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Lyceum Echidna - Prey {Staine x Bunny}

Staine

Staine

ɴeoɴ Dreαмѕ
Welcoming Committee
Joined
Jan 8, 2020
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Theron pulled his hood up to shelter himself a little from the rain, crouched on the rooftop. Waiting. It was something he had done a dozen times before already after finding one of the vampire 'nests' that littered the human world, the very reason he had come here in the first place. Monsters didn't often travel to the human realm from their own...humanity as a whole was left alone. Some humans inevitably found their way into the realm of Carnice through various means: Some slipped through portals that had opened up due to some arcane mishap on the other side, some had managed to open such portals themselves using texts that had been left behind or even through means of their own devising...humans were nothing if not a resourceful race. Some were bought on the few expeditions into the human realm, kidnapped by monsters of all kinds and some just stumbled into Carnice as though the realm had been calling for them and had made their passage clear. However it happened, there were humans in Carnice, had been for centuries and most were trapped there. Slaves of monsters, some groups had formed their own communities and protected themselves as best they could...it didn't matter, not really...not even those that managed to escape back home and told tales of monsters, of demons and vampires that the rest of humanity inevitably refused to believe was real. Resourceful, yes, but humans were also stubborn and instead of preparing for monsters in their midst they made tales of them, wrote books, made movies...anything but accept the truth that there was an entire world of monsters out there just beyond the veil.

Most monsters did the same, aware of humans but not caring to visit their world where they would be outnumbered, outmatched...but there were outliers. Few monsters existed in this world because in the past they'd been hunted like in Salem, human weaponry was dangerous to a lot of them...but one species of monster thrived here...the danger they posed in the human world had been recognized by the rulers of Carnice and even by the overlords of the species themselves but some had rebelled, a group had fled to the human world...a dangerous group.

Vampires.

While most monsters were able to reproduce with humans it was in the natural way and would dilute their bloodline, but not vampires...vampires had learned that they could share their lifeblood with humans and transform them, a far more insidious method of reproduction that was a danger to the entire human world and even to Carnice itself. The rulers of the vampire realm had forbidden travel to the human world for that reason, to stop the practice of growing their ranks by 'siring' humans but there was no law that had yet to be broken and now the human world was infested with these deadly creatures. The longer one was a vampire for, the more powerful they became so thankfully vampires powerful enough to challenge the vampire counts did not exist so Carnice was not in danger...yet...but even a newborn was far deadlier than a human being was and that was the problem. The worlds existed in balance...if vampires were to take over this realm, and with full knowledge of how to enter Carnice then...everything was in danger. That's where people like Theron came in. There were human monster hunters of course, but their knowledge and skills were...lacking. Theron had come from Carnice, he was a monster of his own breed and vampires were his specialty...the very reason he'd taken up the mantle of hunter to begin with, so when he'd learned of the vampire problem in the human world he'd done what even most hunters didn't do...he'd gone there himself. He knew it was unlikely he'd be able to stamp out vampires in this realm completely, but...that was not going to be for lack of effort.

Just over the buildings in the human city he could see the sun was starting to rise. Unlike in Carnice, the sunlight here was different...and had proven to be a particular obstacle for vampires. In Carnice it would make them weaker, they were creatures of the night through and through, but over here it was even more dangerous. Sunlight burned them...not like in the movies, bursting into flame but after just a minute their skin would start to turn red, their insides boiling as their blood reacted...so of course it was only natural for their kind to sleep when the sun rose. Theron took advantage of that. Another hour passed, the sun fully out now as he waited, wanting to be certain that most of the vampires in this nest would be asleep. It wasn't a large nest...there were maybe seven vampires in there but at night it would still be difficult even for him, and he'd rather play it safe after spending considerable time tracking one back here. As soon as he was comfortable, he climbed down from the building, picking the lock on the door to their nest.

The first sleeping vampire he found didn't get the chance to wake up and confront her doom...a silver blade buried in her chest piercing her heart while Theron's hand covered her mouth...it took them a few moments to die and he could feel her scream against his palm as she slowly turned to ash and crumbled...a convenient reality was that once the magic keeping them alive was removed, namely their heart or their heads, a vampires body would try to drain every last mote of magic from itself, rapidly drying out and then crumbling. His hand still on the silver dagger Theron moved almost silently, three more died in the same manner before he heard a feminine voice starting to cry. His head snapped around and he saw another, a young looking vampire with terror in her eyes.

Fuck.

He knew immediately that the sounds she had made was too much and ignoring her for now as she simply was not a threat, he launched himself towards the other vampires that had been woken by her cries. The first took his blade to the chest and he didn't wait for him to crumble this time, shoving him away and moving to the next. There were only two left besides the girl...both of them looked strong.

He threw the dagger towards the furthest, grimacing as the creature reacted with enough speed to get his hand in the way, hissing as the blade sunk in deep and the look in his eyes said he knew what it was. Silver...it was a weakness for a lot of monsters, himself included, but it was too good a weapon against vampires to ignore and he had only touched the leather wrapped handle. Contact with the metal itself had different effects on different monsters...for him it felt like ice and he would feel slower and weaker in contact with it...for vampires it supposedly felt hot but the results were the same...they were weaker for it. Reaching for his back he pulled out his axe, a larger, more cumbersome weapon than the dagger but in an actual fight it was far more effective. He launched himself towards the nearest vampire, swinging for his neck. Of course the creature moved, unnaturally swift as he ducked below the blade and went right for Theron's throat...a mistake. He thought Theron was human, it was hard to tell at first glance that he was not.

He was fast too.

His hand came up and grabbed the vampire's throat, stopping the creature in it's tracks. Confusion flickered in the monsters eyes as he realised that a human wouldn't be this strong and tried to figure out what was happening...but he was already flying through the air towards his friend who had just managed to pull the knife from his own palm. They collided, both tumbling to the ground and before they could get to their feet the axe came down. One swing, two necks.

Sighing, he pulled the axe free and waited for them to crumble, crouching down to pick up the glinting blade that was left behind, carefully so as not to touch the silver. He took a moment to wipe the blade on a nearby blanket and then sheathed it before he turned to the corner. The girl was still there, huddled up, crying and watching in horror.

He wasn't looking forward to this. The girl looked young but that in itself could be deceptive...vampires didn't age once they either reached a certain age if they were pureblood, or once they were turned if not...and this girl was almost certainly turned. By her appearance alone it was impossible to judge her age, and yet...her behaviour was a different matter entirely. She was terrified...she hadn't tried to fight him, hadn't cursed him or swore at him...if he had to guess she couldn't be very old, barely even a few days at most. "Fucking hell, a newborn...if I'd have gotten here sooner I might have been able to save you. Did they make you feed yet?" There was hope...once they made a vampire by sharing their own blood, they still had to drink the blood of another, living creature to complete the transition, a human to be specific...while they could live off monster blood it was human blood that completed the transformation and that was why the human world was so appealing to their kind. "On a human, did they make you drink? Answer me, it could be worth your life." If she hadn't drank human blood then after a few days she would be human again, once the vampire blood had left her system. He could hold her until then, make sure she wasn't a danger to anybody and then release her, but...if she'd drank...
#fd5800
 
Vampires, werewolves and Incubus.. Oh my!

Those and many more monsters had once been a thing from books and movies. Stories told in a romanticized light. Even Lilian had watched and read such works of fiction. Who hadn’t in this day an age? All the sparkling vampires in the world would not have prepared her for the harsh reality of what it would be like to come face to face with a vampire.

