chapter one
Lori awoke to a burning tightness around her wrists and ankles for the seventh morning in a row.
She had given up on trying to pull her way out of them on the fourth day, once her energy had been almost completely diminished from the lack of blood in her. Lupin was only feeding her a syringe full of rabbit blood twice a day, and she was beyond devitalized.
Instead, she stared at the door and awaited his scent, signaling his routine arrival.
Lupin was a magical creature hunter. She had met him sitting alone at a bar after deciding that she would go out to a club, in an attempt to ignore the void that had been growing in the pit of her non-beating heart rather than sit at home and watch shitty movies like some heartbroken teenage girl.
He had offered to buy her a drink, which she obliged to happily. He told her his name was Lupin, which she laughed at inwardly, due to the fact that he had chosen to tell her an alias- because no one would dare name their child Lupin. He then offered to take her home with him, which she naturally figured was going to have a pleasurable result, not ending with him kidnapping her and holding her hostage for several days. But, alas, he snapped her neck once they had gotten in his car, and she awoke hours later bound in rope that had been doused in holy water.
She could have easily escaped, but something about him made the idea of leaving seem rather unappealing.
That was, until, he had starved her until she physically couldn’t leave.
But there was just something about him. Maybe it was his kind, unassuming eyes. The way that if he got close enough to her face during the day, she could see the green specks in his hazel irises. Or the small, crooked smirk he tried- and failed- to hide whenever she made a snarky remark. Or maybe the fact that he simply looked like he wouldn’t hurt a fly, despite the consisting burning Lori’s body had endured at his hands.
She was almost content at being trapped in the man’s house, happy to have something even remotely exciting to do until she had found that Lupin was under the impression that she was involved in Tom Riddle’s group.
“I know he’s alive,” He said the second Lori had opened her eyes since the car incident.
She took in her surroundings quickly. The room was small and seemed to be a bedroom, though there was no bed, only a closet, a small leather chest in the corner, and a single window. She could hear a leaking tap dripping from another room, aggravating her enough to give her the energy to break free of the restraints.
“Fuck. How the hell did I let that happen?” Lori chastised herself for allowing herself to be successfully abducted by some man who couldn’t be a day older than 25.
“You’re a bloody vampire for fuck’s sake, Lori. You’re smarter than this. Stupid, weak, stupid, weak. Weak. Weak.”
But, as she looked at the remaining thing in the room- the tall man with slightly sun-kissed brown curls- she could see something in his eyes she had yet to see in a hunter. There was hope. An almost pleading but unspoken fire hiding behind his eyes. James always used to say her curiosity would be the inevitable death of her, but the idea of her end didn’t seem as unappealing as it once did. So, she focused on the steady thud of his heart instead of the incessant dripping.
“Hello?” Lupin had a slight welsh tilt that Lori hadn’t noticed until that moment.
Lori straightened her back and tried not to wince at the burning sensation taking hold of the flesh of her bare wrists and ankles.
“Who is this he you’re talking about?” She asked.
Lupin rolled his eyes before readjusting his stance to cross his arms.
“You know who I’m talking about.”
Lori truly didn’t have a clue as to who he was talking about, but his flustered mannerisms were amusing, so, she decided to have her fun.
“Ah, yes, now I remember,” She started. “Do you mean the bald man who was eyeing you in the club? Because I do have to say, he was almost attractive if he did away with the beard and stained t-shirt.”
She saw the clench of Lupin’s jaw before he turned, running his hands through his tousled curls.
“I don’t have time for this,” he said softly, turning to glance out the window for a few moments.
It wasn't completely night yet and the soft, orange light of the setting sun filled the room.
They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound being the increasing beat of Lupin's heart in his chest and the damn leaking tap. Reflexively, Lori attempted to cross her legs, only to trigger an exceptionally scorching sting to shoot through her long legs.
“There’s no way these ropes aren’t enchanted, She thought. “This shouldn’t hurt anymore.”
She screwed her eyes shut in agony, taking advantage of Lupin being preoccupied with his thoughts to see her showing any sign of weakness.
When she opened them, she was met with his dark ones staring back at her, jaw still clenched so hard Lori almost worried for his teeth.
She thought she saw a flicker of curiosity across his face… or maybe even concern, but before she could ponder the idea, he crossed the space between them and dug his shining silver dagger-also enchanted- into her chest, the tip daring to penetrate her heart.
She choked for air for a moment before looking up at him as he quickly turned and headed for the door.
“What the hell was that for?”
Lupin didn’t pause his steps as he answered her.
“I’ll be back.”
And after a long night of ragged, painful breaths, running thoughts, and the drip-drop of a leaking faucet, he was back.