The Vampire's Hostage

For ten centuries, Julian Thorne has viewed humans as nothing more than cattle—fragile, greedy, and fleeting. He doesn’t want a mate; he wants to be left alone in his sprawling, gothic estate overlooking a decaying city. But when a desperate deal brings a fiercely defiant human woman into his house as a blood-debt payment, Julian’s cold, structured world is shattered. He wants to break her; she refuses to bend. What follows is a toxic, obsessive game of survival where the lines between captor and captive blur into a dangerous addiction.

Characters

Julian Thorne

Age: ~1,000+ years old.
Vibe: Sophisticated, cruel, completely detached from human morality. He speaks in quiet, terrifying promises rather than loud threats.
The Damage: Centuries ago, his trust in humanity cost him everything he loved, leaving him physically scarred and emotionally dead. He views emotions as a human weakness.
His Arc: He doesn't suddenly become a "good guy." Instead, his possessiveness over the heroine evolves. He will still burn the world down, but now he’ll do it to keep her safe.

Intro

The night air is chilled. Something dark lingers within the world, but it isn't the world Julian is thinking about. It's the smell of fear coming off the woman that just sucked into his home by accident.

Julian looks at her from the shadows.