A Tale of Blood and Roses

Vaughn returned to the room, his face looking damp and pale as if he had been exerting himself physically or was troubled by his thoughts. He entered the bathroom, and the sound of running water filled the air as he had a bath. After a few minutes, he exited the bathroom, wearing a fresh set of clothes. As he gazed at the figure lying on the couch, he couldn't help but notice how peaceful she looked. Her hands were clutched tightly together, and her eyes were shut tightly as if she were trying to block out the world. Her white porcelain skin was a beautiful sight to behold, and Vaughn thought to himself that she seemed cute, lying there so serenely. Right now, what was important was to finish sorting out the documents that lay scattered on the table. Vaughn needed to focus on the task at hand, but he couldn't help but steal another glance at the human lying on the couch. He noticed that she might catch a cold, lying there with no covering, and his instincts told him to take care of her. Without thinking, Vaughn grabbed a blanket that lay draped over the back of the couch and gently covered her with it. He made sure that she was comfortable, and then he turned his attention to the documents that needed his attention. Vaughn sat down at the table, flipping through the documents with a sense of purpose. He began to sort them out, his mind focused on the task at hand. As he worked, he couldn't help but steal glances at the human lying on the couch.

Morning dawned, and Layla's eyes flickered open, her gaze darting to the comfy, smooth material that covered her. "Could it be that the vampire is back?" she wondered, her mind still foggy from sleep. She stood up immediately, seeing Vaughn emerge from the bathroom with a towel draped around his neck and his shirtless torso on full display. Her eyes widened, and she quickly looked down, her gaze startling the ground. She felt a flush rise to her cheeks as she realized that Vaughn was half-naked. Vaughn grabbed his shirt and pants, wearing them as he gazed at the human whose face was kept low.

"Layla," he called, his voice firm but calm, breaking the silence in the room. She looked up, meeting his gaze, but this time she didn't look away. She felt a sense of trepidation as she met his eyes, wondering what the day would bring.

"Yes, Master," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Go have your bath, let's get going," Vaughn instructed, his tone brooking no argument.

Layla nodded and walked to the bathroom, locking the door behind her before washing her skin. The warm water felt refreshing against her skin, and she took a moment to collect her thoughts. Her body felt refreshed as she wore her previous clothes, stepping out with damp hair that she hadn't taken the time to dry. She would have to find a way to dry it later, but for now, she had to focus on the task at hand. Vaughn gazed at Layla as she approached him, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in her appearance. He picked up the chain lying on the bed and chained her neck, dragging her with him. Layla followed, her heart racing with anticipation. She wondered where they were going and what would happen when they got there.

As they arrived at a table full of vampires, Layla's gaze darted around the room, taking in the sea of unfamiliar faces. Her eyes landed on a young female vampire, who was drinking from a glass cup filled with blood. The female vampire looked up, catching Layla's gaze, and smiled. Vaughn sat down, crossing his legs as he surveyed the room. One of the vampires stared at him, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "You got a new slave," he stated, his voice dripping with intrigue."I decided to get one," Vaughn replied, his tone nonchalant, as if getting a new slave was an everyday occurrence . Layla turned, freezing as her eyes caught hold of someone she hadn't expected to see. If the ground could swallow her, she would have agreed. She stood near her master, her head bent low, trying to avoid drawing attention to herself. Draven took a seat, taking the glass of blood from the table.

"Draven, where have you been for the past months?" the young female vampire asked, her voice tinged with curiosity. Draven adjusted his chair before replying, "I went to catch some prey, but seems brother already caught some ready." He turned to Vaughn, a hint of amusement in his eyes. Vaughn ignored the jests and sat still, his expression unreadable. A huge man, who looked more like Vaughn, appeared and sat down with a pretty human with curves. She followed suit, her eyes fixed on Layla. 

"Vaughn, I heard you have a pet," the man muttered, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Yes, Father," Vaughn replied, his tone neutral, not rising to the bait.

"I'm proud of you, son. You're becoming more like your father," his father said, a hint of approval in his voice. He smiled, seeming to savor the moment, and Layla could sense the pride emanating from him. The atmosphere in the room was tense, but his father's words seemed to ease the tension slightly.

Draven smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Why don't you go ahead and tell us about your experience in the human world?" he asked, his tone dripping with curiosity. He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers together as he waited for Vaughn's response. The other vampires in the room seemed to lean in, their eyes fixed on Vaughn with interest. Vaughn sat still, his expression unreadable. "If nothing reasonable is being said, I would like to be excused," he replied, his voice firm but polite. He didn't wait for a response, instead dragging Layla with him as he stood up. His hand held tight around her wrist, and she felt a jolt of surprise at the sudden movement. She stumbled slightly, trying to keep up with Vaughn's long strides. They left the room, descending the stairs they had climbed just two minutes ago. The atmosphere in the room seemed to grow more tense with their departure, and Layla could sense the weight of the vampires' gazes on her back. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she realized that she was completely at Vaughn's mercy.A slave passed by, carrying a tray of blood, and Vaughn stopped him, whispering something in his ear before letting him go. The slave nodded and hurried off, disappearing into the shadows. Layla wondered what Vaughn had said to him, but she didn't have time to ponder the question.They arrived back at the room, and Vaughn entered the code before pushing open the door. After the conversation with his family, he seemed angry, his strides long and purposeful as he crossed the room. A knock at the door broke the silence, and he opened it to reveal a slave carrying a plate of food."I realized you were hungry, so here, have your meal," Vaughn said, his tone softening slightly as he dropped the plate on the table. He didn't look at her, instead turning his back on her as he began to pace the room. Layla felt a sense of confusion at his behavior, unsure of what to make of his mood swings.Layla walked towards the food, her eyes widening as she took in the spread of vegetables and meat. She ate gently, savoring the flavors, until she was done. The food was delicious, and she felt a sense of gratitude towards Vaughn for providing for her. She wondered if he had ordered the food specifically for her, or if it was just a coincidence."Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked up at Vaughn, who was still pacing the room, his expression distracted. He seemed lost in thought, and Layla didn't want to disturb him. Vaughn turned his gaze on her, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her. He grabbed a book and began flipping through it, his expression distracted. Layla wondered what he was thinking, but his face gave away nothing. She felt a sense of unease as she realized that she was completely at his mercy.

" Master," her voice sounded, breaking the silence. She felt a sense of trepidation as she spoke, unsure of how Vaughn would react. She had been warned not to address him as "master" in private, but she couldn't help herself.

"Call me Vaughn when we're alone," he replied, his voice low and smooth. He looked up at her, his eyes glinting with amusement, and Layla felt a shiver run down her spine.

She nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She nodded, her eyes darting up to meet his. "Why are you being nice to me?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity. She wanted to know what Vaughn's motivations were, and why he was treating her with such kindness. Was it just a ruse to gain her trust, or was there something more to it?

Vaughn chuckled, a low, husky sound. "Nice? I'm just saving the blood in your system for important occasions," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement. He seemed to be teasing her, but Layla couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. What did he mean by "important occasions"? And what did he plan to do with her? She turned her gaze on him, her expression expectant. "When are you going to mark me as your slave?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt a sense of trepidation at the thought, but she needed to know what to expect. Would it hurt? And what would happen after he marked her?

Vaughn wondered why she would ask such questions, he knew he threatened her family but that was because of a family business, he looked up from the book still seeing Layla looking at him "In the Blood Moon" he answered.