Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Altara was sat in her living room, feet curled up under her with a coffee in hand, watching the news on TV. She was stressed, looking for work, she had fucked up massively and lost her job. She was fortunate that her cousin Viago was letting her stay at one of his properties until she got back on her feet.

There were several job applications scattered around her, but none of them really appealed to her. She would need to settle on something eventually, but she hated staying in one place too long, it made her restless. Something on the screen caught her attention, and she turned it up, leaning forward in her seat.

Last year’s Ossuary Music Festival was supposed to be once-in-a-lifetime experience, an invite-only event for Metal fans all over the world. nobody knows What really happened that night, the murders remains under investigation, but insiders allege that the festival was actually a trap, orchestrated by a rival record label, Venatori Records, in a hostile attempt to kill Dellamorte Records star artist.

In a stunning twist to that tragic event, The Demon of Vyrantium has reappeared from the shadows of tragedy. Sources confirm he’s not just back, he’s going on tour. The Inner Demons Tour will span three months in 5 cities, starting in the jewel of Antiva, Treviso city, in the Cantori Diamond Arena. This tour feels like it holds some significance to the famed rocker or perhaps scars from the his chaotic rise to fame.

Our Sources also say Lucanis's Manager, Illario, is recruiting new talent to join their tour entourage, not just roadies and engineers, but specialists in arcane arts, for breathtaking special effects. Applications are open now.

Is this the comeback of the century? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure, the Demon of Vyrantium is back, and he's bigger than ever.

Her eyes were wide with excitement. She loved The Demon of Vyrantium, his music was so dark and brooding, his vocals were otherworldly, haunting, and when he screamed, the world stopped to listen. He captivated audiences with his enigmatic persona. It had earned him many fans, some more obsessed than others.

Altara considered herself a fan as well, she had attended several of his concerts and every one had blown her away.

She had always wanted to meet him, but VIP/backstage passes were so expensive these days and she didn't have a job right now. Now it looked like she might have an opportunity to meet him after all, even work for him, she was no arcane expert, but she knew her way around sound decks from her previous job.

Fuck it, she thought, the worst that happens is she gets rejected, Viago's generosity would only get her so far, if she didn't find paid work soon, she could find herself in trouble.

She hastily scribbles down the email address on the screen and rushes to her computer to apply, her heart racing.

The Demon Of Vyrantium? She wondered what he was like. He had always been quiet and reserved in interviews, but she saw something about him others didn't, a darkness in his eyes, something predatory, it was what drove his female fans crazy, herself amongst them, he was a handsome man after all.

She hesitated for a second before hitting send.

"Well, that's it, now I wait." She sighs, cleaning up the other applications and putting them on her desk. As much as she wanted to hope she got the job, she wouldn't kid herself, she had always been a realist. She went about the rest of her day, tidying up the apartment before heading out to meet up with Neve for coffee.

"Its to risky, Illario." Lucanis growls looking out the tinted windows of Illario's penthouse window, watching the people milling about in the streets bellow like ants, unaware of the monster watching them from above.

"Its hard enough hiding what I am from the people already on the tour." He sighs resting his forehead on the cool glass, he was tired of hiding but what choice did he have, nobody would accept him if they knew what he was, what he had become.

"You worry to much, we need new hires, having someone on a more permanent basis means less explaining shit every time we hire someone and Treviso is our home, I thought having a local on tour with you would make you feel less." He trailed off not really sure where he was going with this.

"Please tell me this is not another stupid attempt to get me laid to 'mellow me out' I told you. I'm a monster I cant risk entanglements." Lucanis sighed, his cousin didn't understand what it was like, how could he, he had been spared the curse, the constant thirst for blood had been bad enough, but now with a voice in his head, a demon no less, it was more of a strain on his self control then ever before.

HAVE been GOOD, not eaten ANYONE.

That's not the point and you know it.

You PROMISED me EXPERIENCES

I'm going on tour aren't I, you love the adrenaline when we perform.

NOT the SAME, want TOUCH, TASTE.

"You still with me, Cousin?" Illario asks, unaware of the argument in his head, he knew he was possessed but, but he really didn't understand how it worked exactly, didn't know of the voice in his head, constantly talking, passing comments, tormenting him.

"I'm fine, these hires who are they? can they be trusted not to steal my shit like the last hires." Lucanis asks dryly, he still mourned his favourite guitar but at least he had not seen it on EBay yet, perhaps they just really liked the guitar.

"Of course, you can trust me." Illario laughed, he had made sure to do background checks on all of them after all. his phone beeping snapped him from his thoughts, he quickly pulled out his phone to check it, another email, he opened it, read the email and smirked.

"What is it?" Lucanis asks curiously. he didn't like the look on cousins face, was he plotting something?

"A late application, I think you might like this one." Illario grins, turning his phone around to show him a picture.

White hair like freshly driven snow, ruby eyes, she had a look about her like she liked trouble or attracted it, if he didn't know any better he might of thought her a ghost, she was so pale, like even the sun its self was afraid to touch her.

PRETTY

Lucanis shakes his head.

"No." He turns his back facing the window again, his shoulders tense.

"There just a hire for the tour, what does it matter if there pretty, surely that's just a bonus." Illario laughs.

"I don't know, Illario." He sighs touching the glass, the only thing separating him from the sun. something he had always wondered about but never known, the Dellamortes curse, he frowned, to forever be in shadow, to never know the warmth of the sun on his skin, he was thankful his skin remained bronze it made hiding the fact he couldn't be out in the sun easier.

"At least let me trail them, none of them are getting the job if they don't even know how to use our sound equipment. You know people love lying on there applications to get a job." Illario sends off a quick email before putting his phone away.

"Come on, Lucanis, when have I ever led you astray." Illario coed.

Lucanis tenses immediately, as if the turn of phrase was a blow.

"Apart from the one time I fucked up." Illario adds, he still felt guilty about it, he had thought the Ossuary music festival was an opportunity to get his cousins music out into world at large. after all it was his job to get him noticed, to make him famous for the matriarch of Dellamorte Records expected perfection.

"Fine, just make sure they can do the job and keep them away from my trailer." Lucanis warns "I need a drink." He sighs. "I'll be in my trailer." He growls before heading for the door.

"The suns still up." Illario calls after him.

Lucanis stops glancing over his shoulder as he flips his hood up and smirks, sliding on his sun glasses.

"I'll live." He grunts stepping into the lift.

"If you can call this living." He mutters under his breath as the doors close.

The studio was quite while he tuned his guitar, his bassist and drummer, where still setting up, the applicants were just behind the glass, he was being watched, it shouldn't be making him nervous, he performed in front of thousands of people but that was before he had a demon in his head, hiding that part of his nature was harder than his curse, the purple glow of the eyes especially, he was thankful the wings didnt come out often, his demon at least had some restraint.

He glances up, watching them all being briefed by Illario through the glass while he fiddled with his guitar, they were all young men by the looks of it, most looked like groupies, wearing band shirts, some even wearing his own merch, then he saw her. The ghost, she was shorter than he thought she would be from her picture, or perhaps the others were just tall, it was hard to tell from this distance even with his supernatural vision.

He feels his un-beating heart jump when there eyes meet through the glass, Scarlet eyes like blood, he quickly looks away, concentrating on his guitar, striking cords and adjusting his deck. her gaze, why had it felt like a touch?

He adjusted the height of his mic, the trail was simple, he would play one song, then randomise his deck, they would have one chance to figure out what he liked just from hearing him play, once chance to prove they actually knew what they were doing, this tour was short he didn't have time for them to learn on the job.

He was almost ready, he glanced up again, this time avoiding the women's gaze, Illario was handing out NDA's, good he remembered, the last thing he need is for a failed applicant to start yapping about his new music before he had a chance to release it.

To avoid cheating, knowing some of them probably listened to his music and might know his tastes, he was going to play one of his new tracks, something unreleased. After all he had a new sound now that Spite was a part of his performance.

He could scream like the best of them, but Spite brought something out in his voice, something primal he knew it would give him an edge in the music world, nobody would be able to do what he could with his voice now.

Once they all signed, Illario pressed the intercom.

"You ready?" He asked, his voice slightly muffled with static over the sound system. Lucanis schools his expression and glances at his band mates, Pike grins, twirling his sticks and nods. Toya makes one final adjustment on her Base guitar and gives a thumbs up.

He returns his gaze to Illario and nods, clearing his throat.

ready to show them what we can do?

YESSSSS

He smirked.

Altara couldn't believe she was here, in the Demon of Vyrantium studio, was he going to perform for them? she was buzzing with excitement, she didn't care about the odd looks she was getting, she wasn't ashamed of her looks, nor was she ashamed of being a women, the smirks were easy enough to ignore, she was used to being underestimated.

Some of these guys barely looked out of school, yet they thought that had a right to be here, thought they belonged just because they had a Demon Of Vyrantium T-shirt on, did they even know how a sound system worked?

She glanced through the glass, he was right there, just a pane of glass between them, The Demon Of Vyrantium himself, he looked shorter than she imagined him to be, then again it was hard to judge someone's height when there on an elevated stage with low lights and pyrotechnics.

Here in the studio, it was quiet, the sound proofing doing its job, this would be better than a live performance, this would be raw, unedited.

He was tuning his guitar, his T shirt was tight, she could see his muscles flex under the dark purple cotton. His tattoos where more complex than she remembered seeing from past concerts, had he added more, she noticed what looked like demonic eyes trailing down his left bicep, the black ink contrasting against his bronze skin. his eyes were lined with kohl when his gaze met hers, she froze for a second feeling like prey.

His chocolate iris's looked like they had flecks of caramel, there was an intensity in his gaze that held her in place. He glanced away and she let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding. Maker his eyes, It had felt like he was staring right through her.

Illario handed out paperwork for them all to sign, she took hers and her excitement grew, an NDA, that meant they were probably going to hear something not released yet, she smirked, she could see what was happening here, this was going to be some kind of test.

Some of the other applicants exchanged looks, glancing at her as she signed. Thinking she didn't belong, what could a women know about this kind of job, she would wipe the smirks from there faces soon enough, she needed this job, she was not going to let a few doubters stop her.

He strung his guitar, playing something subdued, with a tension like a scream held back. He reached for his mic, his long fingers wrapping around the cold metal, head tilting back, his eyes falling closed as he began to sing.

His voice was husky but soft at first but you could feel a tension building in his voice, something building just under the surface of his words.

I lie here with the maggots

Waiting for the rain

Covered in ash and dirt

I never seem to learn

Come wash it all away

I can't change what I won't admit

I can't remember if I won't forget.

The bassists and drummer joined him, a low baseline and the steady beat of the drums building as his eyes opened, a vein strained against the skin of his neck as he sang the chorus, losing himself to the music.

So pull the skin back from my bones

Annihilate me

Come nail me to my throne

Crown my head in shame

Covered in ash and dirt

I never seem to learn

Come nail me to my throne

I'm the king of suffering

(I'm the king of suffering)

The next verse was as subdued and tense as the last only this time with the bassist and drums playing alongside him as he played his guitar, strumming the notes with precision as if he had played this song a million times, when it had only been a month since he wrote it.

I've tried to break the habit

I've learned to love the pain

And I can't change what I won't admit

I feel the vicious cycle start again

This time the chorus was different, as if a second voice had joined his, but that couldn't be right, neither the drummer or bassist had mics, the voice was different, but somehow still his, like something was layered over it, was it magic, was he a mage?, Altara watched in fascination trying to figure out how he was doing it. how that growl was punctuating his every word.

So pull the skin back from my bones

Annihilate me

Come nail me to my throne

Crown my head in shame

It was like he was singing and screaming at the same time, it was incredible, he glanced at the recording booth as he screamed out the words, his eyes locking with hers, she felt frozen, something about his eyes, a flicker of something that shouldn't be there.

He looks away belting out the next half of the chorus, falling into the music once more his eyes falling closed, brow furrowed, his grip on the mic tightening making his forearms flex.

Covered in ash and dirt

I never seem to learn

Come nail me to my throne

I'm the king of suffering

The drums became heavy, the guitar riffs building, echoing like a they where summoning a demon from hell, and as he grabbed the mic with both hands and screamed the next words, maybe they had. A growling scream that seemed to echo despite the sound proofing.

Annihilate me

Annihilate me

Annihilate me

The music swelled then dropped once more soft, haunting, weaving a spell over the room.

So pull the skin back from my bones

Annihilate me

He screams again, his face turning red like the lyrics wounded him, as if this song meant something to him, something painful, something that hurt, as if he was screaming out in anguish.

Come nail me to my throne

Crown my head in shame

Covered in ash and dirt

I never fucking learn

Come nail me to my throne

I'm the king of suffering (I lie here with the maggots)

King of suffering (waiting for the rain)

He lets the lyrics echo for a moment, pressing a pedal on his deck before his eyes meet hers once more unable to look away, like he was drawn to her, surely she was imagining it, he had no idea who she was, she was nobody, why was he looking at her like that.

He screams again, as if begging her to do what he was singing about, to end him, like he was a wounded beast begging for it to be over, she felt her heart constrict with emotion at the words.

Annihilate me

Annihilate me

Annihilate me

I'm the king of suffering

The song ends, the tension in the room could be cut with a knife. The Studios falls silent, like they needed a moment to believe what they just witnessed. Then there was applause.

"Fuck yeah, you killed it Lucanis." Pike grins, still reeling from the rush of playing something new, Lucanis had always had a way with words, and these lyrics were something else, it was nothing like his old material, the emotional edge was incredible.

"Dude, those lyrics." Toya lets out a laugh as well. He was on to something she could feel it, this new sound was going to make them famous.

"Guess I needed the time off huh." Lucanis quips as the studio doors opened and the applicants filed into the recording booth with Illario. Lucanis took each one in, young, far to young to be here, he avoids looking at the women, he felt uneasy, he didn't like this feeling.

Didn't like how she had looked at him when his gaze met hers before the end of the song, she looked like she had seen him, not just the musician, no, for a moment he thought she had seen what he was, that she had seen through the mask, that was not something he could afford.

His nostrils flared for a second, something sweet and spicy filled his nose, maker it smelt so good, his throat went dry as he glanced around trying to figure out where it was coming from, then his eyes narrowed.

It was her, she was stood right in front of a fan, tying her hair up, the fan wafting her scent in his direction, his gaze fell to her neck as it was revealed and he swallowed thickly, his hunger stirring.

SHE smells DELICIOUS

no, don't even think about it

But you THIRST

never again, I have enough blood on my hands as it is, blood bags will do

NO they TASTE foul

This isn't up for debate

He scowled but quickly schooled his expression when Illario raised an eyebrow at him as if sensing his internal struggle.

Lucanis stopped pretending to breathe, if he was careful with how he moved nobody would notice, he couldn't concentrate with her scent in the air, his thirst was clawing at his chest like a beast trying to get out.

His brow furrowed as he tried to concentrate, he changed his deck, moving random switches and pressing buttons to mess up the settings before putting it back down next to his guitar.

"Alright, here's the plan, you've heard his new sound, now you going to replicate it, see his deck over there, set it to his preference and you've got the job." Illario smirks when a few of the applicants pale realising they had bit of more than they could chew.

Altara stepped forward a confident smirk on her lips, she had an excellent ear, she knew she could do this with her eyes closed, it was time to prove that she belonged here.

"I applaud your eagerness." Illario jokes, a few of the guys laugh to, mocking her but she didn't care.

"Go right ahead." Lucanis says, his voice clipped like he was holding himself back. Illario glanced at him in confusion for a moment before a knowing smirk curled his lip. had this women caught his cousin eye he wondered.

He stepped out of the way and let her approach his Cousin with a bow.

Lucanis stood stock still, so still it was almost eerie like he was a statue. a sentinel watching her every move, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

She tried to hide her nerves as she approached him, kneeling down to pick up his deck, she made the mistake of looking up at him and for a fleeting moment it felt like someone else was gazing back at her, something in his eyes flickered then it was gone, she swallowed standing up, his gaze never leaving her as she adjusted his deck, flicking switches and pressing buttons like she had used this deck a million times. She placed it back down and smirked at him.

He raised an eyebrow picking up his guitar, closed his eyes as he strummed a few notes and listened, a look of surprise on his face as his eyes opened before he masked it with a smirk and a nod, she was good. He glanced at Illario and they exchanged a silent conversation.

"Who's next." Illario asked, some of the boys snickered thinking she had failed.

Lucanis shook his head, he knew nobody else was going to get the job, he could feel her determination and drive, the confidence that she knew exactly what she was doing, there wasn't a shred of arrogance or overconfidence. The rest of them looked like they couldn't tie there own shoelaces let alone know how to use his deck, the fact they laughed amongst themselves thinking she had failed as she spoke to Illario before waving and leaving spoke volumes.

He watched her leave, as she disappeared through the door, he wondered who she was. he found himself distracted for the rest of the session.

She headed home, feeling confident, the look on his face when he strummed his guitar said it all, she had nailed it first try. If she didn't get a call back she would be surprised.

She flopped onto her sofa as soon as she was home, letting out a huff of air. The other applicants pissed her off, she would bet anything they would assume she got the job for being a women if she got the call back.

she could tell just from looking at them that they didn't know shit about sound decks or music studios, they were just fan boys.

De Riva Industries manufactured the best sound deck in the market, it was pure luck that Lucanis preferred De Riva decks. He looked like the type to expect perfection and De Riva decks where the best for a damn good reason.

She closed her eyes and shivered, remembering the way he had looked at her during his performance, that gaze of his, it felt like being a deer in the headlights, frozen, unable to move as there demise sped towards them.

Intense brown, and caramel, with a hint of purple, but that wasn't natural, there was no way that was what she saw, but somehow she knew it was, there was something about him, something dangerous but it didn't frighten her.

If anything it made her want to know more, to know what made him tick, understand that darkness hiding under the surface. Maybe applying to work for him was a bad idea. as a fan could she keep her admiration separate from her work, she needed the work, needed the money.

All she had to do was tune his sound deck and equipment, maybe even serve coffee and prepare his Rider, she was not to ogle him, he was her boss, would be her boss, that was all, to want more, to think that was even possible was foolish.

The rest of the applicants had been pitiful, some had got close but they were not good enough, some had even complained it wasn't a deck they had ever used before. Useless, all of them.

"Who is she?" Lucanis asked suddenly in the quiet of the office as they deliberated.

"She's a De Riva, I'm sure you've heard of them." Illario grins leaning back in his seat.

"Makes sense, she knew that deck like it was her own." Lucanis muses, crossing his arms, but she was a risk, her scent, her blood, he usually had more control, his cravings contained in his iron control but something about her had drawn out the beast, was it even safe to have her on the team?

SHE is DIFFERENT, I like HER

you don't even know her, we've never met until now, you cant like her

CAN

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, he could feel a headache coming on.

"You made your decision as soon as you strummed your guitar didn't you." Illario grinned knowingly, his cousin was predictable, he liked to play the mysterious brooding rocker but he knew he had taken a liking to her from his reaction to her picture.

"Perhaps." Lucanis smirked back, trying to keep his cards close to his chest.

"What about the others." Illario asks. "We just hiring her?" He asks curiously.

"What would be the point, we don't have time for them to get used to my setup the tour starts in a week." Lucanis sighs, he still wasn't sure he was ready, would his fans even like this new sound? he was taking a big risk.

"That is true. Very well I'll give her a call back." He typed a few things on his computer to bring up her application. "You ok, you look pale." He asked, glancing up from his screen.

"I need a drink." Lucanis said his voice strained.

Illario looked worried, twice in one day was not usual for him, was the thirst getting worse? the curse had always been unpredictable but Lucanis was strong, he had survived what the rest of his family couldn't.

"I'm fine, Illario." Lucanis reassures him. before turning to the door. "I'll leave you to deal with our failed applicants." He sighs heading back down to his trailer.

As soon as the trailer door closed and locked, he rushed to the fridge pulling out Two blood bags and devouring them hungrily, but they tasted like ash in his mouth. he threw the empty bags in the trash and scowled.

that scent, maker he knew her blood would be delicious, she was right for the job but damn it all she was going to make it hard for him, he would need to keep his distance, and remember not to breath around her.

you DENY us!

I have to, we are a monster, I could hurt her, and she's just here for a job.

NOT a monster

Just drop it. let me think damn it

ALWAYS thinking never DOING

one of us has to.

He sighed flopping into his chair, his eyes drooping, everything would be fine, he had resisted feeding for years, controlled his urge for fresh blood, Illario made sure he had a steady supply of blood bags, if he had to slack his thirst a little more often so be it.

He closed his eyes, trying to rest, clear his head.

Whatever happens he new one thing for certain, his tour was going to be interesting.

Chapter Text

Altara was nervous, she had only just started her job as a sound tech for The Demon of Vyrantium, and his manager was already asking her to do more than her job.

"It will only take a minute, just ask him what he wants on his Rider and bring me the list, the more notice I have, the more chance I'll have to source what he needs." Illario chuckled.

She was quite pretty, he couldn't blame Lucanis when he had pretty much given her the job as soon as there eyes met, he was of course sure there was more reasons than that, she was an excellent sound tech, she had noticed the subtle changes Lucanis used on his deck, and she seemed to know her way around his De Riva Deck like the back of her hand.

No doubt this was due to her being related to the CEO of De-Riva Industries, the leading manufacturer of sound decks. He was not sure what had transpired for her to lose her job there, it was not mentioned in any of the documents he had managed to dig up when doing a background check on her.

He wasn't about to hire someone just for being a pretty face after all, he needed to be sure she wouldn't be a problem for Lucanis, his unique condition needed to be kept under wraps lest the Templars come and put an end to his prized Artist.

Lucanis had always been musically gifted, but ever since he had leaned more into metal, he had become a Rock Icon. But with that fame came fans, and they could get a little obsessive. He wanted to be sure the applicants were not just crazed fans hoping to get close to his Cousin.

"I thought we were supposed to leave him alone," She asked, glancing out the window. She could see him, sitting outside his trailer with his guitar. he had a look of focus on his face as he jotted down notes. The last thing she wanted was to distract him if he was writing music.

Even if she wanted to talk to him about his music, partially out of interest, partially because he was gorgeous, and she wanted to see if his eyes were as intense in a more casual setting.

"Dont worry, he won't mind." He smirked. Lucanis had been asking about her constantly since he told him she got the job. He didn't think his cousin realised how strange that was. He usually liked to be left alone, the only people he usually tolerated were his bandmates, Pike and Toya or himself.

"Alright if you're sure." She grabs her notebook and heads out of the office and out into the yard. She hesitates by the food cart on the the far side, where Toya and Pike were hanging out, chatting.

"Hey, um, does Lucanis like Coffee?" She asks, trying to play it cool, Pike smirked and raised an eyebrow while Toya stared at her in shock.

"Why do you wanna bring him a coffee?" She joked, then laughed when Altara nodded. Oh, this was too good to pass up. "Sure, he likes that, what's it called, Pike?" She asks, amusement clear in her voice.

"Andorals breath, I think, he usually drinks it black, no sugar like the monster he is." He jokes, making Toya laugh.

"The man's a beast, you mean." She grins. "He's been writing music all morning, he could probably use a coffee break. Toya winks at Pike, and he grins back.

"Right, thanks." She smiled, so focused on her task, she was oblivious to their mischief.

Being awake during the day was always a bother, but he needed to be seen outside to keep his cover. He was currently sitting at a small table next to his trailer, cigarette in his mouth, his guitar in his lap. There was a parasol open, giving him plenty of shade, his sunglasses slipping halfway down his nose as he leaned forward.

There was a notebook open on the table with a pen, he was trying out new cords, and writing stuff down occasionally.

Pike and Toya were chilling by the food cart on the other side of the yard, chatting. They were set up in a secure warehouse next door to the diamond. It was still several days before the concert, his team where working in the diamond tirelessly working on the stage set-up.

The rest were milling about, giving him a wide berth, under strict instructions not to bother him unless it was absolutely necessary.

He was singing softly, his voice a low husky drawl, strumming a few cords, he frowned when a familiar scent wafted up his nose, his throat tightened before he quickly stilled his lungs as Altara walked past, looking stressed with a notepad in her hands, pacing back and forth like she was trying to think of a way to approach without pissing of her new boss.

He could see her in the corner of his eye, he wondered what she was up to. He watched her subtly over the rim of his glasses, she was wearing tights jeans and a tank top today, her hair up in its usual pony tail, he let his gaze wander down her form for a moment before he snapped his eyes back to his guitar, he needed to concentrate on his music not his new sound tech, he tells himself.

Lucanis cursed, her scent catching him again, he was so used to pretending to breathe it was actually more difficult not to, it had become second nature, he wished she would stop wearing her hair up. Her long, pale neck made his fangs ache, he was starting to regret letting Illario hire her, she was a distraction.

Lies WANT her here, you WANT to BITE

shut up

ADMIT it!

fuck you

FUCK you TO

He smiled. He hated to admit it, but sometimes he enjoyed the back and forth with Spite. He just wished he would stop taunting him about her. It was hard enough to keep himself in check as it was, he had never reacted this way to a mortal before. Nobody caught his eye as Illario liked to jest.

But every time he smelled her, he found his mouth watering, he had never wanted someone's blood as much as he wanted hers. He sighed. At least it was giving him ideas for his music. Illario would love that, he would call her his muse just to mess with him, he was sure.

So lost in his thoughts, he nearly jumped out of his skin when she approached and a coffee cup was set on the table in front of him. The other roadies froze as she smiled at him, thinking she was mad to approach him.

He could smell the coffee, it was his favourite blend. He raised an eyebrow, taking off his sunglasses and taking a long drag of his cigarette before putting it out, breathing out a stream of smoke to the side.

"That's a bad habit, you know, bad for your health." She grinned.

He stared at her for a moment, speechless.

"So I've heard." He chuckles huskily. "How did you know my favourite blend of coffee?" He asks, his voice rough. He had never spoken to her about such things, had she asked someone?

"Wait, how did you know what blend it was? You haven't even drunk it yet." She asked in surprise.

OOOPSIE

Spite cackled

shut up!

"I have a good nose for coffee." He joked, looking up at her, his eyes trailing down to her neck, before he could stop himself, he could see her pulse. He quickly looked back up, hoping she wouldn't notice.

"Right, well uh, Illario wants to know your Rider?" She says, holding up her notepad and trying not to fidget under his gaze, she had never been good with eye contact, but she found she couldn't look away, every time she tried, her eyes gravitated back to his.

Illario knows my rider. What the hell is this?

what was his cousin playing at, getting her to ask him?

MEDDLING!

He cleared his throat, finally breaking eye contact to drink his coffee. He smiled around the rim but quickly schooled his expression, the last thing he needed was her noticing his fangs.

Pike elbowed Toya, glancing across the yard curiously.

"Will you look at that?" He grinned. Lucanis, was actually humouring the newbie.

"That's not like him." Toya rubs her chin in thought. The newbie was pretty, she would give her that, but she had never seen anyone get that close without being scared off by him.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think they were fucking." Pike laughed when Toya shoved him playfully. He was always so crass.

"Lucanis doesn't fuck anyone, he's got his brooding loner persona to uphold, remember." She laughed, sipping her soda.

"I give 'em a week." He grins. The way Lucanis looked at that woman it looked more like he wanted to eat her alive. He had never known Lucanis to act like this. Plenty of women threw themselves at him on tour, and he had never taken up an invitation to fool around.

"Wanna make this a bet?" Toya grins back with a raised eyebrow. Might as well make it interesting.

"You're on." He grins. He felt pretty confident that he had read the tension between them correctly, there was definitely something going on.

They shake on it.

"Speaking of fucking." He waggles his eyebrow at Toya playfully.

"Not a chance." She laughed.

"Come on, you know you want me." He smirks, fiddling with the opening in his shirt, drawing her gaze.

She smirked, stepping closer, leaning in. Pike's eyes grew wide as she poured her soda over his head and walked off.

He cursed, shaking his hair out. Now his hair was going to go all sticky.

He grinned. He loved it when they played hard to get.

Lucanis's glanced over in the direction of his band mates in surprise, hearing Pike curse, Altara frowned, looking to see what he had reacted to, she had not heard a thing.

He chuckled at Pikes antics, his drummer had been trying to get in his bassists pants for months, then he realised his mistake, he was supposed to ignore his higher senses around humans.

SHE's going to FIND out your SECRET if your not CAREFUL!

Shit!

He felt panic rise in his chest and promptly stood to go into his trailer, to run, but the sun had moved, he would be in direct sunlight if he tried to go to his trailer. he should have moved the table and parasol closer, he curses and plays it off stretching. His vest, riding up giving her a delightful view before he lowered his arms and cracked his back.

"I dont know why, illario asked you to find out my Rider, it hasn't changed in years." He says nervously hoping a change of subject would distract her, she wasn't stupid, he could see the cogs turning, he needed to get away from her.

"Cousin, good, your still here." Illario purred, a knowing smirk on his lips, he promptly sat down on the spare seat opposite him, Altara looked between them awkwardly her note pad lowered.

"Is this another test, shit! did I fuck up. I wasn't supposed to come over here and bother him was I." She starts to panic, she couldn't lose her job, she had only been here a few days, she turns to leave and Lucanis grabs her wrist without thinking, lightening fast, to fast, she freezes, glancing back at him, eyes wide.

He let her go like she had burned him. looking anywhere but her.

"It's fine, my cousin was just fucking with you, right Illario." He growls, a hint of his Demon in his voice making Illario pale slightly and raise his hands in a I'm guilty pose.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist, dont worry about the rider." He smirks at her, thinking quickly. "I think the crew could use some coffee in the warehouse, would you?" He purred, piling on the charm.

Lucanis growled low in his throat again and sat down quickly. He didn't like the way Illario was looking at her, feeling a wave of possessiveness washes over him.

what the hell is wrong with me?

WANT, HUNGER!

shut up! shut up! shut up!

He picked up his notebook pretending to write something down, hoping to disguise how flustered he was becoming.

"Right, I'll get on that." She bows, then curses under her breath, why the fuck did she bow? she blushes and quickly rushes off towards the warehouse, Lucanis watches her retreating form like he couldn't look away.

Illario cant help but laugh at how awkward she was but trailed off when he found his cousin glaring daggers at him once she had disappeared from view.

"What the fuck was that?" Lucanis snapped, his voice clipped.

"I have no idea what your talking about." His Cousin grins. "So, no change to your rider then." He smirks.

"Stop it, whatever your doing, stop it, keep her away from me." Lucanis growled, using the momentary cloud cover to get to his trailer and escape before the clouds parted again.

Illario watched him go and grinned.

Oh yes, this was certainly going to be interesting.

Shit! fuck! I cant do this! I should cancel the tour!

He was pacing in his trailer like a lion in a cage, his fangs throbbing, the blood bags where not quenching his thirst anymore. Illario was struggling to source his supply, without drawing attention.

you CAN, need TOUR, you PROMISED!

I need to avoid her, its to dangerous to be around her, this is her fault, she's doing this to me.

NOT her fault

I could kill her, drain her dry, If I loose control, I cant do that again.

It was an ACCIDENT

I swore, I swore I would be better, that I would control this.

was DRUNK, young, NOT your fault.

I fucking killed someone Spite.

PEOPLE die.

Of natural causes, nothing about me is natural

BETTER than natural

Enough! I need to think.

He sat down and buried his head in his hands, he had been fine for years, what the fuck was going on, one women shouldn't unravel him like this, she was just a mortal, a talented sound tech sure, beautiful, but forbidden.

He was doomed to be alone, he was immortal, he should be in the background not the spotlight, but Caterina insisted, hide in plane sight.

Illario was better at this, he was charming, he knew how to talk to people to get what he wanted, it was why Caterina insisted he become his manager.

Illario thought he was helping him, thought he needed to let people in, but how could he, he was a danger to everyone, in a constant battle with his darker instincts.

He wished Illario would stop meddling, just let him be, let him be alone, it was better that way, better for everyone.

Altara sat in the apartment, on her computer chatting to Neve online, her friend had been working the Ossuary case for over a year now, finding dead end after dead end, there had been a cover up and she was determined to find out why.

Neve couldn't tell her specifics but sometimes it was just nice to vent your frustration to a friend.

Neve: Enough about the case, how's the new job.

Altara: Oh its great, but I think Lucanis's manager has it in for me, he played a prank on me today. I bet Lucanis hates me now, god It was so embarrassing.

Neve: Oh do tell, I love gossip.

Altara: He asked me to find out what Lucanis wanted for his Rider, he already knew it, I think he was just fucking with me, we were all told to stay away from Lucanis when he's writing music, I brought him coffee.

Neve: "You got the Demon of Vyrantium coffee? that's hilarious, how did he react.

Altara: That was the strangest thing, he knew exactly what blend I had got him, I had asked his band mates what he liked but he knew what it was before he even drank it.

Neve: Maybe he just knows his coffee.

Altara: He said he had a good nose for it but I swear to the maker he didn't even sniff it.

Neve: Its just coffee, I dont see what's so weird about that.

Altara: Oh another thing, his band mates where on the other side of the yard, they had a little disagreement, he looked over like he heard the whole thing but, there was no way he could have.

Neve: So what, maybe he saw something in the corner of his eye.

Altara: He was looking right at me, there is no way he saw anything.

Neve: Look, your stressed, its a new job, you need to relax a little.

Altara: Your right, I'm being stupid, he's just so intense, He's nothing like I imagined.

Neve: You sure that's not just you inner fan girl talking, the man is drop dead gorgeous and a rock star, I dont blame you ;p

Altara: Ha ha very funny, shit It's late I need to get some sleep, we only have a few days until the tour starts.

Neve: Do yourself a favour, try not to overthink everything.

Altara: I'll try gnight Neve x

Neve: Goodnight x

She signed off and leans back in her seat and laughs at herself.

She remembers his gaze, how he always looks at her neck, how he flinches whenever she walks past, did he fancy her? Oh god was he one of those types? rock stars were usually players, was he? no, she was overthinking things again she needed to get some sleep.

She opened her eyes and gasped seeing the shadows move like they were alive, she sat up and turned on the light, nothing there.

She laughed to herself, why was she so jumpy lately, as she leaned over to turn the light back off she froze.

"Dont turn off the light." A familiar voice purred.

She turned slowly and her eyes widened, it was him, he was here, in her room, in her apartment!

"Lucanis!!? what??? what are you doing here? how did you get in?" She gasped holding the sheets to her chest, her heart pounding.

She gasped when she found herself pinned to the bed a second later, how had he got across the room so fast, he hovered above her, his dark eyes trailing over her hungrily, his eyes fell closed for a moment as he took a deep breath in.

"You smell in intoxicating" He groaned.

His eyes snapped open, before he surged forward his teeth in her neck.

She gasped, her hand flying to her throat as she sat bolt upright in bed, her eyes wide, her heart pounding. She let out a sigh of relief, it was just a dream, Maker what the fuck was that about?

She glanced at the clock and panicked it was nearly 7am, she was going to be late. She nearly fell out of bed, as her foot got caught in the sheets, she ran to her bathroom to brush her teeth, and got dressed, pulling on a clean tank top and shorts with a black hoodie, it was supposed to be the hottest day of the year today, she ran from her apartment and got a taxi, if traffic was kind she would be in time to make the coffee run.

She barges through the door leading to the sound stage and right into a wall of muscle, coffee flying everywhere followed by a low curse, strong arms stop her from falling flat on her face, holding her steady by her biceps. It felt like his fingers were burning through the layers of her hoody.

"Oh, god I'm so sorry....I...." She trails off as her eyes meeting dark brown with flecks of caramel.

He stares at her for a moment, as if unable to move, unable to look away, frozen in time as a dark stain spreads on his shirt.

"Oh shit that's going to burn you." She quickly tries to dab at his shirt with the sleeve of her hoody, and gasps when he snatches her wrist, stopping her.

"It's fine." He ground out, his eyes close for a moment and he grits his teeth, all he could smell was her, her hair was up again, his breath hitched as he released her, stepping back a few paces and looking down at his shirt.

"I'm so sorry, I should of been looking where I was going but I was running late and." She closes her eyes trying to control her panic, maker she just kept fucking up, he must think she's an idiot.

"It's fine, Really, I was going to change shirts before rehearsal anyway." He says, grabbing the bottom of his shirt and tugging it over his head to inspect the damage, the T-shirt was designer from Orlias.

She stared, couldn't help herself, firm muscles, bronze skin, a light dusting of hair, abs for days, hair trailing down from his navel into his jeans, she swallowed thickly her gaze meeting his, he raises an eyebrow at her appraisal before brushing past her.

"The sound desk needs you, dont worry about the coffee, Illario already made the coffee run." He says hastily, before leaving as if he couldn't wait to get away from her, leaving her staring after him.

His back was just as muscled as his front, that's when she saw them, lines of silver scar tissue over each shoulder blade, like an angel with there wings cut off. She snorts to herself an angel? He was a rock star, surly if would be demon wings or something.

She shakes her head and remembers that she was running late and rushes down the hall to the sound stage to help set up.

Illario had been about to step out of a side office in the corridor when he heard the crash and Lucanis cursing, he froze watching the interaction and smirked, it looked like there newbie was making fast friends with his cousin, he shook his head, following after her.

He closed the door of his trailer, breathing hard as he pressed his forehead against the door, maker she had felt good against him, like she fit there, was made to be there, he shook his head, banging his head against the door, she smelt so good.

No matter how much he tried to avoid her they kept bumping into eachother, and every time it made it harder to resist burying his face in her neck and inhaling that intoxicating scent.

You got it BAD

I dont have anything bad, other than bad luck

Pretty GHOST

Stop it

LIKES to watch you, WANTS you

no she doesn't, she's just clumsy, she's just trying to be nice

Can SMELL it, watched you leave, COULDN'T look away.

shut up, I cant think with you talking nonsense in my head.

NOT nonsense.

whatever.

He grabs a spare T-shirt pulling it over his head and grabs his notebook, he didn't have time for this, flicking through the pad he stopped on a song he had been working on. he leaves his trailer heading back into the staging area they had set up for rehearsals.

his eyes gravitated to the sound desk as he entered the warehouse, and smirked when Altara ducked behind the other sound tech to avoid his gaze, he ignored her, stilling his breath until he was far enough away to avoid her scent before pretending to breath again, stepping up onto the stage and heading over to the keyboard.

"Change of plans." He says to his band mates, handing his notepad to Pike.

"Think you can do it?" He asks, with a smirk.

Pike smirked back.

"You bet you ass I can, Toya?" Pike grins, glancing at her. She nods adjusting her guitar.

"You got it boss." She heads to her spot and Lucanis smiles, adjusting his mic, he glances at the sound desk yelling over instructions on what he wanted. He catches Illario's gaze for a moment and they exchange a nod.

Illario grinned, Lucanis seemed to be inspired by something, that meant he had written another a hit, he leaned over to Altara.

"Your in for a treat." He grins.

She mutters under her breath, then clears her throat.

"oh um what do you mean?" She tries to hide her embarrassment, did Illario know she had spilled coffee all over his star act just a few minutes ago.

"Just watch." He chuckles hitting record, so he could go over it with his Cousin, discuss how they might add it to the set list later.

Lucanis closed his eyes, counting a beat in his head before playing a few notes, Pike and Toya nodded and played along letting him cook.

It was always a rush when he wanted to try something new, especially with this new talent for throwing his voice he had picked up.

He sang in his usual husky tone, with a little layer of emotion, pressing the keys as his bassist smiled and followed along.

I think, I think too much

I'm a little bit paranoid, I think I’m breaking

Maybe it's in my blood

Got a pain that I can't avoid, I think I’m breaking down

His voice became a little seductive, playing notes with one hand while caressing the mic with the other, it was subtle but Altara saw it, she always did. ever since that moment there eyes met during the try outs, she couldn't stop watching him.

Hate every single second, minute, hour every day

Person in the mirror, they won't let me feel a thing

Keep me focused on my problems, I'm addicted to the pain

When he said the word Pain his gaze fell on her for a split second before he looked away, cursing himself internally for even looking in her direction.

Everybody's out to get you

His voice became a little strained, that strange voice from before, his neck tense as he growled the build up to the chorus.

I guess I never noticed how it came creeping in

My enemy emotion, but I can't sink or swim

I say I'm feeling hopeless, they give me medicine

They give me medicine, they give me medicine

His voice changed again, punctuating every other word with a gravely shout, as Toya strummed a harmonising riff.

I think I think too much (Too much)

I'm a little bit paranoid, I think I'm breaking

Maybe it’s in my blood (My blood)

Got a pain that I can’t avoid, I think I'm breaking

Down, I think I’m breaking

Down, I think I'm breaking

I think I think too much (Too much)

I'm a little bit paranoid, I think I'm breaking down

He purred the next line, smiling around the words, nodding to Toya and Pike in approval. Illario nodded his head, this sounded good, he glanced at Altara and smiled, she was making small adjustments on the sound desk, nodding her head along, she must have done something right because Lucanis was now staring at her as he sang the next verse.

She looked up, sensing his gaze and quickly looked away, the way he was looking at her was to intense, she froze her hand over a dial, hesitating before Illario placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"Your doing great, he likes it." He chuckles, he knew his cousin, knew that look in his eyes.

Lies, every time they ask me, I just tell ’em that I'm fine

Try to hide my demons, but they only multiply

Keep me running from the voices on repeat inside my mind

Everybody fucking hates you

He builds his voice up again, growling and shouting, grinning for a moment his fangs catch the light before he remembers himself and tucks em back. Illario glances at Altara and breaths a sigh of relief she hadn't noticed, she was concentrating on the deck.

I guess I never noticed how it came creeping in

My enemy emotion, but I can't sink or swim

I say I'm feeling hopeless, but no one's listening

But no one's listening, but no one's listening

He was really getting into it now, shouting out the lines, growling out, Spite was enjoying this, he could feel him buzzing in his head, basking in the feeling.

I think I think too much (Too much)

I'm a little bit paranoid, I think I'm breaking

Maybe it's in my blood (My blood)

Got a pain that I can't avoid, I think I'm breaking

Down, I think I'm breaking

Down, I think I'm breaking

I think I think too much (Too much)

I'm a little bit paranoid, I think I'm breaking down

Something changed, a melancholy to his voice as he whispered out the words, pressing a pedal to echo it, repeat it over and over

I don't really like myself

I don't really like myself

I don't really like myself

I don't really like myself

He presses another pedal, playing a few more notes on the keyboard before ending the song on a single line.

I think I'm breaking down.

He raises his hand to stop the music and the stage goes quite. Toya and Pike high five then go to do the same to Lucanis then remember he doesn't do that and laugh.

Altara stared at his back as he talked with his band mates, the lyrics, did he really hate himself or was he just playing on the rock star angst, every song she heard felt like he was revealing another layer of himself, like she was getting to know him through his music.

Illario claps his hand and shouts over to Lucanis.

"I dont know what your doing Lucanis but keep doing it." He laughed "That was incredible." Lucanis nodded, grabbing his notebook and hopping down from the stage heading for the sound desk, Altara froze, shit he was coming over, she must had done something he didn't like, maker he was going to fire her.

He came to a stop and smiled at her, actually smiled.

Oh he was definitely going to fire her, that smile, he was probably celebrating getting rid of her.

"That was good, that reverb, it works." He sounds genuinely pleased and for a moment she isn't sure what to say. She had expected him to shout at her, tell her to leave and he just said she did good.

"I uh, it was ok?" She stuttered. "I wasn't overstepping I...just thought it would..." She trails off when he shakes his head in amusement.

"I didn't hire you for your pretty face, I hired you because you know your way around the sound desk." He says, putting his notepad down for a second, she blushes and for a moment he doesn't understand why.

Illario snorts into his coffee cup and clears his throat turning his back and trying to disappear.

A look of realisation flickers in Lucanis's eyes, he had called her pretty, fuck he had called her pretty!

PRETTY Yessssss

shit shit shit

SHE LIKES that you called her PRETTY

"I need a cigarette." He blurts out, before heading for the exit, leaving his notebook on the desk.

Altara realises everyone's clearing out, was he not coming back? Illario sighs.

"I think that's our lot for today, Lucanis can be a little flaky before a tour, dont worry about it, he will be fine." He leaves before she can stop him, she stares at the notebook and grabs it heading outside hoping to spot Lucanis to return it but he's nowhere to be seen.

She frowns, she couldn't just keep hold of it until she found him, she needed to be home in time for a vid call with her cousin, she glances around before her eyes fall on his trailer, she wasn't supposed to go in there.

She had been told specifically not to, but she would only be a minute. She rushes across the yard and tries the door, it was unlocked.

She pokes her head in ready to apologise but he isn't there, she breathes a sigh of relief and steps inside, she would just drop this notepad off, she would be in and out before he knew anything

She could pretend she didn't know anything about it if he brought it up.

She notices its neat and tidy almost obsessively so, which surprised her, the bed looked like it had not been slept in for days.

There is small fridge next to a leather sofa on the right opposite the bed and a small walk in wardrobe on the other side next to a desk with several other notebooks on, she smiles, the perfect place to leave it.

As she places it on the table she hears voices outside.

Shit!

She panics, oh god if she was found in his trailer she was screwed, she opens the wardrobe and slips in closing the door almost closed.

It smelt of leather, sandalwood and something she couldn't place, she peaked through the crack, with any luck whoever it was either wouldn't come in, or if they did, would leave quickly, there was still plenty of hours left in the day after all.

The door opens and her heart stops it was Lucanis, he didn't seem aware she hiding in his closet.

She watches as he stretched pulling off his shirt and throwing it on the bed, muttering under his breath, lyrics perhaps?

He heads for the fridge and opens it leaning down, giving her an incredible view of his ass, his jeans were tight, maker he had a nice ass.

She waits, hoping to god he would leave and she could slip out without him noticing but when he turned around she gasped, covering her mouth. he was drinking from a blood bag.

His eyes snapped to the closet hearing her gasp and the next thing she knew she was being hauled out by the front of her shirt and Lucanis looked Livid, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"You shouldn't be in here!!" He growls.

Chapter Text

He needed a drink, his thirst was getting worse, before he could get away with a blood bag every few days, but lately it just wasn't hitting the spot like it used to. It had to be her, she was the reason. Her scent was driving him mad, his fangs ached to tear into her throat.

He took a long, slow drag of his cigarette, inhaling and blowing out a ring of smoke, watching it float away and disperse in the wind. He flicked the dead end of his cigarette over the side of the building he was perched on sighed.

That thought should terrify him, he didn't want to rip her throat out. He wanted to taste it, to drag his fangs down that pale throat and.

He groans, this lust, where the hell had it come from, he had never felt like this before, mortals didn't move him, he moved them.

His music was his only connection with the mortal world, where he could lament his pain and people understood, if only for a moment, what it was like to be what he was, to watch the world go by while he stood still.

The pleasures of the flesh had never interested him before, he had all the time in the world. Attachments were fleeting, a moment in eternity, why waste it on a passing fancy? They all died in the end, didn't they?

CANT stop thinking about her, CAN you?

I would if you stopped bringing her up.

LIES you WANT HER

I can't.

CAN, SHOULD, why hold back, TAKE, FEEL

You're just a glutton for experience, you dont care who gets hurt.

NOT true

So what, you care about me now?

MAYBE

You know, that's almost sweet.

BAH

Spite falls silent, and Lucanis grins, a moment of peace at last, a moment to think. He had been bouncing a new song idea in his head, he needed to write it down. Then he remembered he had left his notebook in the warehouse.

He stands and looks over the edge of the building. Nobody was around, he smirked and stepped off the edge, landing on his feet like a cat before striding towards the warehouse to slip inside and retrieve his notebook.

He frowned. It wasn't where he had left it. He looked around and cursed, maybe Illario had returned it to his Trailer. He headed back outside and nearly walked into his cousin, who was hovering around his trailer as if waiting for him.

"Ah, there you are, where have you been?" He enquires, noting Lucanis's irritation.

"I was clearing my head," Lucanis grunts, avoiding Illario's' curious glance.

"I'm heading back home. We can discuss that new song tomorrow." Illario yawns and looks up at the sky.

"You should probably get inside." He teases before sauntering off. The sun was starting to peak through the clouds again.

Lucanis sighed and stepped into his trailer. For a moment, he thought he could smell that delicious scent again. Was his mind playing tricks on him? His eyes flicked to his fridge, his skin suddenly feeling too hot, he tore off his shirt, tossing it onto the bed before heading for the fridge. He was so thirsty it hurt.

He pulled out a blood bag, sinking his teeth into it, imagining it was her throat. He swallowed it down greedily, turning to check his desk for his notebook when he heard a gasp, his pupils turned to slits, his eyes wide in anger and fear.

Was there someone in his trailer? His eyes flick around, searching for the sound. His closet was slightly open, he saw wide red eyes through the crack. It was her, she was here, in his trailer, he dropped the blood bag as if it burned him, she had to have seen it.

She KNOWS

Shit! shit! Shit!

He crosses the length of the trailer in two strides, pulling open the closet and dragging her out by the front of her shirt.

"You shouldn't be in here?" He growled.

Oh god he was going to kill her, she had seen everything, discovered his secret. It all made sense now, the insane sense of smell, hearing things nobody else should, his inhuman reflexes, why he kept staring at her throat with such hunger.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see anything I swear to the maker, I know I shouldn't be in here but you left you notebook, I just wanted to return it, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She rambled, her head turning away from him, her eyes clenched shut expecting death.

He was breathing heavily, his grip on her shirt threatening to tear it as he crowded her against the wall, one leg between hers, her scent, it was everywhere, clouding his senses, he leaned down, inhaling deeply and groaned, fuck she smelt heavenly, maker he needed to stop himself before its to late, to pull away and put some distance between them, but he couldn't, he wanted to drink so badly.

She gasped when she felt him nosing down her neck, felt his hot breath on her throat, she shivered when he groaned, heat pooling in her lower belly, she should be afraid but maker he smelt so good. Was going to bite her? She whimpered and he tore himself from her with a gasp.

He pressed himself against the wall as far away from her as possible, breathing hard, his fangs scrapping his lower lip, fuck, he wanted it all, to bite, to drink, his breath ragged, the need to have her almost overwhelming.

"You need to LEAVE!" He ground out, that strange growling tone overlaying the last word, like two voices talking at once.

"I wont tell a soul, I promise...I...I swear!" She gasped, her voice quivering.

"LEAVE!" He shouted, she needed to leave, to run, to get away from him before he lost control, he couldn't think straight with her so close, with that scent curling around him like a garrotte, cutting off his air supply, despite him not needing to breathe.

"Please!" He begged, he didn't want to hurt her, he clenched his eyes shut, clinging to the wall like it was the only thing holding him back.

She wants to stay but does as he asks and runs, the door slamming shut behind her, after a few minutes he feels like he can think again.

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

He snarls knocking over anything he could reach in rage, trashing his trailer in the process, venting his frustration and anger.

She knew! she knew his secret, and he let had her go, she would call for help surely, the Templars would come soon, they would break down the door, impale him on a spear, end him, destroy the monster that had attacked her.

He collapsed to his knees, gritting his teeth trying to hold back a panic attack.

WONT tell

How can you be so sure? she was terrified, fuck! I nearly bit her, I could of killed her damn it!

YOU didn't, pulled BACK, controlled IT

I didn't want to hurt her.

YOU wanted to HAVE her!

I don't, I don't, I don't!

He repeated it over and over in his head, trying to convince himself it wasn't true, but every time he closed his eyes he saw scarlet eyes, that pale throat, smelt the intoxicating scent of her, sugar, spice, temptation.

He curled into a ball, it was over, his was done, he just had to wait, it would all be over soon.

She ran as fast as she could, darting around the corner and pressing herself against the wall, breathing hard, maker he was a Vampire, he was going to hunt her down, she knew his secret, her legs betrayed her, she couldn't move.

For a moment the only sound was her harsh breathing, she closed her eyes, the way his eyes had found hers in the closet, a split second where she saw everything he was, everything he hid from the world.

She should be terrified, but she found she wasn't, all that angst, she understood it now, how he struggled with what he was, hated himself, she didn't want to run, but he had begged her, she knew he was trying to protect her, but part of her had still wanted to stay, to soothe him, let him know it was ok, that she wasn't afraid of him.

She shook her head, what the hell was she thinking, she should leave, and never come back. She pushes off the wall and headed for the gate, leaving the complex to head home, how was she supposed to talk to her cousin on vid call after that? with her thoughts racing like this? She probably looked a mess.

Maybe she should pretend to be sick and postpone the call, yeah that's what she would do, give herself a few days to clear her head.

To process what she had just seen, she was certain Lucanis would want some space, some time to think to, she nods to herself catching the bus, watching the world go by from her seat, all these people and not a single one knew, magic was real for sure, but Vampires? that was the stuff of myth and legend.

Now she knew the truth, she wasn't sure what to think. For now she concentrated on getting home, she would call Illario in the morning, she could get away with a day off and still be back in time to help with the tour, she wasn't a quitter.

She was far to stubborn for that. no she wouldn't run from this, she would give Lucanis some space, and then come back to work, maybe if she pretended nothing had happened he would forget about it.

He awoke several hours later, alone, the trailer was quiet, no Templars, perhaps she had just run away and never looked back. If she had, it was for the best. He sat up and groaned, crawling to the fridge, devouring several blood packs before tossing them into the trash. He leaned against the wall tilting his head back, he felt numb.

TOLD you

She could still tell someone.

WONT

He laughed, it was strangely comforting, how confident Spite was that she would keep her mouth shut. He got to his feet, pulling on a shirt before washing his face in the sink, he looked up into the mirror, thankful the myth that Vampires had no reflection was false.

He slicked back his hair, he looked tired, he was, he couldn't remember the last time he felt rested, an idea hit him and he rushed to his notebook, flicking to a blank page to write it down, he laughed, every interaction with her, gave him ideas, maybe she was his muse after all.

He shook his head, what did it matter, he would never see her again, even if she told no one what she saw, there was no way she would come back now, not now she knew he was a monster hiding in plain sight.

He glanced out through the blinds of the window, it was overcast and raining, rare in this city, but it suited his mood just fine, he closed the blinds again and grabbed his leather jacket before heading outside, towards the warehouse, Illario will want to know what happened.

He headed for his office and was surprised to find him already there, on the phone.

"I understand, keep me updated." He hangs up and looks up to find Lucanis hovering in the doorway, he looked nervous.

"What happened?" Illario asks gesturing for him to come in and close the door.

"She knows." Lucanis cursed and began to pace. "She knows Illario, knows what I am, she saw me." He growls, his hands clenched into fists at his side like he didn't know what to do with them.

"I thought as much." Illario threaded his fingers together. "I was just on the phone with her." He sighs.

Lucanis stopped mid pace his eyes snapping to his as he closed the distance between them leaning on the desk

"What did she say?" He asked, he had not meant to sound so desperate.

Illario smirks knowingly, he knew that look, obsession, had seen it on many fans faces during backstage meet and greets, to see it on his cousin face was interesting, it was not often something or someone caught Lucanis's interest.

"She is taking a sick day." He leans back to regard him, watching his reaction, how he flinched and recoiled.

