Chapter 1: Lurking in the woods
Arthur stood in the middle of his room. Having just drank his nightly dose of blood. He sat comfortably in his chair and forced back the effect of whoever's blood this was. He cared very little of whose blood each pack consisted. He had a book in his hand and busied himself with it in the process.
He sighed as he heard footsteps approaching. Work, again. A knock sounded at his door.
"Enter!"
"Sir you are needed." The young vampire, of only just 73 years of cold blood in him, declared.
With a huff of annoyance he closed the book quickly with a thud and stood up. He wore his black tight vest securing the buttons quickly which set nicely around his waist and torso. His white soft shirt was complemented by it with the sleeves ballooned around his strong arms. He wore his leather boots that reached his knee and all in all he looked like he always did.
The hot, blond, vampire leader of this coven, Arthur Pendragon.
His boots tapped against the rock floor as he followed the lad to where he was needed. They took the spiral stairs of the northern exit of the coven's castle. There he found his most trusted man Leon and his old friend Percival.
"What is going on?" Arthur demanded.
Leon span around "Ah! My Lord." His expression indicated that this were not good news, to Arthur dislike. "We've been informed that someone is trying to breach our security."
"Well..." Percival exclaimed "... breached it already is more like it."
"Again?" he shouted. "This is the second time this is happening in a week! Are you not capable of doing your job?"
"Well we would, have we not been knocked out before we could see what it is that is attacking us the first time, it's a good thing that our traps worked efficiently, otherwise they would already succeed in whatever it is that they are trying to." Leon explained himself.
"And yet they manage to escape again before we even got to see who it was."
"Well it's no vampire for sure. Those silver cages are unbreakable even for us." Percival assured him.
"All I hear is excuses!" he yelled and shoved passed them walking further away from the entrance. "Must I do everything myself?" he mumbled. "Follow me!" and with that the three of them sped off.
The Pendragon Castle was built in the middle of a vast and huge ground of forest, fields and small pools and lakes. The road to the nearest city, in human speed, was five hours on foot and for vampires just a matter of thought. Hypothetically speaking, as the walls around the Pendragon properties are protected by high alert security guards, trusted humans at day and vampires at night. For someone to step foot on these grounds without permission was impossible. Or so it would seem, given the present circumstances.
When they reached the borders, all Arthur saw was guards on the ground unconscious, not only humans but vampires alike, no injuries or even a scratch on them. Whatever it was that attacked, never meant to kill them off. The guards were stirring, coming back to consciousness.
"What on earth?" he wondered, looking at his highly trained guards.
Then he felt it, a presence lurking, hiding in the gathering of trees just a few steps near him. It was strange. There was a certain smell in the air. It wasn't unpleasant, not in the least. Therefore it was definitely not a werewolf. Those dogs wouldn't dare to break the Contract.
"What is it Arthur?" Leon asked.
"Can you smell it?" He approached the trees slowly, like a tiger approaching his pray. His steps were slow and careful.
"Smell what?"
A movement, someone was running through the trees. Whatever it was, their speed wasn't human. Arthur could only see a figure disappearing for a few seconds only to reappear a bit further to where they run before. It was like teleporting multiple times.
"There!"
They run behind it, trying hard to keep up. At that moment some of the other guards found their consciousness and joined them just a few steps behind them.
"Surround it!" Leon commanded and with that the group split into three teams.
The figure was getting slower, maybe the powers they possessed were wearing of. Arthur didn't care for the cause as long as it worked for him. The groups started to surround it leaving no exits of escape. The trees cleared and they reached a small clearing to where the figure continued to run. Arthur could clearly se now a tall, male appearance with a hooded cloak.
Then the figure was surrounded. It was ridiculous how one man needed that many vampires to get caught. Arthur stood where their prey stopped.
"You are caught little thing."
The guards approached him quickly with vampire speed. They grabbed his arms and pushed him down. He kneeled on the cold grass.
"Take him inside. Sun's about to rise."
"Yes sir."
They were in the common room where Arthur was sprawled on the velvety, red sofa and the rest of vampires stood around him. The women dressed in long, dark-colour dresses that sparkled and exposed there full breasts, their eyes covered with perfect shadowy make up and lips as red as blood. The men were as gorgeous as the women, dressed in expensive pieces of clothing, tight around their strong bodies. They stood tall and graceful such creatures as they were.
Leon and Percival stood near Arthur as always, at either sides of the sofa. Gwen sat next to him leaning on the right side. The four of them led the coven, with Arthur being the oldest and Gwen following just a couple of centuries away. Yes, years were authority here, no one could deny that.
