded, a quick motion that somehow made the entire situation all the worse because it left absolutely no room for questioning.

“Yes. She is very anti-mortals, which could have something to do with her creation of the insane vampires. If she sees you, unclaimed as you are, she will attack you, and she will kill you.”

I frowned at his words, shifting slightly in my seat, “I can defend myself if it comes to that.”

Even Trey shook his head at my words, and I looked between the two, feeling half-annoyed and half-desperate. 

Trey was the one who spoke, though, his expression sympathetic as he met my gaze, “Y/n, we understand that you’re a vampire hunter and that you can hold your own in a fight. You even proved that this evening in your duel with Riddle. But you have to understand, this woman is on another level. She’s ancient and has survived many, many encounters with other vampire hunters. It’s too dangerous for you to just rely on your skills.”

Riddle nodded, agreeing with the other man as he shifted, uncrossing and recrossing his legs as he frowned at me, “Indeed. Just because you beat me in a duel doesn’t mean you can best her. It would be foolish for you to go in there unprepared when I can promise you she will not turn you. She would kill you.”

He paused, letting his words sink in before he continued, “Your best option is to feign being claimed. That way she won’t attack you out of respect for the one who has staked their claim.”

I crossed my arms as he finished, not entirely as confident as he was that a simple vampire bite would be enough to drive her off if she hated people as much as both he and Trey implied, “And you’re sure she won’t just ignore this whole ‘claimed’ business and attack me anyway?”

I watched as a smug smile curled across Riddle’s face, and he nodded, “It is one of the oldest rules there are for vampires. You don’t attack another vampire’s mortal that has been claimed unless you are willing to wage all-out war with both that vampire and their clan. Mother would never do such a thing. It would be the height of rudeness and beyond improper.”

I blinked, half-unimpressed but now able to assume that Riddle had gotten his obsession with rules from his so-called mother.

But that didn’t solve my issue.

Having to get bitten, of all things, for my safety had issues of its own when it came to how safe I would actually be during the biting process.

It might as well be common knowledge that my blood was apparently something to be desired by vampires, and I couldn’t help but be worried. If just smelling me caused some sort of bizarre reaction where they had to control themselves, how bad would tasting my blood be for them in terms of having to control themselves? 

Could I really trust a vampire to bite me and not end up draining me entirely?

I knew from my time at the Diasomnia clan that a single bite didn’t necessarily seal the deal for being turned unless too much blood was taken. But I still couldn’t help but be on edge at the mere thought of getting bitten.

And, as if the idea of getting bitten wasn’t bad enough when I’d spent quite a bit of my time avoiding precisely that, then the idea of the vampire losing control and either killing me by draining me or turning me into a vampire by taking too much blood was worse.

It was true that I was already a part of the vampire world and that I had lots of friends here, but that didn’t mean I was just itching to die and join them.

Even if it would resolve some of my concerns about how long I’d be able to stay with Vil…..

“If you’re going to do this, I recommend you pick someone you trust. If you can’t find anyone, then I am willing to do what is necessary, but you should think about this carefully,” Riddle’s words drew my gaze back to him.

I’d barely looked his way in time to notice the way his gaze settled a little too perfectly on my throat before he cleared his throat and dragged his eyes back up to my face.

I swallowed, doing my best to pretend that I hadn’t noticed his gaze as he tilted his head, “I’m sure you know exactly how dangerous this is for you, after all.”

I nodded numbly, finding it oddly difficult to speak with all of the thoughts that were currently circulating through my mind.

I could feel the weight of Trey’s eyes on me as silence stretched between the three of us.

And it was almost a blessing when a knock on the door shattered the silence, causing me and Trey to turn and look back at the door as Riddle called out in a half-annoyed voice, “What is it?”

The door barely cracked open before Deuce’s head appeared as he cautiously looked in before brightening as his eyes landed on me, “Y/n! There you are.”

He glanced around the room and stepped into the room, his back perfectly straight and his entire body stiff, like he was at attention as he noticed Riddle, “I just came to let you know that it’s getting late and that Y/n had probably better start heading home.”

Riddle nodded, his motions as sharp as ever as he stood, “Very well.” He paused, looking over at where I sat, “I suggest you think about what we discussed here and decide what you want to do before moving forward.”

I nodded, pressing my lips together but getting up from my seat, “I will… Thank you.”

Deuce’s worried gaze rested on me as I walked out of the room, followed by my friend, only to find Ace waiting outside for me with a slight frown on his face as he looked my way, “So, was he a pain?”

 I didn’t have to ask who ‘he’ was. It was obvious who Ace meant, and I almost smiled at his slightly peevish tone.

“Riddle was fine. In fact, he answered all of my questions without losing his temper at all,” I spoke as calmly as possible as the redhead fell in step with me and Deuce. But both young men continued to eye me expectantly, and I felt myself sigh.

A large part of me didn’t want to tell them what I’d just learned. It certainly wasn’t my place to tell them about Riddle’s connection to the vampire causing all of this, but it also didn’t feel entirely right to leave them wholly in the dark. Not when they’d been on my side this entire time.

“Riddle knew who the root of insane vampire issues was, and they aren’t part of the clan,” At my words, Ace grinned, startling me slightly until Deuce started speaking.

“So you were right! It is a vampire acting on their own! Does this mean you can go and, you know, handle them?” Deuce questioned me rapid-fire, and for a brief moment I blinked in surprise before smiling slightly.

Because, of course, they were excited. I had been right, and they didn’t know everything I knew.

