Written work may contain sexual themes and/or violence. Work is meant for 18+ and is NSFW. I do not give permission for my work to be posted or published anywhere else.
A/N-Ive never wrote anything like this before so bare with me hun
One twin? Maybe. Youâve dealt with bold men before â men who liked pretty things on their arms, who flashed cash and promises like candy. Stack seemed like another one of those: flashy, cocky, dipped in gold and danger. All mouth, all muscle, all that swagger that made girls stupid.
But two?
Two was asking for trouble. The kind that you donât just flirt with. The kind that drags you in by the throat and makes you say thank you.
Now youâre sitting pretty in the back of a black Escalade with tinted windows and heated leather seats. Stackâs hand is on your thigh, thumb tracing circles higher than it should while he scrolls through his phone. Smokeâs behind the wheel â silent, always â but you can feel his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror, watching. Measuring.
You shift just slightly, tug at the hem of your silk skirt.
And Stack smirks like he knows exactly what youâre doing. Like heâs already planning to ruin it later.
Trouble? Yeah. Youâre drowning in it.
But trouble comes with a black card, a diamond tennis bracelet, and your name engraved on the inside of a Louis Vuitton bag.
âž»
Stack spoils you loud.
Heâs the type to drag you through the most expensive store in the city and dare the clerk to ask about a limit. Neon signs, loud music, top-floor penthouse parties â he wants you to be seen. Wants people to know who you belong to. âPick what you want, baby. Matter of fact, pick two. I like you in options.â
He drives too fast. Tips too much. Kisses you like heâs claiming you with every bite.
And when heâs not around? Smoke is.
âž»
Smoke spoils you quiet.
He sends the money before you can ask. The rentâs paid. Your tuition? Covered. Your account balance rises in silence, like a tide â consistent, steady, impossible to ignore. One morning you woke up to a car in your driveway. Not flashy â matte, black, sleek. Clean. Practical. With a note tucked into the cupholder:
âNo excuses now. Be on time.â
You remembered telling Smoke how you're always late for the bus
He doesnât text much. Just enough.
Be home by ten.
Wear the black dress.
Leave the door unlocked.
And you follow every instruction.
Every time.
âž»
You float between them, somewhere in that sweet spot between indulgence and obsession. Draped in designer. Laced in perfumes you canât pronounce. Lipstick shades picked out by Stack, lingerie sets folded neatly by Smoke.
Marked by both.
Your lips are bruised from one. Your thighs tremble from the other. You wake up with one name in your mouth and fall asleep with the other still on your skin.
They donât fight. They donât ask.
Because they both know the answer.
Everyone in the city whispers when you walk into a room. From the street girls to the CEOs â they see the watch on your wrist and the curve of that smirk you always wear, and they know.
Whose girl is she?
The answerâs simple.
Theirs.
âž»
Your phone buzzes at 11:01PM.
Two notifications.
Transfer received: $10,000 â âFor being pretty.â
Transfer received: $10,000 â âBecause you listened.â
You smile, curl deeper into the plush hotel bedding, and take another sip of wine that cost more than your rent used to.
Then you press Add to savings.
You were never the good girl. Never the quiet one. But somehow, being a little bad never paid so good.
And with both Moore twins wrapped around your finger?
A/N- I wanted there to be a part two but I donât think it needs one
I think I wanna do an instagram post thing Iâve seen mutuals doing it and I think itâs cool
He wasnât the man your mama warned you about.
He was the man your mama prayed you never met.
Dark-skinned, tatted, six-foot-something with a gold smile that matched the bullets in his clip. Drove a matte black AMG like he owned the pavement. Talked slick, walked smoother, smelled like Dior and gunpowder.
A trappinâ-ass, country-ass, never-switch-up-on-the-gang-ass nigga.
Exactly the kind you swore youâd never fall for.
And you? You werenât soft. You had your own bag, your own attitude, your own reasons for not trusting anybody. People called you stuck-up, unbothered, hard to impress. And you were.
Until he came through.
It was late, the city hot with summer, the music too loud, the club too packed. You sat in your section surrounded by girls who talked too much and men who couldnât afford to look your way. You were halfway done with your drink when you felt itâthat stare.
Head turned. Eyes met. And there he was.
Smoke.
Leaning on the wall like he had nowhere to be and everyone owed him something. Chains glinting, jaw tight, eyes on you like heâd been waiting for the moment all night.
âYou keep starinâ, ma. Might as well come sit on somethinâ.â
You rolled your eyesâbut you moved.
Always did when it came to him.
He pulled you onto his lap like you weighed nothing, palms spreading across your thigh, voice low in your ear.
âHeard you like âem with motion. I am the motion.â
That night turned into weeks.
Late night pull-ups. Cash on the dresser. Your name in his mouth while you rode him in backrooms of strip clubs he lowkey owned. You ainât post each otherâbut everybody knew.
He made sure of it.
Whispers in the city: Smoke got a girl now. The baddest one. Donât even look her way unless you ready to die.
He took care of you without askinâ.
Hair, nails, rent, tuitionâyou ainât lift a finger unless it was to count the stacks he left on your dresser.
And the sex?
Ruthless.
He picked you up when he fucked you. Spoke in tongues against your skin. Pressed his gun into your back like a reminder: this ainât no regular nigga.
You werenât supposed to fall.
But you did. Hard. Quiet. Deep.
In love with a man who talked more with his hands than his mouth.
A man who kissed you like it might be the last time every time.
A man who never said I love you but always showed up when the world went quiet.
So when he looked you in the eyes, his voice barely a whisper as he saidâ
âYou mine now. Act like it.â
you didnât argue.
You smiled.
Took his Glock.
And rode shotgun.
Because when Smoke said something, he meant it.
A man of few words but heavy presence. He didnât do all that back and forthâhe moved with purpose. When he said you his, it wasnât a question or a compliment. It was law.
