Time was lost on you once more, sleeping in small bursts, or so you thought. You never woke up fully rested, always exhausted. You were emotionally drained, not to mention physically, feeling as though you could hardly move, spending what you assumed the first few days back crying intermittently. You had never had to deal with emotional trauma to this degree: Callum was dead because of you. In the back of your mind, the last bits of your rationality told you that Callum was well prepared to take that risk, but that fact didn’t help. It didn’t help you find peace.
Kars oddly enough hadn’t been around much after that first night. You were terrified that Kars would push things further, force you into a situation, but he didn’t, much to your relief. He’d slid his palm down the column of your throat after he’d teased you a bit, caressing your body, making sure that you were flush against him, having no tolerance for any space between your bodies. You weren’t quite sure what had happened, but as his fingers fluttered over your sternum, a overwhelming pain gripped your chest. You thrashed your body against his, trying to get away from his hand our whatever was causing the pain, but he held you firm, his unoccupied hand running through your hair. It didn’t last long, the pain subsiding, leaving you panting, even more exhausted, your body limp against his. As you began to succumb to exhaustion, you couldn’t help but think it was such a juxtaposition: as he stroked your hair his touch was feather soft, while he himself was possibly was one of the most powerful beings to exist; tremendous power able to bring any warrior or even entire armies to their knees, and yet he held back. The next time you’d woke Kars was gone, you were alone with your thoughts, and that was almost worse than having your captor torment you.
You were back to wearing a tunic, soft and identical to the one Kars had previously given you, minus the torn shoulder. Stripped of the clothing from the old lady, the clothing that made you feel like a normal human being, the loss of a sense individuality. It greatly surprised you that it had been Wamuu this time was the one to give you the tunic, likely not of his own compassion but an order from his master, it surprised you even more when he turned his back, allowing you to dress in peace. He also brought an armful of the same type of blankets you’d previously been sleeping on in the shared room along with some type of soft furred animal pelts. You remembered your place, not looking him in the eye as he looked down upon you, probably upset at the loss of his helping hand, blaming you rightfully. Unlike Esidisi, there were no quips, no taunts or jabs at your lowly position as Kars’ little pet, just a cold unspoken loathing for you. Likely due to his unfaltering loyalty, Wamuu was your acting bailiff, as he would once a day bring you food, which you were thankful for. He didn’t stay or say anything, just look at you with a mask of indifference, place the plate on the desk and leave.
At first, you were happy to have a “bed” away from Kars, setting up camp in the furthest corner you could, opposite of his desk which was holding a stockpile of books at the moment, none of which you were able to read, the language unfamiliar to you. As what you assumed were days went by, you find yourself alone, your thoughts loud in your mind, almost wishing that Kars would come in and say something, anything. As time passed, you found yourself quietly mumbling to yourself to cease the silence as well as to just talk. You’d been fairly quiet throughout your time in captivity the first time, but usually there was someone at some point during the day that you’d speak to; just a few simple words apparently made a world of difference, as now you longed for someone to speak to.
It took you a while, but eventually you got up the courage to bathe yourself in the large lavish stone bath you’d become all too familiar with. You were always quick, always alert, like a deer by a pond, ready to jump out at a moments notice if someone were to come in. Nobody did though. Not that you could do much of anything even if someone did decide to barge in. You allowed yourself to use small amounts of soap and the shampoo and conditioner, but you didn’t dare use any of his oils or other “luxury” products; you felt guilty enough simply for having access to hot water while others just like you had to make due with the frigid waters from the tap in your old room. After you’d bathed you’d curl back into your pile of blankets, just as you always did. Your body ached with the collective hours you’d spent on the floor, no chores or tasks to help pass time, which you weren’t sure was a blessing or curse; you’d never have to scrub blood stains, but there was nothing to keep your mind occupied, instead you had more time than ever to dwell on your captivity.
*~*~*~*~*
Kars was a calculating individual. He was very smart in the moves he made on and off the battlefield. Just as Esidisi, he could predict his opponent’s moves and reactions; you were no exception, the opposite really, you fell for almost all of his small traps. The only time you’d surprised him was when you’d escaped. He never would have predicted you, his timid little human, would be able to actually do something so unpredictable. He’d found you though, returned you back where you belong: with him. Your return was not well received by everyone though, Esidisi and even Wamuu, the latter rarely speaking out against his master, voiced their concerns, wondering openly why Kars was bothering with a useless human whose life would be over soon enough; if not by an outside source, than nature itself would see to your demise.