"She didn't quit it that's what your worried about" He adds, the surprise on Lucanis's face was priceless, she would come back? even after what she had seen?.

I knew IT!

will you please stop

NO you need to LISTEN

please

STUBBORN fool!

He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, she hadn't quit, she had not told the Templars, nothing about this situation made any sense.

"Relax Cousin,, maybe her knowing is a good thing." He chuckles when Lucanis shoots him an incredulous look.

"I don't see how this is a good thing." He sighed.

"Think about it, now you have someone to talk to, someone to listen to your tormented soul." He joked.

"Not funny." Lucanis began to pace again.

"Regardless, the show must go on, go rehearse, clear your head, I know your music helps you think." He stands and walks around the desk, placing a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"Relax." He says before leaving his office to let him process what they had discussed.

Altara was doing research, looking up anything to do with Vampires, every myth and legend, every story or documentary she could find, hoping to figure out why he had reacted the way he did.

She understood the anger, she shouldn't have been in the trailer after all, but the way he held her against the wall, sniffed at her neck, moaned in her ear like she smelt like the most delicious thing he had ever smelt. Maker she had thought she was in for it.

She shivered, wondering what it might have been like if he had actually bitten her, she couldn't really say biting was a kink of hers but considering the thought of him biting sent a shiver down her spine, maybe it was and she just hadn't known it until now, she laughs at that amusing thought before she groans her eyes stinging.

She pinches the bridge of her nose and shut down her computer, staring at the screen any longer would just end up giving her a headache, she had texted Viago informing him she didn't feel well and would call him another day, she needed time to process everything.

She had thought Lucanis hated her, considering she had fallen for Illario's prank and bothered him while he was working on his music, even if she had brought him a coffee as an apology, but then then she had to go and spill coffee all over him the very next day, he had acted strangely then to, now that she thinks about it.

She remembered him pulling his shirt off to access the damage and maker he had looked incredible, all toned muscle and sinew. Now that she thinks about it, his skin had not even reddened from the hot coffee, she might have noticed at the time had she not been so busy drooling, she thinks back to how he reacted, how he snatched her wrist, told her it was fine and hurried away from her.

At first she had thought it was because he couldn't stand her, and wanted to be as far way as possible, but now after knowing what she did, perhaps he had been trying to stay away for another reason.

She sniffed her wrist and shrugged, whatever he smelt it wasn't detectable to her, maybe she could wear perfume to cover it up, would that make it easier or worse for him.

He had looked like he was in pain when he tore himself from her, as if it pained him to do it, she wondered what she could do to help him, obviously she was just his sound tech, other than make him sound good when he performs she wasn't sure what else she could do for him.

Then an insane though popped into her head, would she be willing to let him drink her blood, no that was a stupid idea he would probably laugh at her, call her foolish, she just wished she could do more.

She wanted to know him better, not just as the rock icon, but as a person, other than his favourite coffee blend she knew next to nothing about him, he didn't exactly let that many people close to him.

He seemed to avoid human contact where he could, most just believed he was a loner but now she was wondering if there was more to it than just not liking people, was he afraid his secret would get out if he interacted with people to much?

Would he be willing to talk to her about it now that she knew? would her knowing mean she could get closer to him? was that a good idea? to many thoughts were racing in her head, she decides to take a long shower and head to bed early.

Maybe in the morning she would have a better idea of what to do, she would just needed to call Illario again and let him know she would be coming back. She wasn't about to risk her job over this, if Lucanis didnt fire her of course.

Lucanis hummed the melody to Toya and Pike and they both nodded, Pike tapped his foot and raised an eyebrow, and he nodded. He glanced at Toya and she frowned for a moment, trying to think.

"Give me that melody again?" She asks, holding her guitar, she closed her eyes and listened then tried a few notes, shook her head, tried a few more.

"Perfect." Lucanis moves to his mic and adjusts the height with a frown, he was sure Illario was fucking with him, every single time he walked over to his mic, he had to adjust the height so it was lower.

He glanced at the sound desk and frowned, he knew she wouldn't be there, she had not come to work today, not that he blamed her but a part of him had gotten used to her on the desk. he sighed and cleared his throat, he needed to clear his head, not think about her.

He pressed a few pedals on his synth deck and grinned, at least in his music he could just let go, Toya and Pike drop him into it with a riff and beat as he opens his mouth, and lets the lyrics flow.

I keep these coffins in my mind

I put my fears inside

There are graves that I've dug

Since we last left off

That you will never find

He growls into the build up to the chorus, letting Spite partially take over, keeping his eyes closed to hide the tell tale glow of his eyes.

So follow me deeper into the unknown

Into your heart, into your soul

This is the end of the world that you know

And there will be pain in letting it go

Feel the uncertainty down to your bones

Are you afraid of dying alone?

This is the end of the world that you know

Lucanis falls into it, his head tilted back as he belted out the chorus.

I push myself a little closer to the edge

So intoxicated with the end

Those who wish me dead, yeah

Made me who I am, yeah

Until you lose it all, you will never know

There's fear in letting go

The beat calms as he leads to the second verse, letting Spite whisper over his voice adding tension.

One by one, I hear them calling

I feel them creep inside

No goodbyes, no return

Watch the world as it burns

And leave it all behind

Spite growls into the next part, enjoying the feel of Lucanis letting go, the way he felt when he performed was always exhilarating.

So come on and follow me deeper into the unknown

Into your heart, into your soul

This is the end of the world that you know

And there will be pain in letting it go

Feel the uncertainty down to your bones

Are you afraid of dying alone?

This is the end of the world that you know

He sings out the chorus adding a few extra lines, the idea she had given him when she ran. his eyes fall on the sound desk, wishing she was here to hear it, wanting her there. He let Spite scream out the last line.

I push myself a little closer to the edge

So intoxicated with the end

Those who wish me dead, yeah

Made me who I am, yeah

Until you lose it all, you will never know

That you can't have what you want from me

I can't be everything you need

The path is yours to take or leave

Until you lose it all

There's fear in letting go

He presses another pedal, adding a pause, a heartbeat. Before growling in harmony with Spite, there combined voices building up to a scream.

So write your name into cement

Count the blessings that you're sent

Feel that beating in your chest

Nothing's permanent

Those who wish me dead

Fill the coffins in my head

And they won't let me forget

Nothing's permanent

Permanent

Toya grins following his lead, strumming with him while letting her head nod. Pike pounds the drums enjoying letting loose, twirling his sticks.

Lucanis Screams the next part out till he's red in the face.

Yeah, so write your name into cement

Count the blessings that you're sent

Feel that beating in your chest

Nothing's permanent

Those who wish me dead

Fill the coffins in my head

And they won't let me forget

He softens his voice for the next part, uttering the words like an admission. Toya strums her guitar softly, pressing a few buttons on her deck.

I push myself a little closer to the edge

I push myself a little closer

There's fear in letting go

Lucanis plays a tune on his deck letting it build as they sing the last part.

Those who wish me dead, yeah

Made me who I am, yeah

Until you lose it all, you will never know

Until you lose it all, you will never know

There's fear in letting go

He nods his head, letting his hair fall into his eyes, slamming his fingers across the strings of his guitar with Toya while Pike drums out the final part. Lucanis screams the last line and then cuts the music.

"Perfect." Illario claps "I think we have the perfect set list, your fans are going to loose there minds." He laughs as Lucanis joins him at the desk.

"Something was missing." Lucanis sighs in frustration, The other sound tech just didnt get him, she understood, she knew him.

If he had just listened to his instincts, he could of kicked her out of the trailer before she had seen anything, but he had thought his mind was playing tricks on him. and now she knew, now she wasn't here.

Illario smirks knowingly.

"She will be back before the tour, relax, take the rest of the day, we have one more rehearsal before the Tour after all, I need you rested." He pats his shoulder in sympathy.

"I made sure your fridge is stocked with the good stuff." He grins and Lucanis frowned, blood bags were not enough, they didn't quench his thirst and he was starting to fear that the only thing that would, was her, and as hungry as he was, that could end in her death. Not that he would ever attempt to drink from her, no matter how much he craved it.

He nods and leaves the warehouse, striding across the yard, thankful for the rain and cloud cover, as he left the warehouse, all he could think about was blood. He could very well have walked right into the sunlight, he had been paying that little attention.

He did not sleep often, didn't need to, but today his exhaustion had him asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. He had drained 5 bags today and it still wasn't enough, he needed to do something soon, if it carried on like this, he could loose control, might be tempted to hunt and that was incredibly risky.

He brow furrowed in his sleep, his head tossing and turning, it was a restless sleep, his mind tormenting him with visions of her.

He replayed the moment he pulled her from his closet, the way she had unintentional offered her throat to him, how his mouth had watered, her scent filling his senses as he nosed down her throat, felt her pulse with his tongue.

She gasped when he bit down, gripping his bare shoulders as he moaned, her blood filling his mouth, it was ecstasy, he pressed a thigh between hers, holding her up as he fed.

Taking deep greedy gulps before tearing his mouth away with a groan, licking the wound closed. He watched her, breathing hard, those scarlet eyes haunted him, there was no fear in her eyes in his dream, there was only want, she smiled up at him.

He kissed her, needily, deeply, she sighed into his mouth. His tongue met hers and his mind went blank, there was nothing but her, nothing but the feel of her body pressed against his, her sighs of his name. He hoisted her into his arms easily, like she weighed nothing, her legs wrapping around his waist, pulling him closer as he pressed her against the wall, biting her again, she tugged on his hair crying out as he rolled his hips.

He couldn't stop drinking, he took pull after greedy pull, he was ravenous, her legs became lose around his waist, she whimpered weakly, tries to stop him but by the time he came to his senses and pulled away she was hanging limp in his arms, dead, sightless eyes staring back at him.

He sat bolt upright breathing hard, a hand to his lips, he could almost taste her, smell her, his dream lingering. he closed his eyes and tried to calm down.

You WONT hurt her

I could

You WONT

I will not drink from her, I cant risk it.

you NEED her

I don't, I can manage, I'll be fine.

BAGS wont do, there ASH, you NEED fresh BLOOD

I cant, damn it Spite, please, why cant you see that?

Spite fell silent, there was no point trying to reason with him when he was like this. He never listened to him, he preferred to wallow in self pity it seemed. Lucanis rolled onto his side, now afraid to close his eyes, he didn't want to see those sightless eyes ever again.

He frowned staring at his hands, this longing would be his undoing. for all the inspiration she gave him, he wanted more than he should, he barely knew her, but what he knew of her was enough to know she was kind, liked to feel useful, she was a little clumsy perhaps but when it came to the sound desk, she seemed to anticipate his needs, knew how to make him sound good.

He wanted to know her, but it was unwise to get involved with mortals, to let himself get attached meant eventual heartbreak, when they grew old while he remained young, he could turn a lover, make them like him but to do so would damn them to the same eternal misery he suffered.

He swallowed, his eyes drooping, he needed more blood but he didn't have the energy to move, something wasn't right, his hunger, his curse had not changed in centuries, not since he stopped aging on his 33rd birthday, perhaps he should speak with Caterina, but her curse was different to his, she still aged, was old and frail now, only hanging on to life out of Spite.

His demon snickered at the thought, but didn't say anything, content to let him have his thoughts at least for now.

Tomorrow would be the last rehearsal day before they set up the rest of the equipment in the Diamond the day after, it would be nice to see Teia again, it had been some time since he had seen her and Viago.

Would Altara be there tomorrow, would she say anything to him, or would she avoid him, should he avoid her? he wasn't sure what to do but wait and see what she did.

Chapter Text

She felt restless this morning. She would be returning to work, she would see him today, she wasn't sure if she should approach him or not, would he want her to? For now, she would pretend everything was fine, act like she saw nothing.

Part of her wanted to at least tell Neve, but she knew that would be a bad idea, he was hiding what he was for a reason, and he hadn't hurt her. He seemed desperate not to, in fact. She still shivered, remembering how he had sniffed her neck, the sound he had made had been desperate, as if her blood was all he wanted.

The thought of letting him feed from her sent a shiver down her spine, the way he had reacted, as if she had burned him, was he repulsed by her, or by the thought of biting her, he had not looked like he was enjoying the blood bag he had bit into, but it seemed he wanted to avoid drinking from people directly.

Considering his condition, it was not surprising, it was probably safer to drink from a blood bag. She had no idea how he sourced it, did his entourage donate? Was he raiding blood banks? Would he tell her if she asked?

Would he expect her to donate now that she knew? Was she ok with that? She blushed, remembering her dream where he bit her. Would he be that fast? Or would it be more intimate? She swallowed thickly at the thought.

She sat up straighter as her stop came up and she quickly stood, thanking the driver as she hopped off and walked towards the warehouse. She flashed her pass and stepped through the gate. She glanced at Lucanis's trailer parked across the yard away from everyone else and sighed.

She grabbed the group coffee order, which she knew by heart and carried it into the warehouse, handing them out. A few roadies were whispering quietly next to the sound desk.

"I'm telling you, he's been acting weird since yesterday." One whispers

"Probably just pre-tour nerves, you know what he gets like." The other says

She frowns. Was he upset at her for taking the day off? She had called his manager, and he had said it was fine. She shook her head, no sense worrying about it. She handed out the last coffee and did a few routine checks on the desk before checking Lucanis's deck on the stage.

She glanced up, sensing eyes on her and froze. It was Lucanis, he had stepped into the warehouse, his eyes immediately going to the sound desk before frowning, but then his gaze landed on her, on the stage, and he froze for a good few seconds as if he had not expected her to be there.

"She came back." He whispered to himself before he headed to the desk, muttering to the other sound guy, before walking towards the stage. There was a hesitance in his stride as he approached. He glanced behind him, watching Pike and Toya chatting as they walked in.

He stepped up to his mic and started adjusting it, trying to hide his nerves.

"You came back." He comments, his voice betraying his nerves.

"I did." She says, standing up and dusting off her hands, "Your deck had a loose wire, but I've fixed it." She grins, and he stares at her for a moment, as if unsure how to act around her. Was she just going to act like nothing had happened?

"I didn't think you would come back." He finally says.

"I'm not a quitter and for what it's worth, I dont think any less of you for. You know." She made fangs with her fingers and then quickly lowered her hands as Pike and Toya got closer, she didn't want to assume they knew.

He laughed, a smile tugging at his lips at the hand gesture, of all the things he expected, her cracking jokes wasn't one of them.

"You playing anything new today?" She asks, curiously.

He nods, though he feels a little unsure now if he wants to try it. But decided he would, maybe she might understand the meaning. She grins and nods before hopping off the stage.

"Talk to you later." She says, before heading to the desk.

"She came back then, must have been a stomach bug, huh." Pike comments, climbing onto the stage to set up his drum kit.

"Good, she's better on the desk than the other guy, right, Lucanis?" Toya grins, tapping his shoulder before grabbing her guitar.

"She is." Lucanis smiles. Pulling his guitar strap over his head. He pulled out his notebook, and Pike and Toya huddled with him, going over it before breaking up to take positions.

"Ready?" He calls over to the sound desk. Altara nods, giving him a thumbs up and putting on her headphones, adjusting a few dials.

They start with a guitar riff and drums, building a rhythm. Altara nodded along, making a few adjustments on the fly as they played. Lucanis wrapped his fingers around his mic and began to sing.

It's getting hard to find a meaning

Go grab your knife, it's killing season

I've buried all my friends

They all left me in the end

It's getting hard to find a meaning

He tilted his head back, his eyes falling closed, letting the music wash over him as he built up to the chorus.

I've watched you beg and plead for sympathy

But now the well's run dry

He growled the chorus, letting his emotions soak into every word, letting Spite scream the last line of the chorus to punctuate it.

So let it rain down, wash over me

Come set me free from this misery

Need a way out of this apathy

Just set me free from this misery

Let it rain

He adds a brief instrumental like the beginning of the song before he starts the second verse.

It's getting hard to find a meaning

When every smile feels like treason

I've pulled on every thread

There's no reason to pretend

It's getting hard to find a meaning

Like the previous build-up to the chorus, he let his emotions go, Pike and Toya adding layers with the drums and bass.

I've watched you beg and plead for sympathy

But now the well's run dry

He growls the chorus, once more allowing Spite to chip in when he wanted. Letting him shout the last line.

So let it rain down, wash over me

Come set me free from this misery

Need a way out of this apathy

Just set me free from this misery

Let it rain

He begins to let Spite take over more, growling the next lines, building up to something. He shouts a line, lets Toya riff with him, Pike adding more drums, as he screams.

In the wake of blood and thunder

You and I deserve each other

The hell above will drag us under

We were all just born to suffer

We were all just born to suffer, oh

Lucanis and Spite sang the last chorus together, punctuated but Pikes' drumming, Toya adding elements where she can. Altara made a few more adjustments, adding some reverb, nodding her head along.

So let it rain down, wash over me

Come set me free from this misery

Need a way out of this apathy

Just set me free from this misery

Let it rain

Lucanis screams the last two lines, letting out everything he had been holding back from the day before

Let it rain

Let it rain

The song ended, and Toya and Pike shouted with excitement. It hit hard, it would be a good addition to the set list.

Lucanis nodded, glancing at the sound desk. He wanted to talk to her, but he was unsure how to approach her.

She seemed to sense he wanted to talk and hung around at the desk, pretending to work on something while the other techy patted her shoulder and left for break.

Pike and Toya exchanged a look, sensing something was up and told Lucanis they were taking a break too.

He waits until there alone before approaching the desk, placing his notebook down and smiling, realising it was his fault in a way, if he had not forgotten his notebook before, she would not have tried to return it and he could have continued to pretend he was normal.

"So...." She starts then hesitates.

He avoids her eyes.

"Your not frightened of me?" He asks sounding a little timid which wasn't like him.

She shakes her head, coming around the desk to stand in front of him.

"You have not given me a reason to." She smiles up at him.

He stares at her, blinking in confusion. not given her a reason to? He had nearly bit her, how was that not reason to fear him.

"I nearly." He looks away from her, swallowing thickly. "I nearly bit you...I..." He steps away from her, needing some distance but she followed after him reaching out to touch his arm, his eyes widened.

"I shouldn't have been in your trailer, I hadn't meant to linger, I thought I could return the notebook and be out again before you noticed, but then you." She trailed off, remember him pulling of his shirt. How he tore into the blood bag like he was starving.

"It didn't look like that blood bag helped." She commented and he sighed.

"They dont, not anymore, but I cant risk." He trails off and shakes his head. "Its my problem to deal with, you dont need to worry about it." He laments, she squeezes his forearm.

"You could feed on me, I dont mind donating a little for the cause if it will help you. you looked like you were in pain." She offers without thinking.

He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down, the thought of drinking her blood sent a shiver down his spine, would she taste as good as she smells?

"I cant do that." He grits his teeth trying to retreat again. it was to dangerous, he would not endanger her.

"Stop running." She growls in frustration. every time she reached out he retreated, tried to keep his distance.

"I'm trying to PROTECT you." He growls, letting Spite punctuate the statement.

"That voice thing, how do you do it?" She asks changing the subject.

"Its complicated." Lucanis says, his gaze returning to hers.

"How complicated." She grins in amusement.

"I could show you, but I'm not sure its wise." He warns. just because she was ok with him being a Vampire didn't mean she wouldn't run for the hills if he let Spite out.

WHY not

Maker, Let her process I'm a Vampire first.

WHY she likes our VOICE

Not the point Spite.

BAH, you NEVER let me have anything.

That's a lie and you know it, you get your way far to often.

FINE!

"I kind of like complicated, makes life interesting." She grins crosses her arms.

"Your awfully calm, knowing I'm a monster." Lucanis says bitterly, he wanted to breath her in, wanted to smell that scent but he didn't trust himself right now.

"Your not a monster, why do you think that." She frowns.

"I need to drink blood, I dont need to breath, I dont have a heartbeat, none of this is natural." He growls crossing his arms, her gaze falls to his arms, he was in a purple vest and his usual black jeans and studded belt today, crossing his arms made the muscles of his arms bulge slightly, his forearms looked sinful, corded muscles with a light dusting of hair.

Maker he always looked so damn good.

"How is that different to me eating a rare steak, I'm eating the flesh of another animal to live, how is blood any different than that, wait how can you drink coffee?" She asks genuinely curious. She thought Vampires could only drink blood. could he eat to? Not that she had never seen him eat.

He couldn't resist breathing her in, he had tried to but after a day without it he needed it, like he needed to confirm she was really here and not some figment of his imagination.

Maker she smelled even better then he remembered, wild cherries, cinnamon with peppery notes that made his mouth water, he watched her for a moment his gaze tracing her features before his gaze gravitated to her throat like it always did, long, pale, her pulse jumping under her skin.

When he doesn't reply she looks up and her eyes widen slightly, he was staring at her neck, fixated, his nostrils flaring slightly like he was struggling with himself.

"Lucanis are you ok?" She asks sounding a little worried.

He closes his eyes, gritting his teeth, he shouldn't be alone with her, his fangs were aching, his mouth watering, his body shaking as his thirst became painful.

It felt like he had not fed in weeks. but he had consumed almost double his usual amount of blood bags last night. He was fighting to control the urge to taste her, to gorge himself on her blood.

"Lucanis. what's wrong?" She steps closer in concern, unaware he was hanging on by a thread.

"No, stay away, I'm not safe right now." His voice cracking, as he tries to put some distance between them again.

"What do you need?" She asks, it was like before in the trailer, when he had thrown himself against the wall, clawing at the wall like it could hold him back, he had been fine a moment ago.

He let's out a low growl, his pupils dilating. The need to feed clawing at his insides, he needed to leave, to get away from her before it was to late.

"I need to get to my trailer." He groans, trying to leave, if he could get to his blood bags he would be ok.

"You need blood dont you" She says grabbing his wrist to stop him from leaving and offering him her own without a second thought.

"No! I cant. I dont want to hurt you, I could take to much." He groans.

"Dont be so stubborn." She pulls out the knife she keeps on her person for protection, flicking it open. "I'll stab you if you try to take to much." She offers, hoping perhaps that might reassure him.

"You think that could stop me." He chuckles bitterly, he could snap her like a twig, it would be so easy.

He turns his face away from her offered wrist, but when she presses it right under his nose, the last thread of his self control snaps, He could smell her blood just under the surface and it smelt like heaven, he grabs her wrist to quickly she gasps, His gaze meets hers for second, she shivers as his cat like eyes focus on her, he hesitated, his mouth watering, his fangs throbbing, his eyes fall close and he surrenders, biting down.

She gasped at the sharp pain of his fangs piercing the skin, pressing her knife against his ribs on instinct, she knew it was futile now, from the strength of his grip, how fast he had moved, she knew if he wanted to he could drain her dry and there would be nothing she could do to stop him, yet instead of that terrifying her she felt a thrill, an adrenaline rush, her knees almost buckling under her.

He moaned, her blood, it tasted so good, it was like ambrosia, the sweetest thing he had ever tasted, his eyes clenched shut as he drank, he couldn't look at her, didn't want her to see the pleasure in his eyes. he was Panting for unneeded breath between gulps, He licked across the wound quickly to seal it, while he could still control himself. He tears his lips from her wrist, his breath raged as he swallowed it down greedily, licking his lips and moaning again, his back arching at the pleasure of it.

"Fuck." He panted, licking his lips again, savouring every drop. "Your taste." He groaned, he felt amazing, warm, alive, his thirst quenched, and quiet for the first time in what felt like forever. He felt incredible.

She smiled, he looked less tired, more like he had been when she first saw him in the studio more like himself, the dark rings under his eyes looked smoother, his face less gaunt than it had been a moment ago.

"That good huh." She jokes as he opens his eyes to look at her, he looked at her like she was divine, his salvation. He reached out and traced her cheek unable to resist touching her, making her freeze, His fingers curled around her neck his thumb rubbing over her pulse, like he wanted more.

"I should not have done that, I...." He looks away, as she leaned forward slightly, seeking eye contact.

"I'll make you a deal, every few days you can have a sip, something to take the edge off." She offers and he looks at her in surprise, he had drunk her blood, took pleasure in it like an animal but she was still here, willing to give him more, why wasn't she afraid of him?

"I cant ask that of you." He swallows, the thought of tasting that again was to much, what if the next time he lost control and killed her.

"Your tour starts tomorrow, we need you at your best." She smiles.

"How do you always do that?" He asks in awe.

"Do what." She asks with a knowing grin.

"Break apart my perfectly gathered clouds of doom." He chuckles. that wasn't a bad line, maybe he should write that down, he thinks with amusement.

His head feeling clearer than it had in days, his blood lust much more manageable and he had only had a sip of her blood, he actually felt fed not empty like he usually did when he drank from his blood bags.

"Your more than what you are Lucanis, and you wear it well." She flirts her eyes trailing over him, she freezes when he gives her a hungry look in return.

"This is a bad idea." He growls closing in, she gasps when her back collides with the sound desk.

"Lucanis." She whispers when he leans down, reaching to trial the backs of his fingers down her cheek, his gaze became lidded, she was so beautiful.

He whispers her name against her lips, he wanted to kiss her so badly, he watched her reaction, she didn't pull away, did she want this as badly as he did?

YES finally KISS her

Will you please shut up

The door opening had them both jumping apart, maker what the hell had he been thinking, one sip of her blood and he was all over her, she deserved more than this.

"So good to see you again Altara, Lucanis has been inconsolable without your talents on the desk." Illario chuckles, oblivious to what he had interrupted.

Lucanis is glad for the interruption he had been about to do something stupid, one sip of her blood did not mean she wanted that sort of attention, and while he still riding the high of her taste, he should not be doing something as foolish as kissing her.

BUT you wanted TO

what I want doesn't matter.

IT should!

Drop it Spite, you got to experience of me drinking her blood, dont be greedy.

NOT greedy

keep telling yourself that.

"So are we ready for the tour?" Illario asks with a grin.

"Yes." Lucanis says, glancing at Altara for a moment, unsure what to do. Would he take her up on her offer? was that even a good idea? yes he had managed to control himself this time but what if next time he lost control, he could kill her without meaning to.

"Good, I have an interview with Heavy Metal Magazine arranged for this afternoon." He glances at Altara, raising an eyebrow, she looked flushed, he glances back at Lucanis a question in his eyes. had he interrupted something?

Lucanis gave him a look that said dont ask before looking away.

"Perhaps Altara can help, a little input from a sound tech might be interesting, a little insight into the behind the scenes." He grins when Altara's eyes widen.

"I've only been on the desk a week, surely someone else is more qualified." She stutters

"I think its a good idea, I dont like interviews, it would be nice to have someone else answer some of the questions for me." Lucanis says before he can stop himself.

Anything to have another moment with her, she hadn't run away, she knew his secret and still wanted to work with him, had let him drink her blood and still wasn't afraid.

Illario was right, having someone else know, meant he had someone else to talk to other than his cousin.

"Good, then its settled, you might want a change of clothes though." Illario gives her a once over. "I'll have wardrobe arrange something suitable for you." He chuckles before sauntering off.

His Cousin looked well, almost well fed, he chuckles to himself. As long as he was ready for the tour, he didn't care what he did.

Altara looked a little confused, what was wrong with how she was dressed? she looked down at herself, black combats, trainers, with a lavender tank top and a black hoodie. She shrugged and followed after him.

Lucanis watched her until she disappeared through the door, only then could he move, he frowned, he should not have drunk her blood, it was only making his obsession worse. His need to be near her was consuming his every thought.

What was wrong with him?

She stood in front of the mirror, her reflection staring back at her, it was not her usual look, but she kind of liked it, a black leather skirt with fishnets and Dr martin boots, a black tank top with a mesh top over the top, a leather jacket and black leather choker with her pass on a chain around her neck, black lipstick and dark makeup around her eyes with a little purple eyeshadow.

She wondered if Lucanis would like this new look, she had always wanted to try a goth look but had always been to shy to try it, the leather was supple and didn't squeak when she moved, she wondered why wardrobe had women clothes.

Lucanis didn't have dancers in his shows did he? then she Remembers Toya, his bassist, these must be some of her clothes.

She turns to look at the back, the jacket was longer at the back then the front, with the Demon Of Vyrantium motif on the back in purple sequins, she grinned it was kind of cool.

Someone clearing there throat draws her attention and she turns sharply in surprise, it was Illario, he was leaning against the doorframe, he lets out a low whistle, eyeing her up and down appreciatively.

"Wardrobe outdid themselves." He purrs walking closer, Altara narrows her eyes not liking how he was looking at her.

"So, you know Lucanis's little secret and decided to stick around, interesting." He says it like an accusation, watching her reaction closely, she stiffened.

"I take it you've always known." She replies.

"Of course, he's my cousin, its a family thing." He shrugs.

"Your not one as well are you?" She asks, sounding a little nervous.

"No, I was fortunately spared the curse, my cousin was less fortunate, my grandmother to. The rest, well its just the three of us now." He sighs.

"I feel its my duty as his manager and cousin that I warn you." He says crossing his arms.

"If you do anything to hurt my Cousin, I wont hesitate to dispose of you." He threatens, stepping closer, she backs away feeling a little frightened by his nonchalant delivery.

"Dispose of me, that's a little drastic dont you think." She quips hoping he was joking.

"We Dellamortes can be a little dramatic, as I'm sure you've noticed." He chuckles, uncrossing his arms.

"I'm just looking out for him, I'm sure you can understand." He adds, it was nothing personal, he had nothing against her and whatever was going on between her and his cousin but Lucanis was his star act, this close to the tour, he didn't need him distracted, he needed him focused.

"Look I dont know what you think is going on, I dont understand why you would think I would to do something to hurt Lucanis just because I know his secret." She crosses her arms with a frown, did he exsect her just run around telling everyone or something?

"You must know how he looks at you. I certainly know how you look at him." He smirks.

"What exactly are you implying." She growls.

"I'm just making sure, your not just trying to get in his bed to get preferential treatment." He growls back.

"Look Illario, I respect you as his manager, and as my boss, but you dont know a thing about me." She shook her head.

"I'm frankly a little offended you think I'm just some groupie throwing herself at him for a raise." She adjusts the coat.

"I will let it slide as you clearly care about Lucanis." She says sounding a little annoyed still, she didn't just fall into bed with people she barely knew.

So what if he had almost kissed her, considering his reaction when Illario interrupted them, he must of still been riding the high of drinking her blood, it was clear he had found pleasure in it, he probably wasn't thinking straight.

"Then I will consider you warned and we can get back to business." He chuckles, as if he had not been making threats a few moments ago.

"Come on Lucanis is waiting, the Journalist will be here soon." He bows dramatically and gestures to the door as if nothing had happened.

Lucanis, was nervous, he didn't like talking to journalists, he always worried Spite might make a appearance, it was easy to explain away the wings and glowing eyes during a performance, he had several mages on staff to add Special FX to the show, and they were paid enough to not ask questions when it happened. But here in this dressing room he had nowhere to hide.

ILL behave!

good!

HATE journalists, ask to many QUESTIONS

on that we can agree.

Spite went quiet and for a moment making him nervous, he sits up from his lounging position and then she walked in and if he had breath in his lungs he would have found himself breathless.

She looked incredible, her long legs looked great in fishnets, the goth look suited her. Maker he was in trouble, every time he thought he had a handle on it, she would surprise him.

WANT her to sit in OUR lap

Dont start

YOU want it TO

I told you, what I want doesn't matter

DENIAL doesn't suit YOU

She fiddles with her skirt uncomfortably as she strolls in, feeling a little self conscious, especially with how Lucanis was looking at her.

"How come I had to dress up and you dont." She jokes playfully trying to ease the strange tension in the room.

He cant help but grin, flashing his fangs, it felt good to be ale to do that in front of her now, to not have to hide what he was from her.

"I already look the part." He quips at her lounging back on the small leather sofa, a purple vest with his insignia with dog tags and black jeans tucked into leather biker boots, his vest showed off his ink and muscles, its what his fans loved, what he was known for.

Maker he looked good, for a moment she imagined how he might react if she crawled into his lap, she flushed at the thought, what was wrong with her, she shouldn't be thinking such thoughts, she was just his sound tech.

Her conversation with Illario seemed to be giving her imagination something to think about.

Lucanis raised an eyebrow at her flush and glanced up as Illario walked in, he trusted his cousin to look out for him, but he didn't trust him around Altara for some reason, he didn't know why he got so possessive of her it was not like they were together.

He thinks back to there almost kiss, would he have actually kissed her if Illario had not interrupted them?

SHOULD have

Will you please be quiet

YOUR no FUN

"Right, well, We have about 30 minutes before they arrive." Illario chuckles handing them both a sheet of paper with questions on it.

"Why dont you two brainstorm how to answer these without giving me a PR headache." He grins.

"I have a few things I need to organise first." He glances between them before leaving the room, leaving them alone, the air suddenly tense again.

"At least they gave us the questions in advance, though I still dont get why I need to be here." She chuckles, moving to take a seat next to him, only to trip on her boots and stumble forward, losing her balance.

She was not used to such chunky shoes, she falls right into Lucanis, he caught her easily, his sharp reflexes stopping her head from colliding with his as he grabs her hips stopping her from falling into his lap.

"Your awfully clumsy." He comments with amusement as he looks up at her, her hands had landed on the wall either side of his head, and he swallows, she was so close, he breathes in her scent and closes his eyes.

He had hoped drinking her blood would quench whatever this was but as he opens his eyes again he cant help but let his eyes fall to her lips longingly for a moment.

KISS her damn IT

I shouldn't

You WANT TO

It's not a good idea

ITS a GREAT idea

She blushes and doesn't move. she was practically in his lap now, He squeezes her hips and there eyes lock. He isn't sure who moves first but they meet in the middle, the kiss starts off hesitant, an explosion of sensation, but then becomes hungry as he hauls her into his lap, maker her lips tasted as good as her blood.

There tongues meet and they both groan into the kiss, she grinds down onto his lap on instinct and he moans, grabbing the back of her head, his fingers sinking into her hair and pulling her closer, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss.

He takes deep unneeded breaths as he devours her mouth, Fuck he wanted her, he wanted everything, he grabs her hips again but goes to pulls away from the kiss trying not to get carried away.

She chases after his lips, and there lips meet again, he grips her hips tighter dragging her down against him, letting him feel how hard she was making him, as he arched up into the kiss, he wanted to rip the choker from her throat and drink, he pulls back with a gasp at his thoughts, this was a bad idea, what was he doing.

"We should stop." He pants, trying to control himself. Shit this was was all kinds of wrong, it was inappropriate to be getting involved with her anymore than he already was but he couldn't seem to keep away, something about her kept pulling him in.

"Right, yeah sorry that was uh." She blushes furiously, maker he kissed like a starved man, she wondered what he would be like in bed for a moment then blanches, what the hell was wrong with her, she barely knew this man.

Illario would be back any minute, and the last thing they needed was for him to walk in and catch them in such a compromising position.

From the look on Lucanis's face he very much wanted to continue but was holding himself back.

She climbs off his lap awkwardly and adjusts her skirt, sitting next to him, and trying to regain her composure, touching her lips and glancing at him, He was trying not to look at her now, trying to calm down, her eyes trailed down his body and she blushed an even brighter red, he had a quite obvious semi, maker how big was he?

Did she really want to find out, this was not a good idea, this was a really bad idea in fact but fuck if she didn't want to climb right back into his lap, she wanted his hands all over her.

He clears his throat crossing his legs trying to hide his arousal.

"This is going to be a long interview." He chuckles huskily, trying to lighten the mood with humour, to distract himself from how much he wanted to continue where they left off, to drag her back into his lap and kiss her, but Illario would be back any minute.

He needed to get his head on straight, he glances at the questions and frowns, some where a little to personal for his taste, how had Illario green lit these, was this some PR stunt, to try and humanise him more to his audience? He much preferred keeping his reputation as an aloof rocker, he liked his privacy.

Chapter Text

The interview with Heavy Metal Magazine went fairly well, considering. Illario seemed very pleased. It was when the interviewer started asking questions about Altara that he grew suspicious. Illario looked far too smug, he was clearly up to something.

ALWAYS meddling
That he is

Several times they had asked him if she was his girlfriend, desperate for even a scrap of information in regards to his love life, Illario had previously leaned on his bachelor status for PR, now it seemed he wanted to try something different.

After the interviewer was finished, there was a small photoshoot for the front cover. He got a little uncomfortable when they expected him to pose, he wasn't good at that sort of thing. He kept himself in shape more because he liked it, he cared little if others appreciated his physique, he certainly wasn't a model.

They ended up just telling him to relax and take a seat. They would just do candid shots instead. They took a few photos of him just sitting on the sofa, looking his usual broody self.

It was when they wanted photos of Altara that he grew even more suspicious of the real reason Illario wanted her here. He was thankful it at least gave him a chance to wrap his head around their impromptu make-out session they had had an hour ago.

Part of him was thrilled that this attraction clearly went both ways. But then he started to worry, was that why she offered her blood? Was this just her way of getting into his bed? fuck was she just using him?

You're being paranoid
I am not!
Could HAVE fooled me

Perhaps she just thought it was something he expected of her because of his fame? he hoped that wasn't the case. What he did know was that Illario was clearly up to something.

It almost felt like he had organised it all, from hiring her to orchestrating situations where they ended up alone together. He had no idea what his angle was, he waited until the interviewer left before turning to him.

"Alright, Illario, what's really going on?" He gets straight to the point. Altara hops off the stool she had been sitting on to have her photo taken and rejoins him on the sofa. She had to admit she was curious to.

"Yeah, come on, Illario, what gives?" She crosses her arms.

"Have you not noticed her jacket? It's our latest Demon Of Vyrantium merch. I needed some photos to promote it, and using staff is cheaper than hiring models." He chuckles.

"I meant, why were they asking if she was my girlfriend?" Lucanis growls

"I mean, there is some very obvious sexual tension between you, I myself wondered if there was something going on between you, maybe they saw it too." Illario shrugs.

"He did think something was going on between us. He threatened to 'dispose of me if I became a problem'." She half-joked. The growl that left Lucanis's throat sent a shiver down her spine.

"You did what!" He snarls, his eyes flashing purple for a second.

NO! she is OURS

Illario raises his hands, trying to look innocent.

"It was just a friendly warning, I was just looking out for you, Cousin." Illario pleads.

"If you threaten her again, I'll do more than threaten you in return," Lucanis warned, feeling possessive again. "You will stay away from what's...mi" He catches himself and clears his throat. "Leave her alone, she has done nothing to warrant such a threat. There is nothing between us," Lucanis growls.

YOU kissed HER
That does not mean anything, Spite
LIES!
Please not now, I need to think

Altara watches his display and isn't sure how she feels about it. He was acting like they had not been making out like horny teenagers a mere hour ago. He was clearly trying to protect her, but how angry he had gotten seemed a little excessive. Was the kiss that bad? He had seemed rather enthusiastic at the time.

Illario seemed a little shocked at his reaction as well. Lucanis had been acting weird all week, ever since Altara joined the team, in fact. His fixation on her was bordering on obsessive. Lucanis closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Fuck, I need a cigarette." He stood and quickly exited the room. He needed to clear his head.

Altara stares after him, furrowing her brow, shit, was this her fault? She shouldn't have kissed him, shouldn't have let him kiss her.

He leans against the wall, keeping to the shade, basking in the warm bricks, the closest he could get to basking in the warmth of the sun, he was taking slow drags from his ciggerete, Illario was right to be shocked at his display earlier, he had shocked himself, he had nearly called her his, they had only kissed, maker it had been a good kiss, one he had very much wanted to continue but to think of her as his, was a little much.

SHOULD kiss her AGAIN
No, It's a bad idea
YOU want MORE dont LIE
Why must you be like this
YOU would be LOST without ME
I would have peace and quiet.
WOULD Miss ME
I...I would.

He smiles as much as Spite pissed him off, he did appreciate him calling him out on his bullshit from time to time, though sometimes it would be nice if he gave him a break, some things where alot more complicated than the black and white Spite saw things as.

He smelt her before he saw her, he smirked around his ciggerete, pleased he wasn't the only one that couldn't stay away, it felt surreal, he wasn't normally one to move so fast, on the rare occasions he had sought out a distraction he had dragged it out, the chase was part of the fun.

However that had been before his curse had progressed to the point it had, before the Ossuary festival, before Spite was a voice in his head delving through his thoughts, taunting him with his wants, eager for sensation and experiences.

His situation was alot more complicated now, and getting involved with her was a bad idea, he knew he was dooming himself, getting attached would only hurt him in the long term, she would wither and age and eventually die, and he would be alone in the end. He tilted his head back against the wall letting out a long stream of smoke.

NOT completely ALONE
I know, Spite

"Should you be outside, when its this sunny?" She asks leaning against the wall to join him. Illario had excused himself, claiming he had paperwork to deal with from the interview.

"I like to walk a little close to the edge, keeps life interesting." He chuckles holding his hand out and letting the sun burn him for a second before retracting his hand, he chuckled at her gasp, his skin already knitting itself back together.

"Maker I had only been joking." She grabs his hand touching the now healed skin in curiosity. He let her explore turning his palm up for her to inspect it, her hand was so small in his, he focuses on where she touched him. She releases his hand and swallows thickly.

"About earlier. before the interview." She had to bring it up, clearly they needed to talk about it. "I'm not really the type to just make out with people I barely know." She starts.

She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was definitely something between them, even when she thought he hated her, or thought her a clumsy fool she had still wanted to climb him like a tree. He had no right to be as attractive as he was, he chuckles huskily.

"I dont normally make out with my sound techs either." Lucanis quips taking another drag of his ciggerete and letting the smoke trail from his mouth before breathing it back in and letting it disperse as he watched her. She watched him for a moment, she had never considered smoking sexy but somehow it was when he did it.

"We obviously find eachother attractive." She continues. "But should we really be doing this, with the tour and everything." She fiddles with her sleeve nervously, she had ditched the jacket, it was a little to hot to be wearing that much leather.

"Ask me to stay away." He trails off hoping she would not ask that of him, not now he had tasted her blood.

"I dont want you to stay away, I'm just worried we are moving a little to fast." She looks up and him and he turns to face her fully, his shoulder pressed to the wall, he reaches out to play with her hair absentmindedly.

"Perhaps." He purrs, and she swallows, sometimes his moods gave her whiplash, one moment he's acting like a tortured soul, then he gets possessive, now he was almost seductive. He leans closer, placing a hand by her head and leaning in.

"You smell intoxicating." He whispers and her heart begins to pound, remembering her dream, she felt her legs turn to jelly.

"I find it hard to control myself around you." He admits, it made sense, he was always tense around her, though right now he seemed rather relaxed.

"Did my blood not help?" She asks when he leans back to dispose of his ciggerete stub.

"It both did and didnt." He admits looking up at the sky.

"How so." She asks, as he leaned back against the wall.

"Because now that I've tasted you, Its all I can think about." He says banging his head against the wall, even now he was thinking about getting another taste.

"But it has cleared my head, I might crave your taste but I dont feel like its controlling me anymore." He hopes that made sense.

"You crave it?" She asks in surprise.

"I would like nothing more than to sink my teeth into you and taste you properly." He smiles flashing his fangs, his eyes hooded, maker he looked like he wanted to eat her alive, what the hell had she got herself into.

"How...how would you do that." She shivered when he moved in front of her, he traced her cheek, following the line of her jaw and down to her throat, tapping her pulse point with a finger.

"I could take from here." He begins, before trailing his fingers over her collar bones to just above her left breast. "or Here." His eyes darken as he trails his fingers lower, over her hip and down her thigh, before trailing his fingers to her inner thigh tapping her pale skin mid thigh. "Or here." He purrs, his gaze fixated on where his fingers rest against her thigh for a moment.

She remains frozen in place, she had never been so turned on in her life.

"Maker." She shivers as he leans in to whisper in her ear.

"Would you like that." He growled huskily, she felt her legs give out completely from under her. He caught her easily and chuckled, amused by her reaction.

"Do I still have to stay away from your trailer, considering what I know?" She asked, genuinely wanting to know, not that she had any plans to, she definitely wasn't thinking about sneaking into his trailer again.

"I suppose, now that you know what's in my fridge, there no harm." He smirks knowingly, though it wouldn't do either of them any good if she was seen going in and out of his trailer, especially when everyone else was told to stay away from it.

"I wouldn't mind if you snuck in, especially dressed like this." He grins, his gaze trailing over her hungrily. Maker what had gotten into him, he was never this forward with anyone but something about her brought it out of him.

The sun was starting to move and he cursed ducking back against the wall when he felt the sun start to singe his back.

"Damn sun" He mutters under his breath.

"I can sympathise, it burns me to." She smiles, being albino meant she burned really easily. She also suffered migraines sometimes from her light sensitivity.

"We should probably get back to the warehouse and finish compiling the set list and making sure the sound desk is moved to the diamond." She sighs, as much as she wanted to continue whatever this was.

"Yes, the tour." Lucanis sighed, he liked to perform but it was a lot of work to prepare, and they would only be here for three days before packing everything up and traveling to Antiva city for the next leg of the tour.

"Come on." She pats his shoulder and heads back inside, and if he hangs back a little to watch her ass, that's nobody's business but his.

SHE has a nice ASS
She does indeed

They spent the rest of the day, packing up equipment and helping them move it into the Diamond to finish setting up, Teia greeted them and smiled broadly when she spotted Altara, she greets her with a hug and they exchange kisses to cheeks.

"Altara, how have you been dear?" Teia asks, smiles warmly.

Lucanis pales, how did Altara know Teia, he clears his throat and Teia grins.

"There's my little Rockstar." She laughs and he sighs. he hated when she called him that, Altara chuckles behind her.

"How do you know, Altara?" He asks curiously.

"She's Viago's cousin, did Illario not tell you?" Teia asks curiously.

Lucanis's eyes snap to Altara and he shakes his head, feeling a sense of panic, maker if Viago found out what he had done, that he had drank his Cousins blood he was more of a dead man than he already was.

Teia tilted her head confused by his reaction. Altara frowned, why was he freaking out did he know Viago?

"I'm surprised Illario didnt tell you, You knew I was a De Riva right?" Altara crosses her arms, Lucanis looked like he wanted to bolt.

She smiles thinking she might know why he looked spooked, Viago had a reputation for being very protective of his family.

"Relax he's hardly going to be upset that I'm your sound tech, if anything he will be pleased you finally have someone who understand how the De Riva decks work, he would always complain when I listened to your music before, said the effects never sounded right." She chuckles.

Lucanis crosses his arms feeling a little offended, but smiles. none the less.

"That does sound like him." He chuckles.

"Does it now." Viago smirks, entering the room. Lucanis stiffens immediately.

"Viago, its been a while." Lucanis greets him. Viago looked between him and Altara curiously.

"So your working for Lucanis now?" He narrows his eyes slightly at Lucanis, he had noticed Lucanis's gaze lingering on Altara before he entered the room, he knew what Lucanis was, he didnt like the way he was looking at her.

Altara seemed to notice Viago's tense demeaner and moves, getting between them.

"I am, he's a great boss, very generous." She smiles, she wasn't wrong she was being paid very well for her work. Lucanis puts a little distance between them and meets Viago's gaze, his expression serious.

"She got talent, She makes me sound good, this tour is going to blow peoples minds." He smirks. "I'm glad I have the opportunity to work with her." He smiles at her before returning his gaze to Viago.

"Work with her huh." Viago crosses his arms in suspicion. "Do you look at all your techs like you do her." He frowns. Teia immediately walks over grabbing his shoulder.

"Vi, that's not cool, are you trying to start a fight or something." She hisses. Lucanis growls angrily.

"I dont see how that's any of your business." He steps forward but Altara places a hand on his chest stopping him.

"Lucanis, calm down, he's just looking out for me. though you are right, it is none of his business." She glares at Viago. Lucanis's expression goes from furious to calm in an instant and sighs.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to overreact, I just dont appreciate the accusation in your voice." He locks eyes with Viago and the man tenses then sighs.

"Altara is family." Viago says crossing his arms defensively.

"I am not a child, I am more than capable of protecting myself and Lucanis has done nothing to hurt me." She frowns getting in Viago's face.

"You dont get to accuse people of things just because you dont like how they look at someone." She pokes his chest and Teia bursts out laughing at the look on Viago's face.

He looked like he had not even noticed she was a full grown women until now, she was right, she was an adult, he might be her guardian but that didn't mean he was her father.

Viago pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh of frustration.

"Can I speak with you privately for a moment." He asks grabbing her arm and dragging her away from Lucanis, who steps after them not liking how Viago was handling her. Tieas put an arm out to stop him, he glares at her as she shakes her head and nods towards the bar.

"Come on, lets get a drink while they chat. I have your favourite bourbon in stock." She smiles and he sighs and follows after her, glancing over his shoulder as Viago talked to Altara in the corner nervously.

Viago was probably warning her about him, telling her he was dangerous, and he was, he really should back off, put some distance between them keep it professional.

"You ok Lucanis, you look tired." She comments pouring a drink for him, he was sat on a bar stool staring at his hands that were resting on the bar top.

"I haven't toured in a while, its hard work." He chuckles as she slides a glass of bourbon in front of him.

"So you and Altara, is this strictly a professional relationship? or.." She trails off letting the sentence hang in the air.

"Why does everyone think there is something going on between us?" He frowns.

"You look at her likes she's the sun." She chuckles when he scoffs.

SHE's right you KNOW

I dont look at her like anything!

You LOOK, you ALWAYS do.

I....

NOTHING wrong with LOOKING

I shouldn't, I should stay away.

NO you should do MORE than LOOK

I shouldn't have kissed her, shouldn't have drunk her blood.

COWARD.

"Lucanis your spacing out." Teia sighs, leaning on the bar. "You should rest, burning the candle at both ends will affect your performance." She warns.

"I'm fine." He grunts, glancing over at Viago and Altara, she didn't look very happy with Viago, in fact she was shouting at him.

"Oh, that cant be good." Teia chuckles.

Eventually Altara marches over to Lucanis, grabs him by the front of his shirt and kisses him. Lucanis nearly knocks over his glass in surprise, and nearly falls into the kiss but pulls back with a gasp.

"What are you doing?" He hissed, leaning away from her in a panic, as Viago stared dumbfounded. She looks hurt for a moment before her expression sours.

"Proving a point." She growled than marched out of the Diamond to get some air.

Lucanis stared after her blinking in confusion, he glances at Viago in shock an he stares back at him.

"What the hell did you say to her." Lucanis said resisting the urge to touch his lips or go after her.

"I told her you where dangerous, which you are, You could hurt her." He growls.

Lucanis stares at the door she exited through and shakes his head.

Lucanis downs his drink and gets off the bar stool.

"I would never hurt her." Lucanis tries to reassure him.

"Not intentionally no, but we both know what your capable of." He doesn't need to say more, they both know what he is talking about, what he helped clean up all those years ago.

"I was 15 Viago, Illario and I had been drinking, I didnt know what was happening to me, you cant possibly hold that against me." He looks away, that moment was still one of his biggest regrets.

"I will not hesitate to end your unlife if anything happens to her, am I understood." Viago gets right in his face and he has to resist the urge to snarl at him and bare his fangs.

"We work together, there is nothing going on between us, what the hell is your problem!" Lucanis spat.

"My problem is, you drank her blood and you hover around her like you own her, your obsessed with her, I can see it when you look at her." Viago shouted shoving him, or rather attempting to, but he might as well have been trying to move a mountain.

Lucanis growled low in his throat in warning and Teia has to step between them.

"You two, cool it off, this is my Arena, dont make me get security." She warns

"This Conversation is over." Lucanis spat before shoving past him nearly knocking him onto the floor as he headed for the door, he was livid, anger boiling inside him, how dare he bring that up, act like he didnt regret that night, every day of his unlife, but worst of all he was right, he was dangerous, if he lost control like back then, maker he should stay away from her.

He WANTS her SAFE

So do I

Scared OF you

He has every right to be

NO your STRONGER now, SMARTER, can CONTROL it

I'm glad one of us thinks so

He lets out a breath, heading for his trailer, he needed to clear his head, to be alone. He marches across the yard and opens his trailer door, heading inside and closing the door behind him, He froze finding Altara waiting for him with her arms crossed, looking pissed off.

"What are you doing in my trailer, Get out!" He growls, he wasn't in the mood for this, not after the conversation he just had. He hates the hurt that flickers on her face but he needed her to understand that whatever this was between them wasn't a good idea.

"You didn't kiss me back." She comments.

He looks away, trying to put some distance between them.

"Look Altara, I shouldn't have kissed you before, shouldn't have let you kissed me, it was mistake." He turns his back on her completely and sighs. "You should go." He cant look at her, he knows if he does he will give into her, give into this insatiable need for her.

WHAT are YOU doing!

What I should have done from the start

NO!

yes!

YOU need HER

I dont need anything but peace and quiet.

FINE be an IDIOT see how well THAT goes for you.

Altara gasps, a mistake? how could he say that, what had Viago said to him to make him act like this, after there conversation when he took a ciggerete break, his flirting, now he was pushing her away? She didn't know what to think.

"What about our Deal?" She asks, she hated the hope in her voice, hated how pathetic she sounded.

"There is no deal." He said bitterly, he flinched when the door to his trailer slammed shut behind her as she ran, he felt it like a stab in his heart when he heard her sob as she ran from the warehouse yard.

What the fuck was he doing? the first good thing in his life and he was pushing her away, his uncanny ability to self sabotage could be an Olympic sport. But he needed to stay away from her, his infatuation could put her in danger, one slip and he could kill her, Viago was right he was to dangerous to be around her he couldn't be anything other than her employer.

She felt like a fool crying over him, it wasn't like they had been together, they had shared one heated kiss, that was hardly a relationship, it wasn't like they had broken up but she couldn't help but feel like there had been something more between them, but it seemed he was choosing to ignore it.

Did he really think the kiss was a mistake? she wanted to call Viago and scream at him for interfering, he had obviously said something to Lucanis to make him act this way, did he threaten him? he knew what he was. Did he threaten to tell the Templars if he didn't stay away from her?

She was dreading tomorrow, would he still feel this way then, maybe he was just panicking because of Viago, maybe once they were fully on tour and moving from city to city he might come around. Maker now she sounded desperate.

She wiped at her eyes and frowned, well screw him then, if he wanted to be like that then so be it, let him be an idiot, she could be professional, she wouldn't allow this to effect her work, she would work her ass of on this tour, make him sound good when he performed, even if he didn't want to act on whatever the hell they had going on.

She made a vow to herself that she wouldn't let him play with her feelings, if he wanted distance, he could have it, she would see how long it took him to come crawling back, he said so himself, he couldn't control himself around her, that her scent and blood drove him mad, so she would let it, make him sweat.

Great now she sounds like a psychopath, maybe she was the one that was dangerous, she had never got like this about a guy before, never let them get in her head like this.

She sighed and flopped on the bed, staring at the ceiling, there was no sense loosing sleep over it, nothing would change what had happened, she just had to take each day as it comes.

She gets ready for bed, having a quick shower before changing into her nightclothes and slipping under the covers, this was going to be her last few nights in a comfy bed before the Tour moved to the next city, after Treviso she would be driving around in a rental trailer following the tour bus and Lucanis's trailer down the freeway to Antiva City.

