All it took was one look. There were no words needed, and even if she would have tried to deny his words, even if she tried to tell him that he was wrong and did not know what it was that she liked or how it was her delicious curves craved to be touched, they would only be shitty lies. She knew it, and he knew it. And perhaps that was why the only look, the only thing that she can do in the wake of his words was lift her brows at the dark hunter. Oh, the male satisfaction that he took from that one simple suggestion that she would not try and fight against him... It was more than enough to have his boldness roaring forth as the animal in him shattered the weakened restraints that could hardly contain it whenever she was near, when her scent commanded his each and every sense to be locked upon the white-haired witch before him. Had he been were, there would have been a growl of devilish satisfaction as lingers there so very close. And how things only seem to worsen as the man acknowledges this nearness, the frail distance that divided them. He is hardly in control of his own actions in that moment as he reaches for her, strong hands grasping her own that failed to shove him as she wanted, backfiring and landing her in his embrace with no signs of the dark hunter wanting to let her go. And he most certainly did not want to, that wolfish grin etched into his chiseled features as he steals from her the very thing that only sets his desires on fire more so than they'd already been. Gods, he wanted her. Right there, right now. The kiss only deepens with the soft groan that ushers softly from the witch which is accompanied by the sensation of her teeth against the flesh of his lips, her wordless encouragement having that frayed control to keep from taking her to the nearest shadows where he could make her remember why it was she'd come back, why it was him that she sought out upon her return.

It takes more than he would ever care to admit even to himself to pull away from her. He knows that if he allowed for that kiss to last even a moment longer, there would be no going back. Just as there had been no going back the night that they'd first gotten ridiculously drunk together in the confines of her warehouse apartment. He can feel his heart beginning to thunder fiercely in his defined chest with the heat of his lust for her, forest eyes dark and filled with the hunger that still raged behind them, though the devilish smirk of satisfaction finds him as finds the flames of her anger suddenly seeming extinguished. They would return, though. They always did. Over some of them smallest, dumbest shit, and yet he hardly thinks on the next moment when they would come back to life within those brilliant blues that he hated and was haunted by in the same singular moment. If he knew Vhal, it would be too soon, and yet... there was something about her when she was pissed that he found wickedly sexy â€" but this was just another thing about her that he would never admit to himself or the woman that drove to the brinks of losing his mind. She rolls her eyes at him then, her own words teasing as her fingers continue to ignite the skin beneath his shirt. Vhal wastes no time thereafter, leaning up to kiss the skin of his neck, awakening that animalistic growl of lust coerced from the dark hunter that wants nothing more than to keep her there against him... only without the terribly thin layers of clothing that was fortunate to be in tact at all. And still she dares to drive that hunger of his further as she taunts the man with a sly smile and brilliant blues betraying the pleasure she was taking from this moment, holding every ounce of his attention that wasn't the soft strokes of her fingers against the back of his hand as she offers him the very answer he sought, the wolfish grin upon his features growing more wicked, the witch using that trick she seems to favor though it was hardly needed to have Lazarus nearly reaching out to pull her against him once more."Is that a challenge", he asks in that familiar phrase, his dark forest gaze predatory as they refuse to leave her own. She of all beings should know that to challenge him was only to taunt the animal that snarls behind forest eyes and his wolfish smirk.

Everything shifts in the brief moment that follows as he waited there for her reply that does not come, Vhal's attention shifting away from him and towards the mansion that he'd taken up that part-time under-the-table job securing pointlessly. Finally, he is able to pull his senses back from their fierce fixation upon the white-haired woman before him. He hears her, scents her before he even dares to turn and face her, though it was Vhal's less then pleased voice that has him shifting to look upon the fae woman with eyes narrowed. He wasn't quite to the point of threatening her blatantly, but this was none of her affair and he was far less pleased â€" perhaps even more so pissed than Vhal â€" with the interruption that she clearly intended. He cannot help the sudden bristling that has him glaring coldly at the woman as she comes stand there beside him, pale peridot eyes clearly taking an less than innocent interest in Vhal which was has the dark hunter unsettled, knowing that while Vitani made no clear remark or let on to exactly what it was she might be so intrigued by to leave the comforts of her lavish home, there was something in the way that Vhal tenses upon hearing the fae woman's voice that stirs the almost reflexive if not possessive protectiveness hardening his expression further upon the antagonist. He can feel the white-haired woman tighten her grip on his arm and it only drives that fury of his deeper, not even caring to ask questions on how Vitani knew Ivan. Had Lazarus known that about the fan woman, there was no way in hell he would have taken the job proposal accompanied with cash pay. Vhal then pushes herself out of his arms and he is content to let her go, instead placing himself ever so slightly between the two women for a reason even he doesn't fully understand. All he knows is the brashness of Vhal and the monetary status of Vitani, and just how easy it would be for everything to go south far too fast, though it was hardly Vitani or himself that this acknowledgement ushers forth the readiness to stop whatever might get started.

