*Gerard*

I had my teeth bared menacingly at the low life at my feet. The slave boy had dropped from his spot on the wall and was sprawled on his side, gasping in desperation for breath. His face and neck were still red from the lack of oxygen and his hazel eyes were wide in fear. A strong urge to go and comfort him went through my body to my surprise. I ignored it and focused on the situation at hand.
Deep growls were vibrating from my chest as I turned my attention back to the vampire on the ground. He had recovered from his impact and stood up with a rigid back, his eyes staring straight into mine. The nerve he had, he should know that I was as close to royalty as you could get in this world. To meet my eyes meant that he was issuing a challenge. I breathed in his disgusting scent as I prepared to speak. Fear was apparent in it, along with anger.
"You were about to break the law Kingsley." I stated in a clipped tone, glaring at him, almost daring him to try and deny it. He glanced around at the people surrounding us and licked his lips carefully. "I guess, I just lost control."
His voice was trembling, but it had a note of confidence to it. He probably thought that he was in the right. I suppose I would have to fix that.
"You know I could easily turn you in to the Elders and have you put on trial for attempting to bite an underage human correct?", I asked in a sly voice. I took a few steps around him, using my graceful prowl to intimidate him. He visibly gulped and nodded.
"In my defense, he's been quite unruly. I had the urge to put him in his place.", Kingsley said with a tight jaw. I smiled in amusement at that, "If you can't keep your human under control without biting him, then perhaps you shouldn't own him."
He narrowed his eyes at me and snarled, "I can do what I want with him. He's my property."
Matching his tone with note of warning, I retorted, "He may be your property, but until he is of age, his neck stays untouched."
Losing his patience, Kingsley made a sound of exasperation, much like a toddler would while having a tantrum. "He's just a dirty human! Why on earth does it matter?"
I smiled in victory as those words rang through the crowded hall. Little did Kingsley know, but he just dealt me a winning hand.
"If he doesn't matter, then why don't you sell him to me?" My voice carried over in patronizing way. "After all, if he's such a disobedient human, I can definitely train him to behave better than you can."
Kingsley bristled at the insult and bared his teeth wider. "He's mine, and I won't sell him, even to you."
My grin grew even wider as I sealed the trap. "It's either you sell him to me, or you go to trial. Take your pick."
The boy was still on the ground and I could see he was afraid to even stand up. His face was to the ground but I could see him shooting glances at both of us when he thought we weren't paying attention. He seemed to be intelligent at least, or worried about where he would end up.
To be honest, I wasn't sure why I was so adamant about owning him. Perhaps it was his appearance? The way his soft chocolate hair fell on his forehead, or maybe it was his innocent hazel eyes that shone in fear at the moment. When I had held his arm the other day, I could feel how thin it was, probably from being underfed. I knew the Kingsley family and they certainly weren't in poverty, but to starve a human wasn't unheard of. However, the way the human acted made me sense it was abuse. Starvation and beatings were supposed to be for the most disobedient slaves. The boy didn't appear to be that infuriating. He needed someone to treat him well, he was too precious to be owned by the idiot I was currently dealing with.
"What are you willing to pay for him?", Kingsley's aggravating voice brought back my attention. I smirked a little.
"Nothing. I'm willing to take him in exchange for my silence about your crime. Think of it as a bribe.", I smiled in generosity. He tightened his jaw in rage, his eyes appraising the situation, before grudgingly reaching his hand out in agreement. With a mocking glint in my eyes, I shook his hand.
While trying to achieve an air of his lost confidence, Kingsley spun on his heel and walked off, dismissing me. If I had been more angry about our argument, I would have kicked his ass for the dismissal, however I had gotten what I wanted. I had won, and that's what mattered.

Notes

Sorry, it's been awhile huh? College as an art student is pretty demanding, but I hope to get back into writing. I hope you all enjoy this. <3