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The Pride of a Slave

By: StormHerald



Here it is everyone, I hope you like it!! I actually love it, and I took everyones advice and not only did I get an editor, but hows this for length?!? Hehe, anyway this one is massive, and I hope you like it. And super thanks to my awesome editor, and once I learn your screen name you are all over these chapters!! 

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We threw our graduation caps up into the air cheering loudly. Graduation day, I was one of many but I was the only white graduation robe among all the royal blues. It upset a lot of the families, but I didn't care, I had worked relentlessly to be part of this group. I had not slept a full eight hours since before I turned thirteen, my scores were the result of blood, sweat, and tears, many, many tears. 

We filed out of the arena, and I waved up to the third platform to my friend standing with the other white coats. She smiled weakly and waved quickly before dropping her head and shuffling out in the quiet way we were supposed to. As we walked out I began to get rammed violently in the shoulder as the very tall blue coated girls walked passed. Normally when they rammed me, they made sure there were no marks, but I guess since it was graduation they assumed that it would be alright to leave bruises.

"Cattle...slave...disgusting." I sighed at the names and shook my head feeling a bit sad that they were so narrow minded. 

A large warm arm landed across my small shoulders and I looked up in the familiar honey brown eyes I had known since I could toddle, "I cant believe you actually lived through the speeches."

I scoffed, "Come now Ryder, the speeches weren't that dull."

A cool breeze stopped next to me and another tall blue coat leaned down, "He meant that they didn't try and kill you for being down there." I rolled my eyes but smiled into the other pair of eyes I had known my whole life, these eyes an deep blue.

"You guys knew I was told to be down there, I earned being down there, I earned the damn coat too." I grumbled and the two smiled and Ryder squeezed my arms and Dimitri patted the top of my head.

"You know the laws, its been this way for far too long." Dimitri was always the voice of cool, calm, reasoning. 

Ryder squeezed my shoulders, "Don't worry Sera, that was a big step to have a human down there with us."

"Yes, and a white coat as well, you are breaking the boundaries you spoke often of rebelling against, it is just not in the grand fashion you had hoped." Dimitri grabbed my hand and squeezed it briefly before we were surrounded by very angry amber and blue eyed parents.

"This is ridiculous, a slave, sitting with our children, as if she were an equal."

I looked down from their faces as I was expected to, biting my tongue so hard that I nearly drew blood. Ryder's arm left my shoulders and he growled, "Things are changing you stupid old geezers, there are humans doing amazing things now, including politics."

There was an audible gasp, "The rest of the world will realize how stupid they are being allowing their slaves to have power, but that will not happen here."

Dimitri cleared his throat, "So sure are we?"

"Your father and mother will hear of this insolence to your elders. I don't care who you two are and who you will be, you need to learn your place, and especially that creatures place." I looked at the richly clothed legs of the speaker. He was saying what everyone there was thinking.

I reached out and grabbed both the hot hand of Ryder and the cold hand of Dimitri knowing they were both about to spring forward, the gasp around the circle was loud and all the noise stopped. I dropped my hands quickly, but the damage was already done. I had broken a very basic law, I was not allowed to touch them of my own accord. Dimitri and Ryder both laced their fingers through mine and we walked out of the group, the two shoving ahead of me, making a break in the crowd so I could get through as safely as possible. 

"Ah, the heat of youth, I cannot wait until it cools." I dared to look up to a very mature looking man. 

He was the aged image of his son, they both had black hair that was shock straight, the same pronounced jaw and chin, long slender throat, lean, lithe body, that stood a good six foot nine. Dimitri's nose was his mother's as well as his lips, he had a narrow straight nose that made his face look far more severe than he truly was and below the incriminating nose was a pair of the fullest, pale pink lips that had ever graced a vampire. The older man's hair was slicked back with grey at his temples, while Dimitri left his hair to fall into the side of his face, touching the edges of his lips.

"Yes, well if you had decided to grace us with a little more punctuality we wouldn't have been standing in a lynch mob." Dimitri's voice hissed as we followed him.