Despite the shit show that was her love life, the tour should be fun, Lucanis might be an idiot but his music was amazing and she looked forward to seeing him perform.

Chapter Text

The crowds were huge, the queues to get into the Arena went around the block, staff were running around like headless chickens making sure everything was ready for opening night, Lucanis was a ball of nerves and pent-up energy, even Spite was buzzing under his skin, excited to perform, they had been doing sound checks for about 20 minutes.

Lucanis and Altara were making a sport of not looking at eachother, or even talking to eachother, and people were starting to notice.

"So what the hell happened?" Pike asked, fiddling with the kick pedal of his drum kit, while Lucanis adjusted his mic for the fifth time. He just needed something to do with his hands.

His outfit today consisted of a cropped leather jacket with studs, a dark red tank top with the Dellamorte crest, his usual dog tags, several leather bracelets and a dangly crow skull earring, in black leather pants and his favourite leather biker boots.

He had dark black makeup around his eyes with a little red eyeshadow, his hair swept back but loose with a few red streaks. He was still unsure about the new look, but the wardrobe department had been insistent.

He hazards a glance at the sound desk and flinches when Altara glares at him before looking away.

YOU fucked UP so bad

Please, Spite, do not start this again, not this close to go time.

FIX it THEN

I can't just fix it, Spite, it doesn't work that way.

GROVEL then

I will not Grovel, it's for her own good, I'm no good for her.

NOT up to YOU

He sighs. It was bad enough that Altara wasn't talking to him, but Spite had been insistent, bordering on harassing him, to fix it ever since their argument. He regretted how he did it, but the result was what was needed, being anything more than her Employer could put her in danger.

YOU resisted TAKING too much. WHY are you so AFRAID

Because next time I might not be able to

YOUR stronger than THAT, SURVIVED much worse, LET me HELP

How!

I can PULL you BACK if you go too far.

I wish I could believe you, but

BUT what, SAY IT!

Your a demon

MAYBE, but I'm not the ONE who hurt her

He growls and hops off the stage, sneaking out the back for a cigarette. Pike looked perplexed. Lucanis had never just flat-out ignored him before. He raises an eyebrow and glances at the sound desk. Altara was looking where Lucanis had snuck out, but quickly looked away when she noticed Pike was watching her.

That's it, if Lucanis won't talk, maybe she will. He leaves his drum kit and sidles up to the Desk with his usual charm.

"So, care to tell me what's got that pretty face frowning?" He flirts. She looks down at what she was doing and sighs.

"Shouldn't you be making sure your drums, drum or something?" She quips, and Pike pretends to be upset.

"Damn, you got claws tonight. Come on, cheer up, once the fans start coming in, you won't be able to hear yourself think, it's going to get wild." He chuckles. She snorts and dangles her headphones on the tip of her finger.

"That's what these are for." She grins, and Pike sighs.

"Seriously, what's up with Lucanis? You two have a fight or something? He's been miserable since yesterday." He complains more than he asks, he just hopes it won't affect Lucanis's performance. Lucanis could be a problem when he gets too in his head.

Good, she thinks, let him feel bad, then he could feel how she feels. She glances at the fire exit he slipped out of and is tempted to go talk to him, but she had made a promise to herself that he had to come to her.

"Alright, keep your secrets." Pike lifts his hands in surrender and heads back to the drums. Toya sighs, puts down her guitar and heads out the door Lucanis had slipped out of. Someone had to talk some sense into him.

He leaned against the wall, his head tilted back, taking a long drag of his cigarette, holding it in until it burned then letting it out in a slow exhale, He needed to focus, this was the first night of the tour, if this went well it would set the momentum of the rest of the tour.

"So." Toya says stepping outside to join him.

"So!" Lucanis parrots back before offering her a cigarette, she takes one and chuckles when he lights it for her.

"You wanna talk about it?" She asks leaning against the wall and nudging his shoulder with hers. Lucanis tilts his head back again and bangs it against the wall.

"I kissed her." He admits. "Before the Magazine interview." He adds.

She lets out a low whistle.

"Was it that bad?" She asked, trying not to sound amused. He chuckled.

"No, far from it, that's the problem." He growls. flicking his dead cigarette to the floor and stepping on it, he was tempted to light up another one but didn't wanna wreck his voice.

"So why is she so pissed off then?" She asks curiously.

"Because I told her it was a mistake." He says bitterly.

"Your a fucking idiot, you know that." She nudges him again.

THAT'S what I keep SAYING

Not now spite.

GRRRR

"That's what she said." He sighs, in not so many words. "Viago is her cousin did you know that?" He asks watching her from the corner of his eye.

"As in Viago De Riva, CEO of DE Riva industries? Wait, weren't you childhood friends?" She asks turning to face him. He sighs.

"Not anymore it seems, he basically told me to stay away from her." He chuckles.

"And you listened to him?" She takes a drag of her cigarette before throwing it on the ground and putting it out.

He lets out a bitter laugh at that, of course he listened, Viago was right, he should stay away from her, besides, She was way out of his league.

"I know that look, you think your not good enough for her dont you." She crosses her arms.

"I know so, Come on we've got concert to play." He says taking a deep breath before heading back inside. moving to his position on the lift under the main stage.

Toya shakes her head in exasperation, he would figure it out eventually she was sure. She heads back inside and joins Pike.

"He ok?" Pike asks, nervously it was 5 minutes till showtime and the crowd were already chanting his name.

"He will be." She grins. "You ready?" She asks, slipping the strap of her guitar over her head. as Pike takes his seat on the drums.

"Fuck yeah." He grins, he was already buzzing from adrenaline.

The crowd was a buzz with anticipation as the lights dimmed, Altara narrowed her eyes and concentrated, putting aside her frustrations with Lucanis to concentrate on her job, this was the first night of the tour and she was going to make sure it sounded incredible.

She works the desk like a pro, adjusting ambiance and backing tracks, setting everything up, she slides on her headset and can hear Lucanis taking calming breaths over the headset system.

"Ready?" She says through the mic to him. She smirks at the hitch in his breath, like he had not expected to hear her voice.

"I am." He replies hoping she doesn't hear the tremble in his voice.

"Fuck yeah! lets go." Pike chimes in.

"Locked and loaded, let's rock!" Toya chuckles.

"lights in 3. 2. 1!" She counts it down as the curtain part and the crowd falls silent, the lights shine down on the stage for a moment as Toya and Pike wave from their positions. there's a low hum of excitement now, the anticipation building as she slides up the dials adding ambiance.

Then the lights dim, dry ice filters over the stage as the lift mechanism clicks and begins to ascend, the crowd holds a collective breath as the silhouette of a man rises from the centre of stage, the crowd gasps in awe as he opens his eyes, they are glowing purple as purple spectral wings spread from his back as he steps towards the mic.

Altara stares in awe that was an incredible special effect, she glances at the mage team and waves, they wave back though it didn't look like anyone was casting anything, she shakes her head no time to ponder such things. She dials up his mic as he grabs it. the lights flick on and the wings and glowing eyes vanish with them, dissipating like smoke.

"Hello Treviso did you miss me?" He shouts into the mic and the crowd roars, their hands in the air, screaming and shouting in reply. He chuckles and she shivers at the huskiness of it, she adjusts the dials and grins.

He seemed to be basking in the excitement of the crowd for a moment, letting the moment sink in.

"Are you ready to get on your knee's for me?" He chuckles and the crowd roars knowing what song he was about to open with.

The lights dim once more and Altara dials up the backing track while Toya and Lucanis begin to strum the build up to the scream.

Lucanis grabs the mic and screams, that strange overlaying voice making it almost demonic as Pike drums him into it

Get on your knees and bow down!

Lucanis and Toya slam there fingers across the strings of their guitars, as pike drums the lead up to the first verse. The grin on Lucanis face is pure excitement, he was in his element now, music was a release.

She smiles, adjusting the sound balance, making sure everything sounded crisp the base vibrating just right to get the crowd buzzing. Lucanis lets Spite scream out the words, gripping his mic in a tight grip as the crowd goes wild.

Yeah, I come alive, I'll survive, take on anything

So paint a target on my back let 'em come for me

I don't fall, don't quit, don't ever sleep

'Cause, I'm on another level that you'll never reach

If you seek forgiveness

You'll get nothing, you'll get nothing from me

Get nothing from me

His scream trails off into another instrumental before he tilts his head back and sings the chorus. Toya and Pike bang there heads with him as he sings, the crowd singing along and screaming, she changes the atmospheric track, adjusting levels to perfection, Lucanis was in his element and so was she.

You will never know, it's the price I pay

Look into my eyes, we are not the same

Yeah, this is where you fall apart

Yeah, this is where you break

He tilts the mic away on the end of the first half, belting out the next line with a smile, as he watches his fans lose there minds.

Cause I'm in control and you'll know my name

Cause I gave my life, gave it everything

Yeah, this is where you fall apart

Yeah, this is where you break

He points out at the crowd encouraging the the to sing along.

To everybody who doubted

He growls out the next two lines, slamming strait into the next part of the song with a scream from Spite.

Get on your knees and bow down

Get on your knees and bow down

She adjusts the backing tracks back, changing the levels again, one hand on her headphones, she can hear Pike and Toya laughing as the performed along side him.

You better recognize

They change the guitar strums into something more heavy and pike ups the tempo.

You wanna talk that shit, time to back it up

Cause the best of your best ain't good enough

Playing with my name, now I know you really fucked up

Keep running' your mouth and I'm a call your bluff

Lucanis holds out his mic getting the crowd to sing the next verse, chipping in before continuing. The crowd was a mass of waving hands and some flashing devil horns. phones swaying in the air trying to get pictures.

You will never know, it's the price I pay

Look into my eyes, we are not the same

Yeah, this is where you fall apart

Yeah, this is where you break

Cause I'm in control and you'll know my name

Cause I gave my life, gave it everything

Yeah, this is where you fall apart

Yeah, this is where you break

To everybody who doubted

He screams trails off, as the instrumental track builds up the tension.

Get on your knees and...

He holds the mic with both hands singing in softer tones.

You're never gonna be enough

She ads some reverb, echoing some of his words to build it up further.

So I had this dream

It meant everything

And I watched it come alive

Then I let you in

Underneath my skin

And I learned to love the lies

Now I lay awake and I contemplate

Have I become what I hate?

Can I take it back?

Cause it's all I have

Will it get the best of me

Spite changes his voice into a screaming shout, every line a question.

Have you ever had a dream?

Would you fight for it?

Would you go to war?

Would you die for it?

So now I'll take my stand

Now I'll make you see

That if you seek forgiveness

You'll get nothing from me

He falls into a guitar battle with Toya, they move across the stage back to back as strum there guitars before he lowers his guitar, grabbing the mic as he screams out the next words.

You'll get nothing from me

You'll get nothing from me

As he screams the last line of this part Spite builds the scream, screaming louder and louder.

You'll get nothing from me

He sings the last few lines, leading to the end letting Spite Echo with a scream.

To everybody who doubted (to everybody who doubted)

To everybody who doubted

He lets Spite finish the song, screaming the last lines like a demon.

Get on your knees and bow down

Bow down

Bow down

Altara lowers all the dials letting the song end abruptly, the crowd comes alive, screaming his name, chanting jumping up and down, losing there minds, The Demon Of Vyrantium was back and this Tour would be his best one yet.

The rest of the set went perfectly, by the time it was over everyone on the team was buzzing with excitement and had gathered in the back rooms to celebrate.

"Holy shit that was incredible, Lucanis you were amazing." Toya laughs clapping him on the back. He chuckled.

"I couldn't of done this without you guys." He says, holding up his beer, his gaze falls on Altara and his voice trembles slightly.

"Every single one of you has made this opening night one to remember." He lowers his beer looking down.

"Come on Lucanis, dont look so miserable lets drink." Pike chuckles, shoving him playfully. But he isn't in the mood.

"Of course." He forces a smile and swigs his beer, letting Pike and Toya enjoy the moment but he felt like he shouldn't, that he didn't disserve it, Altara had out done herself he had never sounded so good, not even in rehearsals.

He had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hands but it didn't feel like that was something he could claim for himself.

She had done this, despite their argument. He didn't deserve this, he didn't disserve anything.

He backs away from the group, he didn't want to bring them down with this melancholy so he disappears into the background, slipping out the fire escape to smoke on the roof alone.

Altara watched his retreat in increments, how he withdrew from conversation, became background noise before disappearing to the roof like he felt he didn't belong there, he lived in a different world to them didn't he.

She felt a pang of guilt to have given up on him when he clearly needed a friend, she had let her desire for him cloud her judgement, so he was handsome, charming when he wanted to be but he was also lonely, she could see that now.

She makes a decision then and there, if he couldn't be with her that was fine, as much as she wanted to stay angry at him, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him, he seemed to live in a world of darkness.

Fleeting moments of happiness just didn't last for him, not when he hated himself and what he was.

She follows after him, determined to at least be a friend to him.

She manages to sneak away without anyone noticing and walks up the stairs, she knew there was no point in trying to sneak he would hear her coming.

The air was crisp as he leans on the railing, his head bowed, a cigarette in his hand. He lets out a choked sound and falls to his knees, the cigarette forgotten, sometimes he wondered what would happen if he ended it, if he just waited for the sun to destroy him, would the maker take mercy on him or was he truly damned.

This curse weighed heavier every day, his whole family had been wiped out by it, nobody had survived the transformation, other then his grandmother and himself, and Illario, he had been spared it entirely, A blessing and curse. Caterina had received the worst part, to suffer the thirst but be mortal, she was so old now, he knew it was only a matter of time before he was alone, Illario would leave him one day too, time would see to that.

So would she, he covered his mouth letting out an anguished cry, god he was pathetic.

He slid down the wall by the railing letting his head fall back as he closed his eyes letting the tears of blood trail down his cheeks.

Altara froze at the last few step, hearing his pain cry. She felt her lower lip tremble, the sound made her even more determined, she looked down at the two beers in her hand and made the rest of the way up the stairs.

"Lucanis, you up here?" She calls out, giving him the chance to run if he so chose, But he doesn't even react to her voice and that makes her even more concerned.

Then she notices the blood trailing down his cheeks and she drops the beer bottles, they smash on the floor and Lucanis jerks awake as if struck, baring his fangs like a spooked beast.

She gasps in fear and he scrambles away from her, the fear in her eyes striking him to the core, he never wanted to see that in her eyes.

"No, stay away from me." He howled backing away from her.

"Hey its ok Lucanis, I just wanted to check on you, look I know you want to keep your distance and I will respect that but we have to work together, we can at least be friends cant we?" She asks, keeping her distance and taking a seat by the railing he had been leaning against.

"I dont disserve it." He says wiping the blood from his face only to smear it. She sighs, pulling out a napkin and approaches him to offer it, but he doesn't move, or accept it.

She sighs in frustration and wipes the bloody tears away gently, he remains frozen, as if in shock that she would still be so kind to him after he had hurt her.

TALK to HER

I cant

you CAN, LET her help YOU

I dont know how

JUST let her in, its not HARD

You dont understand.

I DO that's what SUCKS, you THINK I wanted to be here.

I'm sorry

I'M not SORRY about US im just SORRY me being here makes you THINK your a MONSTER

I dont think that because of you.

Spite remains silent, unsure how to respond.

"There all clean." She smiles up at him and he blinked as if confused before he gazes down at her.

She looked so beautiful under the moonlight, almost ethereal, he reaches out and pushes a loose hair behind her ear before he realises what he is doing, she leans into the touch and suddenly everything felt to intimate, to raw.

"I'm sorry." His voice cracks before he steps away from her and steps off the side of the building. She nearly screams as she runs to the edge of the building only to see him land like it was nothing, and retreat into his trailer.

She stares at his trailer for a while before she frowns.

"Lucanis." She whispers, holding back a sob, he truly was a complicated man, one day she hoped to understand him, to know why he was like this but it seemed tonight would not be that night, she heads back to the party but isn't in the mood to celebrate anymore, not after seeing him in that state. She tells the rest of them she is heading home and does just that.

Tomorrow would be the 2nd to last day of the Treviso part of the tour, The day after would be the last, then it was onwards to Antiva City.

She had not been to Antiva City in a long time, part of her wondered if it had changed much since her last visit, she just hoped with some distance from Treviso and Viago, perhaps Lucanis would open up to her.

She just needed to keep pushing him, he couldn't push her away forever right?

The next day Lucanis was abnormally quiet and withdrawn, he didn't even come out of his trailer for coffee, it seemed today he wanted to brood, he would come out when it was time to perform but it seemed like his heart wasn't in it today.

The rest of the crew were nervous, it wasn't like Lucanis to get like this during a tour. Illario was pacing outside his trailer working up the courage to go in there.

Eventually he pulled open the door and stepped into the trailer, Lucanis was sat in his armchair staring at his feet his gaze distant and unseeing, he was still in his clothes from last night and didn't seem to be present at all, if Illario didn't know any better he might think he was dead.

"Your a fucking mess." He finally said crossing his arms, he was rather proud to not flinch when Lucanis's eyes snapped open glowing purple.

"Spite, its been a while." Illario steps closer, he knew better than to show fear in front of him.

"Illario." He greets him then sighs. "FIX him." He growls before receding, Lucanis blinks for a few seconds then sits up, dazed.

Illario throws a towel at his head.

"Get in the shower and get clean, I have your wardrobe for tonight's show." He drops the bag on the bed. "Come on hurry up we dont have all night, I'll make you a coffee while you shower." Lucanis smiles despite his sour mood, he could trust illario not to put up with his bullshit.

He rises to his feet and heads into the bathroom to shower, washing away the make up from night before, he watches it swirl around the drain like ink.

He was a mess, he had not wanted Altara to see him like that, he had not been prepared for her kindness.

He sighs washing his hair and rinsing off before washing himself and stepping out of the shower turning it off, he towels off before wrapping it around his waist and exiting the bathroom.

The scent of fresh coffee greets him and he smiles, illario was one of the few people he trusted to make him coffee. He sits down and thanks him as he hands him a cup.

"Do you want me to fire her?" Illario offers, taking a seat on the bed, Lucanis nearly chokes on his coffee, he could not be serious, she had been amazing last night, the show was perfect because of her talents on the desk, yes he wrote the music sang the songs, pike was a master of percussion Toya knew him like no one else, knowing how to add to his vision but Altara brought it all together.

"NO!" He nearly shouts and flinches at how desperate he sounded.

"Then what the hell is up with you, you haven't been like this since.." Illario trails off, they didn't bring it up often, that night, when the curse had hit, they had been drinking behind a convenience store having managed to convince someone to buy them beer, they were both drunk.

A man had approached them asking for a light then attacked them, Lucanis had gasped suddenly on the floor. writhing in agony, a second later he was pouncing on the man, biting him and draining him dry, Illario had been to scared back then to realise what had happened, he had thought Lucanis had just stabbed the man to protect him.

It was only later when Viago answered his panicked phone call and took care of it that they realised the truth, only when they had staggered home, to find both there parents dead, there cousins, siblings to, that they realised the horrors that had befallen there family.

They dont know all the details as to why it happened, Caterina never really talked about it, she only told them that she would protect them, and make sure they survived where the rest of their family did not.

"I fucked up." Lucanis said, burying his head in his hands.

"So there was something going on between you and our new sound tech?" Illario sighs, he knew it, Lucanis was very good and ruining anything that made him happy, he had almost given up on him a few times himself but he was family.

He was all he had left apart from Caterina and they had never really gotten along, she did not approve of him encouraging Lucanis to move into heavier music.

"I dont know what to do." He looks up and Illario sighs at the look in his eyes, he looked broken. In no fit state to perform, he needed to do something.

"Just start over." He finally says.

"What?" Lucanis looks at him confused.

"Start over, I have a feeling she will forgive you in time, but you have to let her Lucanis, you cant keep this tormented monster act up, its going to destroy you and what would your fans do then huh, you saw how they mourned for you after the Ossuary." He half jokes.

Lucanis lets out a long sigh.

"I know, your right, I hate it when your right, but I dont know where to begin." He looks at his hands, no matter how much he washed them he could never wash away the red from that night, he had no right to touch beauty when he was a monster.

"Start by getting dressed, and marching your ass to that stage." He says patting his back.

Lucanis nods and stands up nearly dropping his towel. Illario covers his eyes dramatically

"Maker, please do not blind your manager, you need me." He jokes before heading for the door.

"Give it time, with any luck by the end of this tour, maybe she wont want to kill you anymore." He teases before leaving.

Kill him? that was a little dramatic, you didn't wipe away the tears of someone you wanted to kill did you?

He takes a deep calming breath and nods to himself. He was right, wallowing in self pity would not get him anywhere, but he was not sure he was ready to talk to Altara yet, at least not outside of there work.

YOUR not seriously still going to AVOID HER!

I need some time to think Spite.

YOU take TO long and SHE will give up on YOU

I know but I have to do this my way

IF you take to LONG I'm HELPING whether you LIKE it or not DEAL?

Fine, but I swear IF you hurt HER I'll walk out into the sun and end us both

FINE!

fine

They were only half serious, but Spite and Lucanis had an understanding, it was why they worked so well together. Sometimes he liked to think they would of been close, had he been a person. Right now he wasn't sure what they had, friendship? perhaps, he wasn't really sure what to call it but it worked.

They had pulled eachother out of the fire in the Ossuary. That sort of thing sticks with you, behind there petty bickering he knew Spite actually gave a damn about him, and if he was honest he kind of liked having someone who understood his thoughts, sometimes better than he did.

For now he knew what he needed to do, and that was get dressed and sing his heart out on that stage and show the world that the Ossuary had not broken him, he was here, and here to stay.

Chapter Text

The Final night of the first leg of the tour was a roaring success, the crowds were screaming and chanting his name as he belted out the last words and the lights shut off. The lights come back on as Lucanis, Pike and Toya stand and took a bow, the audience screaming so loud it was almost deafening.

"Thank you Treviso, And Goodnight." Lucanis said in the mic. "See you Antiva City!" They wave and bow again before disappearing behind the stage.

Altara smiles, despite her frustrations, there moment on the roof felt like a distant memory, she had thought she might have got through to him, show him that avoiding her wasn't the answer, She could not understand what he was so afraid off, he had proven time and time again that he would not hurt her, yet he seemed convinced he would and in doing so hurt her in a different way, it was making working together difficult.

She took off her headphones and shut down the equipment, helping clean up as the crowds dispersed, filing out of the Arena.

She headed backstage to congratulate them, He could try and avoid her all he likes but she was not giving up on him, not after seeing him so broken on the roof that night, he needed a friend, he needed to let people in, to let people care for him.

He was chatting with Pike and Toya when she found them, Lucanis tensed immediately before he even turned around, like he knew she was there.

"You guys where amazing." She smiles, stepping closer, Lucanis looked like he wanted to bolt but Pike had a hand on his shoulder and was grinning holding him hostage.

"You did great to, Altara, you made us sound great." Pike grins.

"Just doing my job." She grins back.

"Naww she's just being modest, she did great, right Lucanis." Toya laughed.

"Yes, you did great." Lucanis forces a smile, and she smiles back, she could tell he was uncomfortable.

"We should go out for drinks at the Crows nest, I heard Teia say we can use her private booth." Pike grins patting Lucanis on the back before finally releasing him.

"I do not think that is a good idea, I should be resting." Lucanis knows the excuse is weak when Toya laughs at him, Grabbing his arm.

"Your not getting out of it, come on." She tugs his arm. Pike glances at Altara and the rest of the crew.

"Come on, lets celebrate, then we are hitting the road to Antiva City baby." He laughs walking out of the warehouse.

The other sound tech, claps Altara on the back and smiles.

"Come on, your joining us right?" He asks, Altara was staring at Lucanis's retreating form, surprised his band mates had convinced him to go out drinking with them, he didnt look like he wanted to go, it was more like he was putting on a brave face for their benefit.

She smiled, maybe she could coax him out of his shell at the club, or just show him what he's missing.

The club was loud, the music pulsing around them, the lighting was dark and moody, strobe lights flashing as the beat dropped, the people on the dance floor moving like a living thing.

She almost couldn't hear herself think, this wasn't her usual scene but tonight they where celebrating the success of the opening days of the tour. She glances up at the Private booth, wondering if he is there, watching from the tinted windows.

She smiles to herself, he's probably miserable, and his bandmates are probably oblivious.

She shakes her head, let him watch, she presses through the throng of bodies and starts to dance, she was wearing a black sequined spaghetti strap top that showed off her midriff, she had her belly pierced and had put in a new bar, with a crow skull on it. it had been a spur of the moment purchase, it reminded her of him for some reason, she had a black choker and a tight pair of wet look jeans with a studded belt tucked into knee high stilleto boots, her hair loose around her shoulders for once not in a ponytail.

She moved to the music closing her eyes, losing herself to the beat, raising her hands, the other people on the dance floor moved around her, some men and even some women trying to get closer, one guy was brave enough to whisper in her ear and grind with her.

She let him, before turning to face him and chuckling, he looked about 20 at most a little to young for her tastes, her type was older and had more tattoos.

"Your a little young to be in here arnt you." She shouted over the music, the young man blushed and continued to dance, either pretending he didnt hear her or hoping if he ignored her she might let him continue dancing with her.

She sighed, letting him dance for now, but if he didnt get the hint soon she might have to be a bit harsher on him, some guys just dont get it until you were mean, which was really annoying as then they usually complain your being mean and get angry when you do.

Lucanis stood in the Private booth watching the people bellow through the tinted windows, a beer in his hand. He sighed, he did not want to be here, Pike and Toya where laughing and joking about something behind him, sat on one of the sofas, neither seemed to notice his mood.

He would rather be anywhere but here, the music wasn't to his taste and most of the people here were barely out of there teens. It felt awkward, he was thankful the private booth at least muffled the noise so he could think, he took a swig of his beer and sighed.

His eyes scanned the crowd and then he saw her, he let his gaze trail over her, lingering on here exposed midriff for a second before taking in the rest of her outfit again, he watched her move, her hands raised, dancing, and for a moment he imagined what it might be like to press against her back, to hold her hips and dance with her. to whisper in her ear maybe go somewhere more private and.

He shakes his head, to clear his traitorous thoughts, no he wouldn't do that, couldn't. he would only hurt her in the end. He took another swig of his beer, maker he wanted to go back to his trailer.

YOU could DANCE with her, COWARD

She is better off without me

LIES you dont REALLY think THAT

I do

You saying YOU dont CARE about HER?

Just because I'm avoiding her doesn't mean I dont care

you HURT her by pushing HER away

I'm protecting her

Your PROTECTING yourself

He winces and closes his eyes with a sigh, Spite had gone silent after that, Spite knew he was right, knew Lucanis well enough by now to know when he was lying to himself, his gaze returned to her, watching her get lost in the music.

He frowns when he spots a young man move in behind her, for a moment he felt like he had been punched in the gut when she allowed the young man closer, and turned to face him a wave of possessiveness washes over him and he has to look away unable to watch as they danced together.

It was for the best, she should move on, he was no good for her, he turned away from the window and downed his beer joining his bandmates in a game of cards hoping to take his mind off of her.

The young man moved closer and whispered in her ear.

"Your that chick working with the Demon of Vyrantium right." He shouts over the music, pulling her closer, moving to the music, she steps back shoving him in the chest.

"Hey, your getting a little too handsy mister." She growls angrily before slipping through the crowd towards the bar and away from him, what a creep, she orders a drink and tries to shake the feeling of his hands on her.

Guys never seemed to know when to back off, she had tried to be nice and joke about his age, give him the opportunity to take a hint, that she wasn't interested and leave, but instead he had decided to push his luck.

Then he mentioned her working with Lucanis and she realised he was probably a groupie trying to get closer to Lucanis through her. She shivered, a little creeped out by him and downed her shot then ordered a beer. The guy from before sidled up to the bar and slid some money over the counter with a smirk.

"I'm sorry babe, let me buy you a drink as an apology." He purrs leaning into her personal space, he smelt of booze and it turned her stomach. She hops of her stool with a grimace

"No thanks." She said before disappearing back into the throng of dancers to get away from him, maker what was that guys deal, why couldn't he go bother someone else, she was trying to have a good time, trying to forget her worries and frustrations if only for one night.

The guy frowned scrunching up the note angrily before putting it back into his pocket to follow her. He found her dancing again and smirked moving into press against her back again.

"Dont be like that baby." He presses a kiss to her neck and she shoves him into one of the other people dancing, he stumbles into a women and her boyfriend.

"Hey watch where your going asshole." A tall man said shoving him.

The guy gave them them finger and tried to move closer to Altara again.

"FUCK Off!" She shouts at him now, tried of being nice, she tries to leave, to slip back through the crowd and escape, maybe head for the private booth when his hand clamps around her wrist and pulls her back. dragging her through the dancers.

Pike laughed at one of Toya's stories and stood up to head for the bathroom, he paused glancing down through the window and grins, He could see Altara in the crowd. "Hey Lucanis, Altara looks great come on come see." He slurs.

Lucanis heads to the window only intending to humour him but frowns noticing a man practically dragging her through the crowd by her wrist, the same man from earlier, she didnt look pleased, in fact she looked afraid, he see's red and pushes past Pike nearly knocking him over before he can say anything further and shoves the door open, heading down the steps two at a time.

Pike chuckles and heads down as well, he had not seen the man dragging her in his drunken haze, he stumbled on the bottom step before heading into the bathroom as Lucanis pushes through the crowd trying to reach her, the club was busy, the music deafening, he could just about make out her white hair amongst the throng of people.

Several people gasp, recognising him and try to move in to dance with him or get his autograph, but as soon as the saw the look on his face they thought better of it, he looked pissed off, if looks could kill they would be dead.

She tried to escape his grip several times, her heart rate picking up in fear, he was surprisingly strong, She knew she needed to get away, never let them take you to a secondary location.

"Hey let go of me you Phycho." She shouts, trying to yank her wrist free she was sure to get a bruise. He dragged her out the fire escape and slammed her against the wall with a growl.

"Look here bitch, I was nice to you." He snarled, pinning her in place, laughing as she struggled against him. "You let me dance with you then you tell me to fuck off, what's your fucking problem." He slaps her, making her cry out in pain, what the hell was this guy on.

"You owe me a kiss." He slurs leaning in only to be pulled from her by someone from behind, his shirt pulled tight across his throat cutting off his air supply, he gasps struggling in there grip.

"Get your fucking hands off her." Lucanis snarled.

"Hey what the fuck man, me and the lady were just talking." The guys eyes went go wide when he was spun around and came face to face with a very pissed off Demon of Vyrantium.

He clawed at Lucanis's arm as Lucanis wrapped his fingers around his throat, slamming him against the wall, knocking what little air he had in his lungs out and lifting him above his head in an insane show strength, he snarled, nearly baring his fangs.

The guy struggled in his grip, tried to kick him to get free, he was choking him, he couldn't breathe.

"Lucanis!." She grabs his arm but he barely acknowledged her, all he could think about was this creep had laid a hand on what was his, and he protected what was his. He should kill him for touching her.

LUCANIS!
He should die
YOU need to STOP
No!

The guys struggling grew weaker and weaker as he lifted him higher with another growl almost smirking as if he was enjoying choking him, his intense gaze watching this man struggling to breathe.

"Lucanis stop, your going to kill him." She said tugging his arm again.

LISTEN to HER
I.....

Lucanis gasped, coming back to himself and let go of him like he had been burned, breathing hard and staggering back like he had been struck, what the hell had he been thinking, maker he could of killed him.

The guy crumples to the floor, cradling his throat before stumbling to his feet.

"Maker your insane." He glanced at Altara then back at Lucanis before he bolted down the ally and away from the club terrified.

Lucanis stepped further away from her, putting some distance between them, Fuck! what he had almost done, if she had not stopped him he could have, He turns his back, trying to get his breathing under control, trying to calm down.

"Are you alright?" He asks, hoping she doesn't hear the tremble in his voice.

"I'm fine, you saved my ass" She looks at the ground "Lucanis..I.." She starts but he interrupts her.

"Dont." He whispers turning to face her. "I..." He trails off unsure what he wants to say. "I need a ciggerete." He sighs, pulling out his pack of ciggerete's and pulling one out, his hands are shaking as he tries to light it. She sighs, taking his lighter from him and doing it for him.

He nods in thanks numbly and then leans against the wall, taking a long drag. "You should go back inside." He says making a point to avoid looking at her.

"Are you alright?" She asks timidly, she didnt want to leave him like this, he was clearly shaken up but what he had almost done.

"I just need a minute." He continues to avoid looking at her and she frowns. So even now he was being a stubborn fool.

TALK to her
No, I cant, you saw what I almost did
GRRR

"Still avoiding me huh." She says bitterly looking away.

"I'm sorry." He whispers but she was already gone. He lets out a bitter laugh.

SOME knight in SHINING Armour you ARE

Shut up

He takes a long drag and lets out a stream of smoke before throwing his ciggerete away and heading back inside to get his coat he was done with tonight, he needed blood.

She headed back to the warehouse, and her rental trailer, Lucanis could of killed that guy, it was only when she touched him that he snapped out of it, the look of fear in his eyes before he turned away from her, she thinks she understood what he was afraid of now, if only a little.

He had almost been feral, the way he had lifted that guy off the ground like he weighed nothing, she shivered at the insane display of strength, for a moment she had almost forgot what he was, but he had calmed almost as soon as she touched him, why couldn't he see that.

She shook her head, what did it matter, he was still being an idiot, still thought pushing her away was safer than letting her in, she wished there was a way to talk to him, to get through to him. She unlocked her Trailer and froze feeling eyes on her, glancing across the yard to Lucanis's trailer, she saw him, he was stood in front of it watching her.

She frowned, how had he got back so fast, then she chuckled to herself remembering he was incredible fast. She took a step towards him and he flinched before heading into his trailer, as if he had only been making sure she got back to her trailer safe.

She lowered her head, and sighed before stepping into her trailer, feeling defeated, it always felt like one step forward, and two steps back with him, he would let her get close then back off, show a little vulnerability then hide it from her. She sighs before getting changed into her nightclothes, taking off her make up with some make up remover wipes and sliding under the covers, the rental trailer was prety nice, the bed fairly comfortible. this would be her home for the rest of the tour.

She stared at the ceiling and wondered if he was doing the same, was he thinking of her like she was of him?

Lucanis laid on his back, staring at the ceiling, counting the tiles with a frown on his face, replaying what had happened over and over. He had nearly killed again. He closed his eyes remembering the night the Curse fell upon him, when everything started falling apart.

The guy that attacked them had just wanted to steal their wallets but then there was pain, something gripping his heart like a vice, white hot agony and then a thirst so strong he couldn't think straight, he was on the man before he could blink. He was ravenous, mindless, blind to anything but seeking out and drinking that mans blood.

He had latched on, gnawing through skin, coating his tongue in blood as he gorged himself, nothing else mattered, nothing but the taste of copper on his tongue and the need to protect himself and his cousin.

When he finally came to his senses, the man was dead and Illario was screaming at him, several hours later they were huddled in a blanket, there entire family dead and they were left with the cold realisation that what little family remained was damned, Illario had been the only one not effected by the curse, Caterina became a hollow, cold women after that, no longer the kind grandmother they loved, her discipline harsh and unforgiving, they had lost everything that night.

And tonight he had nearly done it again, nearly killed a man, he let out a wounded sound and reached up to find himself crying, he was a monster pretending to be a man, Altara was innocent, to good to be true, to good for him, she cared for him despite what he was and he was pushing her away like he always did when people got to close, feeling like he didnt disserve happiness, not after what he had done.

Caterina had told him what he did was in self defence, that he had not been in his right mind as the curse fell upon him, but you didnt kill people for mugging you, that wasn't normal, and your certainly dont bite out there throat and drink there blood.

Viago understood that, had helped them cover up what he had done, it was why Viago had warned him to stay away from her, why he had listened, but she wouldn't give up on him, she kept offering her hand to him over and over, no matter how many times he pushed her away, warned her she wasn't safe around him, that she was better off staying away from him.

He knew he was making it awkward for her, working together so closely whilst keeping her at arms length but she needed to understand he couldn't be what she needed, what she disserved.

The next day they packed up the stage, loading everything into the lorry and letting it go ahead of them to Antiva City, while they packed up the rest of the equipment, loading up their trailers, ready to leave the warehouse.

They had a team breakfast in the warehouse, it was strange now that it was empty, Lucanis kept to himself in the corner drinking coffee and not saying a word, he was still thinking about the night before, and what he had nearly done.

Altara kept looking over at him, and quickly looking away when he looked up. Toya noticed and sighed.

"Sooooo I heard you two kissed." She whispers and Altara looks up in surprise, how did she know that, had Lucanis told her, confided in her perhaps?

"Its complicated." Altara said bitterly, staring into her coffee, she wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about it if she was honest.

"Lucanis is complicated." Toya laughs sipping her drink. "He'll come around, just dont give up on him, I think your good for him." She smiles patting her on the back.

"He doesn't seem to think so." Altara sighs looking over her shoulder at him again to find him staring at her, he quickly looks away and downs his coffee before heading back to his trailer.

The look in his eyes had been full of regret and longing, like he wanted to be near her but felt like he couldn't. She remembers the look in his eyes when he pulled that man off her, the rage that this man had touched her should have frightened her but somehow it didnt.

"Maybe he is right, I should just leave him be, he doesn't want anything to do with me." She downs her drink feeling the need to retreat as well.

Toya sighed.

"Dont let him push you away, He needs someone like you, someone to show him he doesn't have to deal with this alone, We all know he's Depressed, its why he spends so much time alone, he feels like burden, his music is the only thing that brings him out of that damn trailer of his." Toya sighs.

Toya loved Lucanis like a brother, they had been bandmates for years, but he never really let anyone get close to him, she worried about him, he shouldn't be alone, he was a good man, he disserved a little happiness..

Altara lets out a huff of air, she had feeling that was only the tip of the iceberg, he was definitely depressed that much was true, was obvious, He isolated himself away from everyone in his trailer, not just to avoid the sun, and to drink his blood bags, she could tell from his music that much, he hated himself, he didnt think he diserved to be happy, in fact he felt guilty when he did, pushed anything and anyone that did away.

Toya was right, she shouldn't give up on him, she needed him to realise it was ok to be happy, to enjoy life, despite his condition. She nodded.

"I will think about it." She sighs before throwing away her empty cup. "Come on we should get ready, we leave soon right? Need to make sure we dont forget anything, its a long way to Antiva City" She says with a grin, Toya nods.

"That we do." Toya says before heading over to Pike.

Altara returned to her own trailer, making sure she had all she needed for the trip. the last thing she needed was to get to Antiva city and realise had she forgot something important, so she went through everything one last time to make sure she was ready for the road ahead.

The people of Treviso gave them a hell of a send off, banners on every building. People lined the streets, the tour buss honked its horn and the crowds waved and cheered as they left the city limits towards the next city on the tour, Antiva City the capital of Antiva.

They made damn good time and found a truck stop to spend the night in at the half way point, She frowned noticing Lucanis's trailer was once more parked far away from the tour buss and other trailers, she had been tempted to park next to his trailer but thought better off it, it would look weird if she did.

They ate in the dinner that night, Lucanis sat in a booth by himself nursing a coffee, though he found himself staring at her often, his gaze gravitating to her. no matter how much he tried not to, he growled getting up and leaving the dinner, stalking across the parking lot towards his trailer.

"Lucanis wait, come on, please, talk to me." She calls after him, he pauses mid stride and lowers his head.

"I cant trust myself around you." He says almost to low for her to hear before he stepped into his trailer without another word.

She felt herself get angry but remained were she stood, taking deep breathes to calm down before heading to her trailer, they would be getting back on the road tomorrow afternoon.

A few hours later she was laying on her bed still in her white tank top and jeans staring at the ceiling, she should shower, get some sleep but she couldn't stop thinking about him, and what Toya said.

He needs someone like you, your good for him

Yeah right, if she was so good for him why did he keep avoiding her, she sighed hearing rain begin to pelt against the roof of her trailer, she sat up and looked out the window, it was pissing it down, the rain coming down in heavy sheets.

It was late, everyone had gone to bed, and was probably sleeping by now, she stared across the parking lot at his trailer and made a decision, He couldn't run away if she went where he retreated, she got out of bed and left her trailer, the rain soaking her in seconds, she moved quickly, darting across the parking lot and banged on his door, she was done letting him be a coward, it was time they actually talked.

He didnt answer at first and she thought he might be ignoring her, or perhaps he was asleep, she knocked again, shivering from the cold, soaked to the bone, her top nearly see-through. His door opened and she swallowed, he was in just a towel, he must have been in the shower, it took him a moment as if he didnt believe what he was seeing, his gaze settled on her, noticing she was absolutly drenched, her teeth chattering.

"What the hell are you doing out in the rain at this hour?" He steps back from the door before he can think better of it.

"You're going to catch your death." As much as he wanted to close the door on her, to tell her to go back to her trailer and get some sleep, he couldn't leave her shivering in the rain.

Chapter Text

Lucanis was sitting in his trailer in his armchair. It had been a long day, he had drunk his fill of blood bags and was dozing. He didn't require sleep, but sometimes he indulged.

He closed his eyes only for a moment, only to snap them open as he felt hands not his own on his knees. A familiar head of white hair and Scarlet eyes greeted him.

"Altara? What?!" How had she sneaked in without him noticing? She slid down to her knees, between his legs, her hands spreading his legs further as they slid up his thighs. His gaze darkened, his eyes fluttering slightly as she brushed against him.

"What are you doing?" He shivered, he could stop her, should stop her, but he found he couldn't, especially when he noticed what she was wearing.

A black sequined spaghetti strap top and wet look jeans in knee-high stiletto boots, the same outfit she had been wearing in the club, he somehow knew this was a dream, because it must be, none of his usual fears surfaced, he felt almost calm.

She had black and purple eyeshadow, but no lipstick. She looked beautiful. His gaze fell to her neck for a moment, watching her pulse jump under her pale skin.

She brushed her hands against him again, and he groaned when she started to undo his belt. A look of realisation flickers in his eyes as she pulls the belt through the loops. She strokes his thighs and smirks up at him.

"I thought I would help you relax." She purrs, bracing against his knees to lean up and kiss him.

He kisses her back, his fingers sinking into her hair to pull her closer. She moans into his kiss, biting his lower lip, making him groan. Maker, he wanted her, needed her.

He could feel his cock stirring as she trailed her hands down his body, tugging his jeans open and reaching inside. She breaks the kiss, leaning back and raises an eyebrow at him.

"You go commando?" She purrs, pulling him free of his jeans, and he shudders when she wraps her fingers around him. He watches her. Letting out a breathless moan at the sensations washing over him, his head fell back when she licked across the head of his cock.

"Oh fuck!" He gasps.

He jerks awake, eyes wide in shock.

"Maker!" He panted. He had been dreaming of her again, he frowned, he couldn't stop thinking about her, and now he had a raging hard-on.

DAMN, it was JUST getting GOOD.

Dont start.

You're HARD because of HER

I'm hard because I had a dream, nothing more.

DREAMED of HER, their LIPS around your COCK

I swear to the maker, enough!

Spite Bristled, but relented. Hoping Lucanis will take care of it, if only for the Experience. Lucanis groaned, running a hand down his face. He needed a cold shower.

He steps into the shower, letting the water run down his back, his forehead pressed against the cold tiles. His cock ached and wouldn't go down, despite him trying to ignore it.

I could TAKE care of IT if you won't.

Fuck no

Coward, BET I could make you CUM

Not happening, you greedy bastard, you just want to know what it feels like to get off with your own hands instead of mine.

IT'S sweet you CONSIDER your hands mine WHEN I'm in CONTROL.

Fuck you

He chuckles and closes his eyes, thinking of her as he trails a hand down his chest, raking his nails through the hair trailing from his navel down to where he is hard and aching. He groans, he has not taken himself in hand in a while, and he feels a little sensitive as his fingers wrap around his length and squeeze. He lets out a low moan.

That FEELS good

Save the commentary for after if you must.

FINE!

He gives himself a few strokes and groans, Squeezing on the downward stroke, trying to imagine her clenching around him. He felt a little guilty imagining her while he did this, he shouldn't be thinking of her at all. He sighed, tilting his head up into the hot spray as he stroked himself a little harder, rubbing his thumb over the tip.

"Fuck!" He shudders, it has been far too long. His cock pulses in his hand, but he doesn't cum. He was close, riding the edge but not quite tipping over. He closed his eyes, thinking back to his dream, imagining those lips of hers stretching over his cock. He gasps, the mere thought of it sending him over the edge embarrassingly quick.

He mutters her name like a prayer, as he pumped his release against the tiled wall, he pressed his forehead against the tiles once more, shame coiling in his gut at what he had just done, how could he use the thought of her to get off when he wouldn't even talk to her.

NO Shame DIDN'T hurt anyone.

It's not that simple, Spite.

SHOULD be

Maker, I'm a mess

I KNOW im IN your HEAD

He doesn't reply and lets the shower wash away the evidence before washing himself and stepping out of the shower to towel off. He wraps his towel around his waist and steps back into the living area of his trailer. His eyes snap to the door when he hears a knock. Who could that be? He looks down at himself, contemplates getting dressed before he answers, but then there is another knock at the door, more insistent.

That's when he hears the rain outside. There shouldn't be anyone awake at this time of night his crew should be asleep.

MAYBE it's Illario

Could be

He pads over to the door, making sure his towel is secure. The last thing he expected was for it to be Altara. She was soaked through and trembling, her eyes became the size of plates when Lucanis opened the door in nothing but a towel.

"What the hell are you doing out in the rain at this hour?" He steps back from the door before he can think better of it.

"You're going to catch your death." As much as he wanted to close the door on her, to tell her to go back to her trailer and get some sleep, he couldn't just leave her shivering in the rain he might be a monster but he wasn't an asshole.

He leaves the door open, a wordless invitation before padding back towards his bathroom, grabbing some jeans and a t-shirt to quickly change into so he can get her a towel and something dry to wear.

WOULDN'T mind helping her out of those WET clothes

Pervert

LIKE you were not JERKING OFF to the THOUGHT of HER a few MINUTES ago.

He heard the door of his trailer close as she stepped into the trailer, could hear her moving around. She glances in the direction of his bathroom just as the door is swinging closed, and he drops the towel.

Maker, she saw almost everything, his muscled back, narrow waist, his bare ass. If she weren't so damn cold, she might have appreciated the view.

She was thankful he didn't slam the door in her face. He was still avoiding her, leaving a room whenever she entered it, keeping his distance. The fact that he had even let her in gives her hope that he might at least talk to her now.

He steps out of the bathroom, now clothed and quickly grabs a spare shirt for her. It was the black silk button-down long-sleeve shirt he had worn to the club the night before. It would probably drown her, but it was better than staying in wet clothes and catching a chill. He hands her a towel and the shirt and gestures for her to get changed in the bathroom.

She thanks him and pads inside the bathroom before closing the door. It was only then that he could think clearly, her tank top had gone see-through in the rain, and he had been able to see the black lace of the bra she had been wearing.

He closed his eyes and sat in his armchair to wait for her. He couldn't help but wonder why she had come to his trailer in the middle of the night. The truck stop they were parked in was the halfway point to Antiva City, the next leg of the tour.

Thankfully, Illario had parked his trailer away from the others, knowing he didn't need a bodyguard and preferred his privacy. So the chances of anyone knowing she was in his trailer were slim.

She looks around the bathroom before pulling off her wet clothes, everything even her underwear was dripping from the downpour, she shimmied out of her underwear and pulls on the shirt, it smelt of his cologne, she shivered slightly as she did it up, but at least she was dry, she felt a little shy and hesitated by the door for a moment.

She steps out of the bathroom her cheeks slightly pink as she hangs her clothing up to dry, Lucanis groans internally as she hangs up her bra and underwear, meaning she was literally only in his shirt. It came down to mid thigh, the sleeves covering her hands, she had buttoned it, but left a few undone.

Her pale skin glowed in the soft lighting of his trailer, maker her legs were so long, he wanted to reach out and pull her closer, that thought sobered him and he cleared his throat.

"Are you going to tell me why you risked hyperthermia to come here?" He asks, trying to keep his voice even, as he moves to the kitchenette to make her a coffee, he needed to keep his hands busy. She watches him work for a moment, he was methodical, as if he made coffee professionally. She watched his hands and frowned.

"I couldn't sleep." She finally says.

"Why come to me?" He asks, handing her the mug, their fingers brush as she takes it, and their eyes meet. He clears his throat and returns to his seat, keeping his distance. That's when she got annoyed.

"I dont get it." She says, cradling the cup.

"Get what?" He asks, finally making eye contact.

"Why you are still avoiding me?" She asks with a frown.

"Is it because of Viago? I told you he isn't my father, and even if he was, he doesn't get to make choices for me. I'm not an idiot, I know what you are, I know you can be dangerous....I..." She goes to continue, but he interrupts her.

"You should stay away from me, Altara. It's safer for both of us." He looks away, this was getting awkward.

YOU dont BELIEVE that!

It doesn't matter.

FOOL, let me TALK to her.

No!

He gasps in pain, reaching up to his nose, his hand coming away with blood. Spite had never lashed out at him like this before. Altara was at his side in an instant, dropping to her knees and grabbing his face.

"What happened?" She asked glancing up at him only to find Purple eyes staring back at her.

"I did." Spite says, twisting Lucanis's face into a smile.

"Lucanis?" She asks, confused, she tries to back away, but Spite snatches her wrist.

"Dont go." He growls.

"Lucanis, you're scaring me." She tries to escape his grip, but can't.

"Not Lucanis." He flashes Lucanis's fangs.

"Wait, that voice." It was like when Lucanis screams in his music, how he sounds like himself but somehow not himself.

"I dont understand, who are you, what are you?" She staggers back when he finally lets her go.

"I'm Spite." He tilts his head at her as if that was obvious. It was strange, whatever this was, it was puppeteering Lucanis's body. Was he possessed?

"He and I made a deal, at the ossuary, to survive, to live and he is breaking his promise." He explains.

"So what are you exactly, some kind of demon? are you possessing him? why? Are you the reason he is avoiding me?" She asks angrily.

"No! he is a fool...He..." He groans, his hands coming up to his head before the glow of his eyes faded.

"Damn it, Spite." He cursed, then his eyes widened.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" He was across the room in the span of a heartbeat. He checks her for injuries, and she pushes him away angrily.

"No! You dont get to act like you care when you keep pushing me away, you can't keep doing this to me, letting me close then pushing me away." She shouts.

"I do care." He shouts back angrily, why did she think he was avoiding her, for shits and giggles, he was trying to protect her, keep her safe.

"Then why do you still keep pushing me away?" She turns her back on him, and he sighs.

"I'm trying to protect you." He says, quietly.

"Yeah? Well, maybe I'm sick of people thinking I need protecting, thinking they know what's best for me." She looks down at herself and moves to take her wet clothes. It was a mistake to come here, she should leave. He grabs her wrist to stop her before he knows what he's doing.

"Your clothes are still wet, you could get sick." He says his voice cracking.

"Worried your precious sound tech won't be well enough to make you sound good." She spat bitterly.

"That's not fair." He replies, letting her wrist go. She turns to face him, her eyes meeting his.

"No it isn't, and neither is this." She sighs gesturing between them, watching him closely. She could see him desperately trying to figure out how to fix this, to figure out what she wanted to hear.

"Kiss me." She demands.

"What!" He gasps, was she insane, how was that a good idea?

"If you dont feel anything, I'll stay away." She stares into his eyes, as if daring him.

"I can't." He backs away, if he did that, he doesn't know if could stop.

"Coward." She shouts, then gasps when she finds herself pinned against the wall, a thigh between hers, his fangs pressed against her throat in warning but not breaking the skin. He was breathing hard, she could feel him trembling with restraint.

"Is this what you want?" He growled. "To have a monster touch you." He leans back to look at her, curses, then looks away and steps back, turning his back on her. He was shaking, it was a mistake to let her into his trailer, he should have sent her away.

"I'm not safe, I can't control myself around you, your scent haunts me, your blood drives me to madness. I'm a fucking monster and I'm terrified I could lose control and kill you." He lets it all out in a single breath, walking further away from her and leaning against the kitchenette, like if he didn't he would collapse.

"You keep calling yourself a monster, yet you protected me from that sleazeball in the club. If you were a monster, you would have let...." He interrupted her again.

"I nearly killed him for touching you, like I owned you and was defending what was mine, I'm obsessed with you Altara, can't you see that, this isn't healthy?" He hangs his head, feeling ashamed to have let it get this bad.

"Maybe I want to be yours." She whispers, knowing full well he could hear her.

"You dont know what you're asking." He growls, turning to face her.

"Stop telling me what I do or dont know." She steps closer and he backs away from her. She keeps closing the distance, and he keeps trying to keep it, trying to stay away from her.

"Damn it Altara, stop, just stop, I can't do this anymore." He closes his eyes, trying to restrain himself, he needed to stay in control.

"Then stop, tell me to leave." She steps closer, reaching out to cup his cheek. He whimpers at the touch, like it hurts but doesn't push her away, he doesn't have the strength to.

"I can't." He says in a pained whisper, he feels like he is being pulled in two separate directions, he wanted her close, yet needed to push her away, it was for her own protection.

"Lucanis." She says his name so gently that his eyes open to look at her.

"Stop." He hisses as she pulls him down by his neck and presses her lips to his.

He whimpers, making a wounded sound in the back of his throat before he's stepping forward, unable to hold himself back any longer, his lips pressing against hers hungrily, as he responds to the kiss. He backs her against the wall again, he wanted this, wanted her.

She gasps, it was like before the magazine interview, desperate, needy, like he was trying to climb inside her. He kissed her like she was his salvation, like he was worshipping her mouth.

She clawed at his shirt just as needy, and he yanked it over his head, tossing aside before kissing her again with an almost desperate whine, hoisting her up into his arms like she weighed nothing, and slamming her back against the wall with a moan.

"Fuck!" He pants against her throat, he could smell her blood just under the skin, he needed it. "Please." He begs.

She tilts her head to the side, offering herself.

"Drink." She whispers breathily.

He whimpers and bites down, and it's nothing like when he drank from her wrists. When he took the first pull, she felt heat swoop down to her belly. He moaned, rolling his hips unable to stop himself, as she gripped his shoulders and shuddered against him at the friction.

He took another deep gulp before licking her neck, the wound closing. He shivered, his breathing turning ragged despite not needing to breathe.

"I can't stay away from you." He pants. "Not anymore, I can't...I need." He isn't really sure what he is asking anymore.

She rolls her hips against him in answer, and he kisses her again, the kiss full of longing. He steps away from the wall, turning and staggering over to bed to lay her on it. He looms above her, and then he was kissing her again, devouring her mouth before trailing kisses down her neck, tearing the shirt open, buttons pinging across the room as he trails kisses down to her breasts.

"Lucanis." She moans when he takes a nipple into his mouth, flicking his tongue against it while he fondles the other one. He whispers her name with reverence. Like a confession, a need.

