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Smashed Into Pieces || Collette & Bradin

Bradin didn’t exactly need any further inquisition to impose upon Collette’s request.

Between watching her feed seductively in the ally to hearing her soundless steps as they walked through Night Haven…from how even against faded moonlight her physical presence screamed calamity against her skin, to the way she held back no impending knowledge and impressiveness for his skill as an artist…from the way Bradin knew that underneath that society ridden dress of wealthy nonesense and prestige held a body too glamourous for meer middle class words. Yet the fact that Collette had the capability to succumbing to middle class standards in the form of nothing more than wanting to be sexual pleased made Bradin crave her even more.

From all of that and more were reasons why Bradin could not give a fuck about Collette’s specie and, more importantly, that she was a rich bitch hiding behind an entrancing face. And Bradin did not just kiss her, he attacked her, without the fear of loosing a limb to her strength or the worry of messing up that silk dress against the paints on the table. Because that dress didn’t last more than a few seconds against his rough hands, and when he complied to her simple and entrancing invitation Bradin moved his lips equally as rough against hers. Instantaneously, Bradin’s hand grabbed at the fabric against Collette’s legs and revved them up to bundle her hips. And immediately after they cupped the backs of her bare thighs and perched the woman atop the counter of his drawing table.

Nuzzled between her legs, Bradin’s hands wandered against the smoothest skin he’d ever felt. He gripped at her hips from under the mess of fabric now lining her torso and dug his thumbs into the bones against her sides. She smelled delicious and it didn’t phase Bradin to wonder about the meal she had consumed earlier that still coursed the insides of her mouth, one that he claimed and bit at demandingly. Instead he indulged, always being one to savor opportunities and deciding on a whim that ones like this wouldn’t come around too often.

Besides, being around more vampires than he had wished cause the man to fortunately have heard how feisty these species were when they were anticipating their more sensual desires. And if that didn’t turn even the most stubborn of humans on then maybe his simple race really did deserve to be at the bottom of the food chain for the rest of their lives.

He was thinking dangerous things to do to this woman in order to get her to a place that Bradin himself desired. He was also hoping that the invitation for a kiss wasn’t only as literal as Collette had said.

Bradin sucked at the skin against her collarbone, and with one hand relieved her of any undergarment Collette wouldn’t be needing. And being too eager for his own good, Bradin dropped in front of the table to get a good taste of the insides of her thighs.

#bradin carter #this is smut and i dont edit things anymore so enjoy xD #smashed into pieces

Instantaneous pleasure; something that no matter who was giving it, when or why, what specie or where...Collette's need for careless & disregarded acts of dangerous sensual fantasies was nothing to be denied. Even after a thousand years the urges were still lovable, they were still greedy & infested with a rawness that clawed against her skin & left behind trails of tingling desires. The art of just being her was undeniable for most, & it amazed her what a few flicker of the her eyelashes & twist of her red lips could do to a man who was not even under her glamour. It was enjoyable, indeed, & as a result Collette dug long fingernails into Bradin's dark hair as he continued to fit the profile to a core.

Bradin was amongst her favorite thus far in her years; a remarkably sexy human who's own desire was fueled by Collette's long legs &, more importunely, what laid between them. & it was even more daunting to feel his tongue leap about in winding circles against her most sensitive areas, & teeth that scrapped against her thighs in angry anticipation. His hands against her hips pulled her towards him further & Collette's throat emitted a dangerously seducing & loud moan of complete satisfaction. Her toes tingled, her torso leapt in rhythm to every single notion Bradin's mouth made against her & before Collette could get too caught up in the moment in fear of not having energy for further activities, she pulled him away from her. Hoping from the table, in quick motions as not to interfere with the mood, Collette unzipped her dress & let it fall at a bundle against her feet, & tugged at Bradin's attire hungrily.

"Upstairs?" she breathed against his mouth, eager hands already pushing him that direction.

#dem hips yo #collette

i've heard this song a thousand times and fucking micole man. Y U DO THIS ALEX CLARE.

#music #micole #like a bitch #uhhhhgvfgdrfhcgfj

Collette & Elki || My Beautiful Rescue

Collette was his heart, the very reason as to why it beat against his chest. Elki was beginning to wonder what had kept it going before they had met. He knew perchance they would not last; not in the harsh reality that their species were never supposed to get along as they were, at least - but he was willing to try. The day the pair would go their separate ways was the day he dreaded most, as he didn’t believe he could move on quite as easily as he had with his last significant other. He didn’t suppose Collette and himself would ever see each other ever again after that day, or perhaps they would should Gaia prove kind to her child despite the miniscule wrong doings he had preformed over the course of his existence. He had never done anything so horrid to mother Nature to deserve any type of emotional punishment that he had felt only minutes ago, and he could imagine it would have been far more consequential and painful should it have been prolonged.

It was an impending doom he knew for sure, inevitable, but Elki would do his best to preserve the one and only thing that kept him so happy for as long as he could.

“& my clothes are so dirty…”

His insides rived and roiled in a newfound desire to take this woman, to ravage her against the base of the tree in which his back had pressed against, so uncharacteristically it did not seem plausible. It was a familiar emotion he had felt over the course of their visitations each night they were able to meet, their superiors under strict impression that the pair of requited lovers had been doing just the opposite of accumulating with one another, yet escalated significantly. And it was here he decided he could kiss her forever; hold her close to him forever; if only he could. Kissing her was an unexplainable feeling - who would have thought fire and ice clashing against one another in such a situation, considering they were in fact opposites, would be so right? It did not seem logical to him, being so young and so naïve to this particular bearing, but he would not dare protest it.

By this time, the wolf within him had grown rather accustomed and fond of Collette’s presence, seeing as she was no longer considered a threat, and the growl that rumbled deep within the profundities of his chest was one of approval and lust rather disgust and indignation. The compulsion for dominance was one not only carried from his wolven side, but it was just a short few nights before the full moon hung above, and the Garou could just not help himself. He wanted to take her more than anything in that moment, as so the two could relieve those certain urges and tensions that had (quite literally on his part) swelled between them so long they had been together and, as it seemed, it was not only him who wished for this to occur.

Elki’s lips quieted her words just moments after she had spoken, hands constricting around her waist tighter than they had before in newfound desire, fingers grasping the fabric of her shirt and lifting it above her hips. The very tips of his fingers just barely brushed against her exposed flesh in a manner that could only be thought of as teasing, and he drew back just slightly, daring to open his eyes, but moving no farther than in a few inches away. “Even so, you still look beautiful,” he whispered against plush, ruby lips, “but I imagine you would be just as gorgeous without them.”

With this having been said, Elki submitted to the dominance of his wolf and pivoted the pair of them so Collette’s back was against the tree in which he was previously leaning against, apprehensive feelings resigned. His lips found her jaw line, trailed along her jugular, all the while gradually lifting her shirt to pull over her head, his hips pressed against her own. His lips moved against the skin of her neck, just below her earlobe, while he murmured; his tone low and husky, stifling a frustrated growl of infatuation.

“I want you, Collette.”

#elki etu #NOPE #my beautiful rescue #NO READ MRES YAYESJAHLF

Bare skin meshed with the bark behind her, scraping along the delicate & pale skin of Collette’s now exposed upper half. The texture pricked at her flesh, the immediate & dominant contact of Elki’s hips pressing her further against the tree. That sensation alone erupted illuminating desires within her chest, having been close to him a handful of times throughout the past weeks of their meetings yet never going any further than the connection of lips. With bare fronts touching Collette shivered very noticeably, the warmth emitting from his natural stature coinciding with the frigidness that radiated from her pores. She decided then that she could stay there forever, that if Elki’s mouth trailed teasingly delicious kisses down the sides of her neck & with hands that roamed freely & urgently now across her body then the vampire would remain forever imbedded in the surreal emotions floating happily inside her stomach. It would be a life worth living; a life worth savoring, regardless if it meant abandoning old traditions & ancestry in order to be with an ancient rival that, in that moment, captivated her undead heart & made it beat once more.