The guards walked in with the still cloaked man, the hood hiding his face. They made him kneel in front of them and then removed his hood forcefully.
Arthur tried hard to not hiss and let his fangs appear at the side in front of him. The most beautiful thing he had ever seen. A man with skin as white as snow, lips deliciously full and rosy, hair unruly and dark and his eyes the clearest blue just like he remembered the morning sky to be. But what turned him on, most of all, was his smell. Oh, how sweet and delicious he smelled and how mouth-watering his blood would be. Had they been alone he would have ravished him already.
He composed himself and spoke.
"I am guessing you are the same one that tried to trespass last time as well." The man looked at him as if dumbfounded. "Well you can start by telling us your name and what the hell you are."
The man looked around him catching a glimpse of all the vampires that looked at him as food, or so he thought. Dark and wild eyes were all looking at him.
"You seem afraid." Arthur teased him, he leaned in closer, elbows on his knees and fingers entwined in front of his chin. "So you come here breaking into our security not once, twice, who knows what you tried to achieve, obviously you know what we are and you come here willingly, yet you are afraid." He paused and looked at him intently "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're an idiot."
Laughs and chuckles filled the room.
"Well…" the young man said. "I know what you are."
"Ah! So he can speak!" more laughter. "Do tell little thing what am I?"
"You are a prat!" he said. "And a royal one at that."
"Am I really?"
"Yes, I met a lot of creatures you know, vampires, werewolves, shifters even trolls!" He looked at him in the eyes as if he would pierce him with his glare. "But none of those creatures are as pompous and arrogant as vampires!"
Arthur was the only one to laugh. "You amuse me little thing! So brave of you to insult a vampire in his own house."
"You call this a house?" he mumbled.
Arthur was about to retort but Gwen jumped in. "Arthur, it's dawn soon. Let's just decide what to do with him and retire."
"I say we beat 'im till 'e can't remember himself!" Owain said.
"Let's just put him in a dungeon and drain his blood till he regrets coming here!" another one said.
"Seems like a waste, wouldn't it? I agree with her!"
Arthur raised a hand "No." He said quietly, not once breaking his eye contact with the strange man. "I will have him as mine." Everyone seemed disappointed and kind of surprised by Arthur's decision.
"Everyone! Dismissed!" and with that everyone stood up and slowly took their leave. "Take him to my rooms." He ordered the guards and they dragged him away.
The room suddenly felt stuffy, Arthur noticed, as only he Gwen, Percival and Leon were left.
"Well," Gwen started. "this is quite a turn of events."
"I'll say!" Percival remarked. "You never had someone as yours before."
"Well there is always a first time!" Leon said with a childish smile on his face.
"If you all are quite done with making fun of me, I shall retire now."
Gwen touched his hand affectionately. "Yes Arthur, go have fun!" She smiled widely.
"Gwen seriously! You too?"
The three of them couldn't stop grinning and chuckling and laughing as Arthur left the room annoyed.
The young man was shoved in a room and stayed there alone for a good long while. The room was big and spacious. He looked around. A vampire's place should have been dark, creepy. He always thought that a vampire's lair would look more like a dragon's den, but everything he knew would not be as he thought it would. The castle was huge, as if it was a whole world contained in the stoned high walls. It was their home, even if it was hard to believe.
The main part of this room, where Merlin stood, was what would seem a living room. Dark green couches with fluffy cushions took place in the centre of it, carpets were unravelled across the floor and huge shelves covered the wall, they were filled with books ancient and new and all kinds of parchment rolled up and placed neatly and carefully. Candles of all kinds of shades of yellow lit the place, although they were hardly needed since vampires could see in the dark. Their light illuminating against the dark rock walls of the cave giving a very cosy and comfortable feeling.
The man's mind came back to reality and his character fell in place, focusing to what he was meant to do here. Just as he was about to head further into the room in search for it the door opened.
The stupid, blonde prat came into what he assumed to be his quarters. The vampire closed the door behind him and took a look at his new possession.
"Are you going to tell me your name or are you still going to act all stubborn?"
The other man just looked at him with an unreadable expression on. Arthur sighed and went on to stand by his desk. He started to examine his papers, trying very hard to distract his hunger and desire for the man, even if he had just fed.
"So..." the thin man started "What is this?"
"What is what?" Arthur asked in return not breaking his current reading of the reports.
"This!" He threw a hand in the air. "Me being held captive in this place! How long is it going to last? I have other stuff to do you know, not everyone is as lazy as you vampires."
