Without thinking, she slowly leaned in, closing her eyes as her lips pressed softly against his.

Offenderman didn't move for just a second, only to respond in full, his large hands sliding up to cup her face, his larger body pressing into hers while he deepened the kiss. Elara felt his heartbeat quicken, his large frame cradling her. One of his hands moved down her back, pulling her flush against him.

Elara broke the kiss, fresh air refilling her lungs the moment she opened her eyes again-only for them to widen.

She gasped and pulled herself away from him, her heart pounding as she turned away, her hands covering her mouth while a deep dark red blush crept up her cheeks.

The fuck was she doing?! This man just put her through the biggest emotional roller coaster she's ever been on and kissing him is the first thing she does?!

Offender chuckled and slowly got up from his position on the floor, an amused smirk evident on his face.

"Damn flower~" he purred. "You taste like fire~" he said, licking his lips.

"Shut up!" she hissed over her shoulder, but it held no malice.
God, she felt like such an emotional wreck. How was kissing a murderous kidnapping sex demon ever a good idea?!

She took in a deep breath, making an effort to calm herself before she turned back to look at Offenderman, a smug grin plastered on his face.

"Not bad for a first kiss~" he purred. "Not bad at all~"

"Yeah yeah, lap it up, you smug bastard," she growled, the redness in her cheeks not even close to fading.

A deep smooth laugh escaped him and he slowly stepped closer.

"Oh I will~" he stated. "But as adorable as it is to see you flustered by my skills~ I have to let my brothers know you're here." He added, straightening out his shirt and fixing his fedora.

Elara tilted her head.
"Brothers?" she asked, confused. "Your... family...?" she asked, a bit more cautiously.
Offender nodded, stepping over to the door.

"Feel free to help yourself to my array of toys, I do love surprises if you feel impulsive again~" he chuckled, earning a playful glare from Elara.

"I'll be back soon, flower~"
And with that, he opened the large wooden doors of his bedroom, leaving Elara alone in the room.

She looked around the bedroom, taking it in properly for the first time.

A large canopy bed stood at the far end of the room, right opposite the door he had left through. The bed was huge, way bigger than the king or queen-sized beds she had seen in Ikea. Dark red curtains with thorn patterns hung from the sides of the canopy, while the bed itself had a black, surprisingly clean fitted sheet and dark red messed-up blankets strewn about. And of course, two large red pillows to match.

He sure liked the color red.

Elara personally never saw the appeal in red. To her, it felt a bit violent and dark. Then again, her favourite colour was blue, so to each their own.

Her gaze drifted over to the two large closets that lined the wall on the left side of the room. The wood was dark and elegant, the sides and top almost fully overgrown with the rose vegetation that covered the walls.

Walking up to them, she tilted her head, wondering if she should open them.

He did say that she was allowed to check out his "array of toys." How ridiculous that was.

"Well, he kidnapped me, he'll just have to deal with it," she muttered confidently to herself and pulled the large doors open-instantly regretting her decision.

Her eyes drifted over the amount of dildos, butt plugs, BDSM equipment, sexual torture devices-you name it, it was in there.

She closed the doors as quickly as she had opened them.
A deep blush once again crept onto her face.

"Let's not do that again..." she muttered, mentally facepalming herself. How did she not expect that?
The man is a walking sex shop.

Shaking her head, she turned to the opposite wall.
It didn't have much, just a dresser and a wall-length mirror that the vines seemed to avoid like the plague.

Stepping closer, Elara's eyes met her reflection, and for the first time she actually saw herself in the prom dress she was still wearing.

For a second, she didn't even recognise herself.
Her hair was a complete disaster, her face still held some exhaustion from the events of the last weeks, but she looked remarkably better than before.

But she desperately needed to freshen up after all that.
Running a hand through her hair, Elara took a deep breath and tore her eyes away from the mirror to turn to the door.
The wooden door that led to the room had maybe the most interesting carvings she'd ever seen.

Of course the rose-thorn motif was in there, but so was Offenderman himself. His tall presence was carved fully into the design, a delicious grin on his lips with his tendrils on full display behind him.

Elara silently ran a hand over the wood carving.
At least finding his room would never be an issue.
She slowly lowered the door handle and pushed it open.
The wood didn't so much as squeak, sliding over the floor like second nature as she poked her face out.

Would he mind if she quickly went to find a bathroom?

Elara glanced around the hallway.
Despite the torchlights lining the overgrown walls, the hallway felt cold and dark, like it might swallow her whole if she entered.

