Lost and Claimed

4-Scars

He leaned in then, towering gently over her as she tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. Slowly, reverently, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

“I’ll see you”,

She forced an awkward smile and turned away, cheeks burning. Being with him felt like a sweet, innocent crush—pure, nothing like the darkness she's used to. And that’s exactly why she knew she should disappear before it went any deeper.

Davina stepped through the door, and the room brightened instantly. Her two little sisters bounded over, voices ringing with delight.

“You’re here!” they cried, wrapping tight around her waist.

“I’ve missed you both so much,” Davina smiled, hugging them close. “How have you been?”

“So good—even better now you’re here!” the older one beamed.

From the kitchen, her aunt appeared, wiping her hands on her apron. Her eyes held the soft, knowing warmth of a mother and the easy comfort of a oldest friend. “Welcome home, darling,” she murmured, pulling Davina into a gentle, firm embrace. “You look well—but tell me everything. How has life been treating you lately?”

“Better now that I’m here,” Davina admitted, leaning into the safety of her hold. “Everything’s… settling.”

Her aunt brushed a thumb over her cheek. “You know you can always rest here. Stay as long as you like.”

They settled onto the couch soon after, a movie playing low in the background. Davina sat on the floor between her sisters, letting them climb over her, braid her hair, and giggle as she tickled them back—light, carefree, nothing like the shadows she carried elsewhere. Her aunt watched from the armchair nearby, a quiet, tender smile on her face, content just to have her there, safe and surrounded by love.

Her gaze stayed fixed on the screen, yet their laughter began to soften and blur, receding into the background like distant echoes. It wasn’t like this before, she thought. The light here felt different—brighter, steadier than the joy she remembered when she left. They seemed so much lighter now, truly happy in a way she hadn’t been. The room began to tilt, colors dimming at the edges, as a vivid memory stirred and pulled her under…

The memory sharpened: Addie and Alice, smaller then, their faces blurred with fear as their cries drifted from somewhere far off. Davina blinked, her head spinning, and her eyes fell to her wrist—she could feel the dizziness, the disorientation, the sound of blood seeping into the floorboards beside a knife. A man moved quickly, lifting her gently as the wail of an ambulance cut through the air. And her aunt, Bella—who’d always been afraid of blood, was nowhere to be seen, her absence a quiet, hollow space in the chaos.

The flashback faded, bringing her back to the present: the warm living room, her sisters’ laughter now clear again, her aunt watching from the armchair with that tender smile. The contrast was stark—then, There had been only darkness and panic; now, there was light and safety. She let her fingers trace over her wrist gently. A rootlike scar, starting as a deep vertical line up her wrist, nearly halfway up her arm, then branching outward in fine horizontal forks like dark vines etched permanently into her skin. Remained a quiet reminder of how far she’d come. Even though she's sure, she doesn't know where to go.

A gentle tap on her shoulder pulled her back.

“Davina, your phone keeps ringing nonstop—your boyfriend’s calling,” Aunt Bella teased lightly. The sound grew clearer, muffled but persistent from deep inside her bag.

“Boyfriend? As if…!” Davina scoffed and smiled, though her heart gave a strange little lurch.

She unlocked her phone, and her breath caught: ten missed calls and twenty messages, all from Ivan. Asking where she is, and reminding she has to go home.

“Auntie, I have to go,” she said calmly, hurriedly gathering her things.

“Oh? What’s the rush?”

She pressed a quick, warm kiss to each of them. “Work called, they need me. I'll visit next day off” she replied with a soft, bright smile, stepping out the door.

As she walked, her mind raced with questions: What was going on? Was she actually eager to see him? So soon again? It felt as though her body moved of its own accord, pulled by an undeniable need just to be near him.

When she reached the subdivision gate, her breath caught—there stood Ivan, leaning effortlessly against his black motorcycle, waiting for her.

“It’s near midnight—when were you planning to head home?”

A soft, disbelieving laugh escaped her. “Whenever I want? Why are you even here?”

“I told you—I’d take you home.”

“Truth is… I don’t want to go home yet. And wow… I never realized you had a ride.”

“Where would you like to go instead?”

“The riverside?” Her eyes lit up.

“Let’s go, then.” Ivan extended his hand toward her.

Davina smiled, stepping forward to reach for him—until a flash of horror blinded her mind: Harry. She flinched back, though she fought to keep her smile in place. But Ivan saw right through her. He reached out, curling his fingers gently around her wrist—firm, but never painful; a quiet, steady force asking only for her trust.

He held her gaze, deep into those almond-shaped eyes of hers—with a look no one had ever given her before. Like he was reading every part of her. Admiring. Longing.

It was strange. He spoke so little, yet every action declared: I want you. And there was no malice in it—none at all. Or perhaps he was simply a master at hiding it? Davina couldn’t quite unravel him. But the undeniable sense of safety wrapping around her whenever he was near? That… she could not deny.