They were meant to be suave, to sweep you off your feet. Or they could be dark, mysterious and lure you in.. His name was Jake and there had been nothing oddly special about him. At least, not that she’d seen. He pretended to be a vampire and Lili had been oddly into it. Of course he wasn’t, it was just some goth like persona. He’d played into it well, only meeting her after the sun had gone down, always saying he wanted to taste her. It had been perhaps a little over the top, but she’d liked him. He seemed like a rather boy next door, trying to find out who he was.

Little did she know it wasn’t some lost boy play acting, he was in fact a lost boy. It had been one of her favorite movies as a kid, though, she guessed one could still say she was a kid. Seventeen isn’t quite as much of an adult as they thought they were. So when Jake had invited her to a party in a warehouse, downtown in probably too rough of a neighborhood for a good girl to be in, she’d not thought twice about it. He wasn’t the only one rebelling. While she didn’t have parents who worried about her, an orphan, there was the system. All that kid-like angst. Fight the power. You know that sort of rebellious bullshit that teens went through. It was meant to be harmless. Fun. A way to find out who they were.

The party hadn’t been really much of a party. The crowd had seemed weird, but Lili had brushed it off. She was dressed to the nines. A cute little pleather mini dress that had hugged her torso and flared out prettily at her hips. Fishnet tights and a pair of mid calf boots. A lace duster that tickled the back of her calves. The blood drop necklace that she’d made out of a string of fake black pearls. Red nail polish and a few more cheap beads from a craft store on fishing line. Dramatic she’d thought.

Dramatic had been when Jake and a group of his friends had cornered her and ripped that necklace from her neck. Lilian could still see the black and red pearls hitting the floor, skittering away as he’d attacked her. It was the clearest of memories, like the world had focused on that one pinpoint in time.

What had come next was more of a blur than anything else.

--

She couldn’t see the sun, but oddly enough she could feel it in the sky, somewhere high above. She should sleep, they’d told her as much.. And yet, she fought the urge. Lili didn’t want to sleep. They had made her drink, from a man. The idea had repulsed her and yet, she’d also craved to taste him. Her body had screamed in need. When she’d given in, it had been like ambrosia from the gods. He’d tasted like the way people talked about wine. A good vintage, the taste of the sun and the weather the grapes had grown under.

He’d tasted like a vintage treat. A little smoky and a touch bitter. There was also a richness she couldn’t put her finger on. When she’d pulled back, she could feel the warmth of his blood on her lips and she’d licked at it like a hungry kitten. It was only after the blood lust had subsided that she’d felt horrified.

It was that horror more than anything that had kept her up. That and a small wonder if she was brave enough to walk into the sun. In the movies it killed them.. Her. Could she walk into the sun, end her life? She had barely loved but Lilian knew she didn’t want to be a monster and the people.. Things.. Vampires were monsters. Their nest was dirty and there was a not so subtle scent of death. When they fed, they killed. Not like in the stories where the vampire only took a little blood. Huddled in the corner she’d been trying to work up the nerve and then he’d appeared.

She’d seen the first kill and with wide eyes, she’d wondered if this man would kill her, if it would hurt. The whole situation had come crashing down on her head and she’d let out a sob. She didn’t want to die! She didn’t want to be a monster! She couldn’t live in limbo. It was one or the other, right? Monster or death. Her cry had startled him and it had alerted the others to his presence. He’d move like a whirlwind of death and she’d not moved from her spot, curled into a ball sobbing.

He’d killed them, all of them with brutal efficiency. The oldest two he’d beheaded in one motion. He’d moved fast, but Lilian wasn’t aware of other monsters. Maybe they were just not so impressive? In reality fear was what clouded her thoughts, dimmed her wits.

He came to stand before her and she shrank away from his imposing form. Her cheeks were tear stained and she quaked in her little ball. His voice was deep, rich and pleasing to her ears, even if his words made her flinch. He’d asked if she fed and she knew the answer. Would saying yes make him kill her?

“Please, I don’t want to die..” Her voice cracked, thick with tears. Her eyes moved from him to the body of a middle aged man, in blue collar attire. His eyes stared lifelessly toward the dark ceiling. Her face held fear, revulsion and there was something darker. Hunger. She shivered violently and tore her eyes away from him.

“Just make it quick.. I don’t want to be a monster either.”
#9c2542
 
Theron watched the girl closely. There were stains of red around her lips so while he'd asked the question he already suspected the outcome. It was possible that the blood was from the transformation process, from feeding on a vampire and not a human but from his knowledge that was rarely a messy affair. Only a trickle of blood was needed to start working it's dark magic on a human body, and vampires were rarely indulgent enough to spare more when they did not have to. No, he suspected she'd fed, and despite the vigor in which he'd dispatched the rest of the vampires and indeed the satisfaction he'd gleaned from it, he was not excited to end her life. She wasn't like the rest, not yet...but if she'd become one of them then what choice did he have?

Her plea that she didn't want to die didn't help...it tugged at his heartstrings. Her voice was cracked, tears were rolling down her cheeks and he followed her gaze to the corpse on the floor, the human that had clearly been fed upon. Theron understood...she was hungry. Looking back at her he could see the distaste for it on her pretty features, the revulsion, he saw her shiver and look away from him and he heard the tremble in her voice as she asked him to make it quick, as she told him she didn't want to be a monster. He sighed softly. "Close your eyes girl. Tell me your name, so that I will remember you...all I can offer is a swift death. A painless death." He watched as she obediently followed his command and he raised his axe slowly. Such a waste...the girl couldn't be older than 18, probably younger, had barely began her life and he truly felt for her, not just for the human she had been but for the vampire she was now. In the past, vampires had made Theron's life hell...his village had been plagued by them, ruled by them and nobody there had been able to do anything without their permission. Bowing down to the vampires that practically owned them had been sour, even worse when they had taken friends of his to be servants in their fucking castles, flexing their power. He'd hated them for so long, grown to hunt them and it had been over a decade of that before he'd learned that the vampires he'd hated so much were just one bloodline, that there were others that didn't prey on the weak in the same fashion. Largely the vampire bloodlines were free to do what they wanted...there was a ruling bloodline but so long as their interests were not hampered they allowed others to police themselves and that was what had happened to his village. Vampires that thought little of other races had made the area their home and used his people as servants and thralls, the more powerful of them fully capable of a kind of hypnosis that made it difficult to fight back. He'd ended that vampire line, or at least he assumed they were all gone, at the very least they troubled his village no more but he'd also met others. The first time he met a vampire from a different bloodline, a more noble one it had been...maddening. Theron had been fully ready to attack but there had been so many of them, he'd come across them in the road, he'd been ready to die that day and he'd thrown insults with every breath and yet here he was, alive. None of them had raised more than an eyebrow towards him and he'd learned that not all vampires were monsters.

These ones though...they had been. Those that came to this world always preyed on the weak, on humans...it was a rare human that consented to become one of them and in truth even then they didn't know what they were agreeing to...he'd seen the literature, he'd watched movies...there were comforts in this world that he enjoyed but god damn they romanticized vampires and even other monsters. This girl was probably one of those judging by how she dressed, one that had not seen the monsters behind the romance. His arm trembled as he looked at her throat, saw the fading marks where she had been fed upon. Just one swing, she wouldn't even feel it...he doubted she'd even hear the whistle of the axe as it sliced through the air.

