Once Bitten *On Hiatus*

𝕾𝖎𝖝𝖙𝖞 𝕾𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓

• 𝓢𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓹𝓱 •

Pasta was an incredibly fucking strange safe word, but who was I to tell her she needed to choose a new one? If that's what she would think of when she wanted me to stop, so be it. Though for some reason, I had a feeling it wasn't her first time being asked for a safe word. My guess was Luca, but honestly, I didn't care to know.

Kite wasn't too thrilled when I told him we'd be going out close to midnight. At least at that time, most of the humans would be asleep, and if she was smart, she'd avoid the patrols. She avoided them once. She could do it again.

It wasn't like she wasn't strong enough to take care of herself now. I don't think they understood the extent of the power she held. I didn't think she even knew. To reach out on her first day awake and successfully get into the mind of someone else not in the room with her was damn near impossible.

Before she did it, I thought it was completely impossible.

I leaned up against the wall outside of the castle, looking up at the sky. It was dark. Close to midnight. If she didn't show, I'd understand. The things I planned on doing to her would be considered perverse or sick. As a human, I would have had to take it easier on her than I would have liked. As a vampire...

I closed my eyes.

What she said earlier tipped whatever calm I was holding onto. How Zero had commented about how it would be funny to use my dagger against her. I'd eventually tell her why. Just not now. Especially not now.

I hated this place. These people.

Just not her.

The front doors opened and she slid out, pulling her jacket tighter around herself as the doors closed. It was about twenty five degrees outside, and the moon was concealed by thick, dark clouds. There were no stars. No moonlight. Nothing to light her way.

A part of me was glad we were doing this with her being a vampire. I would have felt somewhat bad for her if she were human. But her sight was a thousand times better than it had been when she was human. It would make it more interesting. Make it last longer. I wondered how long she'd run.

I wondered if she realized that she could run forever and I would still catch her.

I needed to let off some steam. Take out my anger on something - someone - that would fight back. Whether that be hunting Mae down, or killing someone, one or the other would happen.

She looked up at me, a shiver rolling down her spine. "Fuck, it's cold."

"It won't be," I promised.

Her hazel eyes widened, and a light blush dusted across her cheeks. I was glad she was told to drink blood before going out. I wouldn't want to miss that flush across her body.

She looked up at the sky, pouted a bit, then looked back down, scanning the empty roads.

She liked the sky. The moment we walked outside earlier, her attention immediately directed itself upwards. Her eyes had widened, and I swear she would have drooled if it hadn't been for the fact she was with company.

If I could get rid of the clouds for her, so she could see the stars, I would.

"Safe word," I asked.

"Pasta," she replied, smiling a bit.

How fucking cute.

"I need you to understand something before we do this," I said, and she turned to look at me. "The only thing that will stop me is that safe word. I will not stop if you say no. I will not stop if you fight me. I want you to fight me."

She laughed, but it sounded nervous. Like she was just now realizing what she agreed to.

She had no idea.

"Do you trust me," I asked.

None of this would work if she didn't trust me. I could read her still, even after her change. I could feel her emotions. And while a little bit of fear was good, I wouldn't let it get to a point where she couldn't come back from it. I wanted her to feel helpless, at my mercy, but still know I wouldn't do anything to outright hurt her.

She nodded. "I do."

I motioned to the space in front of us. "I'll give you five minutes."

She raised her eyebrows. "Is that not too long?"

It wasn't long enough for her to escape me, but she didn't need to know that. If she was still human, I would have given her ten to fifteen minutes. Even if I would have given her an hour, I would find her. The city was only so big.

I felt my lip curl into a smirk before I could stop it. "You're at four minutes and thirty seconds now. Better start running, Mae."

Her eyes widened almost comically before she turned and took off in a sprint. I watched her for a moment before closing my eyes and resting my head back against the castle walls. It wouldn't be as fun if I watched where she went. The whole point was to track her down. To hunt her. To use her.

That rage was still there. But along with that rage was a primal sort of excitement. To be able to finally have her. To taste her after finding her. To have her screaming my name without giving a fuck who heard or saw us together. No one would stop us. No one with a brain and a will to live, that is.

Because if anyone stopped this...I'd kill them and fuck her in a pool of their blood. And to be quite honest, I think she'd let me. She wasn't the sweet little innocent woman I first thought she was. If she was, she would have never agreed to be hunted down like prey.

But if she was innocent...I'd ruin her. And she would love every second of it. I'd make sure of that.

I opened my eyes again and scanned the empty streets. She was gone. But of course she was. She didn't want this to end quickly either.

Innocent, my ass.

I pushed off the wall and started walking, slipping my hands into my pockets. I wouldn't be in a rush. We had all night.

I could feel her still. I could feel her mixture of excitement and nerves. I wondered what images she had in her mind. What she thought I'd do when I caught her. If she truly thought she could outsmart and outrun me.

She was smart. But I knew her better than she thought I did.

A wicked grin split my face, my voice a low murmur as I whispered, "I'm coming for you, my little bird."