You werenât his girlfriend.
You were his partner.
His peace and his pressure.
Days with him were quietâmoney being counted, plays being made. Nights? Loud. Wild. Fast cars, red lights, clubs, and chaos. You two were a walking contradiction: savage and softness. Heâd kiss you like you were his lifeline, then cock his gun without blinking.
He never told you where he was going, but he never left without holding your face and tapping your chin with a soft âBe good.â
Sometimes he came back bloodied.
Sometimes he came back distant.
But he always came back.
And when he did, you didnât press him.
You just lit his blunt, pulled him between your legs, and let him breathe.
You became the girl the other girls hated in silence.
The one who had the respect without having to post a man for clout.
The one who he actually answered the phone for, no matter who was in the room.
âIâm in a meeting.â
âShe call? Iâll call yâall back.â
Yeah. That type of loyalty.
And he earned yours too.
You werenât just pretty. You were real.
You didnât nag him about the streets; you helped him stay smart.
Checked the cameras when he was gone.
Cleaned the blood off his rings without flinching.
Burned evidence if you had to.
Once, he came home, pacing, silent, clearly rattled.
You ainât say much. You poured him a drink, sat on the counter, and watched him work through it.
When he finally exhaled, he walked up to you and said, âIf anything happen to me, you got the numbers. You know who to trust.â
You nodded. You didnât cry.
You just pressed your forehead to his and whispered, âAinât nothinâ happeninâ to you. You make it outta everything.â
And deep down, that was true.
He wasnât supposed to make it out of this life.
But somehow, every time they tried to bury him, he came back breathing harder. Stronger. Smarter.
Maybe thatâs what made you fall.
Not just the sex.
Not the gifts.
But the way he survived everything, and still had something left to give you.
You learned his rhythms.
When he was about to dip.
When he needed to feel your hands on his chest.
When to talk.
When to ride in silence.
And he learned yours.
The way you needed to be kissed when you got in your moods.
The way your voice dropped when you were pissed.
How to calm you down with just a look.
You werenât playing houseâyou were building an empire.
Brick by bloody brick.
Pillow talk with pistols under them.
Plans scribbled on the backs of receipts.
Your loyalty louder than any vow.
And the city knew.
You werenât the one to mess with.
Because Smoke ainât just love youâheâd burn this whole bitch down behind you.
So when you stepped out togetherâhim in all black, you in heels, lip gloss shining, Glock in your purse like a walletâheads turned. Every single time.
He never held your hand.
But he always kept you close.
âAnybody ever touch you wrong, Iâm blowinâ the whole block down. Donât care who there.â
You believed him.
Because he already had.
Love with Smoke wasnât gentle.
It was sharp. Loud. Loyal.
It was dangerous.
But it was the safest place youâd ever known.
And if this world took him from you?
Youâd burn it down yourself.
Because if you had to die behind a nigga, it was gonâ be him.
thinking about negotiating back and forth with smoke... 18+ (suggestive/language).... modern era! auâŠlowercase intended.....
luvrs note: thx for the luv on my first sinners drabble... this has a lil more plot, and a cliffhanger... sorryyyyy!!! still getting used to this as it is new to me..... feedback is appreciated <3
the usual sound of the printer roused you out of your current lulled-out state. you'd been ogling at the application that had been faxed in, brow furrowed while reading through the fine print. The addressee had wanted some sort of shared ownership for a lot available for rent - to place some local bar in the middle of town. your eyes rolled at the signature on the final page, etched in dark blue ink.
elijah moore.
he was trouble, often referred to as 'smoke'. An enforcer in his own right; one wrong move would often render anyone destabilized long term. you, however wasn't just anyone.
your role was to investigate the applicants before granting a key to a property, ensuring no foul play was being done for the sake of profits. the issue was that smoke, and his twin brother, elias - stack, were top negotiators.
as in, they'd negotiate with anyone until smoke decided to yank out one of his barrels, armed and at the ready.
most people would let them claim ownership of properties without a fuss.
nothing worth dying over.
you read the application again, slapping an 'under review' sticky note onto it and forwarded him an email.
received. interrogation will be on friday. 8pm sharp.
smoke didn't notice the response until much later â heâd decided to go to the meeting for the sake of carrying out his duties; get the land, build a new bar and increase the big profits he and stack were already making.
what you didnât know â smoke had carefully handpicked you as the investigator he wanted to meet. wrote a convincing letter to one of your managers; and who could blame him. you were the lead enforcer, having the best success rate while also ensuring these ventures werenât done for the sake of taking advantage of the investor group.
he knew your silhouette like the back of his hand. the more observant, almost too observant of the twins, smoke was notorious for finding a target. most times it was to fend off a simple business rival, but youâŠ
you enthralled him. prim and proper, you were perfect in his eyes, and dare it be said that very few things impressed such a man.
friday night would be more than back and forth negotiations â he intended to leave more than a signature behind on the dotted line when he was done.
nighttime rolled around much quicker than youâd expected on friday. the clock read quarter to 8pm, meaning there were fifteen minutes left of sanity to hold onto.
sure, youâd seen smoke from time to time downtown, often with a low brimmed hat or beanie, fists shoved in his pocket, one wrapped around his wallet, filled selfishly to the brim with cheques promising stacks of cash. besides the imposing nature he had, he was intriguing.
unlike stack, he was often seen in blue â nothing bright like the sky, but rather that of a softened denim, worn out by calloused hands and smudges from a couple fights. but beneath all of that, he was strong-willed, dominant⊠but with the right person convincing him, he could fold.
youâd opted for blue yourself, in a manner invisible to the eye, unless he chose to negotiate with you, layer by layer until nothing remained. on the surface, a simple black form-fitting dress. the day had been long, and at this point, slippers were most appropriate to calm your achy feet.
knowing smoke, he wouldnât care what you wore. all he wanted was his money and to be on his wayâŠ.
that is, until 8pm rolled around.
the slightly heavy pounding of a fist at the door nearly stole your breath, but you werenât easily deterred. with a manicured hand, you twisted the doorknob, and his lip curled up immediately.
sure, youâd waited for him. yet you had no idea heâd been longing for you.
