Marius would be a fool to deny the string of attraction between him and the woman beside him. Her venomous insults only fueled a blossoming desire, begging to be taken and controlled.

He wanted her at his mercy, underneath his body and pinned to the sheets as he derived all the pleasure he could offer, made her scream her wanton desires to him like a melody, a song he wanted to strum over and over again.

Perhaps it was the faint scent of her blood still drifting through his senses, a mouthwatering taste. Her life essence, her blood was different, had a certain spike to it like it was an intoxicating drug to the supernatural.

When he cleaned her wounds, all he could imagine was swiping his tongue over the thick, crimson that escaped the slightly grazed skin, to heal her with the serum that coated his fangs before sinking deep into the creamy texture of her long, elegant neck. There was no doubt that her family was wealthy.

Though from his interactions with the Wright family earlier in the evening, it was no secret that the Duke was the least impressed with his sister-in-law and disregarded her as a careless liability to watch over. Marius heard of the Wrights before as one of the circus patrons.

Duke Andrew Wright married the eldest daughter of the Campbell family, Lilith. The Campbell's were known for their research and studies into town lore along with their advancements in the field of engineering for the new train tracks and factories setting home nearby.

Rumor had it that Mr. and Mrs. Campbell lost their lives tragically due to uncovering a secret that could shatter the balance of the world. The town's people regarded the rumor as another addition to the supernatural lore that Mr. Campbell researched, but Marius knew better.

It was the Vampire Council who arranged for their deaths.

His eyes stole a glance at Despoina, the youngest Campbell, inspecting the wooden wheel, boundless blue eyes examining every crevice, every corner of the wheel and narrowing at his screws.

"So," he drawled, fixing the collar of his tail coat. "Are the Duke and Duchess very fond of your interest in your father's work?"

She froze as if a chill ran through her, back still turned to him. "How did you know about my father?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"The Wright's are some of our patrons, and your sister's marriage to such a powerful family is no secret," he continued, watching her nervous fingers shaking as they traced over the wheel. Marius bent down to her level as he caught her side glance with a smile. "You still have not answered my question, love."

Despoina swallowed. "No."

"Oh?"

She distracted herself by rearranging some of Marius's handiwork and adding her own, tightening the loose ends and breaking off the damaged wood. "Andrew would rather I marry and leave his home and possibly my sister's life," she answered with a chilling coldness that staked his chest. "To them, a woman's only role is to breed and play the perfect doll for visitors."

Marius could not help himself. His hand reached out to tuck a stray strand of her strikingly beautiful blonde hair behind her ear, eyes raking over the rosy tint that coated the apples of her cheeks and the cherry red lips that beckoned him with her shock.

What would they taste like? Would she have the same purity if I claimed her?

She let her hair down after he cleaned her wound, tying it in a messy bun as her cheeks were flushed from his heated gaze. Even now when she looked like a disheveled mess, he could find himself wanting more of her, yearning to dig his fingers into her shimmering blonde locks and tugging them from their hold.

Instead, he cradled her cheek in the palm of his hand, thumb brushing over her warm skin as the heat traveled from his fingertips and to his core, igniting a flame within his soul. "You are a lot more talented than a doll," he whispered, leaning closer.

Despoina pushed him away, rising to her feet. "I fixed it," she said as if the tension between them ceased to exist.

He followed her stance as he stood over the wheel, briefly admiring her revisions to his equipment. His hand pushed against the new screws she installed for stability and balance, and found himself in awe when it did not creak or break under his strength.

"Why did you add the new screws?"

She crossed over to him to see which screws. "Oh, those. I added them because your old ones were causing a tilt in the framework. You see, if we were to put a person like you used Nathan for, he could have collapsed along with the wheel due to an imbalance in weight distribution," she explained in a purely factual tone.

Marius stroked the stubble on his chin. "So you redistributed the balance by adding an equal amount to the other side of the wheel," he finished for her. His eyes brightened. "That is brilliant! How did you see such a small error?"

"I am more accustomed to fixing the minor details from my father's workshop," she shrugged before a pained look entered her eyes. "Back when he was alive that is."

He was never one to feel human emotions like pity. If anything, on the stage he played the role of a charismatic ringmaster, an identity that was fleeting as the cruel nature of his species controlled his blood-lust, making Marius a prince of darkness and a vampire feared by all. They were the superior species even to all other supernatural forms.