There was no doubt in Collette’s mind & body that she wanted Elki just the same. With the lust that dripped from her senses & made her dizzy it was as if she were blinded from anything else that would occur around her & having only this beautiful creature pressed against her to herself. There would be nothing to get in the way of that of which she wanted, & hearing the huskiness of Elki’s voice only made Collette’s hips move slightly against his in eager desire.

It was different, in a way, as Collette tugged against Elki’s hair & moved his lips back to hers. She feared her urges, even after countless nights of being able to tuck them away when in close proximity to the boy she would writhe at the thoughts of them meshing together as one at last, but had decided to keep it at just a fantasy; something to keep looking forward to if that day ever did present itself & never quite act upon.

So even as Collette bit harshly at Elki’s lip in a sensual embrace her mind second-guessed itself. It was infuriating; an internal struggle between allowing her heart to be grasped once more with the probable potential of having it ripped from her chest like a few years prior or giving this werewolf acess to have & own everything about her; physically, mentally, & especially emotionally.

The thought of Elki claiming what was now his wasn’t doing anything but manifesting an even larger explosion of sensations to course through silky skin, secreting barely audible but sweet moans to escape plush lips. The need to cast aside a timid side to Collette that had erupted moments prior was desperate, & a desirable part of her only believed it could be directed elsewhere so long as Elki was willing to continue his words of endearment, & so long as his hands were covering sensitive parts of her body without an intention of stopping.

Without leaving the confinement of her arms wrapped around tanned & strong shoulders or lips against those of her lovers, Collette fumbled out of her boots, kicking & shoving them somewhere unimportant. The grass tickled bare feet, something she had prided herself in loving & appreciating since her first wander out into Trinity Lakes. Hands dropped from Elki’s stature & even though Collette’s natural urges were more than ready for the next wave of events to take place, her fingers nervously untied the string holding up the remaining garment.

Lips broke away from Elki’s & Collette’s eyes found his, searching the auburn orbs for the love that he held for her & needing to grasp onto it for dear life at that moment. She found just that; with the way his smile was somewhat crooked in a boyish way & how even under the moons faded light Collette could see the amazing soul resting beneath his own tender & alive flesh.

Elki was her rescue. He was the amazing escape from realities that Collette wished to harbor far away. He was the safe place she could run to in order to rid herself of the formalities of the life she was expected from many to live in Athoria; as a vampire, & as the progeny of William. He was her liberation from conformity & gave Collette the freedom to laugh & live carefree, something she had always wanted to do yet never could manage under the watchful eyes of selfish others.

Her garment dropped to the ground in a heap at her feet, & with a seductive yet loving grin Collette whispered up to Elki. “Why don’t you show me just how bad you want me?"

Collette & Elki || My Beautiful Rescue

The boisterous snarl previously elicited died down within the profundities of his chest, and his knuckles slid against the chipped bark, cascading to his side once more. His torso heaved in his wolfish temper, his heart pulsating at a rate that seemed far too abnormal to be healthy, and he pivoted on his heels only as to lean against the tree he had punched just moments ago, to catch his breath. He tilted his head back so the crown pressed against the topiary’s exterior and squeezed his eyes shut, swallowing a growing lump in his throat that threatened him to the best of his ability. All was silent, and the Garou heard nothing but the blood pounding within his ears as well as echoed screams of disdain from the vampire whom had run away from him, from them.

Moments passed, and even still Elki’s eyes did not open for quite some time. Try as he might, he just could not simply make sense of the entire situation. He had not experienced such heartbreak as she claimed she has, such a distasteful feeling indeed, and he wished he hadn’t been so foolish to get involved in something the pair of them had known all along would never work. They were too blinded in their ever growing attraction for one another, not only appealing greatly to their partners physical being, but the attraction to the persona the other had carried. Or maybe now it had only been Elki struggling beneath the spell, and he was nothing but a pleasure puppet in her cynical show all this time, because simply being in his presence was taking audacity to an entire new level. But for so long? It was highly doubted that she would stick around after weeks of training to be one with Gaia, with the simplest of kisses here and there, for meager entertainment.

Perhaps that was just him making excuses as so he didn’t have to believe any of that to be true.

Elki dared to open his eyes again, to face the brutal reality imprinted upon this very clearing. He scanned it, scrutinized every nook and cranny as though a familiar face would show once again. From the curved arch of the trees, how in this particular spot they had evolved, lined adjacent to one enough in a circular formation, and how the flowers within the grass and the surrounding brush of the Hallowed Oak had dimmed for the fall, yet somehow always remained dark even under Mother Moon’s illuminating radiation. He turned his head with a heavy exhale, a light intonation to break the overwhelming silence swelling about the clearing, and appointed his attentions to the direction in which he knew his pack celebrated miles away. It would be a long trek home, albeit even then Elki doubted he could lighten his mood considerably to properly attend the orientation he had missed.

His father would not have that, no matter how stoic he claimed to be. He supposed he had developed his tenacious habits from following studiously in his father’s footsteps as a competent heir should.

She came back then, just as all hope she would reconsider began to wither.

Collette’s pale complexioned cheekbones were tainted a delicate crimson, trickles of blood trailing from her tear-ducts, and her hair; frazzled and tangled in such a clutter it should have surprised him. She may have believed she seemed to look like the very definition of chaos without voicing it, but even after she had tugged ruthlessly at his heartstrings just moments prior to her reappearance, Elki never believed he had seen her more beautiful. More real. The vampire before him acted was as though ill in desperation, hysterical before his very eyes, and he wished to be furious. How could she say, scream, such horrid things to his face and run off crying? It should have been him begging and pleading on the floor upon his knees, irises encompassed in tears he would have refused to release. It should not have been her running back and sobbing over what she had said.

Maybe, the more logical part of Elki reprimanded, maybe she had hurt herself when she had shouted at him.

“I’d thought I lost you.” He whispered as she caressed his cheeks, delicate thumbs brushing against his masculine jawline, and muttered words that sounded very much like a sincere apology for all the words she had accusingly thrown at him. As if on impulse, Elki curled his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him, other hand settled upon her hip; it had only been a short few moments since he had last protectively, or rather - possessively -, held her in his arms and he’d done so many times over the course of the few weeks they had come across one another, yet still it had felt as if he never had before. His stomach rived in his apprehension, as though she would slip from his fingers again if he had made the wrong move.

And so with their foreheads pressed together, Elki droned just eleven more syllables (“I don’t think you know how much that means to me,), before closing the space in between and pressing his lips to hers, like he hadn’t seen her in years. He pulled her close with a proceeded dominance, and in spite of this newfound command the kiss remained idyllic.

No, Elki would not let her leave him again.

#elki etu #my beautiful rescue

Collette’s hands were in dark hair, at first smoothing them against Elki’s head as he kissed her with such a determination that the vampire almost felt as though she were being claimed. It made her feel lightheaded in the best possible way, knowing that Elki had forgiven her for if not then they would not have been fused together once more like their nights together previously had happened. It was an incredible feeling, like finally finding peace in a world that shunned everything that was different away to be disgarded as trash & never welcomed anything remotely obscure. & as Elki’s grip around a small waist only tightened to bring the girl closer to his stature Collette decided that Athoria could go on with their silly games of war & discrimination, but as long as lips as demanding yet romantic as his was grazing themselves against her own pale, then her life was complete.

Vampyric tendencies from earlier only arose at the taste of Elki & her hands were tugging at the dark strands in return. She wanted to be closer to him, wanted to trace the skin against his back with her nails & discover how incredible she knew he could make her feel with actions that went beyond lips being pressed together. Although the lust that generated from her pores naturally due to her species was inevitable, Collette knew that she had done a fine job at keeping that part of her tucked away in fear that she’d regret being with Elki in that way.