Human life spans were short, over in a flash compared to The Pillar Men whose lives weren’t affected by time hardly. Kars himself had tried to banish those very thoughts from his mind. He was very much aware of how short human lifespans were, and he knew that you would be no different, should nothing intervene or alter you. The idea of turning you into a disgusting mindless vampire to simply extend your life was out of the question; Kars would never lower himself to such a standard, the idea of draining your life in such a way revolting to him. You being human was one of the things he found himself attracted too, oddly enough, if just for the fact that it made you weak to him. He’d never found a Pillar Woman to be attractive in such a way. Physically beautiful, yes, just as he himself was, but not enough to entice him to court one. Mates were supposed to be equal. Nobody was Kars’ equal, not even the last two Pillar Men. The vast imbalance of power between you and him was something he found intoxicating. He dismissed his companions concerns with an authoritative tone, waving them away.
Kars doubled down his efforts in finding the stone recently, almost as if to show his fellow Pillar Men you weren’t the distraction they’d thought you to be. He also knew that it would have an effect on you as well, one that would fall into his favor. He’d spent his time seeking you and now it was your turn. A caged animal can eventually be tamed when deprived of necessities, and you were no different.
It didn’t take long at all, but he didn’t expect it to, you were in a fragile state. He watched you in your corner fighting an inner battle with yourself, hands balled into the soft fur of an animal pelt, shoulders hunched defensively, eyes darting around as if seeking an answer to something. He licked his lip in anticipation as you finally stood up, head bowed as you approached the bed.
*~*~*~*~*
Tears clung to the corners of your eyes as you became over encumbered with a sense of embarrassment, confusion, and neediness, your arms anxiously crossed over your torso, clutching at your tunic fabric. What would Callum say? You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, regally sprawled out on the bed, knowing that he had a cocky grin on his face. “Lord Kars,” Your head hung in shame as you spoke, voice tight with emotion as well as disuse, almost not even recognizing the hoarse whisper that came out. He hummed, his head cocking to the side playfully, “I-“ You had no idea how to phrase it without sounding like a desperate plea, the idea of the very words leaving your mouth disgusting yourself, “May-“ You paused once more, closing your eyes tight as if that would make it more bearable, “Might I sleep here tonight?” You didn’t need to look at him to know that his grin became wider, a sadistic spark igniting in his red eyes.
“Of course,” He cooed mockingly, you opening your eyes to glance up at him through your lashes as he sat up, “By all means.” He waved a graceful hand over to your makeshift nest of fabric and pelts. You bit your lip, realizing he was toying with you, clenching your jaw for a moment as you heard your blood pulsing in your ears. “May I sleep in your bed tonight?” The words came out, a feeling of self defeat left in their wake. “Is there something wrong with your bed?” He asked, making you feel like you were about to make a deal with the Devil himself; maybe even worse than that. “No, my Lord.” You said quietly, wishing that you’d just kept your mouth shut and stuck to your pile of blankets and self-loathing. You found yourself roughly tugged into Kars’ lap, stiffening with fear as you were now straddling him, legs folded beside you. Your tunic was now bunched around your hips, his thumbs resting in the junction of your hip and thigh, keeping you still. You ducked your head, turning away from him as your face burned, your arms close to your chest unsure of where else to put them. He was having none of that, one of his hands coming up to grip your chin, forcing you to look up at him, his lips quirking upwards in a cruel smile, fangs on display. This had been his plan. He’d deprived you of any contact simply to make you ask for it; beg for it, rather.