Dimitri's father looked at me, "You understood what would have happened when you sat there."

It wasn't as much a question as a statement but I nodded anyway, and he looked back to Dimitri, "She cannot always be under your protection."

Dimitri scoffed and looked at Ryder who shrugged and smiled at Dimitri's father, "That's what I'm here for, taking up the slack."

Dimitri's dad winced, "How did you graduate with such an inability to speak properly."

"Just lucky I guess." There was a howl and Ryder smiled into the crowd before it parted and his mother walked towards us grinning ear from ear.

If Dimitri was a spitting image of his father, then Ryder was a spitting image of no one but himself. His mother had strawberry blonde hair, she stood six foot three, short for her kind. She was thin and lithe, her muscles visible on her arms as she strolled towards us. Ryder stood six foot nine as well, and was big. His body bulged with muscle and his gown was unable to hide the strength in them. His shoulders were wide and intimidating, but what his body did in intimidation the rest of him countered it. He was a bright red head with curly hair that looked frizzy and crazy all the time. His face was splattered with freckles that made his already bright amber eyes even brighter, especially when his perfect toothy grin took over his face. 

"Oh my rides here, oi Di, take Sera home, Mom's throwing a very non-human friendly party in the woods, and we are going straight there."

Dimitri nodded and I waved as Ryder released my hand and bounded off with his mother and half of his family right on their heels. Dimitri squeezed my hand softly and smiled down at me as we walked to his ridiculous car and got in, me sitting in back with him and his father. 

"I am sorry to hear that your mother was unable to make it." I absorbed Dimitri's father's kinds words.

"Yes, well, that's how the Administration works, she couldn't get clearance to leave even though we are supposed to get clearance for graduations automatically."

We all grew quiet as the sleek, black car glided through the streets. I looked at the city, hating it and hating my part in it even more. Once upon a time I would have graduated in a class of all humans. Vampires and werewolves being nothing but a legend and I would have had the whole world laid before me, open, and waiting. 

I hated the scientists, the ones who just couldn't leave well enough alone. Why did they have to find the elixir of immortality? Why did they work on cell splicing, on genetics, on things that should have been left well enough alone? They didn't, however, and after a century vampires and werewolves took over everything. The world's most brilliant, talented, scientific or political minds had been given the elixirs. 

I understood why they had done it, the threat of biological warfare was intense. One part of the world ready and willing to kill the other part and biological was the only way to destroy the people but leave the land. So, science pooled together and created vampires and werewolves. It was a crap shoot when the First had taken the elixirs of immortality. It was a blip in the genome that decided whether they turned into a vampire or werewolf, but once the First were turned, their children, subsequently, were automatically vampire or werewolf. 

The world's leaders were not only immortal but were smarter, bigger, faster, and stronger. That had changed everything. Suddenly to be a vampire or werewolf made you better than the humans who were never able to take the elixirs. And as the world went along everything became segregated, and the funniest thing was, it wasn't the immortals who had segregated the humans away, it had been the humans. 

We became the fragile race, we could be killed by an immortals child's tantrum, we were no longer safe to be mixed with them, that's what they believed and instead of adapting, they hid themselves away and allowed their rights to be taken from them. But then side effects of the elixirs began to spring up, vampires required the energy of a human in order to maintain their immortality past the age of 40. They laid their lips to the throat of a human and the humans energy, health, and emotions would be drained from them. It could leave a human incapable of fighting off a simple flu or cold, bed ridden, and catatonic. 

The werewolves had it rougher, they required the actual life force of a human to maintain their immortality after 60, they required blood, consumed in their Lycan form. Suddenly humans became important and needed. Humans began to build a hierarchy among themselves. The "Important" humans began to sell off the poor, the weak, the familyless humans to the immortals as slaves. Thus creating the cast system I was in. One was born into their cast, and were taught to believe they could never exceed it.

