Chapter Text
Rumors. That’s where it always started. Rumors.
How many homes did Anders have to abandon due to rumors ?
“Did you hear about that strange case of the missing Templars on the South Side? One of them was found completely drained of blood!”
Templars didn’t even taste good. Too much righteousness and pent up sexual tension. Personally, Anders would rather starve than feed from a Templar, so he must have encroached on another’s territory or hunting grounds.
So, needless to say, he wasn’t planning to meddle with the white haired elven Hunter, no matter how good he smelled.
The lyrium lined Hunter had entered his clinic, clad in black shining armor and reeking of dark promises and danger. The closer he approached, the more Anders could taste his scent on his tongue.
Still, Anders was a healer, dammit, and he had a patient sitting before him that deserved his full attention. Tearing his senses from the danger, he examined the all too thin child laying on the cot in front of him, big crocodile tears falling down her face that Anders knew from experience was meant to pull at his heartstrings. He’d seen her suffer far worse injuries than a sprained knee with far less tears than what she was showing. It still worked on him, regardless.
With a flourish he knew she loved, he swept a hand over her wounded knee, letting the healing magic seep deep under her skin and directing it to harmed muscles and pulled tendons.
Snapping his fingers to put out the flashy magic, he turned to grin brightly at the young child, noticing the tears had stopped though she was still sniffling. Maybe it all wasn’t an act? Had she been truly hurt, perhaps not physically.
“Did you learn your lesson then?”
The child tilted her head, dirty hair covering her eyes for a moment, “Don’t steal from the rich?”
Ah, that explained it. Anders chuckled deeply and leaned in to stage whisper, “Don’t get caught.”
The sniffling stopped and she peered at him from under dark locks. After a long beat she grinned back at him and then jumped off the cot, her newly healed knee catching her slight weight easily.
“Thank you, serah healer!” She called as she raced out the door.
Anders shook his head and turned to the dangerous elf that had stayed, in practically the same spot even, “Can I help you?” He tilted his head, making a show of looking the elf up and down, “You don’t look injured-”
“I heard rumors of an abomination terrorizing people down here and came to investigate. Though you are obviously a mage,” this was spat out as if a curse, “You are no devil in the night.”
Anders was disappointed that such a sexy voice and smell could belong to someone that oozed that much self-righteousness.
Justice jumped on to the abandoned cot on soundless paws and Anders reached out to sink his fingers into silver-gray fur, stopping him from doing something stupid. Like glowing.
Whiskey colored eyes stared into green for a long moment before Anders turned wordlessly to Lirene, who had been stunned into silence. She knew exactly what Anders was, and what the white haired elf was hunting for. Anders nodded at the exit.
It was a clear dismissal, and for a moment the woman looked like she would argue before she sighed and complied with his wishes. Only when she was gone and Anders heard her quietly put out the lantern did he turn back to the Hunter. The elf had shifted somewhat uncomfortably, as if he had felt a shift in the man in front of him. Anders flashed him a smile that was all teeth, “What exactly do you hunt that you call them an abomination?”
Pearly white teeth were exposed as Anders was sneered at, “Clearly a mage would sympathize with a devil, but you cannot trust one of their ilk. Their victims have been seen leaving your clinic, pale, translike, with sharp bite marks on their neck or wrist.”
The smile Anders wore morphed into a mocking grin, “You cannot even say the word.”
“You may not be who I seek, but that will not protect you if you are harboring the one I seek.”
All laughter - mocking or otherwise - left Anders’ face, “How have you already decided I am innocent?”
The elf scoffed at him, “Yes, because these leeches are known for living in a sewer like a rat and healing the poor instead of eating them.”
Suddenly Anders was filled with rage and he was swiftly standing in front of the Hunter, his brown eyes taking on a red hue.
“Your ego will get you killed, Hunter,” he hissed, one hand flying to a sharp hip bone, the other gently cradling the nap of the elf’s neck, a sharp contrast to the rage in his words and movements.
Slowly Anders’ eyes became full blood red as he stared deeply into shocked green eyes, his hypnosis sinking in. All the elf had time to do was raise his hands in defense, but they now drifted aimlessly to Anders’ shoulders, the claw lined fingers tangling into a threadbare shirt.
“As a hunter you should know better than to lock eyes with one you think might be an 'abomination' you are hunting,” especially an elder , he thought as an add on. Anders leaned in closer, inhaling the delicious dark scent practically calling to him, “I could turn you into a thrall right now should I wish."
This sent a terrified thrill through the white haired elf’s spine, had he ever been in such danger during a hunt before? Or was the mage bluffing?
“You are in luck,” Anders hummed, breaking their gaze, tucking his face into that pale, lyrium lined throat, “I only drink from the willing. Those that offer and wish to feel the rush of passion that one can only feel when they willingly submit to being drunk from. Shall I tell you what it feels like?” There was a shudder from the flesh beneath Anders’ lips, “Tell you how some feel the passion so intensely they barely have a voice to even moan? Men are driven to the brink of orgasm, then chased over as I bite them right-” Anders scraped his now sharp teeth over warm skin, “here. I don’t even have to touch them intimately.” There was a gasp and a sudden movement as the Hunter bared his neck to the mage completely, his hazy eyes hooded. For a moment, Anders pushed his lips even closer in a mock kiss before backing away, “Too bad you’ll never experience that as I don’t drink from self righteous pricks.”
Releasing the man, Anders looked deep into the sharp green eyes, still hooded and now disappointed. He let the full weight of compulsion fill his gaze, “Go home, elf. Go home and forget everything you ever heard about this 'abomination.' Forget you ever met me.”
The hazy green eyes blinked as the elf mechanically left the clinic.
Anders sighed heavily and slumped as if his strings had been cut. He hadn’t used compulsion or hypnosis in so long. When he turned back to the cot Justice was on he had been joined by a ginger tabby and now two sets of golden cat eyes taunted him.
Some days, Anders could swear Justice was somehow teaching Pounce to be a human.
“Would the two of you please just go catch mice or something.”