âeveninâ maâam⊠letâs keep this simple, aight?â he said, walking into your workspace, shutting the door behind him. he lingered behind you, the scent of his heady cologne inebriating your senses almost instantly.
âthatâs not how it works, elijah.â
âyou gonâ call me smoke, first of all. just because you a whole investigator donât mean i canât have my preferred method of negotiation.â he scoffed immediately, taking a seat at your desk.
your gaze hardened, both in annoyance and a slight flutter in your stomach. his gruff drawl could have easily made you fold, but you had your duties to fulfil. not to mention, the black jeans paired with a white tank were not in any way appropriate for a business meeting.
then again, you were the one whoâd suggested meeting him after hours.
âyou want a drink?â
âgimme somethinâ strong, mama. we got plenty to chat about,â he said, a brief grin on his face only for it to fade. âthey said you was the best one at investinâ â mâtryna put my money where yoâ mouth is.â
âunderstood⊠gonâ head and get comfortable.â
it took a while to decide, but youâd ultimately decided on some fancy irish lager youâd seen in the office pantry. handing him a bottle, you stood across from him, separated by a desk. he looked up at you, while you studied him.
it was brief, but the tension â palpable, hot.
you could taste it without saying a word.
the initial revision of the document was simple enough â smoke confirmed the fine print, asked his questions, and when he did, his eyes often followed the path being traced out by a manicured finger each time.
it had been a breeze.
until it wasnât.
âI want my deposit, and half of the commission from yoâ earnings sent to me⊠clear?â you said, dark eyes narrowed as he snarled up at the offer.
he didnât like sharing. and who could blame him? the only person he ever relied on was his brother.
he shook his head, letting the offer sit. âyouâll get the deposit⊠but half the commission? thatâs theft in broad daylight.â
as he spoke, he took a swig of the lager, and sighed deeply. he could be patient, yes. but the two of you had been bickering for at least an hour.
âyou donât take my deal, you can see yourself off, smoke.â
just as heâs about to drag out a cigarette to ease his nerves, you instinctively snatch it out of his hand. you have the upper hand for a split second, only to be tugged onto his lap, the rolled paper sitting nearly between your thumb and index.
âyou donât think i ainât seeing what youâre doinâ, huh? you think because you a top performer, you just run shit now?â
you unintentionally shifted on his lap, and he hissed in turn. heâd always found you pretty, though he kept his distance to avoid situations such as this one. his hands rested comfortably on your waist, bringing you close enough that he could feel his belt buckle brush up against your thighs, now exposed due to the compromising posit
âyou want some money, or not?â you chided, and his eyes narrowed.
âthat ainât how to negotiate, baby.â he murmured, snatching up the cig from your dainty fingers. âyou should know betterâŠâ
you should have known â heâd figured out your strategy; an attempt to throw him off gone wrong.
he shifted beneath you, and thatâs when you felt him. thick, heavy, and hard despite the denim being in the way. the former stubborn expression on your face was replaced with that of an open jaw and widened eyes.
âwe gonâ start again, aight? Iâll sign yoâ shit so you can keep yoâ job⊠but mâgon show you how to negotiate properly.â
the grit in his voice had you shuddering, and you gripped onto his shoulder with one hand. the stable breath you had moments earlier had been turned into nothing but pretty gasps - pleas to learn negotiating his way.
"there she is - see, you can listen. and you gon' listen well." he chastised, letting your little black dress sit right up on your hips, revealing blue lace, a sliver of wetness peeking through the fabric.
imitation was indeed, the highest form of flattery.
"we not doin' this, smoke." you could barely get the words out, knowing how bad you wanted him to do this. the evidence was clear - he had you in the palm of his hand.
"uh, uh... that ain't how we negotiate, baby," he crooned, thrusting slightly up against the lace. you knew deep down that if all the clothed barriers were shed, you'd be split open in a way you'd never experienced.
"gimme a price, doll. how much is this shit worth to you?"
"s'worth a lot, elijah."
"then make your case, otherwise you don't get a thing from me and i take my business elsewhere."
the involuntary buck of your hips set him off, and he met you halfway, a wet puddle beginning to form on the apex of his jeans. his eyes locked on yours as you suggested a few price options, and it wasn't until you settled on a hushed '$15,000', that he stopped his ministrations to shed his jeans and briefs.
your body felt hot - boiling a mile a minute at the sight of him.
"i'll take that price, but i will not allow for the half commission earning...y'got anything else to offer me, doll?" he quipped curtly, snapping you out of your daze by slapping his fat tip up against the lace, now a shade darker given how soaked you were.
"'b-bout a quarter of the earnings, s-smoke?"
the tremor in your voice - you poor thing. once a confident and unabashed investigator to now a pliant, needy bargainer in the palm of smoke's hand. but you earned your reward at the sound of his voice.
Ever since the movie came out I feel like Iâve been on the hunt. Thereâs so many Remmick x reader, so many modern au and donât get me wrong write what tickles you fancy BUT I need more Stack x READER and Smoke x READER set in the 1930s. Please Iâm begging yâall! Also if your fic is x oc please donât tag it x reader, imma partial narcissist, i like to be included in the ficđ
itâs so nice being fond of people on here :-) like yeah maybe we only know each other in a very limited way but i care abt you guys & hearing abt your lives makes me happy & i like listening to the things u have to say & i really truly wish the best for you all!!! sending my love from a couple states, countries, oceans away
A/N: First off, I wanna thank @nahimjustfeelingit-writes for coming up with this dope ass idea & @anaiyaflys143 for suggesting I write it. I hope I do you both justice. I think I want this to have multiple parts, but I need life to cooperate. Hope y'all enjoy!
