Eric's voice caught, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to find words, to deny the strange lure within him that Alaric ignited.
"You think I'm weak?" Eric's voice was a low growl, his hand snapping up to grab Alaric's wrist, holding it in place. The defiance in his eyes was laced with something else now, a need he could barely swallow down.
Alaric's lips curved into a slow, wicked smile, his eyes gleaming with an almost perverted amusement as he tilted his head.
Eric recalled the words spoken moments before and the words had hit him like a blow, the sting of rejection unexpectedly sharp. For a moment, his fingers loosened their grip on Alaric's wrist, his confidence wavering as he felt something unsteady shift within him. Hurt flared in his chest, a feeling he hadn't anticipated, laced with hollowness and murderous intent. He had been so sure, certain that Alaric's pull on him was a deliberate entrapment, a bond intentionally woven to torment him. Yet now, Alaric denied it with a cruel, almost indifferent clarity.
But… if that were true, then why? Why did the hunters speak of a bond? Why did every instinct scream at him to keep Alaric near,chaining him in ways he couldn't.... escape.
Confusion washed over him, his anger dimming as the doubt seeped in. He released Alaric's wrist, his gaze searching, unsettled. "Then what is this?" he demanded, his voice strained, almost pleading. "The hunters—they say I'm bound to you, that I'm yours. You're saying it isn't true?"
Alaric's expression remained cool, a flicker of intrigue sparking in his eyes as he watched Eric's confusion deepen. He leaned back, folding his arms, his gaze never leaving Eric's face, as if savoring the torment. "Believe what you will," he said, a hint of mockery in his tone. "But don't delude yourself into thinking you're anything more than a stray dog caught in the crossfire."
Eric's chest tightened, his anger battling with a creeping fear as Alaric's words echoed in his mind, unraveling every assumption he'd held onto.
Alaric's smile faded, the amusement draining from his face so suddenly that it left a chill lingering in the air between them. His expression turned blank, almost inhuman, and his eyes—seemed to deepen, swallowing the faint light around them until they were endless voids. There was no flicker, no spark of life within them, only a blackness so complete that it pulled at something deep inside Eric, a silent invitation into an abyss he couldn't escape.
For a long, unnerving heartbeat, Alaric stared at him in silence, his face devoid of any expression, any hint of feeling. Then, as if flipping a switch, he smiled again, his lips curling into that familiar, mocking grin. But his eyes remained empty, black pits that promised nothing but darkness. A primal instinct screamed at Eric to pull back, to run—but he couldn't. He was trapped, entranced by those eyes that would have sent any other soul fleeing, gripped by a dread that was as consuming as it was seductive.
"Strange, isn't it?" Alaric's voice sliced through the silence, low and venomous, as if speaking more to himself than to Eric. "You've been so certain of my hold over you… so sure of what I am." He leaned in, his gaze sharp, dangerous, fixing on Eric with a predatory intensity. "And you even knew my name," he murmured, a smile twisting his lips. "Funny, because I never told you that."
A chill crept into Eric's veins as Alaric's words sank in, numbing him from the inside out. The realization hit, sharp and unforgiving, slicing through his confusion and the twisted bond that had kept him close. Alaric had never spoken his own name—never whispered it, never even hinted at it. Yet Eric knew it, as if the name had crept into his mind in the dead of night, slipping into his thoughts like a dark secret. The truth struck like a slap of icy water, leaving him reeling. How had he missed this? How had it felt so familiar, so certain... when it shouldn't have been?
As confusion warred with a growing sense of dread.Alaric's expression shifted a sharp glint is suspicion,darkening his features."I see now ,you've been sent by those fools who think they can use you against me."he leaned closer voice dropping to a low demonic growl,"Make no mistake I will kill you if I sense even a flicker of betrayal when I am free."
Eric tried to grasp Alaric's words, a fresh wave of dread flooding him.
"What? No! I'm not working with them!" he protested, but his voice was strained, the desperation clawing through every syllable,the very thought disgusting him.
Alaric's gaze remained fixed, cold and calculating, as if dissecting Eric's every reaction. He tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into a thin, humorless smile. "They always say that," he whispered, barely audible, yet his voice was laced with venom. "Swearing loyalty while hiding knives at their backs.In the end all of them meet the same end."
The room felt smaller, the air thick and suffocating as Alaric continued, his gaze piercing through Eric. "You don't understand what you've stepped into, do you? They think you're a pawn—and you let them make you one." He leaned even closer, his breath chilling against Eric's skin, each word sinking like a dagger. "But if you truly are with them… then that makes you even more foolish than I thought."
Eric's throat tightened as he tried to force out a response, but Alaric's hand suddenly shot forward, gripping his jaw with bruising force, tilting his head up to meet those unforgiving eyes. "Make no mistake," Alaric murmured,"If I sense even a flicker of mistake..your fate will be even worse than the ones who keep me prisoner right now."
Eric's heart thundered, but a strange thrill coursed through him, an exhilaration that twisted through the fear Alaric's threats had stirred. The rational part of him should have recoiled, should have begged to escape, yet instead he leaned into it. The darker part of him,he always hid coiled deep beneath the surface, stirred to life, drawn to the predator before him.
The fear only sharpened his senses, and he found himself craving more of that cold, piercing gaze. A wild, reckless desire gripped him—he wanted Alaric to keep looking at him, to focus only on him, even if it meant stepping deeper into the abyss. The threat Alaric posed, the danger he embodied… Eric wanted it all. He could feel the edges of his sanity fraying, something darker pushing forward, a hunger that mirrored Alaric's own, even if he didn't fully understand it yet.
