After finishing another exhausting day at work, I walked toward my car in the nearly empty parking lot, ready to finally go home. Just as I reached for the door handle, a strange sound echoed from the dark alley nearby—a muffled groan followed by silence. My heartbeat quickened when I noticed tiny droplets of blood scattered across the pavement. Fear mixed with curiosity as I slowly followed the crimson trail deeper into the shadows. The cold night air suddenly felt heavy the moment I stepped into the alley, and I froze in horror. There stood Lucien, my mysterious co-worker, his glowing crimson eyes locked onto me while his sharp fangs were buried deep into a man’s neck as he drank his blood.

"Are we doing this the easy way or the hard way?"

I swallowed nervously "The easy one, please," I murmured, my voice shaking.

Lucien's eyes narrowed at your trembling response. He released the unconscious man with a dismissive flick of his wrist, letting him collapse onto the grimy pavement. Blood dripped from Lucien's fangs, staining his lips crimson under the dim alley light.

"You're lucky I'm feeling generous tonight."

His voice was low and dangerous, each word dripping with centuries-old authority.

"Most humans who see me feed end up joining their friend here."

He took a slow step towards me , his movements predatory despite the casual gait. The scent of fresh blood clung to him like perfume, mingling with something darker - the unmistakable aura of a predator who had just fed.

"So let's make this clear right now,"

he continued, stopping barely an arm's length away from where I stood frozen against the brick wall.

"Your silence comes at a price."

"Okay, what is the price?" I asked, taking a step back.

Lucien's smirk widened at my retreat, revealing more of those sharp, deadly fangs.

"Smart girl,"

He purred, closing the distance between us again until my back pressed against the cold bricks.

"I like that about you."

His hand came up to rest beside my head, caging me in without actually touching me yet. The air around him seemed to grow colder, heavier with ancient power.

"The price is simple,"

he whispered, leaning down so his breath ghosted across my cheek.

"You belong to me now. No more walking home alone after dark. No dating other men. And whenever I need a snack..."

Wait...what ...

Lucien's smirk faltered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of irritation.

"What part didn't you understand? The 'belonging to me' part or the 'snack' part?"

He straightened up slightly, crossing his arms over his chest as he studied my confused expression. The alley lights cast shadows across his pale features, making him look even more otherworldly than usual.

"Are you really that dense? I'm offering you protection from things far worse than me in exchange for occasional access to your blood. It's a pretty good deal considering I could snap your neck right now and no one would ever find the body."

His tone grew sharper, losing some of its earlier seductive quality.

"But since you seem incapable of grasping basic concepts, let me simplify it further: say yes or start running because either way, our little secret isn't staying buried in this alley."

“I think it’d be better to snap my neck now than go with the snack option.”

Lucien's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise, a rare emotion for someone who'd lived through millennia. A short, incredulous laugh escaped him.

"Well, aren't you full of surprises? Most people would be begging by now."

He leaned closer again, his face mere inches from mine. The coldness in his eyes softened into something almost amused.

"I have to admit, I'm intrigued. You'd rather die than become my... companion?"

His thumb brushed lightly against the wall next to my head, a deliberate reminder of how easily he could make good on his threat.

"That takes guts. Or maybe you're just stupid enough to believe I won't enjoy breaking you anyway."

The alley fell silent except for the distant city noise and Lucien's steady breathing. He seemed genuinely curious about my defiance, studying my face as if searching for an answer there.

“No… no… you should kill me now… before my blood loses its taste.”

"You know what? Change of plans,"

"And besides,"

Lucien continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper as he closed the remaining distance between them.

"I don't care if your blood tastes like watered-down cheap whiskey. What interests me is the challenge."

His hand came up to cup my chin firmly but not painfully, tilting my head back so you had to meet his intense gaze. The alley lights caught the gold flecks in his irises, making them glow with predatory fascination.

"You think you can resist me? Tell me no? That's priceless."

He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear.

"Every time you try to run, every time you look at me with fear in those pretty eyes - that's just extra seasoning for what I want to do to you."

His free hand slid down my side possessively, coming to rest on my hip.

“Well, you wanted a snack, right? I got you one… now can I finally go home?”

Lucien's grip on my hip tightened for a fraction of a second, a spark of genuine shock flashing in his eyes before being quickly masked by his usual arrogant confidence. He threw his head back and laughed, the sound sharp and mocking in the otherwise quiet alley.