"You are mine. Meaning, it will last for as long as I like and you can stop hoping of ever leaving here."
"I can leave whenever I wish to!"
Arthur looked at him in bewilderment and then gave a small laugh. "Just try! I will hunt you down and bring you back."
"If you dare touch me you'll regret it."
"I can take you apart with one blow."
"I can take you apart with less than that."
"You are really cocky for your age I'll give you that! How old are you anyway?" He stood up and walked slowly towards him.
"That's for me to know."
Arthur had enough of this little brat. He sped off to reach him quickly, taking his jaw, not too hard, in his hand, his face inches away from him, his breath hot against his cheek.
"Do not challenge me. You do not want to." He warned him.
If Merlin was honest with himself he would admit he was shit scared right now. His babbling and talent of talking back got him very often in situations as dangerous as this and he knew very well the outcomes of it.
"So what does it mean, my Lord?" he asked with an evident tone of sarcasm. "Being "yours?""
Arthur's hand travelled from his jaw where his hand touched the man down his throat, trying to trace the veins under that ivory smooth skin with his fingers.
"It means that I get to feed from you. Have you for my own needs." Arthur's lips were now brushing against his jaw and higher up to his earlobe. "Sex is what usually happens in situations like this, as well." He whispered darkly in his ear and then his lips were barely touching those soft, rosy lips. "And in return, I protect you, I take care of you and make sure you don't do anything as stupid as walking into a coven full of vampires." Then it happened, The First Connection.
The kiss was wet, hot and messy. Both men didn't know what came over them. They desperately kissed one another, deepening and coming as close as they could. Their hips crushing against each other as Arthur placed a hand on the small of his back, bringing him closer until there was no space between them. He nudged those beautiful lips open with his tongue, the other man welcoming him in and panting hard as he opened for entrance. A small moan was all it took and Arthur undid the knot of his cape, letting it fall down and taking off his jacket, buttons opening quickly under his eager hands. The man was left with only his thin white shirt.
The kiss broke as Arthur leaned down to his throat, his nose nuzzling against it. He breathed in the intoxicating smell and the frenzy took over. With a click his fangs were extracted and he was ready to dig them in before the man's hand rode up to Arthur's head to thread that golden hair so affectionately, like no one ever had.
"Merlin." He said "My name is Merlin."
Arthur smiled. Something he didn't let Merlin see. "Merlin." He repeated the word in his tongue feeling so familiar, feeling like it belong to him.
He licked the side of his throat and then his fangs sunk in, breaking that beautiful, white skin. Arthur drank. The taste was unlike anything, any kind of sensation he had experienced before. The texture soft and thick and the taste unimaginably delicious. It was almost scary to Arthur, how he could not think of any possible way of stopping.
Merlin gasped trying to breathe for air. His vision went blurry and unfocused. He never felt this before. Not the whole blood drinking thing, because that was something he knew. It was so... pleasurable. Yes, it was ecstatic. He didn't want this to end. If he was about to be taken to oblivion he wouldn't care. He would let Arthur do it. It seems ironic how something he thought of being dangerous and life-threatening made him become so utterly undone before this man.
Merlin whimpered as he felt his knees go weak. They bend and he thought he would fall, but Arthur held him tightly and securely in his embrace. And that was also the tag line for Arthur to stop. Anytime now. Soon. In a bit. Just a little more.
"Arthur." A small, raspy, quiet voice exclaimed. Merlin didn't know if he called for him to stop or continue.
He lost all strength and he went numb in Arthur arms and that was when Arthur stopped. He licked a small river of blood that fell from the bite marks not wanting to waste a drop. He retracted his fangs and put a hand under Merlin's knees, picking him up. Guilt washed over him when he so how paler the man in his arms looked. He walked through an archway, that lead to another room with a huge, comfortable bed, the candles starting to die.
He placed Merlin gently on the bed gently, removing his boots and then slowly sitting next to him. He took a look at his face, his blue eyes half hidden by his eyelids. Arthur smiled triumphantly at the view.
"Don't fool yourself..." he woozily tried to argue. "You are still a prat." He lifted a finger swaying it ungracefully in the air.
"We are going to have to work on your language young man."
"Not staying..." he struggled to say.
"We'll see about that. Something tells me you won't want to go."
"Mmmm..." Merlin closed his eyes and let the weak feeling in his bones take over. Sleep came soon and he just breathed steadily from his parted lips.
Arthur traced a thumb on his cheek. "Sleep well Merlin."
A/N- My characters are influenced from the Underworld movie series