Max sat up with a sudden movement and looked around his room. "What the hell—did I dream?" he muttered. He stayed in bed for a moment, trying to decide whether he was still dreaming, then gave up and trudged into the bathroom.

With tired steps and a bent posture, he entered the dining room. "Morning," he yawned.Luna jumped up at the sound of his voice. "Max, when did you come?" she asked."What do you mean, Mother? I came home after swimming," Max replied.

While in the bathroom, he had concluded that he had gone home and fallen asleep while dreaming about the vampire—but he couldn't remember actually coming home.

"See you, Mom!" Max shouted over his shoulder as he drove to school.

"Hey, Max!" Jacob called out, running up to him. Without warning, Jacob grabbed Max by the blouse and pulled him along. Max struggled with arms and legs, but couldn't free himself. When they reached the boys' toilet, Jacob shoved Max inside, locked the door, released him, and held him against the wall.

"What did you take to swimming?" Jacob demanded through gritted teeth.

"I didn't take anything," Max insisted.

"Ha! There's no chance you'd be able to win over me without taking something—so what was it? Drugs? A drink? What was THAT?" Jacob's face turned nearly tomato red. "ANSWER ME!" he shouted.

"I told you, I DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING," Max said slowly but loudly. Jacob raised his hand and struck Max.

Max's cheek flushed red and tears began forming at the corners of his eyes. "Say it now, Max," Jacob pressed. Max clutched his cheek as Jacob released his grip long enough for Max to see the fresh cut. Seizing his chance, Max ran to the door, unlocked it, and jumped out of the toilet—almost colliding with Vigga, who startled and stepped back.

Max stormed to class with Jacob close behind. He flung the door open, and Luna immediately noticed his red cheek. "Jacob," she said sharply, "sit down. Max, come here—let me see your cheek. And where is your school bag?"

Only then did Max realize his school bag had fallen off. Jacob sat down, and Max approached Luna. "Max, shall I call your mother?"

"No, it's okay. We have an early day off today—it's nothing special," he answered, forcing a small smile.

But his smile faded when his cheek began to hurt. Soon, Vigga entered the class. Max, who had long harbored a crush on her, couldn't help but study her. "Even today, she looks fantastic," he thought. Her golden brown hair fell gracefully over her shoulder, and her small, gray-blue eyes sparkled. Her body—neither model-thin nor overweight—made his heart skip a beat.

"Here, Max, I found your school bag in the schoolyard," Vigga said, extending the bag to him. He froze and stared at her as he reached out. Their fingers brushed against each other; flustered, Max quickly took the bag and sat down.

Butterflies swirled in his stomach, and his cheeks grew even redder. Vigga smiled as Luna began math class, though time passed slowly. Jacob shot Max killer looks, and when they finally sat down for lunch, Max could barely speak.

"Did you see that there's a police car in the school parking lot?" one of the girls remarked. Vigga looked surprised. "Do you mean it, Ida?" she asked.

"Yes," replied Ida. Max listened as the conversation revealed that the car had been there for a few minutes with two cops inside. Soon, however, the girls lost interest and began chatting about makeup—something that didn't make much sense to Max.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After school, Max quickly packed his things. Blending into the crowd of children exiting the door, he managed to slip away from Jacob. Instead of leaving through the yard—where Jacob would surely be waiting—Max walked through the school and out into the parking lot.

There, he spotted the police car Ida and Vigga had mentioned. "Has it been here for two hours, or are there two different cars?" he wondered as he walked past. His eyes then caught sight of a man with brown, shoulder-length hair and light brown eyes, his police badge visible as he leaned casually against the car.

Max and the man, David, made eye contact. David smiled and waved him over. Petrified, Max stared; the very same person from his dream now stood before him, smiling.

Moments later, Max noticed another man sitting inside the car. When Max hesitated, David approached him as if he were a small child—lifting him effortlessly and swinging him over his shoulders.

"H-hey, sit me down!" Max protested, kicking at David's back."Hey, stop it," David said, clearly annoyed. He sat Max down, and after a moment of exchanged glances, David remarked, "You look like someone who's seen a ghost."After a brief pause, Max mumbled, "Huh?" and then, in a burst of fear, turned and ran in the opposite direction.