We were also taught never to be tempted into the arms of an Immortal, that every Immortal had the one human they required, although sometimes two, but never more than two. We were taught from birth that we were essential to our government surviving because if humans went extinct, so did the Immortals. We were taught that proper Immortals were trained to take what they needed and never more, and that if they did take more than they needed that we were to report them to the Administrators, so that they could be reprimanded and that we could stay protected.

Since I began school I was told a Werewolf would not become a Vampire, a human would not become immortal, and a slave, no matter how smart, beautiful, educated, could be nothing but a slave. It was lies of course, the elixir still existed, and humans who were brilliant or valuable would be required to take it, thus keeping the gene pool of immortals fresh, and bringing the valuable to their group. 

As time went along, the democracy became unable to govern the unique needs of the different immortal groups. Werewolves required a close knit pack, usually the bigger the better, while Vampires required their families to be small and hated to be ruled by a group that simply couldn't understand the value of solitude. So, a group rose up of Vampires that became the leaders of the Vampires, a King and Queen of sorts, and an Alpha rose up that was agreed upon by all the separate Alphas and their packs, to rule for them. The humans, however, had no ruler. We had an administration: a group of leaders who sat together and decided the life of all the humans. They took their orders from the two Immortal leaders, usually. To keep war from brewing among all the different races, it was agreed that the rulers and administration was a group that one was born into. It was a job handed down from parent to child.

I closed my eyes and felt myself drift away on my thoughts. My body still recovering from the week I spent with little sleep, studying night after night, preparing for the final examinations. I felt a cold arm wrap around my shoulders leaning me into his hard, lean, shoulder. I snuggled into the familiar feel and scent of my best friend and fell into the deep sleep I got only from being with one or both of my friends. 

Dimitri's voice woke me but I kept my eyes closed unwilling to release the delicious feeling of a restful sleep.

"What will you do when you go to Univeristy and she doesn't?" Dimitri's father was being quiet but his deep satin voice was distinct against Dimitri's velvet voice. 

"You know as well as I that she will more than likely go to the University." 

"You know as well as I that she will be paired to a mate or a family or pack very soon."

Dimitri's body stiffened, "It is not set yet, the University could still see her as having potential beyond her cast."

Even I knew he was reaching, it was rare that casts were broken and I was no prodigy nor did my mind easily comprehend things, all I had going for me was determination. The University was fickle though, and times were beginning to change, more and more families were teaching slaves beyond the basic education and in other parts of the world humans were shattering the cast system that kept me so bound.

"Perhaps."

"You could influence it."

"Yes, as well as could Mariah, but neither of us will."

I listened to Dimitri grind his teeth, "Why? Why would you raise the three of us together, why didn't you pick an Administrators son to be my play mate rather than a slave's daughter?"

"Well, partially because your mother was dying Dimitri. She wouldn't take the energy that would have kept her alive. Anna's energy was sweet, innocent, and more or less untouched thanks to her being mated instead of being paired to a family. She was my best attempt to save your mother. She was still nursing Seraphina. To be honest, I couldn't help but like a slave that had the strength to name her daughter a queens name, and I wanted to see what the little slave with the queens name would grow to become."

"And now with your curiosity satisfied, are you going to dispose of her?"

The car stopped and I began to stir and sit up as the doors opened. The servants bowed low as Dimitri's father stood out of the car, "Your Highness."

Dimitri's father dipped his head back down to the car and looked at Dimitri, "Who said it was satisfied." He straightened and walked into the Palace.

*********

I jogged behind Dimitri as he walked, with his long legs, fast ahead of me, "Dang it slow down Dimitri."

The servants were used to my relationship with their heir apparent so the gasps and silences and glares I would have received anywhere else at addressing Dimitri that way, were no where to be found. Dimitri slowed down and waited for me to catch up, "You always forget it's like two of my strides for one of yours."

"I am agitated Sera, my apologies."

I smiled at him, "I heard."

The corner of his mouth quirked up, "Yes, I was aware you were awake."

I chewed the inside of my cheek, "What if I'm mated to an unbearable man, Di?"

He froze and glared at me, his blue eyes glowing, "You will not be mated."

