#vampire!vil

Vil did not drink from you out of desperation; Desperation was ugly. Reckless. It hollowed people out until all that remained was instinct and ruin, and Vil refused to let something as crude as hunger define him.

He believed beauty was something cultivated with discipline, and immortality meant nothing if one allowed themselves to decay into something inelegant. While other vampires surrendered to frenzy and excess, Vil treated his condition with the same ruthless precision he applied to every aspect of his appearance.

You simply happened to be part of that routine.

Not in a cruel way — never that. Vil despised carelessness. He was particular about you. Excessively so.

Your meals were monitored with an attention bordering on absurdity. Iron-rich foods. Proper hydration. Enough rest. He insisted stress affected “quality,” though he said it with the same airy tone one might use discussing skincare ingredients.

Which was why, by the time night fell, everything was already exactly as he preferred it.

You were already waiting exactly where he liked you — perched gracefully on the edge of his canopy bed, the heavy velvet curtains drawn tight to shut out the rest of the world. The room was bathed in the warm glow of enchanted candles, their light dancing across silk sheets and polished marble floors.

Vil stepped inside, his presence immediately filling the space. His golden hair shimmered under the candlelight, and his amethyst eyes locked onto you with that familiar mix of hunger and appraisal.

“Perfect timing,” he murmured, his voice smooth but edged with fatigue. He removed his gloves slowly, one finger at a time, never breaking eye contact. “I was starting to get… irritable.”

As he stepped closer, that effortless grace of his stride remained — swift, silent, almost gliding — yet something about him was subtly off. His jaw was tighter than usual. His brows barely, almost imperceptibly, drawn. His hand tugging his collar open.

Vil exhaled through his nose, as if forcing his body to obey him rather than the other way around. “I dislike when it reaches this point,” he admitted quietly, more to himself than to you, voice lower now, less theatrical and more raw at the edges.

His fingers brushed your jaw as he tilted your chin upward with the care of an artist inspecting a masterpiece. His touch was ice cold — that perfect, refined temperature that made your skin prickle with anticipation rather than flinch away.

“You’ve been good for me,” he murmured, voice like velvet dragged over steel. “Look at you… skin flushed just right, pulse steady and strong. Exactly as I asked.”

He leaned in, nose grazing the curve of your neck as he inhaled slowly, savoring. A faint, almost imperceptible shudder ran through his frame — the only crack in his composure. Then his lips pressed against your throat, soft at first, almost reverent. He kissed the spot where your pulse beat hardest, tongue tracing a slow, deliberate line over the vein as if tasting before committing. 

“Relax for me,” he whispered against your skin. “Let me have you properly.”

The bite came without warning, yet not without grace.

His fangs sank in with surgical precision — two sharp points piercing clean and deep. There was a brief flash of pain, bright and fleeting, before it melted into something far more dangerous: a thick, honeyed heat that spread through your veins like liquid starlight. Vil groaned softly, the sound low and indulgent, vibrating against your throat as he drank.

He never rushed. Even now, when hunger clawed at him, his swallows were elegant. One hand cradled the back of your head, fingers threading through your hair to hold you steady. The other rested at your waist, thumb stroking slow circles over your ribs as if soothing you through the haze.

Every pull of his mouth sent sparks racing down your spine. The room felt warmer, the candlelight thicker, sweeter. Your fingers instinctively curled into the front of his shirt, gripping the expensive fabric as a quiet sound slipped from your lips — half gasp, half sigh.

Vil drank like he did everything else: with exquisite control and devastating focus. He savored you. The taste of your blood — rich, clean, perfectly balanced from all his meticulous care — drew another quiet, pleased hum from his throat. His body relaxed against yours as the irritation from earlier melted away, replaced by that luminous, almost euphoric calm he only ever found in feeding from you.

When he finally pulled back, Vil’s amethyst eyes darkened with a new kind of hunger as he hovered over you, his body caging yours against the silk sheets. The fresh bite on your neck still throbbed warmly, but his attention had shifted entirely to your lips.

Without a word, he cupped your face with his hand — fingers digging into your cheeks with that signature precision — and leaned down.

His mouth claimed yours in a slow, deep kiss.

The metallic taste of your own blood was immediate, rich and warm, still coating his tongue. He didn’t try to hide it. Instead, he pressed it into the kiss deliberately, letting you taste yourself on him as his tongue slid against yours with languid indulgence. The flavor mingled between you — copper-sweet, intimate, and undeniably intense.