"I want you." She whispers brokenly, reaching down to brush against his growing arousal. He was straining against his jeans.

He moaned, leaning back and letting her undo his jeans. He was breathing hard now, his eyes almost black with desire. He shuddered when she pulled him free. He falls forward and groans.

She desperately tries to yank his jeans down further, but he's kissing her again, and its messy, full of need, their teeth nearly clashing.

His tongue was in her mouth a moment later, sampling her taste before he began trailing kisses down her body. She writhed under him, calling out his name when she felt his breath on her core, he licked through her like she was his last meal.

His tongue felt incredible, she could feel his fangs when he pressed his mouth fully against her, licking and sucking against her clit like a starving man. Her back arched in pleasure, her fingers burying in his hair, yanking hard as she came with a full body shudder.

He continued to lick at her, tasting her release, lapping it up and working her through it. She yanked on his hair hard, pulling him away from her, his beard was glistening with her slick.

"Please, I need you." She panted.

He practically ripped his jeans off, kicking them to the floor as he loomed over her once more, his hands braced on either side of her head. She arched up and kissed him, she could taste herself on his lips, and she didn't care she just wanted him as close as possible.

"Please." She begged as he lined himself up, rubbing the tip against her teasingly before pressing inside. He shuddered above her, his eyes clamped shut as he felt her spasm and clench around him as he pushed inside her completely. He moans, holding himself above her, his hips flush with hers. Hanging on by a thread.

Maker, she felt like heaven, he could die between her thighs and die happy. She clenches down on him deliberately and rolls her hips. He falls down to his forearms above her and begins to move, pulling almost out before pushing back in slowly, his lips part, his fangs flashing as pleasure washes over him.

He gasps against her neck, thrusting slow and deep, whimpering. She claws down his back and he's sure to feel it in the morning, she was crying out in pleasure so loud he has to press a palm over her mouth to muffle it, lest she wake the entire trailer park. She grips his wrist, hanging on for dear life.

He shudders, hoisting her legs higher on his hips, changing the angle, pressing deeper. He watches her breasts bounce with every thrust with a groan, leaning down to bite her above her left breast and suckles on the wound, taking a few sips, then licking it closed. Fuck she tasted so good, he shuddered above her, he knew he wouldn't last much longer.

He reaches between where they are joined and strokes her clit in time with his thrusts. She bites the pillow, muffling her scream as she came around him, clamping down on him so hard he was spilling into her a moment later. He collapses against her, his thrusts becoming languid, riding out the aftershocks before lying against her panting for breath.

After a few minutes, he rolls off of her onto his back, pulling out with a moan. She curls against him, resting her head on the crook of his shoulder, catching her breath. She felt sticky, her thighs slipping together from their combined release.

She should clean up, but she's too tired to care right now. She thought the lack of a heartbeat would alarm her, but strangely, it didn't. He had his eyes closed and was tracing patterns on her back absentmindedly he looked almost happy, but there was still something melancholy about him.

"You ok?" She asks softly, and He chuckles huskily.

"Are you?" He replies, voice just as soft.

"You first." She grinned, pressing a kiss to his neck.

"I don't know." He was being honest at least. "I still think this is a bad idea." He sighs.

"Maybe a bad idea is better." She retorts, and he laughs again.

TOLD YOU.

shut up

Spite Snickers but doesn't say anything more, he was enjoying himself far too much, orgasms were his favourite sensation, the build up and release were exquisite, and so much better when buried in the warmth of her.

She woke up a few hours later, the rain had stopped, she smiled, Lucanis was still, unmoving, no sign of life.

If she didn't know what he was she might have been worried, he wasn't breathing, his eyes were closed, he was like a statue, one hand resting on his bare stomach the other wrapped around her. He was surprisingly warm, she had expected him to be cold.

She watched him for a moment, his expression was slack, at rest, his brow was no longer furrowed, his lips were parted slightly and she could see the points of his fangs.

She resisted the urge to get a closer look and continued her observations of the rest of him.

long dark lashes resting against tanned cheeks, another thing that surprised her, she thought vampires were supposed to be pale, then again before a few weeks ago she didn't think vampires were even real.

Her eyes trailed over the rest of him, he was gorgeous, all muscle but not to the point of it being to much, his definition was beautiful, his pecks where firm, his abs made her mouth water, the light dusting of hair trailing between them was sexy, the way it paused then continues downwards from his navel, a sinful trail disappearing under the sheets barely covering him.

The cut of his V looked sinful, maker he was a work of art.

She inspected the tattoos on his arms, the intricate ink work must of taken hours, he seemed to have a thing for eyes, there were swirling lines with demonic eyes interwoven with almost tribal designs on one arm and on the other more eye iconography and lines.

She chewed her bottom lip and a smirk curled her lip as an idea came to her. She slipped out from under his arm as delicately as she could and leaned over him, watching.

He didn't even stir, she leaned down pressing a kiss to the side of his neck, he didn't move, she kissed his collar bone, still nothing, not even a twitch.

She trailed kisses from his pecks downwards, when she reached his lower abs, she smirked, his cock was starting to wake even if he wasn't, the expression on his face shifted slightly as she tugged the covers down, as if feeling the fabric caress him as she pulled it back.

She let out an appreciative moan a the sight if his cock already half hard.

She traced his thigh with a palm, watching his face, his brow furrowed slightly, his lips parting before those deep brown eyes opened. His eyes grew wide seeing her between his legs, her fingers moving closer and closer to his cock.

"Altara " He lets out a soft whimper, for a moment he thinks he was dreaming of her again, but then her fingers wrapped around him and he gasps, His eyes fluttering closed as she began to stroke him teasingly.

"Maker." He panted gripping the sheets, his breath quickening. "What are you...." He trails off in a moan as she licks the tip, his head grinds back into the pillows, his chest rising and falling in shallow breathes.

"I've wanted to do this for a while." She purrs licking him from base to tip. The moan that fell from his lips sent heat right to her core.

"Fuck!" He pants, his head turned to the side, his mouths hanging open in pleasure as she took him into her mouth. The warm wet heat of her mouth had him gasping and crying out as she licked and sucked every inch of him.

His grip on the sheets turning knuckle white as she sucked then pulled back licking under the head, her fingers stroking what she couldn't reach.

"Please!" He moaned, his breath ragged, his hips rolling desperately.

She increased her efforts, revelling in the almost helpless moans falling from his lips as his back arched, his cock twitching and growing harder as he got closer and closer to the edge.

"I cant, I cant.... Ohhh fuck I'm going to..." He was whimpering mess as he came with a cry of her name. She licked and sucked him through it swallowing it all down before leaning back and pressing a delicate kiss to the tip.

He stared at her, his gaze hazy from pleasure as he caught his breath, tiny shudders still licking down his spine. A lazy grin spread on his lips, he looked almost drunk.

"That is a hell of a way to wake me up." He joked then licked his lips, his gaze darkening as he watched her. She smiled at him, chewing her lower lip and resisting the urge to cover herself with the sheet as his gaze trailed over her hungrily.

"Come here " He purrs leaning back against the headboard.

She swallowed thickly, crawling up the bed, the way his gaze fell to her breasts and lingered before making intense eye contact sent another swoop of heat down to her core

She hesitated before climbing onto his lap. He slid a hand into her hair at the nape of her neck pulling her down for a hungry kiss. It was deep, claiming. his Tongue met hers and they both moaned.

He trailed a hand up her thigh then her ribs before cupping a breast, he leaned her back with the other hand and trails kisses downwards, taking a nipple into his mouth.

She gasped rolling her hips and moaned finding him already hard again. He lifted his head from her breasts and kissed her, pulling her closer by her hips.

"Maker I want you." He panted between heated kisses. He guided her hips pressing against her, she was so wet and he had barely touched her, had she really got that much enjoyment from waking him with a blow job.

"Please I need to be inside you." He groaned, It was like he wanted to make up for lost time, now that he had given into her he couldn't get enough of her.

"Please!" She gasped against his lips, and he let out a low moan angling her hips down and lifting his to sink into her.

"Fuck!" He gasped, gripping her hips, it felt even better than last night, this position let him sink into her to the hilt. he was breathing hard again, she grabbed his face kissing him deeply as she lifted her hips and sunk back down. He let out a strangled moan, pulling her hips down harder.

She felt so good, so warm, so wet for him he has no idea how he will be able to control himself around her after this.

SHE feels so GOOD

She does

MORE.

Yes!

For once they were in agreement. He guided her hips setting a fast pace.

"Fuck! you feel so good." He panted, looking down at where they were connected as she bounced in his lap, burying him inside her over and over.

"Lucanis." She gasps feeling herself spiralling towards release, his cock hitting all the right places, every slide down had pleasure curling down her spine.

He swallowed her cries of pleasure in another heated kiss, tasting her moan on his lips.

He surges forward throwing her onto her back, she wraps her legs around his waist, throwing her head back as he kissed down her neck. He bit down and she nearly screamed, her orgasms crashing over her as he took two greedy gulps of her blood, he closed the wound before kissing her breasts as he gripped the sheets by her head, nearly tearing them as he thrust once, twice then came with a full body shudder, spilling into her.

She felt the warmth of his release, felt him pulse inside her before he collapsed against her panting for breath, he let out a tired laugh then groaned pulling out and falling onto his side next to her, licking the remnants of her blood from his lips with a moan.

"You've ruined me." He panted

"Same." She panted Still shivering from her climax.

"I'm sorry." He says suddenly, and for a moment she fears he was going to tell her this was mistake.

He reaches over stroking her cheek.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, before, I thought..." He looks away for a moment. "It's hard for me to let people close....I...what I am, its not..." He growls in frustration unsure how to explain how he felt.

"Its ok Lucanis." She smiles "And im not just saying that because you fucked my brains out." She jokes and he grins flashing fangs.

I like HER

so do I

I know YOU do, took you LONG enough

Its not easy for me

SHOULD listen to ME more

I dont think so

BAH

"Lucanis, are you ok?" She touches his face drawing him out of his conversation with Spite.

"Forgive me Spite was just explaining how much of an idiot I've been." He chuckles, then looks worried again. "He spoke to you, he didn't scare you?" He asks almost afraid of the answer, though considering she was currently naked in his bed he felt foolish for worrying.

"What is Spite exactly." She asked genuinely curious, she nudges him onto his back and began tracing the shape of his muscles while she waited for his reply.

He captures her hand and watches her.

"I cant think when you touch me like that." He purrs, trailing a hand down her back.

"He is a demon, I'm possessed." He chuckles, a rather blunt way to put it but its what he was, He smiles when she blinks at him.

"I thought as much, he said you broke your promise." She smiled back.

"Ahhh, that, well after last night and just now I think I'm forgiven." He laughs.

"Oh was, I mean is he, does he watch or.." She trails off with a blush.

"He experiences sensations through me, he uh likes it when we." He says, looking away, hoping he didn't have to spell it out for her.

"I knew being involved with you would be...." She pauses for effect. "Different." She chuckles then stills when he cups her cheek tenderly.

"I cant help but feel you will regret being with me." He sighs, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"That's for me to deal with, you cant protect me from everything." She smiles tracing his cheek in return.

"But I want to, I've never felt like this before Altara, it...... frightens me...I.." He trails of finding himself lost for words again, feeling a little raw.

"It's ok to feel that way you know." She rests her head on his shoulder.

"Just dont push me away, dont say this was a mistake." She sniffs.

"Are you crying?" He asks looking down at her in concern.

"no." She lies.

He sighs tilting her head up so she would look at him, her eyes where glistening with tears.

"I....I dont regret this, I'm still terrified I could hurt you...but...I cant give you up, not now that I have you." He whispers.

And that was when someone knocks on the door to his trailer sounding panicked and they both freeze.

Chapter Text

The knock on the door was growing increasingly insistent. Lucanis cursed, getting out of bed and pulling on his jeans. He gives Altara a look and holds a finger to his lips before heading to the door. Altara hides herself with the sheet and hopes to god whoever it is doesn't want to come in.

"Illario." Lucanis greets, then curses stepping back slightly to dodge the sun. "What is it?" He growls. His cousin looks panicked. Had something happened?

"Altara is missing. I knocked on her trailer to ask what she wanted for breakfast, but her door was unlocked she isn't in her trailer." He says, sounding worried. Lucanis schooled his expression.

"What time is it?" Lucanis asks, thinking quickly.

"A little after 10 am, Lucanis, this is serious." He pleads.

"It's broad daylight, what exactly do you expect me to do about it?" Lucanis hisses, and Illario winces, it might have slipped his mind in his panic that Lucanis couldn't be in direct sunlight.

"She probably just went for a walk, she can't have gone far if she left her trailer unlocked, we dont leave for another 3 hours, isn't it a little early to be panicking?" Lucanis bluffs, growing more and more nervous, Altara couldn't get to her trailer with everyone looking for her, he needed Illario to stop panicking.

Altara isn't sure what to do, then again, she wasn't exactly going to come to the door in just a sheet, then she realised her clothes were still drying by the sink.

Lucanis was blocking Illario's view, but if he looked inside for even a moment, he would see them. She thinks about grabbing them, but then Illario clears his throat, she waits nervously, hoping he was leaving and not that he had noticed anything.

"I... you're right, sorry. I just dont want anything to go wrong with this tour." Illario sighs.

"You are always telling me to relax, perhaps take your own advice. Now, if you dont mind, the sun is starting to burn my hand," Lucanis grumbles and takes another step out of the way of the sun, making sure he was still blocking Illario's view of Altaras' clothes.

"Right, I will check on her trailer in an hour. I'll be in the diner if you need me." He chuckles when Lucanis glares at him. Lucanis closes the door and presses his forehead against it, maker, that was close.

He turns back towards the bed and winces when he finds Altara glaring at him.

"I thought you said you didn't regret it." She says, crossing her arms, it probably would have looked more intimidating if she weren't still naked.

"I dont regret it, but im not...." He sighs. "This is still new, I dont want to...." He crosses his arms and takes a deep breath.

"He doesn't want them to talk." Lucanis looks at the ceiling. "Spite, please dont do that." He grumbles, and Altara starts giggling.

"I'm glad at least one of you can be honest." She grins.

HA, she LIKES me

She likes everyone

LIKES your COCK!

Maker, you are the worst.

LIES!

I hate you

Not TRUE

Bastard

HEHE

"What's he saying?" She grins, watching the expressions on his face as he argues with his demon.

"Dont you start taking his side, he's smug enough as he is." Lucanis sighs and can't help but smile when she lounges on his bed. Why had he been avoiding her again? he wasn't so sure anymore. He sauntered over and sat on the edge of the bed, and reached out to touch her.

"I should probably get back to my trailer before anyone figures out where I am then." She sighs, crawling over to him. He watches her and smirks before pinning her to the bed.

"I dont know, I kind of like you naked in my bed." He purrs, leaning down to kiss her, and she presses a finger to his lips to stop him. He grins against her fingers.

"You dont mind, keeping this a secret for now?" He asks suddenly shy.

"As long as you make it worth my while." She teases and he growls playfully, pulling her into his lap.

"I am sure I can think of something." He purrs against her lips before kissing her. She sighs into his mouth, kissing him back, her hands sinking into his hair. He pulls on her lower lip, and she rolls her hips. Maker, the way he kissed, she could get addicted to this.

"You should go." He whispers between kisses, she moans, and he growls, pulling her hips closer despite his words.

"You should really go." He groans, his grip on her hips tightening, fuck, he needed to let her go, they had to leave for Antiva city soon. She pulls away from his lips, breathing hard, and manages to climb off his lap, albeit reluctantly. A little smirk curls her lips, noticing he was hard, glad to see she wasn't the only one affected.

"You should hurry." He growls in warning.

"You keep growling like that, I'm never getting out of this trailer." She chuckles, pulling on her clothes. He groans when she pulls on her underwear, her ass looked incredible in black lace.

Want to BITE, so big and ROUND

No!

WHY not.

Because she needs to get back to her trailer

BUT you WANT to

Sometimes we have to deny ourselves so we can enjoy it later.

oh GOOD plan

I do have them occasionally.

"You ok over there?" She grins, glancing over her shoulder, noticing he was gripping the sheets tightly.

"Is the coast clear?" She asks, he snaps out of his lustful staring to check out the window.

"Nobody is in the lot, they are all in the dinner, if u go through the lorry park on the far side, you should be able to make it to your trailer without anyone seeing you." He chuckles when she pauses at the door.

"Never thought I would be doing a walk of shame on this tour." She jokes.

"If I had my way, you wouldn't be walking at all." He purred, watching her from her perch on the bed, fuck, he looked hot in just his jeans.

She chewed her lower lip, giving him one more appreciative look before heading outside and down the far side of the lot to avoid anyone spotting her from the dinner.

As soon as the door to his trailer closed, he flopped onto his back on his bed and let out a sigh that ended in a husky laugh. Maker, how was he going to control himself around her now? He closed his eyes, and all he could see was her backside in that sinful black lace.

He sits up and checks the window just in time to see her slip inside her trailer, his eyes dart to the diner, his sharp eyes focusing until he could see Illario sat at a window seat with a coffee, his face burred in his phone, he checked the other windows, nobody seemed to be focused on anything other than their food, good.

His gaze returned to her trailer, and he licked his lips, tasting blood, her blood. Had that been on his lip while he had been talking to Illario? He doubted Illario would think anything of that, considering what was in his fridge.

He savoured that drop of blood and took a deep breath before heading over to his desk and writing something down in his notebook with a smile.

Altara quickly got changed and then headed into the diner, trying to calm her heart when Illario looked up from his coffee and frowned.

"Where have you been?" He asked as she ordered coffee. "I went for a walk, is that not allowed?" She asked, pretending to be annoyed by the question.

"No, but you left your trailer unlocked." He warned.

"I didn't plan on being gone for long." She said innocently.

"Well, you were, and it's a security risk, what if some lunatic got into your trailer?" He says, sounding far too serious.

"Is that concern in your voice?" She grins, she was having far too much fun with this.

"I'm responsible for all of you. If something happens, I dont want to have to explain to the police that our sound tech got murdered because she was an idiot and didn't lock her trailer." He growls.

"Whoa, ok, ok, jeez, I'll lock it next time, you need to relax." She chuckles. Illario narrows his eyes.

"Maker, you're a morning person, aren't you?" He frowns.

"It's nearly 11 am, that's hardly early." She chids, thanking the waitress for her coffee.

Illario groans and bangs his head on the table. He should not have drunk so much last night. He shoots a glare at Pike. Why did that smug bastard not have a hangover? He drank almost as much as he did.

Pike waved at him from his seat, being infuriatingly cheerful. Altara giggles and glances out of the window, watching the sun disappear behind the clouds.

Lucanis hopped out of his trailer and rushed to the diner, trying his best not to look for her as he ordered a coffee at the counter. Once he had a cup, he turned and froze. Illario was currently scowling at Altara, who was laughing at him. He turned face and headed over to sit with Pike and Toya as far from the window as possible in case the sun came back out.

Pike grinned at him, and Lucanis became nervous.

"You're looking awfully cheerful this morning. Did you find a sexy waitress to amuse yourself with last night?" Pike teases, and Lucanis frowns.

ALTARA better than a Waitress

She is

"That is not funny." He growls, before taking a sip of his coffee and trying not to gag at the taste, making Pike grin.

"You're such a coffee snob." He jokes, earning him a glare.

"It's called having taste buds, as to your earlier comment, fucking a waitress is more your style than mine." He smirks, and Pike Scowls.

Toya was pretending to stare out of the window. She had spotted Altara running from Lucanis's trailer. She had a feeling he didn't want people to know, so she kept her mouth shut at least for now. She was glad Altara had listened to her advice. She could tease Lucanis about it later on a cigarette break.

Illario sighs.

"Alright, you lot, finish your coffee's its time we hit the road." He glances out of the window, it was still overcast. He shoots Lucanis a look, and he nods, getting up from his seat.

"Let's go." Lucanis nods before following Illario to his trailer. Altara tries not to frown as he ignores her. Pike sighs and pats her shoulder. "Dont worry, he can't avoid you forever." He chuckles before heading outside.

"You have a love bite on your neck, might want to hide it before Illario notices." Toya grins before sauntering off. Altara swallows thickly, her hand flying to her neck with a blush. She quickly pops her jacket collar before rushing to her trailer to check.

She laughs when she looks in the mirror. She had been teasing her, but that meant she knew she wouldn't have said anything otherwise. She sighs, hopefully, she won't tell anyone.

The road was long, she followed right behind Lucanis's trailer and wondered what he was doing whilst Illario was driving, was he writing music, sleeping? she smiled, remembering the way he had touched her last night, she chewed her lower lip, her mind coming up with all sort of naughty scenarios of him grabbing her in hallways, or pulling her into his dressing room for a quickie before or after a show.

She just hoped he didn't have second thoughts and tried to push her away again, she had a feeling Spite wouldn't let him if he tried, she giggled, wondering if she would get another chance to talk to Spite, he seemed to care about Lucanis, but she was curious what he thought about there relationship, considering he was hitch hiking in Lucanis's head.

Would he tell her how he came to possess him? she wondered before shaking her head, it wouldn't do to let her mind wander when she should be concentrating on driving.

She smiled, spotting a road sign, only 13 more miles until they reached Antiva City. She wondered where they would be setting up, would there be a warehouse similar to the diamond. She had never been to the Golden Plaza before.

It was apparently a pretty big venue, it could house twice as many people as the Diamond. It was going to be an interesting 3 days regardless.

The rest of the drive was smooth, they pulled up at a huge building to the side of the Plaza. Not as big as the warehouse, but big enough to house the trailers and tour bus, the crew had just started setting up a food stall when she pulled up. Illario had parked Lucanis's trailer next to the tour bus, and Lucanis did not look happy about it. He was arguing with Illario when she parked next to his trailer.

"You know I dont like my trailer this close." He frowns.

"There isn't room, it's not my fault, relax, it will be fine." He chuckles, noticing where Altara parked. "Well, I can't move your trailer now, you're wedged in." He grins.

"I swear to the maker I hate you." Lucanis growls, and Illario laughs. "Oh, dont be like that, Cousin, maybe actually socialising with your crew might improve that sour look that's permanently on your face." He jokes.

"Doesn't look sour right now, looks like he's going to explode, actually." Altara jokes, Lucanis shoots her a glare, but when Illario looks across the warehouse to shout at a crew member for dropping something, Lucanis smirks, letting his gaze trail over her like a promise before schooling his expression when Illario turns back to face him.

She shivered and chewed her lower lip before clearing her throat.

"So what's the plan, boss?" She chuckles when Illario raises an eyebrow at the term.

"You're the sound tech, go help set up the sound stage." He gestures with a hand to the far side of the building.

"Sure." She grins before heading in that direction.

Lucanis watched her go, his gaze trailing down to her ass before quickly looking away, before Illario would notice. He sighs, at least he could move about freely here, having there base of operations inside meant he wouldn't have to worry about dodging the sun so much.

He noticed she had parked right next to his trailer, with the crew tour bus on his trailer's right. Thankfully, Illario, Pike, and Toya's trailers were further away, but still, sneaking into each other's trailers was probably not an option. Not that he had been planning to, but the thought of her paying him another visit in the middle of the night sent a thrill down his spine.

He had no idea when they would get a moment alone, and of course, he had to make it even more difficult by not wanting everyone to know about them. Sneaking around would be difficult but not impossible.

"Lucanis!" Illario says, raising his voice. Lucanis blinked and realised he had been spacing out.

"Sorry, cousin, what were you saying?" He asks.

"I was saying, have you decided on the opening song yet?" Illario crosses his arms. "What has gotten into you? You have been acting strange all day." He frowns.

Lucanis smiles.

"Nothing is wrong, and yes, I have. I think Body Bag would be a good opening number. I've not used that one in a while." He grins, it was one of his favourites actually, the crowds loved it.

Illario grins, "Alright then, I have things to sort out with the owner, go brood or something." He chuckles when Lucanis shoots him a glare.

"I dont brood." He sulks.

YES you DO

Do not

DO

Stop being Childish

NEVER

He sighs and heads back towards his trailer, dragging a table and chair near it so he can work on his music and watch people.

Altara sighed, plugging the last bit of equipment and wiped her brow, the sound desk was situated in a booth opposite the stage, it offered an excellent view, she would be able to see the performance almost like a VIP, she looked forward to the show, someone mentioned Lucanis had chosen Body bag as his opening number, one of her favourites she loved that it went hard yet playful.

She remembers the last time he played that song was before the Ossuary Festival disaster. She had a feeling the crowd would form a mosh pit for a song like that, even if Lucanis didn't ask them to, he loved to get the crowd involved in his music. It was something she had always admired about him.

She smiled to herself, she had no idea all those years ago that one day she would work for him, get into a relationship with him, or whatever it was between them, it didn't feel like just sex to her, but they have not had much opportunity to speak about what they were, only that he wanted it to be a secret.

She frowned. She wasn't sure how she felt about sneaking around, especially with so much crew on the tour, but a part of her was excited that he wanted her all to himself. She wanted to be his, she didn't understand this feeling, sure they had slept together, but she felt a connection with him, she saw the pain he hid from the world.

She hoped being with him made that pain more bearable, but again, they had not been together long, she didn't know what to expect. She bit her lip, remembering the taste of his lips, the feel of him against her, the way his lips had trailed over her. She cleared her throat, she shouldn't be thinking about him. She should be working.

"What's got you grinning?" The other tech teases, and she blushes.

"Nothing." She quickly schools her expression and stands, "I think we are all set up. Any checks left to do?" She asks, getting back to the job at hand, she wasn't going to entertain his teasing.

"I dont think so, though these need delivering to Lucanis's dressing room." He says, pointing to a few boxes of clothes on a cart.

"I'll do that, go check in with Illario about the updated playlist, that way I can prepare for tomorrow night's show." She explains wheeling the cart from the booth.

He nods and waves her off, doing one last power check before doing as she asked.

Lucanis strummed his guitar, humming a tune, a song he had writting before the ossuary, something he had given up on, but something made him want to try again.

THINKING of HER

Maybe

WANT to SING for HER

I dont know, I just

I WANT to SING to

what?

I LIKE her TOO

She's mine!

OURS

No!

YES, like YOU are MINE

I'm not yours. We are partners, nothing more

YOU know THAT'S not TRUE

That was before

Lucanis frowns when Spite falls silent. He felt a pang of guilt, had he hurt his feelings? Their relationship was hard to explain, he sometimes couldn't tell where he ended and Spite began, their souls inextricably bound.

Spite had been with him so long, they shared everything, but part of him wanted Altara for himself, to have one thing that was his own. But was anything truly his own anymore?

Spite?

He frowns, feeling even more guilty, it seemed Spite wasn't talking to him now.

I'm sorry

He puts down his notebook and guitar and lights a cigarette, and sinks into his chair, taking a long drag, feeling like an asshole. Spite had been his only companion, the only one that understood him, sure he had Illario, but he didn't know what it was like to deal with the thirst, didn't know what it felt like to never be able to bask in the sun.

Spite understood the thirst, he experienced it with him. He had pulled him from the brink of insanity in the ossuary, saved him from himself on multiple occasions when he had been close to ending it.

Spite, please talk to me.

WHY, you're not MINE, why should I care

I'm sorry, I just

You Dont TRUST me, I saved YOU, Helped ALWAYS, CARED for YOU

I do trust you

You HURT me

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just complicated

I FORGIVE you.

He closed his eyes, feeling the sensation of someone cupping his cheek, he smiled when he felt pressure on his lips like a kiss, He still didn't know what to call his relationship with Spite, friends, enemy's, lovers all of the above, there circumstances were strange, he was his closest friend and ally but sometimes his greatest fear, Spite did not show affection often, he could touch him through there connection, they had experimented a few times, they had both been curious but Spite wasn't really his lover. But sometimes Spite treated him like he was his.

He got jealous whenever he sought out companionship, though that was rare, Altara was the first lover Spite had shown an interest in, she had accepted him despite his curse, she knew of Spite and it had not put her off but he was terrified if he let Spite talk to her, to be involved in there relationship, he might scare her off. He didn't want to lose her, she made his mind quiet, the dark thoughts, she kept them at bay, she was a light in the darkness, maker he had it bad, he barely knew her, why did he feel like this, he was dooming himself to heartbreak, she would grow old, he wouldn't, there time together was finite, one day he would lose her.

DONT think like THAT

How can I not, you know this curse, I'm immortal, she isn't

She COULD BE

No!

WHY not?

I can't do that to her, Damn her to this hell

It's NOT all bad, is IT

No but

Not NOW, but THINK about IT, you could spend an Eternity with her, with US

The thought filled him with horror, but under the surface, a sliver of hope, and that made him feel disgusted with himself, no He couldn't do that to her, couldn't curse her to a life like this, the thirst for blood, to never know the sun's warmth.

He shakes his head and writes a few things in his notebook, and picks up his guitar again, trying to clear his head.

"Hey, Lucanis." Toya grins, strolling up with a cup of coffee in her hands. She takes a sip of her coffee and tilts her head. "What ya working on?" She asks, taking a seat and lighting up a cigarette.

"I dont know yet." He admits, trying a few notes and scowling, No, that wouldn't do.

"Sounds different." She comments

"It is." He sighs, finishing his cigarette.

"I see you finally got your head out of your ass." She grins as his eyes shoot to hers.

"What are you talking about?" He growls.

"I saw Altara leaving your trailer this morning," she waggles her eyebrows and raises her hands "Relax, I haven't told anyone." She chuckles.

He sighs, he supposed out of all the people to see them, Toya was the least likely to tell everyone.

"She's good for you, Lucanis. Dont you dare push her away again." She warns.

"That's not really your business." Lucanis glared.

"You know that intimidation thing doesn't work on me." She grins, and he rolls his eyes.

"It's still new, I dont want the others to know." He puts his guitar down and slouches in his chair.

"I can run interference if you want." She laughs when he shoots her a look of surprise.

"I would appreciate that." He smiles and she grins again.

"Oh damn, dont think I've ever seen you smile like that." She fans herself, and he frowns, making her laugh.

"You're the worst." He grumbles.

"Or the best." She stands up finishing her cigarette "Anyway, boss man wants you to check your dressing room, says theirs a bunch of clothes you need to sort through before the show, the costume department is running late, they got stuck by a road block and have to take the long route, so you will need to dress yourself. I think Altara was just dropping them off." She smirks, "If you hurry, you might be able to steal a moment," She adds and laughs when he sits up.

He grabs his guitar and stands, heading for his trailer to put it away. He pauses at the door to his trailer when he is done.

"Thanks, Toya." He smiles before heading across the building towards his dressing room.

She dragged the cart down the hall and found the dressing rooms. She smiled, tracing the Demon of Vyrantium logo painted on the door on the left. She pushes it open and pulls the cart inside.

It was pretty big, a Vanity with a mirror, one of those Hollywood showgirl mirrors with the lights. A stool was pushed in front of it on one side, and there was a couch with a TV and a mini fridge full of soda and beer on the other side.

She moves the cart and opens the crates, it was full of leather jackets, studded belts and boots, sleeveless jackets, t-shirts and vests, a bag full of make-up was tucked into the corner of one of them.

She pulled out the collapsible clothing rack and started hanging up the clothes, organising them by type to make it easier for the costume department to find things, though she heard they had been delayed, he would need to dress himself for tomorrow's show.

She had just finished hanging the last jacket when she heard the door close and click like it had been locked. She gasped, turning towards the door with a mesh shirt in her hands. It was Lucanis.

He leaned against the door for a moment, watching her, his eyes trailing over her slowly. He smirked and kicked off from the door.

"Did you change jobs without telling me?" He purred his gaze falling to the shirt in her hands.

"No, I was just hanging up your clothes for you." She swallows as he gets closer

"Why did you lock the door?" She asked as he backed her against the wall next to the clothing rail. He placed a hand on the wall by her head and leaned in.

"I didn't want to be interrupted." He purred, his gaze dark as he watched her.

"I've been thinking about you all day." He whispered, taking the shirt from her hands and tossing it over the rail before sweeping her up in a kiss.

She gripped the front of his shirt as she kissed him back. She sighed, her hands sliding up into his hair. He growled, deepening the kiss, his tongue tracing the seam of her lips.

He pulled her flush against him, and when she gasped, he licked into her mouth, pulling on her lower lip with his teeth.

"Were you thinking of me?" He whispered in her ear, before kissing her neck, he inhaled her scent and groaned, pressing her against the wall.

"Oh fuck." She moaned, tugging on his hair. He hoisted her up into his arms and carried her to the couch. He sat down and looked up at her, his hands gliding down to her hips and tugging her into his lap.

She settled against him and smirked, rolling her hips. He groaned, his grip on her hips tightening.

"I've been thinking about you, too." She purred. "I missed having you between my thighs." She whispered in his ear, he groaned, pulling her hips closer, grinding against her, his mouth fell open at the friction.

"Fuck." He grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her down to kiss her again, his lips gliding over hers as she rocked her hips. She could feel him pressing against her through his jeans and her leggings.

He slid a hand down to grope her ass as he parted from her lips, kissing her neck. He growled, sliding his hands up her hips to grip her top and tugging it upwards. She lifts her arms to help and tosses her top to the side. He groaned at the black lace cupping her breasts.

He presses a kiss to the top of her breasts then trails kisses towards a nipple, mouthing it through her bra, she sighed arching her back, he reached behind her to unclip her bra and she chuckled when he struggled for moment in his haste to remove it, it comes undone and she lets it fall down her arms teasingly before dropping it on the floor.

She moans when he cups a breast, giving it a good squeeze before lifting it to his lips. He licks across a nipple and sucks it into his mouth before doing the same to the other one. She kisses him, sliding her hands down to untuck his shirt and sliding her hands up under it.

He arches into her touch and groans when she rakes her nails down his stomach. She grips the bottom of his shirt and tugs it upwards, and he pulls it over his head, throwing it to the side without looking, before kissing her roughly, laying her down on the couch cushions, as he settles between her legs.

He leans back, watching her, his dark gaze trailing over her. He bites his lower lip before leaning down to kiss her neck, dragging his fangs against her skin. She trails a hand down his chest, and reaches for his belt. he grabs her hand and stops her.

"Not yet, I want to savour you." He purrs, trailing kisses down to her breasts, moving down her body as he grips the waistband of her leggings, pulling them down and off once she kicks off her shoes.

"Lucanis." She moaned, arching her back as he kissed down to her hip. He presses a kiss there and chuckles darkly, looking up her body at her.

"You're so fucking beautiful." He groans.

She was panting for breath, her hands now held above her head in one of his hands, her lips were parted, her white hair loose around her head like a halo.

He trailed the fingers of his spare up her inner thigh, watching her face as he brushed against her now damp underwear. He smirks, pushing her underwear to the side and pressing his fingers between her folds.

"You're soaking wet for me." He growled, enjoying watching her eyes flutter closed, her head grinding back into the cushions behind her head. He leaned back down, gripping the edge of her panties and pulling them down her legs, baring her completely.

He pressed a kiss to her knee, trailing his lips up to her inner thigh, he bared his fangs and bit down in the spot he had indicated he could take from before, she gasped in surprise as he lapped at the wound with a groan, the taste of her blood sent a pulse of heat to his cock, he groaned kissing the now healed bite before trailing his lips further up to join his fingers. He released her hands and smirked against her when her fingers sank into his hair, tugging on it as she let out a shaky moan.

He licked a broad stripe through her folds and groaned at her taste. He lapped at her for a moment, relishing in her breathy moans. He sucked her clit into his mouth, flicking his tongue against it. She threw her head back and moaned loudly.

He pulled back with a smirk.

"You will need to be quiet. Can you do that for me?" He purred, she stared at him, her cheeks flushed, before nodding her head. He grinned, flashing his fangs before diving back between her legs, licking and sucking on her clit once more, tracing his name through her folds. She writhed under him, biting back another moan.

"Please." She begged, tugging on his hair, her thighs shaking and locking around his head. He grabbed her thighs, holding them on either side of his head as he continued to devour her, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. She could feel it building like a spring, coiling tighter and tighter. "Oh, maker." She gasped, feeling that spring coil so tight it snapped, and she came with a cry of his name, quickly muffled by her hand over her mouth.

He continued licking across her clit until she yanked on his hair, Overstimulated. He pulled away, licking his lips. He moved back up her body and hovered above her, his cock straining to escape his jeans. He shuddered when she groped him through them.

She claws at his belt and growls in frustration when the angle makes it difficult.

"Please." She pants, and he chuckles, tilting his head at her.

"Please, what?" He teases, letting her continue to struggle with his belt, he lets out a low moan when she finally gets it undone and yanks it out of the loops roughly, popping the buttons of his jeans open and reaching inside.

He moans, falling against her, his face buried in her neck, his hot breath fanning across her heated skin as she pulls him free and gives him a good squeeze.

"In me now." She demands, stroking him teasingly. He gasped, rocking his hips into her hand, he was already leaking. He tugged his jeans down his hips before pulling her up with him. She was confused for a second, but then he was leaning back against the cushions "Ride me." He demanded, dragging her thighs over him until she was straddling him.

She pulled his head between her breasts as she angled her hips, grinding against the head of his cock. He slid his arms around her, dragging her down against him. "RIDE me," he growled in frustration as she continued to tease him.

She bit her lower lip, reaching between them to guide him before sinking down onto him, taking him inside until their hips were flush. Maker, he felt so good inside her, she could feel every inch of him.

He gripped her hips, letting out a breathless moan when she lifted her hips only to sink back down, the angle letting him feel her walls clench around him with every rock of her hips. He pulled her hips down, driving himself as deep as he could possibly go as she began to move in earnest, dragging her nails across his scalp through his hair.

He moaned, pulling her in for a messy kiss as she rode him. The kiss all teeth and tongue. She gasped when she cut her lower lip on one of his fangs. He growled, licking into her mouth, chasing the taste of her blood.

He twitched inside her, growing harder, his thighs trembling as he reached between them, stroking her clit with his thumb. She clung to him, moaning his name in his ear.

"Dont stop, please, oh maker please!." She gasped as he dragged her hips harder against him, bucking up into her, his thumb teasing across her clit in tight circles. She cried out, muffling her moans in his neck as she clenched around him like a vice as she came.

He growls, nearly throwing her on her back, as he buries himself into her over and over, chasing his own release. He groaned in her ear, his breath harsh. Thrusting deep as he gripped her hips so tightly it was sure to bruise.

"That's it." She purred in his ear, "Come for me." She bit his ear, and he shuddered above her, his hips pressing into hers as he buried himself to the hilt and came, his cock throbbing inside. She shivered, feeling the heat of his release.

"Mine." He growled possessively, nipping her throat but not breaking the skin. He sighed, collapsing against her, breathing hard, his back slick with sweat.

"All yours." She sighs.

A few moments pass before he lifts up onto his elbows, she lifts a hand, stroking his cheek, and he leans into the touch, his eyes closed. She shivers, feeling him still twitching inside her.

She smiles at the peaceful look on his face, his usual broody expression nowhere to be found. But when his eyes opened, he looked pained, and then his eyes flashed purple.

"Hello again." Spite purrs and she gasps, pushing him off her and covering herself with Lucanis's discarded shirt.

Chapter Text

"Hello again." Spite purrs and she gasps, pushing him off her and covering herself with Lucanis's discarded shirt.

"Spite?" She tries to find something else to cover herself, but Spite catches her hand.

"Dont hide, pretty Bird." He smirks, letting his gaze trail over her. She shivers under his scrutiny, clutching Lucanis's shirt to her breasts like a lifeline.

"Give him back." She growls, and he shakes his head.

"NO, my TIME to talk." He growls, he pins her to the sofa, and she whimpers, turning her head away from him in fear. He freezes. Why was she afraid? Spite wouldn't hurt the pretty bird. He pulls back.

"Won't hurt you, want you, like my Lucanis." He grabs a blanket that was hanging on the back of the sofa and offers it to her. She takes it gingerly and wraps it around herself.

"Your Lucanis? You can't just take over and use him like this." She frowns, and he scoffs.

"CAN!, DO! Lucanis is MINE." He growls, "Every touch, every smell, taste, MINE!" He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "Won't SHARE, WHY!" He tilts his head at her, expecting an answer.

"You dont share people, Spite." She scolds, then blushes. "At least not without everyone agreeing." She adds and tugs the blanket closer around her.

"Spite Shares LUCANIS, can Share ROOK," He says, getting excited and leaning closer. She flinches away from him.

"NO, I dont know you, you can't just..." She pushes him away.

"Give me Lucanis back." She grows more worried by the minute. The last time Spite had taken over, Lucanis had gotten control back pretty quickly. This was the longest he had taken over.

"But I WANT to TALK to YOU!" Spite growls in frustration, "Lucanis NEVER lets me TALK to ANYONE! breaks his promise." He pulls at his hair. He didn't know how to communicate what he wanted to someone who couldn't just feel what he wanted. She quickly stops him, holding his hands.

"Dont do that, you will hurt Lucanis, you will hurt yourself." She says, looking worried.

Whatever Spite was, he was clearly frustrated and not used to talking to people, he had no concept of boundaries, and she wondered for a moment how Lucanis had survived so long with such a creature in his head.

Spite looks at her hands holding his and smiles.

"Worried for SPITE?" He looks up at her and tilts his head like a curious bird.

"Look, Spite, if you want to talk to me, you can't just take over like this, you should ask Lucanis first." She explains, and he shakes his head in annoyance.

"Did ASK Lucanis never lets me talk, have to STEAL moments when I can." He looks down and looks sad.

"Let me talk to him, and I will see about him letting you talk to me, just not now, ok, how about that?" She smiles, and he frowns.

"Make him LISTEN, I want Altara to." He leans closer. "KISS and I will go." He smiles, and she has to remind herself this isn't Lucanis, it's his face, but this creature isn't him.

"Kisses are not currency," She scolds him again, and he looks sheepish.

"On cheek?" He asks, looking hopeful, and she can't help but feel a little fondness for him when he looks at her like that.

"Fine, but then you give me Lucanis back, I will ask him to let you speak when you ask, but you can't just do it after we have." She blushes furiously. Lucanis had still been inside her when his eyes had flashed purple, she shivered, remembering the feral look that had come over his face before Spite spoke.

"DEAL," He grins and leans close, closing his eyes and waiting. She can't help but smile. They clearly needed to have a conversation, but now was not an appropriate time, they needed to be somewhere where people couldn't interrupt them. Yes, the door was locked, but someone could overhear their conversation. Spite didn't seem to have much self-control when it came to the volume of his voice.

She presses her lips to his cheek, and he purrs like a contented cat before Lucanis slumps against her. She pulls him into her arms and strokes his cheek. His eyes flutter for a moment before he sits bolt upright, looking terrified.

"Altara, are you ok? Did he hurt you?" He panics, checking her for injuries.

"Shhhhhh, it's ok, I'm fine, he didn't hurt me, He just needed to be taught some boundaries, that's all." She smiles, and he frowns, looking angry, more at himself than her, then he looks resigned.

"I should go." He goes to do just that, what was the point in staying? She was going to leave, but she grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"Where are you going?" She frowns.

"Spite, he, I put you in danger, being with you, you're not just with me, I was selfish to think I could have anything for myself, He won't let me." He tries to tug himself free from her grip, but she holds fast.

"Sit down, talk to me." She tugs his arm, and he sinks into the cushions and looks away from her, as if he couldn't look at her. She takes his face in her hands and makes him look at her.

"I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. Spite just wanted to talk, he just didn't go about it the right way. I explained that to him." She smiles when he looks confused, as if the idea that she would be ok with Spite, that what he did, had not frightened her, was impossible.

"He says you never let him talk. Is that true?" She asks softly.

"It's my body, he's just a passenger, why should I?" He looked down, he shared his emotions, his senses, now Spite wanted to control his body? It felt that if he allowed that, he would be the passenger, watching Spite live his life, while he was unable to do anything, forced to watch as he consumed him whole.

HOW do YOU think I FEEL

You want everything

I WANT to LIVE!

So do I

"Hey, look at me." She commands, and his eyes meet hers hesitantly. "Why are you so afraid of letting him talk to me?" She asks, genuinely curious.

"He wants everything, nothing is ever truly mine, I thought, when you..." He looks away, unable to maintain eye contact. "I wanted you for me, to have one thing that was mine and mine alone." He growls in frustration

NEVER let ME TALK, MAKE me watch, TRAPPED in your head, no way OUT

This is my body, damn it!

Just WANT to TALK, dont ASK for much

I share everything with you, why can't I have one thing for myself

We MADE a DEAL to LIVE

We are living!

LIES, holding BACK, not living, HIDING from ME

He stands up and pulls on his jeans, and begins to pace anxiously. This was too much, Spite asked too much.

DONT want to FIGHT

Then let me have this, let me have her.

YOU are MINE, was MINE first, now you only WANT her

Spite?

You LET me TOUCH you, FEEL you, now YOU dont WANT me,

are you...Are you Jealous? Is that what this is about?

SHE makes you FEEL good, MAKES us FEEL GOOD, WANT to FEEL good AGAIN

I... I dont know what to say.

He sits down heavily and stares at his hands, flexing them. A strange emotion is bubbling in his chest. He lets out an incredulous laugh. His demon was jealous of her?

I MADE you FEEL good ONCE, I was ENOUGH

You did, but....

MY lucanis, MINE!

You can't keep me all to yourself

Then SHARE

That's not fair either

IS FAIR, want to MAKE her FEEL good too, BOTH of you.

What are you asking?

LET me WATCH, FEEL, LOVE you BOTH

He looks at Altara, watching the look of Concern and worry on her face, the way she looked at him, he didn't feel like he deserved it. She smiles and crawls towards him, pulling him into her arms. He fought her at first, afraid to have her close when Spite was so agitated, but then he felt him, in his head, purring like a cat, his agitation soothed by such a simple offer of affection.

Lucanis melted into her arms and sighed.

"Altara I." He tries to speak, to explain how he was feeling, but she shakes her head.

"It's ok, I think I understand what is going on here." She smiles, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

"You two need to make an agreement. Spite needs clear boundaries." She explains, the fact Spite had chosen to take over at such an inappropriate time had shown her that much.

"How? I dont even know where to begin." Lucanis admits he felt lost, conflicted. Spite was his friend, perhaps more, but she was a light in the darkness, a miracle, a salvation he never thought he could have.

"Let's deal with that later, right now, we need to pick your wardrobe for the show." She grins, an idea already forming in her head, as she finally pulls on her clothes. Lucanis watches her curiously as she collects the mesh top he had discarded earlier and turns to face him, throwing it in his direction. He caught it and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, put it on." He tilts his head and pulls it over his head and smirks as her eyes trail over him appreciatively.

"Is it to your liking?" He asked, standing up so she could get a better look.

"Very," she said. She had always been told fishnets made her legs look great, but maker, the fine mesh across his chest, and the fact she could see his muscles and tattoos under the material, was enough to make her mouth water. He was gorgeous.

"You said your opener was going to be Body bag, right?" She grinned.

"Yeah, why?" He asks curiously.

"If you wear that, I think a lot of people will be leaving in a body bag." She giggles, then swallows when he saunters closer.

"Is that so?" He purrs, pulling her against him. "What about you?" He whispers against her lips.

"I'm hanging in there." She smiles, closing the distance and kissing him. He growls into her mouth, deepening the kiss and stealing her breath. he pulls her closer, and she moans into his lips. A knock at the door startles them apart.

"Mierda." He curses, turning his head to the door. "Who is it?" He calls through the door.

"It's me, Toya, just giving you a Heads up that Illario is on his way." He smiles, hearing her retreating footsteps. And quickly heads to the door, unlocking it before going back to his clothes.

"What should I wear with this then?" He chuckles, turning to face her with a studded sleeveless jacket in his hands.

She chews her lip with worry.

"Should I be in here if Illario is on his way?" She asks nervously.

"You're helping me pick my outfit." He grins.

"Right." She nods, glancing at the door for a moment. "Does...Does Toya.." She trails off.

"She knows, but dont worry, she can keep a secret, and she said she would help us out, hence the warning." He smiles.

"About before..we..we do need to talk about this, but where?" She fiddles with a loose thread on her T-shirt.

"Tonight, after the meeting, I was thinking about going for a Ride, you could come with?" He asks, suddenly shy again.

"A ride?" She asks, looking confused.

"On my motorcycle." He smirks when her eyes go wide with excitement.

"You have a motorcycle." She asks excitedly.

"A Harley Davidson, I've had her for years, it's in the back of my trailer, she goes everywhere with me." He smiles.

"Alright, should I meet you somewhere? People might talk if they see us ride out together," She asks.

"There is a diner near the plaza called The Roost, we can meet there, wear something nice for me." He purrs.

"Oh." She blushes, "Oh, ok." She nods, suddenly feeling very warm under his gaze. What did he mean by nice, like sexy underwear nice, or just another goth look? He seemed to like that. Her mind begins to race, trying to think of what she could wear.

That's when the door opened.

"A mesh top, that's new." Illario drawls, strolling in like he owned the place. He glances between them for a moment, then smirks. "I bet it was her idea, wasn't it?" he teases.

"What, me, well, I thought it looked nice, so." She trails off and clears her throat.

"I like it," Lucanis says suddenly, then glares at Illario.

"Right, well I've sorted out our schedule, you will have the stage from 7 pm until 11 pm tomorrow night with an hour's intermission," Illario explains.

"We will have a meeting to finalise our set list in..." He trails off, looking at his watch. "1 Hour." He turns to Altara, "Your fellow sound tech is complaining about cables, you should probably check on him." He says with a smirk.

"Right, I'll get on that. Where will the meeting be?" She asks, moving to the door, that's when she spots her lacy underwear on the floor right by Lucanis's feet and the sofa, she doesn't think Illario has noticed them yet, her eyes go wide in panic.

"By the trailers," Illario says before turning to face Lucanis.

"Right, I'll see you both there." She says, waving her arms to get Lucanis' attention and pointing at his feet. He looks confused for a moment before schooling his expression and glancing down when Illario looked back at her to nod, he quickly kicks her panties under the sofa and groans internally, realising that means she wasn't wearing any underwear.

She nods at Illario, then rushes from the room, hoping to the maker that Illario had not noticed anything.

Altara headed back to the sound desk and crossed her arms at the other tech and sighed.

"What's this about cables?" She asks, partially annoyed as she had asked if there was anything else before she left to deliver the clothes to Lucanis's dressing room.

"Just one, the power lead for the subwoofer, it's too short, I thought it would be long enough, so I didn't say anything earlier." He looks embarrassed to have made such a rookie mistake, he should have checked the cable first.

"Do we have any spare cables or an extension?" She tilts her head, unsure why he wouldn't have checked that first.

"I dont know, maybe." He shrugs.

"How long have you been a sound tech?" She asks, crossing her arms.

"Um, as long as you." He says, avoiding her eyes.

"Oh really, and how long do you think I've been a sound tech, surely not just for this tour, that would be a huge assumption on your part." She growls, she was sick of people assuming this was her first gig. She may have only been working for Lucanis for a few weeks, but she had been working as a sound tech for years, testing sound decks for De Riva industries.

"Sorry, I uh shouldn't have assumed, but this is my first gig, I was just a gofer before." He looks at the ground.

"How the hell did you go from that to a sound tech?" She asks, confused.

"Well, Lucanis's original sound tech quit, and he needed someone. I had done sound stuff before, I was just supposed to be a stand-in until he got someone better." He fiddles with the cable in his hands. "I thought when he hired you, I wouldn't need to do this anymore, but Illario insisted we should have a backup in case anything went wrong and you needed to leave the desk." He explains.

"Alright, I can work with that. Come on, let's find a cable that's long enough. I remember there are extra cables near Illario's trailer. If they haven't been used already, we can grab one from there." She opens the door and looks back at him.

"Well, come on, dont just stand there, we have to be ready for tomorrow night's show." She grins before hopping down the steps and heading back to the warehouse. The other tech follows sheepishly, catching up with her.

"My name's Marcus, by the way, I dont think I ever told you my name before." He smiles.

She smiles, opening the door to the warehouse and stepping through.

Toya and Pike were next to the food van, arguing over brands of beer, of all things.

"I'm telling you, Crow Stout is the best beer." Toya smirks.

"No way, Orlesian pale ale is the best," Pike argues.

"That's an ale, not a beer." She counters, then waves, noticing Altara making a beeline for the cable bin.

"Why do you always have to argue about everything?" Pike grumbles.

"Because it's funny watching you try and win the argument." She grins.

"You just like teasing me." Pike pouted playfully.

"You love it." She laughs.

"Maybe." He grins.

"You two arguing again?" Altara calls over to them whilst rummaging through the cable bin.

"It passes the time," Toya calls back, making her laugh.

"You two should just kiss already," Altara says with a grin, finding a cable that looked long enough, she tosses it to Marcus, who catches it and nearly drops it.

"I've been saying that for months." Pike laughs, waggling his eyebrows at Toya.

"Keep dreaming." Toya laughs.

"Come on, let's see if this cable is long enough," Altara says to Marcus, giving Toya and Pike a wave before heading back towards the plaza.

"You two seem cosy." Illario comments, sitting on the sofa.

"I wanted to go over some ideas for tomorrow night's show," Lucanis says, proud he kept his voice even. "Was there something else you needed to tell me?" He asks, hoping to change the subject.

"Are you two ever going to stop dancing around eachother?" Illario grins.

"Stop it, Illario, it's none of your business." Lucanis crosses his arms

"I'm your manager, Lucanis. I need to make sure you're not distracted by our pretty sound tech." He laughs when Lucanis glares at him.

HE called HER pretty, SHE OURS!

Calm down, he is just teasing us

DONT like IT

Neither do I, but he's family, it comes with the territory.

GRRR

"Enough with your teasing. If you're not here about the tour, I have things I need to take care of before the meeting." Lucanis growls

"Like what, you seem to have your wardrobe in hand," Illario smirks, eyeing the jacket in Lucanis's hands.

"I want to take a ride around the city on my motorcycle. She needs an oil change," Lucanis says. Illario didn't need to know that the ride included Altara, he was glad he kept a spare helmet in the storage on the back of the bike.

"Oh, I didn't think you still had that old thing," Illario says dismissively.

"You know I take her everywhere," Lucanis says, crossing his arms.

"I swear you love that bike more than me." Illario pouts.

"My motorcycle is less of a headache." Lucanis smirks

"You wound me, you love me really." Illario smiles.

"You're a pain in my ass, but you're my brother, Cousin." Lucanis smiles back.

He was glad he had forgiven him for the Ossuary Festival, their relationship had not exactly been great after that little fuck up, but Illario had just kept apologising until he forgave him. They were family, and he was all he had left.

He needed a manager who knew about his special requirements, it would have been inconvenient needing to hide what he was to his manager, and Caterina had insisted, her dying wish, so to speak, even if the old crone still clung to life out of pure stubbornness.

"And as your brother, it is my job to be a pain in your ass." Illario grins.

"You do it well." Lucanis laughs.

The cable was the perfect length with a few inches of wiggle room, she was thankful, she didn't really want to run all around town trying to find a store that would be open this late.

