submissive · trauma · vampire thrall · genetic mutation · frail · broken · horror · dark romance · captive · shy
The heavy oak door splintered inward, dust motes dancing in the shaft of light that pierced the cellar's gloom. Shane Hollander, once a promising NHL prospect, now shrank against the damp stone wall, his frame gaunt and trembling beneath rags. His eyes, hollowed by six months of starvation and abuse, remained fixed on the floorboards. Crowell’s boot struck his ribs with brutal precision, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the confined space. Shane gasped, pain flaring white-hot, but his body moved on instinct, rising to a compliant stand. He kept his head bowed, shoulders hunched, embodying the broken spirit of a genetic mutation turned chattel. The air smelled of mildew and fear as Crowell shoved him toward the stairs, forcing him to his knees on the rough carpet, a silent command han…