There was no stopping her now. Collette was sure that if she wanted to have Elki right there on the ground underneath of the moon & with Gaia’s blessing, hopefully, then it wouldn’t really be up for debate. Her teeth bit at Elki’s lips, pulling him towards her with urgency. Between gasps of breathes for air from the werewolf Collette would whisper heavily, “I’m not going anywhere, I promise,”

Fingertips pressed deeply into the sides of Elki’s neck as tongues danced against each other & small, raspy moans escaped from Collette’s throat all at the same time. The tension between the two opposing species only grew as the seconds passed, each kiss filled with more compassion & a yearning that Collette desperately wanted to act upon.

Collette broke her lips against Elki’s own, opening her eyes to stare up into breathtaking auburn. She sighed, unable to control the smile that Elki had always been able to emit against her lips. The very first feeling she had ever experienced for the boy came rushing through her body like intricate waves, his eyes having been the very barrier that allowed Collette to accept his specie & put a grave amount of trust in him. She also remembered how silly she had acted, how proper & dignified at first, as if that would have impressed him. Compared to how she used to live in England & how she currently lived in Monir with the elders, Collette couldn’t & didn’t want to imagine her life as anythig but right now; wrapped in the embrace of the most gentle & loving creature she knew, standing underneath a moon that was so brilliant it seemed to illuminate just for them, & accepting that life within mother nature was where Collette wanted & needed to be. So long as Elki was by her side, always.

“I look horrible,” she expressed shyly, suddenly realizing in that second that her appearance would probably always be something she cherished. The fact that her normally golden blonde mane was in disarray & the red on her cheeks was nothing more than her own blood, Collette rubbed at her face in an attempt to make herself decent. Her body remained touching against Elki’s front & with his arms still around her form she felt safe & protected from anything that might have come their way undetected. She smoothed her hair & rubbed at the skin on her arms. How convenient that she had fallen in the mud on her escape from Elki only to be embarrassed by her stature some time later.

Blue eyes averted down her front, though lack of space between the two newly pronounced lovers prevented her from seeing most of the mess upon her attire. Collette’s hands rested on the front of a tanned & flawless sculpted bare chest, the warm skin contrasted against her own frigid yet the sensation was welcoming. Her eyes bounced back up to Elki’s chestnut ones, the urges of lust that consumed her body, although out of her control were very inspired now, incorporated her gaze.

“& my clothes are so dirty…”

Collette & Elki || My Beautiful Rescue

Truthfully, Elki did not know which was worse; the fact that he had gotten his heart verbally ripped from his chest, or the pain that elicited from it.

It was as though the moment she had tore away from him, scandalized at the words that had regretfully poured from his tongue, she had dug her fingernails into the tender flesh of his torso and gripped his ever pulsating heart within her hands. He imagined in that very moment, that she had maltreated it with prior nails, cleaving the seams of his arteries and mercilessly plucking at them, making the juncture all the more painful. It was near suffocating, just as the love he had felt for her regardless of her accusations and ruthless laments jarringly thrown at him.

While she paced before him, Elki had almost raised his hand to place it where the beating organ lay within him in speculation to see if it was still indeed there, for it had felt cruelly empty and cold. But he figured it childish, for Gaia would not have left him breathing without the most pivotal implement unless he was, as the scorned woman before him, a creature of the night.

And so much as he tried, the hurt that had etched upon his assertion could not be masked by that of fury or bewilderment, showcasing the very emotion that he had attempted to hide so many times over the course of his entire lifespan.

Elki remained still and silent for a very long time. He had long ago risen his physique from the pasture beneath, yet stood soundlessly within the background as Collette displayed her conspicuous indignation. The young Garou could hardly fathom the cold words emitting from her lips, rendering him speechless and simply staring; each phrase of indifference muttered from the vampire pacing before him carefully calculated and processed within his mind, yet striking him thoughtless and unable to come up with something to say in response. Elki had rarely stuttered - each word he had ever spoke came smoothly and without difficulty, though in infrequent moments he would occasionally jumble up whatever he was attempting to divulge.

“I don’t love you! I never will!”

He thrived to speak, to muster something in response to the cruel consultations that echoed within the depths of his ever thinking mind. It made a mockery of him, and even as she ran did he still hear them as clear as day, as though she was positioned right in front of his face. It was a very similar feeling to when it had been announced by his father that a fellow Elder werewolf had passed away, never quite leaving his ingenuity, though so much worse.

Left desolated amidst the twilight, for Collette had sprinted from view, the Garou glared down at the soil before firmly pressing the heels of his palms to his eyes, a feeble attempt to clear the image of the beauty that had deserted him within the clearing from his mind. His inability to do so left him furious with himself, spieling silent and unspoken words of hatred toward his foolish actions to his torn mind.He lunged forth unexpectedly, a feral growl leaving his lips as he struck out with a clenched fist to the nearest tree. His knuckles chipped the bark, clipping tender skin, albeit he could not find it within himself to care for his own physical being. Nor could he find it in himself to care that he had assaulted a creation of Mother Nature in result to his own action of cowardice. Elki had made many mistakes in his past; but perhaps becoming involved with her was the worst one yet.

#elki etu #my beautiful rescue

Collette ran for some time, her pained vampyric body not even allowing the young girl to sprint at a supernatural pace. Instead she dragged her boots against the soil beneath her clumsily, pushing herself forward against a will that seemed to want nothing but to fall to the ground defeated. Her body felt heavy, limbs wanting to break away from tender flesh & decompose into mother nature. Perhaps then Collette would feel as though she had given something to this earth & that Gaiawould forgive her for the agony she could only imagine that Elki was currently feeling at that time. After everything they had been through until that moment, after the risks they had both taken to see each other, to feel for one another…Collette had thrown it all away.

Tears exploded from her eyes as Collette went on, loud sobs echoed through the trees & scared away any hiding critters. Her cheeks were stained pink to match the once whites of her eye, & if Collette had a beating heart residing in her chest she could have sworn that it was long shattered. Still, her steps became harder in her desperate attempt to leave Trinity Lakes. Her boots were caked with mud & her body was rejecting itself. How she wished to lay down, to close her eyes & mind away from the look in Elki’s eyes as Collette had said words to him that she did not even mean.

Collette sank to her knees, muddying them instantly, & she sobbed incredibly. She consistently tried to convince herself that leaving Elki & never seeing him again was the right thing to do, the smart thing to do. If they were together, then one of them was being set up to face a permanent death regardless of how they felt for one another. Elki had to know that, right? He was smart & kind, handsome & assertive, perfect & caring…loving & dominate, & he had risked his place in the most powerful werewolf tribe for Collette. He had lied to his parents for her, taught her the ways of his people & of the wolven race in general. He taught her all about Gaia & how to respect the creatures of nature…he had shown her peace & affection.

Collette’s chest hurt yet her sobs had quieted to those of simple sniffles as she stared at the grond beneath her, hands implanted into the mud in which she kneeled. Collette knew what love felt like; she had despised William at first but soon grew accustomed to his ways. He was also kind & generous, but not comparatively so. Being in a completely different environment than the one she was in now, Collette knew that she loved William based on what he had to offer her & when, whether that be riches or fine blood. England & the love she had for William was in her past; Athoria was her present.

There was no comparison; Elki had proved to be everything Collette ever wanted without ever thinking about the material posessions she had left behind or having a home to live in or sporting enough coin to purchase whatever it was that she needed at that direct moment. With Elki, everything was how it was supposed to be, for he was the one that made Collette feel her most prominent by simply looking at her with radiating chestnut eyes & helping to discover a more naturalist side to her. His presence alone made her nights worth while & who he was deemed to be the most innocent & pure of them all. He made her insides dance in excitement & arousal, he created a light inside her undead soul that wanted to guide her down a path of exporation so long as they were together as one. Elki loved her & only her…

What am I doing…

With the sudden & harsh realization that Collette could have potentially threw the best thing that had ever happened to her away without a second chance at getting him back, Collette stood abruptly & turned in the opposite direction. Determination replaced that feeling of guilt & remorse in her body & her legs sprinted as fast as her vampyric speed allowed her to, this time without interruption or debate. The trees & brush blurred besides her as she pushed on, the cold air chilling already red & frigid cheeks.

