After every job, he liked to kick back at the local tavern with a tankard of ale and a plate of roast (or whatever the kitchen happened to be serving that night). The truth was, he didn't actually need to eat. He just liked the taste of food and the slight buzz he got from downing a mug or five. It put him in a good mood—or more accurately, a generous mood. With his remaining coin, he would wander to the nearest brothel and pay for a room for the night. Sometimes, he'd get lucky and catch the eye of a cutie. Other times, he settled for avoiding eye contact with his partner and leaving as soon as the sun was up. Still, he always made sure to leave a nice tip for the girls.

Looking back, he knew his spontaneous decision to spare Sophia was the right one. He had another dead Vampire Lord under his belt, a village grateful for his services, and now a gorgeous vampiress in his company. At first, there had been a small period of adjustment to the whole vampire thing. Vynx was an expert on killing vampires, but this was his first time traveling with one. Most of her vampiric traits didn't bother him too much; he was used to having a nocturnal schedule, and sleep was mostly optional for the hunter. He also didn't mind the blood drinking; it wasn't like she had much of a choice. If anything, he admired Sophia for sticking to animals and leaving the locals unscathed. 

Sophia also had a neat trick of being able to shapeshift into small animals, making her wonderfully portable in his jacket pocket when he needed to travel by day. She was also quick to join him in battle, despite his insistence that she didn't have to. But Vynx wasn't going to complain about the utility of a vampire on his side, and Sophia was more than capable of taking care of herself during hunts. By all accounts, the pros far outweighed the cons. 

Out of respect for Sophia, he had kept his hands to himself since they started traveling together. Maybe a part of him was trying to be a gentleman for once; after all, she had just escaped captivity under one of the biggest creeps in the country. It just didn't feel right for him to make a move on the vampiress. Unfortunately for him, Vynx was a creature of habit. He had kept a clean streak when it came to bordello visits, but he was starting to get fidgety. While he could usually sneak away to take care of personal business during the day, it was getting increasingly hard for him to fall asleep at night with her around. A man had his needs, and suppressing those earthly desires was becoming more difficult by the day. 

"I'm going out tonight," Vynx announced from the doorway. His voice was as even as could be, lest he let his intentions slip. 

"Where are you going?" Sophia hardly looked up from the novel in her hands. 

"Drinking. I saw a pub down the way and thought I'd pay a visit."

The vampiress raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" She had this uncanny ability to read him that made Vynx sweat. 

"Yep. I'll catch ya later, Soph. Don't stay up too late." Vynx winked. He didn't like lying, but he didn't have a choice anymore. Vynx shot her his best smile and shut the door before she could interrogate him further. The hunter spun on his heel, bolted down the tavern stairs, and went out the door like a dog freed from his leash. He could practically feel the clinking of the coins in his pocket as he bounded for the sleazy pub down the street, only to turn into an alley and make for the brothel on the other side of it. 

"I'm back, baby!" The hunter burst through the doors with a shameless grin. He actually couldn't recall if he'd visited this establishment before, but he didn't care. The smell of cheap perfume and the thumping of furniture from the floor above were all the reassurance he needed. Vynx slammed down his coin pouch on the front counter and chatted up the madam like he owned the place. After going through his options, he settled for the pretty blonde serving drinks a few feet away. He barely caught her name before the woman was leading him up to a private room, arm hooked in his. Gods, I missed this. Vynx sighed to himself. There was a nagging thought at the back of his mind, but he pushed it away the moment the door closed behind him. By the time their clothes were off, thoughts were no longer a part of the hunter's brain. 

Morning came almost too soon. Vynx had always prided himself on his stamina, and even he was impressed by how long he had kept going. "Whew. I really was pent up." The hunter stared up at the ceiling with a content smile. The lass next to him was still fast asleep, and he didn't expect her to wake for at least another hour or so, especially after the marathon he'd just put her through. Sunlight was beginning to peek through the shoddy curtains, and the sounds from the other rooms had died out to allow a strangely peaceful quiet in. The hunter rolled onto his side, letting his arm drape over the passed-out woman. From behind, her platinum locks almost reminded him of…

"Shit." Vynx sat up suddenly. He was going to need a bath. The hunter slunk out of bed and carefully pulled the blankets over the lovely lady, careful not to wake her. Next, he picked up his pants and haphazardly tugged them on as fast as he could. If he was lucky, he could make it back to the inn, ask for a bucket and sponge, and scrub away the evidence before a certain vampiress could spot him. While going over the logistics of his stealth mission, he stepped into his boots, fastened his belt, and pulled his trusty jacket over his arms. He'd worry about his hair and the lipstick stains later; he just needed to get back before there was a line for the water well. Vynx set a few spare coins on the night table by the bed and slipped out of the room.

The sky was bright by the time he got back to the inn. While there was a good chance Sophia would be asleep, he was still going to have to explain why "grabbing a few drinks" had taken him the entire night. She knew he couldn't get drunk enough to pass out, so that excuse was off the table. "Maybe jumped by werewolves…? Nah, she'd never buy it…" Vynx muttered as he impatiently tapped the front desk to get the innkeeper's attention. "Where's the nearest well? Also, mind if I borrow a sponge or towel?" The look on his face made his request sound more urgent than it realistically was. After receiving a spare rag and bucket, Vynx was out the back and tossing his clothes off faster than he had dropped them the night before. 

By the time he finished scrubbing himself down and making himself presentable, Vynx had his cover story. "Heard a scream at the edge of town. Ran to investigate. Faced a group of ghouls and put them down before they could make a midnight snack of the local prostitute. Escorted the nice girl home—and definitely didn't try anything funny. Yep, sounds good to me!" Vynx smacked both hands on his cheeks and then reached into his pocket for his keys. He unlocked his room door and peered into the darkness with the same caution he exercised when stepping into a beast's deadly lair. The curtains were closed to keep out the sun, and he could spot Sophia's figure lying on the single bed tucked in the corner. To his relief, she looked to be asleep already.

Vynx shut the door softly behind him. He approached the bed and smiled at the sight of the slumbering vampiress. Her normally stony face held a serene, gentle expression. Out of habit, his eyes wandered down to her chest, and he could see the edges of a lace bra peeking out from under the covers. "Wait, when'd she get that?" Vynx blinked. He gingerly pulled the blankets lower and flushed at the sight of the rest of her lingerie. "She definitely didn't have that the last time I checked," he muttered under his breath. 

Suddenly, Vynx felt incredibly silly. Here he was, paying for sex, when he had a banging hot vampiress babe waiting for him in his own bed! The hunter sank to his knees in despair. He was going to have to take on jobs for the rest of the week to make back that money. With a resigned sigh, Vynx pulled himself together and glanced back up at the sleeping Sophia. She looked so tranquil; he didn't dare wake her for his personal enjoyment. 

"Welp. Time to get to work." Vynx planted a quick kiss on her forehead before getting to his feet. He'd have the sight of Sophia's fancy underwear stuck in his mind for the rest of the day, but at least it gave him something to look forward to after work. "And here I thought I couldn't get any more pent up…"