*All character images created by me âșïž*
Characters: Elias "Stack" Moore, Eden Taylor (OC)
Warning(s): 18+, Adult Language, Supernatural Elements, Typical Vampire Shit, Vampire Kink, Explicit Sex (Not yet, but it's coming)
Summary: Edenâs broke. Her rentâs late, her car sounds like itâs choking, and her dreams of making it as a singer in New Orleans are getting harder to hold onto. So when she sees a sketchy little ad offering big cash to be a âdiscreet donor,â she answers it. She tells herself itâs just money. Just blood. Just once. But the contractâs signed, the room is breathing, and Eden? She mightâve just stepped into something deeper than debt.
Word Count: 5.5K
New Orleans, 2005
Eden stared blankly at the digits on the weathered ATM.
$14.26.
All the money she had left from her work-study check that wouldnât replenish for another week. Between rent, paying for studio time, and outfits for her upcoming shows, Eden had left herself broke and destitute yet again.
âWho told you to take the term âstarving artistâ so literally?â she muttered to herself, tucking the receipt into the pocket of her tattered jean jacket.
She hadnât eaten a real meal in two days. Just a gas station honey bun, half a bottle of warm Sprite, and whatever sleep could trick her body into thinking it was full. Her rust-colored Honda ran on a quarter tank and prayer, the engine coughing every time she turned the key. The inside smelled like jasmine body spray, fried hair, and quiet panic.
Fishing her Motorola Razr from the depths of her tote, she scrolled to the contact labeled âPops.â She stared at it for a long moment, thumb hovering, before finally pressing CALL.
Three rings. A click.
âYo,â came the gravelly voice on the other end. Always detached. Always mid-something more important.
âHey,â Eden said, trying not to sound too pitiful. âYou got likeâŠtwenty dollars I could borrow?â
A long pause. She could practically hear him blinking.
âSorry, kiddo, Iâm all tapped out.â
She knew it was a lie. He always said that. She could hear a game show buzzing faintly in the background, followed by the sound of beer cracking open. But she didnât press it.
âItâs cool, Pops.â She cleared her throat, pushing down the lump forming there. âIâll make something shake. I saw an ad for a babysitting gig in the Garden District, so Iâll try that.â
âGood,â he said, voice already drifting. âSee? You ainât gotta always be runninâ after those stage lights. Just find somethinâ steady.â
She didnât respond. Just hung up and slid the phone back into her purse like it was a loaded gun.
Back at her tiny studio apartment in Mid-City, Eden sat cross-legged on her futon, her open planner in her lap. A flyer for an open mic night at Tipitinaâs was pinned above her bed with a pink glitter pushpin. She had two weeks to come up with a new track and scrape together the $80 she owed her producer for the beat she was using.
She opened her laptop, praying it would connect to the neighborâs spotty Wi-Fi. While it loaded, she scribbled in the margins of her notebook:
âI ainât tryna sing for scraps, I want velvet on my mic stand
MoĂ«t in my vocal booth, not noodles from the nightstandâŠâ
Cute. Maybe.
She clicked over to Craigslist. Typing âcash gigsâ in the search bar had become second nature.
Dog walking. House cleaning. Foot modeling?
But then, something new. Something far from anything sheâd seen listed before.
âDONOR OPPORTUNITY â NIGHT WORK. DISCREET. HIGH COMPENSATION. 21+ ONLY. Must be comfortable with blood. Text 504-9VAMPYR.â
Eden raised an eyebrow.Â
âBlood?â
She clicked anyway.
The ad was vague but intriguing. It promised âstress-free, safe workâ for âexclusive clientele.â It also mentioned âconsent-based feeding arrangements,â which sounded... weirdly medical. Or criminal.
She almost exited the tabâbut her mouse hovered over the last line:
She burst out laughing, sharp and alone in her little apartment. âYeah, okay. Thatâs definitely a scam. Probably run by some dude named Clarence with a fake fang kink.â
But something about it stuck. Along with her passion for music, she also had a passion for all things occult: vampires, black magic, and everything in between. She was the bayou bruja stereotype personified, save the fact that she didnât actually know any spells.
Eden wasnât sure what it was about this ad that had her so curious. Maybe it was the dollar signs flashing in her mind. Perhaps it was the way her stomach twisted with nerves and low-grade hunger. Or maybe it was the fact that being bitten on the thigh for rent money somehow felt less soul-crushing than waitressing at a chain diner where the manager hit on her.
She grabbed her phone and typed quickly.
Eden T. | Type O- | Available Nights
Then she added, like a joke she hoped the universe would get:
âI sing too, in case thatâs relevant.â
She snickered to herself until the number responded, almost immediately.
504-9VAMPYR:
âVoice matters more than you know. Youâre expected tonight. Come dressed in black. No perfume. Bring ID.â
Attached was a pin drop to an address in the Warehouse District. The kind of place that always looked abandoned from the outside but was crawling with secrets beneath the surface.
Eden stared at the screen. Then at her closet.
She had a mesh crop top, a fake leather skirt, and her beat-up Doc Martens. Close enough to black. She pulled them out with a sigh and laid them across her unmade bed. Her hands lingered on the hem of the skirt, suddenly wondering if she should shave. Then she laughed out loud, dry and humorless.
âGirl, if heâs a vampire, you think he cares about some stubble?â she mused, glancing down at her untamed bikini line.
She peeled off her hoodie and leggings and tugged on the outfit with practiced ease. The crop top rode up a little too high, showing off the silver belly ring she got impulsively after a poetry night and three Hennessy shots. She tightened the straps on her Docs and pulled her curls into a high puff, fluffing it just enough to look intentional.