"Oh, you're a real piece of work, aren't you?"

He released my abruptly and took a step back, wiping his hands together as if cleaning them of contamination.

"Offering yourself up like some kind of willing sacrifice. How utterly pathetic."

His lip curled in disgust as he gestured dismissively at my trembling form.

"Do you honestly think that makes me want you more? That makes me want anything to do with this pitiful display?"

He moved past me toward the alley entrance, pausing only to glance back over his shoulder.

"Fine. Go home. Run along like the good little human you are.

"Okay...bye...don't follow me...

Lucien's jaw clenched at my cheerful dismissal, the casual way i thanked him for sparing my life grating on his ancient nerves. The sheer audacity of this mortal woman treating him like some common errand boy was infuriating.

" Don't flatter yourself,"

he called out sharply as I started walking away.

"This isn't over. Not by a long shot."

Then he murmured to himself while watching i disappear.

“You seem to be misunderstanding our arrangement,” he said dangerously softly. “When I say you belong to me, it means exactly that. Your home, your safety, your very existence — all of it falls under my protection now.”

The next morning, I sat at my desk with a half-finished latte beside my keyboard, trying to focus on the endless spreadsheets glowing on my computer screen.

The office buzzed with its usual weekday rhythm—keyboards clicking nonstop, phones ringing in distant corners, coworkers whispering over reports and deadlines. Normally, the noise helped distract me.

Today, it only made me more exhausted.

I barely slept after what happened in the alley.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Lucien’s crimson gaze and blood-covered fangs flashing in the darkness. My body felt heavy, my thoughts sluggish, and the dark circles beneath my eyes were impossible to hide no matter how much concealer I used.

Then the atmosphere changed.

A strange silence spread across the office floor as Lucien walked in.

He arrived exactly ten minutes late, as if even time itself had to bend around him. His expensive black suit stood out sharply against the casual office clothes surrounding him. Without acknowledging anyone, he strode past several desks, cold and untouchable like a king entering territory he already owned.

My stomach tightened the second he stopped beside my cubicle.

He leaned casually against the partition wall, crossing his arms while silently watching me. I kept my eyes fixed on the monitor, pretending I couldn’t feel his stare burning through me.

His gaze drifted toward the latte beside my keyboard.

“Nice of you to show up on time,” he said dryly.

I clenched my jaw.

“Didn’t expect you to survive the night after making such a fuss about dying.”

I refused to answer.

Lucien stayed silent for a moment longer before his sharp eyes narrowed slightly. He noticed the dark circles under my eyes immediately. Of course he did.

“Rough night?” he asked mockingly. “Or did you spend hours crying because I wouldn’t let you commit suicide?”

Before I could respond, he pushed himself off the wall and walked around my desk. He pulled the chair across from me and sat down slowly, like he owned the entire office.

Several coworkers glanced our way before quickly pretending not to watch.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you,” Lucien said softly.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried enough authority to cut through every surrounding sound.

I kept staring at my computer screen.

“Those bags under your eyes are getting worse,” he continued. “Did you sleep at all?”

“No…” I muttered quietly. “I was… busy.”

His expression darkened instantly.

“Busy?” he repeated dangerously.

He leaned across the desk, invading my space so completely I could smell his expensive cologne mixed with something darker… something unnatural.

“You mean lying awake all night worrying whether I’d visit your apartment?” he whispered. “Because that’s exactly what normal people do after meeting a creature like me.”

Suddenly, his hand slammed against my desk.

My latte rattled violently beside the keyboard.

Several coworkers jumped at the noise.

“You have no idea what you’re dealing with,” Lucien continued coldly. “While you were tossing around in bed, I was handling actual problems. Problems involving corpses. Problems involving other vampires needing reminders that this territory belongs to me.”

I swallowed hard but forced myself to keep typing.

“Stop acting like you care about me,” I muttered without looking at him. “If you want my blood, then just say it. No need for all this drama.”

The room seemed to freeze.

Lucien’s jaw tightened sharply, a muscle ticking beneath his skin. For a second, I thought he might actually lose control.

“Care?” he scoffed softly. “I don’t care about you.”

He stood suddenly, towering over my desk.

“I care about what’s mine.”

Before I could react, his hand slammed down onto my keyboard hard enough to knock several keys loose. The sharp crack echoed across the office floor.

Gasps rose from nearby cubicles.

