by K A Young
"Speaking of other uses," Adam is the first to chuckle and questions, "why haven't you taken her yet?" his hand reaches out, stroking Carly's dark hair as she kneels on the floor beside him. Her smile is hard to conceal as she turns her attention to Adam, waiting for him to give her a command.
Always so willing, just waiting for an opportunity to please like an obedient dog...maybe that's why I break through all my human slaves as fast as I do...
Will Annika ever do that for me?
I release a sigh at the thought, knowing the spirit within her as a hunter may never allow that form of submission to ever exist.
When my gaze continues to hold onto the way Carly nuzzles into Adam's hand, appreciating the praise he is giving her, my previous thought slides right out the door.
No, my little hunter won't...not to that extent...after all, she isn't human.
Henri lowers himself down beside Rynn, lounging his arms on the back of the couch, one encircling her shoulders. He wears brown slacks and a light gray sleeveless shirt; his dress shoes are dark brown leather. He is the next to offer up his opinion, "Yea, my exact thoughts, why haven't you? Stubborn slaves haven't stopped you in the past." He kicks his feet up on one of the ottomans to relax further.
He's entirely right...
...stubbornness has never stopped me before.
However, their stubbornness only amounted to an hour or two at best once they realized exactly who they belonged to. Annika remains indifferent, though not a fully trained hunter, she refuses at every turn to give in to me...even when she believes her life is at risk. Still...I do admire that strength as with the hunters themselves being a subspecies of a vampire, their prone to their own desire for dominance. She won't give in that easily.
A fine line between what I want versus what I see myself indulging in begins to blur when their opinions surround me.
"Once she has had a taste, she'll be begging you for more," Adam's voice breaks through the silence once again as he almost seductively directs his comment toward Carly. Her heart pulsates quicker at his words, anticipating Adam's caressing touches.
Not quite sure on that one.
I rise up suddenly, gazing at all of their faces before shaking my head, "I want her to fear me first. She'll give in on her own."
Though she's afraid of what I can do to her, she doesn't fear me enough to place her pride and stubbornness down a peg. She's going through the cycle of listening, behaving for a moment, then revolting the first chance she gets or in last week's case...escaping. The opportunity presented itself, and she took it in a heartbeat.
If I were to ever give her a choice to leave of her own free will, considering how close we are to making our presence wholly known...along with the run-in with Daren...would she chose to test her fate? Even if I don't kill her, would she willingly live within the confinement of this mansion to save herself a merciless death elsewhere?
Emily...Carly, they both claim they 'love' Adam or Michael.
I pause for a moment, my thoughts finally coming to a halt at the realization I have come to know over the many years walking on this world...
Humans are so blind and cannot see the difference between love and lust. After all, look at their divorce rate. When vampires find their beloved, they mate for life, regardless of how one might feel in the future.
My eyes quickly scan the rather silent room, every one of them deep in thought.
But...I wonder...
My eyes pause on Carly, seeing the way she blatantly aches for Adam's touch.
Besides hunterology, I really know nothing about them. I don't know what their life is like within their homes with the ones they love, the ones they protect and are akin to. I've only ever wondered about the many ways to kill them...
Enos soars through my mind when I think about family...
It doesn't matter, even if she is the last one standing...my little hunter will die by my hand. I can't afford to let any of them live...
Henri rolls his eyes, "Locaine, with all due respect, she doesn't fear your physical abuse, and at this rate, you won't have a trained slave come Lord Enos' memory ball."
True, she apparently pushes me sometimes to beat her because inside, she doesn't care. No matter what physical brutality I throw her way, she's prepared to withstand anything so long as she lives to see another day. Henri is correct in this regard, and if I don't have her by my side at the memory ball, I won't be able to show some of the vampire covens that are attending the power I hold. Slowly, it'll begin to outreach everywhere...having a hunter slave by my side is just the icing on the cake.
"That's right," Darius nods and turns my way, "you will be expected to have a slave by your side, a well behaved one. All the covens look to you as their king, you must show them you deserve it. Having a vampire hunter, now that will be a sight to see."
I know...
...but is her behavior worth the power she brings me in her presence?
"Having a vampire hunter as a slave will show just how powerful you are. No vampire has ever had the pleasure of one in their company except to kill it. However, you've already proven your worth to them and having her present will confirm that power," Rynn smiles at her own words, her dazzling green eyes flickering in my direction, "So just get it over with!"
Get it over with?
I'm not one to rape a slave let alone a hunter...
...I'd instead her give herself to me willingly as that will be her most elegant form of submission.
I do often wonder what lives we could have all shared if our species hadn't been at each other's throats...maybe finding love among their kind really is within reason. Though, their humanity is what brought about their downfall and reminds me why they are the inferior species...
"Again," I lower my voice, "I will do it my way." I turn to leave the parlor, gazing back at Rynn to give out my final order, "Make sure Ansley and Aldrich are here in time for the ball. I want this to be a special memory for my brother."
Jezabel's anger will be sated...