Eyeliner came next. Heavy, winged, and slightly uneven, like it had been applied in a moving car or in the middle of a breakdown. She smudged a bit of charcoal shadow beneath her lower lashes for good measure, giving her eyes that soft, smoky bruised look, like she hadnât slept in days but might still stab you if you stared too long.
A dusting of translucent powder dimmed the natural shine of her skin, but she let her freckles peek through. She dabbed a hint of burgundy gloss on her lips and pressed highlighter onto the high points of her cheeks and the tip of her nose. Just enough to glow under bad lighting.
She looked like something out of a Southern ghost story. Part beauty queen, part grieving widow. Like the kind of girl you'd see barefoot on a sagging porch in the heat of July, black veil over her eyes, sipping sweet tea that might just kill you.
She stepped back from the mirror and tilted her chin to the left.
She didnât look like someone about to audition for a vampire sugar daddy.
She looked like someone who had nothing left to lose.
But that was the thing about having nothing. It made you bold. Eden didnât feel fear. Not yet. What she felt was unavailable. Numb, on the edge of something primal. Like her instincts were holding their breath, waiting to see if she was about to step into a miracle⊠or a casket.
She grabbed the rose water mist from her nightstand, hesitated, then spritzed a light veil of it over her curls instead of her neck. Just a whisper of hydration and a ghost of a scent that faded almost instantly. The text had said no perfume, and she wasnât trying to test boundaries with creatures who drank life juice for breakfast.
She grabbed her keys, slipped her phone into her bra, and stared down at her chipped black nail polish before muttering, âDonât do anything stupid.â
Then she locked the door behind her.
The drive to the Warehouse District felt longer than it was. The rust-colored Honda coughed once at a red light and stuttered like it was nervous, too. Eden slapped the dash like she was coaxing a stubborn mule.
âNot tonight, baby, câmonâŠâ
She turned up the radio, some old Destinyâs Child track with a beat strong enough to drown her thoughts. She sang along half-heartedly, mouthing the lyrics more than meaning them, her fingers drumming against the steering wheel like she was trying to tap the fear out of her bloodstream.
Her mind didnât cooperate.
What if itâs a cult? What if they drain you and leave you in a ditch behind a daiquiri shop? What if itâs real?
She wasnât sure which possibility scared her more.
She pulled up to the address just after midnight. The building loomed like it had been waiting for her. It was tall, industrial, and built from bones and bad decisions. The kind of place that still smelled faintly of sweat, rust, and prohibition. Like someone had converted a cotton mill into a nightclub and then forgotten to put up a sign.
All the windows were blacked out. No buzz of neon. No music. No movement. Just that single red light above the steel door, blinking slow and steady like a pulse. Or a warning.
Eden sat there for a second longer than she meant to, the engine idling as her hand hovered near the key. Her stomach flipped, hard and sudden. It was that same twist she felt before going on stage, before she opened her mouth and let the world judge her voice, her dream, her want.
That anticipatory ache. That leap of faith you had to take before a mic, a man, or a monster.
Then she got out.
The air hit her like a wet rag, thick with humidity, heavy with something else. Something older than the pavement beneath her boots. The breeze curled around her ankles and crept up her spine, stirring the hem of her skirt and making the back of her neck prickle.
There was a scent in the air, faint but unmistakable. Jasmine. Smoke. No, ash. Burnt incense. Like the end of a ritual.
She stepped forward, gravel crunching beneath her boots, the only sound in the stillness. No music. No voices. Just her breath and that red light, blinking above her like a slow countdown.
When she reached the door, it opened before she could knock.
Not with a creak. Not with a dramatic hiss. Just a smooth, effortless glide, like whoever or whatever was on the other side had been expecting her the whole time.
Eden paused in the threshold, heart thudding against her ribs like a warning bell. She glanced once over her shoulder, back at her Honda parked under the flickering streetlamp, its paint dull and flaking like old blood.
She could leave. She could run.
But she didnât.
Instead, she squared her shoulders, tucked her gloss-smudged lips into a tight line, and stepped into the dark.
A man stood just inside. Pale. No older than thirty, if you could even put an age on someone like that. His black dress shirt was perfectly pressed, tucked into tailored pants that caught the low light like water. Silver chains shimmered across his collarbone, subtle and cold. White gloves on both hands, like he was either about to serve a five-course meal or prep a body for burial.
His eyes swept over her. Not sexual, not even curious. More like he was measuring her for something. A scan. Efficient, impersonal. She might as well have been a barcode.
âYouâre Eden,â he said.
It wasnât a question.
âI am,â she replied, doing her best to keep her voice steady.
âFollow me.â
So she did.
The hallway was long and narrow, padded in deep red velvet that brushed against her shoulders every few steps. The walls breathed warmth, but the air stayed cool, scented faintly with clove, old paper, and something floral that had long since dried out. Dim amber sconces flickered along the path, casting warped shadows that stretched and curled with her movements. It didnât feel like walking into a building. It felt like being swallowed.
Each step took her further from reality. Her dadâs voice in the car, still ringing with disappointment. The zeroes in her bank account. The half-finished demo she couldnât afford to master. All of it fell away, like static detaching from a radio dial. She wasnât sure if she was floating or sinking.
The man said nothing, just led her deeper.
Eventually, they reached a door. It looked ancient, carved with symbols she didnât recognize. Something that felt older than language, older than the city itself. They pulsed faintly under the glow of the hallway lights, as if alive beneath the grain of the wood.
The man knocked once. A dull, heavy sound.
Then he turned the handle and pushed the door open. He didnât go in. Just stepped aside and motioned for her to enter.
Eden hesitated. Only for a second. Long enough to feel her heart rise in her throat, thick and loud. Then she stepped over the threshold.
And the world changed.