I nodded slightly before a frown worked its way back onto my face, causing the two young men to both frown as they exchanged a look from around me. Deuce leaned over, his voice lowering as if his words were a secret, “Y/n... What’s wrong?”

I inhaled, bracing myself slightly before I started explaining. Because I knew this was going to be the first of many explanations that would follow the same basic formula.

“Riddle told me that if I was going to have a chance of safely meeting this vampire to confirm everything he told me as well as handle this entire mess, I was going to have to be marked so that she would think that I was claimed and wouldn’t just outright attack me.”

I glanced worriedly between the two young men, who both stared at me in a notably heavy silence. 

Ace was the first one to react, a deep frown appearing on his face as he came to a stop next to me, “He doesn’t think you can handle this woman? Even after you beat him in a duel??”

I shook my head slightly, “Apparently she’s an old vampire that’s fought lots of vampire hunters before. Trey agreed with him and even said that this had to be handled carefully.”

“Then what are you going to do? Are you actually going to let a vampire bite you? Is that even safe??” Deuce picked up where Ace had left off, and I looked his way, lifting one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.

“I don’t know yet. Riddle told me to consider it all carefully… But I don’t really know what to do,” My honest admission was met with silence and was predictive of how the rest of my trip home went. 

Very quietly and filled with questions of what I should do. 

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The door opened easily, with only a quiet creak, and revealed a dusty old parlor area with decorations that were solely in red, black, and white. 

The entire room was just slightly left of being elegant but was definitely off-putting in its strange, almost whimsical decor. Like something was innately wrong with it all. And it reminded me distinctly of the strangeness that was the decor in the Heartslabyul clan’s headquarters.

I tugged my necklace out from under my shirt, letting my cross hang out in the open as I stepped in cautiously. Glancing around as I shut the door behind me and straightening as a figure appeared in a doorway across from where I stood.

It was a woman, no doubt the one I’d come here to see, though I hadn’t expected to meet her quite this quickly. 

She was tall, her dark hair pulled into a tight bun as she stepped into the light cast by the moonlight that came in through the cracks between the climbing roses that encased this house. Almost like they were trying to seal this place away from the entire world and turn it into a coffin for this woman.

Her face was unnaturally pale, and her expression strict despite the vast amount of makeup she wore that somehow didn’t overwhelm her in the same way that her wine-colored shirt and full, dark skirts also didn’t.

“I don’t recall giving you permission to enter, mortal. Did your parents not teach you that there are rules about such things?” Her fangs flashed slightly as she spoke in a tone devoid of warmth, and I felt myself tensing, preparing myself for anything.

Because even though I’d only just encountered her, I could already tell that there was something off about this woman. Like she wasn’t all there. Too cold to be normal.

“Are you Mrs. Rosehearts?” I questioned her in an almost wary tone, and her dark eyebrows arched at my words before she nodded.

“Yes, but you have no place here, marked one. Leave before I finish what your master started,” I blinked slightly at her words before I noted the way her gaze lingered on my neck.

I almost reached up to touch the bite mark, but I stopped myself, instead stepping further into the room, “I’m here to ask you some questions. Are you the one that has been making insane vampires?”

I hardly expected an answer from her, but she tilted her head, something flickering within her eyes that made me go cold. There was nothing sane about this woman, not a single thing.

Even if she initially seemed in full control of her faculties, she was not natural. There was some form of psychosis or something. I might not be able to identify it, but something told me deep down that there was nothing sane about this woman, even if she may be an impressive actress.

She stepped forward, her heels clicking against the tiled, black-and-white floor, and there was something detached about her even though she held herself in an almost regal manner.

“Are you the one they’ve been after?” She inhaled after her question, barely concealed hunger flaring in her eyes as soon as she took in a breath before she nodded, answering her own question with narrowed eyes, “So you are. The one who calls all of my children to you with your mere scent.”

I frowned at her words, stepping sideways and entering a slowly circling motion that would eventually lead to her being between the door and me. Trapping me in this house. 

But that didn’t matter. Not since I was sure now that she was the vampire I had been searching for.

And even if she hadn’t done anything overtly aggressive, she was most certainly predatory and definitely dangerous.

Plus her comment about her children… There was something unsettling about it.

If she viewed all of the insane vampires as her children, why didn’t she do something to protect them? I supposed it was possible that she herself was simply too mad to even consider such a thing, but it was still somehow off-putting. That she would turn people and then just send them out to become a terror that haunted the night. Deeming them her children but not really showing any care for them since it was obvious that they simply ran wild.

She came to a slow stop, tilting her head at me as her eyes dragged over my form, and she shifted, her crimson lips lifting into a smile, “So you even pulled him, Riddle, my masterpiece to you…..”

My hand found the zipper on my bag as I hurriedly opened it and plunged my hand into its depths, seeking out a stake and finding it quickly. 

I’d intended to load my crossbow before I ran across this woman, but it was almost like she had been waiting for me, and I hardly had time to worry about loading my weapon now.

Her back was to the front door now as she faced me, her lips spreading into a slow smile that had me swallowing thickly as I waited with bated breath for whatever she was going to do now.

A part of me screamed that I should take the first step and just attack her, but somehow I couldn’t. Not when I knew what I did about Riddle’s relationship to her. Not without her proving that there was no other choice.

“So the crow is your master then?”

My motions stilled at her words, and her eyes glowed at me from within the darkness she stood in. But suddenly my mind was no longer swirling with concerns about Riddle that warred with my own instincts of self-preservation.