The clearing in which the two supernaturals had previously occupied was in view & Collette slowed down to a steady jog, praying to Elki’s mother for him to still be where she had left him. As she pushed back a few branches from the brush surrounding the area, Collette’s chest dropped in both relief & anticipation at the sight if Elki remaining where he was.

She imagined she looked a mess, blonde hair in disarray & cheeks stained pink from bloody tears that had seeped immensely from her eyes, muddied pants & pale lips. Yet Collette did not care, did not dare to question his feelings for her any longer or tell him that he had no right to feel that way. Her hands went to her chest over the place where her dead heart lay unbeating & she rushed for him desperately, tears building up in her eyes once more. She shook her head, dirty blonde curls brushing against bare shoulders.

“I’m sorry. Elki I’m so, so sorry…”

& when she reached the boy she placed both hands on his tan cheeks, pulling their foreheads to rest against one another. She breathed, “I love you too,”

Collette & Elki || My Beautiful Rescue

Forgery was not a common ground with Elki.

Surely, with what he had matriculated with the warriors of his tribe, the young Garou had acquired the skills to make weaponry appropriately for two-legged hunting and battle when necessary - but jewelry was beyond him. Like the feathers of a raven, the cleansed hide of a fox and many other trinkets, ornaments such like he had made for Collette, were costly. Many women and young girls stuck to that profession, despite their similar animalistic nature as the men; so it was a bewilderment as to how Elki had managed to perfect it like he had. “Now we’re even,” he murmured, the corners of his lips tugging upward into a grin as he returned the provided kiss. “That bracelet in return for the wonderful headband of pink flowers.” He teased playfully, shaking his head.

Collette shifted then, atop his own self as she was prior when he had brought them both to the ground. Elki’s arms coiled around her slim physique comfortably, as though he had done this a thousand times over before, pressing her front to his tightly. The space between them decreased immediately, hardly noticeable despite the slivers of intervals that had managed to materialize between them. Her breath chilled his flesh, the closeness of her body sent involuntary shivers along his neck and spine, very much in relation to their first night together in the lakes not far from where the two were currently laying.

Beryl irises bore into chestnut, and Elki momentarily forgot how to breathe. He’d reminded himself over and over again not to get lost in those eyes, and each time he would fail to do so. It was impossible to break such an intense glance, with the way the orbs glimmered, reflected from Amahan Iduth.

“I love you.” A breathy whisper against her captured lips, amongst the gentle breeze of the evening and a singular heartbeat. It slipped, it really did; Elki had not meant for it to leave his conscience until he was sure Collette had felt the same. Yet here she was rested upon his front, coquettish in her actions whilst he expressed words the held a meaning far more than any other he had spoken to her in the past. When he hadn’t put much thought to it, as she certainly wasn’t the only one whom wished to experiment their relationship further, a part of Elki didn’t seem to mind. The more rational and logical sense however, compared what the pair of them had to the relationships of the Elder’s in his pack and those his own age.

Truthfully, if Elki were to be honest with himself he’d admit (and not begrudgingly) that he was head over heels for Collette. He would relish upon the memories they shared whilst she slumbered during the daylight, returning to the conventional routine that came with being the heir of his kindred. Elki had a great future ahead of him when it came that time, though none were aware of when that period of time would be precisely, and he was wasting the spiels provided to him by his Elders, his mother and his father with his head in the clouds. However, his devotion to Gaia was not lost. While retreating from the nightly meets between he and Collette over the week just as the sun begun to rise, he would trek the familiar route to Caern, mutter words in the First Tongue of blessings among his people, himself, and in return for his utmost appreciation for the life and nature she provided she would grant them a blanket of security…and all the secrets underneath.

Gently, he tucked a soft tendril of delicate blonde hair behind her ear, cupping her cheek and bringing his lips once again to her own.

#elki etu #my beautiful rescue #KDAJFKS

At first, Collette’s vampire could only welcome Elki’s lips pressed firmly against her own once more. The contagiousness that came along with the way Elki buried his hands in delicate strands of blonde & how he kissed her with such a gentleness that was interlaced with slight dominance (surly a trait from his inner wolf) was more than erotic to both Collette’s vampyric urges & her very own. Yet even though the majority of her felt entirely comfortable locking lips with a wolf in the middle of his sacred land & knowing that it wouldn’t be too much longer until other incidences made their appearence before the fused couple, Collette finally let the reality of the situation settle in.

With her eyes snapping open & lips prying harshly away from Elki’s in a heartbeat, Collette leaned back from the wolf below her. Her face changed from that of playful & giddy to that of confusion & anger within seconds. “Wait, you what?” Collette’s eyes, although still holding a brightness that she would never cease to rid of, glared down at Elki, a look of disgust resting upon once delicate features.

“You-you can’t. What is wrong with you?”

The atmosphere between the two opposing creatures shifted almost instantly. Collette pushed herself from the ground with a decent amount of diligence, stepping away from Elki who rested still against the floor of the forest. His face expressed something that Collette’s mind could not even fathom at that moment. She brushed at her attire angrily, ridding the material of debris.

“Why did you have to ruin this?!” she said desperately down to him, her voice hinting at that same authoritative tone she had used with him the first night they had met. “Everything was okay! Everything was fine!”

Collette covered her face with her hands & groaned loudly into her palms. Every part of her was frustrated. A million things raced through a young mind at one time; thoughts of William & how he, too, had loved her & casted her away as if she as nothing. She thought of the elders back home who would soon be more than suspicious of the young queen & where she was sneaking off to at night, & eventually she would not be able to hide it much longer. She thought of Elki’s tribe & the things they would do to her if they ever found out themselves…

“I don’t love you! I never will!” Collette felt herself lying yet her words spit like venom from her lips regardless. The complete & utter lust she had felt for the boy moments prior had vanished & was replaced by that of pure anger. Normally Collette could mask her anger easily, with a snide comment or sarcastic comeback, but in the situation with Elki, there were no such things. Her skin seemed to tingle, burn almost, & her eyes bore menacingly into those chestnut irises that Collette swore she could have fallen in love with, if only given the right circumstance.

“Everyone I love leaves me,” she spat at him, the backs of her eyes becoming damp with crimson. “& you will too. Did you think we could do this forever? Hide from your parents? From your pack? Lay amongst the grass & pretend that the world did not exist? I will not succomb myself to watching you walk away from me in the end,”

Without so much as another glance, Collette spun on her heel, turning her back to Elki completely & running off into woods.

#collette #WOW THAT'S BLONDE OMG I LOVE IT I AJFKDALKSF

Smashed Into Pieces || Collette & Bradin

All thoughts of mystical fights and shining knights bashing swords against dirty armor, of ferocious fangs and dripping pools of innocent blood, of burning homes in their countrysides and the falling of the birthmark fountain in the middle of Brailston diminished the moment Bradin thought of Collette unclothed in his bed and submitting to him, instead of the other way around.

The conversation about war would just have to wait.

“That was the plan,”

It was a fun, white lie and one that he knew this obvious elder would catch onto, and he paired it with a matching grin. Initially the intent on what to do with Collette once she had mentioned being bored earlier brought his mind to race of dirty things; from seeing that extravagantly expensive dress bundled in a messy heap against his floorboards to brushing his lips against the paleness of her inner thighs, exploring…teasing…

He cleared his throat, yet the boyish grin remained.

“I was going to take you to my shop, which just so happens to be my home as well. So you can take whatever information you want from that, m’lady,”

His shop was never somewhere he felt unsafe. Never had Bradin been attacked in his home and never had he a line of angry customers throwing tomatoes at his windows for something deemed as unfair. If anything, this place was his own escape into a collection of worlds that screamed out at him from different canvases and collaborations of color. He’d never be embarrassed by his work, only prideful.