The air inside was cooler, denser, but it didnât chill her. It settled around her skin like silk. Everything glowed in shades of wine and shadow. Low lights glinting off crystal, velvet drapes billowing near tall windows sealed shut. Music played somewhere far away, too soft to follow but rich enough to taste.
It wasnât a room. It was a scene. A set. A spell.
Her eyes adjusted slowly, drawn toward the figure seated at the far end.
And that was when she saw him.
Her eyes adjusted slowly, drawn to the figure at the far end of the room.
He sat like he owned more than just the building. Like he owned the hour, the tension, even the breath in her lungs. Leaning back in a high-backed leather chair, one leg crossed over the other, fingers resting loosely on the armrest, he looked every bit the gentleman devil.
He wore a deep burgundy suit that soaked up the light like velvet. It was tailored so sharply it couldâve drawn blood. Gold embroidery traced the lapels in delicate patterns, only catching the light when he moved. Serpents, maybe, or ivy, curling like secrets. A thick gold Cuban link chain sat heavy against his chest, and a matching pinky ring caught the lamplight when he lifted his hand to his jaw.
His skin was smooth, the kind of smooth that didnât come from skincare, but from time. A warm brown, almost bronze, like whiskey left out in the sun. He looked like he could be in his late twenties, but Eden could feel the weight behind the stillness. The kind of quiet you feel in old houses or graveyards.
Then there were his eyes.
They held a faint glow, not glaring or artificial, but soft and strange, like candlelight burning behind thick purple glass. The color wasnât the unsettling part; it was the depth. If she stared too long, sheâd probably see everything heâd done and everything he wanted from her now.
And when he smiledâ
It wasnât wide. Just a small curl of his mouth, more on the left side, like he was letting her in on a secret she didnât deserve to hear yet. Thatâs when she saw it. A gold open-faced grill on one of his fangs, subtle and gleaming. Not flashy or loud, just intentional. The kind of accessory that told you heâd been rich for longer than youâd been alive and had nothing left to prove.
Edenâs breath caught before she could stop it. She wasnât sure if it was fear or fascination. Probably both.
He didnât stand.
He didnât need to.
His voice rolled out, low and velvet-smooth, the kind that made people lean in without realizing.
âEden,â he said, her name sitting on his tongue like something rare and expensive.
She nodded once. âThatâs me.â
His gaze flicked downward, taking in her boots, her skirt, the smudge of eyeliner she hadnât meant to look perfect. He wasnât judging her. He was gathering details, building a file in his mind.
âPretty name,â he said. âPretty girl.â
Her jaw tightened at the compliment. Sheâd heard it too many times before from broke boys and drunk strangers. But from him, it didnât feel cheap. It felt like a warning.
âThanks,â she replied, her voice quieter now.
Stack tilted his head just enough to shift the mood. Not much. Just enough to make her uneasy.
âIâm Elias Moore,â he said. âBut folks around here call me Stack.â
âStack,â she repeated.
He gave her that same half-smile.
âI like a girl who listens.â
Then he rose from his chair.
Not quickly. Not slow either. Just smoothly, like he didnât have to try. He was taller than she expected, and his frame filled the room like music you couldnât turn down. He moved with purpose, not just confidence, but certainty, like the floor had always been waiting for his footsteps.
When he stopped in front of her, close enough for her to feel the stillness coming off him, she realized he didnât wear cologne. The flyer had warned against perfume, and he clearly followed the same rule. But still, there was a scent. Faint and warm, like sandalwood, old leather, maybe even dried jasmine crushed into parchment.
He raised a gloved hand.
âYou can leave anytime you want,â he said. âBut if you take one more step, youâre choosing not to.â
She looked at his hand. Elegant. Dead. Gold ring catching the light.
Her heart kicked hard in her chest.
She didnât take his hand.
But she didnât move away either.
His hand hovered in the space between them for another second before he let it fall.
Stack nodded toward a low velvet chair across from his own. âSit if you want. Or stand. Some people feel safer that way.â
Eden moved without thinking, sliding into the seat like her knees might give out otherwise. Her palms were sweating, but she kept them in her lap. He didnât look like the type whoâd offer napkins.
The silence stretched, but it didnât feel empty. It felt full of decisions. Stack poured two fingers of something amber into a crystal glass from a decanter by his elbow, then slid it across the table toward her. He didnât pour himself one.
Eden stared at it. âIs it safe?â
Stack grinned, just a flash of gold and teeth. âSafer than most things youâve done to chase a dream, Iâd bet.â
She didnât answer. Just stared down at the drink and finally lifted it, more out of pride than thirst. It burned, but not bad. Smooth like molasses with a bite at the end, like it knew you had secrets and didnât mind.
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. âLetâs talk about the job.â
Eden sat straighter. âAlright.â
âYou know the basics,â Stack said. âYou let someone feed. You get paid. How far you want to go is up to you.â
He tapped a long finger against the table, slow, like a metronome counting down something important.
âNeckâs three hundred an hour. Wristâs fourhundred, thighâs five-fifty. Shoulder anywhere else, we can negotiate. You can sign on as a regular, or keep it casual. We also offer exclusive arrangements. More private. More lucrative. More dangerous.â
Eden pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded, pretending she wasnât halfway to hyperventilating. Her mouth felt like cotton and her stomach wouldnât stop fluttering. But her voice held steady.
âWhatâs the risk?â
Stack shrugged. âSome vampires donât know when to stop. Some donors fall in love. Some folks just arenât built for it. We vet both sides, but accidents happen. Thatâs why we sign oaths. Confidentiality. Consent. Boundaries.â
She stared at him for a moment. âAnd you? What do you do here? Besides sit in velvet and look... like that.â
He smiled again, but slower this time, like he appreciated the jab. âI run this place. I built it. I make sure the hungry donât get sloppy, and the desperate donât disappear. Thatâs my job.â
âAnd if I disappear anyway?â
Stackâs smile faded, not into anger, but into something quieter. He looked at her in that same scanning way from before. Like he was looking past the makeup, past the attitude, down into the parts of her she didnât let people touch.