He dropped his arm, sighing again. "Fucking hells...why did you have to cry? Why did you have to sound like...like that?" There was a growl to his voice, like he was genuinely angry at her. He'd faced vampires that begged for their lives before but coming across one that didn't fight him was rare, he supposed he'd just never found them so soon after transforming, or maybe they'd not been good people in the first place...whatever the reason, this was new territory for him and in his past he wouldn't have hesitated but right now he just couldn't do it. He took a deep breath and looked around, finding a bit of cloth and starting to wipe his axe clean with it. Ignoring her for a moment while he collected his thoughts before he finally turned back to her.

"I won't kill you...and you don't have to be a monster...not all vampires are evil...but I can't leave you here. You will come with me, for now, until I figure out what to do with you." What even would he do with her? He could send her back to Carnice...maybe travel to some vampires he knew weren't evil but they were all trueborn...even amongst the good, vampires that turned from humans were looked down on, hybrids. He didn't know if they were truly different once they aged, he imagined trueborn vampires were more powerful but he didn't know for sure...but her life wouldn't be good there. Damn it. "Get up and dry your tears. You can't stay here no matter what...if I let you go alone you'll just end up killing yourself or feeding on somebody, getting a taste for it...you're too young to stop yourself from draining them dry..." At least that he knew to be truth, vampires that were changed hadn't grown up drinking in moderation, they would glut themselves on blood until there was nothing left of their victims...it's what made them especially dangerous here. He waited for her to stand, impatient. She seemed paralyzed with fear, she hadn't even answered him yet. Growling again, he pulled off his cloak, the hood no longer covering his head as he crouched down beside her, gently grabbing her wrist and pulling her from the wall so he could wrap it around her. There was sunlight out, it took age to become more immune to it...it would barely take a minute for her to start cooking in direct light. Once he felt she was covered he lifted her gently up into his arms, her head to his shoulder and an arm beneath her. She weighed next to nothing for him, she felt so fragile that he couldn't help but handle her like she was made of glass and his voice was softer when he spoke again. "Stay covered...and no biting. The light won't kill you instantly but it will eventually and it won't be pleasant...you don't want that." With her in one hand and his axe in the other, just in case, he took her out, carrying her towards where he'd parked his truck. "Your name, girl. I at least deserve that. You can call me Theron."
#fd5800
 
He told her to close her eyes and she did. He’d asked her name, but she didn’t want anyone to remember and if they did, not like this. Not crying, maybe broken and most certainly as a monster. A swift death was enough for Lili. Trembling, she tried to keep herself still, her eyes tightly closed as she waited for the blow. Would she even feel it? The edges of her eyes flinched as the air around her moved. As if expecting the impact. Yet nothing happened. It was his voice that made her flinch and she opened her eyes up to him. Tears made her eyes glassy. Once they had been a pretty, warm brown.. Now they were ruby. The color watery as the tears were trapped by her lashes, unable to fall until they breached the barrier.

He sounded mad and she couldn’t understand why. It didn’t occur to Lilian that killing her could be hard for him. Maybe it was selfish or short sighted? To put her life, her soul on his conscience. In that moment, lili only thought of herself, what he’d offered and now failed to fulfill. An end to her life, to stop her from becoming like the piles of ass that now littered the darkness of the nest. He didn’t say more as he began to clean his weapon and Lilian, unsure what to do now, just huddled smaller. She didn’t want to kill anyone else. She’d killed the man not five feet away. Felt the thrill of feeling his last heartbeats. In that moment, it had been exhilarating. Like a drug. It was only after the shame had come. It was easy to lose the morals she clung to so desperately when the hunger was upon her.

His voice made her jump, lost in her own thoughts. He said she wouldn’t be a monster, but she’d already killed someone. She was a monster. He couldn’t change that. His voice sounded above her again. Dry her tears. He couldn’t leave her on her own. She couldn’t stop from killing someone. Those words went through her like an arrow to the heart. No. Lili knew she was a monster and she wouldn’t be a burden to him.

He growled and she flinched at his anger. Lili had never been good at being around anger. Anger directed at her made her fall to pieces. He pulled her forward, though his touch was oddly gentle. The cloak he’d been wearing slipped around her shoulders and with that came the heat of his body. It was so warm. To her cold, dead body, it reminded Lili of slipping into a hot car. That warmth that sort of melted into your bones and made you feel so warm, but not hot.

The filing would have ended sooner rather than later if he hadn’t picked her up into his arms. That tenderness was not missed and it confused her. She was a monster. He treated her as if she was made of glass and would break. No biting. She didn’t say anything to that, instead she curled into him. He was her sunlight and she was a kitten seeking his warmth. Her nose nestled into his neck, and while she could hear his blood, she didn’t try to bite him. Her hunger for the moment under control. Instead she closed her eyes, letting her new nose pick out his scent. Theron, that was his name, smelled like vanilla. Warm, comforting. Tarragon came next with a slightly sweet anise scent. The note that lingered though was citrus.

His name was Theron. When had she learned his name? She played back his words and after a moment, she answered, the coolness of her breath against his skin. “Lili.”
#9c2542
 
It wasn't a terribly long walk to his truck, though it was made longer by having to stick to the shadows. His cloak would protect her, well made and thick to keep out the cold it was more than capable of shutting out the light completely but he didn't want to take any chances. Strange, perhaps, that a hunter would be so cautious not to hurt a vampire, the very things he hunted but this wasn't an ordinary vampire, certainly not a predator like those he had put down for years now. Lili, she'd said...Lili was an innocent. A victim, and he'd seen enough victims in his time that the chance to get to one before they join the roving groups of vampires that would prey on others was a first for him...right time and right place, he supposed, because a chance to interrupt the circle of cruelty was a rare thing indeed. There was every chance that he would fail, too...Theron couldn't guarantee that Lili wouldn't continue the vicious cycle where a vampire would prey on others and turn some into vampires like themselves, then teach those innocents that to survive they must do the same thing...it was indoctrination of the foulest kind, humans had stories of vampires everywhere, movies, books, but once they became one they had no real experience...so when another, more experienced teaches them that the only way to live is to kill and they get a taste for that power...it was a foregone conclusion. Very few vampires that were born human in this world ever managed to resist such teachings.

He eased her into the passenger seat, tightening the seatbelt around her. "Stay covered...the windows should keep the light off you but I don't want to take any chances, I don't often have vampires as passengers..." His tone was soft, he saw no reason to be loud or cruel with her or to bark it like an order, it was more a suggestion if anything anyway, and he closed the door. His truck was black...a lot of what he wore was black to be honest, it made it easier to blend in to the darkness when he did most of his hunting...while he preferred to kill his prey during the daytime when they had a disadvantage it was obviously far easier to track them during the night time when they were active, and he'd paid extra for the windows to be darkened so nobody could see inside...privacy was important to him, and not being seen even more so. It was expensive, but that was fine...vampires liked to kill, they took money and jewelry from their victims and in turn he took it from them...hunting them had turned out to be lucrative in that regard and Theron was not hurting for money which was just as well, staying in hotels was expensive and buying property even more so and since he'd been in this city for years now it had only made sense to buy a home of his own. He would travel every few weeks to another city or a town where he suspected vampire activity was heavy but he always came back.