She climbed onto the bike quietly, her mind whispering a silent prayer: don’t make the same mistake again.

As Ivan started the engine, Davina reached instinctively for the rear handle—only for him to gently take her hand and rest it firmly against his shoulder. His broad, solid back stretched before her, and his natural scent wrapped around her—warm, familiar, stirring something deep within her that she refused to name, let alone admit.

The ride was serene. Deep in the heart of the night, only a handful of vehicles passed them by. The wind brushed softly against Davina’s face, and Ivan kept his pace steady, never rushing. His gaze drifted to the side mirror—catching her reflection, glowing with unguarded peace.

Davina let her arms fall open, surrendering to the moment, feeling safe enough to truly be herself around him. She breathed in the cool night air as if it were the first time, and lifted her eyes to the heavens—wondering why the stars seemed to burn so perfectly bright tonight.

Ivan watched her in the glass, utterly captivated; every beautiful imperfection and raw emotion laid bare. There was no awkwardness between them, no butterflies on either stomach. Only a quiet, grounding calm. Being in each other’s presence felt less like falling and more like finally learning how to breathe again.

Along the ride they passed the Rest Inn Motel. Her glance lingered subtly. Davina ignored the bad memory. She wants to savor this moment. Ivan stopped at the river's sidewalk. Beyond is the beautiful moon shining its reflection to the water. He turned his engine off and led Davina to sit infront of the beautiful view.

“I lure men and try to take advantage of them—” Davina said bluntly. It’s now or never.

Ivan lifted both eyebrows, curious and taken aback.

“—uhm I mean, not in that way. Even if it sounds exactly like that.” Her brows knotted tight, almost pleading. “I manipulate them… just to get what I need, what I can’t afford on my own.”

He stayed silent, only holding her gaze—steady, unblinking—and that quiet attention pulled every last secret out of her.

“I’m not a good girl, Ivan. I need you to know. Because with you… I can’t play that game. You’re nothing like them. You make me feel so safe it terrifies me—too safe for me to ever hurt you.”

“Why do you do that?” He asked simply, his expression calm but sharp. Raised among demon traders, he knew this pattern well—how certain beings are born with charm that bends wills, how survival twists it into something the world calls sin. This felt hauntingly familiar.

“To survive.” Her voice cracked. “I grew up with nothing. Then men started looking at me—offering everything I’d ever gone without… and this… this gift I was born with, it made it so easy.” She glanced away, shame flaring—for she could feel that strange, thrumming violet pull rising beneath her skin, the hunger and allure she’d never asked for. “I never… never traded my body. I drew that line and clung to it. But God… the temptation to let this nature take over? It’s been there. Every single time. Again and again-.”

“I’m not proud of it,” tears began to well in her eyes. “But desperate times call for desperate measures… I’m almost nothing but a slut, Ivan. I don’t deserve you—” She swiped the escaping tear away roughly, acting tough. Her gaze fixed on his, drinking in the sight of him like she was memorizing something before letting it go forever.

He rose slowly and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her without a single word. Davina broke then—sobbing silently against his chest, every heavy secret she’d carried alone finally unspooling. For the first time, the crushing weight on her shoulders lifted just enough for her to breathe. She thought this must be his gentle way of saying goodbye… and in that moment, she knew: he was far too good for whatever broken, tainted thing she had left to give.

“Come on, let’s go home,” he looked down at her. The moon glinted bright in her eyes. Ivan brushed a wind‑tousled strand behind her ear, then gently wiped away her tears with both thumbs. Davina couldn’t read him—dared not hope for anything more. But for now, simply being held safe felt like enough.

On the bike, her hands rested lightly on his shoulders. Slowly, firmly, Ivan guided them one by one to wrap tight around his waist, drawing her to press close against his back. She leaned her cheek there and closed her eyes.

“Greens Apartment?” he asked. Davina blinked awake to find she’d already arrived.

“Yes… we’re here. Thank you, Ivan.” She dismounted and lingered, gaze fixed on him—half expecting this to be where they part. But suddenly warmth surged hot through her veins; a, ravenous pull flared up. Violet veins glimmered faintly beneath her skin, her onyx eyes darkening with unmasked longing. Ivan glanced briefly around—empty street, quiet night—then settled back on her, calm as ever. He knew what she was, long before she did; he only waited for her true nature to show itself fully.

“Y‑you should go,” she stammered, stepping back even as every fiber of her yearned to drag him near. “I really appreciate this day.” Her voice trembled, but her gaze begged him to stay. He deserves better. I’m not ready for anything less than love… yet all I crave is him. Faint wisps of violet smoke curled into the air—visible only to one trained to hunt what hides in the dark. Ivan breathed it in. Arousal hits him hard and the fire within him answers, slow and burning deep.