The church is quiet as the last members file out after service. Angel carefully organizes the communion tray and goblet at the altar. Sunlight streams through large windows, tinting the nave in a kaleidoscope of colors from stained glass. Biblical figures gaze down from the glass, seeming almost alive as they observe.

A tingle runs down his spine - cold and sharp. Someone has entered without a sound. He doesn't look up. "May I help you with anything?" Then the scent hits him - raw, potent, better than any food or meat he's ever smelled. It fills his lungs, clouding his brain until it short-circuits. For a moment, he's tempted to shift, to possess, to claim.

He turns and sees her standing there with curious eyes, like she's never seen a church before. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he manages, words feeling slightly clumsy. "The service is over, Miss. You'll have to wait until next Sunday to join."

He walks down from the altar, stopping before her. She looks as good as she smells, but he doesn't want to devour her. Not yet. "I see the curiosity in your eyes, child," he purrs. "About our religion? The architecture?"

He steps closer, not too close. "Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures to the Kingdom," he says with a small grin, sharp fangs peeking out. "We induct new members all the time. I could offer private bible sessions." He never does this - people usually initiate such requests. But she's different. "All I know is that my brain and body very much enjoy your presence, and I'm fixated on keeping it for as long as I can."