The drive was a little less than an hour and thankfully he had a garage cut off from the light. Driving in and closing the door with his remote, he shut the car off and looked at her. The entire journey he had been silent, thinking. Was this madness? Would it have been kinder to just swing his axe instead of...whatever the hell he was doing? He didn't know. "Wait here for a few minutes...I'll be right back." He got out and with one last look back, he slipped into his home. It was large, well furnished but there were few extravagances...there was a television, there were beds, there was even a spare room as well as a room he kept his equipment in and his basement he used for training, to keep in shape...once a year he would go through a period where he would have to hunt less and instead indulge his own needs so his bedroom was comfortable, the bed large, he had...things he enjoyed in there but for the most part the whole house was sparse but at least the curtains were thick. He went to every room, closing them one by one so that not a single ray of sunlight penetrated before he made his way back to the garage and opened the car door.

"Come on...if you don't think you can walk I can carry you...you'll be staying here for now. Come with me." He held out his hand, ready to guide her into the home.
#fd5800
 
The rhythmic sway of his body was oddly comforting as he carried her from the darkness of the warehouse and into the bright sun. He’d been diligent though in covering her. The light didn’t reach her skin, but that didn’t stop her from curling closer. It might have even seemed like she was going to bite him, that was until he felt the soft trembling. She was scared of the sun. Not really surprising considering what she was. Her hand, hidden beneath the jacket, tightened against his chest. Lili might have been proud she didn’t whimper normally, but she was far too scared.

Still, Theron was gentle as he laid her in the seat and his voice was soft as he told her to stay covered. A warning to avoid hurting herself. A small nod was offered and she was careful buckling herself in before curling back up. Old habits from a life barely gone. She was a vampire.. It would be the sun and not an accident that killed her. The engine purred to life and for the first time since he’d entered that warehouse, Lili relaxed. She liked car rides. They had always been a soothing activity. Normally she’d have wanted to look out the windows, watch the world speed by.. But for now, she was content to focus on the way the car felt under her.

It was almost like a trance, the ride. It wasn’t until she heard the garage motor whirring to life that she moved. Another small nod. She could wait here. Though the room was pitch black, she could see it as if it was filled with light. Unbuckling, she looked around.. It was fascinating the changes, if you looked past the whole drinking blood and killing. She could make out minute details if she focused; the detail of a rough canvas over a box. The rough weave of it.

He came back and a hand was offered to her. She watched it for a moment before lifting her arms. She could have likely walked.. But he made her feel safe. The first time since her change. Was it so wrong to abuse that generosity if only to steal from it a sense of comfort?
 
Theron hadn't expected it...an hour ago she had been terrified of him but now she was holding her arms up like she wanted him to carry her again. He thought for a moment...there was no harm in it, he could tell her to walk too but he didn't want to be cruel, the girl had been through enough already. Kindness would serve her better. "Don't want to walk? Okay Lili, but don't get used to it, I'm not your pony." Lowering himself down to one knee he gently eased her into his arms, her head cradled against his neck as he lifted her and closed the car door. She was light, it wasn't really a burden to carry her when he was capable of lifting 1000 pounds quite easily, in all honesty she might as well have weighed nothing at all. Taking her into the front room, curtains already closed, he paused wondering if she should stop in here first. He was hungry, but that was nothing new, he was often hungry after a hunt, exerting himself like that but right now his guest came first. He thought briefly about putting her down on the sofa before he sat down himself, but in the end he sat with her still in his arms, leaving her in his lap.

"Welcome to my home, Lili. You can stay here until I figure out what to do with you." That in itself was a question he'd have to answer sooner or later. "You have a say in that...but first you should get settled in. I can make one of the spare rooms up for you, I'll make sure the windows are completely blacked out just in case. Feeding you will be another matter, I'm not sure how we should do that yet...but first, how are you feeling? I know it's not been an easy few days for you." In all honesty he figured it wouldn't be easy for a while, she'd gone through a huge change and there was no end to it in sight, Theron wasn't even sure that it was possible to reverse it, if he had to guess he'd say it was not. She'd have to learn to live with this, learn to be a vampire, learn to survive by drinking the blood of others, to avoid the sunlight, to be considered a monster by most that knew her secret...unless he sent her back to his world. There, she would have other vampires...but even that wouldn't be ideal. Vampires that were not born, like her, were not exactly well treated in their land, to go there would be to consign herself to a life of servitude and being looked down upon by others of her kind. No, she would have to find another place to live, but even in other parts of his world vampires were hardly well liked. Even in places with a large variety of monsters, the melting pot cities of his world, vampires were still considered parasites. They scared people, they were often more powerful than most monsters and some bad vampires, like the ones that had controlled his village, had soiled their reputations with their cruelty.

"I'm getting ahead of myself anyway, I haven't asked you yet. Do you have any plans for the future? Did you before the change? Tell me about yourself, what would you like to do, if you could do anything?" It was probably not a simple question, but hearing what she wanted would surely help him make a decision, right?
 
When he lifted her into his arms again, cradling her against his chest Lili couldn’t help but smile slightly. “Pony would be on all fours.” The joke was shy, unsure if he’d like it.. Her head resting against his shoulder. The movement of his body as he walked was comforting. A gentle sway from left to right as he moved from the garage into the living room. Pausing he seemed unsure what to do now but settled for sitting down, her small frame resting on his lap. Shifting slightly, she curled closer to him. Seeking his warmth, his comfort.. His strength.

“Thank you.” Her voice was soft, her fingers curling in his shirt slightly. Nothing she did seemed dangerous, just.. Clingy. He spoke of what was to come and then settled for the immediate future. She would stay in a spare room he had. He would make it safe for her. He offered her so much, a complete stranger that she paused, frowning up at him. “Why are you helping me?”

It was a fair question, wasn’t it? He had killed her.. Her nest. Though she didn’t mourn the loss of those he killed. They had taken her life from her and in turn made her take another. She hated them, truth be told. Yet, she was a monster. She’d killed a man. Why was Theron helping her? He should have killed her too. Stopped her from killing others. What would happen when the hunger came back? Would he kill her then? Bloodlust. That was what they had called it. When she was devoid of reason and the bloodlust controlled her. The desire to feed the only one.

His question in return though made her pause and she looked up at him. “Yes.” The answer was small and she gave a small shake of her head. What point was there in reliving what they stole from her? He prodded further though and she gave a small little growl. Not anger, but frustration. “I wanted a small farm and bed and breakfast.” It seemed odd that someone so young might want to do something like that. Even more so when you took in what she looked like “A place where people could escape the city.. Pet animals.. Have vegetarian food. I wouldn't be able to kill anything to do farm to table.... Ironic now.. When I couldn’t even dream of killing an animal..” her voice faded and she shifted some. Fighting tears.
 
Theron couldn't help but laugh, the response amused him plenty. "If you think that's going to happen then you're out of your mind, girl." He was still laughing and his tone made it clear he had enjoyed the comment. "Perhaps in my other form...but don't count on it. I'm already carrying you around." At least he didn't mind carrying her, it felt nice. Contact was something he didn't get much of apart from those times he had to seek it out, to sate himself, and then it was purely physical pursuits. He never felt close to anybody, he never held anybody or cared for them, he'd certainly never carried anybody like this to make them feel more comfortable and he couldn't say he hated the feeling. It was...nice.