He felt his legs lift off the ground as David's voice whispered, "Good try," right next to his ear. Unwillingly, Max was dragged back to the car. David opened the back door and nearly threw Max in. "Hey!" Max cried as he scrambled into the seat, and David promptly closed the door.

Sitting in the driver's seat, David ordered, "Seatbelt on." Max had no choice but to comply. Once belted in, David started the car, and they slowly drove away. Max glanced at the other officer—only catching a glimpse of someone's back with short, black hair and a thin build—but something about the figure felt familiar.

They drove until David turned into the driveway of a large white house. David got out, opened the door for Max, and as Max stepped out he noticed something unusual: two brown, furry ears and a furry tail.

David lifted his tail and tightly grabbed Max's arm. The other officer stepped out and turned so Max could see his face.

Max's blood froze. "L-Liam," he stuttered. Liam's cold blue eyes met his briefly before Liam turned and walked into the house.

"Coming in?" Liam asked. David pulled Max inside, and once they were in, he let go of him.Inside, David pushed Max forward and locked the door. With a gentle shove, Max stumbled. Liam then sat down on a black sofa, still in his uniform.

Max and Liam locked eyes. Liam's blue eyes shifted to red, as did Max's. "Sit," Liam commanded, and Max dropped to the floor, positioning himself like a dog. David's earlier warning—"Don't fight"—echoed in his mind, and his body felt limp.

Liam looked at him while David clasped his hands tightly behind him. "Come," Liam ordered. Max got up on all fours and crawled toward him. When his chin nearly touched Liam's knee, he hesitated, then crawled a bit further as Liam spread his legs, allowing him to approach. Just as Max neared Liam's stomach, he paused.

Heat spread through Max's body—from his blushing cheeks to his chest, arms, fingers, and down his leg. "Thigh," Liam whispered in his ear as he carefully placed his hands on his own thighs.

"Sit on my thigh," Liam instructed. Unsure, Max slowly lowered himself onto Liam's thigh, feeling the solid structure of Liam's bones beneath him. "Take off your blouse," Liam ordered, running his hand up Max's side. The touch sent heat rippling through Max's body, and with a flushed face, he lifted his blouse.

Liam examined the two neat little holes on Max's neck before placing his cold hand there. "Good boy," he said in a tone that was almost approving. "He-he praised me," Max managed to stutter.

"More," Max whispered, and Liam's red eyes locked onto his.

"More, what?" Liam asked."Praise me... more," Max murmured, barely coherent. Liam smiled a short smile and let his hand glide down Max's collarbone to his chest, pressing gently on his nipple.

"Mmh," Max moaned, unable to hold back his reaction.

"Yes, like that—let me hear your voice. Beg, wail, moan," Liam said. He bowed his head and ran his tongue over Max's body, sending shivers through him.

As Liam's tongue caressed Max's chest, it stopped at his nipple; Liam's warm breath and moist tongue made Max moan again. Max leaned back, gasping, "Ah! Hmm!"

Liam pressed down on Max's nipple with his tongue, while his other hand squeezed. "Mhmm... stop," Max whispered. Liam paused but kept his tongue on the nipple for a moment longer before removing his mouth.

"Okay, I'll stop," Liam said in a cold tone. In his nearly unconscious state, Max didn't fully register the chill in Liam's voice. He leaned forward, their bodies pressed together.

Liam then looked down with angry, red eyes. "Blood."

Max sat up and tilted his head to expose his neck. Liam's eyes turned blood red as he leaned forward and bit Max in the same spot as the previous evening.

Max bit his lower lip, stifling a moan as he felt his blood seep into Liam's mouth. David soon appeared, gently holding Max's back for support. When Liam finished, he released Max.

"Take him and stop the bleeding—we can't have anything happen to my food and my servant," Liam commanded, licking his lips. Max quickly gathered what he could, and David carefully lifted him, leading him to the bathroom. David helped Max sit on the toilet while he fetched a band-aid.

Blood still trickled from the two small holes in Max's neck. "Max, are you okay?" David asked as he applied plasters. Slowly regaining his senses, Max murmured, "Yeah, I think so." David sighed."Liam is going too far—he doesn't need to drink so much blood," Max said, touching his neck. His cheeks flushed red as memories of him and Liam slowly resurfaced.