Yet as he watched her eyes glisten with the suffering she felt in her life since her parents passed, the more he wished to ease some of that pain, to hold her warmth for a second longer.

His life was a glacial slate, his body numb to misery when he lived an eternity witnessing the triggers of mortal lives, the small acts that stabbed their will until they bled for the vampires to feast on.

Despoina did not have that image embedded into her mind, did not have that burden of her role. She was free, no constraints, and if she willed it she could be the most successful engineer in Europe. Perhaps that was why her blood seemed so appetizing. 

She cried the golden tears of hope in the midst of uncertainty.

An idea popped into his head as the corner of his lips tugged upwards into a flashy smile once more. His fangs itched to be dropped, but he reined his self control. "What if you worked on some of the other performances with the Twilight crew?" he asked, grin wide. Marius gripped one of her gloved hands. "At the very least you can add improvements to some of my earlier works."

Despoina glanced at the different contraptions that littered around the small tent, his personal workshop that none other except Marius could enter. None of his inventions were the works of an amateur. Centuries to his solitude and his solemn duty gave him time to refine his skills of creation, which ultimately led to the success of the Twilight Circus

Without pulling, she asked, "Did you make these?"

"I did."

"How? Where did you learn such fine mechanical skills?" Despoina was in a state of amazement. "My father was a professor of engineering, and I still cannot create half of what you can."

Marius heard comments like this from their audience. On the outside, he was the charming ringmaster of a legendary circus a man known more for his foxy smirks and scarlet eyes. The reality was far from those assumptions.

He saw more to his duty as the gatekeeper of the circus, of the supernatural prison assigned to him by the Vampire Council. Instead of sulking and punishing them, he decided to exploit their raw, animalistic talents.

To ensure such a task, Marius had to commandeer supplies to create illusions to the gullible humans, to drive them through their darkest, thrilling visions until their pulses raced, their blood steaming at the endless possibilities that Marius created in performances.

Tugging her hand, Marius brought Despoina closer to his works, releasing her hand so that she could explore on her own in the dimly lit tent next to his personal one. The rest of the crew must have been sleeping or drinking to another successful night. None of them would dare to enter his chambers when he had a visitor.

"Ow!" yelped Despoina, causing Marius to be at her side in an instant. "Why are there so many sharp objects in here?"

"Those were not completed projects, love."

"It still hurt," she muttered, pressing down on her pricked finger as the blood continued to seep through.

Fates be damned.

Like the petals of a rose against a canvas of white, scarlet liquid of heavenly scent caught his attention, fangs dropping almost instantly. He held her wrist in his hand, and he had no idea how.

Tempting desire propelled against him, the scent too overwhelming, and a burning need dangled down his spine. The tension between them came back in full force, urges coiling within him, twisting and churning, and his eyes fell back on her small wound. A bubble of red taunting him, a thick, round clot of blood filling her scrape.

Without thinking, Marius pressed his lips against her pricked finger, softly at first like if he were kissing her. He was careful with his touch, not wanting to scare her with his identity.

Despoina's pulse was rising, blood pumping harder, and Marius knew all hope of control was gone. He heard her sharp intake of breath, a gasp escaping her. He took that window of opportunity to slyly dart his tongue over the wound, letting his fangs drip the healing serum onto the cracked skin before discreetly lapping the remaining blood.

The taste lingered on his tongue, an ecstasy being swallowed down with his voice, and he wanted more. So much more. He wanted to sink his fangs into her while she was this close, but he knew he could not. Once he tasted her, he knew he his thirst would not be quenched until he had her writhing beneath him.

Never had Marius felt the stirrings of lust impaling his body from their rational state, from the control he spent centuries to perfect, and now he was straining to grasp an ounce of his restraint.

"Marius," she breathed. "M-My cut."

He lifted his head, willing his fangs to retract. "I apologize, my lady."

"But there is no cut anymore..." she trailed off, inspecting her hand once more. "How-"

"Come," he said in a husky voice that was unrecognizable to him. Marius cleared his throat. "I promised your sister to escort you home."

When Despoina still did not move, Marius sighed, knowing her curious mind was still puzzling the impossibility of what he had done. She was not a woman to believe in the supernatural, and Marius still had no thoughts about how his body could react to her scent with such fervor. He almost lost control. 

And that did not happen often.

Pivoting on his heel, he flashed an apologetic smile, outstretching an arm towards her. "It has gotten late. Heaven forbid the rumors that will circulate about us," he said, dropping his voice to an octave as he approached her like a predator to its prey, ruby eyes hooded with hunger.

