Chapter Text
The night is young when Viktor ventures out for his meal. He sticks to the shadows, a hood over his head and a knot in his stomach. He never enjoyed nights like this, never enjoyed what it made feel like, but he always chose to go for the ones negatively impacting the world. It was a way for him to make him for the mistakes in his past; hurt the people that hurt others, even if he wasn’t really close to human anymore.
He had friends in higher places, friends that could point him in the right direction. Tonight, he was going for a so called collector in the slaver trade running out of Zaun. It was unsettling and as always he knew he had to make himself a shadow, in and out before they realized they were being attacked. It wasn’t hard to get inside the house and it was even easier to get his meal. His body was dying before he became this new undead being and while he adored the strength, he can’t help but wonder if he misses feeling alive. It was lonely in this life and he couldn’t lie if he said he didn’t miss the feeling of the sun against his skin.
There were screams and then he was standing there, wiping blood off his face with a sigh. The meal tonight was bitter, foul as the men it came from, but it was better than taking it from someone innocent. The air smelled of death and there wasn’t a lot of blood, he didn’t like to waste his meals. He also did drain all of them; he simply didn't like coming out of his home more than he had to. At that point he should have left, he had his meal and surely believed he rid one more source of evil from the world. It was the door however, that sparked his curiosity.
It was heavy, reinforced, meant to keep something in or perhaps keep something out. He ran his fingers along the cold metal, taking the large lock in his hand when he very clearly heard growling coming from within. Yet again was it another sign to leave, something angry was inside, but his curiosity got the best of him.
He gave the lock a rough tug, tossing it aside before he pushed the door open. He should have had common sense to be afraid as he faced a dark room, but perhaps a century of living took the fear out of him. The smell of the room made it obvious what exactly was in there and it should have been Viktor’s sign to leave.
A wolf.
He stared into the darkness before he stepped inside. He wasn’t exactly afraid of death and leaving the wolf behind like this didn’t exactly seem right in his heart. The house was clear and whoever came to take care of the mess, well they'd either kill the wolf or sell it off to some other vile person. Viktor could see the wolf in the dark corner of the room and he was sympathetic.
The wolf looked filthy, it’s dark coat matted with what looked to be blood and dirt. It was scarred up horribly, implications that it had probably been in more than one fight and they had it locked down. A muzzle that was too tight, a barbaric looking collar with an insignia on it tethered by a chain to the ground, and a room that got barely any light.
Viktor frowned, maybe he should have a bit messier, a bit harsher to all of those men.
He heard the growling and raised his hands in surrender, “I’m not here to harm you.”
Viktor saw teeth, the wolf’s lip curling back in a snarl but that was as far as it went. There was silence and Viktor still didn’t feel fear. He felt empathy and in an odd sense, a deep sense of peace around the wolf. It was faint but he’s sure he could see some glimmer of humanity behind those amber eyes.
“They don't own you.” He said calmly, “You’re a man, not a dog.”
Viktor didn’t know if any of those words even got through to him but he’d like to believe the wolf was listening to him. It continued to growl as Viktor took a step closer but it didn't move to make an attack, “I didn’t come to trap you or to feed off of you, I’m offering freedom. ”
Viktor was close to him now as he reached around the back of his neck, finding the release an unsnapping the collar from his neck. He was half expecting the wolf to run but it stood there, curious now, still wary as it got used to the feeling of freedom.
He gingerly took the wolves face in his hands, “I’m not asking anything of you.”
The wolf let him unlatch the muzzle, a strangely tender moment. Viktor wasn't expecting an attack as he gingerly pulled it off, tossing the metal contraption to the side. He seemed to be correct about that, the wolf let out a huff, unrestricted for the first time in who knows how long.
Viktor took a step back, his boots making a quite scrape across the cold floor. He offered the wolf a look before he decided to follow his heart’s impulses, “You’re welcome to come with me if you’d like. Rest for the night and leave by morning.”
He didn’t say much more than that, turning away from the door and already planning to head back the way he came. The world could be hard on wolves sometimes and vampires were technically believed to be their prime enemy. Unlike popular rumors, Viktor couldn't find it in his heart to despise wolves, he couldn't really feel that way about anyone.
Viktor only really did turn to glance back into the room when he noticed the wolf seemed to follow. It seemed hesitant but slowly coming along with him.
They walked the whole way in a calm silence. Viktor occasionally looked over his shoulder, seeing the wolf there, making sure it was alright. He was large, surely a powerful being at his full health but right now he just seemed weak. Viktor noticed his back leg, the wolf limping on it, and he slowed his pace.
He knew what that was like.
Eventually they got to his home, nothing extravagant but it was away from the main part of the city. Private as he liked it. The house was modified with filtered glass on the windows, a way to give vampires the sense of ‘humanity’. Viktor liked to see the sky if he was up during the morning hours but it wasn’t the feeling of sun on his skin, a warmth that couldn’t be replicated.
He found a chest by the bed, seeing the wolf already laying on the floor by the hearth. He pulled out a few wool blankets, making sure the wolf saw him as gingerly laid a few of them out. The wolf growled, more confused than anything and Viktor gave him a nod, “I don’t feel it much but it has been cold these last few months…those will help.”
It was odd really, the feeling that this was almost too normal, as if he hadn’t just met and brought home the equivalent of a stray dog. He sat down on the bed, looked at the clearly exhausted wolf before he decided to change into his sleepwear.
He spared one more glance at him, his lips upturning slightly when he saw the wolf had already fallen asleep. As he looked up to the ceiling, he couldn’t help but wonder who the man was inside of the beast.Viktor wondered if that man would ever come out or if he perhaps had the companion of a wounded wolf.
Who are you?
He closed his eyes and hoped he at least wouldn’t get his throat ripped out at some point during the night.
Much to his surprise, when he woke up the wolf was still laying there on the floor underneath all of the blankets. He stared at the wolf and the wolf looked back with amber eyes. They were tired, still a little weary, but there definitely was some humanity there.