Chapter Text
Humans were always lesser than vampires, Avid knew that. As someone who had lived around vampires his whole life and been refused a turning time and time again he knew his place. He was the loud, annoying, easily disposable feature of every vampire household and it was a miracle he was still alive, each new manor he ended up in said so.
This place was no different, he saw Scott’s face pinch in pain at his shrill cries, he saw Owen nurse a headache as he retreated into his room, Shelby excitedly cheered with him and raced down hallways but he knew it was because he made her feel alive again, he was a reminder of her humanity, not someone she truly cared about.
As Pyro sent him warning looks each time the vampires went out on a hunt he made himself useful in their home. He cleaned the dust and cobwebs, he made sure each window was locked and covered. He’d been trained on how to balance the fine line of death and fresh air in a vampire’s domain, the vampires came back and he smiled at them as his heart fluttered.
Each coven was different but some things stayed the same, the elders walked past him dismissively, Owen at least checked that he hadn’t broken or burnt anything while they were away, Pyro shoulder checked him and Avid stayed on his feet from years of practice against vampiric strength.
Shelby bounded up to him and greeted him, he smiled ignoring the small amount of blood still on her teeth. This was his life… one he couldn’t change and one he refused to think any differently about.
He was alive… that was more than most could say.
He took Shelby’s hand as it was offered to him and followed her down the halls. He was always compared to a lamb in a slaughter house but he felt like that was a stretch to what his nature was. He was a survivor, the last to go and the final heartbeat of each manor.
He thought about how empty the house was as Shelby’s laughter echoed against the walls, no living thing had existed here in years, he knew that from his time moving through the rooms.
Shelby pulled him into her bedroom and showed it off proudly. He smiled at her nest of blankets on the floor, it was reserved for sleepovers and bonding moments with her coven, he found her coffin predictably at the end of the room and a wardrobe overflowing with clothes, Scott took good care of his coven…
“It’s wonderful Shelby.” He complimented sincerely.
She had lanterns glowing softly in every nook and colourful rugs splayed on the floor, he didn’t know why he was in this coven’s home, every deal that moved him to a new house was made where he couldn’t hear them, seeing her room he had an inkling of an idea this time though…
Maybe Shelby had wanted life in the mansion… and anything she wanted her sire would provide, Scott could acquire anything and expected nothing less than perfection.
“Scott will get you some tailored clothes soon! Then we can match!“ Shelby exclaimed excitedly.
Avid smiled at her. It sounded like she saw him as a doll to dress up, he sat down on her rugged floors and nodded along in interest as she showed off the books she’d collected over the years.
If his role was to be a doll he could do that…
-----
Scott was in another one of those meetings… he had to make sure his territory and name was respected, vampires these days thought they could walk anywhere and do anything.
He sipped his wine, made some idle threats while he scouted out their numbers, and smirked as curious faces passed by the doorway. He allowed the opposing side to negotiate, they had nothing valuable to offer and he wanted nothing they placed in front of him, until… he paused from lifting his wine glass up and raised a brow at the loud shouting coming from further in the building.
“Oh dear!” The coven head in front of him said. “Let me get that silenced for you!”
“Mmm.” He hummed catching the creature’s attention mid order to a servant, he hadn’t shown a single spec of interest his entire time here, he was only staying at this point to disturb them with each passing hour. “What noisemaker do you have there?” He stood up and languidly moved towards the door, he wasn’t one to stay in one room for so long but going deeper into a coven’s home was dangerous… good thing these guys didn’t pose a threat, this was a good excuse to show the power he wielded over them.
He walked towards the sounds that didn’t stop, there was no fear, it was indignation… he heard hissing in response, the baby vampires were fighting it seemed… except he rounded the corner and saw a human squaring off to a freshly matured fledgling, the fickle thing was barring it’s fangs like it hadn’t been taught to use other more dignified methods to get what it wanted.
Scott had long ago taught his coven on how to control a room. His eyes slid to the human and he smirked as he swirled the wine in his glass.
“Your honour! Do not let this disturbance dissuade you, we can have him handled if you’d rather the silence-“
“No need.” He cut the coven head off beside him.
Both the human and the vampire in the room spotted them and ducked their heads, they knew the rules, they respected those above them… he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he looked over the human. He was clearly uncared for and one step away from being eaten but he still fought like he had any right against a fledgling. The only reason Scott wasn’t treating this situation more delicately was because the fledgling had stopped activating the instincts of the elders around it. He doubted he would’ve been allowed in this room if the coven head heard a peep from one of their youngest. The human looked like it had fought this battle before, potentially with no sires or elders present, it didn’t care for the brat’s attitude or its teeth.