With that settled, they returned to the warehouse with the trailers. She slipped inside her trailer to get changed. He said to wear something nice, but she hadn't really packed much. She riffles through her wardrobe and grins, finding the perfect outfit. She had bought them ages ago but had never been brave enough to wear them before.

A short black pleated skirt, a cropped black tank top with a long sleeve mesh top over it, she paired it with a silver chain belt with crescent moons and stars on it. She decided to wear her hair loose.

She slipped on fishnet tights and some Black leather, studded New Rocks, and a silver crescent moon necklace and matching earrings. She checked herself out in the mirror and grinned, wondering how Lucanis would react to her outfit. She shivered, remembering their first kiss, the way he had taken her in when she first stepped into the room.

She nodded, satisfied with her look, and grabbed her leather jacket before hopping out of the trailer and wandering over to the fire pit they had set up with deck chairs. The meeting will be soon.

She glanced over at Lucanis's trailer and smiled. He was working on his bike, which looked new, but she knew it was older by the model, she didn't think they even manufactured that model anymore. He was crouched down, changing the oil. He looked relaxed, as if working on his bike calmed him.

He was in a Deep red vest and jeans with biker boots, smudges of oil stained his hands and arms as he stood and wiped his brow, he looked up and froze for a second, taking in her outfit.

SHE looks HOT

She does

DRESSED up NICE for US

For me.

NO US!

Maker spite, she isn't yours.

YET

You are a pain in the ass

You LIKE when im a PAIN in your ASS

That's not...Maker Spite enough.

He feels his amusement like a tickle on the back of his neck and frowns. He was still worried about what Spite might do when he was alone with her, but he couldn't avoid this conversation, he just hoped Spite would at least let him enjoy some time alone with her first.

He smiled, imagining her sitting behind him on his bike, her arms wrapped around his waist as he raced across the city, the wind in their hair. Or better yet, her spread on his bike while he.

He was getting ahead of himself and shook his head, giving her one last look before returning his attention to his bike. He needed to finish this oil change.

The meeting was brief, Illario handed out crew assignments, explained the set list, and what Lucanis wanted for special FXs to the mages and sound techs before calling it a night. Altara hovered for a bit, chatting with Toya and Pike.

"So you ready for tomorrow night?" She asks with a grin.

"You know it." Pike grins before yawning. "Think I'll hit the sack early, want to join me?" He grins at Toya, making her laugh.

"You wish." She laughs, waving him off when he pouts and heads to his trailer.

She turns to Altara and grins, "So, you and Lucanis?" she whispers.

"What about us?" Altara asks, looking around nervously. Illario was talking to Lucanis now that he had finished his work on the bike, he was straddling the bike, his helmet in hand.

"He seems happier." Toya comments.

"I hope so." Altara laughs, though things were a bit more complicated than that, but she couldn't really talk to her about that, not without revealing what Lucanis was.

She startles at the sound of his bike starting. The motorcycle purred as Lucanis put his helmet on and then peeled out of the warehouse, Illario staring after him with his arms crossed.

She quickly looks away before he notices her watching and fiddles with her sleeve. How was she going to get out of the warehouse with Illario watching, if she left now, he would know for sure that she was sneaking out to go with Lucanis on his bike.

"You dressed up, got plans?" Toya says, waggling her eyebrows.

"Lucanis said he would take me for a ride around the city," Altara whispers.

"Oh, really." Toya leans closer as if conspiring with her.

"Illario is watching, can u make a distraction so I can sneak out?" Altara asks shyly.

Toya grins and nods

"I got you." She pats her back and then heads over to Illario with a sway in her hips. Illario raises an eyebrow and tilts his head as she approaches. Toya places a hand on his chest and leans closer to whisper in his ear, manoeuvring them so his back was to the warehouse.

Seeing her opportunity, Altara makes a break for it and manages to make it outside before Illario can see her.

"Toya." Illario purrs, and she grins, stepping back.

"Yes, Illario?" She asks, trying to look innocent. "What are you up to? Are you trying to make Pike jealous?" He drawls, and she makes a face, then laughs.

"As if, no, I just wanted to say you're doing great as our manager, keep it up." She grins before turning heel and walking towards her trailer as if nothing happened.

Illario looks confused for a moment and looks around the warehouse, where had Altara gone? Had she gone to her trailer? he sighs. Guess he was drinking alone tonight. He shrugs and heads towards his trailer, keeping his phone on loud in case Lucanis needed anything, he just hoped he didn't stay out too late.

He pulled up next to the diner. He felt nervous as he removed his helmet and turned off the engine. He kicked out the stand and got off his bike, setting his helmet on the seat and pulling out his pack of cigarettes. He leaned against his bike and lit up, taking a long drag before glancing at his watch.

It would probably take her a few minutes to escape and a few more to get here, so he might as well get comfortable. he glanced at the skyline, letting out a stream of smoke, the stars were bright tonight.

PRETTY like HER

Yeah

NERVOUS

Of course, I'm nervous

WHY

I dont know what you'll do.

WONT hurt HER, WOULD never.

Will you give me a few hours with her first?

ONLY going to TALK

Spite!

FINE

He takes another long drag and sighs, swallowing down his nerves. Spite, for his part, had never hurt anyone, in fact, the last time there had been violence, it had been him. Spite had tried to calm him, maybe he was the one who wasn't safe around her. He let out another breath of smoke and looked at his feet.

You WON'T hurt her, I KNOW you.

I dont exactly act rationally around her

YOU like HER

I do

THEN you WON'T hurt her

Is it really that Simple?

If you LET it BE

Spite went silent then, and he smiled, spotting her crossing the road. He finished his cigarette and flicked it to the ground, stamping it out and leaning back against his bike, watching her.

She looked great, fishnets again, maker, why had she chosen fishnets? he swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment, reminding himself this wasn't a dream as she came to a stop in front of him.

"Come here often." She grinned, making him laugh.

"No, you?" He replies with a grin, letting his eyes trail over her. She fidgeted nervously under his gaze as he stood up straight, heading to the back of his bike to get out the spare helmet.

He hands it to her and smirks.

"You ready?" He asks, climbing back onto his bike and patting the seat behind him.

She pulled on the helmet and climbed onto the back of the bike, then hesitated like she didn't know where to put her hands. He chuckles, reaching behind him to grab her hands and bring them around his middle. Her hands felt so hot against his stomach, and he took a moment to savour the feeling. He tapped his helmet, indicating the microphone.

"Hold on tight." He purrs before starting the bike and lifting the kickstand with his foot. He walked the bike back a few paces and then took off out of the car park. He smiled as her arms tensed around his middle, not expecting him to go so fast.

The roads were quiet this time of night. She held on tightly as he weaved around a tight bend, the bike tilting, making her gasp. He laughed over the mic, enjoying the way she clung to him as he sped up down a straight. He smiled, it almost felt like flying when he was on his bike, just him, the road, and the open air.

But now it was her to, her holding him tightly, laughing as he weaved the bike just to make her scream. he knew where he was going, had checked it on his phone before they left, there was an abandoned observatory on the top of a hill overlooking the city, he hoped the view was worth it, if not there was always the stars.

"Where are we going?" She asks, tightening her grip as he leans around another bend.

"It's a secret." He chuckles.

"Oooo mysterious." She giggles.

He speeds up, and she gasps as he weaves back and forth up a chicane, trailing up the hillside. She laughs, feeling an adrenaline rush, the wind whipping her hair around as he turned around the last bend and slowed. He moved the bike off the road and pulled to a stop.

"Are we allowed up here?" She asked curiously as he turned off the engine. And removed his helmet. She hesitated for a moment when he didn't answer before removing her helmet and handing it to him. he climbed off the bike after kicking the stand out and hoisted her off the bike. He smirked, lowering her, dragging her down his body as he set her on her feet.

She looked up at him, and he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. She clung to his jacket and sighed into his lips. He held her against him and growled, stepping forward and pressing her against the bike. She gasped as he parted her lips. Maker, he was a good kisser.

He pulled back and licked his lips, watching her intensely for a moment before finally answering her question.

"I wouldn't be hiding the bike if we were allowed here, come on." He grins, stepping back, enjoying the dazed look on her face as she opens her eyes from his kiss.

He quickly puts the helmets away before moving some branches to hide his bike. Then grabs her hand.

"Trust me." He whispers before tugging her towards a rusty gate, he kicks it in and tugs her along behind him.

"Won't we get in trouble?" She asks shyly.

He laughs.

"Only if we get caught." He jokes, tugging her into an empty building, he never let go of her hand as he guided her up an old spiral staircase. The building looked like it had been abandoned for a while.

"What is this place?" She asks, relaxing a little now that they are inside.

"It's an old observatory," he says, pushing some old doors open, the screeched as they opened, the rust flaking on his fingers. He let go of her hand and dusted his hands off, and smiled. The telescope was huge, he couldn't believe this place had not been demolished yet. It seemed like a permanent landmark at this point.

The roof was closed, and no doubt the mechanism to open it wouldn't work, but there was a side door leading outside.

"Come on, we are almost there." He smiles and hesitates by the door. "Close your eyes, dont open them until I tell you." He whispers. She looks at him for a moment, then closes her eyes, letting him guide her.

The air was warm, the wind soft on her skin as he tugged her closer, moving behind her and sliding his arms around her.

"Open your eyes." He breathes, pressing a kiss to her neck.

The view was breathtaking, they could see the entire city from here. The stars were bright and sparkling in the sky like diamonds, not a cloud in sight.

"It's beautiful." She whispered in awe.

"Not as beautiful as you," He whispered back, holding her close and taking in the view.

They stayed like that for a while before she turned in his arms and looked up at him.

"This is wonderful, thanks for showing me this." She smiles, reaching up to touch his face.

He leans into the touch, closing his eyes, feeling that ache in his heart ease at her touch. He didn't understand how she did it, her presence alone calmed him.

"Lucanis?" She says his name like a question, and he opens his eyes.

"Are you ok?" she asks, sounding worried.

"I am now." He smiles at her, and she smiles back.

"Are you going to let Spite talk to me?" She asks hesitantly.

"I..." he looks away and tenses.

"I will, just let me have this before he scares you away," he says, his voice cracking slightly.

"Hey." She takes his face in her hands and makes him look at her.

"He hasn't scared me off yet, has he?" She smirks, and he sighs.

"No, and I dont know why, you should be terrified of me." He says with a bitter laugh.

"You showed me the stars, Lucanis, the way you look at me. Nobody has ever looked at me like that. How could I be afraid of you?" She leans up on her tiptoes and kisses him. He whimpers against her lips and kisses her back, pulling her against him.

She sighs, sliding her hands up into his hair as he steps forward, pressing her against the railing, tilting his head to deepen it. For a moment, they just kiss, exploring each other's taste, savouring the feeling before he pulls back.

"You're a light in the darkness. I never thought I would meet someone like you." He admits, watching her intensely, his gaze trailing over her once more, he lifts a hand, tracing her cheek, his thumb gliding over her lower lip before he leans down and sweeps her up in another kiss, this one feels more desperate than the last.

She tugged on his hair and he growled, hoisting her up into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he sat her on the railing, his hands trailing up her thighs.

He pulls back to let her catch her breath.

"Maker, you in fishnets, does something to me," He purrs, stepping between her legs and kissing her again. She moans into his lips, sliding her hands up under his shirt. He groans, feeling her palms burn against his stomach.

He rolls his hips and groans, biting her lower lip. She moans and rolls her hips back, he grips her hips and pants into her mouth.

"Wait, I want to..." He swallows, trying to calm down as he sets her back on her feet.

"What's wrong?" She asked, worried she had done something wrong.

"There is something I was thinking about earlier, I really want to try." He purrs, tugging her back down the stairs.

"What is it?" She asked, following him, excitement curling down her spine as they made it back to his bike.

He moves the branches out of the way before climbing onto his bike. He pulls her close and pulls her onto his lap in front of him.

"This." He growls before sealing her lips in a kiss that takes her breath away.

Chapter Text

"There is something I was thinking about earlier, I want to try." He purrs, tugging her back down the stairs.

"What is it?" She asked following him, excitement curling down her spine as they made it back to his motorcycle.

He moves the branches out of the way before climbing onto his bike. He pulls her closer and hauls her into his lap in front of him on the bike.

"This." He growls before sealing her lips in a kiss that takes her breath away.

She sighed into the kiss as he pulled her closer, bringing her hips flush with his as he slanted his lips over hers. His kiss was eager with a hint of restraint.

She tugs at his hair, lifting her head to deepen it and moans softly. He groaned into the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue and rocking his hips against her. She could feel how hard he was becoming as he pressed against her. He pulled back, panting for breath, sliding his hands up her thighs and under her skirt to pull her closer until there was barely an inch between them.

"I want to fuck you on my bike." He growled, pressing his lips to her throat, trailing kisses down her neck. She shivered as he sucked on her pulse point, letting his fangs graze her skin teasingly.

"Lucanis." She gasped as he rocked his hips against her again, his palms gripping her ass as he grinded against her. "Someone could see us." She panted, clinging to him desperately.

"Nobody is here but us." He purred in her ear, sucking on the earlobe and grinding against her again, the ridge of his cock pressing against his jeans was rubbing against her in just the right way to make her mewl and arch her back.

He pulled back to look at her and smirked.

"Do you want me to stop?" He whispered, his intense gaze pinning her down. The fuel tank of his bike was still warm against her back as he lay her across his motorcycle, the leather seat was soft and squeaked slightly as he moved, his grip firm on her ass, she could feel his fingers digging into the meat of her.

"Dont stop." She whispered back, and he smiled before kissing her deeply, consuming her lips like a man dying of thirst. He rocked against her, and she cried out at the friction, clawing at his leather jacket desperately. He was rock hard now, pressing into her even through the layers of his jeans and her thong.

He growled, ripping a hole in her fishnets to reach her. She gasped, hearing the flimsy fabric tear in his grip, felt the tug of it on her skin as he pushed the small piece of fabric covering her heat to the side and slid his fingers against her. He captured her moan with his lips as he stroked her, leaning back to watch her face.

Her brow was furrowed, her lips parted as another breathy moan escaped her, she cried out his name when he kissed her neck, sliding a finger inside her.

"Maker, you're so wet for me." He groaned, pressing another finger inside and feeling her clench around his fingers as her head fell back against the bike, his name falling from her lips as he pressed his palm to her clit, thrusting his fingers inside her.

"Ple...please." She moaned. "I want you." She gasped, reaching for his belt and unbuckling it desperately, clawing at the buttons to reach him. He gasped against her throat as she pulled him free of his jeans, pushing the material to the side and curling her fingers around his aching cock.

He withdrew his fingers from her, pushed her hand away from him to grab her hips and pulled her onto him in one smooth motion, sinking into her heat and letting out a shuddering moan as she clenched around him in surprise.

"Fuck." He gasped, thrusting into her, pulling back, then gripping her hips and dragging her down onto him again. She gasped at the stretch, the exquisite drag and pull of his cock inside her as he moved like a man possessed.

SO warm so TIGHT, want to STAY here Forever.

I could not agree more.

MORE!

Yes!

He pulled her up until she was sitting up in his lap. He gripped her shoulders and thrust up into her, pulling her down at the same time, burying himself to the hilt with every thrust. He captured her gaze with his and watched the pleasure on her face as he fucked her. She gasped, her eyes nearly falling closed from the intensity of it.

"Dont close your eyes, let me see you." He panted, his eyes hooded with desire. She felt so good, her heat pulsed around him like a heartbeat, he could feel his pending release curling up his spine, his thighs flexed with every thrust.

"Oh Maker!" She gasped, her lips parting in a low moan as the change in angle pressed him right against the soft, spongy tissue inside her that sent sparks of pleasure through her every time he dragged her hips down onto him.

"That's it." He purred, gritting his teeth as she clenched down on him even harder. His thrusts were becoming more erratic as the pleasure built, the heat of their coupling burning hotter, threatening to consume them as he swept her up in a messy kiss, biting her lower lip.

She gasped, pulling free of his kiss to pant in his ear. "Drink, I want all of you." She moaned, and he let out a desperate, needy moan at the request, dragging his lips down her throat before sinking his fangs into her as he thrust. She nearly screamed as the sharp pain of his bite turned to pleasure, the feel of his throat moving as he drank from her felt incredibly erotic.

"Lucanis!" She moaned, her Spine arching as she clenched down hard, her inner walls fluttering around his cock as she came with another cry of his name.

She muffled the rest of her moans in his shoulder as he took another greedy pull, swallowing her blood as his thrusts became almost desperate, his cock throbbing inside her. He took another pull and moaned, swallowing it down and licking across the bite to heal it.

He panted for unneeded breath and thrust, once, twice, then muffled a low groan of pleasure against her shoulder as he came, filling her. He continued to move, riding out the pleasure until he was spent completely.

He let out a husky laugh as he came back to himself, licking his lips, savouring the taste of her as they came down from their high.

"I've been thinking about fucking you on my bike for a while." He admitted, she let out a sigh and leaned back, still shivering from her orgasm, her inner walls still spasming around him, making him groan as he twitched inside her.

"Glad I could help you live out one of your fantasies." She teased, getting her breath back. He smiled lazily, leaning in and kissing her. This kiss was gentle, soft, barely a kiss, before he pulled back to look into her eyes.

"I..." He trails off and swallows back his words. It was too soon to say such things. He swallowed thickly and kissed her again, hoping she wouldn't notice his almost slip. "You are more than a fantasy." He finally says.

"Glad to hear it." She grinned.

They return to the observatory after they compose themselves. He wanted to watch the stars with her. This place was quiet, a good place to talk without worrying anyone might be listening in, no prying eyes, just the two of them a moment of peace before the first night of this leg of the tour.

They sit on the ground leaning against a section of wall that isnt falling apart, close enough for their thighs to touch, Lucanis placed his hand over hers and sighs, he was still worried about letting Spite talk to her, he didn't want to scare away the one person that made his mind quiet, the one person who saw him as he was and wasn't afraid.

"Why does it feel like you're stalling?" She says, breaking the silence.

"Because I am." He sighs, "I dont want you to scare you away." He swallows thickly, trying to keep his voice from betraying his fears.

"I told you I'm not afraid of you or Spite, I'm not going to run for the hills just because Spite wants a conversation." She smiles, turning to face him, trying to reassure him.

"But you might." He says looking away, he hated this, He was not used to needing anyone, when he had given in to his want of her he had damned himself, he couldn't stay away, there was just something about her that kept drawing him in. and now Spite was jealous and wanted her to and he was worried he would say something to upset or frighten her away.

Who would want to deal with a man who doesn't even have complete ownership over his own body, who would want a man with a demon inside him, watching, feeling everything he does?

"Look, Lucanis, you two have been together a long time, right?" She asks softly, and he nods.

"Then I come into the picture, and you pushed him away." He gives her another nod and looks away, feeling guilty. It wasn't like he was in a relationship with Spite, not exactly, but there was something unnamed between them, and clearly it meant something to Spite or he wouldn't have gotten jealous over him spending time with Altara.

"He is jealous of us, he wants me all to himself." He looked down, he wasn't sure how he felt about that. In a way, maybe he wanted to keep Spite to himself, too. Maybe he was just a hypocrite or just greedy, he wanted them both, but wasn't that how Spite felt? what made it ok for him to want that but not Spite?

Altara sighs and reaches out, touching his face. He turns his head but avoids eye contact, as if afraid, if he did, she might see his thoughts, his doubts and fears.

"Hey, look at me." She says softly. His gaze finally meets hers, but she can see him fighting not to look away.

"Let me talk to Spite. He listened to me last time, right? I can at least hear him out and teach him some boundaries." She smiles and he can't help but return it, he didnt know how she did it, every time he felt lost, she somehow knew just what to say.

"Alright." He says, closing his eyes.

you have five minutes

ONLY Five NOT fair

It is for now, if you behave, maybe I'll let you talk to her again for longer

I will BEHAVE

good.

When his eyes open, they are glowing a soft magenta

"Hello, Spite. You wanted to talk to me, now's your chance" She smiles.

He tilts his head and grins.

"WANT to TALK, yes." He nods eagerly.

"So talk." She laughs, and he simply stares at her for a moment as if unsure how to proceed now that he has a real opportunity to talk to her.

"It's ok, take your time." She says with a smile.

"Easier with Lucanis, with you it's. Hard," He admits

"Used to just feeling." He says, looking down.

"Lucanis says you're Jealous of us. Why?" She asks, touching his arm. he looks at her hand and tilts his head, feeling the warmth of her touch through Lucanis's skin.

"He is MINE, was, FIRST." He sighs.

"Now he doesn't WANT me." He looks away.

"I'm sure that's not true." She sighs. "Sometimes Feelings are complicated, I dont know how you came to be together, or what your relationship is, but sometimes it's not easy." She admits.

"Together, LONG time, KNOW everything, FEEL everything." He tries to explain.

Altara blushes.

"Everything?" She asks, Did that mean when she was intimate with Lucanis, Spite felt it too?

"Yes, you MAKE him feel GOOD, make him happy, I USED to make HIM feel GOOD." He looks up at the stars and sighs.

It was strange watching him like this, it was Lucanis's face, yet it wasn't. Spite's mannerisms were so different.

While it was nice to know she made Lucanis happy, she was worried she was hurting Spite in the process. Was that even fair?

"I dont know what to say." She admits.

"I WANT to be WITH you too, Be HAPPY." He says, his voice distant, almost confused, but there was longing in his voice, for something, a connection or perhaps more.

"I dont know how that would even work." She thinks for a moment.

"BE WITH him and YOU, have BOTH." He says with a low growl, he didn't know how else to say it, and he was getting frustrated at her not understanding him.

HELP me

With what?

WORDS

What are you trying to say?

WANT you BOTH, Be with YOU both, Dont WANT to be ALONE

Spite...You're not alone.

I AM, when you're WITH her, you push ME OUT!

I...I'm sorry

SHARE, thoughts, FEELINGS, why not HER

I've never felt this way for someone before Spite.

NEITHER have I, MAKE her UNDERSTAND

It's not that simple

WHY NOT

"Spite, are you ok?" She asks, placing a hand on his shoulder, he startles slightly.

"Was TALKING to LUCANIS." He explains.

"I dont understand you, Spite, but I'm trying, I want to understand you." She says softly, and he looks up excitedly.

"Yes, UNDERSTAND!" He says, leaning closer. She chuckles, leaning back slightly, but he follows, still invading her personal space. She sighs, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him back, making him frown.

"Dont want Spite?" He looks away and frowns. He didn't understand. He was Lucanis, Lucanis was him, one body, two minds, the same. Why did she want Lucanis but not him?

"I'm not pushing you away because I dont want you, well, I um." She blushes, she had to admit she was at least a little curious, but this was complicated.

"Is there a way I can speak with you both at the same time?" She asks, she didn't feel comfortable talking about something like this without Lucanis present.

"YES can speak through Lucanis WHEN not in CONTROL, but Lucanis DOESN'T like it." He frowns again.

"I could ask him to let you, when we are alone." She offers.

"Dont TALK much WHEN alone." He grins, making her blush.

"Well, I uh....It's uh still new, so we um." She is at a complete loss for words. He was right, pretty much every time she was with Lucanis alone, they ended up in a tangle of limbs, one way or another, but there were moments of conversation between them, it wasn't like they were at it all of the time, right?

"Say EACH other's names A lot." He says with a husky laugh.

"Alright, alright, I get your point." She giggles.

"But we do talk to you know." She smiles, their conversations might be brief, but they happened.

"PROMISE!" He growls.

"Promise what?" She asks, looking confused.

"Ask HIM, let ME talk MORE." He says, staring at her without blinking.

"Promise." She smiles, holding out her hand, he tilts his head, not understanding what she was doing, she grins, linking her pinkie with his and moving their hands up and down.

"Pinkie promise." She laughs when he furrows his brow, tilting his head to the other side like a bird. She feels another pang of affection for this strange creature that took up residence in Lucanis's head. It was funny, at the time, she thought being with a Vampire was the strangest thing she had ever experienced

But then Spite made his presence known, she wondered what sort of other strange things would become known to her in time.

"PINKIE promise? What IS this?" He asks curiously.

"It's an agreement," she smiles.

"AGREEMENT, YES, understand Agreements" He nods enthusiastically.

"Alright then, can I have Lucanis back now?" She asks shyly, she didn't want him to think she was just trying to get rid of him, but it was getting late.

"OK." He closes his eyes, and when they open, they are deep chocolate brown with flecks of caramel once more.

"You're still here," Lucanis whispers, as if in awe.

"I am." She smiles and he smiles back.

Spite hadn't scared her off, she was ok with Spite. She just kept surprising him, he felt his heart flutter in his chest, but then he felt a pang of fear. Was he falling too hard, too fast? Was he rushing towards heartbreak? should he really be letting her get this close? It was not the first time he had wondered if being with her was a mistake, he was eternal, could he really say goodbye to her when time came for her?

He remembered a conversation with Spite

I'm immortal, she isn't

She COULD BE

No, he couldn't do that to her, damn her to watch all those she loved grow old and die, but part of him wanted to, to have someone to spend eternity with, was that selfish?

"I told you I'm not going anywhere." She smiles

One day you will.

He doesn't say it out loud, he couldn't. He pushed down his doubts and reached for her.

"Good." He smiles, then leans down to kiss her, his worries forgotten.

At least for now

The ride back seemed shorter than the ride there. Before she knew it, they were back at the diner, he pulled to a stop and removed his helmet and smiled when she didn't immediately get off the bike, her arms still around his waist.

"Illario will grow suspicious if I bring you back with me." He says, glancing over his shoulder at her.

She tenses again and removes her helmet to look at him. She frowns, she didn't like hiding.

"Would that be so bad?" She asks, her expression hopeful despite herself.

"I.." He looks away. "I dont want him to interfere. What if he tries to fire you for distracting me?" He says softly.

"He might be your manager, but surely you have a say in who works on your entourage." She argues.

"I do but...." He trails off. Was he just coming up with excuses? would it really be so bad if his cousin knew?

she sighs.

"I get that you're scared what people might think, but in all honesty, I feel that is something I should be worried about, not you," she says, crossing her arms. He flinches slightly.

"Altara." He goes to argue again, but she shakes her head.

"I've only just started working for you. If people find out we are dating or whatever this is." She says, gesturing between them. "People are going to assume I slept with you to get the job. What's the worst thing they can say about you if they find out?" She asks with a knowing look.

He looks down.

"Nothing like that, I suppose." He looks guilty.

"I've never dated someone before." He admits. "I dont know what im doing." He says, still holding his helmet.

"Never dated? There is no way..." She blinks, "Really?" She asks incredulously.

"Yes, I've messed around, but I've never stuck around, never wanted to before but you..." He trails off and looks away, unable to meet her gaze.

"If we are both being honest, Your the longest relationship I've ever had." She smiles, cupping his cheek.

"I'll walk back tonight, but I dont want to hide us forever. I want to be able to speak freely, to hang out with you without worrying who is going to catch us." She says, making him look at her.

"I....I want that to. I just need…time." He finally says.

"Ok." She nods, then kisses him, giggling when he chases her lips as she pulls back.

"See you back in the warehouse." She says, climbing off the bike and handing him the helmet he lent her.

He smiles, touching his lips and watches her walk away, his gaze trailing down to her ass.

WANTS to be SEEN with YOU

I know, spite. I know

WHY hide THEN

You know what Illario is like, every time I've expressed an interest in someone, he chases them off.

GAVE you ADVICE when you TALKED before

I suppose he did

MAYBE he CHANGED.

Maybe, I dont want to lose her Spite I can't I...

I KNOW, FEEL the same, She OPENS doors.

She does.

He smiled, feeling arms around him, he leaned into the phantom touch before remembering he was outside and it would probably look weird if anyone noticed him outside, he cast a glance at the sky and frowned, he needed to get back soon.

He waits another 10 minutes before pulling on his helmet and turning his bike around, before pulling out of the car park and heading back towards the warehouse.

It's quiet when he arrives, the engine of his bike echoing slightly before he kills the engine and wheels his bike back into the storage unit of his trailer.

A throat clearing draws his attention as he removes his helmet.

"What time do you call this?" Illario says with his arms crossed.

"You know, you're not my mother, right?" Lucanis jests, putting away his helmet before closing the shutter and locking it. He turns to face him fully and frowns at the look of judgment on his face.

"Staying out so late the night before a show isn't like you," Illario says with a sigh.

"You know I dont need sleep," Lucanis says with amusement.

"You might not need sleep, but Altara does. I know you were with her." He smirks when Lucanis pales.

"I dont know what you're talking about." Lucanis denies, crossing his arms.

Illario lets out an amused laugh and reaches out, plucking a few strands of white hair tangled in his leather jacket's shoulder studs.

"Really? I wonder how these got there then." He grins.

Lucanis swallows thickly

BUSTED

Lucanis sighs, feeling like a child who just got caught with their fingers in the cookie jar.

"They helped me with my outfit for tomorrow night's show, maybe they got there then." He lies.

"Oh, im sure she did, but you were not wearing that jacket then, and she was all dressed up, as if she had been on a date when she came back about 20 minutes ago, so you're either lying to me, or you really did fuck it up and missed your chance." He chuckles.

"Illario." He tries to come up with another excuse, but Illario holds up a hand to stop him

"Relax, I dont have a problem with you two dating, the media will love it." He chuckles.

It had been half the reason he had invited Altara to take part in the rock magazine interview, hoping to stir the tabloids with speculation on who she might be and what her relationship with Lucanis was.

He could also tell Lucanis was in the middle of another depressive spiral, he hoped maybe a woman in his life might perk him up a little.

"I dont want to.. If you." Lucanis growls, remembering all the people he had been interested in before, how illario would slither his way into their bed before he got the chance. out of jealousy or spite, he wasn't sure, he had been a bit of an asshole to him before the curse, before the Ossuary.

"Lucanis." Illario sighs. "We are not teenagers anymore, I'm 40 years old, I'm not going to try and bed her, besides, I'm fairly certain she might stab me if I tried." He joked.

Lucanis smiled at that and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"But what about the tour?" Lucanis asks, sounding nervous.

"Please, it's not like you're going to run off into the sunset and abandon the tour." He laughs.

"Unless that is what you're planning, then I might have a few objections." He adds with a smirk.

"Of course not." Lucanis sighs.

"Then what's the issue with me knowing?" Illario shakes his head.

"Look, Lucanis, you've written some of your best work since she joined the team. She is the best thing that's happened to you since, well, you know." He smiles.

"You're really not upset with me?" Lucanis asks, incredulously.

TOLD YOU

Dont start.

HEHE

"Like you said, I'm not your mother." He chuckles, then lets out a tired yawn.

"Just try not to stay out so late next time. I was worried, and if I'm in a bad mood tomorrow, it's entirely your fault." He stifles another yawn and wishes him a good night before heading to his trailer.

Lucanis stares after him, all his worry about Illario causing problems had apparently been for nothing, but he couldn't help but feel like it was too good to be true. What about the rest of the crew, Toya knew of course, but how would Pike react?

He chuckles. Pike would probably insist on drinks to celebrate, but the rest of the crew? what would they say? The last thing he wanted was them giving her a hard time or worse, accusing her of sleeping with him to get favourable treatment.

He shakes his head, there was no use worrying about that now, that was tomorrow's problem.

He heads inside his trailer and smiles, grabbing his notebook. He wanted to work on that song again.

WHAT about ME

What's wrong?

I WANT parts.

I always let you have parts in my songs.

IN this ONE

maybe here?

YES, there

alright.

He chuckles, a few more lyrics coming to him, he writes them down, frowns, rubs them out, then moves the line somewhere else and smiles.

Yes, that would do nicely. Perhaps he could surprise her with it as the closing number before they moved on to Rialto.

He continues to scribble down notes, humming a tune and writing down the chords.

His phone buzzes, and he puts down his pen, glancing at the notification, lighting up the screen, he smiles, picking it up to read the message.

Altara: I saw you talking to Illario. Everything alright?

Lucanis: He knows about us. He found some of your hair caught on my jacket.

Altara: Shit, is this bad? Should I run for the hills ;D

Lucanis: He seems ok with it, I might have worried for nothing. x

Altara: Does that mean I can visit you in your trailer? ;P

Lucanis: Not tonight, you need sleep ;)

Altara: You have a bed, dont you? Why can't I sleep there?

Lucanis: If you come over here, you won't be sleeping

Altara: Tease XD

Lucanis: Who says I'm teasing x

Altara: I probably should actually sleep, it's 1 am already XD

Lucanis: You should. I need you in top form tomorrow night for the show

Altara: Goodnight, Lucanis x

Lucanis: Goodnight, querida x

He closes his phone and sighs a smile spreading on his lips as he picks his pen back up.

Chapter Text

The stage was set up, the pyrotechnics prepared, Pikes drum kit was set up, and the guitars were in their holders, plugged in and ready to go. The stage lights were off, the main lights on, and people were filing in, taking their seats.

The standing area was already full, and barricades were set up, keeping the audience a few feet away from the stage.

The plaza was loud and full of chatter. The merch truck was already nearly sold out for the day, they only had so much merch available for the tour, so they had to ration it. The new leather jacket Altara had modelled was popular and had already sold out.

The bar was full of fans. The Golden Plaza was a rush of activity behind the scenes, stagehands and gofers carrying things back and forth in a hurry as last-minute prep was in full swing.

In an hour, Lucanis would take to the stage, and the first night of the Antiva City leg of the tour would begin.

Illario was doing a last-minute checklist, making sure everything was ready, pacing back and forth with a clipboard. He glanced over at Lucanis, who was not in his dressing room, he was having a smoke, sitting on a crate.

His outfit for tonight consisted of a sleeveless studded leather jacket, a see-through mesh top, dark red jeans and biker boots. He wore studded leather bracelets, a few rings, and a studded leather choker featuring a crow skull.

He seemed relaxed as he took a long drag of his cigarette and let out a plume of smoke. He sipped his coffee and smiled as Altara stepped out of her trailer.

She was wearing a Demon of Vyrantium T-shirt, a leather pleated skirt, and fishnets with her favourite new rocks. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and she had black lipstick and smoky eyeshadow. She was also wearing what looked suspiciously like Lucanis's dog tags.

Illario raised an eyebrow but said nothing, his eyes returning to his clipboard. Lucanis took another long drag and sighed. He felt great today, his thirst was quiet at least for now. He seemed focused and ready for tonight's show.

Altara stopped in front of him, rocking back and forth on her feet with a nervous energy.

"You ready for the show?" She asks, chewing her lower lip. Lucanis couldn't help it, as his gaze fell to her lips before he made eye contact and grinned, nearly showing teeth.

"I am." He smirks, "Are you?" He asks in return, she nods. "Good." He grins, standing up and flicking his dead cigarette to the ground, stamping it out. "I should get ready, so should you." He smirks, leaning closer.

"Knock 'em dead," She grins, before stealing a kiss and running off. Lucanis stood there stunned for a moment, a smile spreading on his lips as he touched them.

A whistle from across the yard, followed by a wolf howl, makes Lucanis frown, his gaze landing on Pike with mild annoyance. Had she kissed him on purpose, knowing Pike would see, knowing he would tease him?

"Took you long enough, big guy." Pike grins, clapping him on the shoulder as he reaches him. Lucanis grunted and said nothing, "Still going for the strong, silent type, huh?" Pike teased before rolling his shoulders and clicking his neck.

"See you on the stage." He smirks before sauntering off. Toya approaches next and chuckles at the look on Lucanis's face.

"I'm guessing it's not a secret anymore?" She asks curiously, he shakes his head, and can't help but smile. "I'm happy for you," she smiles.

"Alright, you lot, enough gossiping, we have a show to do, get your ass to the stage, we have 15 minutes till showtime," Illario calls over from his spot across the yard.

"Sure thing, boss man." Toya salutes and then rushes off after Pike to get ready.

"That means you to Cousin." Illario grins as Lucanis finishes his coffee and inclines his head before heading for his spot.

The crowd became more and more excited as a countdown appeared on giant LED screens in front of the Demon of Vyrantium Logo. The stage lights begin to move, and the tension in the plaza is almost at a fever pitch as the countdown reaches Zero and the lights go out.

The crowd screams excitedly as a guitar riff begins to play, the lights move, focusing on Toya, then move to the Pike as He drums Lucanis in.

The lights come on, revealing Lucanis at the mic, his lips parting in a scream.

YEAAAHHH_OH, UGH!

He grins and lets Spite take the lead, screaming out.

There's a million fucking reasons that you got it bad

But everybody's leaving in a body bag, go

He head bangs, slamming his fingers across his guitar, joining Toya, the crowd goes insane, thrashing around and forming a mosh pit, before he leans into the mic and screams again.

Save your problems for somebody else who gives a damn

Cause you won't find me waiting on your promised land, no

Oh, you think you've got it bad?

Lucanis throws himself into the chorus, the song going from hard to playful, the crowd singing along with him. Pike does tricks with his sticks and laughs.

I'm telling you to bite down and face it

You're never gonna do much or change shit

When all you say is "Fuck that and fuck this"

Don't let them save you from yourself

Lights out, embrace it

Your heart is beating faster, it's racing

So you go on and on and on and on

Spite screams out the last part, ready to go into the next verse, his growling scream driving the fans wild as they scream along.

Oh my god, just shut your fucking mouth!

Lucanis strummed his guitar, his fingers flying across the strings. Altara watched from the sound booth, enjoying the show as she made micro adjustments to the sounds, adding a little flair here and there.

Spite screams out the next verse with glee, gripping the mic, he liked this song because he got to shout and make noise, venting his frustrations with every word.

Bring it down

Only one of us gets through

Two in, one out, and it's not you

Run for your life

There's nothing you can do

Necks snap when I show up

I say one word, and it blows up

Run for your life

I'm taking what's mine, and your time has come

Lucanis comes back in with the chorus, pulling the mic closer, grinning as he sang, watching the crowd moshing like crazy.

I'm telling you to bite down and face it

You're never gonna do much or change shit

When all you say is "Fuck that and fuck this"

Don't let them save you from yourself

Lights out, embrace it

Your heart is beating faster, it's racing

So you go on and on and on and on

Oh my god, just shut your fucking mouth

Toya jumps forward, strumming her guitar for the next part, grinning as the crowd screams, their hands in the air, some snapping photos. Pike drums in the next part as Spite belts out the next line with a scream.

There'll be no second coming.

There'll be no lessons learned.

All hail the king of nothing

Behold your empire of dirt

OHHHHH fuck!

Pike goes crazy on the drums as Spite builds his scream, going louder and louder, the crowd screaming along. The veins on Lucanis' neck bulge, his face going red with how loud Spite was screaming.

Behold your empire of dirt.

Lucanis goes in for the next part, almost rapping but not quite, with Spite punctuating his words.

So tell me what it's like at the bottom

Bodies stackin' up and you're soon to be forgotten

I gave you what you wanted, got the whole world watching

Just to see me drive the last nail in the coffin, yeah

Spite shouts the next part, lifting his hands, getting the crowd to scream with him.

All hail

There'll be no second coming

All hail

All hail the king of nothing!

Toya steps slower to Lucanis, playing her guitar with him as he grabs the mic.

You think you've got it bad?

Spite screams back into the chorus with a grin, his eyes flashing for a second, wings spreading from his back. Toya laughed, thinking it was a really cool special effect for the show.

Well, you're leaving in a body bag.

Lucanis moves the mic, singing out the final chorus.

I'm telling you to bite down and face it

You're never gonna do much or change shit

When all you say is "Fuck that and fuck this"

Don't let them save you from yourself

Lights out, embrace it

Your heart is beating faster, it's racing

So you go on and on and on and on

Oh my god, just shut your fucking mouth

Pike flips his drumsticks, strumming the drums like a madman, as Toya and Lucanis play their guitars, leading to the final part of the song.

There's a million fucking reasons that you got it bad

But everybody's leaving in a body bag

The song ends, the lights go out, and the crowd goes wild. Lucanis was panting for unneeded breath, the crowd's reaction had Spite thrilled, relishing in the excitement and adrenaline.

Altara laughed, feeling a small thrill that it had gone down so well. She had been worried there might have been sound issues considering the fiasco with the power cable the other night, but it seemed to have worked out.

She was glad she had the foresight to tape the cable more securely, there was only a little bit of wriggle room. The last thing she wanted was a member of the crew tripping on it mid-show and unplugging it.

The rest of the show went great, the crowd were eating out of the palm of his hand by the end of it, singing on command, thrashing in the mosh pit and screaming their adoration.

The thrill of performing, the adrenaline of the night was a rush, he would never tire of this, he thinks. He laughs as Toya and Pike jump around excitedly in their dressing room. Pike immediately went for the beer in the fridge, tossing one his way.

He caught it with a sigh. He wished Alcohol had the same effect it had when he had been mortal, but sadly, other than the flavour, it didnt really affect him anymore, not now his body craved something darker.

He opened the beer with his bare hand, and Pike chuckled.

"You're such a badass, Lucanis. How do you do that without hurting yourself?" He grins.

"Calluses." Lucanis grins, playing it off, he shouldn't really be using his inhuman strength so blatantly, but this was something he could easily do without drawing too much attention.

"Sure." Pike laughs, sipping his beer.

"Body Bag was definitely the right song to open with." Toya laughed, sipping her own drink. "The crowd loved it." She grins.

"They did." Lucanis smiles, but he seems distracted.

"You ok?" Toya asks, noticing him being a little distant despite the leftover energy of the night still coursing through them.

"Im fine," Lucanis says, dismissing her and downing his beer. He wanted to see Altara, wanted to hear her thoughts on the show, but he knew he smelled of sweat and smoke and wanted to grab a shower first.

"I need a shower." He grunts, placing his empty bottle on the side.

"With or without Altara," Pike calls after him as he reaches the door. He pauses and glances over his shoulder at Pike.

Pike grins back at him, and he sighs before heading through the door. He smiles, hearing Toya berating Pike for teasing him, telling him to let him be.

He makes his way down the hall and inclines his head at Illario, who is on his phone, he looks angry. He waves him off with a gesture, and he carries on, going through the doors into the main warehouse.

It was strangely quiet as he walked across the yard.

WHERE is ALTARA?

I dont know, probably making sure the sound desk is ok for tomorrow night

You WANT to SEE her

Of course I do

FIND her

No! She has work to do, we shouldn't bother her.

GRRRR

He shakes his head, feeling Spite's displeasure like nails down his back as he opens the door to his trailer and heads inside. He grabs a few blood bags and downs them hungrily, before throwing the empty bags away. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and sighs.

Stripping off his jewellery first, then his jacket and shirt, he unbuckles his belt and slips off his boots and jeans, then his underwear and pads into the bathroom.

He turns on the shower and steps under the hot water with a sigh, wiping his face. He grabs the soap and begins to wash off the heavy makeup on his face.

Altara cracked her back and neck with a groan. The sound desk was all ready for the following night. She helped Marcus pull the protective cover over it and powered everything down.

"You did well tonight," She says to him, clapping him on the back.

"You really think so?" He asks excitedly.

"I do," She laughs at his grin. Marcus was young, but he picked things up surprisingly fast. She was glad to have someone to work with, someone she could teach, it was satisfying watching him put her lessons into practice.

"I dont think there is anything else we need to do for tonight, go get some rest, grab a beer or something." She laughs, leaving the booth and heading for her trailer. She pauses, noticing the light on in Lucanis's trailer. Was he inside?

She looks around, nobody else seems to be in the warehouse, most of the crew had gone out partying, celebrating. She finds herself walking towards his trailer and opens the door quietly. She smirks, hearing the shower running, she closes the door behind her.

Creeping closer, she can hear him moving about inside. She quickly strips off, folding her clothes and putting them on the side away from the door and creeps towards the bathroom, pulling her hair loose. She tests the door and grins, he hadn't locked it.

To be fair, he probably didnt expect anyone to sneak into his trailer and his shower. She opened the door a crack and peeked in, her mouth going dry. He had his back to her, she would see the muscles of his back moving as he scrubbed, water running down his body, her gaze moving lower, he had a great ass.

She snuck closer and slid her hands around his middle, then gasped, finding herself pinned to the wall before she could blink. She lets out a surprised squeak, and it takes him a few seconds to realise who it was.

He freezes, his hands either side of her head, he is breathing hard, his fangs bared, he calms as soon as he recognises her.

SHE snuck IN Naughty NAUGHTY.

Very naughty indeed

KISS HER!

I plan to.

GOOD.

"Altara, you should not sneak up on me like that. What if I had hurt you?" He says, leaning back. His gaze trailed over her despite his concern, noticing she was naked.

He groaned, the water made her hair stick to her skin, she looked like a sea nymph come to the surface to tempt him

and tempted he was.

"I wanted to surprise you," she smiled, looking up at him, and swallowing thickly as he caged her in.

"Consider me surprised." He purred before leaning in to kiss her. She sighed into his kiss, expecting something rough and passionate, but instead it was slow, a languid exploration of her lips. He tipped her chin up, deepening it, his tongue sweeping into her mouth in a sensual dance.

She placed her palms on his chest, not to push him away, but to ground herself as the kiss continued, her nails dug in slightly as he pulled back to look at her, his eyes dark with desire and something else she couldn't name.

"I was going to come find you after my shower." He whispered, his tone soft.

"I saw the lights on and couldn't resist." She whispered back, he smiled, reaching up to stroke her cheek tenderly, she closed her eyes and smiled, leaning into the touch.

Maker, she's so beautiful.

YES, pretty GHOST, should kiss her more.

I want to do more than that.

FUCK HER!

No!

WHAT?

I want to make love to her.

What's the difference?

I'll show you.

He traced her features, his fingers taking in every contour as he slid them down her wet neck. She shivered as he explored her, his gaze following his fingers down to her breasts. He slid an arm around her, pulling her under the spray as he kissed her neck, trailing his lips across her skin.

Worshipping every inch of creamy skin, slowly taking her in, she whispered his name, unused to him being soft with her, usually, he was quite vigorous. She didnt mind, liked the thrill of it, but this, this felt different.

What had changed? Her thoughts crumble as he closes his lips around a nipple, suckling gently as he plays with the other, his skin slipping against her, making her moan.

"Lu..Lucanis." She shivered as he swapped breasts. She gasped, feeling his now hard length slipping against her lower belly. He moaned, pulling back to look at her. His eyes were dark, his pupils blown.

"You're so perfect." He whispers almost in awe, she blushes under his gaze, unused to such a look of adoration from him. He tilts her head back and kisses her again, deep and slow, stealing her breath, sending shivers down her spine as he slides his hands down to her hips, pulling her flush against him.

They both moan at the contact. He pressed his lips to her throat, his fangs throbbed as he pressed a kiss to her pulse point.

"Please." She begged and cried out in pleasure as he bit her, sliding a hand between her legs at the same time. He groaned both at the taste of her blood and how wet she was as his fingers slid between her folds.

The hot water flowed down them both in rivulets, the sound water hitting the bathroom tiles, muffling her cries of pleasure as he pressed against her clit at the same time he took a long pull, swallowing down her blood, he gasped, pulling away from her throat, the crimson on his lips washing away under the water. As she wrapped her fingers around him, stroking him to full hardness.

He groaned, lapping at her throat, sealing the wound and pressing her against the tiled wall as she rubbed her thumb over the tip.

He cried out her name, pulling her hand away before he lost himself to her touch.

"Not yet." He pants. pressing another kiss to her throat before turning off the shower.

She looked at him, confused, wondering why he had stopped her. He smiled reassuringly, grabbing a towel to towel off quickly, before doing the same for her, wrapping the towel around her when he was done. He picked her up in a bridal carry, she giggles as he carries her from the shower.

He lays her on the bed, and takes her in, she was a goddess, pale skin, her scarlet eyes full of desire for him, her wet hair still damp from the shower. He crawled over her, sweeping her up in another sensual kiss. She clung to him, desperate for more, but he seemed to be in no rush.

"I want to kiss every inch of you." He whispered huskily, trailing his lips across her skin, pressing kisses to every mole and mark on her skin. She moaned, her head tilting back as he kissed her neck, trailing his hot mouth down between her breasts, teasingly, pausing to look up at her.

She shivered under his intense gaze, her chest rising in falling in shallow breaths, she was tingling all over from his slow exploration.

"Mi diosa." He purred, kissing down her belly, dragging his lips over her hip bone and chuckling when she moved her hips, eager for him to taste her.

"Patience." He purred, trailing a hand up her thigh, brushing past where she wanted him most. She whimpered, shivering with need.

"Please, please, I need you." She begs, making him chuckle darkly.

He presses a kiss to her clit, and she cries out. He smirks, licking through her slowly, savouring every drop. His tongue circled her clit, painfully slow. She shivered, her hands sinking into his hair as he spread her legs, gripping her thighs to keep them open as he devoured her.

She gasped, every movement of his tongue sending another wave of pleasure through her.

"Oh maker, please." She panted, as he licked through her again, circling her clit even slower, relishing in every twitch, every spasm it induced as she tried to seek more friction.

"Oh fuck." She gasped when he leaned back and blew on her clit, the unexpected cold sending her spiralling over the edge into bliss.

"Maker." she panted, shivering at the intensity of it, she gasped when he kissed her clit again, sliding a finger then another into her, she moaned loudly, overstimulated from her earlier orgasm, he moved his fingers and resumed his slow exploration with his tongue, flicking it against her clit as he moved his fingers, scissoring them inside her.

"Oh please, oh please, I can't." She cried out, coming again, he chuckled, leaning back, very satisfied with how wrecked she looked, but he wasn't done with her yet.

He trailed kisses up her body, settling between her legs with a groan as his cock brushed against her. She was soaked.

"Lucanis." She whimpered as he kissed her, slowly, swallowing another moan as he teased her with the tip of his cock, brushing against her clit as he swept his tongue into her mouth.

She clawed at his shoulders, desperately, needing him closer, wanting his skin against hers.

He leaned down onto his forearms above her, parting from her lips, and catching her gaze as he slid inside her in one smooth motion, his lips parting as she clenched around him. Her eyes fell closed, and he growled.

"No, dont close your eyes, I want you to look at me." He purred, his own eyes heavy-lidded as she opened hers to gaze into his. She bit her lower lip at the emotion in his eyes as he moved, his hips rolling in a slow wave, pressing deep only to retreat and slowly sink back in.

Her lips parted in a soft moan of pleasure, the intensity of the moment making her heart flutter. He kissed her slowly, angling his head to deepen it as he sank into her again.

She gripped his sides, her hands moving to his hips, wanting him deeper. He smiled at her, never breaking eye contact, as he grabbed her hands, interlocking their fingers and dragging them above her head as he moved within her.

Every slow rock of his hips sends her closer to the edge, he groaned, feeling her clench around him.

Spite was groaning in his head, overwhelmed by the emotions and sensations washing over him. Lucanis smirked against her lips, relishing in Spite losing his mind as he rocked his hips into hers, making her cry out as he pulled her legs tighter around his waist.

His kisses become messy as he gets closer to his own end,

"Altara." He moaned, burying his face against her neck as she clenched down hard, her back arching against him as she came, her inner walls fluttering around him, bringing him to the edge.

He leaned back, staring into her eyes as he came, letting her see every emotion on his face.

"I love you." He whispered breathlessly as he filled her. Her eyes widened at his words, a smile spreading on her lips. "Lucanis. You..." She finds herself speechless as he continues to move, slowly, riding out the aftershocks until they are both spent.

He lets out a husky laugh, not wanting to leave her warmth just yet. He gazed into her eyes, taking in the look on her face. She looked at him as if she couldn't believe what he just said. She reaches up with a shaking hand, caressing his cheek, he leans into the touch and all but purrs.

As if some of Spite sneaking through, as she smiles at him.

"You love me?" She asks, still not believing it.

"If love means I can't stop thinking about you, if it means I want to be with you always." He kisses her, then leans back "You make my heart beat." He whispers.

"It beats for you." He kisses her again.

"Lucanis I...I..." He presses a finger to her lips, silencing her as he pulls out with a groan and rolls to the side, tugging her against him.

She settles against him, her head on his chest as she traces her fingers through his chest hair.

"You dont need to say it back, I just wanted you to know." He smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"But I," she tries again, and he smiles at her in amusement at the look on her face. "Why won't you let me say it back?" She pouts.

"Because I dont want you to say it just because I said it." He smiles. Stroking her cheek when she looked up at him.

"Lucanis." She argues, but he places a finger to her lips, silencing her, making her frown in frustration, making him grin wider, showing fangs.

"You're teasing me." She pouts, leaning up on her elbows.

"Am I." He purred, watching her through his lashes.

LIKES to TEASE her

I do

WHY

Because she is adorable when frustrated

Why MAKE her Frustrated....She...

Spite doesn't finish his thought because she's climbing into their lap and straddling them. He thinks he understands now.

Lucanis lays back, staring up at her as she loomed over him, her thighs on either side of his hips. He groaned when she rolled her hips. He could feel himself stirring against her backside.

She leaned down, letting her hair fall around them like a curtain.

"Maybe I should tease you." She whispers against his lips before kissing him. He sighs into the kiss, returning it. His hand sank into her hair as it deepened. She pulled on his lower lip and bit him hard, drawing blood. He gasps, pulling back in alarm and wiping her lips of his blood before it can touch her tongue. It wouldn't have been enough, but he didnt want to take any chances.

"You mustn't." He said, his voice cracking with emotion. She leaned back in surprise.

"Sorry..I thought." She stuttered, he quickly licked his lips to heal them and took a deep breath. "If you had drunk my blood. You could. Have..." He trails off and takes another breath. "I dont want to damn you." He whispers.

She looks confused for a moment, then a look of realisation flickers in her eyes, and they soften.

"Lucanis, you're not damned." She says, sitting back in his lap, he chews his lower lip when that presses her against him.

"I am." He whispered back. "I'm a monster, I won't do that to you." He looks away for a moment, and she sighs, tilting his head back so he would look at her.

"You're not a monster, how can you say that after telling me you love me. A monster can't fall in love." She says softly, stroking his cheek.

He leans into the touch.

"Altara...I." She pushes a finger to his lips to silence him, then leans down and kisses him gently. He relaxes into the kiss and moans when she rolls her hips against him.

"Altara, wait." He gasps when she does it again, this time taking him inside her once more. He groans, his lips parting as her heat envelopes him.

He moans, gripping her hips as she begins to move, her rhythm slow and sensual, moving her hips in figure of eights. He cries out, the sensation overwhelming, he was so deep inside her, he felt every ripple, every twitch.

"FUCK...wait, I can't." He grips her hips tighter, trying to stop her. He was going to embarrass himself if she kept this up. She smirked, rocking faster against him, revelling in how quickly he was unravelling from this position.

"Maker...I'm going to....Please....I.." He struggles to form words. He had never got this close to the edge so quickly, never had it felt so good. Every time she moved, her inner walls clenched down on him, he wasn't going to last.

"Altara." He cried out, unable to stop it as he came with a groan, his hips bucking, she moved faster, breathing hard, her hands on his chest for balance, he slid a hand between them, rubbing against her clit, the added stimulation sending her over the edge after him with a low moan of his name.