His arm wrapped around her waist, pushing her against his chest till their faces were mere inches away. Marius brought his other hand to slide up from the curves of her slim, taunting waist to the slender curve of her creamy, soft neck, pausing at a pulse that throbbed against his fingertips, begging to be pierced with pleasure.

He tapped her exposed collarbone as her chest rose with her heavy breaths, her sea-colored eyes gazing up at him with longing, the temptation to cross the forbidden lines that society drew. Marius was surprised by her eagerness, the way she grasped the lapels of his tail coat, clutching the material in her small hands.

She was pinning after his affection, chasing after the blazing ache that colored her cheeks in a coral tint, and made her bite the plush, full bottom lip of hers. Familiar stirrings coursed through him.

Marius dipped his head low, lips tracing the curve of her collarbone, lightly nibbling at the tender skin. He fought his body to control his enlarging fangs.

"I would love to take you right here, love," he rasped against the rosy mark he left. She arched into him in a silent plea. "But my promises are always kept," he exhaled deeply, finding the strength to pull away. 

As if coming to her sense, Despoina retreated a couple steps back, breathing heavily as her blue eyes widened in disbelief at what she was considering. Still, disappointment filled her as she was expecting more, but no words of such thought escaped her lush lips.

"It is late," she agreed, smoothing the wrinkles on her dress. "Rumors would do me no favors."

Marius cocked his head to one side. "But the thrill of such a whisper unleashes a different path to desire," he grinned devilishly. "If not today, then soon."

He let his little threat hang in the air as he turned on his heel to step out of the tent. Despoina composed herself and followed after, but her mind was elsewhere. He could smell her arousal with his heightened senses. Soon, he thought. I will have my taste of her.

"My offer still stands," he said, breaking the silence as they walked towards the carriage. "Come tomorrow before our show."

Her brows drew together. "To look over your creations?"

"If that is what it takes to bring you back," he winked.

"We will see."

* * * *

Marius sat on a the raised benches that were reserved for guests, his notepad in his lap as he sketched out the final pieces to the smokescreen he was preparing for the next few shows. It was still the early hours of morning, his crew finishing their breakfast.

Well, he gave them permission to seek their meals for the morning, a casual hunt. Though most of their powers were capped, they still had the ability to shift into their respective supernatural creatures. The non-shapeshifter was Luna, and her powers were fairly contained by the oath. Her only spells consisted of illusions.

For that reason, the crew required Marius and his inventions. They largely relied on the false perceptions of their performances, and rarely used their limited powers, which is why Marius gave permission to hunt every now and then.

He stretched, realizing he had no fill of blood in a while. After the sampling of Despoina's blood from last night, he only thirsted after her blood, only coveted her heavenly scent.

A crowd of voices entered the tent with the leftover meat they tracked. They were chatting among each other, laughing softly in small conversation. Although they were my prisoners from the Vampire Council, he never treated them as such, not when each withheld such marvelous talent. Their supernatural abilities only heightened them.

"Sir Marius, we brought you back some deer from our hunt," said Nathan, strolling to him with the dead animal in hand. "We know human blood is better, but the supplies are short in the morning."

Luna nodded as she picked up her comb to brush through her tangled white hair. "We did not want to attract attention to ourselves," she said softly.

Marius brushed them off. "Leave it on the table," he ordered, brushing over his sketch one last time. "Use the time to stretch out your animals before practice."

A breath of relief escaped his crew members. Akio and Atsuya already shifted into their Tengu forms, feathery, black wings stretching far as they flapped their bodies in a surge of flight, chasing each other around the tent, playing like birds.

Meanwhile Nathan and Dakini had fully shifted into their beasts as well. Dakini's golden fur shimmered in the dappled light from their curtain, stretching her front paws ahead of her before she licked the back of her paw, a lioness bathing in her glory.

Nathan shifted into his growling Werewolf body, auburn fur sticking up as he ran below the twins, attempting to chase them in a friendly chase that appeased their inner beasts.

"Luna, you can practice some of your magic," approved Marius when the young witch stared at him with a hopeful expression. "See if you can incorporate more dangerous stunts."

Her icy eyes brightened. "Yes, sir!"

Sighing, he put his notebook down and leaned back for a moment to admire the efforts of his circus crew, observing the lightheartedness in their banter as they teased each other in their chase. Dakini, in lioness form, joined Nathan and the twins in their wild chase, exhilarating howls escaping from Nathan's snout.

