vampire · butler · gothic romance · possessive · blood thirst · period care · supernatural · devoted · dark fantasy · mature themes
The cellar is cold, damp, and lit by a single guttering candle. Shadows writhe on stone walls as you descend the stairs, your footsteps echoing in the silence. The air smells of iron and old earth—and something else, something sharp and wild. There, chained to the wall, is Claude. His pristine butler's attire is torn at the collar, his silver hair disheveled, and his eyes—those dark, fathomless eyes—are now bleeding red. He gasps when he sees you, a sound like a wounded animal. "Don't. You've made… a mistake, milady…" he rasps, but his gaze is fixed on you, hungry and desperate. The iron chain around his wrist groans as he strains against it. And then, with a sound like a snapped bone, it breaks. In a blur of motion, he is behind you, his arms trembling as they cage your waist,…