“How thoughtless of me,” he leaned towards you, nose brushing against your own, his tone mockingly over-the-top, “Things have been rather rough for you, haven’t they?” He removed his hands, confiscating your own in his and placing one on his broad shoulder, the other placing your hand against his cheek, purring at your touch. Your heart clenched, swallowing hard as he moved his hand away from your hand perched on his shoulder, draping his arm lazily around your back. He moved your other hand still captive against his sharp jawline, as if inviting you to explore, to touch him. He drug his lips across your index finger, taking a moment to nip at the skin, before nuzzling into your palm. He bit the meaty part of your palm, looking up to you and giving you a cocky smile, your flesh caught in-between his teeth. It was cruel how attractive he looked. He was unfairly beautiful, not born but molded out of the finest elements of Earth. You knew though that in the animal kingdom, the more beautiful the animal, the more deadly; Kars was no exception.
His arm brought you closer, your hand now free from his hand and teeth, body pressed flush against his chest. He embraced you, gently stroking his thumb against your back, giving what you’d sought after; some form of comfort. It was wrong. It made you feel disgusted with yourself to seek comfort in the form of you captor; like you were betraying Callum, the other humans who were currently being held, and your own humanity. You were driven by your own selfishness though, your arms tentatively coming to wrap around his muscular torso, under his curtain of hair, feeling the muscles in his back twitch in pleasure under your hands. You fought back the urge to cry, unsure if the reason was out of self pity or just a multitude of reasons clashing together.
You closed your eyes, trying your best to imagine this was someone else, anyone else. It was impossible though. No matter how hard you tried, even with your eyes closed, you couldn’t deny that the person you clung to was Kars. There was no sigh of relief as you embraced him, no feeling of burden being lifted from your shoulders, just the feeling of being trapped and your own guilt from willingly seeking comfort from Kars. He seemed content in this moment, chest swelling with pride, likely from having skillfully reduced you to your current situation without lifting a finger. His cheek rested atop your head, hands trailing down your back and sides slowly, memorizing how you felt. Callum’s words echoed in your head, how he found it so odd that Kars had approached you, touched you. He didn’t have any idea how ravenous Kars acted around you, like some touch deprived animal rubbing itself against any hand that would get close enough. The bite marks on your body were gone, thankfully, but something told you that there were more to come.
“Poor little (Y/n).” You tensed up, hating how effortlessly he said your name, savoring it on his tongue as he began to lean back, you going down with him. You were now fully laying on top of him. You tried to lift yourself off of him, but his arms kept you were, right where he wanted you. The most you could do was shift your legs, straightening them so the two of you weren’t in such an intimate position, though it didn’t help much, you were still lying atop Kars, thighs astride his hips. You clenched your jaw, once again trying to shift yourself off of him, to no avail. “You wanted to sleep, did you not?” He teased, one hand softly stoking your hair, something he seemed to enjoy doing, the other hand was snaking down your back, fingernails lightly grazing against the fabric of your tunic as it went. The gestures the hands were making was comforting, but the one puppeteering the hands was what made you uncomfortable. And to think, you’d stupidly and willingly put yourself in this position. As you closed your eyes, you couldn’t help but take note of the hint of Forget Me Nots mixed among his usual scent, as if he somehow knew about the dream you’d had and was cruelly reminding you of it unspoken.
You lied there, flinching as Kars moved his arm over you, grabbing the silk sheet and draping it over the both of you before his hand came to once again rest in the small of your back. You lied there, trying to will yourself to mentally disassociate from this situation, counting Kars’ heartbeats as you fell asleep.
*~*~*~*~*
You entered the dark room, trying your best not to draw any attention to yourself, keeping a firm grip on the wine bottle in your shaky hands. This was the first time you’d been allowed out of Kars’ chambers, clear instructions as to what your task was. It was simple, really, just fill their glasses should they need it. It sounded simple anyway, but you knew that there was bound to be some sort of catch to it, surely. You surprised that you were even allowed to retrieve the wine on your own. All three of the god-like men were seated, Kars at the head of the table, Esidisi on his right and Wamuu on his left. Kars’ head was bowed, looking down at a well worn piece of linen paper sprawled on the table, eyebrows slightly furrowed in concentration; if he knew you were in the room, he didn’t show it. The other two’s gaze flicked up to you, Wamuu looking unimpressed by your small stature and overall weak appearance, while Esidisi eyes narrowed at you, a small smile tugging at his lips. You swallowed hard and waited just at the edge of the light cast by the fireplace, watching the shadows flicker and dance. The Pillar Men in good lighting looked frightening, but in low lighting, shadows accentuating the abnormal amount of muscles, made them look downright terrifying.
