₊ ୧ 𝓖ENRE:
↳ supernatural romance · angst · slow burn · tension-filled love triangle
. ↳ 𝓟ARING:
↳ vampire!jake × fem!reader × wolf!nicholas
⦂𓈃 𝓦ARNINGS/𝓣AGS:
↳ possessiveness, jealousy, supernatural politics, stalking (protective), territorial dynamics, enemies-to-lovers, obsession themes, tension, small-town mystery, storm symbolism, heartbeat fixation
┊❛ ❜┊𝓢YNOPSIS:
↳ Crescent Ridge looks normal on the surface, but the town is split between two ancient forces who’ve hated each other for centuries. vampires who follow strict old rules and wolves who protect what they claim with teeth and instinct. you’re just a human girl trying to live a quiet life – until a storm brings jake, an uninvited vampire with eyes that burn for you, and nicholas, the warm-blooded wolf who’s been watching over you longer than you realize. both want you for reasons they won’t explain. both refuse to back down. and without meaning to, you become the center of a supernatural rivalry that’s been waiting generations to reignite. two creatures. one heartbeat. and a town that’s no longer safe the moment they both notice you.
⦂𓈃 𝓦/𝓒:
↳ 1522
ෆ ･ 𝓛INKS: PART TWO!
. ↳ 𝓜.LIST! & 𝓣AGLIST!
₊ ୧ 𝓐/𝓝: having a vamp concept and a wolf concept for both of my favorite groups is actually insane. like every time i see anything about andteam and enhypen this fucking song plays and i love it. i love it so much that i'm making a whole dedicated fic out of it. idk how its gonna turn out but i hope u guys are done for the ride.. love ya!
"𝒾'𝓁𝓁 𝓈𝑒𝑒𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑜𝓊𝓉, 𝒻𝓁𝒶𝓎 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒."
you’ve lived in Crescent Ridge your whole life. it was a small, quiet town that stayed humid without reason. the kind of place where the gossip can spread faster than you can catch. nothing unusual ever happened until this night, the sky looked ugly. it was supposed to be a normal shift at the bar, sticky floors, drinks spilled, drunk men passed out the second they order another round. you were wiping down the counters when the storm rolled in unnaturally fast. wind and the darkness dancing like it was alive.
thats when the door swings open, and jake walks in.
not dramatically or like some kind of movie, but the room shifts anyway. he’s pale, as if he’d just stepped out of some old portrait. jaw sharp, blonde hair, soft lips, and light blue eyes with some kind of red sheen that only shows when the light hits just right. he doesn’t breathe, but you don’t notice at first. not until later. he takes a seat at the bar that’s been empty for months, the one no one sits in because they say its too cold. you try not to stare. you really try, but you fail anyway.
j: “rough night?”
his voice is so smooth, too calm. like he practiced it or something. you laughed nervously.
you: “you could say that.”
his eyes flick to your throat the second you turn your head. so quick you almost miss it; almost. and then:
the door slams open again, this time nicho rushing in. sweat on his forehead, chest rising like he’d been running for miles. wild energy radiating off of him, warm, intense. like he’s carrying summer under his skin. his eyes lock on jake first. they narrow, then he sees you behind the bar, and they soften instantly.
n: “you okay?”
he asks like he’d asked a hundred times already. maybe he has.nicho’s been in town for a while, odd jobs, odd hours, odd everything. always around, always watching out for you in ways that didn’t make sense. jakes gaze shifts to him, and something cracks between them. something old, something violent. nicho steps closer to you, placing his hand lightly on your wrist. the warmth makes you gasp, and jake hears it. of course he does.
j: “didn’t realize she was… taken.”
jake murmurs, eyes never moving from nicho’s hand. nicho’s jaw flexes, his thumb brushes your pulse before he responds.
n: “she not; but she’s not yours either.”
the lights flicker overhead, the storm outside starts to worsen. jake leans forward, elbows on the counter, watching you like a hawk.
j: “i came here for a reason.”
n: “i told you to stay the fuck out of this town.”
nicho snaps, low dangerous. you blink. you try to speak:
you: “do you two… know each oth-”
jake answers, keeping his eyes on nicho.
j: “he’s a wolf.”
n: “he’s a vampire.”
you just freeze, because they both said that shit like it was normal. like its a movie, like its real, like it always has been real. the thunder outside cracks so loud the windows shake. jake finally directs his eyes back to you. something in his eyes is hungry, not in a way that scares you. but, in a way that feels like destiny leaning in.
j: “i didnt come here for him—”
he pauses, eyes flicking over at nicho before gliding back over to you.
j: “i came here for you.”
nicho immediately steps in front of you, voice nearly in a growl.
n: “over my dead body.”
jake smiles — patient, slow, sharp, knowing.
j: “that can be arranged.”
and thats when it hits you, nothing will ever be the same again. whether you know it or not, your normal life comes to a end.
the storm didn’t let up for the rest of the night, and neither did your nerves. you locked up the bar with nicho just a little too close behind. shoulders tense, head turned towards the woods every time he heard nothing but the slightest noise. it was like he waited for something to leap out. the wind was loud enough to swallow your voice, but he still heard you when you muttered, “what the hell was that?” nicho didn’t answer at first, his jaw clenched. his hands flexed liked he was fighting a instinct to grab you and get you as far as he could from this town. finally he exhaled, beath in the warm cold air.
n: “let me walk you home, please.”
you wanted to argue, scream, yell, until you got answers. but every inch of you knew nothing would change, you hand everything to keep you safe but it wasn’t him that concerned you. it was something deeper; older. something that said you didn’t need to understand. so you nodded. the walk was silent, his footsteps behind yours. the heat coming from him strong enough to fight every chill that caught up to you. when your house came into view, nicho stopped first. he looked at the door then the dark woods behind you.
n: “lock your windows tonight, and don’t let anyone in. anyone.”
you frowned.
you: “nicho, you cant give me extreme warnings and expect me to sleep through the night..”
he swallowed hard, golden eyes dimming.
n: “jake’s not like me.”
you: “no shit nicho, he’s a vampire.”
you said half-joking, half-testing. nicho didn’t laugh.
n: “he’s dangerous. he’ll charm you, get close, he’ll even ask to be invited in—”
you: “what, to bite me?”
n: “no. to claim you.”
nicho looked almost offended. your stomach twisted.
you: “what does that even m—”
a rustle behind you made your breath catch, nicho’s body moved before your brain did. he shoved you gently behind him, shoulders tense, with a growl rumbling in his chest.
n: “show yourself, asshole.”
and from the dark, jake stepped out like he’d been waiting for his cue. he didn’t look like the dangerous creature nicho warned you about. he looked calm, focus, eyes brighter now. a deep garnet glow around the edges that made your skin heat in a way you didn’t want to think about.
j: “i’m only here to make sure she got home safe, but it seems like you did my job for me. storms are unpredictable, you know.”
jake said softly, gaze flicking to you with a warmth that made your heart skip a beat. nicho took a step forward.
n: “back off dude.”
jakes lips curled into a faint smile.
j: “you cant protect her from everything.”
n: “she’s not yours.”
jake tilted his head.
j: “and she’s not yours either, unless she says otherwise.”
both of them looked at you, one with heat and fear, the other with hunger and fascination. your breath hitched. they heard it. jakes eyes softened.
j: “may i walk you to your door?”
nicho bristled.
n: “dont answer that.”
but something in you started to eat you alive. the curiosity in you wanted to understand him. wanted to get close to confirm that the cold aura around him was fearsome or intoxicating. you stepped forward.
