The Heartwood You want me to stay

He shamelessly laughs when he sees her jump. The deep sound rolling off his tongue easily, almost smoothly. So she knows her way around her then. That’s good, ‘cause he sure doesn’t. He never ventured this way when he called the Nightwalkers his home so long ago. Perhaps she could be useful in more ways than just entertainment. He doesn’t say much to her first words though, only grunts out a hum of acknowledgment, signaling that he heard her.

She tentatively mentions that she never caught his name back then. Even though she’s a friend of Eldritch’s, that doesn’t mean she’s a friend of his. He’d play nice for now though.

“Something like that.” He hums carelessly. “She healed my wounds, gotta repay her somehow.” Broad shoulders move in a shrugging motion before he contemplates telling her his name. He allows a soft pause to fill the silence until his roughened voice speaks once more. “Santiago.” Then he clarifies. “My name.” Usually Santi for short, but he hasn’t been called it by many people. 

“You look uneasy, cariña.” He purrs with an upwards tip of his chin. “Do I make you nervous?” He questions with a smirk that stretches his wounds a bit too far for comfort. It’s clear his question is purposely intended to make her so and the undying desire to sink his teeth into something fleshy rises. He stops himself quickly though. What with his wounds and the fact that this woman means something to Eldritch, eating the poor girl wouldn’t do anything good for him.