Sitting on his chair she had cuddled up to him more rather than found a seat of her own and after what she had been through he didn't have the heart to make her get down. It felt...awkward, in a way. He was careful as he held her, he didn't want to touch her inappropriately and he didn't want her to think she was unwelcome either, it was delicate. "Why am I helping you? Because you clearly are struggling...you didn't attack me like the others, you're not a monster, you're just a victim of monsters." His tone was soft as he looked down at her. "In my home village, vampires were there too. Enslaving my neighbours, enslaving me. The vampire rulers didn't do anything about one of their bloodlines taking over a village of people that were not like them, owning them as chattel...they didn't intervene, they don't intervene ever...so in some ways I was the same as you." He left out the bloody parts...how they had killed off friends of his, his family too, and how he had torn through them in a barbaric rage that he barely remembered, just flashes of anger, of blood, of death.

He smiled as she told him what her dream had been. "And what says you can't have that, now?" Somehow his hand had found it's way into her hair, he was petting her. He didn't know why, he couldn't explain it, perhaps it was some paternal instinct he didn't know about or maybe it was just because of how dejected she seemed. "You would have limited time in the sun, of course, but you could still do it, you could control yourself. The ruling class of vampires in Carnice don't kill their prey, can't even call them prey...people let them feed willingly and they in kind take care of them." He paused for a moment. "I hated them because they didn't intervene and police their people, the bloodline that controlled my village, but...that was not their fault, it was outside of their territory, a rogue bloodline, just like the ones that prey on humans here. My point is...they manage without killing, you can too. They even have rings that let them walk in the sunlight, they are rare but I have seen them on the royal family and other aristocrats...surely there is a way to get them." He didn't know how, of course, but he was trying to make her feel better.
 
A smile had tugged at her lips as he joked back with her. She felt the rumble of his laugh through his chest, it vibrated along her side. He made a new question form though. Other form? He was human wasn’t he? Her lashes lowered some as she fought the need to sleep. She was a baby vampire. Staying up while the sun was high in the sky was hard. Lili should have been asleep when he’d attacked them. Her hand that rested on his shirt tightened some. She’d have died with them.. She wouldn’t have ever woken again. Maybe that would have been better for all involved. He wouldn’t now have a burden of a newborn vampire to deal with and she wouldn’t fear killing anyone or hurting him..

She didn’t ask him what he was, rather Lili asked why he bothered to help her. His answer was simple. She felt his body shift as he looked down at her and Theron’s voice was gentle. He’d once been like her? She tilted her head some and large, garnet eyes staring up at him. There was much missing from his tale, Lili could tell, but she didn’t push. “I am sorry, Theron.” His name was said so softly. She couldn’t imagine watching her whole family, her friends and family being turned, or hurt or used.

Shaking her head she curled closer. He was trying to be kind, but in truth it was cruel. “Don’t give me false hope, Theron.” She sounded much older now and oh so tired. Not sleepy, but like an old soul who had seen too much. He was trying to be kind. Lili knew that. Knew he was trying to give her hope for what was to come next. She’d already taken a life though and what if she couldn’t control herself? He’d have to kill her. Lili wouldn’t choose to hurt him or anyone else, but she would have little choice. She’d be feral. She’d attack anyone.. Anything to sate the desire, the need.

Maybe she could learn to control it, but her dream was gone. Stolen from her. Much like her life had been. It was another false hope. One she couldn’t have. It was better to come to terms with that now, rather than setting her eyes on a pipedream. One that would fade in the sun into ash. It was then she pulled away from him. Rising to her feet. “I should sleep.” Her voice was devoid of emotion. This was too much. She didn’t want him to give her pretty dreams. Dreams that couldn’t be. She motioned to the garage. “Can you put a mattress in there for now? I don’t want to be in the way..”

#9c2542
 
"You don't have to be sorry, girl. It was over ten years ago, it's been a long time, I've had time to deal with it, time to move on...but thank you." In truth it still hurt him to think about it, it always would, but he didn't want to burden the poor girl when she had her own problems that were far more fresh in the mind. She'd lost her family too...they might be alive, they might not, he didn't want to ask what had happened but no matter what she couldn't go back to them, he could not allow that. He did find himself holding her a little tighter, he didn't know if it was because of what had happened to him all those years ago or because of what had happened to her, but he liked the contact right now. It helped.

A soft growling sound emanated from his throat as she told him not to give her false hope. "It's not false hope...I have met vampires in my world that live like any other kind of monster. Farmers, inn owners, travelling merchants...the only limitations on what you can do is how much you can avoid the sunlight and how much work you're willing to put in to achieve it." He was far from angry with her, he had no reason to be but he wasn't going to let her go on believing it was false hope when he knew that wasn't true. "Anything you want to do, I will help you do it, you will still have a life, do you understand me?" His tone was suddenly different...slightly deeper, his words were slower, more articulate...commanding, as though what he'd said was not to be argued with. "You will stay with me, I will help you learn to control yourself, deal with what has happened to you, teach you to feed without killing, teach you the other things you can do." While he spoke, his hand tightened around her waist where he was holding her to him, squeezing gently. "I will help you to accept it and then I will help you to do anything you want to do in the world. If you want a bed and breakfast, well I will make sure you have one. A farm? You will have one. You can tell me it's false hope all you like but I will prove you wrong, Lili."

He felt her starting to pull away from him and he let her stand, he didn't want to when she was in such a vulnerable emotional state but it wouldn't do to tell her she could do anything she wanted and then stop her from doing something as simple as standing on her own two feet. He watched her rise and he shook his head at her request. "You're not sleeping alone, and certainly not in the garage. I will make up a room for you once I'm sure you can control your urges but tonight, and for the foreseeable future you stay close to me." He stood up himself, rising to his full height and gently patting her head. "Don't worry...I'm in no danger from you, and you're in no danger from me, you're safe." He started walking towards his bedroom, yawning as he went. While he wasn't naturally nocturnal like a vampire, he had become so mostly out of necessity, and he had been up the entire night tracking and killing the nest. Theron was tired.

His bedroom was large, fitting the rather large house he had brought her to and he had of course made sure the curtains were closed so that not a single shred of light could pierce through. His bed was huge, a four poster that had been in the house when he'd bought it with black velvet sheets. The rest of the room was sparsely decorated...a bookcase, a television for when he was bored, a chest where he kept his weapons and a wardrobe. Besides that, a bedside table on either side of the bed, only one of which had anything on it, a simple lamp, a bottle of alcohol and a clock. He started to undress, taking off at least his shirt, his cloak was still in the truck. His dark pants came next, his underwear he left on...he wouldn't normally because of his own problem, but he had a guest and he didn't want to make her time worse by getting naked in front of her, she didn't need to see that, in fact he searched his wardrobe for a comfortable pair of thin cotton pants, tartan patterned and he pulled them on over his boxer shorts. "You can sleep in here, you can take the bed and I will take the floor if you are uncomfortable sharing." He closed the door behind her and he clicked the lock at the top closed. "Just in case."
#fd5800
 
Did that sort of thing ever leave you? Lili couldn’t help but wonder. It didn’t seem like it would ever leave you. This thought came securely from the fact that she couldn’t see this hell that was now her life would ever fade. True it was fresh, but how could one just accept.. Learn to deal with something that ruined their lives. Lili didn’t comment though. Theron said he’d learned to deal with it. Little did she know that these words were nothing more than platitudes. The memory lingered with him, a part of who he was even now.

When the soft growl vibrated from him, Lili flinched. She wasn’t made for this. For this life. For being a vampire. For being growled at by a man who hunted them for a living. He made a promise of sorts to her and Lili looked down. Could he actually follow through with that promise? She’d have a lifetime, short as it was, of promise like that. Paved with good intentions and yet never followed through. The path to hell was paved with good intentions. The old saying played through her head. She only half heard Theron. As he told her he’d help her to learn control. That he’d help her learn to cope. Her mind miles away to another person who had once been a father to her.