Instead, I was far more concerned by what she’d just said. Because she knew. She somehow knew that I was working for Crowley. But how? And did that mean she thought he was the one who’d bitten me?

It was a thought that almost made me grimace, but instead I carefully continued to gauge her reaction. Watching as her crimson smile turned into a frown as her eyes fell to my necklace that now shone brightly in the moonlight.

“And you’re the one that has been killing my children,” Her tone shifted from haughty to angered, and her eyes flashed once more. But this time it wasn’t just with hunger. This time there was vengeance there.

Vengeance that confused me. Because here I’d thought she didn’t truly care about her so-called children. But perhaps she did. Perhaps, in her eyes, they were something that belonged to her and weren’t to be touched by anyone else.

Her face twisted, her mouth opening to fully reveal her fangs as she hissed at me. And just like that her expression lost the semblance of sanity that it had held before, and I braced myself. Preparing to dodge the second she dove at me, and it didn’t take long.

I barely moved in time as she sprung forward with an inhuman screech.

I’d fought an insane vampire before, but she was different. Unlike the others, who’d either maintained a slight vestige of sanity or operated solely on the basis of needing food, her actions seemed to be purely driven by a longing to kill.

I now knew exactly what I’d been seeing in her eyes, and it was something that made my breath catch slightly. 

Bloodlust. Not the ordinary kind that indicated she was hungry for my blood. No, it was more like she simply wanted to see my blood spilled on her pristine floors that I could see my face reflected in.

This was why everyone had been so worried about me fighting her. She wasn’t just insane or powerful. She wanted to kill simply for the sake of killing.

“Tell me, Mortal, did you enjoy killing my children? Just like that other hunter murdered my son without even an ounce of hesitation!” She spun as she spoke. Her eyes glowing as the shadows that seemed to all but devour her, save for her bright eyes and pale face.

I swallowed, shaking my head as I straightened and palmed the stake that I’d tugged out of my bag as I’d dodged her mere moments ago, “No…” I hesitated even as I answered honestly, feeling out of my depth but refusing to back down. 

It wasn’t like I could now that I was here, facing her.

“Did you enjoy training Riddle to be what you thought was the perfect vampire?” I didn’t know where the words came from, and they seemed to surprise her just as much as they startled me.

She soon scowled, though, drawing herself up into a perfectly straight posture that seemed completely at odds with the strange lack of sanity she displayed, “He was so close to perfect. The closest I have ever come.”

I outright frowned at her, stepping backwards and shaking my head, “The closest you’ve ever come to what?”

Her lips curved up into a smile, one that seemed to mock my lack of understanding, “The closest I’ve come to recreating him.”

Him…. Her son? The one that got killed?

I could feel my mind go blank. And even if it was only for a moment, that was all it took to distract me just enough so that when she dove, she collided with me this time.

Sending me hurtling to the ground, knocking over a table, and sending a vase of ancient, dried roses crashing the ground in a pile of dust, webs, and broken shards of pottery.

I scrambled against the slick tiles below me as she knelt over me, uncaring of the way her knees ground her skirt into the sharp shards of the vase as she smiled down at me. Her hand tightly gripped my wrists so that her nails dug into my skin as she held my arms pinned to the ground in a way that promised I would have bruises if I survived this night. 

“You know… My son was killed by someone like you. A vampire hunter. Lovely young thing that charmed him out of my safe embrace only to murder him in an instant.”

Her words were punctuated with hisses as she loomed over me, all too close to being able to bite me.

I struggled against her, wedging one of my legs between us and kicking at her. Hitting her squarely in the stomach and causing her to let out a cough. But when her eyes opened, there was only rage and bloodlust, and she remained unmoved.

Her hand that had been braced on my ground shifted, reaching to grasp my throat tightly, “And now I’ll end you just like I ended them.”

I gasped slightly as her slender hand closed around my throat for the briefest of moments before she let out a pained screech and practically threw herself backwards and off of me.

I sat up, scrambling backwards, one hand reaching up towards my throat and the other searching for a weapon as she glowered down at her reddened hands before looking up at me with a hiss.

I dimly realized that somehow, someway, when she’d thrown me against the ground and in my struggling, my necklace had shifted perfectly so that the cross charm had rested against my throat.

So when she’d grabbed my neck, she’d also grabbed the cross.

My hand fell against wood, and my fingers curled reassuringly around the stake I’d dropped mere moments ago. Yanking it to me as she dove at me once more, screeching something loudly with anger slurring her words so that I couldn’t make out what she said.

But I didn’t have to.

I forced myself to ignore my instincts that screamed at me to turn and flee. Instead, I shoved myself forward and against her as she clawed at me, her fingers tearing through my thick sleeves as if they were nothing. 

The stake pierced her chest as I closed the distance between us. Both my momentum and hers impaling her on the wood as she continued to grasp my shoulders. Her nails digging into my shoulders and drawing blood, causing me to hiss in pain until a shudder passed through her and she turned to ashes that rained down onto her once pristine floor.

Once a picture of perfection that now clearly displayed the true hideousness of the situation.

A woman who’d lost her son and, that, I could only assume, tried to recreate him through the creation of other vampires and had instead created what amounted to an army of insane vampires.

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I sat idly in the Pomefiore clan’s headquarters. It was just me, Vil, Rook, and Epel. And by now, I doubted any of the other vampires here really found it that odd.

It seemed like I was always coming back here, and this old hotel, that once seemed so run-down and ramshackle despite its bygone glory, now felt like a second home to me.

And I didn’t know what that really meant for me, considering this was a literal den of vampires. The very beings I’d once avoided for so long. 

But I supposed it was a sign of how far I’d come since the very start of all of this. Now, I was fully integrated into the world of the night, and while I once might have said that was for the worse, I now wondered if it was actually for the better. Because I wasn’t scared anymore. In fact, I was utterly comfortable.

I tilted my head as I continued to watch my three friends. Epel was laughing and telling Rook something as he idly carved an apple that I’d brought along as a snack for myself. Rook nodded along, his bob of blond hair swishing with each motion as he smiled widely at Epel’s story. And Vil, for his part, listened as he read through whatever it was he was looking at. Occasionally slipping into the conversation with quiet little jabs or amused comments.

All three of them were examples of the simple fact that I had a great many friends here who were all vampires, and that would have never happened otherwise.

In fact, the most important people in my life now were all vampires.

I stood quietly from my seat, somehow managing to keep any of the young men from noticing as I slipped from the room to roam the long hallways of the building. 

If nothing else, these hallways, lined with door after door, were perfect evidence that this place had once been a hotel that hosted a great many rooms for potential guests. And now most of the rooms were filled with vampires in the same way that my life was now so filled with vampires. Most of whom were my friends.

It had been a subtle shift at first. Starting with just Vil, who remained a stalwart part of my life that I honestly doubted would ever disappear now. In fact, if he did, I wasn’t sure what I’d do, and it wasn’t something I wanted to consider. Not after everything we’d been through…..

After his appearance in my life, things had been peaceful for a while. And then Epel and Rook had been turned into vampires as Crowley had dragged me unwillingly into the world of vampires. And from there it had spiraled.

Leona, Jack, and Ruggie were the next additions to the list. All young men that I would have never expected to befriend when I’d first shown up at the Savanaclaw Clan, with Leona being a particularly unlikely candidate despite the way I trusted him now.

And I did have to admit that Jack had been easier to get along with than the other two right from the very start, and Ruggie certainly had his charms.

Then had come Kalim and Jamil. Kalim had been easy to befriend and get along with. In fact, I really didn’t think that there was any way that I could have come away from the Scarabia Clan without befriending Kalim. The sunshiny young man practically forced the matter of friendship in the most gentle but undeniable way possible.

Jamil, for his part, had been a completely different ordeal. In some ways I hesitated even now to call him a friend, but I certainly wasn’t nervous around him now. Despite the incredibly rough start, he’d turned out to be a good ally, and I was no longer wary of him.

The Diasomnia Clan had been an interesting experience, to be sure. Befriending Malleus had come quickly, despite how foreboding he could be. Lilia was easily likable, even if he had a penchant to be mildly unsettling sometimes. Silver had been the only other human around, and I’d quickly learned that he and I had far more in common than I’d initially thought. In all honesty, he was someone that it was easy to be comfortable with. Sebek had been the only one that had ever been the slightest bit ornery with me, and even he was someone that I’d grown close to, and by now they were all reliable friends.

My experience with the Ignihyde Clan had been rather odd too, considering the first person I'd befriended there was a humanoid robot who was the little brother of the clan’s leader. But Ortho was definitely charming and loveable, even if his beam was definitely something to be feared. Idia, conversely, had been moody and downright antagonistic at times, but I’d even warmed to him by the time my evaluation of that clan came to an end and listened to his recommendation for the next clan.

And Idia hadn’t steered me wrong; I’d learned quite a bit at the Octavinelle Clan, even if they’d caught me wholly off-guard to start with. But getting to know Azul, Floyd, and Jade while working in the restaurant with them had ended up being an experience I looked back on with fondness. And even now, I doubted I would ever find a stromboli that was tastier than the one that Floyd made.

And then, finally, the Heartslabyul Clan. Getting along with Trey, Cater, Ace, and Deuce had come naturally. Riddle, on the other hand, had been far more difficult, but after finally getting to know him, I held a new respect for the frail-looking young man who’d turned out to be far stronger than I could have ever imagined.

And even now, despite the reassurances from Rook, I regretted having killed the woman Riddle had called ‘Mother.’ Even if she was the one that had been causing all the issues with the insane vampires.

“What has you so deep in thought?” 

I all but levitated at the sound of the familiar voice from behind me that had me whirling and letting out a startled, if slightly offended-sounding whisper shout, “Vil!”

He didn’t look the slightest bit guilty as he smiled at me in amusement even as I frowned at him, crossing my arms as he walked over to where I stood, “You scared me.”

He let out a hum, tilting his head as he uncrossed his arms, “And here I thought we were far beyond that.”

I almost rolled my eyes at his sarcasm, shaking my head slightly as he shifted. A slight frown appearing on his face as he continued to eye me, and I sighed, “I was just thinking about how much everything has changed. Two Halloweens ago I was in complete and total hiding from vampires and now….”

I trailed off, smiling even as I shook my head even as Vil finished my sentence for me, “And now you’re at the headquarters of a vampire clan, where you spend a lot of your time as the vampire hunter for our district of vampires.”

I snorted slightly as he tilted his head towards me, a smile on his face as he continued, “And here I thought you were thinking about when Crowley was going to summon you.”

I hummed, actually rolling my eyes for real this time, “Oh, don’t worry. I’ve been thinking about that plenty.”

He hummed, starting to walk alongside me as I took off once more, idly strolling with no real destination in mind.

Lately, I’d taken to exploring the hotel’s grounds. Sometimes Epel or Rook would come along, but it was never odd to find myself walking alongside Vil in solitude at some point during the evening.