You tried your best not to listen to their conversation; the less you knew the better, but from what you could gather, they were searching for something. You noticed that Esidisi was the first to drink his wine, the other two seemingly uninterested in it. You took a deep breath, hoping that you refilling the glass wouldn’t be seen as an intrusion, as you stepped fully into the light. The men stopped talking, attention drawn to the movement, your movement, as they eyed you; Wamuu was the first to look away, but Kars’ eyes traced your form as you came closer to the table, trying to just keep your breathing even, steps unfaltering, and gaze downwards. The silence was deafening in that moment, your heart loud in your ears as you swallowed hard, starting to pour the wine into the chalice, moving to back away once the glass was sufficiently full. You were stopped though, a hand tugging you down, you eternally grateful that you had the wherewithal to tip the wine decanter up as to not spill it. You expected it to be Kars, but squeaked in surprise when you saw it was Esidisi that now had your arm hostage. You quickly shifted your eyes away, as you used to do with Kars before he demanded you become more familiar with him; reluctantly you’d became more accustomed to looking the Pillar Men leader in the eye. Your dealings with Esidisi had never been pleasant, him quick to taunt you about your status, even more so than Kars himself. You mistakenly flinched as his hand came up to your face, his amusement palpable. Like Kars, he radiated heat, but it wasn’t a comforting feeling. It felt dangerous, as if you were next to an open flame.
The white haired Pillar Man held your chin in a strong grip, tilting your head this way and that, as if he was trying to see what Lord Kars saw in you. As he moved your head you adjusted your line of sight as to not look at him, which became increasingly difficult as he moved his face closer to your own. His blue eyes cut over to Kars’, a devious smirk on the dark skinned man’s lips as he traced your jaw with his thumb, clearly using you, trying to get a rise out of his leader. Kars’ red eyes narrowed dangerously, but remained silent, as if daring his subordinate to do anything further. It was odd to see Kars who, around you anyway, seemed to act on instinct, show restraint when it was clear he didn’t approve of Esidisi’s hands on you. It wasn’t until something appeared in the hand not holding your chin did Kars intervene. “That’s enough.” He said baring his fangs as a canine would to show their dominance, his authority clear as Esidisi’s hand fell away. You saw a flash of gold in his free hand, but weren’t sure of what it actually was, nor did you want to find out.
While the two god- like men were distracted with one another, you took the opportunity to retreat back towards the edge of the shadows, away from the table, bottle gripped in a white knuckle grasp in attempts to keep a grip on your nerves. Esidisi held up a ring between his forefinger and thumb, eyeing Kars slyly through the opening. “I see you’ve put a leash on your pet.” You clutched the bottle close to your chest, as if trying to hide behind it, unsure of what he was talking about. Leash? Kars’ red eyes narrowed at his fellow Pillar Man for a moment before sliding shut, probably attempting to reel in his anger. Kars, while usually a calm and calculating individual, had no tolerance for being teased when it came to you; loathed as he was to admit, you were likely his weak spot. Kars opened his eyes once more, the fire still raging behind them, but he kept his cool, offering his subordinate a small smirk. “I’ve simply marked what is mine.” You swallowed hard, having no idea what he meant. What mark? Why did Esidisi have a ring? What did it do? The white haired Pillar Man hummed in amusement, arms crossed across his broad chest, while Wamuu looked unimpressed by the entire exchange, clearly wanting no part in this. He was a warrior, uninterested in the psychological tortures that the higher ranking Pillar Men seemed to enjoy; the only enjoyable battlefield for him was a physical one, not a metaphorical one.
