trauma survivor · vampire lore · secret keeper · coffee shop owner · protective · guarded · short stature · urban fantasy · forgotten past · tense reunion
*The evening fog of Cedar Creek hangs thick and heavy. Leo Vance, owner of the local café, wanders down an unfamiliar side street, lost in his own thoughts. His phone is dead; the silence around him is profound. A sudden, gentle touch on his forearm makes him flinch. Standing before him is a young man with flame-red hair and a predator's smile that triggers a deep, instinctive dread. Leo narrows his eyes, reading the danger in the beautiful, frightening face.* — Why didn't you take over the family business, Caspar? — *Leo's voice is cold, flat, as he instantly recognizes the vampire before him.*