Rynn's eyebrows furrow with slight confusion at the way I brush her off. I see her glancing at Darius before she then returns one last reply to me, "Of course."
Chapter 11
-Annika
I can barely feel anything anymore.
I merely exist within the walls of this dungeon, chained to this metal table.
Being a slave here is a fate worse than death. If I had stayed with my parents, would I be in this situation?
Probably not.
I think to myself, after all, that's all I really can do aside from breathing. Breathing in and out slowly, refraining from overreacting to the constant attack of the water. This, this has been much harder than I had initially anticipated.
Locaine wasn't wrong, this is utterly irritating.
I never would have thought this to be a form of torture. How wrong I am...
I've been left to think about everything. Starting from the moment, I'd begged my mother to bring me along on one of their hunts, stemming to the moment I watched my father cut down Alyssa alongside Enos. All of it, my parents waving goodbye to me at the airport that day, debating even at that moment if I'd changed my mind, I could have had a stronger life.
Should I really have wanted revenge?
I have been left to my thoughts and the words that Locaine had thrown at me like a sharp knife.
He wants nothing more than to avenge his brother's death and sadly, for that I do admire his tenacious drive.
If I had wanted revenge, would I have stayed to become a stronger hunter? Would I have completed my rite of passage among the watchful eye of a ranger?
More importantly...
...would I have been the one to go after him first?
Would my family have tracked his coven down, stormed the mansion, and slaughtered every one of them?
There are so many what-ifs, and now I'm left with the destination my decisions have brought me to...chained down to a metal table with water dripp
ing on my head. Is there ever a chance I could escape again or was that just my one shot?
I don't know exactly know how many vampires are a part of his coven, I just know one thing for sure...I'll never be able to kill them all on my own, not without help.
The cold of the room creeps across my skin.
A sudden change to the atmosphere causes my heart to skip a beat.
I'm not alone.
I slowly begin to pry open my eyes, meeting those of Locaine looming over me. I don't know whether it is because I was too weak, or that I don't care anymore; that caused my sense to dull and not even notice that he had entered the room. Only, I was able to pick up the slight shift of air aside when he was already next to me...
Or am I too caught within my own thoughts?
Yeah, let's go with that as I've only had myself to talk to since he put me here.
Locaine wears a sapphire button up shirt, and from what I can see, are dark slacks. My eyes shift from the once dull ceiling for a change of pace, and I turn my head away from him altogether.
"Are you ready to behave?" Locaine's piercing voice cuts the silence.
Water lands in my ear thanks to the change of scenery and not wanting to stare at him any longer than I must. I release a sigh, irritated once again. Maybe the only way for me to survive...
...is to just follow his commands and pray some opportunity might present itself once again in the future. If not, I'll slowly slip into the role he wishes me to fulfill without even realizing it until it's far too late.
"Slave?"
I tilt my head back to him slowly, staring intensely into his eyes once I meet his gaze.
Was what Carly said true?
Will he be kinder if I just give in?
I can't imagine someone like him being nice. After all, at every chance he's been presented with, he has beaten me.
Locaine than narrows his eyes, "What if I told you I would break bones in your body next?"
What a tempting offer...follow your wishes or subject myself to continued torture.
My body can't handle that. It could barely handle my hand being crushed, which had healed nicely on its own now.
"No master," I speak evenly, "I don't think I could go through that." My voice is caught in my throat as I attempt to sound as sincere as possible, "I am ready to behave."
I will kill you one day...
Locaine watches me, carefully.
I can't help it, I'm just so frustrated and upset, the emotions that had been building up finally comes out in the form of tears sliding out of the corners of my eyes. Apparently, this demonstration is good enough for him.
Locaine begins unshackling me, starting at my ankles and working his way to my wrists. He isn't rough with me this time, in fact, his demeanor is calm and gentle. His eyes remain on mine the entire time he releases me from the bonds.
I'm extremely weak. In fact, I'd only eaten every couple of meals out of depression. Also, sometimes I would instead prefer not to see Carly as I'm still unsure whether the way I lashed out at her was entirely fair.
After he releases me, I attempt to sit up, but as if I'm regaining familiarity with my own muscles, faltering and landing back down on the table. It occurs to me now as I don't know how long it has been, but my body betrays me for not using it.
He isn't angry as he reaches down, picking me up in his strong arms. I had never noticed before, as I had always been in such a rage, that Locaine smells slightly like peppermint.
With a soft inhale, I release a sigh while I feel a wave of calmness consume my body. I never would have imagined associating the word calm with any form of that with a vampire.
Feeling begins to return to my limbs as Locaine removes me from the dungeon, taking me in the direction of the slaves’ room. When we arrive, he positions me lightly on my feet before he orders, "Clean yourself up and change into something more appropriate, slave."
Appropriate...that's a laugh...
I immediately go to open my mouth, but then decided against it. I will need to be more careful of the battles that I pick within these walls if I want to survive and not end up chained down in the dungeon again.
I just nod my head and murmur softly, "Yes master."