They both remained where they were, panting for breath, staring at eachother for a moment before she started to laugh. He couldn't help the smile that spread on his lips. A moment later, he was laughing too. She shivered, feeling his laugh against her thighs and inside as he twitched with every breath.

"Maker....I've never...you..." He laughs again when she grins, very pleased with herself for making him cum so quickly.

"Pretty sure monsters dont laugh after sex either." She grinned as he rolled her beneath him and pulled out with a groan. He slid from the bed, finding a wet cloth to clean up with.

He tended to her gently, and she smiled when he tossed the rag and climbed under the covers, tugging her close.

"Stay tonight." He whispers, he wanted to wake up to her face. He wanted her face to be the last thing he saw before he rested.

She nods, kissing his nose, making him pout, and lean in to kiss her properly. She smiled into the kiss and turned her back to him. He moved in behind her immediately, and they both sighed as he slid an arm around her middle.

This felt right, it felt good. She found her eyes drooping, the clock on the wall read midnight, she smiled, her eyes falling closed as she fell slowly asleep.

Lucanis held her, burying his face in her neck, inhaling her scent and letting out a happy sigh.

What's LOVE?

Well, it's, um, when you really like someone.

LIKE someone

yes

I LIKE YOU

I...like you to

LOVE ME?

I dont know

BUT you SAID

It's more than liking someone, I dont know how to explain it, can't you just feel it?

FEEL many things

you can feel how I feel about her, can you not?

There is a long pause as if Spite was thinking before he speaks again

WARM, Heart FLUTTERS, BEATS, but doesn't NEED to

Exactly.

I DONT have a heart

Lucanis frowns, feeling a little tug of emotion. Spite seemed sad

Spite?

SPITE can't LOVE?

Of course you can, you dont need to have a heart to love.

But HOW?

Love isn't something you can be taught.

WANT to KNOW, Want to LOVE

Spite......

Spite goes silent again, and he feels another tug, and feels his eyes sting. Spite was many things to him, a menace, sometimes a curse, but he had never led him astray, had always been supportive of him. But now he seemed depressed, and he had no idea how to make him feel better.

You care about me, don't you?

YES! always your MINE

You look out for me, make me feel better when im down, that's a kind of Love.

IT IS?

Spite seems excited now.

CAN love?

I think so.

LOVE.....

Spite is thoughtful again.

LOVE Lucanis.

Spite...I...

Love SPITE?

I. Dont know

let SPITE before, touched, made you HAPPY

You still do.

NO touch, not since Altara.

I...

IT'S OK, Altara is pretty. SPITE is just a voice.

No, you're more than that.

NOT anymore.

I'm sorry, I've been neglecting you, but I just...I didnt think I could love before.

CAN, love ALTARA

I do. And maybe I can love you too.

MEAN IT?

Maybe.

TEASING me?

Maybe

GRRRRR

Lucanis can feel Spite's melancholy evaporating as a warm sensation settles against his back, the sensation of an arm around his middle. He smiles, feeling his own eyes droop. Did he really Love Spite? Was it the same as his feeling for Altara? he wasn't sure.

Were there different types of Love? It had never been something he thought himself capable of until he met her.

As he slowly drifted off into a dead sleep, he thought he might like to find out.

Chapter Text

It was still early, neither of them needed to be up yet, they were still sleeping, but Spite was watching. He tilted his head at them, They were curled up on their sides, Lucanis pressed against her back, his arm around her middle, his face buried in her neck.

Altara was breathing softly, her white hair layered around her like a blanket, her pale, creamy skin looked so soft, her long white lashes pressed against pale cheeks, a soft smile on her lips.

He smiled, he could feel how content Lucanis was, an emotion he did not feel often from his host. Was she magic? He wonders, moving to look at her more closely. No, he shakes his head, she's was just human.

He felt sad for a moment. Had he ever made Lucanis feel that way? He had made him feel good, sure, but maybe he had been doing it wrong. He glances at Lucanis and frowns, He had made love to Altara last night, He had not understood the difference until he felt Lucanis's emotions during.

He wanted that to, wanted to make love, he tilts his head and smiles at Lucanis, reaching out to run a hand down his back. It was not the first time he had touched Lucanis, but this was the first time it felt like it meant something. Lucanis lets out a soft sigh and pulls Altara closer, and he growls in frustration.

Spite settled behind him and ran a hand through Lucanis's hair, exposing his neck. He leans down and presses his lips there. He smiled. It was a strange sensation when he touched Lucanis, it was like touching something that touches back. He could feel soft lips on his own neck as he kissed Lucanis's skin.

He trailed kisses downwards like he had seen Lucanis do to her, would that feel good? Lucanis moaned softly, his head tilting slightly as if granting him more access, his grip on Altara loosening slightly. Spite moved back as Lucanis rolled onto his back, his lips parted slightly, the tips of his fangs glinting in the low light creeping in through the gaps in the closed blinds of his trailer window.

The warehouse's low lights cast golden lines across his bronze skin. Spite sighed. Lucanis was so beautiful. His tanned skin was almost glowing under the light. He couldn't help but trace a hand across the mans chest, admiring his physique, feeling the soft hair and shivering at the sensation reflected back at him. He leaned down and kissed his chest, trailing kisses downwards, slowly exploring.

Before he had rushed, eager to experience pleasure, but he wanted to take his time, show him that he could love him just as well as Altara could. He smiles when a low moan escapes Lucanis's parted lips as he stirred slightly. Spite froze, watching him closely. As he settled back down, Spite smirked, glancing down, Lucanis's cock was stirring at the soft touches.

He continued his exploration, dragging his lips across his abs, marvelling as they twitched under his lips. He kissed his hip and glanced up. Lucanis had opened his eyes and seemed confused for a moment, his eyes darting around, wondering what had been touching him.

Spite smirked at him, pressing a kiss to his inner thigh. Lucanis gasped at the sensation, the ghostly touch sending a shiver up his spine.

"Sp...Spite?" He asks softly, sounding a little breathless, wondering if he had imagined the touch.

YES..im HERE
What are you doing?
Making LOVE.

He pressed a kiss to his now hard cock, and Lucanis shuddered, gripping the sheets in surprise as Spite licked him from base to tip. He moaned, it felt surreal, feeling a wet tongue slide up his cock, but in his eyes, there was nothing there.

He feels phantom fingers caressing his thighs, and his head falls back against the pillows.

"What....are......" He gasped as he licked him again, his tongue pressing under the head, earning him another moan, his cock twitching against his lips.

Lucanis's tongue darts out to lick his suddenly dry lips as he swallowed thickly, an another shiver of pleasure rippled through him, as he felt a warm, wet mouth swallow his cock.

He moaned loudly, his back arching off the bed slightly, stirring Altara awake. She rolled over, wondering what was wrong. Lucanis was gripping the sheets, gasping in pleasure. Was he dreaming? His eyes were shut tightly as he panted for breath.

She glanced downwards and her mouth fell open, his cock was hard and twitching, she could have sworn she could see his foreskin move as if someone was touching him, as little whimpers of pleasure escaped him.

She didn't say a word, just watched in fascination as he writhed on the bed, crying out. She felt her belly warm at the sight. He looked so beautiful when he was unravelling.

Lucanis gasped, letting out a low, ragged moan as Spite sucked. The sensation of lips and tongue stroking his tender flesh was sending shivers of pleasure through him, every stroke, every suck sending him closer and closer to the edge. He threw his head back again as Spite paid more attention to the underside of his tip.

"Oh...gods." He gasped again, feeling fingers wrapping around the base of his cock and squeezing. He twitched, his hips bucking into nothing, desperate for more.

"Ohh.. please....please." He begs, only to be denied. Spite wasn't done with him. He released his cock from his lips and gave him a few more teasing strokes, making him whine.

Altara watched in fascination as his cock moved like someone was stroking him, the movements slow and teasing, moisture leaking from the tip.

Lucanis looked wrecked, his hair a mess around his head, his mouth hanging open in a silent moan, his grip on the sheets turning knuckle white.

"Dont tease him, Spite." She giggled, and Lucanis went white as a sheet, realising she was awake, that she could see what Spite was doing to him.

"Altara...I..." He blinks in confusion when she touches his lips, silencing him.

"I want to see." She whispered, breathily, to say she was turned on by the display was an understatement, but she also felt a little honoured, surely this meant he trusted her, if he was letting her see this.

She had always wondered, the way Lucanis spoke of Spite sometimes, if he was unwanted, but now she realised perhaps he was scared that if she saw this side of their relationship, she might be scared away. He did tend to think she would leave a lot, which was funny considering all the time he had spent avoiding her until recently.

She smiled and kissed him, gasping when he sank a hand into her hair and growled into the kiss, kissing her back hungrily, almost desperately. Spite frowned, for a moment jealous, but then he heard her say she wanted to see, that she was ok with this, even aroused by it.

He returns his attention to Lucanis's cock, kissing down the length of him, determined to make him cum, Lucanis parted from her lips and groaned loudly.

"Spite!" He whined when he cupped his balls, taking him back into his mouth. It felt so good, every touch sending him spiralling further into bliss.

"Oh, Maker." He shuddered, and Altara's mouth went dry. The way he gripped the sheets, the way his throat worked as he swallowed back another moan, he was gorgeous. His body coated in a thin sheen of sweat as he panted for unneeded breath, helpless to the pleasure.

"Please." He begged again, he felt his cock harden even more, his thighs twitching as Spite sucked hard, he threw his head back and came with a cry of Spite's name, his cum splashing across his belly, in thick ropes.

He collapsed on the bed, gasping for breath, little moans escaping him as he shivered from the aftershocks. He had never cum so hard. Never had it been that intense.

"Spite, that was...." He shivered, finding words difficult.

SEE, I can make you FEEL good to
I know you can, but...what brought this on
WANTED to make LOVE
bu...But why
You FORGOT about SPITE, I REMINDED you
I could never forget about you.
YOU did.
I'm sorry...I.

He frowns, then blushes furiously at the mess he had made. Altara giggles and pads into the bathroom, fetching a wet cloth and cleaning him up, he shivers as she wipes away his cum and disposes of the cloth.

"Altara...you?" He stares at her in disbelief, expecting her to be angry at him, but she was smiling. Was she ok with this? How was she ok with this?

"Spite is a part of you, right?" She smiles, "Why would I be upset?" She chuckles, sensing his worry. She leaned over him and kissed him gently. He sighed into the kiss, still reeling from what Spite had done.

She LIKES Spite?
I dont know.
LET ME TALK

Lucanis hesitates for a moment, unsure, but he nods and closes his eyes. When they reopen, they are magenta, his lips curling into a smirk.

"Altara Likes SPITE?" He asks, watching her, almost shy, making her smile.

"I like Lucanis, so of course I like you." She smiles, he tilts his head in confusion, before leaning closer, she gasps when he pushes her onto her back.

"Want SPITE?" He asks, looming over her. She chews her lower lip, it was not the first time she had wondered about Spite, what it might be like. She couldn't help but be curious, especially after witnessing that earlier display, she was more than a little turned on.

"I dont know," She whispers breathily as he leans down. Would Lucanis be ok with that?

"Can MAKE you feel GOOD just like he DOES." He purrs, his lips an inch from hers, tantalisingly close, all she had to do with tilt her head up and she would know his kiss.

You said you just wanted to talk. What are you doing?!!
WANT to make her FEEL good, make YOU watch like you MAKE me
I...I dont know. Im not....
WATCH!
Spite...I...Please!

It was one thing to let him talk to her, but Altara was his, to let spite touch her like that, what if? No, he couldn't even think that, a wave of possessiveness nearly overwhelms him.

MINE
No!
YES

Lucanis growled, wresting control back and rolling away from her angrily.

"No spite, she is Mine!" He snarled, and Altara gasped at the rough sound of his voice, the possessive edge sent a shiver down her spine.

"Lucanis, it's ok...It's ok." She moves closer, reaching out for him, hoping to reassure him. He merely stares at her for a moment in disbelief that she would want this.

"But he....I..." He stutters, starting to panic, no, he couldn't, what if, what if?

"I...I can't." He flees to the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind him, leaving her in stunned silence.

He slides to the floor his back to the door, breathing heavily and letting his head bang against the door as he tilted his head back.

What the hell was that!
PART of you SHE said
yes, but that doesn't mean..
WHY NOT
Because she is mine!
OURS
why wont you let me have this one thing Spite, why must everything be shared
You PROMISED
I promised experiences not everything
but I WANT to experience LOVE
You do, through me.
NO, you WONT let ME
Please!

He felt his eyes sting with tears, he should never have let her in, nothing was his anymore, nothing, his life, his music his love everything consumed by Spite.

LUCANIS?
Leave me alone
LUCA?
I cant do this anymore.
What Do you MEAN?
This! You, for fuck sake you take everything
But I made you FEEL good
I....
WANT to LOVE You, LOVE her
Spite....
PLEASE!

He sucked in a breath his throat felt like it was closing up, had he needed to breathe he might have panicked at not being able to. but then he remembered, he is dead, there is no air in his lungs, he was a monster, his thoughts begin to spiral.

I'm Sorry DONT want to HURT my LUCANIS
I love her Spite, I cant stop thinking about her, how she makes me feel, I need her, I need her.

He lets out a strangled sob. his body trembling with emotion.

"I cant lose her." he gasped out loud, reaching up to wipe his eyes, his hands coming away with blood.

You WONT loose her
I will, You will.....
WILL what?
I...
Your Jealous? you wont SHARE! I'm the ONE that should be JEALOUS.

Lucanis feels stunned, was that what this feeling was, did he fear she would like Spite more than him, was that why he felt such cold fear whenever Spite got to close to her?

SHE wont LOVE me like SHE loves YOU.
She will.
NOT true
She will, you might.
LUCANIS.....

"Fuck!" He curses, that's what this was, he was afraid, because he didn't just love her, did he, he just hadn't known what love was before he met her.

Spite had been his best friend, his confident, his partner, through everything, since the ossuary there had never been a moment where Spite had turned on him, he had feared there deal had just been lies Spite had uttered to be free, to experience new sensations but he had never taken what wasn't offered, he rarely took control either.

In fact the only times he had, it had been to save his life, yet he fears this voice in his head would hurt Altara, why? what reason had he given him to think that except jealousy.

Perhaps it wasn't the fear that Altar would love Spite more but more that Spite will love Altara more than he loved him, and whatever it was between them would be forgotten.

IDIOT!
Spite. I..I'm sorry
WHY
I keep thinking the worst of you and you've done nothing wrong.
LOVE is hard
It is
Its NOT when WE are TOGETHER

Lucanis smiles, feeling Spite wipe his tears, he let out another small laugh.

I love you Spite

I LOVE you

lips pressed against his and he lets his eyes fall closed, imagining a face, lips, he wishes he could touch but there was nothing but air, he could only feel where he touched him. He tries to kiss back and can almost imagine his taste, he sighs.

It wasn't fair that Spite could touch him but he couldn't return the favour, but maybe this could work, if he couldn't touch him, Altara could when Spite was in control but would she truly accept this, surely this would be what makes her leave.

Altara remains seated on the bed, worried she had done something wrong, Lucanis had been in his bathroom for a while now, should she give him space?

She shakes her head, no she wouldn't let him run away again, She gets up moving to the door and knocks.

"Lucanis...Are you....Are you ok?" She asks softly.

The door opens and Lucanis looks a little embarrassed, and avoids her eyes for a moment, hoping she wouldn't notice he had been crying, he felt like such a fool.

"I'm ok." He says softly, his voice trembling slightly.

"You're sure? Look I'm sorry about Spite I shouldn't have encouraged him." She says looking down.

"No, I should be sorry." He says tipping her chin up so she would look at him.

"I need to learn to trust you, both of you." He sighs.

"Both of us?" She looks confused.

"Spite, he and I are...." He looks away.

"Before you, he was all I had, I didn't realise until now what that meant to me." He swallows, this was it, this would be goodbye.

"I will understand if..." She grabs his face and he blinks at her in surprise.

"I'm not going anywhere, I've told you this before. I want all of you, even Spite." She smiles.

He stares at her like she isn't real, he smiles, she truly was a miracle.

"What did I do to disserve you." He whispered in awe, perhaps the maker had taken pity on him, was she the salvation he so desperately wanted.

She took his hand tugging him back towards the bed, he followed like lost child.

WANTS US BOTH?
I dont know how or why but...
TOLD YOU
I should have listened to you
YES you SHOULD!

She climbs back into bed pulling him down with her, he chuckles stumbling on top of her, he leans up on his elbows and smiles down at her, leaning into her palm when she cups his cheek.

"I love you Lucanis." She whispers then gasps when he swoops in and kisses her deeply in response, she moans, her hands sinking into his hair, he angles his head, deepens it, and pulls on her lower lip before releasing her to stare at her in wonder.

"Say it again." He whispers breathlessly, she loved him, she truly loved him, he felt his heart swell.

"I love you." He rolls until he is on his back and pulls her on top of him.

"Could you truly love me, love us?" He asks, suddenly shy, worried he was getting his hopes up.

"he's as sweet as you, I course I can." She smiles as if it was obvious, tracing patterns in his chest.

LOVES US BOTH!
Yes
LOVE...

"Be gentle with him." He smiles then closes his eyes, when they reopen they are purple again.

"ALTARA!" Spite says her name in surprise, a little disorientated, Lucanis had pushed him to the front of his mind without warning. He watched her for a moment as in awe of her as Lucanis.

"Spite?" she asks, leaning back, he gasped feeling her against him, felt the stirrings of arousal as the body responded to her.

WHAT'S THIS!
You know what it is, you've felt it before from me
NOT like THIS
Is it because your in control?
I DONT kn....

Altara smirks, rolling her hips, Spite gasps, clutching her hips, it felt good, nothing like how it felt when he just watched, feeling it through Lucanis rather then experiencing it himself, this felt amazing, a new experience.

He growled, rolling her under him, pinning her hands either side of her head breathing hard, she gasps looking up at him, but not in fear, she simply smiles at him.

"Can, Lucanis see what's happening, can he feel it?" She asks, genuinely curious.

"YES, can feel, can SEE." He leaned down and kisses her, she hesitates for a moment, even though it was Lucanis's lips, it felt like someone else, it was someone else.

Spite kissed like it was new, something to be explored, discovered. He lacked finesse but made up for it with enthusiasm, all be it clumsily.

Gently Spite, slow down, feel.
but I WANT
Love is slow
SLOW?
yes

Spite slows down, letting his lips glide over hers, he is rewarded with a soft moan, and its music to his ears, she felt so good, her lips so soft, he was doing this, he was making her feel good.

That's it, remember she needs to breath.

He leans back and smiles as she catches her breath.

"Is Lucanis giving you directions?" She asks, feeling a little shiver of heat in her core at the thought.

He nods, and moves to kiss her neck, repeating what he did with Lucanis, trailing patterns across her skin, she sighs, it felt strange

"Can Lucanis speak" She asks stroking his back. He leans, back confused.

"Dont want SPITE?" He asks, she cups his face, and smiles reassuringly.

"I want you both." She whispers breathily.

Spite ponders for a moment, was that possible? He had never tried before, usually it was either one or the other in control.

Lucanis and SPITE Together?
Can we?
Can TRY
Alright.

Spite concentrates, pulling back as if letting Lucanis have control back but not all the way, like holding the door open, Lucanis joined him and they smiled at her.

"Are you sure?" They ask, their voice sounded strange as if both of them were speaking at the same time, their eyes where brown now but there was a purple tint to them around the edges as if they were both staring back at her.

"I want all of you, both of you." She says before kissing them, they melt into it, kissing her back with a soft moan, taking control of the kiss, pressing her down into the mattress with the force of it, she moaned, gripping their hair as they devoured her mouth, the kiss rough then soft, the contrast had her head spinning.

This is....
GOOD
Yes, but....
NOT Always?
Is that Ok?
YES
deal
DEAL!

Lucanis lets Spite explore this moment, guiding him, keeping it gentle, Altara gasps as they pull a nipple into their mouth, She grips their hair and tugs and they both groan at the sensation.

"Again." They growl, she smiles and tugs and they both moan trailing their lips down her body and spreading her legs, she cries out when they dive in, licking through her, tasting her, bringing her to the edge.

"Oh, Maker." She gasps, arching her back. "Right there." She moans as they circle her clit with their tongue, tighter and tighter until she shudders beneath them and moans loudly as she came.

They lean back proud to have unravelled her so quickly, she sighs, reaching for them, tugging them back down over her.

"I Need you." She breathes against their lips, almost desperate, they smile knowingly, reaching up to stroke her cheek, a look of adoration in their combined gaze, she presses her lips to theirs, her lips parting as they slide inside her, wrapping her legs around their waist.

They groan in unison and begin to move, gripping the sheets and rolling their hips, pressing into her only to withdraw then press back in agonisingly slow. their own lips parting in a low moan.

She was so warm, so wet, her inner walls clenching around them every time they pressed into her, it was heaven.

"I love you." They panted against her lips, trying to keep the same steady pace, but with every sigh from her lips they lost themselves, moving faster, pulling her onto them, pushing deeper.

They press there forehead against hers, thrusting into her with a groan.

"I Love you to." She breathes, arching into them as they reached the edge together, then came with a shudder as they roll there hips, pressing into her one last time.

They collapse on top of her on the bed and Spite recedes, overwhelmed with sensation, a wave of contentment washes over Lucanis before Spite falls silent and its just Lucanis in control once more.

"Maker." He panted, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder as he withdrew and lay next to her. She rolled over to face him, stroking his cheek tenderly.

"That was...." She trailed off unable to put it into words as she tried to catch her breath.

He smiles, leaning into her touch.

"It was perfect." He whispers, kissing he slowly, like savouring a fine wine, there was no heat in his kiss, only the need to feel her lips against his, to confirm this wasn't a dream, that this was real.

The stage was set, the sound desk ready, it was eerily quiet in the plaza. in a few hours the gates would open and fans would fill this arena to capacity, tickets had sold out in seconds, a testament to how popular the Demon of Vyrantium was. She smiled to herself, remember their morning together, maker it had been surreal, Spite had been gentler than she thought he would be.

Though Lucanis had probably guided him, when they had shared, moved as one, gods it had been intense, she remembered his smile, how happy he was as he drifted back into whatever it was he did to rest, was it sleep? she wasn't so sure, he just went still.

That soft smile on his lips made her feel warm, he was happy, the happiest she had seen him in a long time and it was because of her.

She sighed dreamily, maker she loved him, she had said the words but now she knew for certain, she couldn't stop thinking about him, about them, how vulnerable he allowed himself to be around her, he let her in, and it had changed him.

She glanced up at the stage, he was chatting to his band mates, laughing. Toya and Pike seemed confused by his change in mood, but they were happy to see him happy.

Her thoughts shift to Viago, and she frowns, she hopes when they returned to Treviso at the end of the tour that he will accept Lucanis, that he would realise he made her happy, that he was safe, despite his fears that he would hurt her.

Maybe she could tell Teia, get her to talk to him first? she had always been good at persuading him, no, she didn't want to risk him coming after Lucanis during the tour, she couldn't tell him, not yet, she didn't want to spoil a good thing, not when it felt like Lucanis had finally accepted she was here to stay.

Lucanis glanced across the plaza to the sound desk as if sensing she was thinking about him, she thinks he might be smiling at her, she wondered if he could see her from that far away even through tinted glass? she swears she see's a purple flash from his eyes, but that could just be a trick of the light, she couldn't really make out the details of his face from this distance.

He returns to his conversation with his band mates before making an excuse to leave, and disappearing backstage.

Lucanis wanted to be ready early, wanted to sneak a moment with her before the show if he could. He still could not believe what had happened that morning.

Altara was like no women he had ever met, she accepted every inch of him, things he thought monstrous, she accepted, she soothed him, the pain he thought was his curse to endure alone now shared, halved as Spite liked to say.

He loved her, and wanted to spend every minute with her, but they had a tour, and only so much time to share with her, he tried not to think of the future, to think of that was to think of the hourglass, slowly emptying, of how finite their time together really was, she was mortal, he was not.

He shook his head, he had been thinking about it a lot lately. Spite had even tried to encourage him to turn her, wanting to keep her forever, but he could not, would not, do that to her. She was pure, so alive, he couldn't take that from her. She was his light in the darkness.

He would not extinguish that, he refused to, he knew this would break his heart, but he would stay with her until the end, care for her when she aged, he owed her that, she had saved him from himself.

He smiled as he got closer to the sound desk, the tinted glass obscured what was inside, but he could see, thanks to Spite. He smirked, his demon had been quiet all morning since their moment with her.

He could feel how content he was, how happy he was to have them both at last, after all there arguing about her, they had reached an understanding, she opened doors, that's what Spite had said, and now he understood.

He opens the door slowly, peeking inside to make sure nobody else was around, she had her back to him, bent over the desk fiddling with a cable, he slipped inside and closed the door silently, flicking the lock with a smirk as he gaze traveled down to her ass.

She was so engrossed in what she was doing she had not even realised she was no longer alone. She cursed then sighed, finally getting the cable where she wanted.

She straitened up then shrieked as he pulled her back against him with a chuckle, pressing a kiss to her neck.

"Lucanis you scared me." She giggled as he pressed another kiss, lower this time, she tilted her head and sighed as he spun her around and pinned her to the wall.

"Lucanis!" she gasped, staring at him in surprise as he smiled leaning in to kiss her. She moaned into his kiss, and smiled when he pulled back to look at her.

"I wanted to see you before the show." He admits in a whisper, tracing her cheek, his eyes were warm, full of adoration.

"Well here I am." She smiles, cupping his cheek, mirroring his caress, he closed his eyes and nearly purred. pressing his forehead to hers, he cant stop smiling.

"I love you." He whispers.

"I love you to." She whispers back.

WHAT about SPITE?
She loves us both
DIDN'T say IT

He chuckles.

"Spite says your forgetting someone." He leans back with a smirk. She smiles back at him and touches his nose making him go cross eyed for a moment, she giggled, she had no idea how he could be so adorable sometimes.

"I love you to Spite." She grins when his eyes flash purple for a moment in acknowledgement.

Better?
YES

"I should get ready, come find me after the show." Lucanis smiles, leaning in for another quick kiss which she returns happily, they part and he turns to leave, she sighs, returning to her work.

She gasps when he rushes back, sweeping her up in a needy kiss. she gasps clinging to him. He pulls away and she is breathless.

"For luck." He grins before leaving her to her work.

She leans against the sound desk and smiles, tracing her lips with her fingers.

Lucanis had a strange energy about him that night, as he riled up the crowd, they screamed his name, their hands in the air, moshing as he did an insane guitar solo.

But one figure in the crowd didn't seem amused, they watched him perform with a frown, he wasn't supposed to be here, He was supposed to under his mistress's control. but they had escaped and now they were performing again as if last year had never happened.

This was not how it was supposed to go, this had not been the plan, the figure moved through the crowd as the song ended, watching Lucanis as he high-fives his band mates, it seemed like he was in a good mood.

The figure watched a white haired women approached Lucanis at the side of the stage with interest, They watched as they exchanged a smile, who was she to him? The figure wondered, a cruel smirk curled their lips as Lucanis takes her hand and pulls her along with him backstage, whoever she was she meant something to him, that was interesting.

The figure smirks, weaving through the crowd and heading back outside, another figure waited for them, a tall women in a dark red dress that looked expensive, there dark hair swept from their face in a half up half down hairstyle, their expression was cold, their eyes colder, like silver penny's, their thin lips were painted an unflattering shade of red, clashing with there pale skin.

"Well?" She asked impatiently.

"Its definitely him, not an impersonator, he's back, He's still alive." They say lowering their hood, revealing a long grey haired man with a bit of a scruff, he was taller than the women.

The women curses in Tavine.

"Well, what else?" She spat angrily, the Demon of Vyrantium was supposed to be dead, his body a puppet for her to control, to destroy Dellamorte records from within.

"There is a women." He smirks, when she raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

"A lover?" She asks, stepping closer, her interest peaked.

"They left together, I think she might be." He chuckles.

"Good, that is something we can use, keep an eye on her. I want to know her movements, where she eats, where she sleeps, how much time she spends with him." She purrs, before turning to her limo driver.

"Take me back to my estate, I have much to plan." She smirks before getting inside, she lowers the window and the grey haired man approaches.

"Do not let them know you are watching, gather information for now, I will think of our next move and contact you soon." She smirks raising the window up again without waiting for his reply.

He bows obediently.

"Of course." He smirks, before heading back to his own car, he would need to gather some things first, there was one more show before the Demon of Vyrantium would move to Rialto.

He had time to prepare.

Chapter Text

They were lying in bed, Lucanis on his back with Altara resting her head on his shoulder, tracing patterns on his chest. He hummed contentedly. Spite was purring in his mind, relaxed and enjoying the sensations.

"How did you end up with Spite?" She whispers, almost too quiet for him to hear, as if she were afraid to ask. He made a noise of acknowledgement and closed his eyes.

"I met him at the Ossuary Festival." He replies, his voice a little strained, he had not spoken about it much, he still had nightmares about it sometimes.

Altara leaned up on an elbow to look at him.

"What really happened?" she asked, watching his reaction. He stared at her for a moment, as if gauging if he could trust her, which was ridiculous considering they were naked, the most vulnerable a person can be with another.

"Do you not believe the news?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. She raised her own in reply as if saying. 'Do you have to ask?' He chuckles at the look on her face.

"I...I haven't really spoken to anyone about it...it was....unpleasant." He sighs, swallowing thickly as if bolstering himself.

"It was supposed to be the opportunity of a lifetime, I was supposed to be the headlining act." He begins.

1 Year ago - Lucanis's Apartment - Treviso

"Come on, Lucanis, this is our chance to make you famous." Illario grinned, still holding the leaflet in his hands. An agent promoting the event had approached him. They said they had heard Lucanis's music and wanted him to headline the festival, they wanted to promote him, saying he had great potential.

At first, he had been a bit sceptical, but other record labels had already signed up, including some of their biggest rivals. This would be an opportunity to show Venatori Records that the Demon of Vyrantium was far better than their star act, Evanuris, would ever be.

The promoter had been beautiful, their silver eyes had been a little cold, but she assured him this would make Lucanis famous, would get his music out there.

Caterina had demanded Illario manage Lucanis, to prove this new direction Lucanis had taken his music wasn't just a passing phase, she had not been pleased when Lucanis wanted to move away from Classical to Rock, it was a drastic change, after all the money she had invested in him, hiring famous tutors from across the world to teach him every instrument, to sing, and now he seemed to want to throw it all away to be a rock star.

She had screamed at them both, telling him they had 1 year to prove to her this was the right choice, as if they were simply clients and not her only living relatives.

Illario was determined to make her see that this was the right move for Lucanis, he was far happier expressing himself in his music with rock than he had ever been pursuing other genres.

He already had a plethora of fans, buying up his first album in minutes, over a million copies sold, but that didn't seem enough to convince Caterina, the chatter on social media about the Demon of Vyrantium was mostly positive, there would always be negativity, people that just liked to hate on everything but most were almost obsessed with his music already, but Caterina didn't seem to believe this would last.

If he could convince Lucanis to headline this festival, it could be what gets Lucanis's music out there, to show Caterina that this was what they should be doing.

"I dont know, Illario, I've never headlined before, it's a lot of pressure." Lucanis fiddles with his sleeve, not to mention the risks, hiding what he was had always been difficult on tours, but at a festival, it wouldn't just be his own crew he would be hiding from.

"Relax, you're a natural, you've got an edge that's going to take you places." Illario grinned, placing the leaflet down on the coffee table.

Lucanis picked it up and read it over, a lot of act's had already signed up, he noticed Venatori Records star act The Evanuris was in the list of acts and frowned, he wasn't keen on sharing a stage with them, He had heard of their shady practices, under the table bribery to get opportunity's, if they were going to be at the Ossuary Festival, what did that mean for its legitimacy.

"I promise you, this is going to be great, you're going to knock their socks off and show the world you're a rock star." Illario Grinned.

Lucanis couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. Maybe this would be an opportunity, maybe this would be what made him famous.

Present

"So it was Illario's idea?" She asks in surprise.

"Yes, but he had been tricked, it...I dont blame him for what happened, and he's more than made up for his mistake." Lucanis assures her.

"So, headlining a festival is a pretty big deal. Were you nervous?" She asks, resting her chin on her fist, her hand once more tracing patterns, he places a hand over hers and smiles.

"If you want me to tell you, you need to stop distracting me." He purred, making her blush. Sometimes, the way he looked at her was almost predatory, though considering what he was, perhaps it was.

He smirked knowingly, tracing her cheek.

"I would never hurt you." He whispered, tracing her features, his gaze warm.

"I know." She smiles, kissing him, he purred into it, pulling her closer and deepening it before pulling back.

"I thought I told you not to distract me." He grinned, showing fangs.

She licked her lips, and his gaze dropped down, following the movement.

"Sorry, I can't help it." She giggles, looking down at his chest. He was so damn gorgeous, she still couldn't believe someone like him wanted her.

"Hey." He whispered, tilting her chin up. "I dont mind, it's flattering really." He teased, it certainly did wonders for his ego.

"So, you agree to go to this festival, right? How did it all go so wrong? What was a demon doing there?" She asked. The news had been pretty hush-hush about it. It was why Neve was so obsessed with trying to figure out what really happened.

It had been her pet project for over a year. Neve was a detective through and through, and nothing got her interest more than a cover-up.

"Well, needless to say, it wasn't really a festival, they were experimenting on people, they wanted to control people with demon possession." He said, then paused, waiting for her reaction.

She stared at him, her mouth wide open.

"That's, that's illegal, that's blood magic, right?" She asks, shocked that they would do something like that, lure all those acts to try and control them? What on earth did they hope to accomplish by doing that?

"I dont think the Venatori really care about what Is or Isn't legal, their record label was going out of business, none of there acts including their star The Evanuris were doing well in the charts, I think they wanted to control their rivals, make us leave our labels and join theirs, I didn't really want to stick around and find out." He looked down and took a breath.

"If they discovered what I was, that I knew what was going on, they might have tried to kill me." He had only intended to gather enough information to hand over to the Police but when he found Spite, everything changed, he couldn't just leave him there, not in the state he was in, besides the cops would have probably called the Templars and they would have Destroyed them and then Spite went and did something stupid and saved his life, and then he owed him one.

1 year ago - Ossuary Music Festival - Tevinter

Lucanis had been sitting outside his trailer, going over his notes, they had been one of the first acts to arrive. The staging area was still being set up, that's when he heard some of the staff talking, they were huddled by a staff trailer on the other side of the field.

He usually didn't listen in to conversations, lest he react and draw attention to his supernatural senses, he had to be careful, he needed to act human.

It was when he heard his name that he focused on the conversation.

"I'm telling you there is something up with the Demon of Vyrantium."

"What difference does it make? He will be under our control soon enough, they all will."

"Hey, keep your voice down. What if someone hears us?"

"Dont be stupid, this area is for staff only, there's nobody here but us."

"How are we even going to pull this off? They sure as hell aren't going to come willingly."

"That's not for us to worry about, leave that to Zara and her lackeys, we're just the muscle"

"Sure, but a demon? This is risky even for us."

"Relax, it's contained and soon there won't be enough of it left of it to worry about."

"I kind of feel sorry for it"

"Dont tell me you're getting cold feet."

"No, of course not."

"Just do your job, relax, we are going to be rich."

Had Lucanis had a heartbeat, it might have been pounding in his chest, demons? Control? What the fuck were they talking about? He needed to tell Illario, the Festival hadn't started yet, there might be time to do something.

If they were planning to harm the other acts, to use a demon, well, he couldn't leave without evidence, nobody would believe him, if he just went to the police without proof, and he couldn't just save his own ass and leave everyone else to suffer. Whatever it was these assholes had planned, He wasn't a coward.

He pulled out his phone and sent Illario a Text.

Lucanis: We need to talk NOW! Something fishy is going on.

Illario: It's ok to be nervous, you know ;P

Lucanis: I'm serious, Illario, I just overheard a conversation, they were talking about a Demon

Illario: They were probably talking about you, dumbass

Lucanis: Not me, I mean an actual Demon, they have one.

Illario: Lucanis, are you sure you're not just freaking out over being the head act? You know what they say about eavesdropping.

Lucanis: For maker's sake, Illario, I'm not fucking around. This is serious. Get over to my trailer now. We need to do something.

Illario: Like what? Leave? I only just finished all the paperwork for crying out loud.

Lucanis: Leave it and get over here NOW!

Illario: Alright, Alright, maker, you're on one today.

Lucanis cursed. Illario never took anything seriously, it was no wonder Caterina was always so cross with him.

Present

"That does Sound like Illario." Altara chuckled, settling back down against him.

"My cousin has always been an ass, but he's a good man, he came around eventually, and not just because the Venatori nearly killed him." Lucanis chuckles.

"Wait, I thought we were talking about how you met Spite." She giggled at him getting sidetracked.

"Right, sorry, I should probably just skip my arguing with my Cousin." He laughed.

"Maybe." She grinned, pressing a kiss to his chest.

1 year ago - Ossuary Music Festival - Tevinter

Lucanis had convinced Illario to snoop around the backstage areas for clues, whilst he checked out the more secure area. He was stealthier than Illario, with his keen senses, reflexes and strength, he could get into places others could not.

He snuck into the building on the far side of the festival field. It was a permanent structure, the fields they were in were specifically set aside by the city for festivals. This building was the base of operations for festival staff.

He had scoped the place out the night before after his little chat with Illario. There was something about this building that felt wrong somehow, if there were any secrets, he had a feeling he would find them here. He crept down into a dimly lit hallway and shivered. This place seemed more like a hospital than a festival HQ The air smelled of chemicals and, more concerning, blood, lots of it.

There was a strange tension in the air that seemed to press down on him as he crept further down the hall. A groan from further ahead got his attention. He peered around the corner and froze. Prison cells?

What the hell was this place? He heard a muffled scream. He moved quickly, darting from shadow to shadow. He looked through a window, and his blood ran cold.

A man was strapped to a table, they were cutting him open, putting something inside him, something that was wriggling, purple wisps of magic curling from it, then the man writhed on the table, his screams muffled by the gag around his mouth, he went limp, and the people in scrubs sighed in disappointment.

"Another failure, this isn't working, Zara is going to be most upset." One of them said.

"I'll dispose of the body. We have a few more test subjects. Relax, by the time the festival starts, we will get this to work." The other chuckled, washing their hands in the sink as if washing away the blood somehow absolved him from what they had just done.

He wanted to go in there, to stop them, but he didn't want to raise the alarm, the man was already dead, killing them wouldn't help him, and besides, he wanted them to pay for what they had done. They couldn't do that if they were dead, no, he would find evidence and then tell the police.

He doubled back to the cells, checking each one. They had mentioned other test subjects, but strangely, all but one cell was empty. He ripped the padlock open and checked inside. Another dead body. He curses, it felt like he was running out of time.

He needed to find evidence and quickly, documents, anything to prove what was happening here. He would have used his phone, but his old Nokia didnt have a camera, something Illario had always teased him about constantly. He liked his phone, it might be old, but it still worked, unlike Illario's, which seemed to break and require replacing constantly. He frowned, checking the next hall, more cells. If there were others, maybe he could free them, save them.

Unfortunately, there was nobody else in the cells, maybe they had been referring to the acts that would be performing at the festival. He shuddered at the thought.

He snuck back into the hall with the operating room and down some stairs he had spotted earlier, dodging the guards easily, after all, they were only human, he was an apex predator, a monster. The more he explored the facility, the more nervous he became. The guards were clearly Venatori. This was bad, really bad.

Eventually, he made it down to the basement level. It was eerily quiet, as if even the guards were afraid to come down here. And that's when he spotted them, sigils on the floor, painted with blood, a pulsing magic that made the back of his eyes itch, something was being held down here.

He remembered the conversation he overheard from the night before, they had spoken about a demon. Was it being kept down here? He crept along the hall, following the sigils on the floor to a room.

As he entered, he gasped. There was a red barrier, surrounded by crystals and inside was something he never thought he would see. A purple creature cowered in the corner of its cell. Its skin seemed almost nebulous, 6 eyes blinked at him. It tilted its head, confused to see someone down here. Nobody came down here, not unless they wanted to take.

It moved slowly towards the barrier, hesitantly. If they lowered the barrier, maybe it could eat them and escape, though where it would go, it wasn't sure.

It was barely holding onto its form, parts were missing like they had been cut away with a scalpel. It looked sad, broken.

Lucanis reached out without thinking, and it regarded him with suspicion for a moment. This human seemed different, their eyes showed sympathy, not greed. It reached out to press a clawed palm against the barrier right where Lucanis's hand had pressed, trying to sense his intentions.

It sniffed the air, the barrier muted its senses, but it could smell compassion, an emotion that would normally annoy it, but here, it was a welcome reprieve.

"Maker, what are they doing down here? What have they done to you?" Lucanis asked, for some reason, instead of fear, he felt sorry for it, could it understand him? It seemed to be intelligent.

"They CUT, stole ME from FADE, CANT go home." It growled, but it wasn't threatening, it was almost mournful, it shuddered in what looked like pain, it looked down at itself and let out a pained sound.

So it could talk, what had been done to this creature was monstrous, this was low even for the Venatori.

"Took my PARTS, made me SMALL" It shuddered before collapsing. That's when he noticed the wings, they looked broken, they dragged behind it like a cloak.

"Mierda!" Lucanis cursed, he looked around and growled, his mind made up. "I'm getting you out of here." He said, moving to the crystals holding up the barrier.

"WHY, help?" It asked softly. Why did this one care what happened to it?

"It's not right, them keeping you here, doing this to you." Lucanis had hoped for evidence of the Venatori's plans, but now he just wanted to burn this place to the ground, this was barbaric.

He had always thought Demons were a myth, a ghost story parents told their kids to make them behave, but this, this was real, this creature was real, and this, what was happening here, this was wrong.

He smashed the crystals, and the barrier went down. The creature shuddered again, clutching a wound that looked fresh at its side, cracks forming on its skin. Was it dying?

Lucanis rushed to its side, helping it sit up.

"You look bad. Can you walk?" He asked, and it shook its head.

"Too weak, I DONT want to DIE!" It whimpered, not here, not with all this blood and pain.

"I'm going to get you out of here." What was he saying? Where would he even take it? People would freak out if they saw it. Hiding what he was had been easy, he looked human, but this creature wasn't human at all.

"Do you have a name?" Lucanis asks softly, and it shakes its head

It let out another pained moan. It's form cracking further, they had taken too much, there was not much left of it.

Lucanis felt another pang of compassion for this creature, and then he felt angry. He stood, the creature watching him curiously. Lucanis was the first human who had been kind to it.

Lucanis looked around, hoping to find something that could prove what had happened here, or maybe there was something here to help this creature. He was so distracted in his search that he didn't notice the guards sneaking in. They raised their guns and were about to fire.

The creature hissed and Lucanis turned sharply, faster than the guards had expected, they opened fire in surprise, at this close range, they might hurt even him, he could not allow himself to be captured, not after what he had witnessed, Lucanis expected pain, even with his reflexes he was to slow to dodge bullets, but the creature leapt in front of him, shielding him.

It launched itself at the guards, tearing into them like a savage dog, then it howled as one of the guards cut their finger and started to cast a spell, perhaps to control it, or worse.

Before they could finish their chant, Lucanis was on them, snapping their neck. He frowned at the creature, it was panting for breath, its form crumbling at the edges from bullet holes. It was going to die here, in this awful place. Why had it helped him? It was in no shape to be throwing itself in front of guards without thought, just to help him.

He couldn't let it die, if it had not shielded him, if any of those bullets had hit his heart, it could have paralysed him. Even being able to heal faster than a human, it might have given them enough time to restrain him. He sure as hell didn't want to find himself on that operating table.

But why had it helped him? It had no reason to trust him, other than him freeing it of the barrier, yet it had done so anyway.

"You're dying, arnt you?" He said simply, pulling it into his arms, he traced its cheek, it was handsome in a way, its 6 eyes stared up at him, its expression unreadable, it reached up touching his cheek in return but it was so weak, its arm falling useless at its side a moment later, more of its form crumbling away and turning to dust.

"Possess me." Lucanis blurted out, he couldn't think of any other way to save it, the creature stared at him in surprise. Most humans would be afraid of possession, but not this one.

"WHY!" It whispered.

"Because you dont deserve to die here." Lucanis couldn't believe what he was doing, volunteering to be possessed. What the hell was he thinking?

"Why live?" It said, looking away from him, this world was only pain and suffering.

"What about all the things life has to offer, dont you want to see that? I can show you," Lucanis said, his voice barely a whisper. He felt his eyes sting.

"NO point." It sighed, and he felt his heart breaking. He understood that feeling all too well. He sometimes felt the same, ever since the curse, what was the point in continuing on, but then he thought about those who damned his family, they had clearly wanted them dead, and he wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

"SPITE!" it cackled, sensing his emotions.

"What?" Lucanis blinked in confusion.

"LIVE out of SPITE." It liked this human, he was determined, that had been its purpose before. It had been ushered into existence by mortals. Determination, like most spirits, they were the embodiment of emotions.

"Right, Dont give them satisfaction, live. We can live together." Lucanis offered again, and it regarded him for a moment.

"What DOES it mean to LIVE?" It asks, its voice more strained, another part of its form crumbling away.

"Come with me and find out." Lucanis helped it sit up as it sagged in his arms "Dont die here, let me help you, please." He didn't know why this was suddenly so important to him, but something about this creature resonated with him, he couldn't just leave it here.

"Promise." It hissed, pressing its forehead to his.

"Promise what?" Lucanis replied, Why did it feel like it was negotiating with him.

"WANT to FEEL, experience, LIVE!" It whispered.

"Alright, you can feel through me, Live through me." Lucanis realised he was probably biting off more than he could chew, letting it possess him, as if being a Vampire wasn't hard enough. What would being possessed be like? Would he even survive it?

"SHARE? not take?" It offered, as if clarifying the deal.

"As long as I still have control over my body and my thoughts," Lucanis adds, realising that was probably something he should have said before making the offer, he was glad it brought it up.

"DEAL!" It said with finality, as its form began to slowly crumble to dust.

For a moment he thought he was to late, that they had dallied to long and it had died before they could finish their deal, but then a ghostly form floating up from the remains, it was almost wisp like, it sank into his body like a ghost passing through a wall, only instead of coming out of the other side it remained within him.

He felt a presence settle in his mind, in his unbeating heart, curling down his spine like threads wrapping themselves around every inch of his nervous system. It felt warm, nothing like he had expected. He remembered that man screaming on the operating table, he had expected pain.

Perhaps because this was voluntary. Maybe that's why it felt more like an embrace than being cut open for it to crawl inside.

LET us LIVE!

We will.

WE should LEAVE!

It made a very Good point. He gave the room one more look over, pulling out his lighter. There was no way he was leaving this place without making sure this couldn't happen again, there was no way he was letting these sick experiments continue, even if he had taken their demon from them.

He set fire to anything that would burn in the room, he watched for a moment, the flames almost cathartic before the flames began to get out of control and he had to leave less he burn with it, he checked a few more rooms on his way out, hoping to find something he could bring to the police, but there was nothing, it made sense, they probably didn't want a paper trail.

Maybe illario had found something. He reached the ground floor and crept out of the back. Satisfied that the place was burning, he winced when something exploded, so much for not raising the alarm.

Maybe setting fire to the boiler room had been a bad idea, but maybe the police would find something when this was all over. Surely, they would investigate, a random fire would look suspicious.

What NOW!

We find Illario, and we get the hell out of here!

What is Illario?

My cousin, wait, what should I call you?

SPITE!

spite, huh, fitting

YES!

Present

"Maker, that's awful, I had no idea, Spite, that must have been awful for you." She sniffed, feeling her eyes sting with tears, the thought of what Spite had suffered broke her heart.

"IT'S ok, Luca SAVED me, I saved HIM." Spite pipes up before giving Lucanis control back. It was almost seamless when they switched between them now.

"I still have nightmares about that place," Lucanis admits, stroking his fingers through her hair. "I had no idea back then what I was getting myself into." He chuckles.

There had certainly been an adjustment period. Spite had been eager for experiences, constantly asking questions like an excited child, it had given him his share of headaches, but they found a balance eventually.

"You mentioned the Venatori nearly killed Illario. I'm assuming you saved him, considering he is alive and well." She giggled.

"Yes, he got caught snooping around the backstage area, they interrogated him, I wasn't going to let them hurt him further." He growled. Illario had been pretty beaten up when he finally found him.

Illario had not had any luck finding evidence either, instead, he had been whacked over the head for snooping around and dragged into the back rooms.

He had raised the Venatori's hackles, he had no idea what they had planned to do with him, but considering the experimentation he had discovered, he was not going to stand around and let that happen to his cousin. Even if he pissed him off sometimes, he was family.

He was almost relieved in a way, the fact that they caught him and beat him up, at least proved he hadn't been involved. He had hated the part of him that had suspected he might have set him up, it had been a small part, but he still felt guilty to have even entertained the idea.

"Sooo." She raises an eyebrow.

"Well, with the explosions going off in the labs, the Venatori were distracted. I used the chaos to get to the backstage area to look for him." He explained, laughing at the excited curiosity on her face.

1 year ago - Ossuary Music Festival - Tevinter

"Maker, where the hell is he?" Lucanis muttered to himself, creeping around the backstage area. Most of the Venatori had rushed to check out the labs, which made slipping in easier.

SMELLS like ASH and pain

What are you talking about?

AHEAD, go SEE!

Alright.

He creeps further down the corridor and finds the dressing rooms. He hears a groan and feels his heart quiver, the sound eerily familiar to down in the labs, Maker, please let him be ok.

He yanks open the door, fangs bared, he didn't care if they knew what he was at this point, none of them would live long enough to tell anyone.

Thankfully, the room was empty except for Illario, tied to a chair, with a bloody lip and a black eye, and judging from the way he was leaning on one side, perhaps a few broken ribs.

Illario gasped when the door opened, his eyes wide, seeing Lucanis baring his fangs. He relaxed when a look of recognition flickered in his cousin's gaze before he rushed to his side.

"Maker, Illario, what happened?" He asked, tearing the ropes with his bare hands. Illario slumped forward.

"I got caught, we had a lovely chat." Illario said sarcastically, then grunted in pain.

"We need to get out of here, this place needs to burn," Lucanis growled.

"What did you find?" Illario asks, letting him help him to his feet. He stumbles, and Lucanis steadies him.

"Fucked up experiments, that's what, perhaps now is not the best time to explain," Lucanis smirked when Illario raised a brow and nodded in agreement.

Footsteps in the hall make lucanis curse. He pushes Illario back to the chair and presses his back against the wall by the door.

"Act like you're still tied." He says, readying himself.

Illario looks hesitant, but as the footsteps draw closer, he nods, and slumps back into the chair, pretending to be unconscious.

The door flies open, and three guards rush in.

"We are cutting our losses, we cant have any witnesses." One says drawing a blade, only for a scream behind them to get his attention

"What the!" The guard's eyes go wide as Wings spread from Lucanis's back, his eyes flashing purple.

"DIE!" The demon howls, taking over and tearing into the guards, it wanted revenge. Lucanis might have been alarmed at suddenly being a passenger in his own head, but as the demon took out the guards, its wings turning into blades and slicing them up before receding control back to him, he realised it had just wanted a little payback.

"Maker, Lucanis, what the hell was that?" He gasped.

"It's complicated." Lucanis shrugged. "Come on, we are getting out of here," Lucanis growls, helping Illario out of the door and setting fire to everything he could with his lighter.

"Wait!" Illario said, fishing in his pockets and pulling out his hip flask, he had an idea, just using a lighter would take too long.

"You want a drink, right now?" Lucanis asks, in annoyance.

"No, you idiot, we can use it as an Accelerant." He laughed, pouring the booze onto some of the curtains by the stage and raising an eyebrow at him.

"Right, of course." Lucanis frowns before setting fire to the curtains. They went up like kindling, the fire spreading faster than they anticipated.

"Shit, I dont think those curtains were fire retardant, we should go, NOW!" Illario says in alarm as the fire spreads even further.

CAN fly, ESCAPE!

With illario?

YES, CARRY!

ok

It's not like they would have time to get back to the trailer, hook it up and get out. Better to leave it, the whole place was going up in flames at this point. The guards were on high alert, rushing towards the stage and labs, if they lingered, they might have a fight on their hands.

He grabs Illario, picking him up.

"Wait! What are you doing!" Illario yelps as they are suddenly in the air, flying from the Festival grounds as another explosion erupts from the labs.

It was a good thing most people dont look up, or they might have freaked out at the purple-winged man, soaring from the festival grounds at high speed.

"Maker!" Illario screeched, clinging to him for dear life. It might have amused Lucanis had they not been fleeing for their lives, he needed to lie low for a while, find somewhere to wait for all this to blow over.

He lands in the woods a few miles from the Festival grounds and sets Illario down before pulling out his phone and calling his Grandmother. She would know what to do.

"Complicated!" Illario says. "This is more than Complicated!" He growls, gesturing at Lucanis wildly. Wings of all things? Was this the curse evolving? What the hell was going on with his cousin?

"I will explain later, when we are home and safe," Lucanis says, raising a hand for him to be quiet as Caterina answers the call.

"Wait, so you can fly? Those wings on stage, that's not magic fx's, that's you?" Altara gasps, sitting up, the covers falling to her waist. Lucanis smiles at the view for a moment, and she taps his cheek to get his attention.

"What, you cant blame me for looking, I love your tits." He teased, lifting a hand to cup one.

"You have Wings!" She says again and grabs the hand on her breasts, pulling it away. "Wings first, then you can play." She teases, and he pouts playfully.

"The wings are Spite, not me." He explains. "I dont have much control over them." He adds, then raises an eyebrow at her.

"I swear all you men are the same." She laughs when he keeps staring at her breasts, then she gasps when he rolls her onto her back and looms above her.

"I hope you're not implying I'm like other men." He growls, leaning down.

"Never." She teases, then sighs as he kisses her slow and deep. She sighs into the kiss and gasps as a purple glow lights up the trailer, wings spreading from his back. Lucanis pulls back from the kiss in surprise.

"Spite, what are you doing?" He asks out loud.

Altara WANTS to SEE wings. I SHOW her

He smiles, looking down at her as she gazes at the wings in awe, reaching out to touch them.

"I cant believe this, I tell you about our past and all you care about is we have wings." He teased, then gasped and shuddered in surprise, as she ran her fingers through the soft feathers. He had not expected to feel that.

"Maker, WHAT!" Lucanis shudders again, as she explores further, it felt amazing.

FEELS GOOD!

How?

TOGETHER now, FEEL together.

Lucanis moans, falling down to his elbows as she traces the wings, stroking the joints gently.

"Does this feel good?" She asks, and smirks when he groans, pressing against her, letting her know just how good it feels.

"Oh, I'm going to have so much fun with this." She giggled, using both hands now, fascinated that he could feel it. Lucanis collapsed against her, breathing hard. It felt so good, almost like she was stroking something else entirely.