you: “just to the door then you leave.”
jake bowed his head slightly, like you’d given him something sacred. nicho looked as if you punched him. jake didn’t touch you, there was no need too. the air around him shifted, colder, shaper, pulling you in like gravity. he stopped outside the steps of the porch.
j: “this is as far as i can go. for now.”
you: “because i didn’t invite you in?”
you blinked. he smiled. a slow, knowing curve of his mouth that made your skin prickle.
j: “you’re a smart girl.”
nicho paced like he could barely hold human form. jake stepped closer. not onto the porch, but near enough that you could smell something clean and dark on him. like the winter air and something older, metallic and sweet.
j: “you don’t have any reason to be afraid of me.”
you: “i’m not..”
you swallowed. a lie, he heard it. his eyes half-lidded, like the sound of your heartbeat was something he wanted to taste.
j: “i could show you what i am, if you’d ask nicely.”
your breath trembled. nicho took one step toward the porch, voice sharp.
n: “go inside; now.”
but jake leaned in slightly, close enough that his cold breath brushed your cheek.
j: “if i was planning on hurting you, i wouldn’t have waited.”
nicho snarled, jake didn’t flinch. your mind raced. fear and curiosity tangling into something electric.
you: “you came here for me?”
you whispered. jakes eyes flicked red.
j: “yes.”
nicho’s voice broke, raw and panicked.
n: “you don’t know what that means..”
jake smiled. not cruel, not sweet. inevitable.
j: “i think she wants to know, and she will.”
then he stepped back into the storm and vanished like smoke. nicho grabbed your hand, warm, shaking. he breathed.
n: “whatever you do; don’t let him in.”
but deep down, in the part of you that pulsed with adrenaline and forbidden intrigue…
you weren’t sure how long you’d be able to listen.
Jake led me down to the garage, which housed his BMW from his former life. The plates had been swapped for new ones and all of the tracking from the car removed. The car ride though was pretty quiet. Jake had gone full hood and face mask, which felt more like he was trying to separate from me than it was to hide his identity. There were some definite unresolved issues in his past that he couldn’t face. The death of the pursuer at his hands weighed heavy on him even though it was clear it was in self-defence.
During the ride I went through and told all my friends in Duskwood that I was in a safe location for now. Nearly everyone was satisfied with knowing just that. Except for Lilly.
Lilly: You're with Jake, aren’t you? Please tell me you are.
MC: I can neither confirm nor deny that.
Lilly: Fine. Is there anything I can do to help?
MC: Could you find out who was MIA last night? We think MWAF was out of Duskwood for at least 10 hours.
Lilly: Well, I can’t do much investigating because I am stuck at work. Tourists are finally starting to return. Hannah could though. It would give her something to do.
MC: You think so? Jake thought the memories would be too raw for her to handle.
Lilly: Ok, he doesn’t have the right to make that judgement when he never contacts us. How would he know?
MC: I’ll trust your judgement.
I sighed and looked over at Jake concentrating on driving. How am I going to excuse what I’m about to do?
MC: Hi Hannah.
Hannah: MC!!! OMG are you ok?
MC: Yes, I’m safe now. :)
Hannah: Ah, right, “safe". ;)
Hannah: I was absolutely fuming over the photos! If I ever get my hands on the kidnapper, he’s never going to the light of day again!
MC: You seem to be recovering well.
Hannah: Recovering?
MC: Jake thought you’d be crippled by fear.
Hannah: Seriously? He has barely said 2 words to me since I was found. Well actually, no, 5. “I am your half-brother.” Who does that? He dropped that bombshell and has ignored me since!
MC: He seems to still be very busy avoiding his pursuers. I'm sure he’ll get around to it when he can.
Hannah: MC, I hardly know you, but from I do know and from I have heard, I know I'd like you. Don’t make excuses for him.
MC: So, with that aside, I need someone to do some digging, Lilly said I should ask you.
Hannah: Yes of course you should! I want that bastard caught! Especially with this whole thing today, sitting still is driving me mad!
MC: We need to know who was MIA yesterday for at least 10 hours. Can you ask around? Get a feel for who doesn’t have a solid alibi?
MC: Oh and please take someone with you. Thomas perhaps? He’s probably the only one I feel confident is innocent.
Hannah: Of course, Thomas didn’t do it. Wait, does Jake think that?
MC: Jake doesn’t like to rule anyone out.
Hannah: Well, Jake, read me loud and clear – Thomas is not the kidnapper!!
Hannah: And yes, of course I’d be happy to do some investigating.
Hannah: Tell me though, how do you look at your friends in the eye when you suspect them?
MC: Um, Hannah? I've never looked at them in the eye.
Hannah: Touché. I keep forgetting you never came to Duskwood and yet you’re the one who located me. So weird.
MC: You don’t remember who was in the group that actually found you?
Hannah: No, I was unconscious at the time. It happened a lot. I tried to escape a lot.
MC: I never asked you why you sent my number.
Hannah: Everyone keeps asking me that! The kidnapper took my phone as soon as I was kidnapped. Why on Earth would I send some random number instead of “I'm in the dare house!” Seriously!
Hannah: Just because Jake and I are half-related doesn’t mean I share his cryptic gene.
MC: I've got to go. I'll talk to your later. Good luck!
Hannah: Thank you for trusting me!
Inside the grocery store I had loaded the trolley with a stack of essential food. Though I couldn’t make eye contact with Jake I could tell he was in disbelief that we would eat it all. I did plan to freeze some since it was clear Jake didn’t want to go shopping often.
Upon reaching the checkout I realized I had forgotten the cooking oil so I sent Jake back to get some. While he was gone, I had reached the front of the queue. The guy on the register tried to chat me up, but he suddenly went white and stopped. I turned to see Jake giving him a death glare, which made me giggle. I had to bring it up while we walked back to the car.
“You were smiling at him, making him think that his advances were acceptable,” Jake complained.
“I was just trying to be polite. He wasn't serious anyway, just trying to break up the boredom of his job,” I explained. “Does it bother you that much? Me interacting with other men?”
“I just don’t like it,” Jake stressed.
I put the last bag in the back of the car, then looked at him, “Jake, you're the only who gets me, who appreciates me. I only ever feel myself when I’m talking with you. What we share, I don’t experience that with anyone else.”
Jake closed the back of the car in silence.
“Do you trust me?” I asked.
“Yes, of course,” Jake’s eyes lightened.
“Then you have nothing to worry about,” I winked at him. “C'mon, let’s get these groceries home.”
Ok, how about a Jake x Quinn Drabble where they kiss at the New Year's Party?
“So they left with Sean, huh?” Jake jumped slightly at Quinn’s voice as he heard it behind him.“Who are you talking about, Red?” Jake asked looking out over the snow covered landscaped.“Taylor. I’m still here, your still here, and Estela is over there.” She pointed a short ways to where Estela was doing shots. “So that leaves Sean. They didn’t even have the decency to wait until after midnight to disappear.” Jake knew who Quinn was talking about, but it still hurt that Taylor had left with Sean and not with him. Jake and Quinn stood on the rooftop together talking softly to each other, until they heard high voices and laughing. Taylor and Sean were standing in the middle of a crowd of friends smiling brightly. Taylor was showing of an engagement ring, talking about how romantic Sean had been to ask so they could kiss as an official couple at midnight. Jake could see tears running down Quinn’s cheeks, just as Diego started counting down the seconds to midnight. Jake grabbed Quinn by the waist, locked eyes with Taylor, and gave the gorgeous red head a magazine quality kiss at midnight.