“How curious…” Scott noted as the fledgling bowed and asked if anything was needed from them. The human glanced up and looked him over while the vampires were distracted.
No one in this coven had dared to look at Scott's face in his time here, he was a powerhouse draped in finery, a loaded weapon, no one knew who he was aimed at and how little was needed to make him strike.
Scott met the human’s eye and smiled his dazzling smile with fangs on display. The human pouted, unimpressed with the threat as he crossed his arms and glanced at the coven head.
“A word.” Scott requested with a flick of his finger. The coven head, the strongest vampire of this collective nodded and followed diligently like a dog. Good… His mind games were working.
“You want to live don’t you?” He asked once they were out of earshot of the room. The vampire nodded nervously, he really had no leg to stand on here. “You want me to leave without taking out one of your own?” He asked.
The vampire swallowed slowly and agreed.
It was obvious Scott had been scanning the coven for someone to kill, he needed to make an example and he wanted it to hurt.
He let his words hang in the air, the coven head clearly prepared himself for Scott to claim the freshly matured fledgling. Scott hummed taking another sip of his wine, these vampires were weak, they cowered with his presence in their home and they made no moves to poison him, stake him or trap him. All they did was blabber - they begged and pleaded on deaf ears and the coven head before him wilted at how powerless he was to Scott’s whim. If he wanted to take out their youngest he could and they weren’t going to retaliate unless they wanted the whole coven to be wiped out.
“Let’s make a deal.” Scott said. He moved the wine glass in front of him and ran his claw around the rim, the remnants of red liquid stained his fingertip and he lifted it to his mouth as a silent threat. “You have nothing of value for me here… no riches I don’t already own or wine I haven’t already tasted.” He sucked the alcohol off his finger and watched the coven head catch sight of his fangs. “In such circumstances I usually ask for a sacrifice…” He said. “But even your coven has no one worthy of that role.” He smirked. “So instead I’ll ask for what I want, something meaningless, something that’s caught my attention… That human,” He tilted his head to the room they left. “He is loud… and disrespectful.”
The coven head nodded. “He doesn’t understand his place-“
“You will give him to me.” Scott said. The coven head looked up in shock. “I like to break things.” Scott explained with a chuckle. He applied just enough pressure on his wine glass for a crack to shoot up through the crystal like lightning. The vampire jolted staring in awe at how Scott hadn’t shattered it in one go like most would’ve. “If you agree to this deal I will leave your…” Scott scrunched his nose, “family,” he emphasised, “alone until your next transgression. Does that sound good?”
The coven head nodded before breaking out of his daze and nodding harder. “Yes- yes! You can have him! We will take the utmost care to honour your mercy! There will be no more issues from us, I will keep my coven in line and hold them to it!”
Scott smirked and handed the ruined glass to the vampire, “Good…” He said. “Because whoever crosses the line next, no matter how young or naive, I will punish them tenfold.”
He looked meaningfully to the crystal in the man’s hand. It was precious, expensive and easy to destroy… but Scott had shown he had the self control to damage it with precision. Whoever he punished in the future would not be struck down in one painless swoop, Scott knew the coven head’s mind was fantasising all the horrors a creature like him could enact and… how many people would he force to watch it? Every coven member had seen and smelt Scott today, he hovered like a bad omen long enough for everyone to shiver.
“Have the human prepared for me.” Scott straightened with a flash of his eyes. “I will be in my carriage.” He turned and took his leave.
The coven head didn’t follow and Scott didn’t need assistance in finding his way to the front door. He weaved through the hallways like he owned the place and each vampire bowed to him as he passed.
He lifted his head in pride, his cloak rippling behind him with the crimson jewel on his collar shining.
He arrived at the heavy door at the entrance and swung it open, the human he’d hired as a coachmen fumbled from his hours of inaction and leaped off the front seat to open the door before he arrived. Scott entered his carriage in one smooth motion and pulled his trailing fabrics behind him.
“One moment.” He said as the coachmen moved to shut the door. “I have company with me this evening.” The human nodded unsurely standing at attention as the sky lightened from the early morning. Gosh he’d really spent all night here…
Within no time at all the coven head was bursting out the mansion with the human ushered out in front of him.
“Apologies for the wait!” The vampire stuttered. He pushed the human forward and the poor critter stumbled before dutifully climbing into the carriage and sitting across from him.