“That’s enough,” Lucien announced coldly. “We’re leaving.”

My heart skipped.

Before anyone could process what was happening, he grabbed my arm firmly.

“Lucien—no.” Panic rose in my chest as I tried pulling back. “I have work. I can give you blood later, just wait—”

His grip tightened instantly, making escape impossible.

“Work?” he repeated sharply. “Don’t insult my intelligence with that excuse again.”

Coworkers openly stared now, but nobody dared interfere.

“You think I don’t know what you’re doing?” he continued while dragging me out of my chair. “Trying to delay me until lunchtime so I’ll forget this arrangement?”

“I’m not—”

“With me,” he ordered.

Then, ignoring every protest, Lucien pulled me toward the elevator while the entire office watched in stunned silence.

The moment Lucien removed his shirt, I stared at him in disbelief.

Not because he was attractive—although he undeniably was—but because he acted like this entire situation was normal. Like locking me inside a dusty storage room and talking about ownership was somehow reasonable behavior.

My pulse hammered in my throat.

The dim lighting traced across the sharp lines of his chest and the pale scars scattered over his skin. They looked old. Ancient, even. Proof that the man standing in front of me had survived things I couldn’t even imagine.

Still, I forced myself to glare at him.

“So what?” I snapped, crossing my arms tightly. “You expect me to be impressed now?”

Lucien tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his golden eyes.

“No,” he replied calmly. “I expect you to stop looking at me like I’m trying to seduce you.”

He stepped closer again, slow and deliberate.

“You still don’t understand.” His voice lowered. “If I wanted obedience, I would’ve compelled you already. Humans are easy to break.”

I swallowed hard but refused to move.

“Then what do you want from me?”

For the first time since meeting him, Lucien hesitated.

Only for a second.

But I noticed.

His gaze lingered on my face before drifting toward the small cut still bleeding faintly across my palm.

“You interest me,” he admitted quietly. “That’s rare.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Congratulations. You kidnapped a sleep-deprived office worker because she interests you.”

A faint smirk tugged at his lips.

“You offered me blood in a wine glass,” he reminded me. “Do you know how insane that was?”

“I was trying to get back to work.”

“And instead, you walked into a locked room alone with a vampire.”

“Not willingly.”

Lucien chuckled softly at that, though the sound carried no real humor.

The silence that followed felt heavy.

Outside the storage room, distant office noises echoed faintly through the walls, but inside, it felt like time had frozen completely.

I looked away first.

“I still have a date tonight,” I muttered stubbornly.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Lucien’s expression darkened again, possessiveness flashing across his features so quickly it almost startled me.

“You keep bringing that up,” he said coldly.

“Because it’s my life.”

“No,” he corrected smoothly. “It’s the life I allowed you to keep.”

Anger flared inside my chest.

“You can’t control me.”

In a single movement, Lucien stepped forward until I was trapped between him and the metal shelves behind me again. One hand braced beside my head while his golden eyes locked onto mine with terrifying intensity.

“I can,” he whispered. “The question is whether I choose to.”

My breath caught.

Not because of attraction.

Because beneath all the arrogance and possessiveness… there was something genuinely dangerous about him. Something ancient and inhuman hiding beneath that beautiful face.

Lucien studied my expression carefully before exhaling slowly and stepping back.

To my surprise, he picked up his discarded shirt and pulled it back on.

“You’re trembling,” he observed.

“I wonder why.”

“That wasn’t sarcasm.”

The sudden seriousness in his tone made me look up.

Lucien finished buttoning his sleeves before fixing me with a calmer expression than before.

“You think I’m keeping you in a cage,” he said quietly. “But you still don’t understand what saw you in that alley.”

I frowned slightly.

“There are worse things than me.”

A chill ran down my spine.

Lucien walked toward the dusty blinds covering the small window, staring outside for a long moment before continuing.

“Other vampires know you exist now,” he admitted. “The second they realize you survived an encounter with me, they’ll start asking questions.”

My stomach tightened.

“And?”

“And humans connected to me don’t tend to stay alive very long.”

The room fell silent again.

For the first time, his possessiveness sounded less like obsession… and more like a warning.

Lucien glanced back at me over his shoulder, his golden eyes unreadable.

“So believe whatever makes you feel better,” he said softly. “Call it control. Call it ownership. Hate me if you want.”

His gaze dropped briefly to the cut on my hand.

“But staying near me is the only reason you’re still breathing.”