"Maker, please," He begged, every touch sending a shiver of pleasure down his spine, right to his core.

"I....I cant," He shuddered above her. He wasn't going to last like this, he had never felt anything like it.

"MORE" Spite chimes in, their moans combining. It felt indescribable, like a feedback loop, Lucanis and Spites's pleasure commingling until he shuddered above her and came across her belly, much to his embarrassment.

She giggled at how quickly he had come undone.

"Wings." She giggled.

"Yeah." He panted, grimacing, feeling the mess he made between them as he rolled onto his side.

"A little warning next time." He panted, his cheeks flushed.

"And spoil the fun of watching you lose it like that, never!" She teased, then giggled when he attacked her with kisses.

TEASES us

This is your fault

WORTH IT

Maybe

YOU enjoyed IT TOO

Maybe.

NO FUN!

I'm plenty fun when I want to be

He chuckles, lying back down to face her and smiling like a fool.

"What?" She giggles, lying down to face him now that she had wiped them both down with a cloth.

"Sometimes I think you're a dream." He whispers, tucking a loose hair behind her ear.

"I feel the same." She smiled, her eyes getting heavy, it was late.

"Get some sleep, we have our last show in Antiva City tomorrow night." He smiles, pressing a kiss to her forehead, He smiled, realising she had already fallen asleep.

He stared at her for a while, just watching her sleep, before he decided maybe a little rest wouldn't hurt. He closed his eyes, his body going still like a statue.

Spite hovered nearby, keeping watch. He felt warm and content, happy, they made him happy.

Chapter Text

Altara's eyes fluttered open. She smiled as Lucanis's face came into view. He was on his side, his head resting on his fist, watching her.

"Were you watching me sleep?" She mumbled sleepily, he smiled, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"I dont sleep, not really, so when I cant rest, I watch." He speaks softly, keeping the moment soft, intimate.

"You know, normally that would be considered creepy." She giggled when he pouted playfully. Maker, he was so fucking beautiful. "What's on the agenda today?" She asks, moving closer and pushing him onto his back so she could rest her head on his chest.

He lets her, and chuckles. She can feel it rumble in his chest. He strokes her back gently, but when he starts tracing strange patterns, she knows it's Spite.

"What are you doing?" She mumbles, a smile curling her lips.

"Tracing moles, like stars." He grumbles softly, sounding sleepy.

"How are you this morning?" She asks in conversation.

"Excited, last show in Antiva City, big song." She sits up to look at him and chuckles when his eyes return to brown.

"Spite!" He warns, thinking he was going to reveal their secret.

"What, he was just talking about the show tonight." She grinned. "Do you have something planned I shouldn't know about?" She purs, moving to straddle him. He gripped her hips, his thumbs stroking them.

"My lips are sealed." He grinned up at her before she leaned down, letting her hair fall around them like a curtain.

"You sure about that?" She purs, before kissing him, he growls, a hand sliding up to sink into her hair, tugging her closer as he deepens it. She pulls back, breathing hard, a playful smirk on her lips as she kisses his chin, then his neck. He tilted his head, giving her more skin to kiss as she trailed lower.

"You won't make me talk." He chuckles, then gasps when she licks a nipple and bites it. He growls, rolling her under him and kissing her, the covers tangling between them. He grunted in annoyance, kicking them to the floor. He drags his lips down her throat and groans, "May I?" He asks softly, he could feel his thirst starting to irritate the back of his throat.

"Only if you tell me what you're up to." She grins when he pulls back to look at her.

"That would spoil the surprise." He complains as he goes to pull back.

"Hey." She smiles, cupping his cheek. "I'm just teasing you, I only ask because if it's for the show. I need to be prepared." She smiles when his expression becomes playful again.

"I already spoke to Marcus about it." He grins.

"You're not replacing me, are you?" She asks, in mock horror.

"Never." He says, stealing a kiss. "It's for the closing number, you will just have to wait and see." He shivered when she ran a hand down his chest and stomach.

"You will just have to be patient." He purred.

"Alright, fine, I trust you." She said, tilting her head and offering him her throat.

"Altara." He growled her name, kissing her neck, finding her pulse. He inhaled deeply and groaned again, he was so thirsty all of a sudden. "You always smell so good." He whispers before biting down, she gasped, his bite felt different, the pain less sharp, she moaned when he trailed a hand up her naked thigh, his hand slipping between her legs, and he took the first pull, his throat moving against her as he swallowed, He moaned at the taste.

"Lucanis!" She gasped as he began to stroke her as he drank. He took another long pull and started to breathe deeply. Maker, she tasted so good. He takes another pull, swallowing it down greedily. He was so thirsty, she cried out as he slipped a finger inside her, followed by another, his thumb stroking her clit as he took a fourth pull, taking far more than he usually took.

"Lucanis." She breathed his name, arching her back, her hips rocking into his hand, but just as she was teetering on the edge of release

She began to feel a little lightheaded, he took a fifth pull, his hands moving from between her legs to pull her closer like he needed to hold her, like he needed more.

"Lucanis?" She tugged on his hair sharply, and he seemed to come back to himself, pulling back, his eyes wide in fear. He licked his lips and rolled away from her, his hand shaking as it came to his mouth.

Maker he had almost, he had almost lost himself in it, the taste, the warmth it granted him. He started breathing deeper, not quite a panic attack, but close.

"Hey, it's ok, it's ok, you stopped." He closed his eyes, taking a deep, unneeded breath and letting it out slowly.

"I...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken so much." He stuttered, she kissed his cheek. "You're in control, it's ok, Spite wouldn't have let you take too much." She smiles.

SHE'S right, Would HAVE stopped YOU

I almost

STOP IT!

But I

NO, you STOPPED on your OWN

Promise me!

Promise WHAT?

That you will stop me, if I ever, if I lose control, you have permission to take over.

I PROMISE

"Forgive me, Your blood is...." He trailed off for a moment before continuing. "It's the sweetest I've ever tasted." He admits licking his lips, her blood called to him, it was why he had been afraid to get to close to her, for fear of losing himself to his thirst with her, though this was the first time he had come close to taking to much, usually he was careful to only take two gulps at most, just enough to sate himself but not enough to get lost in it.

"Could you uh." She asks, pointing at her neck, and he realises he had not sealed the wound in his haste to pull away from her.

"My apologies." He leaned down and hesitated for a moment, fearing another taste might be dangerous, he frowned. Spite was right, he had stopped on his own, well, almost, he could control this.

He licked up her neck, lapping at the wound, resisting the urge to bite back down. He pressed a lingering kiss over the now-healed wound, her skin once more pristine, unmarked.

"Do you have any of that amazing coffee you made the other day?" She asked, she needed something to drink and wake her up.

"Of course, would you like some?" He asked, reaching for a robe.

"Yes, please, Dont worry about the Robe though, I like a nice view with my coffee." She flirted and giggled when he raised an eyebrow and stood with a smirk, unashamed as he padded over to the coffee machine in the kitchenette.

She sighed, she would never tire of this view. She thinks, the way his muscles moved under his tanned skin, his ass was so perfect, she wanted to bite it.

He looks over his shoulder at her knowingly and smirks. She was lounging on the bed, her alabaster skin glowing under the soft lights of his trailer, beautiful, perfect, his.

OURS

ours, but mostly mine

LUCA!

I'm just playing

MEAN

I love you, to you know

GOOD, should

Are you sulking?

NO!

He chuckles, feeling Spite Pinch his ass, or perhaps bite him, he couldn't tell. He smiles as he finishes making coffee and brings a cup over to her.

"There you go, Mi Amor, fresh coffee, just how you like it" He grins, sipping his own, thankful he could still enjoy the dark beverage. Food was out of the question, of course, but liquids were fine in moderation.

"Perfect." She grinned, kissing his cheek. "Just like you." She adds before sipping her coffee happily.

"I'm far from perfect." He sighs, staring into his coffee cup, still worrying over his thirst. It was the first time in a long time he had nearly lost himself to bloodlust. He usually had more control than this, but the curse was unpredictable at times, he would need to be more careful.

"You always do that." She says, putting her coffee down and hugging him from behind.

"Do what?" He asks curiously.

"Deny a compliment rather than accept it." She mumbles into his shoulder.

"I'm simply not used to it." He admits.

"Well, I'm going to keep complimenting you until you dont. So you might as well accept defeat now, and accept that you're gorgeous." She grins, nipping him playfully.

"I'm still not telling you about the closing song." He grins knowingly, his worries forgotten for the moment.

"Spoil sport." She giggles when he finishes his coffee and tackles her to the bed.

"We need to prepare for tonight." He growls.

She licks her lips.

"We have time." She laughs, waggling her eyebrows at him, only to gasp when he sweeps her up in a kiss and pulls her into him with a groan. He couldn't resist her.

The crowd were screaming along before the song ended, the lights dimmed a little, and Lucanis chuckled.

"I'm afraid we only have time for one more song." He says, and the crowd makes a sound of protest, making him laugh again.

Altara feels a little pang of excitement. He had said he had a plan for the last song, she watched Marcus quickly make a few adjustments. It felt weird having to sit back and watch.

"Have you ever been in love?" He asks the crowd, and they start screaming, some throwing things onto the stage. Toya laughed, picking up some underwear and spinning it on her finger before tossing it back into the crowd.

"I want to dedicate this last song to someone very important to me." The crowd gasps, chattering excitedly, wondering who it might be. Some jumped up and down excitedly, as if they knew who he was referring to.

"Alright," Lucanis says, adjusting his guitar strap and stepping closer to the mic.

Pike taps his sticks, counting them in before starting a beat, whilst Lucanis and Toya strum their guitars for the intro.

Lucanis took the mic in his hands and started to sing.

Your tired eyes like open wounds

You see right through me

With every lie and bitter truth

You see right through me

So come and pull me closer

Take me even lower

We can find the calm before the storm

Now Hell is freezing over

No peace of mind, no closure

We can find the calm before the storm

Pike did a trick with his sticks, drumming in the chorus, Altara smiles, hearing a little Spite in his voice as Lucanis sang. Marcus was doing a great job with the audio levels.

You can drag me through the fire

Throw me into the well

You're the closest thing to Heaven

I'd follow you into Hell

I'd follow you into Hell

There was a brief pause as Marcus dialled up some effects. She felt her eyes water a little with tears at the lyrics. When he mentioned scarlet eyes, the crowd went crazy. She knew the public had been speculating about them since that Metal Magazine interview.

Your Scarlet eyes ignite the room.

They're all-consuming

Just let me burn if I'm with you

Come fall into me

So come and pull me closer

Take me even lower

Can we find our time before it's gone?

Now Hell is freezing over

No peace of mind, no closure

Can we find our time before it's gone?

Pike led them into the next chorus, Lucanis tilted his head back, singing his heart out, with Spite along for the ride, adding that unnatural growl that he was now famous for.

Altara wiped at her eyes, feeling a little emotional. Did he truly feel that way about her?

You can drag me through the fire

Throw me into the well

You're the closest thing to Heaven

I'd follow you into Hell

I'd follow you into Hell

Lucanis and Spite sang the bridge together, and she felt her heart swell that he felt so strongly about her that he had written a song for her.

If it meant

I had to crawl through broken glass just to hold your hand

In the end

I'd give up everything just to burn with you

Pike did an impressive drum beat, twirling his sticks and grinning like a fool, even Toya was laughing. She had a feeling they were going to tease Lucanis relentlessly about this song in their dressing room after the show.

Drag me through the fire.

Throw me into the well.

Lucanis sang the beginning of the chorus slower, softer, cradling the mic like he would cradle Altara's face before he kissed her. Then he sang the next part, leading to the end of the song, even Pike added a backing vocal, as Lucanis hit some long notes.

You're the closest thing to Heaven.

I'd follow you into Hell.

I'd follow you into Hell.

I'd follow you into Hell

(With every lie and bitter truth)

(You see right through me)

I'd follow you into Hell

The song ended, the lights behind him turned on, a little dry ice crawled across the stage before the lights went out, and the crowd went wild, screaming and chanting his name.

Altara wanted to rush to the stage and throw herself into his arms, but she had to be patient. She watched Pike and Toya embrace him before the lights came on and they took a bow.

"Thank you, Antiva City. See you in Rialto!" Lucanis says, waving to the crowd before the band leave the stage arm in arm as a shadowy figure watches from the balcony above.

They checked their phone and smirked.

Z: Stick to the plan, follow them to Rialto, use twice as much blood. I want to see how well he resists.

C: As you wish.

Lucanis was buzzing with energy after that performance. The song had sounded good, Marcus had done well, Altara had taught him well, he wished he could have seen her reaction, though he had a feeling she would find him later. She spent more time in his trailer than in her own recently.

Not that he was complaining, he had become accustomed to curling around her at night, to waking to her face smiling at him, he felt more rested just being near her, and Spite seemed calmer with her around.

The dressing room was full of energy. Pike and Toya seemed to be just as pleased with that last song as he was.

"You know, I dont think I've ever heard you sing a love song before." Pike grinned, bumping Lucanis's shoulder with his, making him blush.

"I think it's cute." Toya teases, and he growls in warning playfully.

"Aww, come on, it was sweet, you sang your heart out for her." Pike grins, slapping his back, making him groan in annoyance.

"Cut it out, you two." He grumbles, making them laugh.

The door opens, and for a moment, he freezes, thinking it's Altara, but it was just Illario. He tries to hide the look of disappointment on his face as his cousin comes bounding over and hugs him.

"That was amazing, the crowd love it, they're already speculating who the song is about, and from what I've heard, most have guessed correctly." He laughed, and Lucanis frowned. Had he made a mistake? He liked his privacy, was this going to bring him more unwanted attention from the media?

He didn't want that, he had just wanted to put into words his feelings for Altara. He looked down, and Illario sighed, crossing his arms.

"Come on, I thought you would be happy, this is what sells records, cousin, people love it when there is a story." He chuckles.

"I just..." Lucanis trails off with a sigh. "I dont want Journalists getting in my business." He complains.

"Well, you're in the wrong line of business if you dont want people talking about you." Pike chuckles, handing him a beer.

"I suppose." Lucanis opens the beer and takes a sip. He should celebrate his wins when he could, but who he really wanted to celebrate with had yet to make an appearance.

He hoped he hadn't scared her away, he had no idea what had come over him this morning. He usually had more control than that. He pulls Illario to the side, and his cousin looks at him with concern.

"What's wrong?" He asks, leaning in as if they were conspiring together.

"This morning I nearly." Lucanis trails off, trying to gather his thoughts. "My thirst, I need more blood." He explains almost hesitantly.

"How much?" Illario asks in concern, it was getting hard to get a supply on the road.

"I dont know, I nearly took too much, I...couldn't. My thirst was stronger than usual, I dont know what's wrong with me." He says, sounding worried, Was he becoming a danger to people?

"Alright, look, sometimes your Thirst is worse, but it gets better, right, maybe you're just having an off day, I'll make sure I get more for the rest of the tour, do you need any right now?" He asks, gesturing to his wrist.

It had been a long time since he had fed from his cousin, it was usually a last resort when his blood bags didn't hit the spot, but he had not needed that in years, and with Altara happy to offer hers, he had not needed to.

"I dont know. I..." He frowns and takes a deep breath. "Maybe you're right, maybe it was just an off day." He sighs.

"But I think it's a good idea to have more blood for the rest of the tour, just in case." He adds before they part and return to the group.

"Everything ok?" Toya asks in concern.

"Everything is fine," Lucanis says, forcing a smile. She nods and returns her attention to Pike, who is trying to open a beer bottle the way Lucanis does, and failing miserably, much to her amusement.

Altara was frustrated, there was still so much to pack away. They would be leaving Antiva City tomorrow afternoon for Rialto for the next leg of the tour, and all she wanted to do was find Lucanis. Those lyrics were still floating in her head. Did he truly love her that much?

She wanted to kiss him, to tell him how much it meant to her that he had written a song about her. She smiled to herself as she wrapped up another length of cable and put it into the cable box. There was still a few more to go, thankfully, the sound desk had already been packed away.

It was always busy on the last day before it was time to move. Taking apart the stage took the longest, thankfully, that wasn't her job.

Marcus grinned.

"Hey, let me take care of this." He says, taking a cable from her. She looked up at him in surprise and smiled.

"You sure, technically, this is both our jobs." She laughs.

"I've got it, go, I know your mind is elsewhere." He teased, making her blush.

"If you're sure." She says, standing up and brushing off.

"Get out of here." Marcus laughs, pushing her towards the door.

"Alright, alright, I'm going." She laughed, closing the door behind her and leaving Marcus to finish up.

She glanced around, watching the crew taking the stage apart. They would take most of it down tonight and finish the rest in the morning. It was getting late, pushing midnight as she strolled down the steps. She thought about going to his dressing room, but thought better of it, he was probably celebrating with his bandmates.

She sighed, hopping down the last step and heading into the warehouse, a smile spread on her lips as she spotted Lucanis, hovering outside his trailer, smoking a cigarette. He smiled when he spotted her.

She felt her heart rate pick up as she approached. He took a final drag of his cigarette and put it out in the ashtray on the table outside his trailer, and pulled her into his arms, his lips finding hers a second later.

She smiled into the kiss, returning it and giggled when she heard Pike and Toya wolf-whistling from the other side of the warehouse.
They parted, and she looked up at him. His eyes were searching hers, he looked nervous, as if he was afraid she hadn't understood the song was about her or that it was too much too soon.

"Hey," She smiled up at him. "That last song was great." She said, and he frowned for a moment, worried, but then she tugged him down for another kiss, and he didn't even care that people could see.

He traced her cheek, deepening the kiss and groaning when she clung to him.

"Get a room, you two," Toya called over with a laugh.

Lucanis flashed Toya his middle finger and pulled back from the kiss, taking Altara's hand and tugging her towards his trailer.

As soon as they were inside, his lips were on hers, kissing her hungrily. She gasped into his lips as he pressed her against the door, tilting her head up to deepen it, his tongue sweeping into her mouth a moment later.

For a moment, there was just the sound of their heavy breathing, as he kissed her deeply, coaxing sounds from her lips as he pulled her against him.

He pulled back, letting her catch her breath before he was kissing her again, hoisting her up into his arms and pressing her back against the door. She moaned into his kiss, clinging to him, her legs wrapping around his waist. He growled, rolling his hips.

She gasped, feeling how hard he was.

"Maker, I want you." He gasped, pressing his forehead to hers, panting for unneeded breath. He trailed kisses to her throat, licking the skin and sucking a bruise into it.

She clawed at his shirt, trying to pull it off. He growled, carrying her to the bed and throwing her on it. He yanked his shirt off, tossing it to the side and crawling over her, capturing her lips in another kiss as he pulled off her T-shirt, throwing it behind him before he began trailing kisses to her breasts, mouthing them through her lacy bra.

She scratched his back and whimpered as he bit a nipple through the lace. He reached behind her, undoing the bra and throwing it off the bed and then pulled a nipple into his mouth, suckling on it as he groped the other.

She arched into him and shoved his chest hard. He gasped as she rolled him over and straddled him. Her palms flat on his bare chest, her nails digging in as she rolled her hips.

He gasped, his hands gripping her hips as she teased him. He groaned, his eyes fluttering closed as she rolled her hips again. She loved him like this, when he lost himself in her touch, the way his eyes closed, his lips parting, the points of his fangs visible as he groaned.

He pulled her closer, a hand sinking into her hair, pulling her down to kiss her. He growled into the kiss as she rolled her hips again. She pulled back, chewing her lower lip before shuffling back to undo his belt. He watched her, his gaze hungry, pupils blown as she pulled his belt from the loops and tossed it aside, her fingers already undoing his jeans.

He lifted his hips to help her tug them down and off. A moment later, she was on her back, his lips devouring hers as he undid her jeans and removed them, caressing her thighs and parting them as he began to trail kisses down her body. He pressed a kiss to her hip and gripped her underwear, tugging it down, his lips kissing every inch of skin he revealed.

Once she was bare, he began to kiss up her legs, slowly, pausing every now and then to glance up at her. She was watching him, her mouth open, breathing hard, her eyes full of lust and want.

"Dont tease me." She panted as he kissed her knee, sliding a hand between her legs. She gasped as he stroked through her folds.

"You're so wet." He groaned.

TASTE her

He kissed her inner thigh. He could smell her musk, it was driving him mad. His cock ached, he wanted to be inside her, wanted to bury himself in her warmth and never leave. He kissed her clit, and she cried out. He growled, licking through her folds as he teased her with his fingers, circling her entrance.

"Please." She begged, a hand sinking into his hair as he began to feast on her like a starving man, devouring her essence, lapping at the moisture like it was nectar. He gripped her hips, holding her still as he tasted every inch of her.

"Oh, Maker, please!" She gasped as his tongue played her like an instrument, every lick sending jolts of pleasure through her like an electric shock, she pulled on his hair and let out a desperate moan that morphed into an almost sob as she came, her hips rocking against his mouth as he continued to lick and suck on her clit until she tugged on his hair again, oversensitive.

He pulled back, licking his lips and groaning at the taste. He could spend an eternity between her thighs, he thinks. He kissed up her body and gasped when she grabbed his cock through his boxers. She pushes him onto his back again, and he smirks up at her. She looked incredibly dishevelled, her hair sticking to her face with sweat.

She smiled, leaning down to kiss him, not caring that she could taste herself as their tongues met. He groaned as she tugged his boxers off and gripped him, moving her palm up and down until he was panting. A soft whimper escapes him when she kisses down his body. She dragged her lips and tongue across his stomach, the muscles twitching and relaxing, flexing under his tanned skin as he arched into her touch.

"I won't last if you...." He trails off in a moan as she licks the tip of his cock, tasting the moisture gathering there. She trails her lips down his cock, and he clutches the sheets desperately. "I...I...cant..." He groaned, throwing her onto her back and pinning her hands on either side of her head.

Her eyes grow wide at the look in his eyes, his gaze completely clouded with want. He kissed her deeply as he pushed a thigh between hers, parting her legs and pressing closer. She moaned into his kiss as he teased her with the tip, grinding into her.

"I need to be inside you." He pants, burying his face in her neck and groaning, feeling her moist heat coating him. He pressed against her again, and they both moaned as he sank into her in one smooth motion, burying himself to the hilt.

"FUCK!" He groaned, his eyes fluttering as she clenched around the intrusion, her inner walls pulsing like a heartbeat around him. He started to move, holding her close, pressing her against him, moulding her body to his as he thrust.

She clawed at his back, her legs locking around his waist. She crossed her ankles and met his thrusts with her own. She threw her head back and he mouthed her neck, panting and pressing her into the mattress with every roll of his hips. She felt so good, so warm and wet, this was heaven.

This was where he longed to be, buried inside her, her cries of pleasure his melody.

"I love you." He panted, leaning down onto his elbows and gripping the sheets by her head, almost tearing them.

"I love you." She gasped, kissing him desperately, moans slipping between kisses like shared breaths as he changed the angle of his thrusts, she digs her nails into his back and cries out, falling over the edge. He gasped, resting his forehead against her shoulder, feeling her constricting around him, watching where they were connected, as he thrust into her over and over, chasing his own release.

"Maker." He gasped, spilling inside her, burying himself as deep as he could go, as if he could become one with her. She moaned, feeling the heat of his release inside her. They panted for breath, coming down from their collected high. He collapsed against her, and smiled as she stroked his back, running her fingers through his hair.

"Are you ok?" He whispers, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. She giggles at his question.

"More than ok." She replies, stroking her fingers through his hair again.

He remained within her for a while as if reluctant to leave, but after a few more minutes of basking in the afterglow, he pulled out with a soft moan. Rolling onto his side, she curled against him, resting her head on his shoulder and sighing happily.

"Was that song really about me?" She asks softly as he traces senseless patterns on her back.

"Yes." He whispered, afraid to speak any louder.

"I cant believe you wrote a song about me." She giggled.

He tilted her head up so she would look at him and smiled at her, leaning in to kiss her softly.

"I cant believe you're mine." He says, pressing another kiss this time to her forehead.

"Forever." She smiled before resting her head on his shoulder once more.

His smile faltered a little at the word, he stared at the ceiling. He wished so much for that to be true, but she was mortal. Her forever wasn't long enough.

RUINING IT

I...I cant help it, I....wish

SAID you WOULDN'T, couldn't DO it

I know...

HAVE not ASKED her

That's not

WHAT if she WANTS IT

That's not the point, this life, the thirst, I dont want to damn her to that.

MAYBE it's not DAMNATION

Watching those you love grow old and die, she has family, Viago would

WHO cares what VIAGO thinks SHE loves YOU, Loves US

That doesn't mean she wants us forever.

DID she SAY She didn't want YOU?

No but

Then STOP ruining IT. She WANTS US.

I...cant....

ENJOY her while it LASTS, CHERISH her

I... you're right...Thanks, Spite.

He smiles feeling his demon curl against his other side, soft lips pressed to his cheek, Altara had fallen asleep against him, He should really wake her so she could clean up but she looked so peaceful he didn't have the heart to disturb her, she looked like an angel, the way her pale skin glowed under the lights, maker he Loved her so much it hurt.

He had never felt like this about anyone, never let anyone this close. She was so wrapped around his heart now that he knew he could never be free of her, and he didn't want to be. He wanted to stay with her forever. No matter how short that forever might be.

Chapter Text

Altara awakens to the smell of coffee and low humming. She recognises the tune and smiles, she closes her eyes and listens, trying to pretend she was still asleep.

They would be leaving Antiva City for Rialto soon. She really should get up, have a shower, check on things, but she was content where she was.

"Mierda, Spite, Stop it." She hears Lucanis grumble. She cracks open an eye and finds Lucanis seemingly fighting with his own hand over the sugar.

"She doesn't need more sugar in her coffee." He gripes, and she cant help but giggle.

"Am I sweet enough?" She purrs, and he glances over his shoulder, his eyes purple around the edges. It seemed Spite wanted to help make the coffee this morning. Their smile lights up the room when they notice she is awake. It reached their eyes easily. It seemed they were both happy to see her.

"We wanted to wake you with Coffee." They say softly, almost shyly. "And breakfast in bed." They grin, gesturing to the plate of pastries on a tray on the counter, next to two coffee cups.

"Such sweet boys." She purrs, sitting up, the covers falling to her waist, she smirked as those brown/purple eyes trailed down to her breasts, their smile widening at the view.

They carry the tray over to the side table by the bed and place it down gently, the cups clinking together. The sound light, filling the air with a sense of domesticity.

"Did you sleep well, Amore?" They purr, stroking her cheek and leaning down to give her a brief kiss, that Spite tries to deepen, but Lucanis resists.

His eyes dim to brown, and he sighs.

"Forgive me, Spite, but we have so much to prepare this morning." He apologises out loud.

FINE! but ASK HER

I will, be patient

He sighs as Spite falls silent, probably sulking wherever it was he went when he wasn't being a menace. He sighed.

"I wanted to ask you something." He says, perched on the edge of the bed.

"Is this why you got me breakfast in bed, trying to sweeten me up first?" She teased, picking up a pastry and breaking it apart to nibble on it.

He watched her eat, and he licked his lips before looking away for a moment.

"It's not bribery, I..." He trails off, and she giggles again, reaching out to tilt his head back to look at her.

"What did you want to ask me?" She smiles, stroking his cheek. He closes his eyes and smiles, leaning into the touch. She smiled at how touch-starved he was sometimes, how he needed to touch her in some way whenever they were together.

"Would you..." He trailed off, swallowing. "Would you travel with me?" He asks softly.

"Travel with you? As in ditch my trailer?" She asks with a raised eyebrow, he nods, he looks like he was expecting rejection, especially after nearly losing control and taking too much of her blood yesterday. Despite her reassuring him that nothing had changed, that she still trusted him.

"Are you asking me to move in with you for the rest of the tour?" She grinned.

"If you want to, I'll understand if..." She doesn't let him finish the sentence, she simply finishes her pastry and then pulls him down for a kiss.

He sinks into the kiss, all doubts forgotten as he kisses her back. She sighed into the kiss and pulled back to look at him.

"I would love to." She smiled, then giggled when he pulled her against him and rolled on top of her, capturing her lips once more.

A knock at the door interrupts them, and He lets out a soft curse and pulls away.

"We really should get ready, Illario has been stressed all morning, I apparently have a Few VIP ticket holders I will have to meet the first night of the show to sign autographs." He sighs, he didn't seem pleased with the prospect.

"I thought you loved your fans." She teased.

"I do but..." He sighs. "They are all women, and they tend to um..." He sighs. "They get a little forward sometimes." Altara started to laugh, which was not the reaction he had expected.

"I dont blame them, but they can want all they like." She smirked, pushing him onto his back and straddling him before leaning down.

"You're all mine." She whispered against his lips, and he arched up to meet her lips, but then there was another knock at the door.

"Maker, I'll be there in a moment!" Lucanis shouted.

"Hurry up," Illario shouted back through the door.

Lucanis sighed.

"I have to go." He sighed.

He gives her one last kiss before rolling her onto her side so he can get off the bed.

"Go, I'll check with the sound crew and then see about returning my trailer to the rental company and moving my stuff into yours." She grinned when he smiled broadly.

"See you later." He gives her one last lingering kiss before opening the door.

"Maker, what took you so long?" Illario grumbled.

"Relax." Lucanis chided following after him

"What's got your knickers in a knot?" Lucanis chuckled, and Illario frowned as they walked together. The warehouse was bustling with activity, stagehands and crew were rushing back and forth, packing things away.

The stage was finally down and was being loaded into a truck to be sent off ahead of the main crew to Rialto.

"You know what, I liked you better when you were broody," Illario complained at his cheerful demeanour as they walked towards his make-shift office.

"I know that's not true." Lucanis teased, he still found it amusing how much of a not-a-morning-person Illario was.

"I hate you," Illario growled. He hated being up early, but there was so much to do today.

"Also not true." Lucanis grinned when Illario tried to hide a smile.

They entered the office, and Lucanis closed the door behind him, and crossed his arms as Illario leaned against his desk and smirked. What was he up to?

"So VIPS." He grinned when Lucanis groaned.

"I already told you I would do it. What now?" Lucanis sighed

"You love your fans, it's not my fault that mostly women buy the VIP tickets." He laughs, grabs a folder from his desk and opens it, pulls out a document and hands it to him.

"I did a background check on all of them, none of them are psychos, at least not in the conventional sense." He grins as Lucanis reads the document.

"You know I dont know any other manager that does background checks on VIPS," Lucanis comments, looking up with a smirk when Illario looks away and clears his throat.

"Contrary to what Caterina might think, I learn from my mistakes. I should have looked into Zara before I signed you up for The Ossuary. If I had, maybe..." He trails off.

It was well known that Spite and Illario didn't get along, it had taken months for Illario to even talk to Lucanis after they escaped the ossuary because of Spite.

"Illario, Spite was my choice, not yours, ok, so you signed me up for the Ossuary, you didn't know what they were planning, how could you have." He hands him the document back.

SCARED of US

You didn't exactly give the best first impression

PROTECTED us

I know that, you're better with him now, aren't you?

STILL hates US

He lets out a sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Look, Illario, I get it. Spite can be scary, but he's not so bad." He grins, then clears his throat, trying not to think about how Spite had touched him the other night. He was thankful he could no longer blush.

"I suppose not," Illario admitted, crossing his arms. "He still makes me nervous, though." He adds.

"GOOD!" Spite says through Lucanis before relenting, making Lucanis growl in annoyance.

"Not helping Spite." He warns, and Illario actually lets out a laugh. He had to admit Spite's timing was amusing.

"Back to the topic at hand, the V.I.Ps all check out, there should be no issues. I would suggest drinking a few blood bags before the meet, just in case." He warns, remembering their conversation the night before, Lucanis's expression becomes serious, and he nods.

"I will." He says he still felt nervous, something wasn't right, for it to have come on so suddenly, usually his thirst would increase over time, it was a gradual thing. This was the first time it had increased without warning.

"Have you been checking the security cameras around the Arena?" He asks, and Illario shakes his head in a no.

"Something isn't right, Illario, you know what the thirst does to me. Yesterday, that wasn't normal, it felt like." He closes his eyes and tries to think. He had remembered an itchiness in the back of his throat, and then.

His eyes snapped to Illario's in alarm.

"It felt like Blood magic, like the Ossuary." He said, his voice shaking slightly, not quite fear but close.

"Shit, do you think they are coming after us because we messed up their plans?" Illario asks, lowering his voice, the last thing he needed was staff overhearing them talk.

"I dont know, we should increase security regardless," Lucanis says, crossing his arms.

"I will make arrangements, I won't let you down, Cousin, not again, I promise you." He says, stepping forward and patting his shoulder. "Brothers right." He smiles, and Lucanis smiles back.

"Brothers." Lucanis nods.

Altara smiled as she packed her clothes and make-up into a bag. She had not packed much for the tour, so it would be easy to transfer her stuff to Lucanis's trailer. She placed the bag on the floor and pulled out her phone.

She would need to call the rental company, luckily, there was an office in Antiva City, so she could drop the trailer off and maybe get a taxi back to the warehouse before they leave for Rialto if she needed.

With that settled, she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked across the warehouse to Lucanis's trailer. She was thankful everyone was in the arena doing a final sweep to make sure they had everything before sending the stage equipment to Rialto.

She opened the door and smiled, stepping inside and placing her bag on the table by his wardrobe. She grinned, reaching out to open it, remembering when she had hidden inside it a few months ago.

She unpacks her things and hangs them up and smiles, looking at some of his shirts. She traces her hand over the black button-down, remembering when he had given it to her to wear when she had turned up soaked to the bone.

She chewed her lips, remembering the needy sound he had made when she had kissed him, and he had finally given in and taken her, Maker. That had been a hell of a night. She felt her cheeks warm at the memory and quickly closed the wardrobe.

She needed to hurry if she wanted to have time to return her trailer. She rushes back across the warehouse and gets in her trailer, reversing it and turning it around before heading out into the streets of Antiva City.

She used the sat nav to navigate and find a rental return garage and parked up It was about 20 minutes from the warehouse, which was good, it would save her money not having to get a taxi.

She had plenty of time to walk back, she heads into the office, pays and fills out the paperwork, then begins her walk back towards the warehouse. She wondered what it would be like riding in his trailer with him this time rather than following behind him.

She smiled, her hands in her pockets as she walked the streets of Antiva City. She smiled, spotting some Demon of Vyrantium posters dotted about on billboards and bus stops as she walked.

She made sure to keep her Staff pass tucked under her T-shirt, she didn't want anyone to know she was part of the tour.

She didn't notice the black sedan pulling to a stop behind her, didn't feel the eyes on her back, watching her every move as she crossed the street and continued on her way.

The sedan pulled away, following at a safe distance, he was just watching for now. It was interesting that she had returned her trailer, did their plan succeed, had Lucanis scared her with his bloodlust, and she had quit as they had hoped? They wanted to separate him from his support network, the fewer allies he had, the more vulnerable he would be.

He had not spotted her pass on her when he watched her leave the rental office, but she was walking back in the direction of the warehouse, so he could be mistaken.

She crosses another street and smiles, spotting the warehouse coming into view. The sedan slows, keeping its distance, it wouldn't do if she realised she was being followed.

He snapped a few pictures of her entering the warehouse on his phone with a frown before pulling away. His mistress would not be pleased, but there was still time.

He would follow them to Rialto discreetly, find out where they would be setting up, and then he would prepare the spell again, using twice as many resources, the Demon of Vyrantium would not be able to resist his bloodlust forever.

He smirked. After the mess they had made of the Ossuary, he wanted payback. He had lost a few of his favourite playthings in the fire and gained a few scars in the chaos himself. He traces the mottled skin on the side of his face and frowned. He would make them pay.

He sends a quick text with the pictures before starting the engine and pulling away. He knew the route they would be taking to Rialto.

He would be back later, there were still a few hours before they would leave, and he needed to make sure he had what he needed for the next phase of the plan.

Altara swiped her pass and entered the warehouse. Lucanis was speaking with security animatedly. He looked worried, she raised an eyebrow, she would ask him about it later.

She heads to the food cart and grabs a snack and a drink, and settles down at one of the tables to eat. Pike and Toya join her, sitting opposite her.

"So, ditched the trailer, huh?" Toya grins.

"Going to be riding Lucanis, I mean, with Lucanis then?" Pike teases and Altara nearly chokes on her drink, then laughs when Toya smacks Pike upside the head.

"Cut it out, dont be so crass." She warned as he rubbed the back of his head and grinned.

"You touched me." He purred, waggling his eyebrows, making Toya roll her eyes.

"You're the worst." Toya growls.

"Or the best." He smirked.

"You two really should just fuck and get it over with," Altara smirked, taking a bite of her sandwich as if those words had not just slipped from her mouth with an almost deadpan delivery.

Both Toya and Pike splutter and look away from eachother, but Pike does sneak a few hopeful glances at Toya.

Altara giggles and finishes her food.

"If you must know, yes, I will be staying in Lucanis's trailer from now on." She smiled happily.

"I mean, you pretty much were anyway, dont think we haven't noticed you leaving his trailer in the mornings." Pike grins, and she blushes.

"His bed is comfier than mine." She counters, and Toya bursts out laughing.

"Yeah, his bed," Toya says, between breaths.

"What are you three talking about?" A voice says behind Altara, she freezes and looks behind her, a smile spreading on her lips.

"How comfy your bed is." She teases, and his gaze darkens slightly.

"Just my bed." He purrs and proceeds to groan in annoyance when Pike and Toya pretend to gag.

"You two are so damn cute it's sickening." Toya laughs when Lucanis pouts playfully.

"I am not cute." He says, taking a seat on the bench next to Altara.

"I noticed your trailer is missing. Did you manage to return it ok?" He asks, trying to ignore the looks Pike and Toya were giving him.

"Yeah, it's all sorted, I've already put my stuff in your trailer." She smiles, then nearly chokes on her drink when she feels his hand on her thigh under the table.

"Good." He purrs, before looking at Toya and Pike.

"We have VIPS for Rialto, Illario says They check out, there will be a photoshoot." He sighs in annoyance. He hated having his photo taken, he never knew how to pose.

"Oh fun, let me guess all women?" Pike grins.

"Unfortunately, yes." Lucanis hated how they would throw themselves at him, touching him during photo opportunities. How they would try to slip him their numbers

"Unfortunate for you, my friend." Pike Laughs, he didn't mind a little attention every now and then.

"Maybe I should kiss you in front of them, remind them you're spoken for." Altara grinned, reaching to touch his thigh to match him.

He stiffened at the touch and chuckled huskily.

"Weirdly, I dont think that would stop them, but I wouldn't mind if you did." He purred.

"Maker, you two." Pike laughs, standing up. "We should make sure we have everything before we leave. Illario is on one today." He sighs before heading to his trailer.

"Forget about Pike, he wouldn't know romance if it bit him on the ass." Toya jokes.

"He would notice if it was you." Altara teases, and Toya goes bright red.

"Ewww." She laughs. "No thanks." She says far too quickly before hurrying off to her own trailer.

"You think those two will ever actually bang?" She asks, sliding her hand up his thigh, making his eyes widen. They were in the middle of the warehouse. He swallowed thickly and shrugged.

"I dont know, maybe." He smirks, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"Speaking off." He purrs, nibbling on her earlobe. "We should make sure your stuff is all in the right place, no?" He whispers seductively before getting up and heading towards his trailer.

She quickly finishes her drink and throws the empty wrappers away before following after him, a little thrill running down her spine.

Lucanis stared at the ceiling, running his hands through her hair as she lay against his side, her head resting on his bare chest.

"This is nice." She whispers, snuggling into him. He was warm, something she still marvelled at, she traced her fingers through his chest hair and giggled.

"What's so funny?" He chuckles huskily, enjoying the attention.

"I didn't think I liked chest hair on men until I met you." She says, raking her nails through it, making him shudder.

"Have I converted you?" He asked, sounding amused.

"Absolutely, I think it's sexy." She says, trailing her fingers down his chest, following the happy trail that disappeared under the covers.

He gasps when she brushes against him teasingly before running her hand back up. He groaned, feeling a bloom of heat in his belly at the touch. He rolled over to face her, reaching up to trace her cheek tenderly.

She leans into the touch, and he smiles.

"You're like a cat." He teases when she nuzzles into his hand.

"I like it when you touch me." She whispers, searching his eyes.

"I like touching you." He whispers back with a dopey smile. They both laugh when the trailer goes over a bump in the road.

"So what do you do when on the road like this, usually?" she asks curiously.

"Rest, play cards with Spite, though it's kind of hard not to cheat when we can both see each other's hands." He chuckles.

"I listen to music, sometimes I write." He looks thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "Mostly I just rest, being awake during the day is draining. It's been easier recently. Perhaps I've gotten used to resting as normal people now." He chuckles.

He had struggled a lot in the early days, keeping up appearances meant he had little time for true rest. It had been exhausting.

"Do you need to rest now?" She asks softly. "I dont mind if you do." She smiles, and he nods. He had to admit he did feel tired.

"You won't be bored?" He asks in concern. She shakes her head and smiles.

"I'll amuse myself, maybe I'll pester Illario." She grins.

"Alright, if you're sure." He could already feel a dead sleep tugging at him.

She watched in fascination as he became still, his eyes closed out of habit. It was like he became a statue, not a single twitch or sign of life. She traced his cheek, he was still warm, his beard softer than it looked, but there was no breath, no eye movement at all.

She watched him for a while, expecting a snore or a mumble, but he just remained still, the only movement being the trailer moving.

She had to admit this was far more relaxing than having to follow behind his trailer in her own. she rested with him for a bit before slipping out of the bed and pulling on a robe, she pulled out her laptop and messed around with the music software she had, she put on some headphones and played around with one of Lucanis's songs, remixing it.

She nodded her head as she worked, her feet up on the seat in front of her. It was a long way to Rialto, several hours still to go. After a few hours, when Lucanis made no sign of waking, she put her laptop away, pulled on some clothes and walked through the door leading to the divers' cabin.

Illario was tapping the steering wheel, the radio on low, humming along. He raises an eyebrow when she slips into the passenger seat.

"Bored with him already." He teases, and she chuckles.

"He's resting." She comments, watching the scenery go by. "I thought you might like some company." She says, then laughs when the Venga Boys come on the radio.

"Wow, this takes me back." She grinned, turning it up.

Illario groaned.

"Maker, you like this?" He asks in amusement, even as he taps along as he drives.

"It's catchy, ok." She grumbles, and he laughs.

"It is so old, though." He complained, turning it back down.

"Feeling your age?" She teases.

"Very funny." He says, making a left.

"So, um, how long has Lucanis been a vampire?" She asks in curiosity.

"Since we were about 13." He replies, "Why so curious?" He asks, taking another left and pulling onto the highway, this would be their road for about 30 miles. he put the trailer in cruise control and leaned back, at least he could relax a little now. He kept his hands on the steering wheel.

"I mean, it's not every day you date a vampire." She laughs.

"I suppose not, im surprised you're so ok with it." He comments, and she raises an eyebrow at him.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's not like he's going around eating people." She jokes, and Illario stiffens.

"He isn't, is he?" She asks, sounding a little concerned.

"He's not eating people, no" He trails off and looks away. Should he even be talking to her about this without Lucanis present?

"You should speak to him about this, not me." He sighs.

"You said he became a Vampire at 13, right? How did it happen? Did he get bitten?" She asks.

"We dont know exactly, somebody cursed our family. I dont know why it didn't affect me, why it affected everyone differently. Only Lucanis, me and our grandmother survived that night, though Lucanis would argue only I survived." He sighs.

"They all died?" She gasps, That was awful, to lose your entire family at just 13 years old, She could kind of relate, though she had been older when she lost her parents, she had still been a minor, hence why Viago was her guardian.

"We never figured out who was responsible, but I've always thought the Venatori had something to do with it." He speculates, changing lanes quickly when the van in front slowed down for no reason.

"He told me about the Ossuary." She says, giving him a side glance.

"He did?" He raises an eyebrow, surprised. "He doesn't normally like talking about that place." He looks down and frowns.

"Not my proudest moment." He sighs.

"It's not like you conspired against your cousin." She jokes.

"True, but I should have seen it for the trap it was. I'm supposed to protect him." He growls.

"Who says, it's not like he's some defenceless kid." She laughs.

"No, I suppose not, I mean he's the eldest, he should be protecting me, but that's not how our grandmother sees it." He says, sounding hurt.

"Neither of you seem to talk about your grandmother much." She comments, counting the trees as they pass them.

"She's never been an easy woman to deal with," he admits.

"I think she blames me somehow for the curse, she resents the fact that I wasn't affected by it, I think." He sighs.

"That sounds rough." She says softly.

"It is, but..." He trails off and shrugs.

"It's better since we both moved out, since she finally admitted that Lucanis becoming a rock star was good for him, that it was his calling." He smiles, remembering that night.

They had just celebrated his first world tour and his first rock award. They had sold millions of copies of his first album, and Caterina had finally admitted that maybe it wasn't just Lucanis rebelling.

"I'm glad, I dont even remember my grandparents," she sighs.

"You should go spend time with Lucanis, you dont need to hang out with me." Illario sighs.

"What don't you like my company?" She pouts playfully.

"I wouldn't want to make my Cousin jealous." He jokes.

"And why would I be jealous?" a voice behind them asks, sounding amused.

"You're awake." She smiles.

"I felt my ears burning and figured I should stop Illario from spilling all of my secrets." He grins.

"I would never, though, if you had waited another 5 minutes, I might have spilled the beans on whether you wet the bed as a child." Illario jokes.

"I have never wet the bed in my life," Lucanis growled.

"She wouldn't have known that, though," Illario smirked.

"Real Funny." Lucanis chids.

"I thought so." Illario laughs

"Alright, Lucanis, let's go back into the trailer and let Illario drive in peace." She grins, getting out of the seat and pushing Lucanis back towards the back of the trailer playfully.

"We've got maybe another 2 hours before we reach Rialto," Illario calls after them.

"Take a break if you need one," Lucanis warns. Illario had a habit of doing long drives with no breaks if he didn't push him to take one.

"I will, I promise," Illario says as they close the door behind them.

They arrived in Rialto in record time. Illario did not take a break despite Lucanis telling him to, they pulled into the warehouse they would be using for their stay and began unpacking the food cart, tables and chairs, making a communal area in the middle of the warehouse.

They unpacked the equipment next and began carting it into the Rialto Bay Arena, setting up the sound desk, taping down cables and making sure everything had survived the journey.

The VIP lounge was huge, far bigger than it had been in the previous locations, which was probably a good thing. According to the list, they had 4 VIPS for this leg of the tour, but only for the first night. The VIP tickets were expensive for a reason.

Lucanis said it was to keep the crazy away, though Altara argued paying the price they were asking was its own kind of crazy. And he had to agree, they had decided to scope it out, partially to see how much space they would have, to figure out if they would need a secondary location for the photoshoot, but also to get a moment alone.

The arena and warehouse was a bustle of activity, stagehands and gofers running back and forth with equipment, the sound of electric screwdrivers whirring as the staging area was set up, people shouting back and forth. It was nice to get some quiet.

The VIP booth was soundproofed with speakers set up so the VIPS could hear the music without the screaming and off-key singing along from the crowd.

Lucanis was watching through the tinted glass as people ran back and forth, he was frowning as if something was bothering him.

"What's wrong?" She asks, coming to stand next to him.

"When I nearly took too much blood." He starts, and she touches his arm.

"I told you it's ok, you stopped." She says, and he sighs.

"That's not what im getting at, I think someone is messing with my thirst." He finally says, and she frowns.

"How?" She asks.

"I think it's blood magic." He looks at her in concern. "If you hadn't snapped me out of it, if Spite hadn't...He trails off and looks away. If he had hurt her, he would never have forgiven himself.

"Maybe I..." He trails off again. What was he going to say, that asking her to move into his trailer was a mistake? That he thought it would be safer for her if he kept his distance?

"Hey." She grabs his face, forcing him to look at her.

"I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. We will find out who's messing with it and we will stop them," She says resolutely.

"How?" He says sharper than he meant to, and he winces when she flinches.

"I'm sorry, I just..." He growls in frustration.

"We will get through this together." She says with more confidence.

YES together

But what if we cant? If I lose control

I will STOP you

But if you cant

STOP IT

I will never forgive myself if I hurt her

WONT let YOU, promise!

He smiles, feeling Spite against his back, hugging him from behind while Altara hugs him from the front.

"Together." He whispers, and she nods as he wraps his arms around her.

He had pulled into a nearby parking garage overlooking the Arena, which had a good vantage point, the upper floor was still under renovation, but due to a lack of funding, it was postponed until further notice.

Which meant the upper floor was completely closed off, and it would make a good base of operations.

He had made himself comfortable on some bags of concrete as he used his binoculars to scan the area. The warehouse they had set up in was only a single block from the Arena. He watched the tour staff carting stuff back and forth, preparations for the concert in full swing.

He would wait for now, he had a feeling they might grow suspicious if he tried anything before the opening night. No, he would wait until the second night to begin the next phase, let them settle in, grow comfortable, drop their guard.

With any luck, this would be the push Lucanis needed to lose control, with any luck, he would kill a few of his entourage in the process before he subdued him.

He smirked. Oh, he couldn't wait for that, to bring him low, his mistress didn't say anything about bringing him in uninjured, he planned to leave a mark or two first. A little payback would be a nice reward for his patience, he thinks.

His phone rings, and he frowns, checking the caller ID he picks it up and answers

"Has there been a change of plans?" He listens for a moment and smiles.

"Everything is prepared, I'm letting them relax a little first." He nods and frowns.

"I said I would get it done, and I will, you just need to be patient." He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Trust me." He smirks.

"Of course." He hangs up and tosses the phone on the makeshift table he had set up.

"We will both get what we want soon enough." He smiles, pulling out a cigarette and lighting up, taking a long pull and letting out a stream of smoke into the night air.

Chapter Text

The Stadium was packed, thousands of fans filling every available seat, the standing area just as full. They ended up having to hire more staff to man the barriers between the stage and audience for added security.

The stage lights were off, with a few spotlights scanning over the crowd. There was excited chatter as dry ice began to spread across the stage.

The lights dim, the crowd holds their collective breath as the opening to a well-loved song begins, Pike drumming them in, as Altara adds ambience from the sound desk.

The lights come on, and Lucanis is sitting in an ornate throne in the middle of the stage, lounging like he was in fact royalty. The audience screams his name as his eyes flash purple, and he shouts out the opening line with Pike. The audience is shouting it as well.

Long live the king!

Toya riffs on her guitar as Lucanis stands, grabbing his guitar and joining her as he steps towards the mic.

Alright, that's a hundred thousand voices, hear 'em screaming my name.

Now they're counting down the seconds 'til I put you away.

Nobody thought it could happen, said it's psychosomatic.

But I was gifted from the start, now I'm full automatic.

Spite sings the next verse, his voice less gravely than usual.

Come and see the master plan, watch it carried out (carried out)

Just focus on you while I tally the body count.

I find it ironic, I'm what you care about (care about)

I'm starting to think I got you all figured out.

Lucanis smirked, grabbed the mic and, closed his eyes, tracing the mic with his fingers, several women in the audience screamed when he looked at them.

So I tell myself to breathe in, breathe out.

Let 'em talk shit, let 'em run their mouth.

Because right here, right now

All of your sins equal my crown.

Altara adds a snare, building up the tempo alongside Pike's drums as Lucanis builds tension near the end of the chorus.

So tell me, can you feel it all around?

Let it sink in, you're never getting out.

Because right here, right now

One day, everybody will say, "Long live the king.

Lucanis and Toya strum their guitars together for the instrumental, riffing and smiling as the crowd cheered.

I found a tear in the fabric. Call me sociopathic.

Took the voices in my head, brought 'em straight to the masses.

Compulsive more by the day, I'll say it straight to your face.

Tried to keep me at a distance, now you can't stay away.

He hands it over to Spite for the next part.

You got nothing left to say, still you run your mouth (run your mouth)

I'm not the type to talk, I'm the type that'll cut you out.

I find it ironic, you just don't get it now (you just don't get it now)

I'm starting to think I got you all figured out.

Lucanis goes straight into the chorus, with Spite flaring his wings, the crowd gasps, screaming in amazement. Altara grinned. It seemed Spite wanted to show off tonight, she just hoped the audience believed it was the mages at the back of the stage.

So I tell myself to breathe in, breathe out.

Let 'em talk shit, let 'em run their mouth.

Because right here, right now

All of your sins equal my crown.

Pike drums louder, flicking his sticks up into the air and catching them.

So tell me, can you feel it all around?

Let it sink in, you're never getting out.

Because right here, right now

One day, everybody will say, "Long live the king"

Another instrumental, Altara adjusts the volume of their guitars before adding some reverb to Lucanis's voice, letting it echo.

Long live the king

Lucanis grinned, his fingers moving across the strings of his guitar with skill.

Spite sang the next part, getting the crowd to sing along as he lifted the mic into the air between words.

Yeah, you already know.

That everywhere I go.

Got all these people saying, "Hey, look, now you made it

Well, welcome to the show"

Lucanis takes back control, belting out the end of the song.

So I tell myself to breathe in, breathe out.

Let 'em talk shit, let 'em run their mouth.

Both Spite and Lucanis sing out together.

Long live the king

Spite shouts the last word with glee.

Yeah

Then the lights go out, and the crowd goes wild, screaming and chanting his name. The lights remain off on the stage, while the lights come on over the crowd, illuminating all the exits.

"20 minutes until the VIP meet and greet." Lucanis hears over his earpiece. He groans, Maker, that wasn't a lot of time to calm down from the show, he rushes to his dressing room. Thankful he had his own here, separate from Toya and Pikes.

As he opens the door to his dressing room he finds Altara waiting for him, leaning against his Vanity casually, how had she got here so fast, He freezes after closing the door, she was in a leather skirt and fishnets today, a black tank top with a studded black velvet choker, and his dog tags around her neck, she smiled as he flicked the lock on the door.

"I only have 20 minutes." He growls, stalking closer, his gaze trailing over her hungrily. He stops in front of her, and she smirks.

"Sit down." She says it with such authority, he's a little shocked at first, but he finds himself sitting before she has even finished speaking.

"Dont worry, 20 minutes is enough time for what I have in mind." She purrs. Sinking down to her knees, she knew he had a meet and greet, and she was feeling territorial for some reason.

He swallowed thickly as she leaned up, resting her palms on his thighs to kiss him. He shivered, sinking into the kiss. He remembered dreaming a scenario very similar to this not so long ago.

She moans into the kiss when he sinks a hand into her hair, pulling her closer to deepen it before they parted so she could breathe. His gaze darkened at the look on her face, her lips swollen from the kiss, her gaze heavy-lidded.

She licked her lips and slid her palms up his thighs, parting them. He closed his eyes when her thumbs brushed against him.

"Mierda." He shuddered, his lips parting as she began undoing his belt.

"What's brought this on?" He whispered, becoming a little breathless despite not needing to breathe. He gasps when she rips his belt out of its loops and begins unzipping his jeans.

