Entangled

1, Their Pet

I waited outside, wrapped in a thin jacket as I watched the last of the sunset. The vampires only woke when there was no sunlight left, but I liked to be early. They liked it when I was early, too. 

The vampires in question were a big clan, and they lived collectively in a mansion big enough to accommodate all of them. Due to its size, it was located at the very edge of the city's west side, next to the wide canal that served as the city's boundary line.

It was the perfect place to watch sunsets, not only because of its location, but because of the lack of people. Nobody ever dared to come close to this mansion, to the home of the vampire clan. They would become a snack if they did. 

I wasn't in danger of that, though. They fed from me, yes, but they never tried to kill me. I was their dear beloved pet. They didn't like to hurt me. 

I became their pet by chance, you could say. I had run into this city seeking escape from hunters who were hot on my tail. The hunters and I caused a commotion, and the vampires stepped in. They could have killed me, but they didn't. They only killed the hunters, and then told me I was going to work for them to pay them back for saving my life. 

I didn't put up a fight. How could I when I was one person and their clan was made up of a hundred? I worked for them, cooking and cleaning and providing them the occasional snack. But after a month of that, they got bold and handsy with me. Without explanation, they took me to one of their private rooms and claimed me. The leaders of the clan, the higher ups that made up a small group of four, all bit into my neck and injected a kind of non-toxic venom, one that took shape in the form of an elaborate collar tattoo around my neck. And they all had their way with me, taking turns making sure their claim had been fully staked by having as much sex with me as they liked. 

And... I didn't mind one bit of it. I found it so strange, so odd, but these vampires never laid a hand on me in violence. Never spat insults at me, never hit me, never tossed me in a cage to rot. They made sure I felt good throughout their claiming ceremony, even during the bites. 

And since then, they established a set of rules with me. They said I was free to live as I pleased during the day, but at night I had to return. I would always be bound to them, and I was not allowed to forget it. They made sure to remind me by trading me around, feeding from me, fucking me, telling me over and over in their whispers that I was their sweet, sweet pet. 

I was theirs and only theirs. No one else could have me, and the permanent collar embedded in my skin told that to every single person who laid eyes on it. 

The last of the sun's light faded away. The world turned a hazy blue color. It wasn't quite time for me to head in yet, though. They needed a chance to wake up and stretch their limbs first. 

Only when it turned pitch black, and the lamps lining their walkway turned on, did I stand from my spot on the steps and approach the gigantic front door. I grasped its thick metal handle and waited. A familiar tingling surged from my hand to my neck, little dancing strands of magic scanning who was here. It recognized me, of course, and I heard the complicated series of locks click within the door, and it swung open when I gave it a nudge. 

I stepped inside. The interior was dark, save for the travelling bit of light coming from a candle in someone's hand. The vampire walked the length of the entryway, turning on lamps as he made his way towards me. As he neared, the door shut behind me and the locks all slid back into place.

"Vanilla," the vampire greeted when he finished turning on the last lamp. He sang my name in a lulling, deeply-pleased voice. I bowed my head slightly.

"Hello, Zayvel," I said. Zayvel raised an arm and slid it around my shoulders, smiling keenly at me. 

"Early as always," he commented, flashing his fangs at me as he grinned.