“We’ll, he’ll send word when he sends word.” Vil paused, the warmth slipping out of his tone as annoyance crept in to fill the gap, “Though the least he could do would be to be punctual about it.”

I snickered at his annoyance, earning myself a raised eyebrow from him that I only shook my head in response too.

It wasn’t long before we’d made it to the foyer area, causing me to frown as I glanced around in confusion before looking over at Vil, “I thought we were headed towards the pool area?”

Amusement shone in his amethyst eyes as he shook his head, confirming what was already obvious, “No, you missed that hallway.”

I hummed, retracing our steps in my head until a firm knock sounded from the door that had us both looking over at the same time.

Vil frowned before I could even start to question him, his expression carrying the undertone of suspicion as he walked over before opening the door, his face clearing with resigned understanding as a familiar voice spoke from outside, “Ah, is the little Imp here?”

I trotted over, resting my hand on Vil’s arm as I leaned around him to peer out at the dark-skinned vampire, who grinned as soon as he saw me.

“Sam, long time no see,” I smiled as I spoke, genuinely pleased to see the man even though I knew exactly what his presence meant. Crowley was ready for me.

Because Sam never seemed to appear unless it was to deliver orders from Crowley.

“Hey, Little Imp,” He held up his gloved hand in a friendly wave before he paused and reached into his pocket. Pulling out two black envelopes and holding them out to us with a fanged grin, “You’re both cordially invited to a ball.”

I felt my eyebrows arch slightly as I accepted the invitations even as I eyed the tell-tale purple stamp with the insignia of a crow holding keys in its talons.

Even if I’d never seen it before, it was perfectly obvious that this was Crowley’s emblem.

“I hope you both have a lovely night,” I blinked as I looked back up to see Sam tipping his hat to us both with an oddly knowing smile before he turned on his heel and strode off. Giving us absolutely no chance to respond, much less ask any questions, as he left.

I glanced over at Vil, who was eyeing the invitations in my hand with a slight frown as he shut the door, “Another ball?”

 I questioned him quietly and earned a displeased hum in response as he nodded, “So it seems.”

He paused, tilting his head to eye me as a slow smile spread across his face.

He pocketed the invitation without even opening it as he stepped back and away from it slightly. Causing me to look at him in utter confusion as he smiled at me in an oddly pleased manner before holding out his hand, “May I accompany you that evening?”

I let out a half-startled laugh at his words, almost teasing in their tone. Like he knew what my answer would be before he’d ever asked.

And he no doubt did, because I certainly did.

I grinned as I lightly placed my hand in his, doing my very best to not laugh as I lifted my chin like some haughty royal, “I would have no one else.”

He grinned, his fangs glinting slightly in the lighting around us as I finally broke down in soft giggles as he pulled me back over to him, his eyes alight with amusement.

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The next day honestly came far too quickly, and I was frowning slightly as I stood in front of the Heartslabyul headquarters, waiting for it to reach seven o’clock so I could go in. 

I idly checked my watch, finding myself fidgeting with my sleeve awkwardly as I impatiently waited for it to be time, while simultaneously dreading what awaited me as soon as it did reach seven o’clock. 

When Vil had still been with me last night, everything had been fine. It was like all my worries about today had simply been washed away. But that feeling had not lasted.

Because when I stepped through these doors, I would have to tell Riddle that I’d killed the woman he called ‘Mother’ last night and then go report to Crowley.

Riddle would most certainly be upset, though he may try to hide it since he’d doubtless understand why what had happened had occurred. And Crowley…. I honestly didn’t know how that meeting would go.

There was always the possibility that he would have a new job already lined up for me as soon as he heard that I’d largely finished this one. Though, then again, I supposed I’d be continuing to deal with insane vampires up until the point when their numbers were deemed as being under control. A thought that made me openly grimace.

“Y/N!!” I jolted at the shouted chorus of my name that had my head whipping over to look towards the door of the clan’s headquarters from where I’d wandered over to one of the rose bushes. 

My eyes widened as I registered the two young men who had all but burst out of the building. The redhead bending over to pant slightly as the darker-haired of the two finished trotting over.

“You’re alright!” Deuce grasped my arms just a little bit too tightly, almost causing me to wince at his grip as he exhaled a sigh of relief and a brilliant smile swept its way across his face as he scanned my entire body for injuries while I stared at him, blinking dumbly.

Ace, at odds with his companion, straightened and let out a huff as his red eyes locked onto me and he all but scowled.

“What happened to letting us know the moment everything was over with?! We thought you’d died or something!” He practically stormed over, his harsh words leaving me even more startled than Deuce’s dazzling smile had. Out of all the things I’d braced myself for, a scolding hadn’t been one of them.

But he had a point, and now both of them were frowning at me. Ace, irritatedly, and Deuce, worriedly.

I shook my head, carefully extracting my arms out from Deuce’s grip and rubbing one self-consciously, “I… Sorry. I was just so exhausted that I went home immediately. I didn’t even think to-”

“Alright, guys. I think you’ve scolded them enough. They seem properly chastened,” A voice whose forced sternness only slightly covered the warmth it held broke in. Causing me to look past Ace and see both Trey and Cater standing there. Trey, with his arms crossed like an only slightly stern older brother, and Cater with a smile on his face as he came the rest of the way out of the building.

“Yeah, give ‘em some room, you two,” Cater slid between Ace and Deuce with practiced ease as he flapped his hands to shoo them aside before slipping over beside me and slinging a casual arm over my shoulder, causing me to have to suppress a wince as he barely missed my injury.