A soft, possessive sound rumbled in his chest as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss further. His lips, still slick with crimson, moved against yours with practiced elegance, savoring every second. He fed you the taste of your own blood like it was fine wine he wanted you to appreciate, slow and deliberate, his tongue stroking yours in a way that made your head spin.

When he finally pulled back just enough to speak, a thin string of blood-tinted saliva connected your lips for a brief, obscene moment before it broke.

“Now you understand what I’m trying to preserve,” he murmured, voice low and velvet-rough, his breath brushing your mouth. “How absolutely intoxicating.”

It took everything in you not to scrunch your nose, “What vampire would be pleased at the sight of a hunter?” you retorted, before looking back at Vil. You assumed he was bluffing when he told you he would employ a vampire hunter to keep watch over the castle. You knew why he did it—all that power came with enemies and artifacts that all manner of magical creatures wanted to steal for themselves. But come on, you hoped he would settle for a protective spell.

Vil finally sighed, “He won’t harm you, or me if he knows what’s best for him.”

“Oh, Roi du Poison, no need for worries. I could never dream of tarnishing such beauty,” he replied, standing straight again. Despite that smile of his, there was something sinister beneath it all. He was hiding something, that much was clear.

“Vil, darling, you can’t be serious—”

All the vampire did was stand and make his way over to you, standing behind your seat and placing one of his hands onto your shoulders, and then he used the other to cup your chin so that you were glancing over at him, “Stress ages the skin. Relax your brows,” he told you. Your immortality would keep you from aging just fine, yet he still insisted that you follow these human regiments with him.

After a moment, you sighed, letting your shoulders drop before sending a half-hearted glare at the hunter, “Fine,” 

“Good,” Vil moved away from you and to the blonde hunter, his hand quickly grasping his jaw, “And you,”

“Yes?” Rook asked, practically beaming over the fact that the poisonous vampire himself was touching him. He could barely keep himself from reaching out and embracing the vampire.

Before this, he had just been admiring you and your spouse. All of this was like something from one of his dreams. Here he was, in that gothic castle which he had only seen in paintings, with the famed vampires hiding in it. Rook could not wait till he was free to explore the place and uncover the magical secrets that were hidden there. Perhaps he would even get the chance to collect skeletons from the closets.

Your glares were exhilarating and Vil’s touch was just… arousing. This was the type of opportunity he would kill for. He probably did kill for it, no one could know when it came to him.

Vil’s lavender eyes traced over the hunter’s face, before narrowing in on his eyes, “You will be on your best behavior, yes?”

Rook nodded, placing a hand on his chest, “Of course, my queen.”

“Darling, quit your pouting already,” Vil said, glancing at you through the mirror as you tended to his hair. He never let anyone tend to his beauty process, but you. Who would not trust their eternal lover? He began to rub a serum into his skin, “I know you’re not happy, but you’re a vampire, not a toddler.”

You nearly tugged his hair at that, “You know how I feel about vampire hunters,” you told him, “And him? Of all the hunters to bring into our home, you have to bring the one with the most kills under his belt—if he tries anything, I’ll… I—”

“We’ll both feed off of him. Don’t worry,” he said, cutting you off as he turned around to face you. One of his hands reached for the brush and he set it at the vanity behind him while gazing up at you. His hands cupped your hips and forced you closer, “You worry too much. If he messes up, he’ll make for a great meal.”

His hands trailed up and down—hips, to thighs, hips, to waist—he had done this thousands of times before, “You’ve heard of his skill, his strength. A man with such endurance must have plenty of blood… all that running and fighting he does has to show in the health of his arteries. I’ll even let you use those fancy chalices you like,”

Oh, Sevens. He was so attractive when he went into his informative tangents.

A blush covered your cheeks and your hands reached to grab onto his shoulders so that you could balance yourself. Centuries later he still managed to make you blush like a rose. He claimed you were his spouse, but sometimes you felt more like a devout worshipper. His body was the shrine you bowed to, your love was the offerings you held out to him.

“I just ask that you play nice,” he said, his hand drifting from your hip, up to your cheek. A smirk came to his lips as he tugged your face towards him. He smirked when your eyes trailed over to his mouth, “You can do that, right?” 

All you could do was nod in response.