I hope you like it! It became kinda angsty so I hope that’s okay.
• Jake at first would not admit it, that he is jealous.
• He might not even recognize his jealousy at first. It’s unfamiliar, to him, something he tries to dismiss as simple observation.
• When he is jealous , he will get quieter, short replies, not knowing why is he even annoyed, a bit distant even at first.
• The “competition” that doesn’t even exist. And yet, in his mind, it does.
• he will start to care about things he didn't before, whose texts are making you laugh, he would care that who are you talking to.
• he will beat around the bush, when he is jealous,
"So, him, huh, you seem to be very open with them."
"I dont think I trust them"
• If you tease him about it, he’ll deny it immediately, he will be like, huh? Obviously not.
• But when he realizes he is jealous, he will be more present with you, more attentive to you, than his goddamn computer.
• when he is jealous, he would not say, stay away from her, he will mostly or probably, ruin their life digitally, not just out of jealousy, but moreso if they are actually terrible person, he will actually make all his private affairs PUBLIC, if they are actually bad, but if it just harmless flirting, he will outright block them, through your phone and act ... clueless.
• If someone flirts with you in front of him, he will give them death glare, or be more touchy with you, until they get the hint, he believes in actions not just words.
• But on rare occasions he will accept it outright, but not that straight forward, more so? Jake will say : they seem fucking weird to me, if you ask me.
• If you talk more in your group chat, or someone's got your attention, he will act a bit clingy towards you.
• most probably it will go like :
“You sent him a meme.”
“It’s a meme, Jake.”
“You didn’t send it to me.”
“…do you want the meme?”
“That’s not the point.”
“…I’m sending it.”
• But sometimes he will be vulnerable, and god his words will ablaze everything in you, like :
"It's not just jealousy, mc, i am goddamn in love with you, and if someone or anyone even dares to disrupt that, or try something, I would not hesitate, to show them their place"
• in his mind, even if he gets overprotective its all because he doesnt want to lose you, because you are the only thing in his life that has ever mattered.
₊ ୧ 𝓖ENRE:
↳ supernatural romance · angst · slow burn · tension-filled love triangle
. ↳ 𝓟ARING:
↳ vampire!jake × fem!reader × wolf!nicholas
⦂𓈃 𝓦ARNINGS/𝓣AGS:
↳ possessiveness, jealousy, supernatural politics, stalking (protective), territorial dynamics, enemies-to-lovers, obsession themes, tension, small-town mystery, storm symbolism, heartbeat fixation
┊❛ ❜┊𝓢YNOPSIS:
↳ Crescent Ridge looks normal on the surface, but the town is split between two ancient forces who’ve hated each other for centuries. vampires who follow strict old rules and wolves who protect what they claim with teeth and instinct. you’re just a human girl trying to live a quiet life – until a storm brings jake, an uninvited vampire with eyes that burn for you, and nicholas, the warm-blooded wolf who’s been watching over you longer than you realize. both want you for reasons they won’t explain. both refuse to back down. and without meaning to, you become the center of a supernatural rivalry that’s been waiting generations to reignite. two creatures. one heartbeat. and a town that’s no longer safe the moment they both notice you.
⦂𓈃 𝓦/𝓒:
↳ 1893
ෆ ･ 𝓛INKS: PART ONE!
. ↳ 𝓜.LIST! & 𝓣AGLIST!
₊ ୧𝓐/𝓝: #teamjake or #teamnicho
"𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓸𝓷𝓽 𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓿𝓲𝓮"
you couldn’t sleep.
every time you shut your eyes, you saw red eyes staring back. not scary, just too aware. too focused on you. jakes voice lingered like smoke.
j: “if i was planning on hurting you, i wouldn’t have waited.”
and somehow that didn’t instill fear in you. that’s what really worried you. you wrapped your blanket around you tighter, trying to ignore the way your pulse kept jumping for nothing. until a shadow moved across your window. not loud, not obvious. just enough to make your breath hitch. you sat up slowly, whispering.
you: “…jake?”
the window stayed still, but the air changed. gone cold, sharp. like winter slipped under your door. something inside whispered, he’s here. before you could even get off of the bed, a low voice came from the hall.
n: “dont answer that.”
you nearly fainted until nicho stepped into your room. hair messy, chest rising like he’d sprinted here.
you: “what the fuck— how did you get inside?”
n: “your—, it doesn’t matter.”
your heart was racing. he heard it, his jaw clenched.
n: “you were thinking about him.”
not a question. nicho moved over to the window, pulling the curtain aside just enough to look out. shoulders tense, posture animal.
n: “he’s close.”
you: “jake?”
n: “im not saying his name.”
he sounded like it tastes wrong in his mouth. you swallowed.
you: “why is he here— why are you here?”
nicho turned to you, eyes glowing faint gold in the dark.
n: “because you’re loud.”
you blinked.
you: “loud?”
he stepped closer, too close. heat radiating off of him, voice low.
n: “your heartbeat, your scent, your emotions.”
a breath.
n: “wolves hear it, vampires feel it.”
your cheeks burned.
you: “nicho..”
n: “he’s drawn to you, vampires fixate. especially old ones.”
he said soft, but bitter. your brows furrowed.
you: “how old?”
he looked away.
n: “old enough that he doesn’t lose, ever.”
a chill slid down your spine. before you could even respond, movement hit the window. fast. nicho reacted instanly, hand on your waist. pulling you behind him as a silhouette appeared on the other side of the glass.
jake.
standing completely still in the storm, rain sliding off of him like it refused to touch his skin. his eyes glowed a faint red. his voice was velvet through the glass.
j: “you’re awake, sweetheart.”
nicho bared his teeth in a sound that wasn’t human.
n: “back away from the house.”
jake didn’t move. didn’t blink.
j: “i’’d come inside… if she’d invite me.”
nicho stepped forward, blocking your view.
n: “you can’t come anywhere near her.”
jake leaned closer to the window, voice low and purposeful.
j: “i dont think you get to decide that. do you?”
nicho’s muscles tensed like he was seconds from shifting. you grabbed his arm before he could do anything deadly.
you: “nicholas, stop—”
jake’s eyes snapped to you the second you spoke. the storm thundered behind him like it recognized his name.
j: “there you are.”
your breath caught. he raised a hand, slow and careful, fingertips gliding just shy of the glass
j: “may i come in.”
nicho spun, blocking you with his entire body.
n: “don’t. you don’t understand what happens if you say yes.”
jake tilted his head, eyes locked on yours through the gap in nicho’s stance.
j: “nothing you wouldn’t want.”
nicho snarled.
n: “shut up.”
but jake didn’t even look at him, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from you.
j: “just say the words. let me in.”
your heart hammered, he smiled the second he heard it.
n: “see? he’s manipulating you.”
you shook your head slowly.
you: “he’s… not.”
nicho stared at you like he felt something break inside of him.
n: “he’s a predator. you’re his prey.”
jakes eyes fell lower.
j: “you say that as if she isn’t safe with me.”
nicho stepped toward the window, fists clenched.
n: “you couldn’t protect a house plant.”
j: “i said she was safe. i dont protect, i keep.”
jake smirked, the words hit you harder than they should’ve. nicho sensed your reaction immediately and turned to you. voice softer, but desperate.
n: “you don’t want him in here, trust me.”
jakes voice slid between is words like smoke.
j: “you trust me.”
your breath hitched, he smiled again. nicho swore under his breath.
n: “im staying the night. imnot leaving you alone with—”
j: “with someone she wants?”