It's certainly clear that he doesn't live alone.
Compared to his room, this place felt like a black hole.

A moment of hesitation came over her, but she stepped out anyway, closing the door behind her.

Just find a bathroom and go back. Maybe snoop a little... find out where exactly she is other than creepy large house in god knows where.

Elara felt her heart thundering in her ears with every step she took in this ridiculously huge building.

What did they live in? A castle? How hard was it to find a damn bathroom?

The small pitter-patter of her footsteps echoed throughout the halls.

The marble floors were surprisingly well-kept, the stone walls had dead vines and vegetation growing everywhere, the glowing torches lining them casting long shadows in the already dim halls.

The building almost felt alive.

An oppressive darkness that watched her navigate aimlessly.
He did say that he wanted her to meet his brothers...
Whatever that would mean.

Maybe she should've stayed in Offenderman's room.
Just then, Elara perked up.

Listening closely, she heard what she thought were voices.
They were coming from further ahead.
Curiosity getting the better of her, and despite her better judgment, Elara took a deep breath and walked closer, straining her ears to try and listen to what they were saying.

"Does it really fucking matter?!"
Elara flinched when Offenderman's voice rang out, clearly extremely pissed.

Who was he talking to? Did something happen?
She took a few more steps forward, listening more closely.

"It is quite fascinating how she is resistant to your charms."
A new, much calmer voice came through.
Clearly male, but unlike Offender, the tone was much more neutral. Analytical, even.

"That doesn't change the fact that humans don't belong here. This is not some pet dungeon for your collective pets, Offender." A third voice butted in. This one was more authoritative, more final.

Yet disturbingly calm.
Elara already didn't like this person-creature-whatever it was.

"Oh cut the crap, Slendy," Offenderman spat. "You don't get to act high and mighty after the stunt you pulled."
His tone shifted dangerously low, hints of distortion already audible even from her position.

"Stunt? Brotheeeer, whatever did you do?!"
Elara frowned. A fourth voice.

This one sounded more theatrical than Offenderman normally did, more exaggerated to the point of sounding completely over the top.

"Yes, Slendy~" Offender growled, and Elara could clearly hear the grin forming on the creature's face. "Why don't you explain to Splendor exactly what you did."

"I did what was necessary." The authoritative voice, Elara had figured out to be Slender, called out rather calmly.

"Don't give me that!" Offenderman yelled, causing Elara to raise a hand to her mouth, afraid that her breathing might be loud enough for them to hear.

"Necessary my dick! You killed someone that wasn't yours to kill. I had marked her, thanks to you I had to deal with the fallout!" Offenderman sounded more controlled now, but still audibly fuming.

"Oh please, so your pet cried, did it?" Slender replied.
A loud bang suddenly rang throughout the place, making Elara jump in surprise, yet she managed to stay quiet while her breathing slowly became uneven.

Was he talking about Becky's mom? He said he didn't do it... so this Slender figure did it..?

A heavy feeling formed in her stomach as her eyes watered a little.

Then it became eerily quiet.

"Her name is Elara, and you will address her as such!" Offenderman shot back. "And if you EVER dare break her like that again, her being human is the very last of your fucking concerns!"

"Offender-"

"Shut. It. Trender. DID I MAKE MYSELF FUCKING CLEAR?!"
His voice heavily distorted with pure rage.
Elara felt her knees weaken as the conversation escalated.
She was glad she had never faced that side of him.
It sounded like absolute nightmare fuel.

The room went quiet.
Far longer than a few seconds now.

"You're awfully quiet, Slendy..." the dramatic one eventually said, breaking the tense silence.

"He'll grow out of it," Slender replied, a deep frustrated sigh escaping him. "For now we'll have to see if she's truly immune to all of our abilities. In the meantime, indulge him. Once he grows tired of her, we can always kill her then."
He added, and then the unmistakable sound of a chair being shoved backwards echoed throughout the hall.

"I will conclude this family meeting with this matter."
Elara felt her vision blur.

She pressed her hands tighter against her face as they shook violently.

Immune? Abilities?
What were they talking about?

The room began to spin as it became hard to breathe.
The air seemed too thick for her lungs to handle, her heart pounding in her ribcage while sweat formed on her skin, their words lingering in her mind.

They were going to kill her..?
No... why..?
She didn't want to die...

She took a step backwards.

And then another.

And another.

Before she realised what she was doing, she was already running back to Offenderman's room.

She didn't know for sure if he actually cared.
All she knew was that he was the only one that didn't want her dead. That his chest held actual warmth.
And for now- that was enough.