I shook my head and we walked the rest of the way to his parlor in silence. I collapsed onto the bean bag chair that I had begged Dimitri to get. I liked being lower to the ground because I could spread my work out further, that way.

"I should get home soon." I didn't move, but instead stayed where I was, unwilling to leave my friend to walk through the hostile streets.

I knew Dimitri would give me a ride to the human border, but when I spoke of hostile streets, it was the human ones. It was a fact of my life that I made sure never to speak of with my two best friends, but occasionally I was unable to hide the marks, the bruises or the cuts.

"You should leave before dark, at least."

I nodded, humans had a curfew, we were not allowed outside of our homes after nightfall. We were told it was to keep us safe from the immortals and their needs for us, but in all truth it was to keep us from running, or organizing, or doing anything other than what we were assigned to do. 

"I hate going home." I had said this almost every time I left and Dimitri did what he always did when I said this.

He sighed, "Yes, well, your mothers there and you love your mother. So instead think of it as going to your Mother."

"I always do, give me a ride then, I'm not in the mood to fight you over it."

Dimitri walked over and pulled me to him hugging me, "I don't know how we will do it, but Ryder and I wont let you get paired or mated okay?"

I shook my head, "You are both the Princes of your people, but even you won't be able to stop this."

Dimitri squeezed me, "You are our little sister, as much a part of our people and our family as our own siblings, or in my case as my father."

I squeezed him tightly then released him and we headed out the door, out of the palace and out of the clean, shiny streets of the immortals city. He stopped at the border and waved to the guards as I got out and dug out my I.D. from my pocket. I handed it to the guard who took it carefully, his brown, human eyes, glaring at me all the while Dimitri stayed where he was watching.

When I finally got through the border I took off at a jog towards the slaves section of the human city. I jogged for Dimitri's benefit, once he was out of sight I ran at a break neck speed. I had learned after many beatings by police and random people, in general, that the faster I was, the less likely bored humans would chase down the pet of the Princes, to take out on me the hatred and frustration they felt towards the rulers and the immortals. 

I heard feet behind me and recognized one of the boys I graduated with, he had been on the second tier, in brown, and had taken to beating me as his one and only pleasure in life.

"Leave me alone Joe."

He didn't say anything, his heavy, fat body unable to catch up nor keep up with me. But that wasn't where the danger with him was, it was in the fact that he never ran alone, that he ran in a group of three, and they liked to lay traps for me. I had gotten caught not too long ago, and they had decided that beating me wasn't good enough anymore, instead they had started to unbuckle their pants and rip my clothes from me.

It was then that a guard had intervened. Bruises and cuts would be ignored by the rulers but I was property, and if I were marred in anyway other than by who I was paired or mated to, it would be as if the Administrators had destroyed their property and the punishment would be severe all the way down to Joe and his family. 

I didn't want to take the risk and when I got close to the park I ran around it avoiding the trees I knew that hid his two friends. He yelled and they jumped down, and ran after me. I was getting winded and they were fresh, but I was also running on serious adrenaline, I had incentive NOT to be caught, and it was more than they had to catch me because when I rounded the corner of my street they stopped and I could hear them yelling at each other.

I slowed my sprint to a jog and eventually a walk until I was at the door of my little one bedroom house. I opened the door and walked in, opening the curtains and windows, letting the air flow into house. I walked through the living room/ dining room/ kitchen, through the bathroom and into the bedroom, seeing my mother asleep on the large bed that we shared. 

I sat down beside her, still trying to catch my breath and she opened her eyes and turned to me, "Did you get chased again?"

I nodded and she sighed, "I'm sorry Seraphina, I wanted to go."

I took a few deep breaths, "I know, I'm not mad."

"Tell me all about it then." 

I smiled down at her and described it, retelling the speeches word for word, and then grumbled about my gown, which I had left at Dimitri's house. I told her about the families who had circled us and about Ryder and Dimitri defending me, and about the conversation Dimitri and his father had about me. 

My mother smiled a touch wistfully and leaned back into her pillow, "That was probably the best time of my life."