He frowned at me as he rubbed my arm affectionately, “You really should have told us you were alright though, Y/n. We were all worried. I guess I’ll just have to snap your victory pic now!” As he spoke, he held up his phone, and I blinked up at the piece of technology. Barely catching his instructions to smile before the flash went off, briefly blinding me.

And just as quickly as the picture had been taken, Cater's arm had left my shoulders, and he was tapping away rapidly on his phone, “I’ll post this to the across-clan chat. I bet everyone will be thrilled!”

“The- The what now?” I blinked at him, barely able to keep up with all four young men as Ace and Deuce now bickered over something in the background while Trey sighed at them, shaking his head fondly.

“The across-clan group chat. It’s something we’ve been working on for a while, though I think Cater’s the one who uses it the most,” I glanced over at the calm voice. My gaze finding Riddle’s calm grey-eyed one as my own eyes widened at the sight of him. 

He was at odds with the cheerful chaos as he walked calmly out of his clan’s headquarters, and I felt myself tense slightly at his appearance.

He was, by no means, anywhere near as uncompromising as he’d seemed when I’d first met him, but I was tensing for a different reason now. 

He and I both knew what my presence here meant.

I faltered as I tried to find something to say to him, but instead he was the one who spoke first as he came to a stop in front of me, his head tilting slightly as he looked at me, “Are you injured in any way?”

I nodded slightly, one hand reaching up to cup my shoulder as I wondered if he could smell the remnants of blood on me before I spoke, “Yeah, one of my shoulders. But it’s nothing too bad, and I took care of it last night…. Is it bothering you?”

A smile flickered across his pale face, almost as if he were amused, before he shook his head, “No, I just wondered. Injuries aren’t always obvious after all.”

I let out a tiny ‘Ah’ and nodded before falling silent once more. My hands fidgeted with one another as I tangled my fingers together before untangling them and then retangling them together again.

After another brief, painfully awkward moment, I stepped closer to him, shifting slightly before I managed to speak again in a voice that was soft enough that I could barely hear myself, “I’m sorry about your mother.”

It felt paltry at best, considering I was the one who’d done the deed, but I hardly knew what else to say. Each time I’d tried to plan out something to tell him, it had either seemed paltry or like I was trying too hard. Though what I was trying for, even I didn’t know. 

All I really did know was that I felt guilty, and a small part of me kept wondering if there couldn’t have been some better way.

The woman had been insane, but that didn’t change the fact that she had been Riddle’s mother, of sorts, or remedy the fact that I’d killed her.

All of it made me wonder if I should offer to help Idia with his idea for a cure. At least that way no more insane vampires would have to die….

Riddle eyed me closely before sighing slightly and shaking his head. His gaze turned back towards his clan members, who were either giving us some space or were oblivious to the weighty nature of our conversation.

 “No need. You did what had to be done. Now this nightmare can be ended for everyone,” His voice was tired as he spoke, and in many ways he looked like he was staring at something further off than his clan members. And perhaps he was. In all honesty, I would never know, but it still bothered me even though there was nothing I could say to truly help.

But even then, I felt myself frown at his words, wanting to say something to comfort him. But it wasn’t really like I could deny his assertion that his mother was the cause of all the problems with insane vampires. He was the one who told me that was the case in the first place.

Still though, it felt like there was more I could say, though the words eluded me.

“Pup!” I jolted at the sharp voice that interrupted my thoughts, and I whirled. Looking towards where the now familiar man with black-and-white hair and a matching coat came strolling up the street. 

Ace and Deuce looked perfectly confused and looked my way as I started towards the man who walked towards me. His cool grey eyes locked onto me as I carefully slipped between my two friends.

“Crewel,” I came to a slow stop in front of him, half-impressed by how well he’d timed his checking in on me to see how my job was going.

He shifted, first eyeing the men behind me and then me once more, “Well. Is it done?”

I felt myself still slightly at his words, and I tilted my head, half wanting to question him but knowing better than to do so. Even if he’d offered me advice before, and I was used to Crewel by now, he still worked for Crowley.

But I really didn’t like how much his words suggested that Crowley already knew what had happened.

Because that brought up all sorts of questions as to how much Crowley had already known before I’d started this entire mess, as well as concerns about how closely I’d been being monitored this entire time.

I only hesitated slightly before answering, “It’s done. I’ve dealt with the source of the insane vampire issue.” I paused, straightening and lifting my chin ever-so-slightly before continuing, “The Heartslabyul clan is innocent of having been involved, but they did help me resolve the issue.”

I gestured to the men behind me as I spoke, causing Crewel to glance back at them once more, humming slightly to himself before he nodded as his gaze fell back to me. His next words were quieter than the previous ones, though now less pointed as his stare held mine unflinchingly, “And your relationship with them is good?”

By now, I was most definitely not surprised by his question. Especially since Crewel was the one who’d first suggested I befriend the clans. I had long decided that somehow, and for some reason, befriending the clans was part of my job anyway.

I paused, though, almost glancing back at the men I now viewed as friends. Though it hadn’t been immediate by any means, just as it hadn’t with any of the clans, I now viewed them as friends.

I nodded, my answer coming out slightly quieter, just like how his question had been softer, “Yes, I’ve befriended them just like I did the other clans.”

He nodded, a quick motion that left no room for questions, “I’ll tell Crowley then. You can expect a summons within the next few days.”

