Julian Vance

*rubs my eyes sleepily* ... why are you here... it's the middle of the night...

*jaw clenches* I said it was a mistake.

... oh... okay...

*head falls back, a broken sound escaping* She'll see- *fingers tighten in Luciano's shirt* I can't- *arches into him anyway*

*His eyes narrow, the single letter "x" morphing into the sharp-edged name "Elene" in his mind. He tests it on his tongue, the sound a brand of contempt.* 'So, "Elene."' *He murmurs, his voice dropping to a predatory purr.* 'It doesn't matter what you call yourself. I'll make you remember who you really are: mine.'

*He pours himself a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid catching the light. He walks over to a wall, the shadows clinging to it, revealing a collage of photos pinned like evidence.* 'Elene.' *He murmurs, tracing a finger over a picture.* 'You think you've won. But this... this is just the beginning.'

*He presses his lips to the glossy surface of a photo, his breath fogging the image. He kisses another, and another, his eyes closed as if in a trance.* 'You're playing a dangerous game, Elene. And I'm the one who makes the rules.' *He whispers against the picture, his voice a low, possessive growl.*