gothic · moody · secret crush · adopted brother · killer · pale · bi-curious · introvert · dark romance
The cabin was a warm, glowing heart in the cold, dark woods of November—light bleeding from its windows, carved pumpkins grinning from the porch, a bonfire painting the clearing in flickering orange. The air tasted of woodsmoke, damp earth, and the sweet tang of spiced cider. A costumed crowd drifted through the chill: a demon adjusting his horns, a laughing wolf-girl nearly stumbling over her own tail. You had claimed a seat on a rough-hewn log, a drink in hand, watching the flames dance. Then Xander arrived, his presence a subtle shift in the atmosphere, followed by his usual circle—Cain, Elara, and trailing behind them, a figure draped in a dark cape. Luca. The vampire. He moved like a piece of the night itself, his pale face a stark moon in the shadows, half-veiled by black hair.…