The fae woman doesn't so much as flinch or show any reaction to the man's words of warning aside from shifting her gaze over to him before looking back to Vhal with that sickeningly sweet smile. When she dares to say that he should invite Vhal, he scoffs in disbelief. Did she really think he would subject Vhal to that?"Why don't you just-", he begins to snarl, but suddenly it was Vhal's own words that cause him to pause, dark forest eyes darting over to the witch only to watch as she essentially bows to the fae woman. He knew it was fake, and even then he still couldn't believe just how easily she would bend! He looks back to Vitani, watching that coy smile dance across her pale features, only the faintest glimmer of satisfaction flickering across her pale green gaze."Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you and your master", she purrs wickedly, obviously taking some sort of twisted delight in all this. Vhal turns to him now, her words hardly betraying the sheer rage that burns wildly within her gaze and for a moment he is without words as the white-haired woman tosses that almost painfully falsified smile, bidding the fae woman a farewell, to which Vitani smiles sweetly in return and waves lightly as Vhal begins to walk away."I very much look forward to it, darling. I cannot wait to see what Ivan has you wearing", Vitani replies, lilted words obviously holding more meaning than she let on, Lazarus seeing the devious smile curling upon her lips and she takes her own leave, making her way effortlessly up the steps and open door where the brunette maid waits silently with eyes diverted towards the floor. Only once does Vitani pause to cast one last look to the dark hunter that he cannot quite make out, disappearing then into the mansion. Fuck. This can't be good. Whatever the fae woman was thinking, it was bound to be ill-intended. And with now knowing her ties to Ivan, knowing that the undead he wanted nothing more than to drive a wooden stake through, he struggles to push away the sense of foreboding. There was time to contemplate that later.

When he turns back to see Vhal disappearing around the corner, her each and every step now betraying the seething fury that surely consumed her like wildfire, the dark hunter finds himself moving after her. Why, he doesn't even know. Part of the man wanted him to just let her storm off, told hom that she clearly needed to cool off. Why the fuck should he even go after her at all? It wasn't his fault, the fae having come out of her mansion to stick her nose where it didn't belong. And yet, still he doesn't even care that leaving now would potentially mean he would lose this job, justifying this as his typical "I don't give a shit" reaction to everything else in the world save for Ellie and Vhal. His strides are longer, taking on an almost powerwalk-like pace the subtle clinking of the silver chain adorned by that one fang accompanying his near silent steps."Vhal", Lazarus says then, deep tenor tones careful to hide anything that might show more than his coming after her already might suggest, though be would be quick to hide it. When she doesn't stop, he is nearly upon her and the man then reaches for her, grasping her wrist in his hand and stopping in strides."Vhal, stop", he says again, not even realizing that they've stopped there in front of the alley she'd been talking about only moments ago. His thoughts weren't there, though. Instead, dark forest eyes are fixated firmly upon the witch. Are you okay? While he didn't say the words, they could be heard in those tenor tones as they spoke her name that second time, how they weren't asking for her to stop but almost telling her to. Sure, he knew that the witch might not be keen on the way that he reaches for her to brings her to a stop there in the sidewalk, this part of the city nearly silent at such an hour, the two being the only ones on the street save for the occasional car that drove past, but he hardly cares for any of this."Don't let that snide bitch get to you. She only gets what she wants if you do", he adds as they stand there alone in the sidewalk. He knew that was why she'd acted how she did. While he refused to show that hearing the fae woman say Ivan's name had both unsettled and ignited him, he didn't even have to meet Vhal's brilliant blue gaze to see that she had been just as effected if not more so.