A man's voice whispered in my ear, "Wake up."Slowly, I opened my eyes, and the grin on my face vanished as I saw Lord Lothaire's unfriendly gaze.As I struggled to my feet on a slick, soft surface, I realized I was no longer in Aric's bedroom. I appeared lying on a leather couch in a circularly shaped room.A man I had never met before, with curly brown hair and a cocoa-colored complexion, lay asleep next to me. He appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, though his perspective made it difficult to tell.Lothaire, seated directly across from me, murmured, "Good morning," the rich crimson liquid in the crystal glass in his hand, drawing my attention back.My eyes swiveled frantically to the left and right, searching for a way out, but none could be seen.Lord Lothaire, seemingly reading my mind, remarked, "We are on an airplane; you are welcome to open the door, but it is a long way down."When I realized there was nowhere to go, I stopped looking and brought my knees to

Aric's father was drinking from the man, and the man's screams seemed to continue on and on. I could still hear it with my fingers jammed uncomfortably in my ears.Ultimately, I did my best to block out the sound of the body hitting the water with a horrible thud as Lord Lothaire dropped it.When I dared to look, I saw his lips and chin pouring with blood as he grinned at me, and his face was only a few inches away from mine.Fearfully, I let out a cry before I could pull my hands away from my ears to hide my mouth.He pretended to be confused and inquired, "What?" Do I have makeup on my face?He got up and moved to the plane's rear, laughing heartily at his joke as he kicked the dead guy aside.When I saw it, I cupped my palms around my mouth and cried.For me, this was the worst-case scenario the night I was abducted for the hunt. To serve a vampire master with a vicious streak who would torture me until I begged for my life to end.Now that Aric had me, he treated me well for the m

I was so exhausted that I could hardly get off the plane alone when we landed.Lord Lothaire had not only used me as a drinking vessel again but also assaulted me in ways I had never been subjected to before.As my body shivered from the shock and blood loss, I stumbled down the last three stairs and landed awkwardly on the sidewalk below.Lothaire grabbed the back of my neck and said, "Get up."I was hoisted up to the point where I could only use the tips of my toes to get to the waiting automobile.Walking to the front door, I saw my reflection in the glass. Seeing what I did nearly broke me.My lips were swollen from the countless strikes the vampire had administered throughout his assault, and my face was a mask of bruises. Because my under-eye circles were so obvious, I was convinced that no amount of shut-eye or concealer would ever help.Lothaire pushed me violently into the side of the automobile and said, "Get in."Following instructions, I opened the door and slid inside, re

As I was being brought through Lord Lothaire's mansion in Seattle, I couldn't help but stare in wonder at the garish wealth that surrounded me.I was escorted into several rooms decorated with gold embellishments, paintings, and sculptures depicting people who appeared to be being tortured or enslaved and were either hanging or standing.Nobody spoke, including any of the other humans I came across, even the slave I was following. Every one of them had obvious evidence of maltreatment and had just been subjected to cruel feedings.When I saw them, I couldn't help but marvel at how Aric could have grown up in such an environment and still managed to become a nice and compassionate adult compared to them.When he was himself, though, he was the kindest, most compassionate guy I'd ever met. It's true that when he lost control, he turned into a complete monster who killed without remorse or guilt, but when he wasn't himself, he was an utter monster.After entering an elevator, a slave hit

Aida provided a calming atmosphere by humming as I cleaned the dirt and perspiration that had accumulated on me throughout my travel from Spokane. She even assisted me in washing my back, being careful with the scrapes and bruises there.As I emerged from the water, I did my best to avoid looking at the hue the water had become, but I couldn't help but notice how white it had become.Aida presented me with a towel that was so big that I had to use it to wrap myself up in it twice."Come," she commanded while taking my hand in hers.While sneezing, she helped me to a chair nearby and combed the knots out of my wet hair.She cautioned him in a soft voice, "You have to stop crying; the more you do, the more Lord Lothaire will torment you."I nodded and wiped away the tears, but they were quickly replaced by more. I did everything I could, but I could not stop them.After she had finished combing my hair, Aida took the remaining strands and coiled them into a tight braid while interweavin