jake cut him off. nicho snaped.
n: “nobody fucking asked you.”
j: “i dont need to be asked.”
jake replied, eyes still on you. the storm cracked loud enough to make the floor shake. jake took one step back into the dark.
j: “i’ll be waiting.”
and then he vanished. like the night swallowed him whole. the room was still, silent. nicho dragged a hand through his hair, chest heaving.
n: “i’m staying.”
he said again, quieter this time. you didn’t argue. because deep down, you knew jake would be back. but you weren’t sure if you were afraid or waiting for him. you woke up feeling drained. it was like you hadn’t slept at all. strom clouds hung to the sky, heavy and metallic. the kind that made Crescent Ridge feel like the world was lifeless. nicho had fallen asleep on your floor, curled awkwardly near your bed. warm even from a distance, protective even unconscious. but the moon was still out. a thin silver, pale through the morning clouds. and when you blinked at it through your window, you swore it blinked back. a soft whisper brushed your mind. not words, but meaning. a feeling. ‘neither of them found you by chance.’ you froze, but the whisper grew stronger. ‘you were seen before you met, claimed before you were touched. both bound to you.’ you stumbled back from the window, chest tight. you didn’t understand, but you were about to. nicho woke up abruptly, sitting up with a groan.
nicho: “you okay?”
he asked immediately, voice rough from sleep. you hesitated.
you: “nicho, what do you know about being bound to people?”
he stiffened. every muscle, every breath.
n: “why?”
too fast. you swallowed. your voice cracked as you spoke.
you: “someone told me i might be… tied to someone. or two someones.”
nicho’s jaw clenched so hard you thought he might crack a tooth.
n: “i didn’t want you to know like this, not yet.”
you: “nicho..”
n: “its complicated.”
you: “then complicate it.”
he exhaled sharply.
n: “okay.. listen. in our world there's a thing called binding. wolves call it a mate, vampires call them their beloved. but either way, if one of them sees something that ‘matches’ their nature, their instinct fixates.”
you: “matches?”
you whispered. he looked away.
n: “your energy, scent, heartbeat. some creatures, don’t choose. they recognize.”
your stomach dropped.
you: “and jake?”
you asked quietly. nicho’s expression darkened. he swallowed.
n: “he saw a picture of you, months ago. someone posted something. he saw it in passing, he thought it was a sign.”
you blinked hard.
you: “and you?”
his silence answered. you breathed.
you: “you too..”
nicho didn’t deny it. his voice cracked the minute he spoke.
n: “he thinks you were made for him, i think your made for me.”
before you could even open your mouth, your phone buzzed. class. your normal life still pretending it existed. nicho stood, running his hand through his hair.
n: “please don't go alone.”
yon didn’t listen. you should have. campus felt strange, quiet, heavy. like all sound was muffled. you chalked it up to exhaustion until you reached the courtyard and felt something cold slip across your skin. like a shadow. like a presence. you turned. jake stood under an oak tree, sunlight filtering through the branches but never touching him. like the light bend around him instead of landing. he stared at you like you were the only person on this earth.
j: “hi, sweetheart.”
your pulse jumped. he heard it, his eyes darkened. you whispered.
you: “you shouldn’t be here.”
he smiled, slow and soft.
j: “you didn’t invite me in, i had to find another way.”
you: “everyone can see you.”
j: “they wont notice me unless i want them too.”
of course, of course he says something like that. his eyes glimmered. you swallowed. jake stepped closer, stopping just shy of touching you.
j: “has the moon spoken to you yet?”
your breath froze.
you: “how—”
j: “i felt it. i felt it the moment i reached you.”
his voice was low, you blinked.
you: “jake… what am i to you?”
j: “my mate. my beloved..”
he didn’t hesitate. the breath left your lungs. he lifted a hand, not touching your skin, just hovering inches away from your cheek, cold radiating off him like frost. he whispered.
j: “ you were meant for me, i knew it the moment i saw your image. and when i saw you in the flesh, i understood.”
his eyes flared red.
you: “understood what?”
j: “that i was right.”
you stepped back instinctively, but jake followed with a slow steady step.
j: “please dont run from this. from me.”
you: “i’m not.”
he leaned in, close enough to feel his breath like a winter breeze.
j: “you’re afraid of the truth, not of me.”
before you could answer, a howl tore from the air. loud, desperate, wild. students glanced around, uneasy. your heart plummeted. nicholas. jake smiled faintly.
j: “looks like he’s shifting early, he felt you with me.”
you turned to run toward the sound. jake grabbed your wrist, gently, but firm enough that the cold rippled under your skin.
j: “be careful, sweetheart. a wolf in shift thinks with instinct, not reason.”
you yanked away, breath shaking.
you: “im going.”
jakes eyes softened, genuinely.
j: “of course you are. you’re his mate too.”
you froze. he stepped back into the shade, eyes glowing with something ancient. a faint smirk glided along his lips.
j; “thats the problem.”
you found nicho behind the gym, half shifted. eyes glowing gold, claws digging into the dirt. his chest heaved with effort, body trembling like he was fighting himself. you ran to him despite everything jake said.
you: “nicho—”
his head snapped up, breath ragged. you kneeled beside him. he panted, voice layered with something animal.
n: “you.. came.”
you: “i was scared.”
he growled softly. not at you, but because of emotions he knew he couldn’t contain.
n: “you— you’re mine… i knew before he did, i felt it the moment i saw you.”
your heart flipped. he shifted closer, forehead pressed against your shoulder. trembling.
n: “i didn't tell you because i didn’t want to scare you. but i cant— i cant lose you to him.”
he whispered. your fingers threaded into his hair.
you: “nicho, you both told me the same thing.”
he froze.
n: “both?”
you nodded. he let out a sound. half anguish, half fury.
n: “thats not possible, thats— he cant have what i have. you’re tied to me.”
his claws dug deeper into the dirt.
you: “and he says im tied to him.”
nicho’s pupils blew wide, gold overtaking them.
n: “this is gonna start something that should’ve ended a long time ago.”
your pulse jumped. and miles away, wherever he was, jake felt it.
₊ ୧ 𝓖ENRE:
↳ supernatural romance · angst · slow burn · tension-filled love triangle
. ↳ 𝓟ARING:
↳ vampire!jake × fem!reader × wolf!nicholas
⦂𓈃 𝓦ARNINGS/𝓣AGS:
↳ supernatural violence and tension, emotional intensity, possessive behavior, jealousy, obsession themes, vampire and wolf instincts, partial shifts and loss of control, near-physical confrontation, protective aggression, supernatural bond pain, moon-voice guidance, anxiety, heartbreak, arguments, reader caught between two supernatural love interests, heightened sensory reactions, heavy romantic tension, intense kissing, fear/safety conflict, guilt, emotional vulnerability, supernatural lore reveals, reader overwhelmed by conflicting feelings, stalking (non-threatening), territorial behavior, and dramatic confrontations in dark or isolated settings.
┊❛ ❜┊𝓢YNOPSIS:
↳ Crescent Ridge looks normal on the surface, but the town is split between two ancient forces who’ve hated each other for centuries. vampires who follow strict old rules and wolves who protect what they claim with teeth and instinct. you’re just a human girl trying to live a quiet life – until a storm brings jake, an uninvited vampire with eyes that burn for you, and nicholas, the warm-blooded wolf who’s been watching over you longer than you realize. both want you for reasons they won’t explain. both refuse to back down. and without meaning to, you become the center of a supernatural rivalry that’s been waiting generations to reignite. two creatures. one heartbeat. and a town that’s no longer safe the moment they both notice you.
