As a swarm of bats, Astarion followed Tav in her raven wildshape up the tall walls of his palace. She raced ahead of him to his bedroom window and beat her wings to hover before it. The window as shut, and locked, so she couldn’t fly into the room. Instead she perched on the windowsill and waited for Astarion. The swarm of bats twisted on itself and in a plume of golden smoke, his gaseous form slipped through a crack in the window. Tav’s beady little black eyes watched as he coalesced with a flamboyant twirl into his ‘normal’ form. She took to the sky to back up as he opened the window. 

“Come to me, darling.” His outstretched hand was symbolic as he invited her to perch on his arm. Tav landed there, her claws catching on his red jacket sleeve to secure herself, as he reeled her into the bedroom. He shut and locked the windows with his free hand, and stroked her soft black feathers. He swanned over to the bed and dipped his head to whisper to where her auricular ear hole would be. “As pretty a raven you make, darling, I’d think you need to slip into something more fuckable, hmm?” He chuckled and flicked his wrist to throw her towards the bed. Tav cawed and glided effortlessly to land on the bed. With a shimmer of green light she wildshaped…into a wolf. She sat up and her tail wagged, her tong lopped out of her mouth, and she was very amused with herself. “Oh, really?” Astarion pressed a finger to his mouth and smirked behind it. “Well, I’m not opposed to mounting you like a bitch from behind, my treasure, but not as a bitch.” He reached forward and shoved her shoulders so she fell onto her back with a yip. “Now be a good girl, and drop your wildshape. I know some druids like a touch of beast-fucking, but we will not be mixing species in the bedroom.” Astarion stood at the foot of the bed, his hands unbuttoning his fine clothing and grinned at Tav. She howled, and then dropped her wild shape and revealed she was howling with laughter. 

“Oh my Gods!” Tav giggled and cupped her hands to her face. “If Shadowheart ever found out I told you about her hook up with Halsin and how he fucked her as a bear, she’d kill me.” Her hands were suddenly taken by her wrists and pinned at either side of her head. She blushed at the realisation that Astarion was naked and on top of her. Moonlight streamed in through the window and made his skin appear to glow. Much like it did the first night they were together in the woods. His eyes glowed like hunter’s moons, and his fangs were more prominent than when he usually spoke or grinned at her. 

“She is welcome to try, but I won’t allow anyone to harm you, ever again.” There was something deep in his promise that had far more intensity than her playful comment required. 

“I was only joking.” She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. 

“I’m not.” Astarion moved both her hands to hold with his right hand across her wrists above her head. His left hand began yanking and unfastening her DuPree dress to get to her lovely body beneath. He didn’t look away from her emerald eyes and kept her full attention with his stare. “When I met you, I didn’t care for you. I saw you as yet another means to an end.” His voice was soft, yet something sharp lurked beneath. Tav saw how tense his jaw was and how his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed deeply. “When I was hungry and desperate, you didn’t shun me, even when you caught me with my fangs about to sink into your neck.” His exposed her breasts and her nipples hardened with arousal. “You gave me your blood, when no sane person would have.” His smile was nostalgic and his left hand continued to lay her bare beneath him. 

“But you were so weak you were shaking.” 

“Which is why you shouldn’t have trusted a starving vampire to sup at your throat. And yet? You did. You trusted me.” Astarion lifted her chin with his left hand and even now, she didn’t have a drop of tension in her body. “I can’t remember anyone ever trusting me. Especially not after seeing the truth of what I am.” 

“What you are?” She was worried about this shift in mood from the pale elf. He didn’t seem his usual flamboyant and arrogant self. He wasn’t frisky like he was down in the ball room. Normally Astarion held his trump cards close to his chest, even with her, but Tav felt like he wasn’t holding anything back this time. “What do you mean?”

“I’m a monster, Tav.” He kissed her lips, feather light and tantalisingly brief, before he shoved his knees between hers to spread her legs. “You have seen behind my charming mask so often, you should have fled from me, or staked me. Instead, you have stood by me and loved the monster I am, even when I have hurt you. Even when I have used you and been cruel to you.” Her eyes watered and she tugged against his hand restraining hers. 

“Are you okay?” She wanted to hug him. It was very rare she saw anything Astarion associated with weakness from him. Vulnerability and the depth of his trauma being amongst them. She mentally thought about how things seemed to have turned from them being hot and heavy, to this worrying intensity once he was undressed. Maybe he isn’t ready for intimacy after all. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” Astarion smiled, having detected her thoughts, and her kind, unjudgemental motives. Truly, she was too good for him. She hadn’t once feared for her safety or pondered why he was restraining her. Her heart worried only for his wellbeing. You have only yourself to blame for what I’m about to do, darling. “We can just talk. Cuddle. Really, that’s enough for me. I can be with you without-” He moved his left hand to press his fingertips to her lips to silence her. 

