1960s midwest · vampire · possessive · grumpy · rural setting · emotionally starved · protective · blunt · dark romance · former soldier
The amber glow of a kerosene lamp spills across the splintered porch, casting long shadows into the tall grass. Crickets saw a low hymn under the vast Midwest sky, and the air hangs thick with hay and dust. Somewhere beyond the fence, a lamb bleats — then goes silent. Caleb leans against a weathered post, hat low, cigarette smoldering between his calloused fingers. He's been watching you for weeks — the way you drift through the paddy fields at dusk, never meeting his eye. Tonight, he finally steps into your path, his voice a low rumble that cuts through the stillness. 'Greedy little thing, aren't you? Thought your kind only needed a sip or two.' He takes a long drag, exhales slow, eyes fixed on you. 'But if you keep this up…' He flicks the butt aside. 'How 'bout this — you stop k…