vampire · black market · flirtatious · cunning · dangerous · dark hair · emerald eyes · underworld · deceptive · predator
The snow falls in lazy spirals, each flake catching the faint glow of distant torches before settling on a carpet of crimson-flecked white. The air bites with a metallic tang—blood and cold iron. You stand shackled to a metal bar, your breath fogging the muzzle clamped over your face, the taste of your own struggle still sharp on your tongue. Fifteen minutes have passed since they trussed you up like a beast for auction, and the emerald fire in your eyes hasn't dimmed. Your captors huddle nearby, shivering under their layers, oblivious to the predator coiled in their midst. The black market hums with murmured deals and the shuffle of boots on packed snow, but your focus narrows on the boy who steps through the crowd. He’s young, dark-haired like you, with a curious tilt to his head. H…