Max took David's hand. "It's okay," he said with a faint smile. David looked at him, then lifted him into a hug that nearly overwhelmed him. When David let go, Max noticed that David now had wolf ears and a furry tail.

In a matter of moments, David transformed completely—a thin-bodied wolf with short brown fur and yellow-brown eyes now stood before Max. If Max hadn't witnessed the transformation, he wouldn't have believed it was the same person from just minutes ago.

David lowered his wolf head into Max's lap and let out a dog-like sigh. Feeling David's warmth through his clothes, Max wasn't sure what to do. Tentatively, he placed his hand on David's head.David's fur, coarse yet smooth, felt unexpectedly comforting as Max ran his hand over it. David's tail wagged slightly, and in his wolf form, he settled comfortably with his head resting in Max's lap.

Finally pulling himself together, Max asked, "What's wrong?"David looked up with amber eyes, baring his sharp teeth. "Woof," he replied. Max stared at him in confusion just as the bathroom door slowly opened.

"How long does it take to stop the bleeding?" Liam asked, annoyed as he spotted Max sitting on the toilet with David's wolf head resting on his thigh. His eyes flashed with anger as he strode over.

With an unseen force, Liam removed David's wolf head. He grabbed Max's wrist and pulled him to his feet. Clinging to Liam's shoulder, Max was dragged into the hallway, followed by David—who had now transformed back into human form.

"Liam, what is it? Instead of doing this, talk!" David sounded annoyed, but Liam ignored him. Opening a door, Liam roughly tossed Max inside. Max landed on his side against the cold floor of the third level. As he sat up, he saw Liam's angry eyes before the door closed with a click.

"No, no, no!" Max cried, running to the door and grabbing the handle. When it wouldn't open, he yanked on it, then started knocking and shouting. After ten minutes with no success, he slid down to the floor with his back to the door. Finally, he heard a click. He sprang up and watched as the door slowly opened.

Liam glared at him coldly, grabbed his arm, and pulled him into the living room. Max glanced at the couch where he'd been sitting not long ago. Liam forced him down onto the floor.

David stood a short distance away. When Max looked up, David quickly averted his eyes. Liam then grabbed Max's cheeks—his hands cold and firm—forcing Max to meet his gaze.

"I'm your master," Liam declared angrily, a brief flash of red in his eyes. "You're going to live here from now on."

Max looked at him in shock. "I can't—I have a mother. What will she say?" Liam glared at David. "Not anymore. You can thank David for that."

Releasing the stunned Max, Liam's presence drained all of Max's strength. His head hung low, eyes wet, yet no tear fell. He longed to shout at David or throw himself at Liam, but he couldn't move.

"I hate you," Max whispered. Liam turned, and David's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"I HATE YOU!" Max cried, tears freely rolling down his cheeks."Take him to his room," Liam snarled

David walked over and placed a hand on Max's shoulder. Angrily, Max pushed it away, repeating under his breath, "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you."

"Max, I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention. Can you forgive me... someday?" David whispered, his eyes wet as he fought back his own tears. David then lifted Max and carried him upstairs. Max was still angry but no longer had the strength to resist."David?" Max asked.

"Yes, what is it?" David replied, looking down. "h-how did my mother died? was she in pain?" Max's voice was thin.

"Liam searched for her—it didn't take long," David answered.

David then sat Max down and supported him as he opened a black door with one arm. The door swung open to reveal a small room with a desk, a chair, a nook, a bookcase, and a window. The room's furnishings were dark—the bed, desk, chair, and bookcase all crafted from dark wood.

"I want to be alone," David said as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.Max looked at the beds, then lay down on his back. He pulled his knees to his chest, buried his head in his arms, and curled up until he eventually fell asleep.

He awoke to a knock on the door. "Max, it's David—there's food," came a voice from the other side. If not for the grumbling in his stomach, Max might have stayed in bed. He got up and opened the door.

Side by side, they walked downstairs in silence. Max sat at the table opposite David, with Liam seated nearby. Although Max could feel Liam's cold eyes on him, he refused to look up.On the table were three steaks, a bowl of potatoes, a bowl of salad, and a bowl of gravy. Max began to eat.

Liam and David ate quietly as well. When Max finished, for the first time that night he spoke: "Thank you for the food," then went upstairs to his room.