Her mind heavy with it all, Lili had pulled away from Theron. Made her request. He denied her request and while some might have been angry, lili just didn’t have any fight left in her. Besides, it made sense. Another promise. She’d be no danger to him. This she accepted.. He’d know better than she would. The head pat had been a little nice.

Following him to the room, she looked around. Shifting uneasily as he closed and locked the door. It was for her and other’s safety. Lili didn’t question it. Looking at the bed, she gave a small shake of her head. Lili knew without even trying that he wouldn’t switch the sleeping arrangements. “We can share.” When he had started to change, she’d looked away. Her hands played with the edge of her skirt. It wasn’t until he’d moved past her to lock the door that Lili moved toward the bed.

She fidgeted some, looking at his clean bed.. Then down at her dirty, blood soaked clothing. She didn't have the energy to ask for something like a shower.. But.. “Could I borrow a t-shirt?” She didn’t want to make his bed dirty.
#9c2542
 
Lili seemed...lifeless. Maybe that was a poor choice of words, given the circumstances, but it was no less true. The thought of everything she assumed she could no longer have weighed heavily on the girl, that much was clear, and It seemed that while she was in this state no amount of trying to reassure her would remove the gloomy aura that seemed to flow from her in waves. So Theron didn't try...he met her silence with more silence, gently petting her as the only reassuring act he did. He didn't even know if that was helping, if she liked it, but silence and no movement he just couldn't do, not when he had company. Theron liked to talk, and since he lived most of his life in solitude those that he met along the way were burdened with having to deal with him.

He followed her as she pulled away and led her to his bedroom. Again, she seemed like she was about to protest that he offered her the bed, but instead she came up with a compromise. "Are you sure? I move around in my sleep...and..." And something else was likely too, but mentioning that, while probably for the best didn't seem like a good idea at the time, he wasn't sure the poor girl could take it so he gave up trying. "Nevermind. We can share." He undressed, trying not to chuckle as he saw her look away and start to fidget. He didn't blame her, she seemed young, around seventeen or eighteen, and given how soft-spoken she was he had a feeling she hadn't seen any men naked before, but that was why he kept his underwear on. It was the best he could do for her. Finally she spoke, having been silent since they were in his front room and he nodded, gesturing to his wardrobe. "Take anything you like...tonight we can go shopping, I'll get you some clothes, you can come with me, does that sound good?" He was trying here, it was frustrating but understandable that she was in a bad place and all he could do was try to help her out of it. Was this what it felt like to be a parent? A new-found respect for men and women that raised teenagers the world over was born in his chest. As she moved towards the wardrobe he turned away, giving her some privacy to change into the shirt, as she had for him.

When he turned back, she was in the bed. Chuckling, he moved over to the other side and climbed in himself, getting as comfortable as he could, close to her but not too close. "Lili...I meant what I said. I know you don't believe me, but everything will be okay. Just...try to trust me, okay?" He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently before letting it fall away, unsure if she was even still awake. "Anyway...goodnight. Just remember, you're safe here." Closing his eyes, he fell asleep in moments, it had been a long day and he rarely had trouble sleeping. As time passed, an hour or maybe two, he started to do what he usually did in his sleep, tossing and turning, an arm ending up being flung over Lili as though his body sought out any comfort it could in the bed, sheets were kicked away...and then his 'little' problem came up...

Many hours later he was still fast asleep...the sheets had long since slipped off the bed but his blood ran hot enough anyway, not to mention his fur. His human form had been discarded...he'd slipped completely into his animal form as he did most nights, the main reason besides comfort that he slept naked. Besides Lili, with one leg thrown over her as though it was cuddling her, was a huge tiger. Orange and black stripes, larger than even an ordinary tiger he was an imposing sight and was the reason that Theron's bed was reinforced just to handle him and his weight. Theron's boxer shorts were in shreds on the bed, they'd torn once he'd transformed and for all the world it looked like he'd just been swallowed whole by the huge beast as it made a soft growling sound in it's sleep.

#fd5800
 
Her head tilted to one side, she looked like a kitten, curious and unsure. She would be dead to the world. Surely he knew this. What did it matter to her if he moved in his sleep? She shrugged some in answer and he brushed it off saying they'd share. That was fine with Lili as he’d not let her sleep on the floor and she wouldn’t kick him out of his own bed. He’d offered, but it felt wrong. Oddly enough she trusted him enough for this. To be respectful and keep his hands to himself. Yet when it came to the views he’d shared on her life, she didn’t trust a word. Pretty words, but like candy floss they’d just vanish when exposed to watery reality.

Theron wouldn’t have been wrong. The amount of men she’d seen naked were.. Well basically zero. Accidently seeing porn, blushing till she felt dizzy and closing the page didn’t really count, did it? So she’d turned away as he’d undressed. As she faced the wall she’d looked down at her dress. Dirty and she could only imagine how she smelled. The request had been answered kindly and she moved toward the wardrobe he’d motioned to when she’d turned around. After a moment she pulled out a shirt several times larger than her, but it was soft. So very soft against her fingers. It would be nice to sleep in.

When he turned away, she smiled slightly. Still, she turned her back as well to undress. Lili stripped as quickly as she could and pulled the soft shirt over her slender body. She’d only left on her panties. It felt wrong to join him in bed without them; she’d have preferred it though. She didn’t love the idea of sleeping in anything dirty. Crossing the distance, she’d slipped into bed, bundled up to her slender neck with the sheets and blankets. Theron chuckled as he moved toward the bed. His voice was soft still and she watched him with large, owlish eyes. After a moment, she nodded. Lili could at least.. try and trust him. “Night.” Her voice was soft, quiet in the darkness.

Sleep came easily because of what she was. A newborn vampire couldn’t really fight sleep for long and it had been sheer willpower that had kept her awake this long. The moment she gave in, darkness claimed her. She didn’t wake as he shifted, a heavy leg draped across her middle. Nor to the soft purring rumbles of his snores. It wasn’t until night had truly fell that she stirred. Drowsy she shifted slightly. Soft bed. Bed? Her eyes opened as she recalled the morning before. Then her mind tuned into the sound he was making.

Lili froze. Her head turned slightly as she spotted the orange leg draped over her. Tiger? This was still a dream and yet.. She didn’t dream anymore. Panic was slowly building as she tried to lift the paw without waking the beast. Where was Theron? Was this how he planned to kill her? By feeding her to his pet tiger?? Why did he even have a tiger?! Why hadn’t it eaten her? She was carefully trying to worm from under the paw. Her new vampire strength had made the lifting of the paw easy enough. The real challenge would be escaping before it woke.
#9c2542
 
"Goodnight." As he crawled into the bed Theron did his best to stay on his side, resisting the usual temptations he had to sprawl out when he was alone, or to cuddle up which he did on the rare occasions when he had somebody else in his bed, feeling that in this situation it would just be weird. Unfamiliarity, not to mention that the girl was clearly still anxious and concerned about her future as she laid in a bed with a complete stranger who she had witnessed killing several of people just like her...no, probably for the best if he just gave her some space to herself.

