Lord Ren stepped out of his carriage with Rey in his arms. Olga, his housekeeper rushed out to meet him.
"Oh my. Is the girl alright?"
She clapped her hands over her mouth in shock. It was not like the Master to bring anyone home to Driver Hall. He usually avoided people, rarely attending the obligatory engagements that royalty was expected to attend.
"She will survive. Go. Prepare a room for her and light the fires throughout the house. I don't want her to catch anymore of a chill than she already has.....and she will need some proper clothing."
"Shall I arrange a room in the servant's quarter's for her then?"
"Absolutely not. She is to be my guest. I expect you to afford her the status that she deserves, that which any high-born Lady staying in this fine hall would merit."
"Yes My Lord."
She curtsied, then rushed off to attend to the requested preparations, her skirts billowing in the wind as a strong gust nearly knocked her off of her feet.
A storm was coming.
The girl was dirty and thin, surely he wouldn't fault her for mistaking her for an orphan or a servant, but she knew better than to ask too many questions. Lord Ren was not a patient or forgiving man and his temper could be terrifying. It was best to simply do as he had commanded and say nothing.
Lord Ren gazed down at the tiny woman in his arms as the wind picked up his raven tresses, revealing a deep scar that started just above his right eye, bisecting his face. His pale skin seemed to opalesce in the moonlight, in stark contrast with his dark waistcoat and cloak.
He hurried in to the great hall, just as a few raindrops spattered onto the flagstones and a loud clap of thunder rang out.
Rey still slept in his arms, still held in thrall by his powers.
One day no one would mistake her for anything less than what she would soon become, his future bride, The Lady Ren, he had seen it.
Currently, she was still hardly more than a child. He would wait as long as it would take, give her time, but she would be his. There was no disputing that fact.
If she did possess the blood curse, he was certain that she hadn't shifted yet, which meant she wasn't quite of age. Her skin was much too cold for her to have already claimed her power.
Perhaps it would happen soon and he would be able to guide and teach her.
The idea of that sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine. It was what he was made to do, what he was meant to do, to care for his mate. She wouldn't be alone and afraid like he was the first time he had shifted.
Indeed, he would see to it that she would never be alone again.
He carried her to the drawing room, his favorite spot in the mansion, where there was always a crackling fire on the hearth. The storm was building and the wind howled and moaned outside, making the flames dance and the wood pop.
Lightning flashed, throwing odd shadows across the floor through the enormous windows that towered on the south side of the hall. Thunder shook the ground and hailstones tapped away at the roof. He loved the sounds, the winds and the raw power of the storm. It energized him, made him feel more alive.
He had never needed the warmth of the fire, rather he enjoyed watching the flames and listening to the sounds the fire made, the smell of the woodsmoke.
This night, he reclined in his chair by the fire with his newly found treasure nestled against his chest. He tightened his hold on her waist and stroked her hair as he took in her scent and marveled at how tiny she was, how her light breathing reminded him of a fragile creature of the forest.
This was as close to happiness as he had ever been in a hundred years. He felt something that had been long forgotten; a sense of peace.
It didn't last very long as his thoughts soon led him to work out his next steps.
He thought about what he would say to her when she finally awoke. How would he explain to her what she meant to him, what she would become, What he was? As far as he knew he was the only preternatural being of his kind.
Undoubtedly the scar on his face would frighten her at first. The glamour he had put on her vision would help him get closer, build her trust. It was better this way, at least for a while.
He thought about how he was irrevocably scarred on the inside as well as on the outside, the price he had to bear being what he was. The nosferatu had bitten him when he was in wolf form leaving him with the scar and the added curse of vampirism. But it had also given him more unnatural powers: immortality, the ability to read and bend minds and the ability to shift into many other forms besides his Wolf, power to control the weather, move objects with his mind, and unlike the nosferatu, he could walk in the sun.
He had killed the Nosferatu called Snoke, immediately after being bitten, so he had no one to help him with the change. He had nearly gone mad with the initial blood lust. Over the years he had learned to feed it only when he was the wolf, which allowed him to regain his humanity to a degree, but he had done terrible things, wiped out entire villages slaking his thirst. It was good that he couldn't die, for surely he was bound for hell.
Who could truly love a monster such as he?
Another loud peal of thunder snapped him out of his dark thoughts and made his sweet prize stir from her sleep. This time he allowed her to wake. She took in a deep breath as she woke and stretched in his arms as her eyes fluttered open.
"Lord Ren, is that you? I still can't see very well."
"Yes Liebchen, I am here. We are home now and you may call me Ben."
His voice was tender and soft. He stroked her back as he spoke to her.
"You never told me your name."
"I am called Rey."
He was distracted by her lips for a moment. Unexpectedly, his emotions swamped him as the reality that his mate was seated on his lap hit him.
She was really here...
He swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice from cracking.
"How are you feeling Rey?"
"I would be fine if I could see. Do you think this is permanent?"
She trembled as she thought about being blind and helpless for the rest of her life.
He tightened his grip on her.
"Don't be afraid, Rey. I'm sure it's only temporary. In the meantime, please allow me to care for your needs."
"I.. uh..couldn't ask you to... I can't....I'm nobody..."
"Not to me. Come, I will take you to your room."
He carried her out into the great room and up an enormous staircase that was adorned with ornate carvings of wolves.
"Rey, you have no idea how glad I am that you are here. I live alone, save a few servants that keep my house in order. It will be my pleasure to help you recover. Please, if there is anything you want or need, just ask. My housekeeper Olga, has prepared a room and clothing for you."
He kept talking about small things, because now that she was awake her scent had intensified. It was making him ache with the need to touch her, to claim her as his mate. He knew it was not time. He would wait and distract himself as much as possible.
Every aspect of her appearance only intensified his desire for her. He was already getting lost in her innocent gaze, her unseeing hazel eyes seeking his. It was too much.
They arrived at the threshold of her rooms.
"Olga, this is The Lady Rey. Her vision is impaired from her accident. Please, help her to bathe and dress for dinner."
Olga curtsied.
"Yes Master. Come My Lady, let us get you dressed."
He set Rey down onto her feet and allowed Olga to lead her into her rooms.
The loss of physical contact with her hit him harder than he had anticipated. As he retreated to his study, he wondered if Rey felt the same way.
He had discovered a new kind of torture this day, and her name was Rey.
Notes:
I hope you like this, just in time for Halloween. Let me know and I will keep going...
Notes:
This is just a little Drabble that could turn into something more. What do you think?