Snow swallowed the world in silence after Luka left.
Talia stood at the tall glass windows of the mansion, rubbing her arms, still in the ridiculous lingerie he had put her in pink lace hugging her curves, the bunny ears tilting to one side, the fluffy tail sticking out behind her like some humiliating beacon.
She should've changed the moment he walked out.
She should've taken the ears off.
She should've stopped trembling when she replayed his voice in her mind
Come here, little bunny… crawl to me.
Her cheeks burned. Her thighs still tingled from the way he'd tapped her butt, his voice low, hungry, possessive. Her body was shamelessly betraying her.
But he was gone now.
And the mansion felt too quiet.
Too cold.
Too… watched.
Talia swallowed and tried to distract herself. Luka had said he'd be back before the storm thickened. He'd said she'd be safe inside. He had reinforced the windows with runic locks, sealed the doors.
But there was something about the silence that wasn't right.
Like the snow was holding its breath.
Darkness pressed against the windows as clouds thickened. She stepped back from the glass, clutching her bare arms.
Then
A soft thud on the roof.
Talia froze.
Then another. A scrape. A drag. Slow and purposeful.
"No," she whispered. "No.. no… no! Luka said the mansion was protected"
Crack.
Something slammed against the balcony outside her room. Hard enough to shake the frame.
Talia backed up toward the bed, heart hammering. Her bunny tail brushed the back of her thigh, reminding her how exposed she was.
"L-Luka?" she whispered, though she knew it wasn't him.
Then the temperature plummeted.
Not normal winter cold. A supernatural cold that crawled beneath her skin, into her bones.
The lights flickered.
Her breath fogged.
And then
A figure appeared behind her in the reflection of the glass.
White eyes.
Long fingers.
A smile too sharp.
Talia didn't even get a full scream out before a hand clamped over her mouth.
"Shh, little prey…" a whisper purred against her ear. "Wouldn't want the big bad wolf to know we were here."
***
The vampire was impossibly strong…lifting her like she weighed nothing, her legs kicking in pink lace, ears bouncing stupidly on her head.
Another appeared on the balcony, then another. Three. All hooded, pale, their irises glowing like frostbitten stars.
"Look what he's been hiding," one hissed, tilting her chin up with a cold finger. "A bunny."
"A rare one," another added. "Perfect for bargaining."
She shook her head violently, trying to scream through the hand over her mouth. But the vampire only chuckled.
"Oh, darling. That little outfit won't help you now."
They pushed her out into the night… bare feet sinking into the freezing snow. The cold shot up her legs, stabbing, burning. Goosebumps exploded across her skin.
She was still in lingerie.
Still wearing bunny ears.
Still wearing the fluffy tail.
Humiliation hit her so hard she almost sobbed.
But panic was stronger.
They tied her wrists in front of her with a silvery cord that burned faintly like frostbite. Every time she moved, it sent icy sparks through her skin.
"Walk," one commanded.
She stumbled through the deep snow, her ankles turning numb fast. The pink lingerie glowed faintly in the moonlight, making her look even more prey-like.
Snowflakes clung to her bare shoulders and thighs. The cold was unbearable. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably.
"P-please," she whispered, voice shaking. "I'm not I'm not whoever you're looking for"
"You're exactly who we're looking for," the lead vampire replied. "The wolf has been… possessive. Territorial. That makes you valuable."
Talia's stomach dropped.
Luka.
They were doing this because of Luka.
Because he had claimed her.
Not officially… but enough that the vampires had smelled it.
His obsession was now her curse.
***
Meanwhile… deep in the forest
Luka froze mid-step.
The trail he was tracking, three vampire scouts vanished abruptly, their scent shredded by the incoming storm.
But another scent replaced it.
Soft. Sweet. Innocent.
Terrified.
His chest clenched violently.
"Talia."
The world blurred.
The Alpha instincts he had tried so hard to restrain surged through him like wildfire.
His bones cracked. His vision sharpened into golden slits. Snow erupted beneath his feet as he sprinted.
The wind carried faint sounds, her muffled cry, the crackle of vampire voices, the thudding of boots on snow.
Every breath he took tasted of her fear.
He saw red.
Mine.
They touched what's mine.
They took my bunny.
The wolf inside him snarled, a sound that shook the trees.
He didn't feel the cold.
He didn't feel the storm.
He felt only the pull… like something ancient tying him to her heartbeat.
He would reach her.
He would tear apart anyone who laid hands on her.
He would rip the earth open if he had to.
***
They marched her deeper into the woods, the snowstorm swallowing them in white silence. Her skin stung with frost, her breath coming out in shaky clouds.
The vampires' cold hands occasionally brushed against her sides, examining her like she was a delicate package.
"She's trembling," one observed.
"It makes her scent stronger," another murmured. "The wolf must be rabid over her."
"She's dressed for him," the third hissed with amusement, flicking the bunny tail. "Pathetic little pet."
Talia's cheeks burned hot even in the freezing cold.
She wanted to hide.
To disappear.
To never be seen in this humiliating outfit again.
But most of all
She wanted Luka.
Even though she was scared of him.
Even though she didn't fully trust him.
Even though he scared her and flustered her and confused her.
Right now, he was the only one who could save her.
A branch snapped behind them.
All three vampires went still.
Their white eyes narrowed.
"…We're being followed."
Talia's breath caught.
Because she knew.
She felt it.
Like the air itself thickened around her.
Luka was coming.
And he was furious.
*****
One vampire grabbed her by the shoulders, yanking her tight against him. "Keep her quiet," he ordered.
But it was too late.
A howl ripped through the forest.
A sound so violent, so powerful, it shook snow from the branches.
The vampires stiffened instantly.
"Alpha," one hissed.
"Impossible," said another. "He was miles away"
THUD.
A body crashed into the clearing, one of their own scouts, thrown so hard his spine had snapped on impact.
The vampires drew back.
Talia gasped.
Then
A shadow moved through the trees, silent and lethal.
Luka stepped into view.
Half-shifted.
Half-wolf.
Half-man.
Fully terrifying.
His eyes glowed molten gold, teeth elongated, shoulders massive, breath steaming with fury.
Snow swirled around him like it feared touching him.
His gaze snapped to Talia
…to her pink lingerie, her bunny ears, her trembling, freezing body
And something violent detonated inside him.
"Let. Her. Go."
His voice wasn't human.
The vampires shoved her behind them and prepared to strike.
Luka didn't wait.
He launched.
Snow exploded.
Talia screamed.
And the forest became a battlefield.