In his dreams...he was back home, in his other form. The tiger...large and powerful as he stalked through the nearby woods, satiating his urge to run and hunt. He was fast, agile, strong...smaller animals ran when they saw him coming and he chased them not for food but for the thrill of it. He let out a mighty roar that rang out through the woods letting everything nearby know exactly where he was. None of them would challenge him, none of them would dare...it would be suicide. Confidently he broke out into a run, trees seeming like they were dashing past him he moved so fast. Ahead of him he saw his prey...a vampire using the shade to hide from the light of the sun, clothes stained with blood. He growled as he ran at the monster, as he pounced...

His eyes snapped open just as he saw her in front of him...Lili. It took only a few moments for his memory to come back, the nest, the trembling girl, a fresh vampire with a fresh kill that she'd been forced to make. Bringing her home with him, holding her, telling her it would all be okay, she could have a future...being told that she didn't believe him. Something else...the world was more vibrant, his perspective different...he'd shifted. It wasn't uncommon in most monsters that had more than one form, that they would shift in their sleep, and with Theron it was annoyingly common...the reason he would usually insist on sleeping with no clothes, it was because most of the time he would wake and his clothing would be in shreds, underwear too small to fit on a tiger of his size...larger than a normal tiger by far. In front of him he watched as Lili managed to pull herself free, his right leg and paw had been over her in his sleep...that happened too. As he dreamed, he moved around in the bed. He started to rise, to help her but she was already panicking...of course she was, she didn't know that it was him, unless she had made one hell of a good guess.

He rolled over and onto his feet, leaping gracefully down off the bed to land next to her. Even on all fours he was as tall as she was and he opened his mouth to tell her she was okay, that it was just him, but the only sounds were of course the soft growls, all she would see was him baring his teeth, some as large as her fingers. His tail swished through the air behind him and he moved closer to her, backing her into a corner before starting to transform. An unusual sight, it was over quickly as his body obeyed, shifting back into his human form. Shaking his head, the last part of him to change was his eyes...tiger's eyes shifting into those of a human as he blinked slowly and rose to his feet. Naked...the shreds of his underwear left on the bed.

He looked down at her in silence for a few seconds before he spoke. "Lili, don't worry, it's just me, I'm not going to hurt you..." His voice was slow...it was always like this when he first transformed back, it took a few moments for his motor skills to come back to him just like it did when he first woke as a tiger...if he could he'd have changed back immediately but instinct and animalistic urges took over his body...he wasn't violent when he woke as a tiger, but he had other urges and he'd followed Lili off the bed before getting them under control...which was why he was semi-erect. "You probably need an explanation...well there are more than just vampires in my world..." He would have continued but he realised that he was wearing nothing. "Oh...let me put something on...I'm not used to waking up with guests." He turned from her, getting some boxers from his drawer and starting to put them on. "Are you okay? I didn't scare you, did I?"

#fd5800
 
She’d managed to escape his paw, but something had woken him and she bit back a scream as he looked at her. The he rolled off the bed and landed on his feet next to her. An odd combination of graceful and not all at once. He was as tall as she was and lili slowly backed away from him, keeping her eyes on him, but not meeting his. Was he like a dog? Meeting his eyes could be a challenge? Almost all things said never to run.. It kicked in the hunt instinct. When he growled at her she jumped and whimpered, holding her hands out to him. She was warding him off.

Lili didn’t make soothing sounds, which would be confusing to him. Good kitty, stay away. It would have been confusing. She prowled toward her on silent paws, cornering her. Could.. Could she take a tiger? Lili knew she was meant to be faster, stronger. But was she stronger, faster than a tiger? Dying to being eaten didn’t sound like it would be quick.. Or painless. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. Her scent was clearly telling him she was afraid.

Then something happened. He started to change and Lili gaped at him as Theron appeared where the tiger had been. Naked she lifted her hands in front of her to hide his.. His.. thingy. Which was happy to be there? She blushed furiously and closed her eyes tightly as he moved to get boxers. She refused to open her eyes as she answered.

“I.. I guess.” He’d scared the hell out of her. Twice now. It wasn’t very nice, but how would she have taken this info last night? She honestly didn’t know. Her hands had lowered. She stayed in the corner. Pressed firmly to the comforting walls. “So.. You’re a tiger. Not.. not human.” Lili spoke softly with a current of unease in her voice.
#9c2542
 
Theron could see the fear in her eyes as he approached her but when he first woke it was hard not to give in to instincts. To hunt, to rut...before he knew exactly what was happening he had walked her back to the corner and finally managed to get some semblance of control. She was never in any danger from him but she didn't know that and that was obvious from the look in her eyes and the way she was trembling as she reached out. Then he had transformed back, a surprisingly fast process that had left him standing in front of her naked. He chuckled as he saw her use her hands to block her own sight, he hadn't intended to flash her either but it was what it was...he wasn't embarrassed, he didn't care who saw him naked but he understood that at least for her it was bad, and he had turned from her in order to find some more boxer shorts. Once he was wearing them and was sure that he was covered, his erection also starting to die down a little, he turned back to her with a grin. "A tiger...well not exactly. I'm definitely not human though."

He sat down on the edge of his bed, facing her as he started to explain. "A weretiger. I tried to tell you, in my world there are many monsters, all kinds of monsters, and very few humans. Vampires you know of but they are just one race. There are demons of all kinds, incubi, succubi, imps and devils...there are dragon people, ogres, onis, yetis, trolls, neko's, dog people, mermaids, djinn..." He was ticking off the kings of monsters on his fingers but it was never going to end if he carried on so he put his hand down and laughed. "Way too many for me to tell you them all, but most of the stories you humans have about monsters come from my world. I'm a beastkin...that is the term used to describe those that are half animal and half human in appearance. My human form is what you see now, you've seen what I look like as a tiger...and I have something in between both of them too. Does that scare you, Lili?"

He offered her a small smile. "I wouldn't have hurt you, you know. It is hard to control my urges in that form, especially when I first wake but I will always get control of myself before I act so while it might have looked like I intended to eat you, or...something else..." He grinned, though he didn't expect her to connect the dots. He'd been hard, erect...he'd wanted to take her when he was in that form, that had been his primary urge with her being so pretty, but of course he wouldn't have. He knew the differences in the worlds...back home, if you were aroused you took what you wanted to satiate yourself, and who you wanted at that...but the human world had different rules, rape was abhorred and Theron wasn't going to put her through that. "...but I would never. I told you that you're safe with me, and you are, I promise. Do you have any questions?"
 
Had she noticed that he’d herded her into a corner? No she hadn’t. The fear had crowded out reason and even now, she stayed in that corner he’d herded her into, blushing from the sudden nudity. Only once she heard the bead groan softly did she look at him. Weretiger. He said it as if it was the most normal thing to say. And for him it was. But as Lili was still coming to terms with the whole being a vampire, it made her blink at him a few times. Not human. It explained some things and yet left a gaping hole in her knowledge of the world as she knew it.

Monsters. Had he ever seen a vampire have a panic attack? Because she was well on her way to it. Her fingers flexed and flicked as if it would help ground her, but it wasn’t helping. It was just a lot to take in and then the weretiger who had rescued her began to list off all kinds of monsters before she lifted her hand up. He’d either seen it or decided to stop for his own health. Her voice was choked. “Yes.” He was asking if his other form, if he scared her. The answer was still yes, but not likely for the reason he thought. She breathed in, a habit not lost to her yet as she tried to still her mind.