The Pride of a Slave Ch. 02



Hey again everyone. This chapter isn't as huge as the first one but I hope you like it just as much, be sure to rate and send me comments. Also another thank you to my editor, and I swear I will learn his screen name. He is amazing and getting the editing done almost as fast as I can get the chapters to him. 

*

The alarm sounded and I groaned and slapped at it, getting quickly out of bed before falling back asleep. I stumbled into two walls before I remembered where I was and walked into the bathroom, quickly splashing frigid water on my face to wake me up. I quickly brushed my teeth and showered, before putting on a smart pair of slacks and a nice blouse, exchanging my underwear for lighter colored ones so that they weren't visible underneath my shirt. I braided my hair to the side, so the braid sat on my shoulder and slipping a pair of comfortable looking shoes, I grabbed my bag and schedule and walked into the hall way.

I was immediately assaulted by the smell of cheap perfume as Dimitris door opened and his night partner walked out, looking as if she had spent the last three hours getting ready. She looked down at me waiting for me to do something, and when I didn't she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Slaves should remember their place."

I shook my head and walked around her, "As if we are ever given a chance to forget it." I said loudly to her as I turned the corner. 

I was half way down the stairs when I heard Ryder bound up behind me and drop an arm onto my shoulders, "Its fun seeing you first thing in the morning, although I don't think you have to get so dressed up for breakfast."

"Classes start today Ryder."

He made a face, "Mine doesn't start until late morning."

He assaulted the bag on my back pulling the schedule out and whistling, "You have two classes before I have one."

Dimitri's night partner walked past me and I felt Ryder stiffen away from me immediately. I looked at him curiously and saw him watch the girl walk past. I snatched my schedule from Ryder and continued down the hall and into the small dining room for breakfast. The girl was already seated and I sat on the other side from her, putting as much distance between me and her as possible. 

Ryder walked in a moment later looking at where I was sitting and then where the girl was sitting. He seemed to pause for a minute before grabbing a seat right across from her and sitting down. I watched with interest as he talked with her, he was flushed and I could tell instantly that he liked her.

Dimitri walked in fully dressed and with his bag as well, and made it a point to sit right next to the girl and I instantly felt uncomfortable at the situation. The two boys were locked in a glare and the girl was rattling off about how pretty the palace was, and I was watching the whole thing like some strange little peeping bug, and that was how Victor found us that first morning. 

He cleared his throat and we all looked at him as he sat down at the head of the table, which happened to be to my right. He looked from the boys and the girl taking in the overall situation and then smiled at me.

"Its not very often that I am graced with such company for breakfast." I smiled and opened my mouth to say something when the girl giggled at Victor.

"Well thank you Your Majesty. I just wish I could say that about all of the company here."

Victor looked up at her sharply and both boys froze staring at Victor. I snorted in disgust and stood up with my glass of juice, "I need to get going, if Im not going to be late."

Dimitri looked from the girl then to me and back, and I realized the perdicament I had just put him in. I shook my head and rolled my eyes and bowed slightly to Victor. He held a hand up to stop me.

"I would prefer you went with one of the boys." He emphasized the word boys and even Ryder winced.

"No need, I want to walk to get rid of some of the nerves." Victor paused acting like he wanted to say something to me but with a sideway glance at the breakfast guest he thought better of it and nodded, dismissing me.

I bowed slightly again and walked out, finishing my juice and dropping it off in the kitchen. The cook saw me and shook her head waving her spoon at me, she was a slave who had lost her husband at the palace and when it was found that her food happened to be the only thing Dimitri would eat after his mother had passed, she was quickly made head cook.

She continued to wave the spoon as the other servants dodged her large body as she moved towards me, "You are not going to leave for your first day of school without food young girl."

I smiled, "The breakfast guest was toxic for my appetite."

The cook snorted, "Yes, well, I expect she wont be the last, so either your appetite will grow in strength or I will expect you here to grab something to eat."

I smiled and grabbed the apple she handed me and waited patiently as she wrapped another apple in a bag and put it in my back, "Just in case that one isn't enough. Now, off with you."