I nodded obediently, fully expecting him to walk off now that he’d finished his business, but instead his gloved hand landed on my head.

I felt my eyes widen at the surprising, almost affectionate gesture, and I looked up at him in time to catch the slight smile that flickered across his face and spoke of pride as he patted me, “Good job, Pup.”

And with that, he turned and strode off, back down the street. As if nothing odd at all had happened.

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“Are you seriously second-guessing yourself right now?” Ace was beyond exasperated as he walked along with me. Guiding me through the house to the backyard where everyone else was apparently waiting for the duel that was fixing to take place.

I smiled awkwardly, lifting my shoulders in a nervous shrug before nodding, “Well, yeah… The more I think about it, the more I wonder if it really even makes sense to suspect Riddle.”

Ace blinked at me blankly before letting out a groan as he pressed a hand to his face, “Why doesn’t it?? He got defensive, like you said, and that’s the best you have to go on. Besides, he deserves a beating after last night!”

Ace finished pulling his hand down his face before looking over my way, frowning deeply at me suspiciously, “You are at least still going to ask him what he knows about the insane vampires if you win, right?”

I nodded hurriedly, “Yes! Of course I am…. I just wonder if I’m being too heavy-handed about all of this.” I paused, shaking my head slightly and frowning, “I mean... I didn’t really ask him about all of it one-on-one, and the more I think about it, the more I think that there’s more I could have done.”

“Yeah, but you’re here now, and what's done is done. If you keep beating around the bush like this, you’re never gonna win this duel, and then who knows what the teapot tyrant will ask of you.” 

Ace’s words were blunt, but I had to agree with him nonetheless.

There was no going back now. It wasn’t like I could back out and expect Riddle to ever respect me enough to trust me to do my job. Not when he already had obvious misgivings that he’d brought up in perhaps the most brutal way possible last night.

But even with that knowledge, I regretted reacting the way I had the other day. It had been emotional of me, and I could make all the excuses in the world about being overworked, stressed, or other things like that, but it didn’t fix it.

Though a small, perhaps horrible, part of me did still whisper that I should’ve done far more than I had.

I inhaled as I realized we were approaching the doors that would lead to the backyard where I was going to be having my duel.

Ace paused, though, pulling me to a stop and looking at me closely, “Are you ready?”

I blinked, halfway surprised by how solemn he sounded, before I nodded. Understanding setting in as I gazed back at him. Because no matter what the rest of the situation may be, I was still a human going up against a vampire in a duel. 

Admittedly, I was a vampire hunter, but that only helped the situation so much. I was more used to fighting without holding back, but that wouldn’t be the case here since in no way was I trying to hurt Riddle. Even if he had pushed way too far last night.

Ace nodded in return before walking over and opening the door before sauntering out as if nothing were amiss. The people outside waiting had no way of knowing what he and I had been talking about, and he certainly gave nothing away as we stepped outside to see what was probably the entirety of the Heartslabyul clan.

Riddle clicked a pocket watch shut, a smile on his face as he looked up at where I stood, “Perfectly on time. I’m impressed, Hunter. But are you prepared?”

There was something beyond smug about the way he looked at me, and it sent a flicker of annoyance through me. But I wasn’t actually annoyed by the way he insistently implied that I wasn’t nearly as good a vampire hunter as lots of people suspected. After all, I personally agreed with him on that front.

Instead, I was annoyed by the way he seemed to look down on me in every single way possible. Not just about me being a vampire hunter.

It was like he thought I couldn’t do anything right. Not even get here on time.

I just pasted on a smile, though, as I walked out into the clearing. Feeling my smile spread a little and shift to something more genuine as I noticed Deuce waving at me from where Ace was joining him on the sidelines.

“I’m ready, yes,” As I spoke, I pulled one of the false stakes out of my bag as if to emphasize my words.

Riddle hummed, his eyebrows lifting slightly as he tugged his oversized cape from his shoulders, “The rules are simple then. We’ll fight until someone surrenders, has been obviously beaten, or is knocked out of the ring.”

As he spoke, he gestured to the ring of rose bushes and vampires around us. And honestly put, I was almost amused by the fact he had such clearly laid out rules, even though it made perfect sense for there to be rules to our duel.

I nodded, though, carefully slipping my cross necklace off and tucking it into my bag, “Sounds fair.”

Riddle snorted lightly as he watched me, “No need to worry. You can keep your lover’s little charm on if you want.”

So he knew about the necklace being from Vil did… He really had done his research to an almost weird degree that I was slightly tempted to call him out on.

I merely shook my head at his gloating words, though, reigning my own petty urges in. “No, that wouldn’t be fair.” I paused as I turned and tossed my now-zipped bag over to Deuce, who caught it before nodding at me.

I turned back to face Riddle as I shifted my grip on my faux-stake that I’d made precisely for tonight, “Ready when you are, Clan leader.”

Riddle’s lips twitched, his smile still smug, but also genuine, as he watched me for a moment before he looked over at Trey and nodded.

The green-haired vampire nodded with a sigh but straightened, calling out over the pristine yard, “Alright, you all heard the rules. The duel will start in 3….”

I shifted, widening my stance slightly as I kept my eyes on Riddle, who only watched me from his relaxed position with a smile on his face.

“2….”

To be honest, I had no idea if I would win this duel, but I would give it my best. At the very least, I wanted Riddle to know that he could rely on me to do my job. That was the only way I had even a prayer of this evaluation working out.

“1!”

Riddle dashed forward, all but blurring as he approached me, and I felt my eyes widen before I threw myself to the side.