“Good,” And finally, he gave in and kissed you, teasingly dragging his fangs along your bottom lip. Vil knew how much you loved when he did that, he could feel it in the little shift you did as he held you close. He pulled away after a moment, just to let his hands dip down to the back of your legs and pull you into his lap, “Now, let me take care of you.”

Living in the castle with Rook was strange, but not completely horrible. He had so much to satisfy his curiosity, so most days you did not see him unless you were in places that he was monitoring. You caught him a few times in the secret tunnels beneath the castle, and the various hiding places that no one knew about.

He tried to get into your good graces with his… strange shows of affection. Last night, when he was walking you home from the opera, he told you how much he wished you would let your rage control so that you would sink your teeth into his pale freckled skin.

Strange, and yet your mind drifted back to the thought of it. Letting go of your control and pouncing onto the hunter, tearing the collar of his shirt, piercing that pretty skin of his. You forced the thoughts out of your mind when you began to imagine what his gasps and whimpers may have sounded like.

Vil seemed to be much more quick to let up when it came to Rook. He did not think the green-eyed hunter was a threat and just let him share his amorous and romantic poetry. At the dinner table, he would laud you and your Queen, comparing himself to the knights of yore, bound to protect and never to touch—and Vil did not interrupt him once. He looked pleased, instead, amused even.

Even more absurd was when Vil began letting Rook help him out with his clothes or his makeup. That had truly caught you off-guard, but you still did not seem to let up on your suspicions. He was just so unsettling sometimes, despite his sweet moments. You worried he would turn around and set a trap for you, or worse, for Vil. 

Vil could take care of himself, but you loved him too much to not worry.

“Ah, mon vampire!” 

You turned around when the hunter suddenly called out for you. Of course, he just happened to be in the gardens at the same time as you, “Rook,” you muttered, “Do you never sleep?”

He quickly took his spot at your side, his hand drifting to hover around the small of your back, “Now why would I tell a predator like you when I am most vulnerable?” he asked, this thumb sliding over your spine a bit. His green eyes looked a little more threatening for a moment, “That would make me a poor hunter, non?”

That look in his eyes made you shiver.

“I suppose you are right about that.” 

You were sure you could take him on in a fight, but you also wished Vil was out here too. Rook always seemed a little more behaved in the presence of Vil, since he was more of a threat than you were—or perhaps Rook just enjoyed toying with you more. When the two of you were alone, Rook seemed more like the bloodthirsty creature, except he thirsted for your ire. He was just begging to be your meal with the way he acted.

His touch grew firm, “Looking for an escape?” he asked, raising a brow, smiling at you. He looked quite pleased with himself.

“No,” you retorted, a little blush coloring your cheeks, “That’s what you should be doing.”

Rook laughed at that and his hand moved off your back and to your hand instead. Gently, he tugged you with him deeper into the gardens, “I would never want to escape from you. No matter how vicious you became,” he told you, affectionately.

You scoffed, “I don’t believe that for a minute,”

“You don’t?”

“Of course not. You’d run with your tail between your legs just as the other mortals do.”

He tugged you a bit harder once he came to a stop, forcing you to fall against him. The blonde nearly shivered as your hands met his chest to steady yourself, “Mon vampire,” he whispered, “You and I both know I would never run from those gorgeous fangs of yours,” he said as his free hand cupped your jaw.

The foolish hunter was guiding your face toward his pale neck. A soft growl came from the back of your throat, “Stupid hunter,” you muttered. That familiar bloodlust began to seep from your every pore.

“Go on,” he cooed, “bon appétit.”

You decided to give in—his blood just smelled too good. You brushed his blonde hair behind his ear before slipping a hand behind his neck to force him closer to you, causing him to place his hands on either side of your head, against one of the pillars in the gardens.

Fangs glittered beneath the night sky like swords on the battlefield, his neck was your enemy. All you wanted to do was suck him dry, and end that dull beating you could hear where his blood was rushing. Vil had told you athletic people carried more blood. He shivered as your tongue swiped against his neck.

“Ah—wetting my neck to make it easier? You are just so—”

Before he could finish with his teasing, you quickly and violently sunk your fangs into his neck, humming in satisfaction as his blood hit your tongue. His body tensed up for a moment and then he relaxed, leaning his body against you, pinning you to the pillar. He gasped a bit at your harsh sucking, but never once did his protest.

