Chapter 21: Handle With Care.

(Ophelia’s POV) The scent of caramelized onions diffused the air as I stirred the contents of the pan. Music played through the speakers of my phone, and I hummed along to the melody as I cooked. “You really couldn’t have done this anywhere else?” Lucius asked as he took out a bottle of water from the inbuilt fridge. “Nope.” I let the dish simmer on low heat for a while longer. “By the way, you’re all out of groceries.”“Bummer. Thanks for letting me know.” He said drolly. I could tell he didn’t give a shit one way or the other. I ignored his sarcastic tone, pouring myself a glass of wine from the bottle I’d opened earlier. The dry, woody notes of the beverage made my taste buds sing. “I still don’t get why you bother with human food when we don’t need to eat it.”True. Vampire’s barely got any nutr

Chapter 22: No matter what.

(Elian’s POV) I looked out of the window, watching buildings whizz past us as the car sped down the road. The fear and apprehension from earlier had lessened, leaving me able to breathe a little better. “You okay, son?” Caleb’s concerned voice pulled my attention to him. I nodded. “Yeah. I’m just a little tired.”“That’s understandable.” Caleb murmured. “After what you’ve been through, you need a lot of rest.”I smiled wanly. Caleb had taken me to a hospital immediately after we left Lucius’s apartment. He hadn’t asked any questions, just ushered me into the hands of a doctor he seemed to be friends with and waited till I was cleared before whisking me away.I was grateful for this. I wasn’t sure I would be able to admit the extent of what Lucius had done to me. And Jasper. I couldn’t forget that bastard’

Chapter 23: Temptation.

(Elian’s POV) I lingered in the kitchen for a while after dinner, chatting with my mom and Caleb as he did the dishes. I stayed for as long as I possibly could before my eyelids grew too heavy to keep up. “I’m going to bed.” I announced, rising from the stool positioned in front of the counter. “Goodnight.”“Goodnight, dear.” Kate squeezed my hand. “Don’t forget to take your medicine.” Caleb called after wishing me a good night. Murmuring a reply, I took the medicine immediately so I wouldn’t forget, swallowing it down with a glass of water from the fridge before leaving the kitchen. My medication was yet another reason to be grateful to Caleb. He continuously used his connection at Lumen to make sure I had the best medication on hand for my condition, helping to strengthen my body and reduce my risk of scarring. My mom’s concern about

Chapter 24: Sleep tight, my treasure.

(Caleb's POV)My steps were silent as I strode down the hallway to Elian’s room. I wasn’t trying to be subtle — there was no need to. Kate would spend an hour with her masseuse, minimum. Then after she showered, the beautician she kept on retainer would spend another hour or two on the beauty regimens she insisted on every night. That gave me up to four hours to do whatever I liked with Elian. Though, judging from the lust boiling in my balls, I wouldn’t need that much time. The house was heavily soundproofed, so I didn’t have to worry about making noise. I was nimble on my feet, and my steps made no sound on the tiled floor. Elian was asleep. I knew this, not because of the surveillance footage, but because of the medicine he had taken earlier. It contained a sedative I had instructed be added to the chemical composition of the medication. It had been a little difficult to find a substance that was untraceable,

Chapter 25: Charred Flesh.

(Elian’s POV) I woke up with a groan. Sitting up, I grimaced at the sour taste in my mouth. “Ugh. Morning breath.”I stood from the bed gingerly, grimacing as the space between my thighs ached. Why the hell was it aching? It didn’t hurt as bad last night. Chalking it up to lingering effects from Lucius’s rough treatment, I brushed it off. I was ready for school in about thirty minutes. The smell of bacon led me down to the kitchen, where Caleb was busy behind the counter. “Good morning.” I greeted, sitting on a stool while suppressing a wince. “Morning.” Caleb’s smile was warm. He pushed a plate towards me. “You’re right in time for breakfast. Dig in.”“Where’s mom?” I asked, picking my fork. “She’s still asleep.” He chuckled. “I don’t think she’ll be down for a

Chapter 26: Poor idiot.

(Elian’s POV) It felt so good to finally tell Lucius where to stick it. Striding down the hallway, I couldn’t stop the smile that crept its way onto my face. After suffering under his brutal hands for almost two days, telling Lucius exactly what I thought of him had been much more satisfying than I had anticipated. I could still feel my body vibrating from the adrenaline as it sank in that I’d stood up to him. I stood up to him. Mentally squealing, I stepped into the lecture hall where I was supposed to have a class in the next two minutes. Still on cloud nine, it took me a moment to realize that something was wrong.Very wrong. Everyone’s eyes were on me. That was the first give away. The second was the phones they had close to their faces while still looking at me. The third was the varying mix of scandalized horror on their faces. Dread raced down my spine. Th