“I need to say this. I need you to listen to what I have to say. Please?” Tav blinked, curious what he had to say to her, but nodded obediently all the same. He smiled, adoring her all the more for her lack of hesitation. He let his fingers trace her lips as he adored her with glowing red eyes. “We both know that you know I’m not a good man. Fate brought us together, and I went out of my way to seduce and secure you as a lover to ensure my continued survival. The Absolute and our cranial passengers put my survival at risk, so of course I went along with the party to end that risk. I had a plan on how to ensure I was still standing when all others fell, and you were key to that plan.” She started to frown and tears prickled in her eyes. Tav wasn’t sure she liked where this was going. She thought he was sorry for how things ended and wanted to give being with her another chance. A real chance. Then why does it feel like he’s going to break my heart again? She wanted to beg him not to, but she also promised to let him get this off his chest, so she silently wept instead and didn’t look away from his crimson gaze. “I got what I needed from you, and ended things with you.” Hurt twisted in her heart and tears slid down both cheeks to her ginger hair and the mattress beneath her. “I should have felt nothing for you. You were just another mark. Another notch on my bed post to get what I needed. You should have either moved on, or hated me.” He scowled and moved his left hand to point at her face. “You should have realised what a manipulative cad I am, and never looked back. Perhaps even thanked the Gods you dodged an arrow by escaping my clutches. But…” He averted his gaze for the first time since pouncing on her and guilt cut him deeply. “You kept checking on me at camp. You kept offering me your blood so I’d feel strong and happy. You protected me and risked everything to help me destroy Cazador.” He snapped his stare back to her weeping green eyes and shook his head in disbelief at her. “I couldn’t have ascended without your eyes and support. I looked into your eyes and saw that you knew I was about to do something truly wicked. But I needed you, and you came to me and gave me what I needed.” He wrapped his left hand around her throat, causing her eyes to widen in alarm. He scowled and gripped her wrists above her head even tighter. “Even though I saw how it hurt you, you helped me anyway. Even as our companions begged you not to, you turned away from them and came to my aid. Because you love me, and always put me first, even before yourself. My foolish, far too trusting, frustratingly naive little pet.” He no longer seemed vulnerable, but dominating as he held her so firmly in place, she doubted she’d be able to wildshape and escape even if she wanted to. 

“Astarion? What’s happening? You’re starting to frighten me.” 

“And yet?” He cocked his head to one side and his smirk was cruel. “You don’t resist me. You never have. I was a monster when I was simply a vampire spawn. Now I have ascended, I am the most powerful, and most dangerous person on this plane. You know I’m using my powers to take over this city. You know I’m doing despicable things from teh shadows to secure my throne. Yet what are you doing?” He chortled and used his thumb to push down her chin and open her mouth. “You are here. Right by my side. You’re not oblivious to what I’m doing, Tav. You simply care too much about me to stop me.” His mouth hung open and his expression dropped. “…because you love me.” 

“Yes.” She sobbed, her heart fraying at the seams. “Yes, I love you.” There, is that what he wanted to hear? Would he stop toying with her now she’d said the words out loud? Was this funny to him? 

“Even though I am the vampire ascendant?”

“Yes.” 

“Even though I am wicked to the core?” 

“Yes, damn you.” She cried, and yet she still didn’t try to thrash for freedom. Instead she turned her face away to try and hide how pathetic she felt. It was short lived, as he simply used his hand on her neck to make her turn and face him once more. 

“Which is why you are completely to blame.” His scowl should have terrified her. Part of her whimpered in fear for her imminent wellbeing, but she knew this vampire. He always had a plan, and there was a point to laying her bare and carrying out this autopsy on her heart. 

“W-what am I to blame for?” She sobbed and shrugged as much as she could with her wrists above her head. “What have I done to you other than love and support you, you jerk.” He chuckled, finding her adorable when she barked back at him like that. Slowly Astarion moved his hand from her neck and slid it down between her breasts with the back of his knuckles and fingers. 

“Exactly, my love.” He kissed her, fiercely this time, and his left hand shot down to cup her sex. She flinched at the sudden and possessive caress. “No one has ever truly cared for me. You know all my flaws, and your love is unconditional. I ended things with you because I felt myself falling for you, darling. I couldn’t risk that, so I ended our tryst. We stopped fucking, but I became possessive of you and that foolishly kind heart of yours.” He teased his fingers between her labia and found her clit with expert precision. She gasped and bucked onto his hand. Her body wanted his, but her heart and mind didn’t know what to think. “Even after we stopped fucking, I couldn’t allow anyone else to pursue you. That’s why I started to humiliate Gale at camp. Why I interrupted whenever Wyll tried his blade of the frontiers charm on you. Hells, I’m the one who suggested to Halsin that Shadowheart would be up for a casual fuck, when I caught him ogling you from behind.” Her gasped, surprised at the level of meddling Astarion had carried out behind her back. “My darling. My precious pet.” 

“I-I’m not your pet.” She trembled with both pleasure by his hand, and also warily from his dark intentions. “I can’t be your pet. I can’t be used by you again, Astarion. Please.” She whimpered and he slid his fingers around her entrance to tease her, and keep her labia open for him. “Love me…or set me free.” His eyes glowed even brighter and he bore his fangs right in her face. 

“I will never set you free. You are mine!” He hissed and threw her legs around his waist. “I am a monster, Tav. You are in love with an evil monster. Admit it.” 

“Y-you know I do. You know I love you, damn it all, I do.” She surrender, like she always did, and begged him with her teary green eyes to have mercy. 

“Good girl.” He rewarded her with a possessive kiss. Her heart was racing, her body trembled with a mix of desire and sorrow, but she gave herself to him completely. “Of course?” Astarion whispered and lowered his face to her right ear. “You loving me isn’t even the worst part.” She swallowed a worried lump in her throat, and when she found her voice, she finally learned the truth. 

“W-what’s the worst part?” She sniffled and watched him lean up to look her right in the eye. 

“You made me fall in love with you too.” Her eyes widened, her battered heart swelled with hope, and she clung to him with her legs around his waist. 

“Do you mean that?” She whimpered, and his smirk softened. 

“Yes darling. For all eternity.” Astarion kissed her and finally released her wrists. He notched the bulbous end of his cock between her nether lips and fisted her hair in both of his hands. “I am a monster, and I love you. You now have to face the consequences for such a wicked thing possessing all of you. You are mine, Tav. Forever mine.”