Nicholas returned from the bathroom coming to cuddle. His woodsy cologne was overwhelming as he crawled into bed and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. He nuzzled into my neck, unable to help but give a few teasing nips with his fangs, which admittedly were a bit distracting.I closed my eyes and exhaled softly, feeling the urge to just relax and fall asleep here with him. However, I had an objective, and I needed more pieces to this puzzle. Still, my mind, for just a moment, focused on how kind he was to me following sex. In the past, I'd dealt with people who didn't really stick around to care for someone who was pleasured. Cuddling was an important part of intimacy for me, so I was delighted these vampires did such a thing. The back of my mind, however, screamed for me to be careful. Year of luxury or not, I was prey in the eyes of these formerly mythical monsters. I wasn't sure how relevant that cult was to Lucy, but I knew Nicholas was. She could be dead b

After a day of thought and soft sex, I made up my mind to put the exploration on hold for a week. Not only was I overstressing myself, which was no doubt impacting the mission, but Nicholas was incredibly suspicious of me. I could ease the tension and de-stress by relaxing for a week, then returning to it later. The next morning, I got my fancy clothes on and decided to take a walk around the mansion. I really wanted to go outside, but that was strictly forbidden without being accompanied by a vampire. Therefore, the courtyard was off-limits during the day. I peered through some window curtains, examining the yard and smiling to myself. Lucy would have loved it here for sure, prior to her vanishing, anyway. There was a menagerie of all different kinds of birds, hopping around and playing in the birdbaths set up by the vampires.Statues of various animals, like lions, wolves, and bears were set up for the atmosphere. The area was surrounded by a pine forest, which I watched sway

"Given you are still here and up to no good, it appears I've caught you instead of Remus or Misty this time. How many times have you snuck out since we last spoke, hm?" Alexander growled.I shrugged my shoulder away from him, that fear rushing through me again. The smell of his cologne washed over me, causing me to want to melt right here and let him do whatever he wanted. Not the most productive of thoughts at all, which caused me to let out a low groan. I said, "You're going to preach to me again how unsafe it is walking around at night, is it? If you're so angry, then why don't you do what you claim the cultists would?"I was growing bold at this point, tired of being sniveling and scared on the ground. Learning about The Vicious and what the cult wanted to do with them was frightening. Something he knew about, as a matter of fact. A little voice in the back of my mind reminded me of what he was and what he could do. I needed to keep this burst of bravery in check. Alexand

"No," I said defensively, at this point, the only thing I could say. "I really am afraid. Especially now because of what you're doing."This didn't stop him from leaning away from my ear only to keep his face in mine, our noses nearly touching. I backed away from him, but he followed until I was up against the wall. He stayed just as close, though this time, our lips were so close to touching that I had to swallow hard and dismiss those intense feelings of wanting.Scolding myself inwardly, I let out a soft sigh and winced. "You're part of the reason she vanished. Aren't you?" she whispered, causing him to give a low growl and narrow his eyes.He finally leaned away, giving me space, which allowed me to breathe a little. Thank goodness, because it was starting to really get hot in here. I knew I was exhibiting signs of attraction, which really wasn't helping my case right now, and just serving, as usual, to distract me.Alexander eyed me up and down, then pinched the bridge

"So you think Lucy is alive? How? Where is she?" I asked, completely distracted from his comment before on me being 'intriguing'. That wasn't important, not when Lucy was involved and I could finally find something out.I began to pace, exhausted but tired of hanging out in a bed or chair during these conversations. Or, in Alexander's case, up against the wall and nearly having my legs crumble in fear. My shoulders slumped as exhaustion consumed me. All of this hadn't been in vain, at least. "I do not know," Alexander muttered. "Or, rather, I don't know all of the details."There was a long, awkward silence that passed between us. Alexander was studying me carefully, no doubt trying to figure out if I was alright or not. Perhaps he considered asking, but thankfully he kept his distance as stress and anxiety took their toll on me. Things were only made worse as I realized that yes, while my sister was alive, she was now a mindless monster. "Has Nicholas been held accountable?