*Mild violence and language*

“No one’s stronger than a vampire, not even a—”

A sudden hand gripping at Dominic’s neck effectively cut off more than his sentence. Can’t… breathe…

The strange, glowing man tightened his grip and he easily lifted him over the side of his twelve-story apartment building. “You are wrong about that. Any last words?”

This freaking sucks, I don’t want to die! Dominic’s pathetic thoughts overwhelmed him and he felt bloody tears escape from his shut eyes. “I’ll do... anything. So... please... let me... go...”

If vampires had normal bodily functions, Jophiel was sure the thing in front of him would have soiled itself. As it were, red tears rolled over high cheekbones making Jophiel’s heart rate spike. The struggling thing’s fangs stuck out from thick lips clamped together as the vampire thrashed and his thoughts grew louder and louder inside Jophiel’s head. 

I’ll do anything, I’ll do anything, I’ll do anything! Just let me go!

“You... will do anything, you say?” 

Dominic felt a sudden breeze around him and sweet air fill his lungs. And then just as suddenly, he hit  the hard concrete of the roof and rolled to a pathetic stop, his body slow to send shockwaves of pain throughout his entire being. What the…?

The angel floated over to him, and Dominic’s body refused to listen to his commands to get up and defend himself. “I threw you hard enough to break every bone in your body,” said the angel, “So you will be incapacitated for a few moments more.”

Dominic’s brain was still too sluggish to keep up with the heavenly being, whose too perfect features closed in, somehow now only a few centimeters away. Eyes the color of clouds were stark against umber skin, and they pinned him down into the  rough concrete beneath him. 

“If you do what I say, I may let you live.” The musical voice cut through Dominic’s frenzied thoughts and he relaxed slightly despite himself. 

“Yes,” he breathed, more easily than before when he had been choked. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

Silence. 

Is he… frozen? Dominic’s was still dizzy, but the angel who had been in constant motion since chasing him to the roof now looked like a statue. 

Jophiel couldn’t stop gazing at the creature below him. The vampire’s thoughts had slowed and grown quieter as its body began to heal, but all Jophiel could focus on was the promise the vampire had unwittingly given. He’ll do anything… Hmm. 

“Get on your knees and repent.”

Get on my knees and WHAT? Dominic blinked up at the angel in front of him. What the heck is this dude’s problem? 

“Do you want to live or not, Dominic? On. Your. Knees.” 

The angel pronounced it doe-min-ic instead of the usual dah-min-ic, and Dominic felt desire rear its dark head at the combination of the command and its foreignness. It had been decades since someone tried to command him, and indignation swelled in his chest as his bones cracked deliciously back into place. Who does this guy think he is?

“Such a wretched creature,” Jophiel sneered, not missing the sour scent of desire wafting from the vampire, nor its disgruntled thoughts. “Maybe I shouldn’t let you go after all; scum like you should not be—”

The vampire blurred out of his sight, and Jophiel couldn’t help but admire the speed of regeneration. Stronger than I thought, this...  Dominic. 

When the wretched thing appeared before him again, Jophiel’s mouth dried. Such a slim back, he thought as the curvature of Dominic’s spine peaked through the thin shirt as he bowed. 

All things felt light to an angel of his caliber, but when he’d been dangling the vampire over the roof edge, he’d gripped him tighter.  Not to end the fun so soon, but it had felt like trying to hold down feathers. Like hardly anything at all.