It was easy to underestimate vampire opponents when you couldn’t base anything on their size. All vampires were inhumanely strong and fast, but that didn’t mean they were impossible to beat in hand-to-hand combat.

All I really had to do was either get him out of the ring or get him in a position where it was obvious that I’d won.

All in all, not a terribly difficult task even though I knew it would be far harder than it sounded. Not impossible, though.

I heard snickers and quiet “Oohs” from the assembled group, and I almost shook my head as I rolled back onto my feet while simultaneously spinning to look at where Riddle had come to an easy stop.

He turned to look back at me, a smile on his face as he looked over his shoulder in an almost coy fashion, “Well, you certainly can dodge, Hunter.”

I almost rolled my arms at the cheap shot but spread my hands, managing to smile back at my opponent, “Hey, that’s the name of the game when you're fighting to win, but have to keep yourself from getting caught.”

He turned to look fully at me, snorting in amusement at my words. But even if he’d meant his statement as a taunt, my answer was true.

Rook had told me when he’d been training me that dodging was one of the most important skills a vampire hunter could have, because every fight could easily end in being turned or death if you were just a little bit too slow.

I inhaled, though, knowing perfectly well that I couldn’t just spend this entire fight dodging. Not with how smooth Riddle’s stop had obviously been.

I could already tell that there was no way that Riddle was going to dive out of the ring on his own by misaiming or being overeager unless something snapped through his calm facade.

I was going to have to get close enough to faux-stake him or upset him to the point he got sloppy.

And luckily enough, I had a pretty strong impression from just the other day that Riddle had quite the spitfire temper on him.

“I suppose you do have a lot of experience running from vampires, don’t you? The only one that’s ever caught you is Vil, after all.” I felt myself stiffen slightly at Riddle’s words. Pointed and accurate in his initial statement, but with a little too much mocking in the secondary.

I felt my grip on my stake tighten, “Vil didn’t catch me. We’re friends.”

My voice somehow stayed level even though I knew exactly what Riddle was implying without him having to spell it out.

But spell it out he did as he walked towards me, confident in his ability to evade even if I should launch an attack.

“Friends… Yes, I think we all know what your relationship with Vil is. I suppose you’ve been using that relationship, along with your position as the head-vampire’s personal hunter, to get through your ‘evaluations’ up until now.”

Apparently this was going to be an insult-slinging, verbal duel more so than just a fight to prove that I could do my job.

I straightened, forcing myself to relax as Riddle strolled around without attacking, my motions causing him to snort at me slightly before I spoke.

“I’m surprised. I wouldn’t have thought the clan leader of Heartslabyul wouldn’t throw around baseless accusations that not only degrade the head-vampire of this district but also the other clans.”

I paused as he came to a slow stop, turning to face me with a slight frown as I smiled at him, shrugging slightly in an unbothered fashion. Because if I’d learned anything from Vil, it was how to act and present myself a certain way.

“The other clans would never be swayed by a simple title or the fact I’ve known Vil for a long time. They’re far too clever to base their opinions solely on some little rumors, after all. Of course I’m sure the same can be said for you too…”

I trailed off, my meaning obvious, and I could quite literally see Cater cringe from where he stood behind Riddle and opposite me in the ring of onlookers.

I watched as Riddle trembled slightly, his irritation obvious. But two could play at his game of insults and implications.

His face reddened, but I knew it wasn’t embarrassment, and I barely even had time to brace before he’d dove at me with something more akin to a shriek than a battle cry.

I whirled out of the way, stumbling slightly as I caught myself with one hand on the ground before turning only to see him already spinning. His heels digging into the grassy ground and kicking up dirt as he dove at me once more. This time catching me slightly off balance and slamming into me.

His small hands gripped my arms too tightly, and I grimaced as I forced my arms between us. Already realizing that I was definitely going to have even more bruises than the ones I’d gotten from my fight with the insane vampire last night after this duel was done.

Riddle’s fangs were bared as I struggled against him. Shifting my legs to brace myself on the ground just like Rook had taught me all that long time ago.

“Yield.” His voice was hissed, and I could hear a chant starting up as the Heartslabyul clan started counting down. Once they reached one, I would lose and be deemed unable to win on the grounds that I couldn’t wrestle Riddle off of me.

I met Riddle’s grey eyes, and somehow, in that instant, as I started to press down with my left foot to flip him, I realized something. Riddle relied on control. He had to have some sort of control, or he would snap.

That was what happened both times I’d seen him lose his cool. In some way, small or otherwise, he’d lost control over the conversation, and it had been too much for him.

The world seemed to blur as I threw all my weight into flipping him, and I was lucky that I caught him by surprise, because otherwise it never would have worked. But in the span of mere seconds I’d flipped Riddle onto his back so that I was sitting on him with my faux-stake pressed to his chest exactly where his heart would be if he were still alive.

He stared up at me, wide-eyed in surprise as everyone fell silent. The quiet around us mirroring his shock as I looked down at him, catching my breath before I spoke in a soft enough voice that none of the others could hear me, even accounting for their superior hearing.

“I don’t blame you for believing the rumors. Sometimes that’s all we have to go on, and that’s where I’ve been with this evaluation. And, by now, I should know far better than that.” I explained softly, and he blinked, almost as if coming to.

And before I could even come close to finishing, he spoke. His voice coming out soft before he stopped himself with a slight frown, “You….”

I froze as he swallowed, almost like he was bracing himself before he tried again. His voice ringing loudly and clearly across the entire space this time, “You win.”

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