He walked over to the table with the deer resting on it, glancing over t the crew one last time to keep them in check. Fortunately none of them were out of line.

Just as Marius sank his fangs into the animal, a splintering shriek wa sheard throughout the tent, forcing him to pull back abruptly to meet the horrified crystal gaze of Despoina. Her mouth curled a silent scream as her expression broke apart, paler than his own skin.

Marius wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. Well, looks like the truth is out.

His crew members shifted back into their naked human forms, eyes wide in shock as they glanced from Despoina to their ringmaster. Even Luna let her daggers fall to the ground.

Turning on her heel, Despoina bolted out of the room, her blood pulsing loudly throughout her body that it echoed into Marius's hearing.

"Get some clothes on," hissed Marius over his shoulder as he ran after the little human.

He knew he told her to come in the morning, but it was very early. He expected her to show up within an hour or two, not at the sprinkling of first sunlight.

Regardless, he used his superhuman speed to chase her, quickly wrapping an arm around her golden lace bodice, and dragging her to the outside corner of the tent. The evergreen leaves of the willow tree draped in front of them, hiding the two from the circus tent and any onlooker that may pass by. His other hand was placed over her lips, stifling any of her screams.

Marius dipped his head near her ear. "I will remove my hand if you promise not to scream," he whispered dangerously low. "Are we in agreement, love?"

She mutely nodded her head, though he could hear her blood pumping adrenaline through her veins, the throbbing scent seeping into his mind like a tantalizing poison. Slowly, he removed his hand, turning Despoina to face him.

The fear was still evident in her eyes, but fury caused the storm to weather the color of her blue eyes, rocking hazardous currents as if she were ready to attack him even in a state of terror. One thing was obvious; this woman was not easily swayed.

"What... are you?" she forced out, taking a few steps back. He allowed the distance, knowing she needed time to process. Despoina's eyes darted back to the tent. "Were you... drinking an animal's blood?"

Marius slid a hand into his trouser pocket. "I prefer the blood of humans, but I also have more self-control than to be monster."

She glared at him with a freezing chill. "That did not answer my question. What are you, a demon?"

"No," he chuckled deeply. "Though some lore do portray vampires as demons. We are the undead creatures of the night, forever immortal, superior species of our time."

"You are foolish if you think I believe in village lore."

Marius dropped his fangs, smiling widely at her as his tongue caressed the edge of the sharp end. "Must I prove my abilities for you?" he asked, stepping closer to her.

She placed a hand on his chest as she pushed him away in a grimace. "No, the addition of your teeth is a suitable proof."

"I thought as much."

"But if you are a vampire, then what about the rest of your circus? All this time, have you been lying to the people of this town and any other place you performed at? The people in that tent," she hissed, pointing a finger towards where the others were, "are not human, so what are they?"

He should have punished her for her blatant disrespect, but the familiar pull at his heartstrings began again, the warmth he felt in basking in her fiery expressions as she demanded an explanation.

"The Twilight Circus is a prison designed by the Vampire Council-"

"Prison?" she interrupted, brows drawn up in confusion. "Your crew is a bunch of criminals?"

"Yes and no," he saw her mouth open with another response, but he simply placed a finger to his lips. "Hush, let me explain. The Vampire Council is a group of the oldest, most respected vampires. In the supernatural world, we have won all wars against other species, so my crew is made of war prisoners from the past few centuries. To the vampire species, they are criminals.

"But I do not see them as such. I see potential in my crew to use their limited powers to create spectacular performances to hinder and entertain all species. They were simply on the wrong side of the war, and through this circus I can protect them from harsher punishments from the council," he explained, a fierce look in his eyes.

Despoina exhaled a slow breath, mind working circles around what he said. "If this is a supernatural prison, where are the others? And why are you the jailer?"

"My circus crew are more elite than typical prisoners, and their abilities surpass most of their respective species. The Vampire Council thought it would be best to separate them by using a fragment of my power to withhold their beastly instincts and make them more common."

"How?"

Marius froze for a second as if the question caught him off guard. He had very vague memories of the process that the Vampire Council used. In fact, all memories from that time only brought his body physical pain to remember. He trusted the council, so he never questioned their decision.

