Bound

First Impressions | EVA

I stood, head held low and eyes glued to the floor as I waited, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. Angeline sat waiting on the couch wearing a typical somber face, glancing down at her watch every once in a while, even though there was nowhere else she would've rather been.

She wanted for me to at least have a chance to live. She wanted me to be free, but if she couldn't give me that, she wanted me to have a chance at life. She promised me that and unfortunately, I had an obligation to survive. For her.

She let out a prolonged sigh and snapped back into character.

"Finally," I heard her mumble along with approaching footsteps of someone coming down the stairs.

I gripped the white fabric of my dress. I hated it, how wedding like it was, but mostly that it was the same one from all the times before.

Holding my hands behind my back, I tried to dry the cold sweat in case I was asked for a handshake. I doubted I would be, and I gladly wouldn't knowing where his hands could've been. Late nights with women who weren't their wives wasn't an uncommon thing for Lords.

...I was definitely not shaking his hand.

"You're the one who brought her so early," said a low, smooth voice.

It almost seemed tired with the way he lightly slurred his words... My heart dropped.

A drunk is not something I could deal with.

"People to see. Places to go. I did my job and got her here," Angeline said.

"That you did... you may go now."

With delay, I heard Angeline's heels finally click against the hardwood floors. The sound grew distant, more and more until I heard the door creak open.

This is it, I thought. I could heard its creak as it began to close.

I inhaled a deep breath.

"And Lord Hale, if you don't mind, could I.. check in every once in a while. She...She's been a bit much for some to handle." There's was a pause between them. "But if you know how to talk to her, she's no trouble at all really I mean-."

With a wave of his hand she went silent.

I held my breath.

"I'm sure I can handle her myself, but I'll call if I need her to be...set straight."

Before I could restrain myself, the words came out.

"I can set your ass straight," I mumbled.

It was so far beneath my breath that no human could've heard it. But when it slipped my lips, I knew both of them heard me, loud and clear.

I rose my head slightly to face Angel.

"Ev-!"

A low amused chuckle from Hale interrupted her.

"Well you weren't lying. Like I said I can handle her."

Angeline and I caught eyes. Her facade slipped as her face flooded with worry. She shook her head every so slightly.

No.

Eyes still locked with mine, she receded, shutting the door as she finally left me. I was alone with Hale and in this moment, my fate would be determined.

I held my breath again even as my heart sank in my chest. I lowered my head silently hoping for the miracle that I wasn't already in trouble. After a moment of silence, I heard papers being folded, moved, and crinkled on the table next to me.

"Evamarie Dulce," he said. I flinched lightly at the sound of his voice. "Beautiful name."

"um.. Thank you," I said, my eyes still on the floor.

"It doesn't suit you though..."

My brow rose, but I didn't question him. He paused for a second, I assumed to read more of the papers.

Then

RIP!

He shredded them. I could hear him rip the sheets many times over before tossing in the air, and they rained down on us like confetti.

I finally looked up.

His hair was dark, the same color as the pupils in his tired eyes. Our eyes met and I started into the hazel surrounding the dark pools.

The upper half of his body was uncovered, revealing the typical muscle of the lean body most vampires like him had. He was born as one of them. Most who were turned didn't have those types of bodies, nor were they in their prime stage of attraction. He stopped growing around his later twenties, maybe early thirties.

He didn't seem the type to smile either. I could only imagine how much nicer he would seem if he did, but it was nothing new though. Most of them never so much as smirked.

"Sizing me up already?" He asked as I stared at him. I remained silent, purposefully and unapologetic continuing to stare until he took a step closer to me.

I took a step back, stumbling over my own feet.

"I don't need papers to figure a person out. I get the feeling there a lot more to you that those papers don't know."

He glanced towards the door Angeline had just left out of.

"Similar could be said about a lot of people."

He turned and walked away while my mouth hung slightly open. I made an instant realization about his words.

Person?

He said the same about Angeline.

"Clean this up."

"Uh-um is there a broom anywhere that I could use... sir?"

He turned back around to face me.

We both went silent. We stared at each other, oddly enough. And though it should've felt strange, it didn't. I looked him in his eyes, and he looked into mine just as curious as I was about the person in front of me. Yet the tension was still there.

He shrugged.

"There's trash can in the corner. Make do."

Fucking great.

I already hated him.

"Also," he said as he treaded back up the stairs. He gave me a look. This almost cringing, disgusted look. "Don't call me sir."

I only nodded, and he left.