I laughed, biting soundly into the apple as I left the Palace. I waved at the gate guards, who both waved back at me and winked at me as I left wishing me a quiet good luck. I thanked them and turned myself in the direction of the University. 

It was habit to keep my eyes trained low, so that I didn't offend any of the immortals around me. I made my way quickly to the University steps and then I looked up and took in the large buildings main gate entrance. I fumbled with my I.D. noticing the guards glaring at me.

I finally produced it and they swiped it quickly then grins broke out onto their faces, "You wouldn't imagine how many we have been getting trying to pretend to be you this morning."

I tried to smile but probably only managed a grimace and the guard patted my shoulder, "Don't worry, we know how ya look now, so there won't be problem anymore."

"well, thank you." They nodded and let me in and I paused and turned around and walked back to them.

"Any chance one of you gentlemen could show me where I might find this particular class?"

They both looked at my schedule and then pointed in the direction I should take, explaining exactly how to get there. They then drew a map to help me get to all of the classes, and I was so grateful I nearly burst into tears. 

I thanked them profusely and they just shrugged and wished me good luck before turning their glare to another student, demanding I.D. I turned and walked quickly to the way they showed me and following their directions exactly I found myself at my class with plenty of time to spare. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening the door and walking in.

The professor was already at his desk, reading through a series of notes. Also there were a few students there already seated, and making sure there wasn't assigned seating, I took my favorite spot, in the front row, next to the windows and waited quietly. I kept my attention outside, watching the lush green grass as the class begin to fill with students, all coming and going, laughing and greeting each other. I longed for that kind of school life but I had never had that, and this wouldn't be any different. 

I listen to the door open and close and turned my head enough that I could watch the student file in from the corner of my eye while continuing to look out of the window. I looked at the time and centered my vision to the blackboard as there was just a minute remaining before the class started. I was acutely aware that not a single person sat next to me and it didn't bother me until I saw Dimitri walk in with the girl from this morning on his arm. He looked at me briefly before letting the girl pull him away, to two available seats on the other side of the room.

It was the first time I ever had a class with Dimitri and I was more than upset that he had chosen this moment to be conscious of his status versus mine. I reached into my bag and pulled out an extra pen and wrapping my hair off of my neck, pinned it up. It both got rid of the heat that I was starting to feel from my nerves and I knew it would upset Dimitri, even if it was only a little bit.

"Ah, good, well, it seems that everyone is here." The Professor paced in front of us clearly noticing the space the other students were putting between them and me. He raised an eyebrow at me and rolled his eyes and began the lecture.

I took notes carefully, noting the pages and chapters and the title of the books I needed to get. When the class was over he left a syllabus on the desk with the titles of all the books that would be needed, as well as what he expected us to bring to class. I walked out of the class and ignoring everyone around me I put the syllabus into my bag and grabbed my schedule and the notes the guards gave me and walked calmly to my second class.

I arrived early and making sure I didn't see a seating chart picked my favorite seat again. I looked out of the window again, spotting Ryder jogging out to the field that the window looked out of. He was laughing and waving to a group of friends, and I couldn't help but to smile and sigh. I turned my attention forward and noticed people start to file in, again I was the only human in the class.

A few minutes past the start of class the professor walked in carrying piles of papers and books, all haphazardly stacked and barely managed to get them to his desk before they toppled over. He straightened up and looked at his watch and then the clock on the wall above the board, then back to his watch. He listened to his watch for a moment before muttering and adjusting the time.

He turned and looked at the class and noticed instantly the whole row of empty seats surrounding me. He leaned very close to me, causing me to lean back a bit, his bright blue eyes squinting for a moment before putting on a pair of glasses and standing back looking at me, "Your human!"

He sounded surprised for a moment before wagging his finger and turning to his desk, began to lift up various papers until he brought one to his face and read quietly, "Oh, ha, alright, good then. Well, lets see who else is here."

