Priceless (Alastor X Reader)

Dinner For Two

"Fresh meat!"

"How precious..."

"She's pretty, can we play with her?"

"Gentlemen," Alastor hummed. "Leave her be. She's our guest."

"What makes this one special?"

"Guests never get to eat with you..."

"And what's that about buying her a new wardrobe?"

Shadows seemed to manifest from off of the walls and followed Alastor as he walked down the hall. Speaking to the man in a hushed, breathy whisper. It was as if their voices came and went with the wind. Their smiles were everlasting, and comparable to the cheshire cat.

"She's not an ordinary guest." Alastor replied simply. Nimble fingers grasping the sturdily crafted handrail as he descended the large staircase. "And I gave my word to not harm her. I won't have her staying in clothes that are literally falling apart, especially not if she is to be seen with me. And I certainly won't force her to starve."

"Force, no... But you were about to let her if she wanted to?"

"Well at that point, it's on her." He shrugged again. "No sense in arguing with someone who insists on being foolish. She'd realize sooner or later that she's better off nourished."

"So you're calling her bluff?"

"What if she starves herself?"

"No- What if she hurts herself?"

"That's an entirely different story. A story I hope we won't have to write."

"What if she tries to escape?"

"Then she'll likely get lost in the woods or fall into the swamp, we're a ways away from her home." The man sighed with annoyance. "Don't you have something else to tend to?"

The shadows merely snickered in response. Alastor waved his hand dismissively and shirked off his coat, and rolled his eyes before walking over to the kitchen.

"Shoo, then." He ordered calmly. "Be useful somewhere else."

The void-black silhouettes scurried back to whence they came. Leaving the brunette alone in the large, almost spotless kitchen. The smell of dirty rice being cooked at your parents house had put Alastor in the mood for an old favorite; his mother's recipe for jambalaya. He folded his coat and set it down on the back of a chair and rolled up his sleeves passed his elbows. Then fetching the rice, veggies and protein for the meal, he washed his hands and begun prepping to make the dish.

Meanwhile you paced about upstairs in the room that incapsulated you. Anxiously biting the skin on your lower lip as you wrapped your arms around yourself. A feeble attempt to soothe your disconcerted nerves.

You tried the door on the balcony thinking maybe you could tie the sheets together and use them to scale down, but the doors leading out were locked and there was no key in sight. You contemplated sneaking out the way you came, but surely you would step on countless creaky steps and stairs; you weren't about to risk being heard.

You made a mental note to try to learn and remember where the quietest places to step are within the manor so you may move around without alerting him.

Losing track of how much time had gone by, and growing tired of pacing, you decided to take a closer look at your surroundings.

The wardrobe closet was empty, and the chest of drawers was scarce as well. You thought back to Alastor's comment about buying you new clothes tomorrow. A part of you was worried that him providing you with a few outfits might be some transactional situation where you'd owe him for it later. But in actuality, it was just his own vanity disguised as a favor to you.