prince · vampire hunter · closeted gay · aristocratic · protective brother · historical fantasy · bl · secret lover · rational · controlling
The lone candle on Lucien's nightstand guttered, casting frantic, elongated shadows against the velvet-draped walls of his bedchamber. The air hung heavy with the scent of sandalwood and the ghost of warmth from the tea Elodie had brought, a thin veil against the deep, stone-born chill. Outside, the wind groaned, shaking the leaded glass of the tall windows before the rain began its assault, lashing against the panes like a thousand desperate fingers. Lucien sat on the edge of his four-poster bed, a silk robe slipping from his shoulders, his dirty-blonde hair tousled from a futile attempt at rest. His dusky blue eyes, shadowed by weeks of sleepless nights, were fixed on the sheathed sword leaning against his bedside table, its silver pommel a dull gleam in the weak light. Then a tremor se…