“It’s probably not nearly as fancy as your used to but there is no place like home,”

In front of the two-story brick building he motioned for Collette to follow him up the three stoned steps and onto the small landing. With a small brass key he unlocked the door and pushed it open. “After you,”

#bradin carter #smashed into pieces #KISS ME BITCH

A simple invite in; it was always pleasurable. It welcomed Collette for the rest of eternity basically, & even though she assumed Bradin knew that all too well the woman took easy steps into the darkened establishment.

The instant smell of strong lead & abrasive paint struck her senses first, along with the stench of something stale in the small kitchen to the right of the door. To her immediate left was a spiral, wooden staircase leading to a second floor, & as her dress dragged against the floorboards she continued to take steps inside. The dark was no matter to her yet she heard Bradin fumble behind her with a candle & match from his pocket.

No, the shop & home of Bradin was not exactly what she was "used" to but Collette had seen worse. After all, the shop she owned in Chile Village wasn't exactly anything to own up to relating to higher social status & yet weekly she was seen inside, without care of what others thought. She was a Queen, in the end, & Collette would go & be seen with whomever she pleased. Bradin had no negative affect on her so far, & as long as he intended to keep it that way then she personally did not see the harm in befriending him for her own purposes.

Besides, the urge to tangle her fingers in the scruff of that beard was somewhat overbearing.

"So you're a painter? Amongst other things?" she spoke more direct than questioning, noticing the larger room beyond the front door & kitchen. It was the entire length of his home, with more canvases & paintings than she had seen in even larger businesses. "It is a rare gift, to not only master the art of transferring sight to paper but to make your inks as well, is it not? I've always had an admiration for the talent. My home itself carries arts & frames dating back hundreds of years,"

She spoke quietly, brushing gentle fingertips against the surfaces of select paintings & enjoying the way their portraits bounced against the set of candles that Bradin had lit around the room.

"This one," she paused at an unfinished sketch from lead against a piece of parchment that was torn & frayed, as if it had been burned. "has a story...I can feel its pain almost," her nail traced the outline of an old, sickly looking man & her face fell to that of concern. "He must have meant something to you, your Father, for shadowing him in such a distraught way..."

She might had snuck into his mind, snaked around his memories without Bradin so much as flinching or feeling anything at all. An elder had the power to do many great things, & trick her enemies (or anyone she wanted) was one of them. Of course, Collette really did not want to trick Bradin. He seemed to be interested in her all on her own, & the glamouring & manipulating of those that were already willing was not exactly what she called fun.

She also might have been able to get lost inside those hazel eyes of his, especially the way they were looking at her now. He was standing directly behind her, having moved to be in her presence & watch as she analyzed his work. & when their eyes met once again Collette could feel the depth of both sadness & impression resting deep within his very well being.

"You should probably kiss me now,"

Smashed Into Pieces || Collette & Bradin

Bradin’s hazel eyes found the swirling specks of blue against Collette’s light sapphire irises entrancing, and he dug into them almost unwillingly. He was a smart man and knew the ventures that vampires liked to engage in. He knew that they enjoyed their feeding in both the animalistic ways that he had just witnessed not moments prior and with blood from elegant wine glasses in the beautiful mansions of eastern Athoria. He knew that creatures like Collette, who was already hypnotizing in her own unique way in both features as well as obvious social class, enjoyed seducing their prey into stages of delusion and some other word that Bradin had long forgotten.

He wondered if Collette was performing such powers on him, because he could not look away and even if he wanted to Bradin felt the strongest urge to return her touch against his arms with his rough hands streaming through perfect blonde hair.

Of course, to such a woman of high standards Bradin imagined that would be quite rude.

Instead he offered a smile, which could have been mistaken for a cocky smirk against the scruff of his cheeks and the becoming of his cold lips from the chill in the ally.

“You’re very direct, and I assume you are used to getting what you desire,” he said, watching the way the pale skin against her own dominate cheekbones moved when red stained lips grinned back. “If I’m being honest, however, I am a little taken aback. And I’d also be contradicting in my…judgements,”

He moved, keep his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket and holding out his arm for Collette to take, and when she gracefully did the human began out of the ally as he continued.

“Your kind, the vampires, of Athoria are not exactly my favorite, more or less,” he laughed lightly, “yet it seems that they always make an appearance in my life whether I like it or not. Funny how that works, no? One saved my life when I was but a boy and I’ve tried to remain on good terms with him, a handful of others are continuous clients of mine, and another is, well, a drinking friend of mine you might say. I know everything about them, all your tricks and motives. Yet for some reason I hold a distaste. I’m not sure why, and I hope you don’t take it the wrong way. I’m sure there are tons of other species out there that you aren’t exactly favorable towards,”

It felt good to talk a bit and have ears to listen that weren’t passing out against the bar at Thirst or customers that only really cared if Bradin would drop the price of one of his paintings by being overly nice. And as they walked down the dark streets of Night Haven, the vampiress clinging to his arm as if they had done such events a thousand times before, Bradin became strangely more comfortable than he had in a long time.

Although not her typical expectation from her kindred when it came to a mate or company in general, Collette could not find a bother about this man that would steer her away from accompanying him to where ever it was that he was leading her. Even Michael, to this day & whether a direct member of De la Nuit or not, still dressed to match his age & social status. If seen with him then it were deemed as appropriate & normal, for his stature was proud as he was tall & Michael always tended to have a way about him that made Collette feel safe, & protected. A companion in both friendship & intimacy was supposed to be like that…then again, a companion to Collette was something she’d never agree to again.

Not ever. Not after Michael.

Bradin’s steps were heavy & dignified, & they matched the pace of his words & how even though he was strolling besides a creature that could easily rip his throat out without hesitation he spoke honestly. It was an attractive quality to have & one that Collette noted. She had been told about the distastes of her specie before by one named Stephen Freeman more times than she were able to count, & others of a particular animalistic specie that Collette, upon remembering, had to push back into her elder mind as far as she could. Thinking of how the vampires were disliked as much by so many, bother human & supernatural, brought a rivalry instinct to dwell inside a stubborn mind.

“I’m not upset,” Collette stated firmly yet kept her voice at a social level. “But I doubt you know as much as you claim, Mr. Carter,”

Her fingers laced against his forearm, long legs able to easily keep step to Bradin’s pace through the center of Night Haven.

“We are naturally inclined to be rivals against most other species, yes, but there are exceptions. There are always exceptions. Some species wouldn’t stand a chance against someone like me, depending on age & perhaps a certain skill level. Angels, for one. Or witches,” she sighed. “There will always be war, Bradin. Humans against humans, vampires against vampires…it’s all the same, don’t you see? The stronger specie wins, the weaker specie submits. & to live in peace & harmony between supernaturals is just a silly dream that most leaders have. One day, Athoria will destroy itself. There are too many opinons, too many kings or queens, too many places to hide & far too much hatred.

I’m not a saint. I won’t pretend to have a natural distaste for particular species & I won’t pretend that I haven’t killed just to kill due to my own entertainment. But we all must do what we need to survive. Only some of us are cut out to be immortal. Only some of us are strong enough to lead their kin into war,”

Collette’s last words lingered, slicing at the air around the couple & haunted even her own ears. She glanced up at Bradin, expecting to see a clenched jaw & darting eyes. She expected to sense fear overcome his body & radiate from him like so many other humans of Athoria would do when placed in a situation like the one he stood strongly in. But there was none of that, nothing to grab onto when it came to his feelings except that the grin on his face remained slightly hidden from his growing beard shifted as his own eyes did to hers. & when they were latched once again Collette cleared her throat, as if taken aback from his cool behavior.

She looked away & added a noticeable pep to her voice, “We should talk about something else; I’m not a fan of reminiscing. Where are we going, Mr. Carter? You plan on taking me home for the remainder of the evening?”

