When you had imagined what the Beskar Beast looked like, you'd always thought of the most skin-crawling features. You pictured lumpy green flesh and black eyes, twisted teeth and no hair because that's what monsters should look like. They were supernatural creatures designed to hurt and terrify those around them, it was only fitting that they'd look the part.
But this monster? He did not look like that.
The helmet hit the table hard behind you, your eyes widening as the Beast caged you against the hardwood. Unruly brown hair fell across the creature's forehead, curling over his ears and against his cheek. You leaned back when he pulled close, gritted teeth flashing from beneath full lips. His nose was sloped and strong and he was younger than you'd expected. The only thing that would have raised alarms had you seen him out in town was his eyes.
A maroon gaze, framed by thick lashes, stared down at you. They were the colour of blood, the very thing he wanted from you, what he needed to consume.
"This is what I am," he murmured, dark brows furrowed. His voice was raw, free of the vocoder in his helmet and you felt your body flush. It held the same rasp but somehow now, it was much more intimate ot hear him speak. Quickly, you were reminded of the severity of the situation when he gritted his teeth. Alarm tugged on your spine as two sharp canines gleamed in the light from behind his lips. Fangs.
He was beautiful.
But there was something so, so wrong.
Your body screamed at the sight of him, dumping adrenaline into your system and begging you to run. Nausea rose in your stomach and all you knew was that it was unsafe to be near him, that your life was in danger, growing with every second you stood there.
"That feeling you have?" The Beast rasped with a knowing nod,"that feeling is your survival instincts telling you that you're going to die if you don't run."
Dark strands of hair brushed along his lashes as spoke, shadowing his eyes. The Beast appraised you for a long moment while you processed; as if this was also his first time seeing you. That blood-red gaze scoured your features just as you scanned his, devouring every inch of your image and committing it to memory.
"But if you run," he lowered his eyes, his fingers rapping against the hardwood behind you, "it triggers… something. I can't stop myself from chasing."
You choked. If the sight of him kicked your flight instinct into gear, which in turn triggered his predator drive…. It was a trap. His very existence was a trap. He made you want to run because he needed it.
You knew then that this was a different kind of monster.
He was not an ugly, demented creature, and not something that would appear in your nightmares. The Beskar Beast was much worse. He was designed to lure you in, to overcome your common sense and hijack your logic; he'd convince you to bare your neck to him- only for him to tear it out.
He was the kind of monster that beckoned you to death, he did not force you into it.
The Beast made you crave it.
That is why he'd said you would be afraid, not by his appearance, but by how you would feel. Your entire body was at war.
A tear slipped from your lashes.
The monster followed it with his gaze, he watched as it trailed your cheek and down your neck. He groaned softly at the bob of your throat before dragging his eyes to meet yours. They were darker now, dangerous quiet flooding the space between you.
"Are you afraid?" The words were a whisper, beating against your lips as gentle as a breath. Another tear fell as you pleaded with your body to pull away from him, you begged your hands to strike at the creature. The Beast frowned, his thumb swiping at the droplet running from him while you remained frozen beneath his touch.
"Yes," you shuddered. He blinked, that full mouth parting for a split second before his expression hardened once more.
"Good."
The Beast took a step back, taking his helmet with him as he did. He raised his finger to tap your chin and the second he made contact you could breathe again. Your knees wobbled beneath you and you gripped the table hard, forcing your body to stay upright.
"You know not to run," the Beast eyed you meaningfully, tucking his helmet beneath his arm. "It never turns out well."
You stared at the monster with growing horror. The women before you must have died that way, hunted down by a Mandalorian creature and drained of their blood. In an attempt to save their own life, they'd doomed it. You would not die like that, you'd die on your own terms.
"You're cruel," you whispered, braving a step towards the demon. His eyes glittered with surprise, brows shooting upward. "Kill me now and be done with this. Take what you need and free me."
His mouth turned hard and you watched the muscles of his jaw twitch. "We're done here."
The Beast pulled the helmet back over his head, glaring down at you through his visor. Your heart raced at the prospect of those maroon eyes watching you without consequence.
"Dinner is mandatory," the creature stood tall as he spoke, creating distance between your bodies. "Whatever you do until then is up to you."
"What about you?" You asked shakily. When the Beast tilted his head, you took that as your cue to continue. "How will you… collect?"
"Collect?..."
Your blood simmered beneath your skin as you gestured toward your neck vaguely. You didn't know how else to put it and if you had to try you thought you might've thrown up. The monster inhaled sharply.
"Tomorrow."
That was all that he deigned to say before he turned on his heels and disappeared into the darkness.
_
"It's not a nice experience," Cara winced, leaning back into her chair with a sigh. The intimidating woman had come knocking on your door the next morning armed with Peli and a tray of Tarine tea and porridge. You hadn't known there were Tarine leaves on Nevarro and you couldn't believe that the Beast of all people had managed to get his hands on it.
"Understatement of the century," Peli scoffed, rubbing the back of her neck roughly. "He's got sharp kriffin' teeth- it freaks me out."
You dropped your face into your trembling hands, letting loose a groan from deep within your chest. Again you wondered how you'd managed to get yourself into this situation.
"It won't kill me though?" You asked, pulling your gaze from your palms.