I feel Locaine's fingertips glide under my chin, a warmth trailing through him to me though his skin is soft and cold. He lifts my eyes to meet his and continues with, "When you are presentable, you will come to the parlor."
"Yes, master," I once again auto-reply while our eyes never leave one another's.
"Good," is all he says as he releases the hold he has on my chin and turns around, making his way back down the hallway.
After doing as he instructed, it's not long before I find myself walking away from the slaves’ room...
Holding my upper arms in a snug hug, I shuffle down the hallway, the lovely marble floor making pinging sounds from my heels. After taking a shower, I am once again wearing a scanty outfit, although this time, Locaine has made a slight adjustment. Instead of the dark black lace on its own, he had an outfit laid out with a deep crimson trim along with the edges, bringing some color to my dull world.
I had brushed and flat ironed my shoulder blade-length hair. However, it falls forward and over my shoulders as I continue walking. My eyes are smoky, with a dark eyeliner running along the lid. Emily had overseen showing me exactly how I needed to look everyday...I mean every night, to impress Locaine.
I don't care if I impress him...I would rather him ignore me.
I rub my bare arms, the tight bodice digging into my sides like some torture device of its own. I had gotten over trying to pull down the skirt, there was no point, and it really didn't make a difference. If someone wants to see my ass, they are getting a free show every time I bend down...which I try to avoid at all costs.
My stockings are secured in place by the black garter belt that sits on my hips under the skirt.
Why do they want us to wear these ridiculous clothes anyways?
They aren't appealing in the slightest, and if anything, it just drags down any self-esteem I once had.
As I come into the main hall, a male vampire with short red hair narrows his eyes at me. I can hear him breath out, "Hunter."
"Vampire," I mimic him, throwing my head in the direction of the parlor.
"Did I tell you that you could speak to me?" I am stopped in my tracks as the vampire takes hold of my right upper arm, his grip tight and unwavering.
I throw him a dirty look and lower my voice, "Bite me."
"If that's an invitation," he glowers at me, squeezing his grip on my arm, pulling me closer to him.
"Flynn," my eyes dart to Locaine, who looks slightly annoyed standing in the entrance of the parlor.
That's his name?
Are he and Rynn...related?
"Your little slave offered," Flynn's voice is upset, "but, your hunter is not worth my time." Instead of being the one dejected, he releases me with sudden disgust and pushes me marginally near Locaine.
Someone knows his place.
I take a few more steps until I am now in front of Locaine. Looking up into his eyes, my mind begins wondering precisely what he wants from me.
What can I give him, that a human can't?
Besides the satisfaction of enslaving and eventually killing a hunter? Yea that is more like it.
Locaine settles his left hand on the side of my face. Out of habit, I wince and abruptly take a cautionary step back. His eyes flash with uncertainty as he brings that same step toward me, placing his hand once more on my cheek. He delicately brushes his thumb lightly across my cheekbone.
Stop!
My heart skips a beat as our eyes hold an unbreakable gaze.
"I want to play a game," Locaine shatters the silence before ordering, "come with me, slave."
My skin prickles as I follow along behind Locaine up to the second floor of the mansion. The beautiful white marble glitters with tiny silver flecks; my heels creating musical clicks as we climb t
he staircase.
Game? What type of game does he want to play?
My thoughts are racing a million miles a minute trying to figure out what he is planning to do. The last time we 'played' if you could even call it that, I was fighting for my freedom...annnnnnnd we all know how that ended.
So...why would I ever accept another challenge from him?
It suddenly strikes me as odd when I begin to understand that Locaine is the only vampire that permits me to walk behind him rather than in front like Adam had mentioned.
Does he not see me as a threat?
After everything he's witnessed and heard, does he finally understand that I'm not the hunter he believes me to be?
We reach the upper landing, and for the first time since I had been brought here, I see the glistening chandeliers hanging from the three branching hallways. How large is this mansion exactly?
"Something funny?" Locaine had turned around when I was admiring the beauty of the light fixtures, regarding me inquisitively.
In a flash, the smile I once held fades from my lips as I reply coolly, "No, master."
If there were windows with drapes...I'd pull them back and just burn your ass.
I stifle a laugh at the mere thought of him burning to death in the sun's rays. At least that's one consistent factor with the vampires...
...none of them can walk in the sunlight.
"Very well," Locaine promptly turns around and begins to walk down the middle hallway. I hastily try my best to keep up with him, but thanks to the lovely form of 'shoes' that I wear, that appears to be an impossible task.
It would be easier if I didn't have to wear these six-inch heels!
It isn't long before Locaine halts in front of a grandiose cherry wood door with a silver handle. He outstretches his arm, reaching the handle and opened it inward, standing back against the frame and signaling for me to enter first. I stand there for a moment and eye him suspiciously.
I took his cue and enter a lovely room. The marble in here is raven black, with speckles of royal cerulean. There is a sizable wooden desk with an antique rose gold lamp and numerous books and papers in precise stacks. There is another cherry wood door leading off to a separate room to the left.