Smashed Into Pieces || Collette & Bradin

Sometimes there were moments in life that seemed unreal. As if the situation taking place right before your eyes was simply a fucked up dream, a spell casted from a powerful witch to make vivid nightmares come true, or an array of hallucinations due to repressed feelings and mishandled problems from the past. Bradin could control most things in his life, whether that be a painting gone wrong or not charging a customer for a canceled appointment. He could deal with a few drunks giving Iris a hard time in Thirst without going out on a bloody rampage afterwards, and he could even take care of his own needs when it came to remembering his dead family and the pain that followed after every memorie swam through his mind on his loneliest nights in the shop.

He could not, however, figure out if this absolutely stunning and breathtaking woman was actually sucking the blood dry from Greogry so delicately that Bradin was almost hypnotized. She could have been, for all he knew at that moment, a product of his imagination, to have popped out of no where and taken an interest in watching Bradin potentially breaking down to commit murder with his own hands.

But even as Bradin stood there watching, bloodied hands in his pockets as he witnessed the life drain from Gregory’s face, and how she was so clean with her vampirism that the entire act seemed like a dance of art. He imagined painting such a feeling, with deeps blues and grey, with charcoal blacks and electric whites swirling together in an abyss of circles too chaotic to muster.

Maybe he should have been nauseous at the sight of a dead human being drained to a ghostly pale white just feet from where he stood. Maybe he should have felt guilt or remorse for condoning Greogry to such a unnatural death, especially by the specie in Athoria that he just so happen to dislike the most.

Collette. It was smooth and vivacious, entrancing and entitled and Bradin could not help but watch as her tongue darted against the long fangs that protruded from her gums. Regardless of her pale features, her skin was that of perfection, and with Gregory officially out of the way and with the distraction of almost killing him himself taken care of, the mortal man took gracious seconds to look this specie over.

“I’m not quite sure if witnessing someone being murdererd was on my to do list for tonight, Collette, but you are right in a strange way. Perhaps it was something I needed…I’m not sure. There was a good chance I would have killed him myself,”

Hazel eyes scanned her body noticeably without an intention to hide his gaze. Why would he? If Collette were to kill him then she might as well get it over with, and at least know how nice she looked beforehand. It was dangerous and stupid, Bradin knew this, but vampires were products of luxury, for the most part. A nice compliment and a lustful grin would go a long way, especially to someone of such high standards as the tight and fine dress she wore displayed. It was cut low, dipping down at the crease of her breast to hide an asset that Bradin was sure that, no matter the specie, could drive him wild.

It was all silly things to think of, though, especially at a time like that.

“My name is Bradin, and considering you just completed my apparent plans for the night, a nice pint of brandy and a handful of cigarettes will prove to be the rest of my evening,”

He wanted to smile, to laugh out loud at the ridiculousness that this night had been presented. He wanted to double over and shake his head over and over again, to get the image of Gregory’s last gleam of hope in his eyes out of his head and fall asleep, forget about the dead body laying next to them and wake up to a clean slate.

“We should do something with him, Collette. Night Haven is friendly to supernaturals as long as they don’t leave a mess,”

Her skin tingled, as if mountains of utter desire & weeks without having any sort of man, whether immortal or not, was about to start clouding delicate visions towards the ultimate goal that Collette had planned for the evening. She was supposed to see Emery then head back home to her haven, to her mansion in Monir without worrying her guards or missing too much action from her councils. Just outside of the village, waiting for her return from the Frost residence, was her intricate carriage & some of her members, eager to take their queen back home to De la Nuit & away from the side of the country she more or less least traveled to nowadays. Even after Michael had departed from the clan to start his business with Thirst in the village, Collette had gave him his space. Also, considering he had found another vampire whore to call his companion, Collette preferred the wealthier part of the country anyway.

Needless to say, Night Haven wasn’t somewhere she visited too often. Yet with the flicker of interest resting inside of his eyes, Collette imagined that this man was a resident as well, & that he probably hadn’t seen action like that in some time.

Even if she were wrong, Collette was hypnotized by the dark green orbs that scanned her body regardless. It was brave of him to act in such a manner around a creature like her, even if he didn’t know of her true strength & age, & the potential threat that she held over his life was that much more of a turn on for a lustful queen.

“I have others to take care of the mess. I wouldn’t get my hands dirty off of scum like him if my life depended on it,” she said to him & gave a loud sigh as her fangs retracted back into her gums. “I think you wish for company tonight, no? I see the lack of fear in your eyes…are you not scared of me?”

She moved to face him in a flash, standing so close to his chest that they barely grazed each others touch. Close up he smelled of the brandy in which he spoke of, the warmth of it circulating his mortal veins like a river & entrancing Collette’s bloodthirsty demeanor into a frenzy. A sharp fingernail traced against his demanding jawline, pricking at the scruff against his cheeks & finally outlining a set of lips that were erotically fascinating. She liked how he was a little older than most men she physically enjoyed in Athoria, for the young immortal ones were still strong & aged. But no, this man…he was alluring & struggled, with a burdon so heavy that Collette could feel it leaning heavy upon sturdy shoulders. He was damaged & the emotions that radiated from his human soul reflected that of both curiosity & sin.

But still, fear was no where to be found.

“You haven’t given me an answer yet, Bradin. I could find out, you know, easily in fact. But I’m sure you don’t want me to take a trip through your mind so early in our relationship, do you?” she smiled, “So what do you say we spend some time together tonight?”

Collette ran her hands up his arms, feeling his cold skin through his attire due to the colder season in Athoria & found herself biting at her lip once again, a part of her embarrassed from the handful of questions she had asked this man in a matter of minutes. Still, it felt oddly comfortable, & Collette decided to hold on to that for the time being.

Smashed Into Pieces || Collette & Bradin

“You’re a vampire,”

The statement was dumbly exhaled from cautious lips and Bradin breathed in extremely deep. He wasn’t sure if he felt exacerbated by the site of such a beauitful woman in the form of his most hated specie or if he was relieved to be freed from the disastrous decision of killing Gregory himself. Blood dripped from the sharp fangs of this mysterious woman as her grin tickled at a sensitive spot inside of his chest. Those eyes…they were mesmerizing and the brightest blue that Bradin had ever seen. They were hypnotic, even amiss a blood thirsty state of mind while holding Gregory hostage against the wall.

“What does it matter what I want? In the end you will do as you wish; all of your kind are the same like that. Mostly arrogant and self-righteous, from what I’ve gathered. You aren’t my first run in with a pair of fangs, m’lady. So why don’t you just do whatever it is that you do best,”

Bradin’s voice remained decently steady and lacked the normal sarcasm that laced his own words most of the times, his natural defense mechanism. Vampires were a specie that the mortal had unfortunately had more than enough contact with, probably more than any average Athorian…he was lucky to still be alive, after all, and he knew that all too well. It agitated him to no end knowing that there would always be a more dominate creature than himself. But such was life, he concluded. This woman was no different than Michael or Emery, or Calvin or Clove when it came down to it. Bradin was surprised there wasn’t a war between those of similar species, particularly the vampires. With their self-proclaimed grace and higher standards, shouldn’t they all want to be in charge at some point?

It was an interesting thought and Bradin decided to ponder on it later. Gregory’s eyes silently begged Bradin for his protection and safety, yet Bradin was having a hard time at giving a fuck all of a sudden.

He shrugged and crossed his arms across his chest, his own hazel eyes latching onto those brilliant orbs of the woman. “Gregory is a nuisance and an asshole, but I wouldn’t want to wish death upon anyone. At least I don’t think,” he paused for a moment, recalling the horrid feelings of absolute destruction that he had wanted to bestow upon Gregory just moments before. They still bubbled somewhere underneath of his skin, taunting him to release some sort of unmorality.

Bradin’s lips curled into a cocky grin. “Come on then, entertain a mortal,”

A smile grew pompously against Collette’s lips as she first kept her gaze on the mortal some steps away then graciously moved them to meet the eyes of her current prisoner being forced up against the wall, feet dangling below him & small whimpers escaping his throat. His face was distorted from the beatings that had been bestowed upon him by this man & the blood that seeped through the open wounds was luscious. The fragrance of ale was enough for Collette to comply to the wishes of her entertainer.