âYou got people whoâd come looking for you?â
Eden thought of her dad. His voice on the phone, always clipped when she brought up music or asked for help. She thought of her name on the caller ID and the way he probably paused before letting it go to voicemail.
âNo,â she said. âNot really.â
Stack didnât look surprised. âThen youâre the kind of girl this place was made for.â
The room settled into stillness again, thick as gumbo. The only sound was the soft buzz of something electrical and the faint thump of music far beneath them. Edenâs thoughts were running in circles, dragging every old warning and new curiosity with them.
She thought about her bank account. About the way her car shuddered when she turned the key. About the silk dress she wanted to wear for her next show that still sat in the consignment window with a tag she couldnât afford.
She thought about her voice. That gift she was chasing like it owed her something. Every sacrifice. Every studio hour. Every burnt-out candle and scribbled lyric.
And then she thought about this room. This man. This offer that felt like it came from a door she didnât know sheâd already opened.
âWhat happens if I say yes?â she asked.
Stackâs eyes didnât blink. âThen Iâll take care of you. Iâll make sure youâre fed, rested, paid. Protected. You give me your time and a little of your blood. I give you everything else.â
âAnd if I want more?â she asked, softer now. âNot just money. I want freedom. A little power of my own.â
For the first time, something shifted in his face. Not surprise, but interest. Real interest.
âYouâd be surprised what blood can buy,â he said. âEspecially when itâs yours.â
Eden exhaled slow. She didnât know if she believed him, but she wanted to. That scared her more than anything.
She looked down at her chipped nail polish, at the ring she kept on her pinky for good luck, then back up at him.
âIâll try it,â she said. âOnce.â
Stack nodded like he already knew. He stood again and reached into his jacket, pulling out a folded piece of parchment. Not paper. Parchment. The kind that smelled like it belonged in a museum. He laid it on the table with a small, weighted pen.
âName, date, initials here and here. Once you sign, the room changes.â
Eden raised an eyebrow. âWhat does that mean?â
She stared at the parchment. Her heart thumped a little faster now, but she didnât hesitate.
She signed.
And the room breathed.
Not literally, but thatâs how it felt. The wallpaper shifted, shadows deepened. Something behind her spine tingled, as if the walls were watching now.
Stack watched her, too. âYou hungry?â
Eden blinked. âA little.â
He extended a hand. This time, she took it.
His hand was cool. Not cold like death, just cooler than it shouldâve been. Like he hadnât been touched by sun or sweat in years. Eden followed him through a second doorway that hadnât been there a moment ago. She couldâve sworn that wall was solid when she walked in. Now it opened like a secret.
The new room was quieter. Darker, too, but not in a threatening way. It felt... sacred. The lighting came from candles tucked into glass sconces, their flames barely flickering. The walls were painted a deep garnet that made the space feel like it had been dipped in wine. Heavy curtains hung in the corners like they were hiding more than windows.
At the center of the room sat a low velvet couch and a wide leather chair shaped like a throne, but not gaudy. Worn in. Like someone had loved it for a long time. The air smelled faintly of clove and something richer, something warm. It wrapped around her like a robe.
âSit wherever youâre comfortable,â Stack said, his voice lower now, closer to a whisper.
Eden moved to the couch. Her legs didnât feel like her own anymore. The velvet was soft under her fingers, like the kind of fabric rich people bought without checking the price tag. She leaned back and took a breath.
Stack remained standing. He didnât hover, didnât crowd her. Just watched.
âIâm going to ask again,â he said. âAre you hungry?â
Eden nodded. âYeah.â
He smiled, slower this time. Less show. More meaning.
âGood. Then weâll make it clean.â
He walked over to a cabinet near the back of the room and pulled out a shallow silver bowl, etched with symbols she didnât recognize. Then he lit a bundle of dried herbs and let the smoke curl into the corners. It didnât choke the air, just warmed it, changed it. Eden felt something loosen in her chest. The fear didnât vanish, but it dulled.
âThis is how we start,â he said. âNo one touches without consent. You say stop, I stop. You say no, weâre done. Say the word mercy if anything feels wrong.â
She nodded. âMercy.â
âGood girl.â
The words shouldâve felt patronizing. But they didnât. They felt like a key turning in a door.
He set the bowl on a low table beside the couch, then took off his gloves. His hands were ringed in gold and the veins under his skin looked faintly violet, like there was something strange running through him.
âWhere?â
Edenâs throat went dry.
She remembered the ad. Neck. Thigh. Wrist. Options like a damn menu. It sounded transactional until it was real. Until you had to say it out loud to someone who would actually do it.
She tilted her head, just slightly, exposing her throat.
âNeck,â she said. âJust there.â
Stack moved slowly, no rush in him. He came to sit beside her, close but careful, like she was a page in a holy book he wasnât sure he had permission to read. He didnât touch her at first. Just looked.
His eyes had that same violet glow, soft and low like candlelight. There was no hunger in them, not the way sheâd imagined. No animal in the shadows. Just need, steady and patient.
He brushed her curls back with a single finger. His touch was deliberate. Reverent.
âYouâll feel pressure,â he said. âThen warmth.â
She nodded, even though her heart was hammering so hard she could barely hear her own breath.
He leaned in.
His mouth was cool against her skin, not open at first. Just resting there. Then she felt it. A brief, sharp ache, like a pinprick from a needle that knew where to go. Not pain exactly. More like being opened.
Then came the warmth. A slow pull that tugged at her chest and her belly and somewhere deeper. It was dizzying. She gripped the couch cushion beside her and let her eyes fall shut.
She thought it would feel like something being taken from her. But it didnât. It felt like something shared. Something circular. Like her blood was telling a story and he was just listening, slow and careful, taking only what he needed.