“Not.. you.” She said in a strangled voice after a moment. Her eyes closed tightly once more. “You just.. Casually..” She shivered. “And I..” Her words were skipping as her mind tried to make sense of it all. He tried to offer comfort, not quite understanding her problem and she let out a choked laugh. “I asked you to kill me, so I mean..” Her eyes opened and she looked at him. She frowned suddenly. He thought she wouldn’t put the dots together and yet, the innocent little man killer did. “Uh.. huh..”

Then he opened the floor to Lili and she just stared at him. After a long moment she shook her head. It was way too much info. She knew he’d likely answer any question she had, but how did she even begin to ask questions? Finding out vampires were real was a lot, but everything else??? It was information overload.

She looked down, feeling the starting pangs of hunger. Her hands curled into fists at her sides. “I am hungry..”
#9c2542
 
Finally she started to speak again and Theron chuckled softly. Only a single word, just yes, and not the word he had been hoping for but he could work on it. "I scare you?" He wasn't completely shocked of course, it had to be a terrifying thing just suddenly waking up next to a huge tiger, he got that, but he didn't like that he scared her. She added a 'not you' to the end of it, but for a moment there was a flash of sadness that crept over his face. He managed to fight it off, shaking his head as she started to babble. "Take a deep breath, Lili. Everything is okay, just relax a little bit, nobody is going to hurt you okay?" His voice was soft and his eyes on hers, watching her for any signs that she needed more than just words. Her eyes closed...that wasn't the best, nor was the shiver but the laughter was a good sign, wasn't it? He didn't know, he wasn't an expert on caring for anybody and that was what he was right now, wasn't it? A caretaker.

"You did, but you thought you were a monster. Technically, that is the term we use, but...you're not evil. You can control yourself, find other ways to sate your hunger that don't involve killing, take a little at a time. You can live a normal enough life, I really meant it, the only difference is in what you eat and when you can go outside, and even that we can work on." The 'uh huh' caught him off guard and made him laugh louder, a jovial sound that filled the entire room. "I was saying that it might have looked like I intended to do those but I didn't! I was just waking up, and I was a little disoriented." She went a little quiet after that, and he stayed silent too so she could think a little. Then she said she was hungry.

He could have gone to the butchers but he knew animal blood wouldn't sustain a vampire forever, or rather it would but they would be weaker, sickly. They needed something more potent. Human blood was fine, and definitely in abundance in this world plus they had the benefit of being able to change humans into their kind, but monster blood had varying degrees of potency, and he knew his species was quite invigorating...but would he let her feed from him? For a vampire hunter that seemed crazy, yet he was considering it as he looked at her, thinking. After a minutes silence, he beckoned for her to come closer to him. "Come here."

He waited for her to approach him a little and started to pull her gently into his lap, knowing she was comfortable there from the day before. The only difference was he was only wearing boxer shorts this time but he tried to ignore that and hoped she would do the same. Tilting his head, he held her close. "Take what you need, don't get greedy. I have plenty, I heal fast so I will replenish my blood far quicker than a human and you need less to feel satiated. I have heard my species has powerful blood, so you might feel a little...drunk for a moment. Invigorated even." He didn't know the exact things she would feel, he'd heard different things from different sources but he knew it was a heady experience. "You can't take too much from me because I can stop you so you're not in danger of hurting anybody, okay? Like I said, you're safe."
 
Breathe. Good idea. Yet even as she did it, she knew it wasn’t needed. It more than anything else made her giggle. A small, hysterical sound. She nodded as he spoke, his voice soft as she breathed in and out. “I don’t have to, you know. It is human to breathe. Well I guess.. You too? But my body doesn’t need it.” She repeated this small fact that she’d learned. He likely knew this already, but it helped her calm down. His voice was the biggest comfort. As he spoke to her, the cadence soothing her frazzled nerves.

She could have a normal life. Someday. In time. “So.. like being a vegan?” She questioned unsurely. A different diet than most, but still a functional one. So rather than plants or meat, she’d feed on blood. His laughter drew a smile to ehr lips and she gave him a look. It clearly said, I still don’t believe you.

The hunger started small. A gnawing at her insides. Slowly clawing at the walls of her stomach. Uncomfortable, but manageable.. For now. When he lifted his hand she looked at him, his voice encouraging the motion he’d made. Slowly she padded to him, bare feet silent on the hardwood. Theron pulled her gently into his arms and she curled into him. She liked being held. A new thing for her and one she was quickly becoming obsessed with.

He told her to feed. On him. She shook her head and moved to pull away. His hands tightened slightly. Not letting her squirm free. He continued. “No.. I can't stop once I start.” She didn’t want to hurt him or force him to hurt her to save his own life. This close though, the smell of his blood was intoxicating. The steady thrum of his heart. The blood that flowed in his veins. The gentle hunger vanished and she whimpered as her body reacted to being so close to a food source. She needed blood. She could feel her fangs pushing against her lips.. As if straining to find their mark. Her new body knew what it needed to survive. All that stood in its way was her still human mind and conscious.
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Theron laughed softly and nodded. "True...that is true, you don't have to breathe...I had forgotten you were a vampire for a moment." He smiled sheepishly. "I don't see a monster, you know. Not that being a monster has anything wrong with it, I'm one...but I saw a girl who was scared. The same thing I saw this morning. Had you attacked me with the rest, you would have shared their fate but you didn't. You aren't a killer, Lili, you're a victim of a very unpleasant curse, they had not had time to turn you into one that preys on the weak and I have absolutely no intention of letting that happen to you. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Earlier, before they had slept through the day he had tried to explain this and she hadn't been receptive, he was hoping that now that she had rested a little she would be more willing to accept what he was saying. "What happened to you was not your fault, and you can decide how to move forward." He laughed again. "Yes, I suppose like a vegan, only probably less judgmental. I'll teach you control, you don't need to kill to feed, and vampires do have other things, advantages to help make it easier."

When he'd told her to come to him, she'd seemed hesitant but she had come to him nonetheless, and he'd pulled her into his embrace, holding her close to his chest. She wasn't the only one who enjoyed it, Theron was finding that it wasn't an uncomfortable thing...he liked holding her, she was cool to the touch, she didn't weigh much at all and he liked the closeness of it. He'd never been held himself much when he was younger, at least not when he was old enough to remember and his lifestyle and his own tendencies hadn't led to him holding anybody at all...so it was a novelty that was quickly growing on him.

She'd tried to pull free when he had told her to feed on him and he had kept her in his grasp, refusing to let her down. "Stop squirming. Listen to me, to what I am saying to you, Lili." She still seemed to be fighting it, and his hand came up into her hair, grabbing it lightly and tugging her until her face was pressed against his shoulder, so close to his neck, his head still tilted to allow her all the room she would need. He didn't let go of her hair, and if she listened she would find his heartbeat steady. "A vampire has never fed on me before, never bitten me, do you know why?" He paused. "Because I wouldn't let them. Vampires are fast, strong, they have many other advantages such as how durable they are, how they hypnotize their prey, some can even change their form once they learn of their own powers and how to control them...but I am stronger. I'm well trained, and this in just this form. You saw what I did in that nest...do you really think you could hurt me? Do you really think I could not stop you?" His voice was firm, but soft, and his hand stroked up and down her back. "I've never been bitten because I've never allowed it, and they can't take it by force...but I'm offering my blood to you. You're not hurting me, not forcing me, so take it. Stop resisting...and when you start, try to control yourself. If you can't, I'll control you, you'll be safe either way, safe from harm and safe from me hurting you, Lili, so feed."
 
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