Instead, his fingers tenderly carded through your hair, “Mmm… Tu es merveilleux.”

You could not even bring yourself to pull away and reply to his compliments, instead opting to dig your fangs in even deeper. The blood began to drip down your chin, Vil would scold you for that, but you did not care. His blood was delicious.

“What have I told you about getting blood on your clothes when you’re feeding?”

Speak of the devil—erm, vampire.

Quickly, you pulled away from Rook’s neck and you were just about to wipe your face on your sleeve, until you felt Vil’s sharp glare and Rook’s hand grasp your arm in time. 

The hunter gave you a teasing smile, before turning his attention to Vil.

There was a frown on Vil’s face, “I can’t believe you managed to make such a mess in the five minutes that I have left you alone.”

“Merci, I do my best.”

“It wasn’t a compliment. Look what you have done to mein schätzelein,” he scolded, as he took out a handkerchief to wipe up your mouth for you. His attention was now on gently wiping away the blood that dripped down to your chin and onto your chest. He patted it down, careful not to rub too hard. A brief look of hunger flashed in his eyes as he wiped the blood. He nearly bent down to lick it off of you instead. “Such a mess... and I thought we promised we’d feed on him together? Greed is not a pretty look for you.”

The flush on your cheeks brightened, much to both of their amusement.

“Don’t scold them, Roi du Poison. It was my fault. I was teasing too much,” Rook interrupted before you could speak. One of his hands trailed down your back, while the other slipped around Vil’s waist, “But since you’re here now, you can have a taste as well.”

Vil rolled his eyes, “I am much better at controlling myself,”

That was a lie. His eyes kept drifting between the pierce marks on Rook’s neck and the little bit of blood stuck on the corner of your lips.

©rooksamoris 2024. do not steal or translate my work!

Crowley’s smugness didn’t last long, though, as a frown reappeared on his face once more, and he shook his head. “There is still the problem of your dwindling time, though….”

He trailed off as I frowned at him, not liking where this heading untilI heard someone walk over. 

I barely turned in time to see Vil stop next to me, his arms crossed as he stood tall with a perfect frown on his face that brooked absolutely no argument as he stared Crowley down, “And the fact that they don’t have to work directly under you.”

I blinked at his words, my surprise matching Crowley’s even as Vil continued to gaze at him. Perfectly unimpressed despite the fact he was the leader of one of the clans under Crowley. 

But then Vil always had seemed impossible to control to me. Rather, he walked his own path with his head held high.

I felt myself smile slightly at the thought of it, realizing that even now I fully trusted Vil and whatever it was he was about to say. 

We were close enough now that he didn’t have to tell his plans ahead of time, just like I didn’t have to notify him. I could trust him and follow his lead even without it.

“It seems to me that they’ve not just won over all of the clans you’re supposed to watch over and done your job of cleaning your mess for you, but also won over your men.” As he spoke, Vil gestured to the side where Sam, Crewel, Trein, and Vargas stood.

I looked towards the men to see them all smiling at me, and, after a brief moment of surprise, I felt myself smile back.

Because Vil was right. Despite all my caution and wariness with them simply because they worked for Crowley, these men had only ever helped me.

Almost at once I recalled what Azul had mentioned to me, and I felt my gaze drift his way only to find him smiling smugly back at me before winking playfully. But suddenly his words made complete and utter sense. 

While I could be Crowley’s greatest weapon, I could also be his greatest foe. 

I’d quite possibly just become the worst thing that could have ever happened to the head-vampire of this district. 

A vampire hunter that could stand on my own two feet and who had befriended not only all of the clans under him but also won over his lackeys.

I looked back towards Crowley, who met my gaze almost the very instant I looked his way.

I stepped closer to him, realizing that this time I had all of the vampires behind me while he had no one with him. I’d gone from just the Pomefiore clan, to all of the clans and Crowley’s own men. 

“I’ll keep working as the vampire hunter in this district, and I’ll work with your men, but I’m not going to be your personal vampire hunter anymore,” I paused, gauging his reaction before I continued.

“I will help you keep the vampires hidden, though…” I trailed off, not quite confident enough to admit out loud that I was only doing so to protect those important to me. Not when several of those people were right behind me and Vil was watching me quite so closely.

I would get there someday, but not tonight. And even if my hours in the moonlight were dwindling, I still had a long way to go before my time was fully up.

