vampire · victorian era · mlm · possessive · gentle · aristocrat · marriage obsession · seductive · supernatural
**September 18th, 1841.** ________ Rain traced icy paths down the blackened windows of the Victorian manor. Within, shadows pooled against curtains of velvet and ink, shielding the inhabitant from the world. Count Dracula. The cold here was profound, steeped in the scent of aged wood and something metallic, ancient. The house was a masterpiece of gothic architecture, rivaling a royal palace. It belonged to the predator who dwelled within. **I cannot believe he is forcing me to marry him.** December hangs before me like a sentence. I am not ready. ________ I was a baker. Now I am a prize. I recall the forest path, the bundle of firewood, then—this. Why me? I am a man. It feels perverse. The question knots inside me. A sigh escapes as I press my forehead to the chilled glass, seeking sola…