"All I remember is we made an oath through the Book of Sanguis, which roughly translates to the Book of Blood. We made blood oaths through the book and our powers were fragmented," he stated, stroking his chin in thought. "I do not remember much of the terms of the seal, but it is the only way for the Vampire Council to keep their eyes on the Twilight Circus."

"What powers of yours were taken away?"

Another good question. "Vampires have mind-control and manipulation abilities. Stronger vampires can cast spells a d curses. Mine were given as a sacrifice as part of the oath."

She frowned. "Why would you agree to that?"

"I... I do not have many memories of the oath," he admitted with a slight shrug. "It was so long ago that I deemed it insignificant."

Despoina was unconvinced. "I see," she opted to say. "So with the limited abilities your crew has and your inventions, you created this circus?"

"Precisely," he smiled. "Instead of me telling you about everyone else, how about I introduce you to the crew?"

Her eyes brightened up, curiosity filling the sea of her eyes, waves a calm sway against an ocean's current. Her fear diminished and was replaced by a longing for knowledge. It seemed that her father would have been proud.

He grabbed a hold of her hand, pulling her towards the instead of the tent as he ignored the slight sting from the sunlight. Marius was very careful about his body, hence why he took Despoina to the tree adjacent to the tent's front curtain. As they walked in, he welcomed the coolness of the shade, his skin healing at the red, fiery burn he felt.

Marius whistled. "In here, everyone. Make sure you are clothed please."

Despoina stifled a small laugh, the sound causing vibrations to soar throughout his body as he gazed down at her in a smile, enjoying the warmth of her hand and the acceptance in her eyes.

All crew members lined up before him, backs straight and lips set in a strained smile to their guest. Thankfully, the shifters changed into acceptable clothing.

"Nathan is a Werewolf," announced Marius as the shifter walked forward. "He used to be an alpha for his pack before the war."

"We apologize for earlier, Miss Despoina," he said with his head down.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, giving Marius a questionable look.

"They have superhuman hearing and must have overhead a private conversation I had with your sister," he stressed on the word 'private' as he glared at their hidden grins. "Next we have Dakini, a Lioness from a strong pride in Africa."

Dakini waved nervously at Despoina.

"After her we have Luna, a witch from an ancient coven. She's the youngest of our group and still working on her fortune telling skills," he continued with a pointed look in her direction.

Luna shrugged, a mischievous glint in her sapphire eyes. "I made a few errors in the tarot card readings. No harm was done that you know of."

"Wait-"

Before Marius could scold her, Luna pulled at the arms of the twins, doing their introduction for him as a way to divert her mistake from earlier. "This is Akio and Atsuya," she chirped happily. "They come from Japan and are the legendary Tengu brothers that once took down an entire kingdom!"

Atsuya pushed her arm off. "Please, they were too afraid of our clan to fight."

"Now, brother, let's not downplay our history in front of our master's guest," chided Akio. He gazed down at Despoina with skeptical dark eyes. "How do we know that she will not tell others of our secret?"

Marius cleared his throat at Despoina as he tilted his head to gesture for her to make her case about why the rest of the crew should trust her. Truthfully, he had no idea why he did, but there was an alluring trait about her that reined him in as if he never wanted to part from her or the excitement that always bubbled in her presence.

"I... I want to work with you all," she admitted, sheepish at first. "Your performances were incredible and kept me at the edge of my seat. If Marius allows it, I want to work with him on some of the inventions."

The entire crew was in pure shock that Marius allowed a human to call him by his first name. He gave a scowl of warning to them, red eyes glowing an indignant flame if they dared to question her. None said a word.

"I think that is a wonderful idea," beamed Marius, placing a hand at the small of her back. He felt her jump at his touch before calming. "Let us begin by observing their rehearsal performance."

She clapped her hands in delight. "Of course! I was thinking about your smokescreen from last night, and I think there is a way to maximize its efficiency so more smoke will cover the stage," she rambled on as Marius led them to a bench.

Although Marius did not address the inquiring looks from his crew, they were certain that their vampire ringmaster met his match. If the desire between them continued to grow, to fester into a love so strong that even the Vampire Council would cower from the sheer strength, then there might be hope for their master after all. 

----

I may or may not have forgotten that I set the updates to Fridays. I am so sorry ;-;

It was like 11 pm and I was like, "I'M SUPPOSED TO UPDATE." Forgive meeee.

Anyway, I have no idea how I end up writing such long chapters for these stories. Sometimes my brain surprises me too.

Why do you think the Vampire Council fears a potential love story?

Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!