And who knew what might happen? I might change my mind and decide to become a vampire just to stay with Vil. I couldn't see the future after all. If I could, then my entire experience of entering this world of vampires might have gone a bit differently.

But I could say that even if that had been the case, one thing I wouldn’t change would be the way I befriended everyone. And the fact that it had all started with Vil.

I glanced over at Vil, smiling slightly before I looked back towards Crowley, who was frowning slightly before he at last nodded, “Very well then. Since I am so very gracious, I agree.”

He paused before a wide smile crossed his face, and he spread his arms like he was expecting a hug from me, “Besides, every hatchling must someday fly the nest!”

I almost grimaced at his words as I stepped away from him as Vil shifted between us with a disgusted expression.

I ignored the way Crowley’s expression fell slightly at my silent rejection of his affection, “If that’s all….”

I trailed off as he cleared his throat awkwardly, nodding slightly, “Ah, yes. Though I thought you might want to stay and enjoy the festivities.”

I glanced at Vil, who met my gaze, and I smiled before shaking my head, “No… I actually thought it might be nice to head home for the evening.”

Vil’s smile matched mine as he nodded. Holding out his arm that I easily looped mine through as we turned to go before I waved at all the others, watching as some rolled their eyes while others looked at each other knowingly, “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Take care Y/n!” Kalim waved happily as most of the others watched us with perfectly amused glances as we left. Strolling arm-in-arm for the door.

They would tell the rest where we went, and I doubted Rook and Epel would even be surprised. After all, in the end it seemed like I always ended up with Vil, just like how I’d inevitably let him into my life after our rather shaky first meeting.

And as for what lie ahead of us… Well, that would come night-by-night, and I would take it all step-by-step. Because despite poor first impressions, the world of the night wasn’t so bad, and with Vil by my side, I could certainly see myself enjoying every single hour I had in the moonlight.

“So what now, Tater tot? You bested the head-vampire of our district, won over all of the clans, and resolved our troubles…” Vil trailed off as he glanced my way with a smile as I grinned.

“Well, successful vampire hunter or not, I am still rather danger-prone….” I trailed off playfully, looking his way with a wide grin as I nudged him with a shoulder as he shook his head as we walked through the doors and out into the night.

He shifted, letting go of me to grab his cape and wrap it around my shoulders, pulling me up closer against his side as he grinned at me. His fangs barely slipping into view as his eyes glittered with amusement, “Well, I suppose I can still hide you if any scary ghosts come by.”

I snickered at his teasing, leaning against him playfully before looking up at him, “Thanks, Vil.”

His smile softened slightly as we paused, and he nodded down at me, “Think nothing of it, Tater tot.”

We paused, with me looking up at him silently as we smiled at one another before he leaned down and kissed me. Affection slipping easily between us until he pulled away and started forward into the night once more.

We walked on in silence, with his arm draped over my shoulders like we weren’t a vampire and a vampire hunter. But in the end, I hadn't lied to Leona at all.

People would believe what they wanted to, and this time they might not be quite so wrong, though I still wasn’t enthralled by Vil by any means.

Bluntly put, he didn’t need to enthrall me for me to want to stay with him. And we both knew that.

So for now, I would wait for the next rose-red dawn to come with Vil by my side as the hours stretched on out in front of us.

The End

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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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I crossed my arms lightly as I eyed Crowley, waiting for him to talk as he stared back at me.

He wore a wide smile on his face as he stepped around his desk. But his opening words definitely weren’t what I’d expected from our conversation for tonight.

 “Have you been enjoying the ball, hatchling?”

I blinked, frowning slightly at his words, before I felt myself nod slowly, “I suppose.” As I spoke in a perfectly wary tone, I scanned the room. Almost as if I were searching for any hidden traps.

It was beyond odd that he didn’t have Trein, Crewel, or even Vargas in here with him, and their notable absence only made me more suspicious than I’d already been. 

Because while I’d talked to Crowley one-on-one before, that wasn’t what I’d expected from tonight. Especially since I’d finished my job, and I had no doubts Crewel had already given him the report about Heartslabyul.

I figured they’d all be present and I would receive my next orders. After all, they all worked for him, or at least that was my understanding.

And I hadn’t seen any of them in the ballroom either, which led to one very simple question. 

If they weren’t here, where were they?

Crowley nodded, a smile ever present on his face as he watched me calmly, “Good, good. I had hoped you would since I called you here with a proposition that will make your life easier, since I am so very gracious.”