"Not if he can stop," Peli shrugged. "He's pretty good with that."
Pretty good?
Your life hung in the balance and the best reassurance that you had was a half-assed shrug from a curly-haired menace.
"Has he done… that… to you?" You ventured carefully. It must be traumatic to have someone you serve tear into your throat and you didn't want to trip any emotional wires.
"What? Feed?" Cara guaffed.
"Kriff no," Peli waved her hand at you dismissively. "He can't. It's the one part of the curse I'm grateful for."
You sat up straight on the bed, wariness long forgotten. There was a curse? You wanted to push the subject but by the way the woman immediately sunk in her chair, you figured you'd be getting nothing out of her. Clearly, you weren't meant to know about it… but it was so obviously relevant to your life. Why didn't you deserve to know?
As if on cue, Cara's commlink sounded with a series of beeps.
Your stomach dropped.
The air in the room suddenly felt heavy and the prospect of this mysterious 'curse' was long forgotten. The Beast had said that he would be collecting his debt from you today, but you'd half expected him to ignore you after the dinner fiasco.
"Well," Peli clapped her hands, standing to her feet with a huff. "You look like a Hutt, go get dressed and clean up."
You didn't miss the exchange of grim looks between her and Cara.
As you got changed, you contemplated what the next hour might look like for you. And as you were ushered out of your room and into the hallway, their silence indicated that it would not be good.
You had been expecting the dungeon or maybe a toneless room that made you more nervous than the Beast. However, for the first time throughout the entirety of this ordeal, you were pleasantly surprised.
It looked like a cozy lounge room you'd see in the homes from the wealthier district of town. There were no windows, instead the walls were adorned with stacked shelving and intricate artworks hanging delicately from the space in hadn't seen real parchment in so long, the books of old and stories that you could physically touch. Holo-libraries had taken over well before your time, it wasn't often you'd see a real book.
There was a cushy arrangement of lounges, all leather and all black with an array of pillows scattered across the cushions. Had you not known any better, you would have though that this was someone's safe haven. Maybe a quiet place to seek reprieve.
But if you had been called there then you suspected this room, bathed in candlelight and a false sense of security, had been the last thing many women had seen.
"I need to explain how this will work."
You jumped, whirling to face the doorway behind you. The Beast stood there, leaning against the doorway with folded arms and a solemn expression.
"Maker," you gasped, placing a hand over your heart, "you scared me."
The creature shot you a withering look and had this not been such a dire situation, you might have laughed. You were surprised to see that he wore none of his armour, just a black modified flight suit. There was a thick belt slung around his waist and a multitude of pockets fitted to the clothing, definitely re-made to suit the specifics of his lifestyle. You assumed that's what he was wearing beneath all of that beskar and a shot of electricity pinched your spine.
It was strangely intimate seeing him like this, completely bare and on display. Clearly, you were not a threat to the mighty protector of Nevarro and you only wished that he was not such a threat to you.
As those maroon eyes slid over your figure slowly from his place by the door, you scrambled for words to offer.
"Well, how would we do this then?" You stammered, crossing your arms over your chest. You then realised that you were subconsciously mimicking him and promptly clasped your hands behind your back.
The Beast dropped his head as he pushed off from the door frame, lazily approaching you. That same nausea you had felt at dinner began to tug at the depths of your stomach and you gulped down the sudden rush of dizziness assaulting your head. You wanted to leave, it was an abrupt sense of urgency telling you to flee, to run as fast as you could and never look back. But you knew what that was and you would not be a victim to that game. So, you grit your teeth and forced yourself to stand still as the monster drew closer.
"You should sit," he nodded towards the couch beside you both, hand hovering above your back as he guided you down.
"Well," you beckoned him to continue, your nerve slowly fizzling out the longer you sat pinned beneath that blood-red gaze. "Is there a needle? A blood donation?"
The Beast scoffed, flicking away a stray curl that lay twisted by his lashes. The move was so human you were shocked by how easily this creature could pass as one of you.
"I will need to bite you," he said, clenching his jaw. You knew that. You had been hopeful that the options you'd suggested might have been enough for him, but you weren't stupid. Those fangs that waited behind full lips were not for decoration.
"Will it hurt?" You whispered, wringing your hands together in your lap. The Beast watched the movement for a second before responding.
"Yes," the creature hesitated, "it will be excruciating."
"Will it kill me?" You shuddered.
"Not if you don't try to run."
You stared at him for a long moment, the urge to flee so strong that you almost convinced yourself that you might escape him if you really tried.
"There's a procedure for this," the Beast almost sounded as though he were trying to comfort you. "You won't die. I could even make it painless."
You perked up, suddenly the thought of having someone tearing into your neck didn't seem so bad if there was a way to take out the pain in the equation.
"You can do that?" You rasped, relief flooding your system.
The Beast leaned back against the lounge and dropped his gaze. When his fingers twitched and tapped against his lap, you realised that this 'saving grace' may not be what you'd hoped.
"I have the ability to numb you," the Beast nodded.
"How?" You ventured warily, almost afraid to know the answer.
The monster looked less like a monster and more like a man as he coughed uncomfortably. When he finally looked at you, his gaze lowered from your eyes to your lips.
"I-" the Beast's voice trailed off. "My kiss."
You blinked at him.
"The kiss will numb you."