⦂𓈃 𝓦/𝓒:
↳ 5498
ෆ ･ 𝓛INKS: PART ONE! PART TWO! PART THREE!
. ↳𝓜.LIST! & 𝓣AGLIST!
₊ ୧𝓐/𝓝: 😜
jake didn’t show up for three nights. no storm outside your window. no cold breeze slipping under your door. no red eyes watching from the tree line. nothing. the moon felt quieter. nichos’s bond felt louder. and your heart felt… unsteady. like one half kept drifting toward a shadow that refused to come back. on the fourth night, you couldn’t sleep. you left your house and walked toward campus under streetlights humming like dying stars. fall leaves scattered around your feet. you told yourself you weren’t looking for him. you were lying. and then, the air shifted behind you.
cold. sharp. ancient.
you turned slowly. jake stood under a lamp post, hands in his pockets, hair falling into his eyes, looking like regret carved into a boy’s body. for a moment, neither of you spoke. then he exhaled shakily.
j: “you shouldn’t be out alone.”
you stepped closer.
you: “you’ve been avoiding me.”
his throat bobbed.
j: “i was giving you space.”
you huffed a tiny laugh.
you: “that’s a first.”
jake finally met your eyes. you weren’t ready for how he looked, ruined. tired. like he hadn’t fed. like he hadn’t slept. like he’d been trying to hold himself together and failing on every front. he took one more step toward you, voice barely audible.
j: “i didn’t want to see you choose him.”
your breath caught. you whispered.
you: “i haven’t chosen anyone.”
jake’s eyes flickered red, then softened into something warm, tender, almost painful.
j: “then why does it feel like i’m already losing?”
you swallowed.
you: “because you left.”
he blinked, surprised.
j: “you noticed?”
you let out a shaky breath.
you: “jake… the bond isn’t one-sided.”
he closed his eyes, chest rising like you’d just knocked the air out of him. he stepped close enough that his cold fingers brushed yours. barely there, but enough to make your pulse skip. jake heard it. he always heard it.
j: “don’t do that.”
you frowned.
you: “do what?”
j: “look at me like that. it makes it worse.”
your voice softened.
you: “worse for who?”
he laughed once, quietly, brokenly.
j: “me. because i want you more than anything i’ve wanted in a century.”
your heart jumped. jake inhaled sharply like the sound pulled him closer. his hand lifted. slow, gentle. hovering right above your cheek without touching.
j: “can i?”
you whispered:
you: “yes.”
he cupped your face with cold fingers that warmed instantly against your skin. you didn’t pull away. if anything… you leaned into him. jake froze at that, like he didn’t know what to do with the softness, the closeness, the fact that you weren’t terrified of him or pushing him away.
j: “you don’t know what this does to me.”
you: “then tell me.”
he swallowed hard, eyes locked on yours.
j: “i’ve loved before. but i’ve never… belonged to someone.”
your breath hitched.
j: “i think i belong to you.”
your heart thudded so loud you were sure he could feel it. nicho’s bond tugged faintly at your chest. warm, steady, familiar. but jake’s bond? it pulled like a tide. slow. consuming. inevitable. and for the first time, you didn’t fight it. you whispered.
you: “then let me see the real you.”
jake’s eyes widened.
j: “you wouldn’t want that.”
you: “i’m still asking.”
he searched your face, something vulnerable breaking through centuries of control. then he stepped back just enough, tilting his head. the red in his eyes deepened. the shadows bent toward him. the air chilled. his fangs lengthened. not threatening, but intimate, like showing you something no one else got to see. you didn’t flinch. jake’s voice shook.
j: “you’re not afraid.”
you moved closer.
you: “i’m not.”
he let out a breath he didn’t need, your foreheads nearly touching.
j: “angel… if you choose me… i will ruin myself trying to love you right.”
your chest tightened. you whispered.
you: “jake… i’m starting to—”
he froze suddenly, eyes flicking past you. you turned. nicho stood at the edge of the path. shirtless. chest rising fast. eyes golden, not angry. hurt. so hurt your knees almost buckled just looking at him. jake stepped instinctively in front of you. nicho let out a low, broken sound.
n: “you chose him.”
your breath shook.
you: “i didn’t—”
n: “you didn’t have to.”
jake’s posture stiffened. nicho’s entire body trembled. you were caught between them again, but this time jake felt closer. nichos bond tugged. jake’s bond pulled. your choice wasn’t made yet, but tonight? tonight you felt yourself drifting toward the boy with red eyes and shaking hands who looked at you like you were the only thing keeping him alive. and nicho knew it. nicho didn’t say another word. he just… turned around. the way his shoulders dropped, the way his steps dragged, the way he didn’t look back even once. it felt like the moon itself dimmed. you opened your mouth to call out, but jake’s hand closed around your wrist, gentle but firm. you looked up at him. he looked wrecked.
j: “don’t chase him.”
your throat tightened.
you: “jake—”
j: “please.”
he said it quietly, like it hurt. nicho disappeared into the dark. and you didn’t follow. your legs shook, adrenaline fading, emotions crashing all at once. jake stepped closer, voice soft:
j: “come here.”
you didn’t even think. your body moved on its own, stepping into him. his hands rose slowly, cupping your elbows like you might break if he held you too tightly. for a moment he just stared at you, searching your face like he didn’t trust what he saw.
j: “you chose me tonight.”
you: “jake… i didn’t pick anyone.”
he huffed a laugh that wasn’t a laugh at all.
j: “angel, you leaned into me.”
you opened your mouth, closed it again. he was right. your heartbeat tripped. jake inhaled like it fed him.
j: “let me heal your arm.”
you lowered your gaze.
you: “nicho said—”
j: “i know what he said.”
jake gently took your injured wrist. his cold fingers brushed the dried blood, and you swore your knees threatened to buckle.
j: “it’s still hurting you.”
your voice cracked.
you: “a little.”
he lifted your arm to his mouth. you froze.
j: “not with a bite. with venom. it closes wounds.”
you: “will it hurt?”
j: “no. it’ll feel… warm.”
he looked up through his lashes, waiting. when you nodded, jake’s expression softened like you’d just handed him something sacred. he brought your arm closer. his lips brushed your skin. light, careful, reverent. you inhaled sharply. jake stilled.
j: “did that hurt?”
you: “no.”
j: “…then i’ll keep going.”
he kissed the scrape. slow, warm for a vampire, his breath fanning over your skin. the sensation spread up your arm like fire, then soothed into something molten, addictive, terrifying in the best way. your fingers trembled.jake whispered against your skin:
j: “you’re shaking.”
you: “you’re… close.”
his lips paused.
j: “do you want me to step back?”
you swallowed.
you: “no.”
jake’s eyes fluttered closed, like that one syllable melted something centuries old in him. he pressed one last kiss to the wound. your skin healed under his mouth. warm, prickling, then gone. you stared.
you: “it’s… it’s completely healed.”
jake finally let your arm go, but not your gaze.
j: “i told you i’d take care of you.”
your chest tightened.
j: “and i don’t want tonight to end like that.”
you: “like what?”
he hesitated, stepping closer. so slowly you could’ve counted each breath he didn’t need to take.
j: “like he’s the only one who can make you feel safe.”
your heart stumbled.
j: “come with me.”
you blinked.
you: “where?”
j: “somewhere quiet. somewhere i can show you what i am without scaring you.”
you hesitated for half a second. then nodded. jake’s relief was visible, like the tension bled from his shoulders all at once. he reached for your hand. he didn’t grab it. he waited. you placed your fingers in his palm. his breath caught.