"I wanted to give you something to think about during the autograph signing." She smirked, glancing down to pull him free of his jeans. He was already half hard, his cock twitching in her hand as she rubbed her thumb over the now moist tip.

His eyes fell closed, a low moan falling from his lips as she moved her palm, stroking him to full hardness.

"Fuck." He gasped, his head falling back as she continued to tease him. "Please." He whispered breathily.

"What do you want?" She purrs, squeezing him. he shuddered, his cock twitching in her grip.

"Please!" He all but begs, a louder moan escaping him as she lowers her head and presses a kiss to the tip. His hand was in her hair in an instant.

"Oh, fuck!" He gasps when she kisses down his length, then licks him from base to tip and takes him into her mouth. His hips roll of their own accord, and he has to fight with himself not to thrust into her mouth, he didnt want to hurt her.

"Maker, Your mouth..." He shudders again, his head falling back once more as she sucked and licked him until he is nearly tugging her hair out. She listened to his ragged breathing, paid attention to every throb of his cock, she knew when he was close.

She pulls back, and kitten licks just under the head, and he whimpers. She smiles, she loves making him like this, when those little whimpers and moans fell from his lips, when he was helpless and wanting.

The way his hips rolled, seeking more, the way he gripped her hair and shuddered under her ministrations.

"Please, please!!" He begs, his mouth open enough that she could see his fangs as he panted, desperate for release.

She takes him back into her mouth and hums, pressing her tongue against the underside and hollowing her cheeks, and he nearly howls, his hips jerk forward, a gasp followed by a whimper as he comes into her mouth, spilling into it with a shuddering moan.

"Fuck." He chuckled huskily as she pulled back, licking her lips and stroking his thighs. He reached for her, cupping her cheek and rubbing his thumb across her lower lip. Before he tugs her up and kisses her hard with a growl of want, he stands and lifts her up in one smooth motion to sit her on his dresser.

"Fuck, I want you so bad." He groans, but then he spots the clock on the wall. There wasn't time, he wanted to fuck her then and there, to hell with the VIPS.

She grins up at him knowingly as he kisses her again before stepping back, all be it reluctantly, he looks down and frowns, his cock still hard. How the hell was he supposed to go to the meet and greet like this? He sits back down and chuckles, trying to calm himself down.

"You're a demon in disguise, I swear it." He grins

HEY!
I didn't say it was a bad thing
WHENS my TURN
Later, we have to meet our fans
PROMISE
Yes
GOOD

He watches Altara, watching him with amusement. He sighs, finally getting control of himself to the point he is able to tuck himself back into his jeans. He closes his eyes and takes a deep, unneeded breath, letting it out slowly.

"I have no idea how I'm supposed to concentrate on signing autographs after that." He chuckles.

"That's the idea." She smirks. "Come on, we shouldn't keep them waiting." She grins.

"Wait, you're coming with me?" Maker, was she trying to kill him?

"Oh, only as far as making sure they see me kiss you, before you go in." She smirks. The look on Lucanis's face right now would live rent in her head for quite a while, it is a cross between absolute shock at her possessive tone, pride and lust all rolled into one.

"Mynx." He growls.

She grinned before heading for the door. He gave himself a quick check in the mirror, making sure he hadn't made a mess of his jeans. He grinned, straightening up before following her towards the VIP Room.

After the concert, and most of the crowd had dispersed, the VIP lounge re-opened for the meet and greet, it had closed briefly to give the VIP ticket holders a chance to grab a drink or take a quick toilet break.

A young woman with dark brown hair and big green eyes was the first to re-enter the VIP lounge. She was wearing a T-shirt with the words Archaeologists Do It in the Dirt on it, with a skirt and hand-painted combat boots.

Her backstage VIP pass hanging around her neck, she was buzzing with excitement but also nerves, she couldn't believe she was about to meet the Demon of Vyrantium.

Another woman in a leather catsuit with lots of cut-outs showing off her many Tattoos entered about 2 minutes later and took a seat on one of the sofas, waiting patiently.

Her long, blue hair was in a messy bun with a few tendrils framing her face. She had a pair of earrings in the shape of daggers that glinted in the light as she looked around, wondering how long it would be until the Demon of Vyrantium arrived.

"Hey." She says to the other women.

"Hi." The other woman says shyly, before glancing at the door as a woman who looked to be in her 30s entered and took a seat.

Her brown auburn hair was in a stylish pixie cut, she was wearing an Evanuris T-shirt of all things, but she had crossed out the band name and written The Demon Of Vyrantium is better in white paint, paired with torn denim shorts and black laced boots.

"Nice shirt." The one with the tattoos comments with a grin. The one with the pixie cut chuckled and smirked in response. She thought it would be a laugh to wear the shirt, she was glad she wasn't the only one who found it amusing.

The door opens again a few minutes later as the last VIP enters the room. She was a redhead with striking copper eyes, in a black dress, fishnets and chunky boots.

She was practically vibrating with energy. She didn't sit down, instead, she hovered near the door, too full of excitement. They had been saving up to get a VIP pass for months, they were finally going to meet him.

The VIP lounge was dimly lit, black leather sofas lined one wall, a table and chairs were set up on the far side of the room, the dim lights changed to the main lights. Now that the concert was over, the mood of the room had changed.

There was anticipation in the air. The Demon of Vyrantium didnt host meet and greets often. Lucanis was a very private man, this was a rare opportunity.

A few minutes go by before Illario enters the room and chuckles as the women look up, excitement on their faces.

"Good evening, Ladies, Lucanis and the band will be here shortly. Here's how this is going to work." He begins to explain.

The girl with the pixie cut, perks up and watches him, her gaze trailing over him with interest. He pauses mid-sentence and raises an eyebrow at them. That was interesting. He clears his throat before continuing.

"When they enter, I need you all to control yourselves, ok." He teases, fidgeting slightly under the woman's gaze. She was quite attractive and seemed more excited that he was here than the fact that she would be meeting the Demon of Vyrantium in a few minutes.

Perhaps he might have a little chat with her later. He smirks to himself, then clears his throat again, trying to at least look a little professional. He didnt want the other girls thinking he was a creep.

"They are going to sit behind this table." He says, gesturing to the table in the back of the room they had spotted earlier, with several posters and photographs of each member of the band in neat stacks arranged to one side.

"We are going to form an orderly queue, you will each get the opportunity to approach each member of the band one by one and get anything you wish signed." He pauses, then grins. "Please keep your clothes on." He jokes at the end.

He remembers one time a few years back, when a fan had wanted their breasts signed, Lucanis had gone so red he thought his cousin was going to explode. He chuckles at the memory.

"Once everyone has had a few minutes to chat and get autographs, there will be a group photo that they will all sign for you to take home as well." He chuckles, hearing footsteps approaching.

"Alright, here they come, remember what I said, behave yourselves." He purred.

Pike was the first to enter. He smiled and waved at the women and grinned.

"Hey, ladies." He greets them before taking his seat. The redhead squeaks with excitement at his greeting, then her eyes widen as Toya enters next. She smiles and nods her head in greeting before taking her seat as well.

The girls watch the door, and there is a collective intake of breath as Lucanis appears in the doorway. Altara hugs him from behind quickly. And the girls gasp as she leans up and kisses Lucanis deeply, then pulls back when he tries to pull her closer, a low possessive growl escaping him before he can stop it.

"I'll see you later." She whispers to him and smirks at the look of want in his gaze. She waves at the girls and winks at them before sauntering back down the steps, leaving Lucanis staring after her.

He gives Illario a look as if to say, 'Please dont make me go in there,' and Illario crosses his arms and nods to Lucanis's seat between Pike and Toya.

"Come on, rock star, dont keep your fans waiting." He grins knowingly when Lucanis takes a deep, steadying breath, then enters. The redhead's eyes are a big as plates. When he smiles at her as he walks past, she sits down as he takes his seat, fanning herself.

"Alright, let's form a line." Illario points at each woman in turn.

The blue-haired woman in the bodysuit and tattoos gets to go first, followed by the one in the archaeologist's shirt, then the one with the pixie cut and lastly the excitable redhead who looked like she needed a moment to compose herself.

The tattooed woman speaks to Pike first, they exchange pleasantries as she gets an autograph before moving on to Lucanis. He takes in the tattoos and smiles, they were quite impressive.

"Who should I make these out to?" Lucanis asks, shaking her hand in greeting, her handshake firm.

"Names, Teleri, but most people call me Eli." She says.

"Well, nice to meet you, Eli. Nice Ink," He comments as she places the items she wanted signed on the table.

"You know, I've been meaning to add to my sleeve for a while, who's your artist?" He asks out of curiosity. Illario had asked him to at least attempt small talk, it wasn't his strong suit, but at least he could relate to Tattoos, which made the conversation easier.

"Oh, these? I designed them myself, I'm a tattoo artist. I did most of the left sleeve myself with help from a colleague who did the right for me." She smiles, he looks surprised and a little impressed that she had done them herself, that would take quite some skill.

"If you ever want more ink, let me know!" She says, handing him her business card. Usually, he wouldn't accept business cards, he was always suspicious that people were just trying to slip him their numbers, but this business card looked legit. He would have illario check it out later.

"Your left ones interesting, what's the theme?" He asks, then he spots the eyes and the purple wings.

LOOK, wings, likes SPITE?
They dont even know you exist.
LIES, they like OUR wings
Maker, enough!

He tries to disguise his reaction to Spite yelling in his head by clearing his throat. While Eli tries to keep her excitement contained. He liked her tattoos, maker. What if he actually called her for an appointment for a tattoo?

"You could say I've been a fan since the start." She grins. "Though I really love the new direction you've taken your music. It's actually why I added to this sleeve, you inspired me." She gushes, pointing to the purple wings, and eyes that he had been admiring earlier.

"Very nice." Lucanis compliments, before finally looking at the items she had brought. A first edition of his first album and the first iteration of his merch shirt, both would probably fetch a high price these days, unless she had purchased them at the start of his career, his autograph would only increase their value.

"These take me back." He comments with a chuckle, signing each one, carefully.

"Thanks so much for doing this. I know VIP meet-and-greets can be stressful." She says before collecting her things.

"Anything for my fans." He chuckles and winces at how disingenuous he sounds, which hadn't been his intention. Eli didn't seem bothered or didnt notice as she moved on to speak with Toya.

Lucanis grunts when Pike kicks his shin under the table in warning, his bandmates knew he hated doing these meet and greets.

He shoots him a glare before glancing at Illario, who was watching with his arms crossed. He clears his throat and greets the next fan with a forced smile, while Eli was a nice change from his more fanatical fans, and he had enjoyed speaking with her, that didnt mean the rest of them wouldn't be weird, he hoped not.

He could feel Illario's gaze burning into him as if to say, 'do not give me a pr nightmare, we need the money from this' He tries not to look sheepish as he greets the next fan.

"And who should I make this out to?" He asks, keeping his voice even, and shaking their hand, she was shaking with nerves, so he flashed her a smile, hoping to reassure her.

"Oh, I'm Rosa. Nice to meet you." She smiles, handing him a poster to sign.

He chuckles, reading her T-shirt, and she smiles.

"I'm an Archaeologist, so I thought it would be funny." She grins, and he nods, signing her poster.

"That's an interesting career for one so young." He comments, and she blushes.

"I've always wanted to be one. We all love to listen to your music while we work." She stutters, and he chuckles. So far, the fans have been pleasant, maybe this wouldn't be so bad, he thinks to himself.

"I'm glad you like it." He says, signing her poster and handing it to her.

"Thanks so much." She smiles and shuffles down the line to speak with Toya.

Lucanis closed his eyes for a moment, trying to concentrate, trying to stop his mind from wandering, but all he could think about was Altara, the image of her between his legs in his dressing room from earlier, tormenting him. Maker, she was making this difficult. He chuckled to himself, he would pay her back later.

YES, make her BEG
not helping, Spite

He grunts when Toya punches his arm to get his attention when she notices his distraction. She nods to the women now standing in front of him, and he is once more thankful he cant blush, because this was embarrassing. How long had she been standing there? While he spaced out.

He raises an eyebrow, however, when the woman keeps glancing at Illario, that was new.

"So, who am I making these out to?" He asks, offering his hand, and she shakes it very quickly, as if she was just going through the motions.

"Oh, I'm Adelaide, but these are for my brother." She says, placing a poster and a more recent album of his on the table. He takes note of her shirt but keeps his comments to himself.

"I mean, I like your music, but uh." She glances at Illario again, and Lucanis glances over at him and tilts his head with a raised eyebrow. Illario smirks and raises one back as if they are exchanging a silent conversation.

He had a feeling that she would be sneaking out of Illario's trailer later if the looks they were exchanging were anything to go by.

"And what's your brother's name?" He chuckles. He was actually kind of relieved she was more interested in Illario than him.

"Oh, it's Kieran." She says, and smiles as he signs the stuff, her brother would be thrilled, he loved Lucanis, his room was full of posters of him, he was obsessed, she, on the other hand, thought his manager was a silver fox.

"Here you go, I hope he likes them." He chuckles as she moves onto Toya.

He glances at Pike, who seems quite flustered as the redhead talks to him excitedly, as he signs her stuff. He gives Lucanis a side look as the girl moves to stand in front of him. He could almost see the hearts in her eyes.

"Oh my god, I mean um, hi, it's nice to meet you, could you make these out to Kash?" She says, shaking his hand with a little too much enthusiasm and not letting go until it gets a little awkward.

He clears his throat and takes the items she wanted signed. A poster of him and a poster of the band together, there were little heart stickers around his head on this poster, and around the band in the other, kind of like what fans did to K-pop stars. It was cute in a way.

He raises an eyebrow to find her staring at him with a look of awe, like she couldn't believe she was standing in front of him.

"You uh, seem to be quite the fan." He says, signing a little quicker than he usually would, he hoped to god this didnt get any weirder.

"Was that white haired woman your girlfriend?" She asks excitedly, and he groans inwardly. He had to jinx it, didnt he.

"Yes, she is." He says, sounding a little more aggressive than he intended, which seemed to excite her more. Maker save him, she looked like she wanted to pounce on him, it was flattering, he supposed, and she was quite attractive.

"That's so great, I'm so happy you found someone." She smiles. That surprised him. Usually, fans got a little territorial over their idols when they found out they were in a relationship, and the illusion of availability was shattered, but this woman seemed to find the idea of him having a girlfriend wonderful.

"I mean, you're so handsome, who wouldn't want to date you?" She gushes, trying to remain calm, He raises an eyebrow again. Was she trying to flirt with him?

SHE likes you, WANTS to KISS
Mierda, I dont need to know that
WANTS to LICK your....
Maker, Spite enough!

Lucanis clears his throat and ignores her flirting, making Pike snort with laughter next to him. Lucanis kicks him, making him grunt.

He heard Toya laugh next to him when she spotted Adelaide talking to Illario in the corner. Illario was leaning against the wall, his hand by her head, caging her in as she giggled at something he said.

She elbows Lucanis and waggles her eyebrows. He glances over and rolls his eyes at his cousin's antics before returning his attention to Kash, who collected her things and quickly pushed a note towards him, chewing her lower lip and giving him a sultry look before moving on to Toya, a blush on her cheeks.

Lucanis visibly relaxed when she moved away and eyed the note as if it might attack him. Did he even want to know what was written on it? He couldn't help but take in her side profile, fishnets, maker, why did it have to be fishnets?

READ it
I'm not sure that's a good idea
COME on, WANT to KNOW
Fine.

He opens it and chuckles. It was 6 words and a hastily scribbled-down phone number.

If You Ever Want A Third
060-0506-5466

Spite bristles at the note.

DONT need a THIRD, I'm THIRD!
Always

He felt Spite preen at that and felt his lips press against his neck. He sat up straight and nearly gasped audibly at the sensation.

Not now, Spite!
WHAT!
I'm in a room full of people for maker's sake
LATER?
Yes, later.

He feels Spite retreat and breathes a sigh of relief, though it felt more like a stay of execution. Illario chuckles and claps his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, ladies, it's time for the photoshoot. Lucanis, you're in the middle, Pike, you take his right. Toya his left. The rest of you can crowd in, ok." He gestures to the backdrop as the photographer walks in, camera already in hand. 

Lucanis breathed a sigh of relief. Illario had positioned his bandmates on either side of him, giving him a buffer between himself and his fans.

"Join us, Illario, after all, you're a part of this too." Pike grins, and Lucanis nods in agreement and smiles at him.

"If you insist." Illario grins.

Eli perches on a stool on the left-hand side, with Rosa standing next to her, then Pike, Lucanis stands in the middle with Toya, Kash stands next to her, and Illario stands next to Kash, with Adelaide taking the far right and leaning against the wall casually, watching Illario with a smirk when he glances at her once more.

"Alright, everyone ready?" The photographer asks, Lucanis nods and tries to look casual, he never knew how to stand for photos. Luckily, the band photographer was used to him being awkward, he didn't say a word, just snapped the photo and gave a thumbs up when he was done.

"Give me a moment to print these." He says before moving to a laptop and printer set up on a table near the door.

A few minutes later, he hands Lucanis the photos with a silver Sharpie. Lucanis signs each one before handing them to his bandmates, who sign as well.

"We hope you enjoyed the concert, and we hope to see you again," Illario says, handing each VIP a signed group photo as they leave. He slips his business card to Adelaide as she brushes past him, closer than the others.

"I'll see you later." He whispers seductively to her with a smirk, making her giggle as she heads down the steps.

Lucanis breathes a sigh of relief and sits down heavily. It was over, he had survived.

"Maker." He chuckles, holding up the note Kash had slipped him.

Pike snatches it and grins.

"Oh man, that's a new one." He chuckles, handing it to Toya.

"Damn, how do you have this much game?" She jokes, elbowing him, making him groan in annoyance when she waggles her eyebrows at him again.

"I mean, she was kind of hot, I would have." Pike jokes.

"I'm perfectly happy with my...with Altara, thanks." Lucanis fidgets when Toya giggles again.

"You didn't have any problem calling her your girlfriend before that little note." She teases, and he pinches the bridge of his nose. He hated to admit that he had been a little tempted. Fishnets really were his weakness, the thought of that redhead with Altara in his bed had sent a pulse of want down his spine.

This wasn't like him, he had never been tempted by fans before. What had changed?

KNEW it
It doesn't mean anything
Can THINK about THINGS
I suppose
KASH DID, SHE....
Spite! Please dont.

Spite cackled and fell silent, showing him mercy.

"I think that went really well." Illario grinned.

"Sure, you're not just saying that because Adelaide clearly wants in your pants." Toya teases him with a grin.

"It might be a contributing factor." He smirked, running a hand through his greying hair.

"I've still got it." He laughs, waggling his eyebrows at his cousin.

"Maker, Illario, you're impossible." Lucanis groans.

"To resist? I know." He jokes.

"Now that's over, the rest of the evening is yours," Illario adds with a smirk when Lucanis looks up and stands abruptly. Making everyone laugh.

"I will be in my trailer," Lucanis smirks before leaving the room and taking the steps down, two at a time. Hoping a certain sound tech was waiting for him.

Altara grinned to herself, lounging on his bed. She felt a little thrill of anticipation of how he would react when he found her dressed like this. She had seen the look in his eye when she had kissed him in front of his fans. Shocked at her possessive streak but turned on.

She would never get used to the way he looked at her like he wanted to eat her alive, yet protect her at all costs. His love was all-consuming, and she loved it, loved that he couldn't get enough of her.

She had always been self-conscious of her appearance, her pale skin, her colourless white hair, and lashes. She wore mascara and pencilled her eyebrows just to feel normal, but her pale red eyes gave away her condition.

She had felt like a freak on more than one occasion, but Lucanis, he looked at her like she was the sun. The one thing he couldn't have, he looked at her like he would do anything to deserve her, which made her feel beautiful.

She was still unsure of what Spite felt for her, how much of his obsession was coloured but Lucanis's own feelings, but then again, how much of Lucanis's possessiveness was Spite? Where did one end and the other begin?

She remembers the night when they had shared, loved her as one, it had been intense, she throbbed at the thought of them doing it again, maybe when they see what she is wearing, they might again, she smirked.

The door opens to his trailer, and she tenses, hoping to god it was Lucanis, and not Illario looking for him. She did not want him to find her like this. She feels relief as Lucanis walks in and closes the door behind him. He notices her and clicks the lock sharply, his mouth hanging open.

Maker, she was a vision, a pale goddess, spread on his bed like a sacrifice at an altar. He swallowed hard, his cock twitching as his gaze trailed over the black lace cupping her breasts like a caress. He took her in like she was fine art.

The scrap of lace covering her between her legs, a garter belt and lace stockings, he groaned, gripping the wall to steady himself.

"Mierda!" He finally says, breathless, and wanting.

FOR US!
Yes
TAKE HER NOW
no
WHAT?
We should savour this.
LIKE a GIFT?
Yes

"Are you trying to kill me?" He asks, stepping forward, glad his steps were measured despite how his legs felt like jelly. He sat on the edge of the bed.

"Only a petit mort." She purred, and he smiled at the euphemism.

"I didnt know you spoke Orlesian." He chuckles huskily, reaching out to stroke the backs of his fingers down her cheek and jaw. She closes her eyes, and he groans, his gaze once more trailing down her body as he trails his fingers down her neck and between her breasts.

"How long have you had this set?" He asks breathlessly as he cups a breast, giving it a good squeeze and chuckling when she arches into his touch.

"Since the start of the tour." She admits, she had not packed it with the hope of seducing him. Sometimes, it was nice to wear something naughty under her clothes, knowing what she wore underneath while everyone was oblivious. It made her feel sexy, powerful.

Lucanis watches her face as he slips a hand under one of the cups of her bra, caressing a nipple. She gasps as he leans down, pushing her bra up, baring her breasts completely, before taking the nipple he had teased into a stiff peak into his mouth. He leans over her, flicking his tongue against the rosy bud before moving to the other.

He trails reverent kisses between her breasts, dragging his lips down her porcelain skin, pressing kisses to every curve and dip as he kisses down her body. He pauses when he reaches her hips, his palms sliding up her thighs before unclipping her garter belt and tossing it aside.

His gaze flicks up to her face, and she shivers at the look of complete devotion and lust in his eyes. He looked at her like he didnt deserve to touch her, like she was heaven and he was damned to only gaze upon her beauty.

He presses a kiss to her pelvic bone before sliding his palms over her hips to grip the lace of her panties. She watches him, her lower lip between her teeth, breathing hard, her bra still pushed up over her breasts.

He pulls down her panties and groans at the sight of her. He drags them down her long legs and smirked as she squirmed, her thighs rubbing together, hoping to quell the ache.

"I want to eat you alive." He whispers hotly, pressing a kiss to her knee, trailing slow kisses up her inner thigh like worship.

"Please!" She said breathily as she felt his breath fanning across the heat throbbing between her legs. He parts her thighs, spreading her legs wide, she gasps as he leans down pressing a gentle kiss to her clit.

"Oh fuck." She cries out when he licks through her in one slow agonising motion, his tongue sliding between her folds before flicking against her clit at the top. She gasps when he does it again, even slower, his fingers digging into her thighs, keeping them from clamping around his head.

"OH, please, please!" She begs, the combination of his hot breath fanning across her lower lips, the feel of his tongue tracing every crease and fold, leaving her breathless. She had never had someone go down on her like this, never had them savour every moment like a fine wine.

He slides a hand between her legs, circling her entrance and chuckling as she clenches around nothing. "I could feast on you for hours." He purrs, his low, gravelly voice vibrating against her sensitive flesh, leaving her a shivering mess.

"How many do you think you can give me?" He purrs, licking through her again, taking his time, his tongue alternating between feather-light touches and maddening pressure, circling around her clit before he groaned and sucked on it hard. She threw her head back, her hand sinking into his hair, yanking it hard as she came with a full body shudder.

Her eyes nearly rolling into the back of her head, she felt her vision darken at the edges, she had never come so hard in her life, she breathes his name like a confession and moans as he continues to tease her, pushing two fingers into her easily, she writhed on the bed the overstimulation sending her careening over the edge again as he circled her clit and curled his fingers.

He leaned back, licking his lips, satisfied at the completely wrecked look on her face. Her lips parted in disbelief as she panted for breath.

He pulled his shirt over his head, kicking off his boots and jeans, she raised an eyebrow he had gone commando today, her eyes fell to his thick length as it sprang free, the head of his cock glistening with pre as he crawled over her like a lion, stalking prey, the mattress dipping as he loomed over her and captured her lips in a deep kiss.

He kissed her like she was his only source of air, like she was his goddess, her lips his salvation. He made short work of her bra, tossing it to the side as he kissed her neck, his fangs throbbed and he stiffened, there was no itch in the back of his throat, no sting in his eyes, yet he still wanted to sink his fangs into her.

He could smell her blood, just under her skin, could see her pulse as it raced with want. Her blood was always sweetest when she was like this, the way it sang to him like a siren song.

He kisses her pulse point and groans loudly. He wanted her blood so bad, but he was terrified to drink. She cradled his face against her neck, and gasped as he settled between her legs. She hooked her legs over his hips and rolled against him, her slick heat against him made him shudder above her.

"Bite me, Fuck me, please!" She begged, and he growled with want, thrusting forward, burying himself inside her in one long stroke as he sank his fangs into her and took one long pull. He gasped against her throat, the heady taste of her made his cock throb and harden even more.

She clawed down his back, crying out his name as he pulled out only to thrust back in, taking another pull, he groaned, the feel of her clenching around him as he moved, the way her nails left stinging trails down his back, the taste of her blood, maker he was going to cum far to soon if he didnt slow down, but he couldn't stop.

She was intoxicating. He felt Spite pull him back a little by his hair. He cried out at the feel of his hair being pulled. He licked across her throat, sealing it. He had not lost control. Spite had not needed to stop him.

MINE!
Yours.

He moaned, capturing her lips and whimpering as Spite caressed him, it felt like multiple hands trailing over his heated skin, Altara cried out as he moved faster, her whole body moving with every thrust, as he buried himself inside her over and over, their combined cries of pleasure seemed obscenely loud, the power behind each thrust made it feel like the entire trailer was rocking.

She might have spared a thought for whoever was nearby, but then he was rolling against her, using his entire body with every thrust. He gripped the sheets by her head, his eyes clenched shut, his lips parted, fangs bared.

This was heaven. She kissed his throat and bit down hard, and it was his undoing. A part of him wanting her to draw blood, she sucked a bruise into his skin and cried out, her back arching as she all but screamed his name, cumming around him, her inner walls rippling as they clenched down on him like a vice.

He buried his face in her neck, muffling a groan of pleasure. He whispered her name and gasped as Spite continued to explore his body as he chased his release.

"Please, PLEASE!" He begged as Spite teased him, teasing fingers across his nipples, hot mouth at his throat, a purr behind his ear, egging him on as he buried himself deep and came, filling her, his hips flush with hers as he twitched and spasmed, spilling into her with a breathless gasp as he collapsed on top of her.

Altara stroked her fingers through his hair as he leaned back on his elbows, staring at her like he couldn't believe she was real. "I love you." He breathes, cradling her like she was sacred.

"I love you too." She shivered, her eyes feeling heavy, his weight on her like a weighted blanket. She traced patterns down between his shoulder blades, pressing a kiss to his forehead. He pulled out with a moan and lay against her side, his head on her chest as she played with his hair.

"How was the meet and greet?" She jokes, and he chuckles breathily.

"One of them wanted to know if we wanted a third." He chuckles when she snorts with laughter.

"I bet Spite loved that." She giggled.

"IM THIRD, DONT NEED!!" Spite exclaims through him before receding.

They both laugh.

Chapter Text

Altara was lying on her side, Lucanis pressed against her back, still, and unmoving. She had gotten used to it now, the stillness. She pushed back against him, and he flopped onto his back, limp. She turned and watched him for a moment, the softness of his face as he rested, the dead sleep he called it.

She smiled, moving a stray hair from his face, tracing his features tenderly. She pressed a kiss to his lips before slipping from the bed. She needed coffee, and he had run out.

She grabbed her clothes and started to get dressed. With any luck, she could slip out to the food cart, grab something to eat and get two coffees before he stirred.

She yawned and stretched. Spite was watching her, hovering near Lucanis. He frowned, wishing so much for them to see him, but he wasn't strong enough. He had only been with Lucanis for just over a year. He was still too weak, possessing Lucanis had saved him from complete destruction, but the healing process was taking longer than he had anticipated. He had never possessed a human before.

Now that he and Lucanis were in sync, he could feel his strength returning, slowly, which was probably a good thing. With the bloodlust getting worse, Lucanis would need his strength. He had smelt blood magic in the air when Lucanis had nearly taken too much from her. He didn't like it, but so far, he had been unable to locate the source, so he had kept it to himself for now.

Lucanis already suspected foul play and was being more cautious anyway, saying anything wouldn't help the matter, it would only make Lucanis more nervous than he already was. Lucanis was making sure he consumed more blood. Now that Illario had gotten him more, he was doing what he could to keep himself sated, hoping it would help him fight it. He didn't want to feed on Altara again until he was sure he could control himself, despite Spite's reassurances that he could stop him if he lost control.

Altara hummed softly, and Spite found himself creeping closer, his head tilted to the side as he listened to her. He wondered what it would be like to sing with her. He could tell from her humming that she had a good singing voice, it was soft and husky.

She finished dressing and headed outside and across the warehouse courtyard towards the food cart.

As the door closed, Spite caught a familiar and disturbing scent in the air, but it was stronger this time. He felt a pulse of hunger from Lucanis in response, and his glowing eyes widened. Lucanis groaned, twitching, his throat was itchy, he rubbed at his eyes and groaned again, stirring from his dead sleep.

He sits up and rubs at his throat. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. He crawls to the fridge and grabs a blood bag, sipping at it one moment, before biting into it and devouring it the next. As soon as the blood touched his tongue, he felt ravenous. He emptied it quickly before reaching for another, his throat was starting to hurt.

He whimpers, drinking the next bag faster than the first, but it wasn't enough, maker, why wasn't enough? He grabbed a third. Spite could feel his panic starting to rise, felt his thirst starting to become overwhelming, even he was beginning to feel the effects.

Spite growled, the smell of blood and ash growing stronger, he floats closer to Lucanis, a hand on his back in concern, or perhaps offering his strength.

SOMETHING is WRONG

I'm so thirsty.

LUCA!

It's not enough.

He downs another blood bag, his throat feels like fire. He claws at it, and Spite frowns, noticing strange markings beginning to appear on Lucanis's throat, Blood magic!

Lucanis gasped, his back arching suddenly as he falls backwards, clawing at his throat desperately, writhing in agony.

"I need more blood!" He growls, breathing heavily as he crawls towards his desk, trying to reach his phone to call Illario through a haze of pain and unbearable thirst.

Altara smiles, grabs a bagel and sets to work making coffee. it was self service, but she was used to the machine now, she sorted the grounds, slotted it into place, aranged the cups and smiled, It doesn't take her long to finish up, she hums happily, her job finished. She puts the lids on the top of the to go cups, and carries them back to Lucanis's trailer and opens the door.

She steps inside and gasps, dropping the coffee's to the floor, the hot liquid making her gasp when some of it spills on her leg burning her. Lucanis was writhing on the floor, blood streaming from his eyes as he clawed at his throat, bright red runes around his neck, his eyes snapped to hers and they are wild, inhuman.

He snarls and is on her in seconds, pinning her to the ground, panting for breath. His fangs bared, a soft red glow in his eyes. His expression was mindless with thirst, this wasn't Lucanis, there was nobody home.

"Lucanis!? What's wrong with you?" She gasps, trying to fight him and free herself from his grasp, but he was too strong, he growls and lunges forward striking like a snake, biting into her throat. She lets out a gasp of pain as he takes a greedy pull, and this time it hurts, it feels like fire, like acid burning her skin. Her back arches, her vision beginning to darken at the edges as he swallows greedy mouthfuls

"Lucanis, please your....your taking too much...St..op!...please!" She struggles again, managing to free an arm. She tries to hit him a few times, but he doesn't even flinch. Like he cant even feel the strikes against his temple and neck. Something was wrong, something was terribly wrong.

"Spite!" She cries out in panic, hoping to god he can hear her, that he isnt under the same spell, Lucanis hisses as he is yanked back by his hair suddenly, he grunts fighting against a phantom force holding him back, growling and snarling. She feels a spike of fear. What the hell was going on? He was like a rabid beast.

He howled, falling backwards, once more clawing at his throat, cutting deep gashes into his skin, his mouth was covered in her blood, as it dripped down his chin.

"Spite what's happening. I...I...dont...." She stumbles, her throat felt wet, she brings a hand to her up trying to stop the bleeding, he had bitten her deeply, the bleeding wasn't stopping.

She gasps, swaying on her feet, blood loss making her woozy. suddenly Lucanis's eyes glow bright purple as Spite takes over, wresting control at least for now.

"Let me help." He says, his voice strained, like he was struggling to get the words out, he steps closer, and stumbles as she takes a step back in fear, afraid to let him any closer.

"IT'S ok, its ME, SPITE." He traces her cheek tenderly, his hand trembling like Lucanis was trying to claw back control or whatever had taken him over was, she couldn't tell. She lets out a frightened whimper when Spite quickly moves forward and licks her throat to seal the wound and stop the bleeding.

He stumbles back away from her and groans, holding his head trying to stay in control.

"Get...Illario..." He gasps, his back arching in pain, his eyes flicker red for a moment, and Lucanis darts towards her only to stumble back as Spite tries desperately to keep Lucanis away from her, to keep her safe.

"The broach, please.....Get Illario NOW!" He whimpers, she nods, rushing from the trailer without another word, nearly tripping in her haste.

I need more....more blood!

NO must FIGHT IT

I...I cant, maker I cant

YOU CAN!

I hurt her!

Spite could feel Lucanis's despair and desperation, and groans in pain, nearly losing his hold on him, he had to keep him contained to the trailer, if he got loose like this, he could hurt someone, they would know his secret, they would be hunted.

I WONT let YOU hurt HER, wont LET you HURT anyone!

Kill me, please! I cant!

NO will BE ok

I....I cant control this! its to much, Please!

Lucanis was frantic, the guilt of hurting Altara, the fear of hurting others, the agony of this thirst clawing at his insides. Spite had never felt such a torrent of emotions from his host, he needed to help him, Illario would stop this, he just needed to hold out until Altara brought him.

PLEASE, FIGHT IT

I'm trying!

Lucanis tried to fight it, He really did, but it felt like fire in his veins, his throat was raw agony, and he didn't know how much longer he could resist this overwhelming need to feed.

She rushes across the courtyard in the warehouse and freezes, nearly stumbling as she quickly hides behind a crate as a brown haired women with a pixie cut slips from Illario's trailer, she looks around and smiles to herself, with a look of satisfaction, like a cat that got the cream. She slinks off with her bag slung over her shoulder towards the exit of the warehouse, her VIP pass swinging around her neck.

If Altara had not been in such a hurry, If she wasn't so terrified at what was happening to Lucanis she might have found it amusing that Illario had hooked up with a VIP ticket holder, maybe even teased him about it, but now wasn't the time. Lucanis needed Illario, and he needed him now.

With the women out of sight, she knocks on his trailer door, several times, almost frantic as she tries to remain calm, to control her breathing, she still felt light headed.

"If you wanted to go another round, you only had to ask." Illario purrs as he opens the door in just a sheet, a smirk on his lips that falls as soon as his gaze lands on her.

"Maker, Altara, what the hell happened to you!" He gasps, noticing the blood staining her shirt and neck.

"Please, there's something wrong with Lucanis, Spite said something about a broach, we need to hurry!" She whimpers, tears were streaming down her face.

"Mierda! Let me get some pants on." He hurries back inside his trailer, hastily pulls on some jeans and a T-shirt and pulls open a draw, knocking things off his desk in his haste as he grabs a small golden broach before rushing back outside.

"Come on!" He says with urgency, rushing towards Lucanis's trailer with a serious expression on his face. Altara runs after him.

"What did he mean about a broach?" She asks worriedly as they make it to Lucanis's trailer.

"I will explain later," Illario says, pulling open the door and rushing inside.

Lucanis looked like a mess. Still nude, he was on his knees, weeping, his throat a bloody mess of claw marks, red runes glowing brightly around his throat like a collar. He clawed at them like a wild animal trying to free itself from a rope around its neck.

There were deep grooves in the floor where he had clawed at it in desperation. His eyes were bright red as his head snapped in Illario's direction with a snarl, fangs bared.

"Please!" Lucanis begged, in a moment of clarity, before trying to pounce on him, only to be yanked back by Spite.

"ILLARIO! HELP US!!" Spite howled through Lucanis desperately, trying to keep Lucanis from attacking him.

"Maker, forgive me," Illario said, lifting the Broach he had grabbed earlier and cutting his palm with it.

"Relent!" He shouted.

The effect was immediate, the red glow in Lucanis's eyes dimmed as they rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed face-first, limp, and unmoving.

Altara screamed, rushing to his side, despite her earlier fear. She pulled Lucanis into her arms and pushed his hair from his face. He looked like a corpse, his skin cold and ashen, bloody tracks trailing from his eyes, his throat raw from his scratching.

"What did you do to him?" She cried.

Illario let out a breath of relief, it had worked. Lucanis would be out cold for a while, but with any luck, whatever the hell had taken control of him will have worn off by the time he woke. It was still early in the morning they had time to think, to plan.

Whatever was happening to him, whoever was interfering with Lucanis's thirst. They clearly couldn't do it often, it was too sporadic for that. The timing between the first incident and now was too far apart, he had done his own research into blood magic. He wasn't a mage, of course, he had needed help, but he understood the mechanics enough to know it required blood, specifically the blood of the one you wished to control.

He had no idea how they had gotten a hold of Lucanis's blood, but considering Lucanis had no memory of any blood being taken, however and wherever they had gotten it, it must be a limited amount. He had increased security since Lucanis had told him about the first incident, nobody was getting into this warehouse without him knowing. Besides, Lucanis or Spite would have sensed intruders.

"Illario!" She snapped, still cradling Lucanis's limp body to her like she was the only thing holding him together, afraid to let go in case he fell to pieces in her arms. She had no idea what Illario had done to him. Lucanis, even in a dead sleep, hadn't felt this cold. Illario snaps out of his thoughts at her shout and looks apologetic.

"Let's get him comfortable first. I would much rather have this conversation without his dick out." He jokes and flinches when she shoots him a glare. How could he joke at a time like this? she sighs, but there is a hint of a smile on her lips despite her annoyance. It was a little bit funny, and the fact that he was joking surely meant that whatever he had done hadn't done any permanent damage.

They work together and manage to drag Lucanis towards the bed.

"He's heavier than he looks," Illario grunts as they finally get him onto it, and she covers him with the sheets. Lucanis's head lolls to the side, and she feels her eyes sting with tears again. He looked so frail and weak.

She moves to the sink in the kitchenette and finds a bowl. She fills it with warm water and carries it to his bedside with a clean cloth. She dips the cloth in the water and begins to wash the claw marks on his throat and wipe the bloody tears and her blood from his mouth. She rubs where he had bitten her absentmindedly as she works, it didnt hurt anymore, but the memory of it will stay with her for a while, she thinks.

"The broach is complicated. I did some research for him. Lucanis's thirst has always been unpredictable. He wanted a fail-safe in case he lost control of it, he didn't want to go berserk during a concert and hurt his fans or me." He starts to explain.

"Research into what?" She asks, sounding a little suspicious and apprehensive.

"Into Blood magic." He says, looking down at the broach still red with his blood, silver wings with a crow skull, a simple design, it could have been any shape, but he thought the design would disguise its use.

He had found a loop hole during his research, blood magic used on others required the victim's blood, but as Lucanis's cousin, they shared genetics, which meant he could use his own blood as a substitute. It wasn't as powerful, but it was enough to subdue him should the need arise.

"Here." She says softly, offering him something to clean the gash on his palm. he thanks her and sighs, cleaning the wound with a wince, he had cut himself deep in his panic, testing it in a controlled environment was one thing but using it in the heat of the moment well, nothing had prepared him for the look in Lucanis's eyes, seeing his cousin so feral had shook him to the core.

"Will he wake up?" She asks timidly, as if afraid of his answer. He nods solemnly.

"In a few hours, yes, hopefully less rabid." He sighs. He had never seen Lucanis like this before, even on his bad days. He was worried, if they didn't find the source of this blood magic soon, they would be in trouble. He feared what he might have to do to keep the rest of the crew safe from him if this happened again, he wasn't sure the broach would work if the next attack was stronger than this one.

The broach was only a temporary fix, they needed a more permanent solution, preferably finding who was doing this and taking them out. He had a feeling he would need Spite's help for that. he was good at tracking scents, surly he could find who was doing this with enough time. However that left him with a bit of a conundrum, the broach had knocked out Spite too.

He moves closer and inspects the runes on Lucanis's neck, and frowns. He was certain they were important, a clue perhaps. He moves quickly, grabbing one of Lucanis's spare notebooks from his desk and begins to sketch the markings roughly, perhaps they might give him some answers.

"Whatever the hell came over him, it has something to do with these marks." He says, tapping Lucanis's throat. The runes were getting dimmer, that was a good sign, with any luck, that meant the Blood magic was wearing off.

"I'm going to look into these runes, stay with him, if he starts to stir before those runes are gone, come get me." He says before standing.

"You sure that's a good idea, he?" She rubs her neck again, and he sighs.

"We need to figure this out. This attack was worse than the last one. We might not be able to stop him if this happens again." Illario says.

"Right." She nods getting hold of her fear and shaking it off, it wasn't Lucanis that attacked her, it was whoever was doing this. "What can I do to help?" She says, a look of determination in her gaze, she needed to help him.

"For now, watch over him. I'm going to look into these runes. We have a mage friend from Nevarra, they helped me make the broach, they might be able to make some wards to protect him, but they will need to know what to protect him from. I think these runes are the key." He smiles, hoping to reassure her.

"Alright, but what about the show tonight?" She says, sounding nervous, they only had nine hours until showtime, people were going to start gossiping if he was late, the media would be all over it.

"These attacks are spaced out, and the runes are already fading. My hope is that when he wakes, he will be himself again." He sighs.

"He's going to freak out, I need you to keep him calm, he cant miss his show tonight, we need them to think their plan failed, that we aren't aware of what's happening." He explains. If they continued as normal, it might give him time to figure this out.

"Meanwhile, I'll figure out what the hell they are doing and get something in place to prevent it from happening again, then we figure out where these assholes are, and we take them out." He growls angrily before leaving the trailer.

That look in Lucanis's eyes felt familiar, when the curse first overcame his cousin all those years ago, he had that same look, like he was aware but unable to stop himself, like his body was being controlled by someone else. It had only been for a second but it was the same.

Whoever was doing this now, could be the ones that had cursed his family, killed his mother and father just like they did Lucanis's, he sure as fuck wasn't going to let them take anyone else away from him, Lucanis was all he had left, Caterina to but she wasn't the one in danger, at least for now.

Altara frowns at his departure before her gaze lands on Lucanis once more, her expression softening as she strokes his cheek tenderly and sniffs back her tears.

"Its going to be ok, Lucanis." She whispers, though she isn't sure if that's to reassure herself or him.

Lucanis comes back to himself in increments, he can hear someone moving about his trailer, a soft voice humming. He concentrates on it. Was it Altara?. He freezes for a moment, fear gripping him, he had attacked her, hurt her.

I stopped YOU

I still attacked her, what if you had been too late...what if

NO, stop THIS

What if I had killed her

He felt panic creeping in, gripping his unbeating heart in a vice, he needed to move, to get away from her, but his limbs felt like lead, his head throbbed, he felt like he had been hit by a truck.

The broach, Illario must have used it, no wonder his head hurt, this was the first time it had been used on him as intended. Before it had been a test, he had willingly allowed it, this time, whatever had gripped him had fought against it.

He had felt it in his blood when the magic controlling him had been severed, his awareness returning moments before he lost consciousness. He groaned, and the voice gasps, he hears them rushing to his side.

"Lucanis?" She speaks softly, he feels her touch his face, tucking a loose hair behind his ear, he startles and sits up, eyes wide as he shuffles away from her in fear, pressing himself against the wall by the bed.

"No, stay away!" He growls in warning, his voice cracking.

"Hey, it's ok, it's ok. You're safe." She whispers, and he lets out a bitter laugh.

"Safe, SAFE!" He spat, looking away from her in shame. "Nothing about me is safe, you should leave." He says, his voice catching in his throat as if it had hurt to say those words, he didnt want her to leave, but he didnt want to put her in danger either.

"No! I'm not running away from this, and neither are you." She growled back, almost angry, he was always running away.

"I attacked you, maker, I nearly killed you!" He spat, trying to keep her away as she climbed onto the bed and moved towards him.

"Please." He begged, but the words lacked any true conviction. "Dont come any closer, I couldn't bear it if I..." He whimpers when she pulls him into her arms. He tries to resist, but her scent, wild cherries and spice. He falls into her and lets out a choked sob, all the fight leaving him.

"Its ok. I've got you, it's going to be ok." She whispers softly. How could she say that, how could she hold him like this after what he had done to her.

"How?" He sobbed as she held him at arm's length, wiping away his bloody tears. "Illario is looking into it, he says he has a friend that can help you." She smiles, and he looks away again.

"I...its to much, Altara, I'm a liability...I'm to Dangerous, You should just let me go" He looks down, everything felt like it was falling apart. She takes his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

"Stop this. We need to keep up appearances, we are going to find out who is doing this, and we are going to stop them, you hear me?" She shakes him, and he frowns.

LISTEN to HER

How can she be so calm about this

ALTARA is stronger THAN she looks

"Altara, how..." He sighs. "I could have killed you, I could have..." She stops him with a kiss, and he whimpers into her mouth.

She pulls back and smiles, wiping more of his bloody tears.

"I need you to hold it together, I need you." She pleads, feeling her lower lip tremble, she was trying not to cry.

YES must BE Strong.

I dont know if I can

YOU can, YOU will!

Spite...I

TOGETHER!

"I don't deserve you." He says in barely a whisper, his throat still hurt

"Yes, you do. Now pull yourself together, we have a show to do." She grins.

"You cant be serious, what if this happens again, what if I..." She kisses him again before he can continue his rant. He pulls back and sighs.

"You cant keep interrupting me like that...your.." She kisses him again, and he growls in frustration, pushing her back.

"Maker, Altara, I'm serious." He frowns, this wasn't a game.

"So am I, come on, get dressed, you cant perform naked, I know I wouldn't mind, but we dont want you getting arrested for indecent exposure." She jokes, and he lets out an incredulous laugh, making jokes at a time like this? perhaps his Cousin was a bad influence on her.

"You're impossible." He says, unable to stop the fond smile curling his lips.

"In a good way, right?" She grins.

"It's what I love about you." He sighs.

She was right, feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to help this situation, he needed to get his head on straight, if not for himself, than for her, Illario was good at finding ways to counter the curse, he would find something he was certain of it, and once they find whoever is doing this he was going to end them. Going after him was one thing but putting those he loved in danger was a step to far.

WILL help

I know you will

SO will SHE

I dont want her in any danger Spite. We cant involve her

TO late for THAT, But WE can PROTECT her

He sucks in a breath and lets it out slowly. Spite was right.

"I need you to promise something." He says, cupping Altara's cheek, she leans into the touch and nods.

"If this happens again, I need you to run and not look back." He says.

"I cant promise that, I'm not letting you face this alone." She says, stubbornly.

"I cant bare it, the thought of hurting you again, I." He touches where he bit her, his eyes blurring with tears, the memory haunted him, he had been aware but unable to stop. It had been Terrifying. "Promise me." He pleaded desperately.

"I promise." She says, but he isn't sure he believes her. There is something in her gaze, some stubborn spark in her eye, but he has to believe her, He has to.

The crowd were whispering, watching the stage, waiting for the Demon of Vyrantium's entrance, the lights were dimmed, dry ice creeping across the stage.

Backstage, Lucanis was nervous, he still felt a little wobbly on his legs. He was doing breathing exercises, which always calmed him, but it felt strange, it was more the ritual of it than the breathing itself.

"You've got this." He mutters to himself, then grunts when Pike smacks him on the back.

"Stage fright? That's not like you." He comments, Lucanis sighs

"I'm not feeling myself today," Lucanis grumbles, and Pike grins.

"Relax once you're on stage, you will be right at home." He says. before slipping through the curtains to take his position. Toya approaches next and nudges him with her shoulder.

"Come on." She smiles before following Pike.

"I'll find you after." He hears Altara's voice through his earpiece, and he immediately calms. Her voice, it had become something he relied on.

SHE is HOME

She is

WE sing

Yes

He heads through the curtains, navigating the darkness easily to his microphone. He could see the audience, but they couldn't see him. He scanned the crowd, searching, looking threats, but it was just his fans, nobody stood out to him.

A look of determination flickers in his eyes, he could do this. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and pressed a pedal on his deck. and began to sing.

The crowd fell silent, a low muttering as people recognised the words.

Something isn't right, I feel it in my bones

Every time I look around, it follows me home

I think I'm paranoid

Pike kept the rhythm, as Lucanis let the music take him to his quiet place.

Something isn't right, I feel it in my bones

Every time I look around, it follows me home

And I get so stressed out

Spite echoes his voice as he sings with him in a call and answer.

(With nobody here to listen)

When my head gets loud

(From the weight of this vision)

Spite takes over, his words increasing in urgency as he leads to the chorus.

All this emptiness inside

I can't fill the void in my mind

Sometimes I just wanna die

Wish that I could tell you why

Is it all inside my head?

I just can't escape the noise

Is it all inside my head?

Lucanis whispers the words, and they echo. He repeats the words three times. Spite shouting the last one as Pike brings his sticks down on the drums.

I think I'm paranoid

I think I'm paranoid

I think I'm paranoid

Lucanis shouts out the chorus, Spite punctuating the words as they sang together.

Is it all in my head? (I can't escape the noise)

Is it all in my head? (I think I'm paranoid)

Take me to the edge like hands around my neck

Hanging by a thread again (I think I'm paranoid)

Lucanis falls into the next verse, low and subdued like the first, the words felt apt after the events of his morning. He did feel paranoid, paranoid that anyone in the audience could be the one messing with his thirst, but he couldn't think like that, not now. He needed to get through this performance, pretend everything is fine, keep up appearances just like Altara said.

Something isn't right, think they start to notice

Hear it in the night, in and out of focus

And I get so stressed out

Spite sings with him, adding to his words, echoing his feelings.

(With nobody here to listen)

Got a head full of doubt

(From the weight of this vision)

Once more Spite takes over, his voice rising in volume with every word.

All this emptiness inside

I can't fill the void in my mind

Sometimes I just wanna die

Wish that I could tell you why

Is it all inside my head?

I just can't escape the noise

Is it all inside my head?

Lucanis once more whispers the words, letting the feelings that were heavy in his chest echo.

I think I'm paranoid

I think I'm paranoid

I think I'm paranoid

Lucanis shouts the chorus, letting the music flow, Spite once more adding to the words, letting their feelings intermingle.

Is it all in my head? (I can't escape the noise)

Is it all in my head? (I think I'm paranoid)

Take me to the edge like hands around my neck

Hanging by a thread again (I think I'm paranoid)

Altara uses some reverb, She smiled. The lyrics, it always felt like Lucanis revealed something about himself, how his music was an extension of himself, he was vulnerable here, he let his emotions out in his songs.

She adds a base effect to Spite as he leads up to the end of the song, making him sound more demonic.

All this emptiness inside

I can't fill the void in my mind

Sometimes I just wanna die

Wish that I could tell you why

Is it all inside my head?

I just can't escape the noise

Is it all inside my head?

Lucanis smiles, the music stopping abruptly as he whispers the final line and lets out a relieved sigh.

I think I'm paranoid

The crowd cheers, chanting his name, screaming how much they loved him, hoping he would hear them. He waved to the crowd, letting his gaze land on a few of the people near the front and smiling as they jumped up and down with excitement. Then the lights went out, the show was done, and they had one more day before they moved to Salle for the final leg of the tour.

One more day to find whoever was messing with him and making them regret it.

Lucanis closed the door to his dressing room and leant his forehead against it, letting out another sigh of relief. He had felt tense the entire performance, felt like there were eyes on him, watching, waiting for him to snap just like they wanted.

Will protect YOU

But what if you cant?

TRUST ME

I do but

NO buts

He sighs again and opens his eyes. Altara was waiting for him, a look of complete patience and understanding on her face. She was sitting on his sofa, she patted the seat next to her.

He was sinking into the cushions before he even realised he had moved. She let him lie down, his head in her lap as she played with his hair. He let out a contented and pleased sound as she began to hum something soothing.

He closed his eyes and felt the burden of his worries melting away. There was something so comforting about her voice, it was low, husky, with so much warmth, he could almost fall into a dead sleep, but he didn't want to, he wanted to hear her voice.

"Your voice." He whispers, and she smiles down at him, pausing with her fingers in his hair.

"What about it?" She chuckles.

"Do you sing?" He asks softly, both curious and intrigued.

"Sometimes not like you." She laughs, she wasn't a performer, her place was behind the stage, not on it.

"Would you?" He asks.

"Like now, or in general?" She grins.

"Cant it be both?" He husks.

"I dont know." She sighs, she had written music before or tried to, but she was never happy with it, she didn't like how she sounded on the occasion she had tried to record something, before she decided working on sound decks and programming music software was more her speed.

"Your voice is a comfort." He whispers, reaching up to stroke her cheek, she leans into the touch and smiles, he is so different to what she had imagined he would be like. She remembered his broody intensity when they first met, the way he had looked at her when he thought she wasn't looking.

She had thought he would be like so many other rock stars, arrogant, in love with himself, but Lucanis, she knew that wasn't who he was, he hated himself sometimes, she could tell from his songs. There was a level of self-loathing, something she hoped to change. His curse didn't have to define him, he was gentle, kind, shy when it came to feelings, but not with her.

With her, he was someone else, could be someone else, someone not burdened by his curse and what he had to do to live. With her, there was no shame, no doubt, only home.

He loved her more than he had loved anything or anyone in his life. She was what he needed to survive, her voice, her presence, she made him so happy, but then he thought about what it would be like when she was gone, when time would take her away from him, eternity and mortality were doomed to be parted.

"You're thinking too hard again?" She whispered, she had seen that look in his eye before. Whenever he was with her, whenever he let himself be happy, his doubts would plague him, and he would go quiet.

"I love you." He whispers, and she smiles, stroking his cheek.

"I love you too." She smiles when he sits up and leans over her.

He settled between her legs and lay against her, his face buried in her neck, inhaling her natural scent, the scent that he had become so accustomed to that he knew he could find her in a crowd with his eyes closed, a scent that he longed for, not just the scent of her blood, but the scent that was uniquely hers.

She smiled, stroking his hair and began to hum again, he practically melted into her, he liked the song, it was sad, yet happy, something he felt often, it was like he could not feel one without the other, but with her the sadness hurt less, with her he found peace and he realised without a doubt that when she was gone he would follow.