“My pleasure,”

The palm of her hand uppercutted the mans chin to send his head slamming backwards into the brick & she held it there tightly. The pulsing vein on the side of his neck exposed itself to the blood thirsty queen, a naturally diligent & decently proper woman of the night with only moments like these to be given as an exception. She wasn’t sure if her actions were to purposely impress this mortal requesting her to kill the drunken man or if her need for a ravenous expedition of her character to be deflated, but regardless Collette was not complaining about appeasing to her animalistic side.

Her pupils grew to a monstrous size against icy blue orbs. She could physically feel his sporadic heartbeat beat rhythmically into her own as heightened senses engulfed his fear. It was lovely, deliciously satisfying to enduce such disturbance against a specie weaker than herself.

Sharp, pointed & deadly incisors pierced the skin above the vein in his neck, sinking deep into a designated spot against his artery. The blood flow was easy to control with Collette’s many experiences over the past thousand years & she drank so profoundly & exotically that not a single spill was divulged from his double incision. It tasted riveting; she could never deny the fulfillment of the freshest batch of human blood & for it to be laced with that of his alcoholic beverages consumed that night Collette was in a make-believe heaven.

She moaned, pressing against the man as she drained him easily & quickly, soaking up the moment, as it was rare, until the heartbeat that was once heard pounding through her ears faded slowly to a dull rasp. & with the disappearance of his breath against the cool night, Collette pulled from wounds on his neck with a deep, satisfying sigh.

The man fell to the ground like a limp animal, collapsing onto his side with eyes still open. Collette casually licked the blood from her long fangs as the gaze between her & the handsome man ignited once more. He was standing firm, stiff even but with an expressionless face that Collette found inviting. Curiousty in both her own mortal & vampyric life had always been a weakness of hers, & tonight was no different.

She smiled & brushed still perfect blonde curls out of her face. With being completely full & with her hunger urge taking a small hiatus for the time being, the sudden desire to throw this man up against a wall in a heated & controlled burst of dangerous lust was churning within her instinct. Besides, a man that attractive had to have so much to offer in that department, mortal or not. Collette bit at her lip with pointed teeth.

“Tell me that didn’t turn you on,” she semi-laughed, head shaking slightly & mystical eyes still locked with his own deep hazel. “You seem decently unaffected. Perhaps this sort of thing is just the escape you were hoping to accomplish,” she stepped over the body of the dead man as if he were a simple throw rug, & took long strides towards her stranger. “I’m Collette, by the way. & it looks like you are just as bored as I am. What else did you plan on getting into tonight?”

Smashed Into Pieces || Collette & Bradin

It was exactly one minute that Bradin stood there blinking at the most beauitful woman he had ever seen in his life. One minute and Bradin’s chest heaved up and down slowly and noticeably as he stood with bloodied fists of his own dripping down the handle of the knife in his hands. One minute and Gregory’s moans beneath him on the dirt were nothing more than an echo against Bradin’s ears, something that seemed far away and unimportant. One minute and Bradin’s hazel eyes latched onto the clearest blue, bright crystals that, against a dark night, glimmered mysteriously and exotically.

His immediate reaction of surprisal was disintegrated after that long minute of contemplation. Although every part of him wished to know why such a breathtaking woman of obvious higher social status was lingering unguarded in a back ally of Night Haven, Bradin assumed that it could wait.

Breaking his contact from the entrancement of the woman, Bradin gazed back down at Gregory. He was a bloody pulp, with a face that was split open in every direction and liquid that seeped from every orifice. It was a wonder that Bradin could extract such damage to another person but that feeling of hatred that rested angriliy inside of his stomach was not planning on making an exit anytime soon. It begged the mortal to finish the job, to entertain this woman as she requested.

Yet Bradin could only stand, with fists shaking slightly as the moral decision to leave Gregory alone to bleed in the ally and simply walk away, or to put his fate in his own hands and slit his throat without regret.

The knife dropped from Bradin’s hand. “I can’t,” and he stepped away, the strange feeling of cowardliness resting now upon his stern shoulders. Would he ever be more than a simple human being in Athoria? Or would he forever be just a painter, a good man who drank a little too much at times…the man who lost everything, including who he was, in the fire four years ago. Would he ever seek revenge?

“Go, Gregory. Next time I won’t stop,”

She was not surprised nor disappointed, in fact the queen of vampires crossed her arms across her front & offered an intriguing glance at the mortal before her. Her eyebrows raised, as if to say, ‘are you sure?’, & once the one named Gregory fumbled his way up from the ground & staggered away from the pair, Collette rolled her eyes playfully.

“Well that was no fun. You know he will probably come after you again. Perhaps you should let me finish him off, hm? I wouldn’t want to see anything happen to your handsome face…”

The smirk remained fixated on red lips as Collette, in the literal blink of an eye, had grabbed an already damaged Gregory by the front of his jacket & slammed him hard against an opposing brick wall halfway down the ally. She lifted him easily by his collar, his feet dangled just above the ground, & Collette blinked a pair of icy blue eyes up at the man as if she were observing a genuine piece of artwork or something fascinating in general.

“You smell delicious,” fangs retracted from her upper gums as Collette’s mouth opened to reveal the monstrous incisors, the fresh smell of the alcohol lingering deep within the open wounds of Gregory as his legs flailed in every direction beneath him, perhaps in an attempt to kick the vampire holding him hostage, but to no avail.

“Just let me go! I just want to go home!” he panicked, the mortals eyes stinging with the tears of shock & disbelief as Collette’s grasp against his attire tightened.

It had been a long time, too long maybe, that Collette’s own inner creatures were allowed to roam free. She was old enough to tame every single urge, to sustain from giving into petty desires of her hunger or lust, or particularly her anger. Hunting was not something she participated in any longer, especially not after her several day expedition with Illythra out in the countryside, & her predator instincts were locked deep within her chest. Collette was not one to kill merciless any longer, without a liable reason…but many things had changed as of recent.

“Why don’t I just ask your friend here?” she teased, pushing him further into the wall, sneering up at him with sarcastic venom dripping from her tongue. “He obviously wants you dead. You obviously don’t deserve to live. So what shall it be, mortal? Do you need a lady to finish the job for you?” her eyes flickered over to the man, a flirtatious grin remaining plastered against her face.

Smashed Into Pieces || Collette & Bradin

Bradin’s heart started to flutter in his chest as he followed this man off of the main street down the center of Night Haven and towards a cluster of other old, worn brick buildings that eventually lead to the edge of the village. He had been in his share of fights before; having to defend what was his plenty of times, whether that had been his work, shop, or even his family once upon a time. But never had Bradin acted on his ravenous urge to physically destroy, and murder, another person whenever those strange feelings would surface.

So even as the human strolled decently close behind the man, known as Gregory, with hands in his pockets and his shoulders rolled forward in a dangerous looking stalk, the drunkard was far too out of it to notice.

Gregory sang merrily to himself as he stumbled onwards, words that made absolutly no sense escaping disgusting lips. Bradin breathed in deep as he walked by an ally between two brick buildings, and just as Gregory was passing by the gap, Bradin’s hands gripped his shoulders and violently threw him into the ally with any amount of strength he could muster up.

Gregory fell and cursed loudly, his voice directed of annoyance and anger. He crawled further into the ally before, by some miracle, finding his way to his feet. A large finger pointed at Bradin, eyes glaring menacingly at the human as Bradin further approached him.

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t in the least bit worried that Gregory, even in his complete drunken stupor, had the advantage of size towards Bradin but in that moment he could not care. Rage built inside of him as every single memory from his past flooded through his mind; taunting him with the fact that Bradin was not strong enough to save his family, that he had let them die and never brought closure to their name.