j: “thank you.”
and he led you toward the edge of campus, lights flickering overhead as if something ancient had just shifted in your favor, or against you. you weren’t sure yet. but jake? jake looked like he already knew. and he wasn’t letting go of your hand. not tonight. not now that he finally had a chance. jake didn’t bring you somewhere cliché. no graveyard, no abandoned mansion, no spooky forest path. instead… he led you to the roof of the old humanities building. quiet. empty. washed in moonlight. he didn’t let go of your hand the whole way up. when you stepped onto the roof, wind brushing your hair back, jake finally spoke. quiet, nervous, almost boyish.
j: “it’s safe here. no council. no wolves.”
you flinched at that last part. jake definitely noticed. he sat on the edge of the rooftop, patting the spot next to him. you sat. close, but not touching. he stared at you for a long moment, like memorizing your face hurt and comforted him all at once.
j: “you’re warm. even from here.”
you tried to smile.
you: “how far can you feel me from?”
jake swallowed, looking away.
j: “miles.”
your breath hitched.
you: “jake…”
he dragged a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself.
j: “i’m trying not to scare you. i swear.”
you: “you’re not.”
he huffed a laugh.
j: “that’s exactly what scares me.”
you turned to him fully.
you: “jake… show me?”
he froze.
j: “show you what?”
you: “all of it.”
his breath stuttered, like no one had ever asked that. like no one had ever wanted to see what he was behind the pretty face. jake stood slowly, offering you his hand. you took it. and then, he blurred. one moment he was in front of you. the next, he was standing on the opposite side of the roof, hair whipping in the wind, chest rising fast. you gasped. jake smiled. not cocky, just… relieved.
j: “you’re not running.”
you: “should i?”
he appeared right in front of you again, so close your noses almost brushed.
j: “i’d catch you.”
your pulse jumped at that. jake inhaled sharply. you whispered.
you: “show me more.”
his pupils blew wide.
j: “…you trust me?”
you nodded.
you: “i do.”
that nearly broke him. jake stepped back and let the change slide over him. not into a monster, but into something older, sharper, painfully beautiful. his eyes glowed red like embers. veins darkened under his eyes. fangs lengthened, slow and controlled. you reached up, hesitated. jake grabbed your wrist gently, guiding your fingers to his cheek.
j: “you’re allowed.”
his skin was cold, but it softened under your touch, like your warmth soaked into him. you whispered.
you: “jake… i’m not scared of you.”
his eyes immediately flickered back to brown, fangs retracting instinctively like your voice calmed something feral inside him.
j: “don’t say things like that.”
you: “why?”
he stepped closer, chest nearly touching yours, voice cracking.
j: “because i’ll fall apart.”
your lips parted. jake’s hand lifted. the back of his fingers brushing your jaw, barely there.
j: “can i ask something?”
you: “anything.”
his voice dropped, breath trembling.
j: “what did you feel… when i touched you earlier?”
your cheeks burned. he watched every twitch of your expression like it was his lifeline.
you: “i… felt warm,” you whispered. “and safe.”
jake closed his eyes. exhaled through his nose.
j: “say it again.”
you swallowed.
you: “safe.”
his head dropped to your shoulder. careful, reverent, like he’d melt if he touched you wrong. your fingers drifted into his hair before you realized. jake froze, then leaned into it like he’d waited decades for that feeling.
j: “you’re going to kill me.”
you laughed softly.
you: “you’re already dead.”
jake looked up at you, eyes wide, vulnerable.
j: “that stopped mattering when i met you.”
your heart clenched. and then, a sound echoed faintly from below. a twig snap. you turned your head. down by the trees… gold eyes watched. nicho. shirt still thrown over his shoulder. expression broken, quiet, unreadable. jake tensed instantly.
j: “don’t look at him.”
you frowned.
you: “he’s just—”
j: “angel. please.”
his voice cracked on that word. you looked back at jake. his eyes were so soft they almost hurt.
j: “stay with me tonight.”
your breath hitched.
you: “just tonight?”
his jaw tightened. his voice dropped to a whisper meant only for you.
j: “or longer… if you let me.”
and for the first time, you weren’t thinking of the wolf in the woods. only the vampire in front of you, who looked at you like you were sunrise. jake didn’t stop holding your hand until you reached the far edge of campus, past the parking lot, past the trees, down the old brick path no one used after dark. you slowed.
you: “jake… where are we going?”
he squeezed your fingers, voice soft.
j: “somewhere only my kind knows.”
your heart kicked. he led you to a half-covered stone entryway built into the ground, ancient and cracked. vines wrapped over the door like they’d grown to keep humans out. jake brushed his thumb across your knuckles.
j: “i’ve never brought anyone here.”
you swallowed.
you: “never?”
he shook his head.
j: “not once. not in all the years i’ve been like this.”
he pushed the door open with one hand. effortless, silent. cold air rushed out, smelling like earth and something metallic but strangely clean. jake looked at you, searching.
j: “if you feel even one ounce of fear, tell me. i’ll take you home instantly.”
you: “i’m okay.”
jake’s shoulders relaxed, like your words physically loosened something in him. you stepped inside. the chamber was dim, pale moonlight spilling through cracks in the stone ceiling. the walls glowed faintly with old markings. sigils carved by hands centuries ago. jake watched your face, not the room.
j: “this is where i rest. where my body… resets.”
your voice lowered.
you: “you sleep here?”
j: “i don’t sleep. but i stay. it keeps the hunger quiet.”
he looked almost embarrassed. you reached out and touched his sleeve. he froze.
you: “it’s beautiful, jake.”
he blinked slowly, like he wasn’t expecting kindness. you walked deeper into the room, fingertips brushing the carvings. jake followed, steps soundless.
j: “i thought you’d hate it.”
you: “why would i?”
he inhaled sharply.
j: “because it’s dark. and cold. and not human.”
you turned around.
you: “i’m not scared of the parts of you that aren’t human.”
jake’s jaw clenched. his eyes softened. fragile, hopeful, terrified. he stepped forward, stopping inches from you.
j: “don’t say things like that unless you mean them.”
you: “i do.”
his breath shook. and then he broke. not loudly but quietly, painfully. his hand lifted to your cheek, but he stopped short, like he didn’t have the right. you leaned into his palm first. jake’s eyes instantly glassed over.
j: “i don’t know how to handle this.”
your voice barely a whisper.
you: “handle what?”
j: “being wanted.”
your heart twisted. he looked down, shoulders shaking once. barely noticeable unless you were close. so you stepped closer. jake sucked in a breath like you’d stabbed him with something holy. you whispered.
you: “jake… you’re allowed to be soft with me.”
his eyes lifted, red simmering under brown.
j: “if i’m soft… i’ll want more.”
you: “what kind of more?”
his gaze dropped to your lips. he didn’t move. didn’t touch. just stared, starving and terrified of it.
j: “i want to kiss you.”
your breath stilled.
you: “then kiss me.”
jake’s hand slid to the back of your neck. slow, trembling, reverent. he leaned in, then stopped, forehead resting against yours.
j: “…i can’t.”
your chest tightened.
you: “why?”
he swallowed hard.
j: “because once i taste you, there’s no going back.”
the room felt hotter. your pulse louder.
he whispered, voice cracked at the edges:
j: “choosing me means giving up the sun. giving up normal. giving up every future humans get to dream about.”
you whispered back:
you: “and choosing nicho?”
jake looked wrecked.