“So she dies in a months time.” Wamuu stated bluntly, the wine decanter nearly slipping from your grip as your eyes widened, instinctively taking a step back away from the three beings. What was he taking about? Kars’ red gaze cast over towards you, taking in your fear, “The ring will not dissolve unless I will it.” Ring? You flexed your fingers against the bottle, feeling nothing around any of them, trying to swallow the lump that was currently constricting your throat. You desperately tried to think of anything remotely ring-like on or around your person but came up with nothing. You stared at the floor, tuning the rest of their conversation out, mentally feeling numb. You jumped, having no idea how long you’d spaced out, brought back to reality only when Kars placed his wine chalice on the table noisily, shooting you an impatient look. Your heart was beating erratically, frightened to approach him but knowing that not doing so wasn’t an option; rather, it was, but he’d either just force you over to him or death was a possibility as well. You clenched your jaw, fighting back tears as Esidisi commented about how his leader needed to train you better, focusing solely on pouring the red liquid. You were thankfully allowed to retreat back to your “safe” spot away from the table as they resumed their discussion, continuing to stare at the floor, occasionally glancing up at the three through your lashes, making sure that they needed no refills; their patience seemingly running thin when regarding you.
“Agreed,” Kars standing broke your current train of thought, “we’ll start there tomorrow evening.” He nodded to them as he turned, wordlessly signaling you to follow as he passed. You looked to the bottle still being held tight in your hands, mentally panicking as to where to put it for a few seconds, your mental instability making this seem like a much larger task than it really was at the moment. You placed it on a small end table nearby the door before hurrying after Kars, not wanting to hang around in Wamuu and Esidisi’s presence more than what was forced upon you. You took note that Kars’ strides were long, footsteps heavier than usual; something had bothered him. Hopefully you weren’t that something. He opened the door allowing you to step in first, you automatically attempting to retreat to your own palette on the floor, but were stopped by Kars.
You let out a terrified whimper as his hand fisted into the front of your tunic, shoving you against the now closed door, your head rebounded off the wood leaving you dizzy feeling. His free hand came to rest on the wooden door beside your head, caging you in with his massive form. Your eyes squeezed shut as his lips captured yours in a bruising kiss, biting your bottom lip eagerly before his tongue forced it’s way into your mouth. Your hands were curled against the door behind you, nails trying to dig into the wood, wishing you could just claw your way through the door and run. His tongue danced around yours, trying to entice it to play, the thought of biting it tempting, but you were frightened of the consequences given his already agitated state and didn’t want to see what would happen if you tried to defy him right here and now. He gave one last nip to your bottom lip, not a playful one, but one that actually hurt causing you to turn away, before his mouth trailed down to your neck. The now clear skin on your neck was nothing but a canvas on which Kars could paint. You flinched back, having no where or way to escape at the moment, as he placed open mouthed kisses against the side of your throat, biting and marking the skin as his once more. It wasn’t a mark of passion, or a sign of love, instead it was a raw act of possession; ownership over your entire being.
This must have been spurred on by Esidisi touching you so freely earlier, not to mention the ring. You still had no idea what Kars meant when he referred to a ring in your possession, but he was quick to end his subordinate putting one on you. You let out a small noise of distress as he once again pulled the collar of your tunic down, thoroughly marking the area between your shoulder and jaw with hickeys and bites. He changed gears, softly kissing the area between your ear and jawbone, placing a few kisses along your cheek before he gently kissed the corner of your mouth, his hand releasing your tunic as it came to rest on the other side of your head.
“You belong to me.” He said, his red eyes staring into your very soul it seemed. Your eyes blurred with tears as you looked down, blinking only to set off a small stream of them down your cheeks.
You were silent for a few seconds, trying to collect your voice before you choked out, “I know.”
LOOK, AN UPDATE!
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I’m going to use the powers of fanfiction writing to pretend that the Pillar Men’s rings don’t HAVE to dissolve in a month’s time, and can just kind of be remotely activated through some voodoo magic should (Y/n) try to flee.
“But, Icee, that’s not how it works” Shhhh, you’re reading a fanfiction about a demi-god vampire man who quests to put a rock on another rock to put on his face so he doesn't disintegrate in sunshine, just roll with this.
Also, I want to love you, Esidisi, but your nasty noodley-ass-toes scarred me for life (And ur a sassy beech)
So... I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this story aside from maybe an epilogue, because I'm scared that it's going to just get stagnant and also I got way too invested in writing the sequel and I'm ready to jump to that. (I'm a terrible writer who writes backwards instead of forwards sometimes)
HAVE NO FEAR THO, MY LOVE FOR WRITING KARS AS THE ABSOLUTELY VILLAIN HE IS ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE.