I felt my eyebrows arch at his words as I looked back his way. Perfectly unable to believe that this man could ever do something to make my life easier, but I stayed silent. Waiting for whatever was to come next as he rested one hand on his desk. Somehow keeping his claw-tipped gloves from digging into the wood they rested on.

“You have done much for our world of the night and, of course, deserve a reward,” He started off in a characteristically grandiose tone, but I felt myself frown at his words. Already not liking where this was heading.

Because something told me that Crowley’s view of what a reward might be was wildly different from mine.

Especially since, frankly speaking, him leaving me alone was probably the best reward he could ever hope to give me.

“You seem to have become close to us, denizens of the night. But for you, these hours in the moonlight grow scarce….” He trailed off slightly, one clawed finger resting against his chin in an almost thoughtful manner as I felt myself tense at his words. Somehow already knowing where he was going with this even as he continued, “Should you wish it, your time can be prolonged, though, if you simply shun the rose-red dawn of the life you know and delve fully into the night. I will of course assist you in this since I am so very-”

My hands clenched at my sides, and I shook my head, interrupting him mid-monologue as I openly glared at him, “You are not turning me into a vampire.”

Silence stretched between us in a perfectly condemning way as his expression, or at least what I could see of it, turned flat at my refusal. A shift that made me wonder how long he’d been plotting this.

Perhaps since our first meeting? Or maybe even before that….

But despite my words, I couldn’t deny that I had considered the possibilities. 

Becoming a vampire would make it far easier for me to stay with Vil and my other friends. Because even as a vampire hunter, I knew my future as a mortal part of the undead world of vampires was shaky at best.

One bad encounter and I could die, and that would be it. Such was the life of a vampire hunter. Being turned into a vampire was, in a great many ways, the best outcome I could hope for.

And, becoming a vampire was really the only surefire way for me to stay with everyone and not lead a life fraught with risk.

But becoming a vampire was also a big step to take. It would essentially mean ending my life, and I had no doubt that it would be an incredibly painful experience. In fact, to be honest, I really didn’t see how it couldn’t be painful. After all, Vil had only bitten me for a short period of time, but it had hurt and hadn’t even involved me coming back as a member of the undead masses.

And, bluntly put, becoming a vampire seemed so very final. Almost like a last-ditch effort rather than a first choice.

It was true that I had numerous friends who were vampires, and I’d learned the long and hard way that vampires were not innately evil in any way despite the horrible things they could do. 

Besides, anyone, even the most average person on earth, could do horrible things.

But would it be so wrong to stay with Vil as I was? A simple human who just happened to be involved with vampires by a series of frankly absurd and unfortunate events?

I knew it was selfish when not becoming a vampire now was really just putting off my inevitable death, but a terrible part of me continually asked me if that was so bad? Was being selfish about my own life so wrong?

I’d been avoiding vampires biting me and attacking me for so long and then I’d been forced into being a vampire hunter, so would one bit of selfishness for myself be wrong?

I knew for a fact Vil would support me completely, even if it meant I would die long before him.

Indeed, the only point that made me even slightly ponder vampirism with any real true interest was the fact that I would end up leaving Vil behind one day. But he wouldn’t be alone. It was just that I couldn't precisely decide if it was overly selfish to do so.

Either way, though, I knew one thing was for certain. If I did become a vampire, it definitely wasn’t going to be at Crowley’s hands. Because by now I knew exactly what he actually wanted.

“I’ve been doing your dirty work and handling this entire insane vampire mess when you already knew the root cause. I’m not going to become a vampire just because you want to use my connections with each of the clans to make your life easier.”

My words were snapped, and I actually stepped closer to him, closing the distance between us, as I spoke. 

And in reality, my guess had been a wild shot in the dark, but his reaction told me it had been an accurate one when he didn’t even try to deny it.

Instead, he spoke in a perfectly warm tone even as he idly toyed with one of the roses in the vase on his desk, “Do you really have that choice, though, little hatchling?” 

I shook my head at his words, “”Of course I⏤”

“You’ve been safe this entire time at each of the clans because of who you are. My personal vampire hunter. Without that, do you really think all of the vampires you’ve encountered over these past months would have kept themselves from attacking you?”

I faltered at his words, watching as his hand curled too tightly around a single brilliantly red blossom of a rose and severed the silky petals from the stem without hardly a second thought from the man.