Scott looked him over and tasted the air, they’d cleaned him up and dressed him in finer clothes… he still looked poor but it was the same kind of poor the entire coven reeked of.
“We hope he is to your standard?” The coven head asked nervously.
Scott hummed disapprovingly. “No but he will do.” He met the vampire’s eye. “Remember what this means for you.” He warned.
The coven head nodded vigorously. “We do not take your grace lightly!”
“Then I won’t be seeing you again.” Scott said, he glanced at the coachman and the human hastily shut the door. Scott crossed one leg over the other and turned his attention to the man across from him. The carriage began moving and he smiled as the human nervously stared at the floor.
He didn’t bother filling the air, this was his moment to learn and his new companion very quickly taught him that the silence bothered him.
The man’s name was Avid, he was not told why he was being passed on and that was familiar to him since he’d been traded between many covens. Scott kept his expression amused to hide his surprise. Avid kept rambling and he didn’t interrupt. An hour or two passed and finally the man ran out of things to say, not even their surroundings had enough variation for him to make conversation about it.
“Well…” He said, Avid froze at his carefully measured tone. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He replied.
Avid nodded and ducked his head, he hunched his shoulders and the rest of the ride was quiet as Scott sat back and relaxed. The ride was long (he’d never live close to that good for nothing coven) and Avid closed his eyes losing himself to sleep. It was a sign that all he’d said was true, most humans couldn’t stand resting while the sun was out.
Once they made it home Scott reached out and ruffled the man’s hair. “We’re here.”
Avid jolted awake. “Sorry! Sorry! I-“
“Let’s get you a decent bed to sleep in.” Scott interrupted him, while he usually enjoyed people sucking up to him he’d had enough of that for one night.
They walked up to the entrance of his home and Avid looked over his sizzling skin in concern, the itching pain wasn’t a strong enough dampener on his mood, he was back on his territory, all the tension he’d been carrying fled him and as he opened the door his coven was there to greet him.
“Scott!” Shelby cheered.
“Shelby!” He laughed as she predictably leaped into his arms, “Owen.” He nodded, “Pyro.” He softened his smile for his sensitive fledgling.
“Did you forget to eat on the road?” Owen crossed his arms and glared at Avid.
“No… I may be old but my memory isn’t failing me.” Scott straightened and patted Shelby’s arm to let go of him, she stepped back respectfully and tilted her head at the human in curiousity. Scott placed a hand on Pyro so he didn’t feel left out. “This here is Avid.” He gestured to the human. “He’ll be staying here a while, the rules are- No eating, no biting and don’t do anything that will traumatise the poor thing.” He passed a meaningful look to Owen who avoided his eye.
“Why is he here?” Pyro bristled.
Scott hummed. “Because I said so.” He squeezed his fledgling’s shoulder in warning. “If any of you hurt him I’ll tear your head off.”
The threat hit close to home for his coven, each of them stiffened then pretended they hadn’t reacted. He’d forced them to regenerate in the past, no one questioned his authority anymore.
“Welcome!” Shelby greeted. “I can’t wait to get to know you!” She held her hand out.
Avid nervously accepted her handshake. “Nice to meet you too.” He gave a wobbly smile then glanced at him. “What are my rules sir?”
Scott raised an eyebrow then chuckled. “You can do whatever you please, just stay on my property and keep yourself alive yeah?” He winked.
He moved to walk deeper into his home and Pyro was swift to follow with a complaint. “What?! Do whatever he wants! Sire, what if he plans to stab us in our sleep?!”
Scott shot him an amused look. “You really think he can stab you in your sleep? I thought I taught you better than that?”
“I-“ His fledgling spluttered. “Of course he wouldn’t succeed, you’ve graciously trained us in all the best ways to defend ourselves but to let him roam around with no leash-!”
Scott stopped and turned to him, Pyro froze and abruptly remembered to hold his tongue. He dropped his head down and fumbled an apology under his breath.
“I appreciate your concern.” Scott grabbed his chin gently and lifted it up. “I do ask you place some trust in me though.” He tilted his head. “There is a method to my madness.” He said as he pulled away.
Pyro pouted and nodded forlornly. Unfortunately that was true, Scott had never led his coven astray, they’d enjoyed years of victories and wealth under his leadership… They’d done it all with the threat of violence for stepping out of line hanging over their head.
“I’ll see you all for our early hunt.” Scott waved his hand and bid them goodbye. “My outing has been tiring, once I’ve recovered we can discuss this more.”
His coven looked between themselves before accepting his decision with no other option. Scott smiled as he headed towards his room, having a human living amongst them was going to be interesting…