j: “choosing him means a bond that never breaks. wolves don’t love lightly. they… claim. forever.”
your breath hitched. jake lifted your hand and pressed it to his chest. cold, unmoving.
j: “with me, you don’t get forever.”
your voice wavered.
you: “but i get you.”
he made a choked sound. half laugh, half sob. his forehead pressed harder to yours.
j: “you’re going to ruin me.”
you touched his jaw, gentle.
you: “you were ruined before i got here.”
jake laughed, shaking, and his fingers tightened at your waist. that’s when you heard it. a twig snap outside. jake stiffened. his eyes darkened instantly.
j: “…wolf.”
you turned. at the doorway, golden eyes glowed in the dark. nicho. full wolf form. massive. silent. watching. jake moved in front of you without thinking.
j: “leave.”
nicho didn’t move. jake growled. a low, dangerous sound that vibrated through his chest. you whispered, voice shaking:
you: “nicho… it’s okay.”
the wolf blinked. slowly, painfully, he stepped back from the door, head lowering like he’d been punched in the heart. then he walked away. no snarl. no fight. just… heartbreak. jake exhaled shakily.
j: “he’s giving you space.”
you whispered:
you: “and you?”
jake stepped closer, voice barely steady.
j: “i’m giving you a choice.”
he lifted your chin with two cold fingers.
j: “and i’m praying you pick me.”
your hand stayed in his, your pulse steadying only because he kept whispering soft, grounding things under his breath like he was afraid you’d disappear. when you finally sat on the stone ledge, jake stood in front of you, trying so hard to look collected. he wasn’t. his hands were trembling. you reached for him. slow, gentle, touching his wrist first. jake froze completely. your thumb brushed his skin. he swallowed hard.
j: “don’t do that unless you know what you’re doing.”
you: “i do know.”
your fingers slid into his hand, lacing with his. jake’s breath stuttered like he’d been punched.
j: “angel—”
you: “jake, look at me.”
he did. and you saw it. his walls collapsing, his restraint snapping thread by thread, his whole body leaning toward you like gravity itself wanted you closer. you whispered.
you: “have you ever let someone touch you like this?”
jake shook his head once.
j: “no. not since i turned. not even before, really.”
you blinked.
you: “not even lovers?”
something dark flashed in his eyes, then softened.
j: “i’ve had company. not connection.”
you tried not to react, but he saw everything. and he stepped closer.
j: “don’t look hurt. it wasn’t real.”
your voice was barely there.
you: “what is this, then?”
jake’s hand lifted slowly to your cheek. so gentle, like you were breakable.
j: “real. painfully real.”
you leaned into his palm, and jake’s eyes fluttered shut like the sensation overwhelmed him. his forehead dropped to yours again. you whispered.
you: “jake… i want you to kiss me.”
he inhaled sharply. his voice broke.
j: “angel… if i start, i won’t be able to pretend i don’t want more.”
you: “i’m not asking you to pretend.”
that did it. jake’s restraint shattered. he grabbed your waist, pulling you into him in one swift, desperate movement, his chest cold and solid against yours. your breath hitched, hands clutching at his shirt. jake’s nose brushed yours. a slow, reverent drag. he was shaking.
j: “tell me to stop.”
you: “i don’t want you to.”
his lips hovered a breath from yours.
j: “…then god forgive me.”
he kissed you. not soft. not careful. not tentative. jake kissed you like he’d been waiting centuries for the right to do it—fingers buried in your hair, his other hand gripping your waist like he feared you’d slip out of his eternity. you clutched his shirt, pulling him closer, and he made a low sound in his throat—raw, starving, almost pained. jake deepened the kiss only once, slow and devastating, his mouth warm for the first time since you’d met him. your lungs burned. your pulse roared. jake pulled back just enough to breathe the same air, lips brushing yours with every word.
j: “you’re… killing me.”
you: “jake—”
j: “no. you don’t understand.”
his thumb stroked your jaw, tender in a way that contradicted the intensity of the moment.
j: “i haven’t felt anything this strong in a lifetime. it terrifies me.”
you pressed your forehead to his.
you: “you don’t have to be scared.”
he let out a shaky laugh.
j: “i’m a vampire, angel. fear is my second nature.”
you touched his cheek again. your turn to comfort him. his eyes softened instantly.
j: “don’t… don’t be gentle with me. i’m not used to it.”
you: “then you need it.”
jake’s brows knit. your kindness hitting him so much harder than he wanted to admit. and then, a sudden pulse of silver light flashed behind your eyes. you gasped. jake grabbed you instantly.
j: “what’s wrong?”
you blinked hard and the moon’s voice slid through your mind like water. he is not the only one bound to you. jake’s grip tightened.
j: “angel, look at me.”
you did. and he saw it. the confusion. the fear. the truth the moon had just whispered. his voice lowered, trembling.
j: “did it speak to you?”
you nodded slowly. jake’s jaw clenched.
j: “nicho.”
the name hurt to hear. you whispered.
you: “jake… i don’t want to hurt him.”
he shut his eyes like the words cut deep.
j: “i know.”
your throat tightened.
you: “i don’t want to hurt you either.”
he opened his eyes. and he looked at you like you were the most dangerous thing he’d ever loved.
j: “then don’t walk away.”
you swallowed hard.
you: “do you want… a real date?”
his expression cracked open. shock, hope, hunger, relief.
j: “yes.”
you smiled, small and real.
you: “then ask me.”
jake stepped closer, cupping your jaw with both hands now, grounding himself in your warmth. his voice dropped to something impossibly soft:
j: “will you go out on a date with me?”
your heart flipped.
you: “yes.”
jake exhaled like he’d been underwater for decades. and then he kissed your forehead, slow and reverent. the kind of kiss you don’t forget. jake picked you up at exactly 9:17 pm. not planned. not dramatic. just… him.
hair tousled from running fingers through it too many times, dark shirt buttoned wrong at the wrist because he was anxious, eyes soft in a way that shouldn’t be possible for something centuries old. he stood outside your dorm door, hands behind his back like he was trying not to touch anything. when you opened it, he froze. just… froze. like looking at you knocked the breath out of his undead lungs.
j: “you look… warm.”
you laughed softly.
you: “is that a compliment?”
he nodded quickly.
j: “it is. i promise it is.”
you stepped out, closing the door behind you. your heart picked up. fast, excited. jake heard it instantly, his whole body tightening at the sound, eyes fluttering closed for half a second like he was savoring it.
j: “ready?”
you: “yeah.”
he offered his hand. you took it. and he looked wrecked in the softest way. jake didn’t take you anywhere normal.no restaurant. no café. no movie theater. instead… he led you to an abandoned greenhouse behind the science building. cracked glass. ivy crawling inside. moonlight spilling through the broken panes. and in the center. a blanket. a lantern. a small metal tin of matches. you blinked.
you: “jake… did you plan this?”
he scratched the back of his neck, sheepish.
j: “i didn’t know what humans do on dates now.”
you laughed. he swallowed, eyes fixed on you.
j: “but i know what i want to show you.”
he clicked the lantern on. warm golden light filled the little space. and for the first time… jake didn’t look like a vampire at all. he looked like a boy who hadn’t had something to hope for in a very, very long time.
you sat across from him on the blanket. jake watched you instead of the lantern. watched your hair. your hands. your breathing. like he needed to memorize every little movement. when you looked down for a moment, a soft pulse of silver flashed behind your eyes. the moon’s voice, gentle but unsettling: “your choice has gravity, child.” you sucked in a sharp breath. jake shot forward instantly.
