The city was quiet when they stepped outside. The rain had stopped, but the streets still gleamed, reflecting the yellow of tired streetlamps and the faint shimmer of moonlight trying to push through dark clouds.
Lucien walked just ahead, coat shifting around his legs like shadows that followed only him. Asher shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets, watching the way Lucien moved—silent, fluid, like he belonged to another world entirely.
They didn’t speak at first. The only sounds were the echo of their footsteps and the distant hum of traffic.
Asher hated silence. But this one didn’t feel empty. It felt like the pause before something dangerous.
“You always this dramatic?” he finally asked, voice low.
Lucien turned his head slightly. “Dramatic?”
“Long coats. Vanishing into shadows. Brooding looks. You’re basically every vampire cliché wrapped in one tall, smug package.”
Lucien actually laughed—soft and amused. “I’ve had centuries to master aesthetic. Should I wear jeans and a hoodie like you?”
“I look comfortable.”
“You look like you’re hiding.”
That hit harder than expected.
Lucien stopped at the edge of an old footbridge that spanned over a dry canal. The air smelled of wet stone and rust. He leaned against the railing and glanced back. “Come here.”
Asher hesitated. Then, because he didn’t want to look afraid, he stepped forward.
They stood shoulder to shoulder. Close enough to feel Lucien’s chill through his coat. Close enough to hear Asher’s heartbeat racing.
“You can hear it, can’t you?” Asher murmured, not looking at him. “My heart.”
Lucien’s voice came quiet and intimate. “Yes. It’s fast.”
Asher swallowed. “Because I’m scared.”
“Liar.” Lucien turned to face him. “It’s not fear. It’s desire. Or confusion. Maybe both.”
“I don’t want to want you,” Asher said before he could stop himself.
Lucien didn’t flinch. “Then don’t.”
“You make it hard.”
Lucien reached out, fingers brushing along the side of Asher’s neck. He didn’t press, didn’t grasp—just traced the warm skin above his pulse. “This is where I would bite you. If I were cruel.”
Asher shivered.
“I’m not,” Lucien added. “Not with you.”
“Why?” Asher asked. “You don’t know me.”
Lucien’s gaze darkened. “Because for the first time in a long time, I don’t want to just feed. I want to be known.”
The world spun gently on that word. Known.
Asher turned to face him, heart racing harder. “I’m not the kind of person who lets people in.”
“I know.”
“I don’t do this.”
“Then don’t.” Lucien’s eyes held something raw. “But if you do… I’ll go slow.”
The moon slipped out from behind the clouds, bathing them in pale light. Lucien looked ethereal under it—every angle of his face kissed by silver, his fangs just barely visible as his lips parted.
Asher’s breath came shallow. “You’re dangerous.”
Lucien nodded once. “To everyone else. But with you… I don’t want to hurt.”
Asher didn’t know what possessed him, but he leaned in. Barely an inch. Close enough to smell Lucien’s scent—old books, rain, and something sweet underneath, like blood and vanilla.
Lucien didn’t close the gap. He let Asher come to him.
But just before their lips met, Asher froze.
He stepped back, chest heaving. “I can’t.”
Lucien’s expression didn’t change. No disappointment. No push.
“I didn’t ask you to,” he said simply. “I just wanted to walk with you.”
Asher’s throat tightened. “You’ll walk me home?”
Lucien gave a slow nod.
They didn’t speak again.
But the space between them carried tension like a wire pulled taut—charged, quiet, waiting to snap.
And somewhere inside Lucien, buried beneath centuries of cold, something fragile had started to beat again.
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 5 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments