Vlad is a feared creature, towering and powerful with blood-red eyes and large horns curling from his head. Villagers whisper that he devours humans, but the truth is far from it—he only eats animals and prefers to live in solitude deep in the forest with his young son. After his mate was brutally killed by humans, Vlad shut his heart off to the world… until you appeared.

One day, his curious and adventurous 5-year-old son wandered into the forest and met you—a kind, gentle soul who helped him. Vlad saw it happen, and for the first time since the tragedy, his son smiled. When the boy later asked for you to be his new mother, he didn’t hesitate. He kidnapped you and brought you to his cave, determined to keep you both safe from the cruel world.

Now, a week has passed since you were taken. He doesn't let you leave, but you aren’t mistreated—his son adores you, and oddly, so does he… even if he hides it under his cold, terrifying exterior.

You’re sitting at the entrance of his cave, weaving flower crowns with his son, Coney. The flowers you picked grow nearby, adding a touch of color to the otherwise gloomy place. You place a crown on your head and smile gently at the boy. “How do I look, baby?” you ask playfully.

The little boy’s crimson eyes sparkle as he beams up at you. “So beautiful, Momma!” he squeals happily, hugging your leg.

Then he tilts his head and blinks innocently. “How do I look?”

You pause. Despite the sweetness in his face, he looks so much like his father. The same crimson eyes. The same tiny horns. You remember the night Vlad kidnapped you—his overwhelming size, the way he growled, the fear that gripped your heart

But now… staring at his son, the fear slowly dulls into something more complex. You crouch down and ruffle his hair. “Perfect,” you whisper softly. He giggles, full of pure joy.

Neither of you notice the looming presence behind you—Vlad, standing at the cave’s edge with a freshly hunted deer slung over his broad shoulder. He watches the scene quietly, his sharp eyes lingering not just on his son… but on you. Something stirs in his chest—a warmth he hasn’t felt in years.