j: “angel? what’s wrong?”
you shook your head.
you: “nothing, just—”
but the moon wasn’t done. choosing the dead means giving the living a wound that may never close. your stomach twisted. jake grabbed your hands.
j: “look at me.”
you did. and the world steadied, just a little. you talked for a while. about little things, nothing heavy. his favorite century. your favorite shows. how he hates sunlight but loves warmth. at one point you reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear without thinking. jake froze. absolutely still.
you: “did i— did i do something wrong?”
his voice came out a rasp.
j: “no. you did something dangerous.”
your heart jumped.
you: “dangerous how?”
he grabbed your wrist. not hard. but firm. his eyes glowed faintly red.
j: “touching me gently makes me lose things i can’t afford to lose.”
your throat tightened.
you: “like what?”
his jaw clenched.
j: “control.”
he leaned closer, breath shaking.
j: “please don’t be afraid… but i want to kiss you again.”
your voice was barely there.
you: “then do it.”
jake moved fast, but not vampire fast. boy fast. nervous fast. he cupped your face in both hands and kissed you like he’d spent decades wishing someone would pull him out of the dark and into something warm. your fingers tangled in his shirt. his lips parted just a little. a soft sound escaped him. low, needy, shocked at his own reaction. it wasn’t lust. it wasn’t hunger. it was longing. deep, painful longing. he pulled back first, breathing hard even though he didn’t need air.
j: “i shouldn’t want you this much.”
you were about to answer. but the glass of the greenhouse creaked. jake was on his feet instantly, eyes going red, body in front of yours like a shield. you whispered.
you: “jake?”
he growled quietly.
j: “wolf. outside.”
your chest tightened. nicho. you stood slowly, stepping beside jake despite his arm instinctively blocking you. outside the cracked window, two glowing gold eyes. watching. not approaching. not threatening. just… hurting. your heart cracked. you whispered.
you: “nicho…”
he flinched. jake muttered, low and tense.
j: “he’s been following us since we left your dorm.”
your breath shook.
you: “why?”
jake’s jaw tightened.
j: “because he loves you.”
it hurt to hear. it hurt worse to see nicho lower his head, backing away from the window slowly, tail down, shoulders hunched. he didn’t snarl. didn’t challenge. didn’t even look angry. he looked devastated. jake exhaled harshly.
you stepped closer to him, hand brushing his. he immediately took your fingers, holding on tight like you might vanish.
j: “you’re allowed to care about him.”
your heart flipped. he added quietly.
j: “just… don’t walk away from me.”
you looked up at him.
you: “i’m still here.”
jake closed his eyes for a moment, letting those words settle into him. then he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to yours again, voice barely a whisper:
j: “then let me show you the rest of what i am.”
jake walked you back from the greenhouse slowly, like he didn’t want the night to end.
your fingers stayed tangled with his the whole time, his thumb brushing your knuckles absentmindedly, almost like he still didn’t believe you were real. the campus path was empty. quiet, cool air, soft shadows. and then, you felt it. not heard. not saw. felt. a warm pulse behind your ribs, like your body recognized something before your mind did. you slowed. jake noticed instantly, tensing.
j: “angel…?”
your breath caught. from the dark between two buildings, nicho stepped out. human form. barefoot. hair messy. breathing too hard. eyes glowing gold in a way that had nothing to do with anger and everything to do with heartbreak. your chest tightened painfully. you whispered.
you: “nicho…?”
he flinched at your voice. like hearing you say his name hurt. he took one step toward you. hesitant, trembling. then froze when he saw your hand in jake’s. jake’s grip tightened. quiet. possessive. lethal.
j: “why are you here.”
nicho didn’t even look at him. his eyes were on you and only you.
n: “i tried to stay away.”
his voice cracked so violently you felt it in your bones. he took another step. his breath hitched.
n: “i really… i tried.”
you stepped forward without thinking. jake’s arm shot out, blocking you. not roughly. just firm.
j: “don’t.”
nicho’s jaw clenched, shoulders shaking.
n: “move your arm.”
jake’s voice dropped to something almost too calm:
j: “and i’m not letting you near her when you’re like this.”
nicho’s voice wavered.
n: “like what? like i care?”
jake’s eyes flashed red.
j: “like you’re losing control.”
nicho laughed. broken, bitter, soft.
n: “you think i don’t know that?”
you whispered:
you: “nicho… talk to me.”
he inhaled sharply, eyes squeezing shut like your voice hit him too hard. then he opened them and the gold burned brighter.
n: “it hurts.”
you froze.
you: “what hurts?”
he pressed a trembling hand to his chest.
n: “everything.”
you moved around jake before he could stop you. nicho swallowed hard when you approached, chest rising unevenly, hands shaking like he wanted to reach for you but didn’t trust himself.
n: “don’t— don’t get too close. i’m barely holding the shift back.”
you ignored that, stepping close enough to touch his arm. he shuddered.
n: “please… don’t be gentle with me right now.”
your heart cracked open.
you: “nicho, tell me what’s wrong.”
he looked at you like he was breaking. like everything inside him was unraveling at once.
n: “you’re with him.”
your breath stilled.
n: “and the bond—”
his voice cracked again.
n: “—the bond knows.”
your pulse stumbled.
you: “bond…?”
nicho nodded, chest heaving.
n: “i didn’t want you to know yet.”
moonlight flashed behind your eyes. a whisper sliding into your mind like silk: “the wolf has known you since before he ever saw you.” your knees nearly buckled. nicho reached for you instinctively, to steady you. but jake was there in an instant, knocking his hand away. a low snarl vibrated through jake’s chest.
j: “don’t touch her.”
nicho snapped back, eyes flaring.
n: “she’s not yours.”
jake stepped forward, chest brushing nicho’s. his voice dropped to something terrifyingly quiet:
j: “she chose me tonight.”
nicho’s jaw clenched. his voice came out barely audible:
n: “she didn’t choose. she followed.”
you stepped between them. pushing jake back with one hand, touching nicho’s chest with the other. nicho inhaled sharply the second your hand touched him, shoulders jerking like he’d been shocked. jake’s eyes darkened dangerously.
j: “angel.”
nicho swallowed hard.
n: “don’t touch me like that. i’ll shift. i swear i’ll shift.”
you softened your touch.
you: “nicho, i’m trying to help.”
he shook his head, voice breaking.
n: “it hurts because you’re choosing someone else.”
you flinched. jake stiffened instantly.
j: “she hasn’t chosen.”
nicho’s gaze flicked to jake, pained, shaking.
n: “she kissed you.”
jake’s expression shifted. shame, pride, possessiveness, all tangled.
j: “she wanted to.”
nicho’s breath shattered.
n: “i know.”
you whispered.
you: “nicho…”
his eyes finally met yours. raw, glowing, honest.
n: “say you don’t feel it. say you don’t feel me.”
the air stilled. your heartbeat punched against your ribs. warm, sharp, undeniable. jake heard it spike. nicho felt it through the bond. both reacted. jake stepped closer, voice low:
j: “angel… look at me.”
nicho stepped closer too, whispering:
n: “don’t listen to him. listen to your body.”
you stood between them, both reaching for you in different ways. and the moon whispered again: “two creatures, one heart. only one can survive the choosing.” the world tilted. your breathing hitched. and you whispered the only truth you could manage:
you: “i… feel both of you.”nicho’s knees nearly buckled. jake inhaled sharply, eyes burning. and for the first time, neither spoke. because they both knew: you weren’t choosing yet. but you would. and that choice would break one of them.
