The Ripper

William Jack Holloway

If anything, William was not anticipating the way that he would have no resistance as he pulled Vhalla across the room to him. And if he wasn't expecting that, he was certainly unprepared for the way that she allowed herself to be pulled into his lap without any sort of hesitation. He put his hand on her back to steady her, helping her find her way down into his lap without harming the painful wounds upon his back. How he wished they weren't there at all. He wanted to be able to touch her the way he wanted to without fear of bleeding. Bleeding, he was afraid, was a huge turn off - unless you were a vampire, he supposed. Still, he was relieved when she settled against his chest, and for a moment he was content to simply hold her. She was beautiful, and he could feel her heartbeat against his skin in a steady rhythm. Ah, so she was just as content as he seemed to be. Brilliant.

Unfortunately, that comfort seemed to be so stolen the instant he reached out to grab the nearest book. He hadn't bothered to glance at the title. No, he'd merely picked up the closest thing because there was so much here. There was so much to read and explore and if she allowed him to, he would devour every single book on those shelves. But the way she instantly tensed and gaped in horror, his attention went not to the book but to her. "Vhalla, what's..." He started before she so abruptly tried to snatch the book away from him. Instinctively, he tugged it out of her reach. "Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's rude to grab something away from someone?" He teased, continuing this game of sorts where he held it just out of her reach. Thank goodness for his long arms. She didn't have a chance, especially not with her being so considerate of the open wounds on his back.

"Trust me, I don't regret anything," He teased once more as he continued to hold the book out of the woman's reach. He opened his mouth to speak again, though a soft grunt escaped him instead as she hurled herself across his lap, straddling his hips. He smirked. He couldn't help it. His free hand moved to rest on the small of her back as he kept her from falling, and that one single moment gave her enough of his distraction to get her hands on the book. But ah, she hadn't got it from him yet. Instinctively, he looked up to look at the book, his brows furrowing when he recognized his own surname across those pages. What was she? What was this book? Was he in it? What did it say happened to him? A million questions seemed to flash across his mind before she shifted and his attention went entirely from the book down to where she straddled him.

For one singular moment, William's eyes managed to catch Vhalla's before her eyes darted down to his lips. His own eyes followed suit. They weren't painted in the red lipstick she'd worn on their last meeting, but that didn't make him want to kiss her any less. No, if anything she looked sexier now still half mussed from sleep and her workout. Yes, she was definitely more beautiful now than when she had been all fancied up - though he thought she looked amazing then, too. For a moment, William considered leaning up to catch her lips in his and kiss her for as long as he would be allowed. But then she cleared her throat and yanked the book out of his hand. He frowned instantly as it was dropped to the floor and she turned her full attention to her position on his lap.

"I'm not complaining," He commented with a laugh, leaning in to plant a chivalrous kiss to her cheek. He wanted so much more, but he would settle for that. Her laugh was musical, and he wanted to hear it forever. "You know, you're cute when you wipe that scowl off your face and laugh," He teased. He allowed her to slide off his lap - reluctantly - though only so he could focus on where she was hiding that book. He'd seen the title, and if he could just remember where she put it, then that might... but no, there was no way for him to remember. Not when she was sauntering so sexily back over to him. For a second he anticipated that she would crawl back upon his lap. But no, she merely stood before him, and Will's hands found her hips easily as he leaned forward.

"You don't have to train today. We very well could curl up here and read. Or we could find something else to do." That same impish grin that he'd had at breakfast appeared briefly on his features before she mentioned the bandages and the wounds on his back. "I do heal fast. I don't understand why they're not healed already. They certainly should be." He shrugged as though that was the last thing on his mind - and truly it was. "Perhaps there was some kind of poison on the blade. It wouldn't be the first time they've tried to use that to take me down." He shrugged again as he considered what it was he wanted to do today.

For a moment, he considered pulling her right back onto his lap and doing exactly what he wanted. What that devilish, improper side of him wanted to do. He wanted desperately to rid her of what clothes she wore and spend some time intimately exploring what he liked about her body. But no... that... it may be a distinctly modern thing to allow such things, but his Victorian upbringing simply wouldn't allow that. Kissing her, yes. His hands exploring her - clothed - body? Sure. But anything more than that would simply be crossing a line that William wasn't sure how to cross.

No, instead his attentions went back to the book that had been wrenched from his hands. His family. After he'd killed his Master, he had considered what it might be like to go back home and attempt to reclaim what was his. After all, by then the world was starting to know what was lurking in the night. Vampires weren't just scary boyish stories. Hunters, while less popular, were known of. He could have. After all, there were the rumors of an immortal Faerie King in Italy. But no, William had ultimately decided against going back for what was his. No, the London streets were not friendly to him any longer. Not with his parents and his sister gone. And especially not with Sebastian gone.

But that didn't mean he didn't care what had happened to them. He'd wanted to find out, though at the time he hadn't known where to begin. London would have been the best option, of course, but London wasn't safe for him any longer. He had no idea what had happened to his family. Did his sister marry? Was it a suitable one - after all, she had been betrothed to Sebastian - or did she die alone? Who inherited his title? Did it die out? He had been the only boy, after all. He had so many questions that he'd tried for years to drown out so unsuccessfully, and that book on the shelf had all the answers. Vhalla had all the answers.

"I want to see that book," William said, though his voice held none of the teasing they had experienced only moments before. He looked up at Vhalla with that serious expression. "I... I don't have to read it in front of you if that will make you uncomfortable. And I don't care that you were researching me. But I want to know what happened to my family. It's been almost two hundred years, and I don't know what happened." He reached out, gently taking her hand. "Please, Vhalla."

But darling -- it's only human nature.