Eric's lips curled slightly, a smirk ghosting across his face. "So, you'll kill me?" he said, his voice low, laced with a twisted anticipation he didn't know he could feel. "Then do it, Alaric. But let's not pretend you wouldn't miss me."
For a moment, surprise flickered in Alaric's eyes before a chilling amusement settled there, as though he recognized something familiar, something that didn't quite belong in Eric… yet he couldn't look away either.
"How do you even know my name then?" Eric demanded ,the challenge in his voice sharp enough to cut through the thick tension.
Alaric simply watched him, amused at the sudden switch. The darkness in his eyes didn't waver; if anything, it intensified, drawing Eric in deeper, as if revealing more of himself than he intended. "That is a gift I learned from someone," he replied smoothly, his voice dripping with enigmatic calm.
"What gift?" Eric pressed, feeling a mix of defiance and jealousy. "You're not making any sense."
A slow smile returned to Alaric's lips, but it was devoid of warmth. "A skill, perhaps. The ability to see through the veil of the mundane and grasp the threads that bind us all." He leaned back slightly, assessing Eric with a predatory gaze that made Eric feel both vulnerable and exhilarated.
"It's not just names I know," Alaric continued, the dark promise lingering in his tone. "I know your fears, your desires. I can sense the pulse of your heart, the rhythm of your thoughts."
Eric bristled at the implication, his fists clenching tighter.
Alaric's smile widened, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Eric.
Eric's breath hitched, his gaze transfixed on Alaric's face, struggling to reconcile the haunting emptiness in his eyes with the warmth that kept rising inside him, unbidden. Every word Alaric spoke, each pause and tilt of his head, stirred something base within him—a need that burned hotter than any hunger, deeper than any thirst. It wasn't blood he craved, not now.
The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating, and Eric's fingers flexed unconsciously, still tingling from where they'd touched Alaric's wrist. He hadn't wanted to let go, hadn't wanted that cool, unyielding skin to slip away. And he couldn't shake the feeling that Alaric's touch had branded him, searing itself into his very bones, deeper than he was willing to admit.
Alaric moved closer, each step calculated and unhurried, like he was savoring Eric's torment, the way a predator toys with its prey. His gaze remained sharp, fixed on Eric, but the hollowness in his eyes never softened, never hinted at anything human beneath that beautifully composed mask.
Eric felt his knees weaken, his heart a thudding mess that betrayed his disorientation. He swallowed hard, unable to look away, even as Alaric's face drew nearer, close enough that Eric could feel the faint warmth of his breath, smell the iron tang that clung to him like a shadow.
Alaric's gaze lowered, lingering on the hollow of Eric's throat.His lips curled into a wicked smile again as he leaned in, his face close enough now that Eric could feel the coolness radiating off him, mingling with the oppressive heat in the air between them. "Tell me," Alaric whispered, his voice laced with cruel amusement, "do you still believe you want to follow me into your destruction?"
The question hit Eric like a blow, his mouth opening, but no sound escaped. His mind was a blur, struggling to grasp what he felt—desire, hatred, a hunger that refused to be quelled. Every instinct in him wanted to deny it, to push Alaric away, but his body betrayed him, every fiber craving to be closer, craving the very presence that taunted him with such cold indifference.
"Yes," he finally whispered, his voice barely audible, his gaze locked onto Alaric's, even as his words felt like a surrender.
Eric's restraint shattered, and he moved forward, his hand lifting with purpose, his fingers grazing Alaric's jaw as he tilted his head, drinking in every subtle shift of Alaric's expression. His breath hitched as Alaric's pupils widened, the sultry invitation in his eyes almost daring Eric to close the distance between them.
Alaric's lips parted slightly, his face inches from Eric's now, the sharp edge of his once-cool demeanor softened into something darkly inviting, something that ignited the raw, urgent hunger Eric had been battling for far too long. A sly, almost taunting smile played across Alaric's face as he leaned closer, his eyes heavy-lidded, glistening with an arousal that was unmistakably wicked, making his every movement appear more seductive and sinful.
"Are you still so certain?" Alaric's voice was a hushed murmur as he said the words again, but the huskiness in it betrayed his own desires. His words might have dripped with mockery, but the look he gave Eric was one of pure indulgence, as if he had finally decided to grant Eric the closeness he so desperately craved.
Eric's hand slid down, tracing the line of Alaric's throat before settling on his collarbone, feeling the coldness beneath his touch. Every inch he closed between them made his pulse race faster, made his own skin burn hotter. He could feel Alaric's breath ghosting over his lips, close enough that their faces were level, equal, yet Alaric held the upper hand effortlessly, his allure overpowering.
Eric's fingers traced over Alaric's collarbone, feeling the smooth, unyielding coolness beneath his touch. The moment was thick with a tension he could no longer deny.
Alaric's gaze followed Eric's hand, his lips curving into a smirk. "Do you hunger for me, Eric?" His voice was a low, seductive murmur, laced with amusement. The question hit Eric with a jolt, and he felt something in him stir, greater than any need he'd felt before.
Eric's pupils dilated, his irises darkening to a bloody, vivid red, his instincts unraveling in that one moment as the hunger overtook him, raw and undeniable. Alaric's laugh cut through the silence, soft and mocking, his eyes gleaming with a wicked delight. He leaned in close, his lips almost brushing Eric's ear, his voice a dark whisper.
"If you want to drink," Alaric said, his tone smooth and teasing, "then you'll need to earn it. Show me your loyalty." He pulled back just enough to meet Eric's gaze, his expression serious yet taunting. "Prove you're mine. Only then will I grant you what you desire."