When he pulled back, he let out a slow breath against her skin.
âThatâs enough.â
Eden blinked her eyes open. Her limbs felt light, her mind foggy but soft, like sheâd just come out of a warm bath.
He pressed a cool cloth to her neck, then leaned back to give her space.
âHow do you feel?â he asked.
She had to think about it. Then she smiled.
âLike I just got kissed by something dangerous.â
Stack chuckled, low and pleased. âThatâs because you did.â
He stood and reached for a small black envelope on the side table. Inside was a stack of crisp bills. Cash. The real kind. Eden took it with fingers that still tingled.
âThis is yours,â he said. âFor tonight.â
She didnât count it. She didnât need to.
Stack looked down at her, head slightly tilted. âYou ever want more, you know where to find me.â
Eden stood, a little shakier than she expected. She gathered her purse, her keys, her thoughts. Her neck still throbbed gently, but not in a bad way.
âThank you,â she said, unsure if that was the right thing to say.
âYouâre welcome,â he said. âAnd Eden?â
She turned.
His eyes were glowing again, soft but unreadable.
âYou were made for this.â
She didnât answer. She just walked out into the night, heart pounding, mouth dry, and mind racing. The street outside was the same as when sheâd arrived. But she wasnât.
Not anymore.
The rust-colored Honda didnât shudder this time. It purred like it was just as stunned as she was.
Eden drove with the windows down, letting the thick New Orleans night wrap around her like a wet velvet shawl. The air was rich with honeysuckle, oil, and the ghost of a second line that had long since moved on. Her neck still buzzed, not with pain, but with presence. A lingering echo of fangs and breath and a moment that felt like it cracked something open inside her.
She rolled past the neon flicker of corner stores and daiquiri shops, the cracked sidewalks of uptown giving way to potholes and porch lights. Her thoughts moved as slowly as her car did. Heavy, syrupy things that stuck to the edges of her brain and refused to form full sentences.
Sheâd sold her blood. Just handed it over like a receipt. Signed her name on a scroll older than any contract sheâd ever seen. Sat inches from a man with glowing eyes and a golden fang and said yes.
And yet⊠she didnât feel wrong.
Her heartbeat was steady now, settled. Her limbs were loose and lazy, like her body knew something she didnât. Like it had crossed a threshold and didnât see a reason to go back.
At a red light, she glanced at the cash in her passenger seat. Real money. More than sheâd made in a month of folding sweaters at the campus bookstore. Her fingers twitched with the urge to count it, to be sure, but something in her resisted. That wasnât what mattered.
What mattered was how she felt. And for once, it wasnât desperate.
It was dangerous.
She parked outside her apartment just after two a.m., the same flickering streetlamp buzzing above her like always. Normally, she wouldâve slumped inside, peeled off her shoes, microwaved something sad, and stared at her ceiling until sleep came to find her. But tonight she sat still in the car, engine off, listening to the sound of cicadas and the low rumble of the city that never really slept.
She touched her neck. There was no bandage. Just skin. Tender, yes, but smooth.
Like heâd never been there.
But he had. And her body remembered.
When she finally made it inside, Eden didnât bother undressing. She collapsed onto her bed face-up, curls fanned across the pillow, clothes still sticking to her from the sweat of the night. She meant to scroll her phone, maybe check her email. Instead, sleep came hard and fast.
And with it, the dream.
She was back in the velvet room, but everything was softer. Louder. Redder. The walls pulsed like they had a heartbeat. Candles melted into puddles on the floor, filling the air with the smell of blood-orange and clove.
Stack stood across from her, suit jacket off now. The sleeves of his burgundy shirt rolled to the elbows. The gold on his wrist glinted in the candlelight, and his grill caught her eye when he smiled.
Not a smirk. Not cold.
This smile was hot and low and deliberate.
He crossed the room without a word, steps soundless, until his hands were on her waist. His touch wasnât demanding. It was magnetic. Her body leaned in before her mind caught up.
âStill not scared?â he murmured.
His voice brushed her skin like silk and sin.
âNo,â she said, or maybe just thought it. In dreams, it didnât matter.
He pressed his forehead to hers, just long enough for her to feel the thrum of something ancient behind his skin. Then his lips traced the spot on her neck heâd bitten. Not kissing. Not quite.
Tasting.
She gasped.
And woke up breathless.
Her bedroom was dark and quiet. The fan whirred above her, and outside someoneâs dog barked once, then stopped. Her skin was slick with sweat, but she didnât feel hot.
She felt hollow. Wired. A little drunk on something that hadnât happened.
She stared at the ceiling, heart pounding, and reached for her phone.
The screen lit her face in blue, and for a moment, she didnât recognize herself. Her eyes were too sharp. Her lips too calm. She looked like someone with secrets. The kind of girl you warned people about.
Eden opened her messages and scrolled to the last number in her phone.
504-9VAMPYR.
She stared at it for a long minute, thumb hovering. Then she typed three words.
Whenâs the next?
She hit send. No emoji. No punctuation. Just intent.
The message delivered with a quiet chime.
And Eden leaned back in her bed, the dream still clinging to her skin like smoke.
Thought of another Elias âStackâ Moore ideaâŠ
Imagine the OC is a college student (or whatever) in the early 2000s looking for a way to make some money. Itâs set in the South (Atlanta, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas) wherever and while searching online she comes across an add to become a donor and make some fast cashâŠ
She applied and finds out that this donor job is to allow a vampire to feed from you for money. Also, you can go a step further and become the vampireâs personal âfang bangerâ or âcasket thumperâ signing oath to keep things secret đ supernatural stuff arenât known to many, so doing this is risky in itself.
Earnings also depend on where you want to be bitten and how fare to take itâŠexample (neck: $300 an hour. Inner thigh: $550 an hour)
Iâm not writing this but imagine how that would go?!
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