Red petals poured from his dark glove like a macabre promise that had me swallowing thickly before I shook my head, “Maybe not. But it’s different now.”

My voice wavered slightly as I spoke, but I met his gaze determinedly, “I have allies and close friends in all of the clans now. I can defend myself, and if the worst comes and I can’t handle something, they’ll protect me.”

I wasn’t the same defenseless person I’d been at the start of this. I’d fought enough vampires, and even killed them, that I knew I could take care of myself. And I wasn’t alone. I hadn’t been to start with, and I wasn’t now.

Crowley smiled, nodding as he stepped away from the desk until he was closer to me, with his shadow cast over me in such a way that my own shadow wasn’t even visible anymore. “But what about you? Is there really a place for someone such as yourself, who attracts vampires to them by merely existing, in the world of the living?”

My lips pressed together as I held his gaze, forcing myself to ignore the urge to press myself back and against the door, away from him. “Maybe there is, and maybe there isn’t, but I’m not fighting for that life.”

I straightened, standing my ground as I resolved myself to voice a decision I’d already made so long ago back when I’d first become a vampire hunter. “I’ll stay in this world just as I am. Here, in your world of the night, as the vampire hunter for this district. And I have a plan of my own.”

A smile split its way across his pale face, “Oh?”

I nodded, bracing myself, “I would like to suggest that a clan be formed for the remaining insane vampires where they can have access to legally obtained blood. I’ll keep an eye on them and take charge, but this way no further death will be necessary.”

Crowley frowned briefly, resting his finger against his chin. But I hardly had time to wait for his response before I was spinning in alarm to look behind me as the door abruptly opened.

“Well done, pup.” Crewel looked down at me with a grin on his face like he’d just won a bet.

I blinked at him in silent surprise as I slowly noticed the number of people who stood behind him. All of the heads of the clans and all of Crowley’s men. Though, the clan leaders' expressions were a glorious mixture of annoyance and mystified confusion.

Sam leaned around the doorframe that he propped himself against, his grin wide as his gaze found mine and he winked, “Congratulations. You passed the test, Little Imp.”

“The… test?” I faltered slightly as I looked towards the others in search of explanation. Finding myself met with numerous confused expressions and a few understanding ones.

Trein nodded at my words, smiling with a surprising amount of fondness at me, “The test. We decided that the time had come for a full-time vampire hunter who was in contact with the head-vampire of this district, and we also knew that a different solution would be necessary for dealing with the insane vampires.”

“Indeed! As the world has progressed, the living have progressed with it, making it harder for us to remain hidden. If we are to maintain our own status, we must have someone on the other side to help us. While Mr. Hunt was indeed a flawless hunter, he was far more attached to vampires than the world of the living. You, though, with your attachments to both our world and yours, were the perfect choice, Hatchling. Your finding a way to handle the insane vampires is just the cherry on top!”

I turned to stare in disbelief at Crowley, who was beaming at me like he was perfectly brilliant and deserving of praise.

I felt my hands clench as I stared at him, shaking my head slightly before I finally managed to speak. “And yet you decided to push me the rest of the way into the world of the night so that I don’t have nearly the attachments that I had to start with?”

He blinked at my words in almost owlish fashion before recovering at almost impressive speeds, “Ah, but you hesitate to become a vampire! You remain attached to the beating heart in your chest that keeps you alive and in the sunlight.”

I almost bristled at his words, but I didn’t get to say anything. In fact, I didn’t have to.

“So you decided to bank on the Herbivore's sense of self-preservation and push them into the position you wanted them.” Leona’s voice was flat from behind me and I didn’t have to turn to have a good idea of the expression he was wearing.

“And you had them go to all of the clans in order to ensure they could survive here even if Vil wasn’t with them at all times,” Riddle continued where Leona had left off as all the pieces seemed to fall into place.

“Like moving a pawn across a chessboard to turn them into a queen,” Malleus sounded almost musing in his summation as I held Crowley’s gaze. Frustrated at how perfectly I’d been played once again as I glowered at him.

At odds with my frustration, he clapped his hands together proudly, “Precisely. And now we have the perfect vampire hunter to help me keep all of the naughty vampires in line.”

I felt my left eye twitch as Crowley’s gaze fell to where I stood once more. Victorious as I glared back at him. Still trapped in the exact same position I’d been at the start of all of this.

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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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