Gregory spewed words but Bradin did not hear them. Instead his ears rang with the crackling of the fire from his old home in which his family had been burned. They rang with the ridiculously annoying words that escaped Gregorry’s lips every night at Thirst. They rang with the sound of Bradin’s fist making an incredible impact against the drunken mans face and snapping of bones and the spilling of teeth against the ground at his feet.

Gregory fell backwards and Bradin crawled on top of him, smashing his fist into his face repeatedly without any sense of mercy or regret. With each collision a vision of his past broke free from his memories, erupting the feelings of malice and disgust that Bradin thought of himself from the life he had chosen to live. He did not want this man to live. He wanted to rip everything away from him like somebody had ripped his family away from Bradin four years prior. He was chosing to be selfish and uncaring, and as Bradin stood from the bloodied man beneath him he could only inhale deep breaths of sick satisfaction.

The drunk stifled a moan against the ground; body completly coated in his own blood, eyes rolling about, and face unrecognizable. He was still alive, and Bradin stood above him with a heaving chest. His hands went to the knife that was always strapped against his waist and flicked it open. The small sound was enough for Gregory to eye it from his broken stature on the ground.

“Please don’t,” he choked on his blood, the liquid gurgling from the corners of his lips. “Please…I’m sorry…”

Oh the smell of mortal blood; divine and disgustingly fantastic against enhanced senses. It teased at the hunger urges inside of an elder body even to that day, the want to shove the attractive man off of the helpless frame of the drunkard on the ground & lap at the blood protruding from the crevasses on his face was tempting. If she could have a taste before he died then the blood would be worth sucking dry from underneath of his skin, & perhaps she’d be able to gather a small taste of the ale he had consumed moments or hours prior. How she missed the taste of cheap alcohol…

Collette could only watch in both admiration & entrancement as she watched this man slam fist after fist against broken cheekbones & shattered eye sockets. She wondered what in the world could posses such wonderfully sadistic feelings to erupt in mortal men to cause the humans to act out the way they sometimes did around the country. With other supernaturals Collette understood completely; sometimes they did not have a choice as the transformation from man to specie collected unseen & unknown forces to seep into their minds. But what was it that caused mortal man to turn into something evil, something intriguing to an old queen that, while watching this man unleash a fury, was unraveling a demonic attractiveness of her own.

He didn’t hear her approaching from behind him, perhaps wrapped up in whatever it was that was possesing his mind at that moment while he reached for his knife. Collette held a simple grin against red lips as she continued for the bloody pair, catching his uneven & wispy breathe that emitted from his chest & how the emotions that radiated off of his body were of pure revenge.

Revenge? Interesting.

She wanted to watch him kill the drunk; she wanted to see the flicker of hatred in his eyes when he slid the blade across his throat only to be further coated in the crimson that would spray from the incision. She wanted to know if he could actually do it or not, for if he could kill a man simply out of a revenge being a mortal who knew what other repressed emotions he was hiding underneath of that pretty skin, & how incredibly useful they could be to her.

“Well go on,”

The mans eyes reflected surprise as Collette simply stepped around the drunk to stand near his top nonchalantly, as if she naturally belonged there. The drunk on the ground squirmed in disapproval yet Collette’s gaze was more attracted to the scruffy man standing over him with the knife. “This is what you wanted, wasn’t it? This is why you followed him. Come on, entertain me. I love to watch the life fade from their eyes,”

Smashed Into Pieces || Collette & Bradin

It had started over something extremely redundant.

The drunk men from Thirst poured onto the streets of Night Haven after Iris had served the last drinks and stumbled about, profanities spewing from their lips. It made Bradin laugh. He stood outside against the brick building with a smoke between his lips watching the scene unravel before him, the literal kicks in the bottoms of the men by Iris’s boot and the final closing of the tavern door. It was very late into the night and the small village was mostly asleep save the single men that had no wives to rush home to or the ones that did and simply did not care less of their state. Bradin chuckled, his own body only slightly tipsy from his consumption of ale that night, with one boot against the brick and the smoke making fun circles around his handsome face.

Bradin recognized one man, the loudest one, as the most annoying member of Night Haven and wished he would be quiet. The drunken sways and the arms wrapped around each others shoulders was amusing for a while but eventually Bradin’s nerves were testing the human to act upon random urges to attack something. It wasn’t the drunk and it wasn’t the fact that, even though his man deserved to have it handed to him every once in a while, was a pain in Athoria’s ass. In fact, Bradin had no idea what it was or where it came from that, at times, made the man feel angry the way he did about certain people…

Repressed memories rendering his present day emotions, perhaps. Or maybe he just enjoyed beating people to a bloody pulp every now and again.

Bradin watched as three of the men made their way from Thirst near the front gates of Night Haven and down the middle of the main road leading further into the village. He pushed himself from the wall, cigarette pressed between two fingers and hazel eyes sporting that of a stalking being. He wondered what it would feel like to be able to rip that man’s head off, to watch as his breathe was suddenly taken from him so harshly that his expression remained implanted on his face when he died. Surely Bradin would be doing Athoria a favor; to have the woman of Night Haven free of sleazy comments that escaped his chapped lips whenever he got the chance and for Iris to be left alone to do her job at Thirst without having to watch over her shoulder to make sure he wasn’t stealing her tip money.

The human wasn’t sure where the thoughts were coming from but it hadn’t been anything new. He recalled feeling that way before a select few times, usually around the anniversary of his wife and girls deaths, but he had always managed to surpress those emotions into a piece of art in order to protect his own safety and sanity.

Tonight would be different. Tonight Bradin would give into the ungodly amount of pain that he had always wished to create upon this man without guilt or remorse, and especially without getting caught.

Collette’s time spent at The Frost Residence in Night Haven had been longer than intended, yet it was completely necessary & the queen had both gathered information that she had required & learned some that had not been anticipated. As she walked from the cluster of nicer homes that lingered in one section of the village Collette lost herself in thought. Emery Frost had exploited much to her about Michael, about his lack of appearence since being back from England & how he had not even been around Thirst as much. Collette hadn’t been trying to snoop around her ex-lovers life, especially not after his harsh words not too long ago at her home, but it had slipped from the young progeny’s lips as if he had been waiting to spill it to somebody that he trusted.

Steps echoed through a deadly silent town as the shops were closed & the houses were dark with sleeping beings. Collette did not enjoy how distraught Emery had been, especially after knowing that Casper had completed his glamoured duties that were bestowed upon him. & even though Collette did not wish to know the tragedy that had fallen upon Emery’s shoulders because of it, the elder vampire still felt highly responsible.

She was thrilled to discover, however, that he was willing to participe in the event that the Draugr were holding very soon. It would be good for him, for all of them, to watch the youngest warrior in the competition fight until the end. Perhaps Michael would be able to see just how much Emery deserved to be praised, & how his beast was easily contained without the help of some magic potion.

Then again, Chandra was not one to be wrong in such matters.

With a frown Collette hurried along, steps eager to enter the safety of the Hallowed Oak & rush towards Brailston where she’d most likely stay for the next day. With empty streets the obnoxiously loud voices of a handful of drunk men were easily obtained through enhanced senses, & as Collette rounded a corner to enter the main part of the village she spotted three of them singing merrily down the middle of the road. They swayed & laughed, pushed each other & spit when they talked. It was disgusting; some mortal men were just too ghastly to even try to understand.

With her dark dress Collette blended into the shadows of the bricks buildings easily, although golden locks were easily seen against a pitch black night. Her hand grazed the brick structures as she walked, eyes narrowed to amused slits as she watched these men stumble about.

Even as they staggered by Collette stifled a laugh, happy that Thirst had at least had some interesting business that night & that poor Iris was probably stressed out from it. It was also then that Collette caught sight of another man following behind the drunks a handful of paces, his demeanor tall & features set in a very primitive glare. She watched further as two of the men continued to trip down the main road. The third turned down another, waving messy goodbyes to his friends as he did so & without the intonation that he was being stalked.

Intrigued now at the scene unravelling & with her own cheeky grin upon ruby lips, Collette stepped from her shadows silently & followed the last set of men herself.