He turned his attention back to the rest of the students and noticed how crammed together they were. His face frowned and I had to hide a smile behind my hand as I looked at the blackboard, "How is it we have a Prince in the class and hes jammed with the lot of you, and then the human gets all the space."

I winced and looked over quickly to see that Dimitri was indeed in the class with me, and again had ignored me, "Well luck is with the human and not the Prince, take a look at everyone beside you, if your desk touches a person or desk, they will reflect your grade. It wont matter if you get a perfect score on your grade, if your neighbors fail, best you can hope for is a barely passing grade." 

He chuckled to himself and turned back to his pile and pulled a letter directly off the top, "And I should warn you that if this seating keeps up, the headmaster has insured me that this new form of grading will continue in every single of your glasses."

He cackled evily and put the paper back on his pile and began to discuss what he expects from the class. I quietly took notes and again, at the end of the class grabbed a syllabus off of his messy desk. He stopped me and waited until the rest of the class filed out, Dimitri being pulled along by the same girl as before, only this time he looked back at me concerned.

"Well, two classes, thus far, how fares it?"

I smiled, "Quiet, I prefer them leaving me alone to bullying. But I am sure my luck wont hold out much longer."

The professor chuckled, "Yes, well we are all on very high alert about your safety, and I am happy to see someone actually paying attention in my class. Hopefully you attention continues through out the year."

I smiled, "Im sure it will. If you please, sir, I need to find my next class."

"Oh, heavens, right, that's reminds me, need assistance?"

I shook my head, "I took advantage of some help earlier. I would like to be as on myself as possible."

The professor nodded and winked at me, "Just as well. Off with you then."

I thanked him and quickly darted out of the class and taking a look at my schedule I realized I had an hour before my next class. I decided to go outside for fresh air, my first two classes had been very long, and I hadn't had a chance to look over the syllabus in the classes. I walked outside and felt a gently breeze and closed my eyes, dropping my hair down and letting it blow my hair around.

I crossed the campus lawn and spotted Ryder walking towards me with a group of girls swarming him. He wasn't looking at them, and at first I thought he was looking at me until I got close enough to realize he was staring past me and I turned around and saw the same girl as before, draped on Dimitri's arm. I didn't like the way Ryder got when he saw them, and when I looked back, I didn't particularly like the look the girl was throwing both of them.

I shook my head and walked off, silently to the tree and taking the apple out of my bag, looking over the syllabus. 

The rest of my classes were exactly like the others, until I got to my drawing class. There were no tables, just stools sitting on in front of the empty easle. I sat at one in the corner and watched as only a handful of people came in. In all there were six of us, and when the professor walked in, I was startled to recognize him as a human.

He cleared his throat and greeted everyone by name then stood in front of the easels, "Well its good to see everyone again, but, I was told we had another student..." He spotted me and pointed at me, "There you are, out of the corner and sit next to Sioban, so I can look at my students together."

I stood up reluctantly and sat at the easle that he pointed to, shying away from the Werewolf sitting on my left, the whole room was quiet and I looked up to see the professor staring at me, "Been that rough huh?"

I shook my head and looked back down and heard him sigh, "Well just in case you were wondering why a freshman is in this advanced class, I show you THIS!"

And much to my horror, my drawing of the two princes sitting together was in his hand. The other five students stood up and each looked at the drawing, all commenting on it mostly with approval. I blushed and smiled, listening to their critiques.

The teacher nodded in approval and grabbed it and with much gusto stapled it to my easle, "By the end of my class, I want you to surpass that, in technique, and emotion."

I nodded and watched as he pulled another picture out, this time it was a photo of a painting, and like the rest of the class I stood up and looked at it, noticing for the first time that the other students had no problem pressing against me to look at the photo. 

He repeated the process for everyone and by the last drawing I was openly debating with Sioban about the importance of shading versus color. Eventually the entire group got into the debate and when the time was over, we had only managed to get a little done, even though the teacher said that we got a lot more done than normal.

He handed each of us a syllabus with a list of the supplies we needed and wishes us all a good day. I walked out with Sioban who had decided to walk with me to the gates, both of us not having any more classes. We chatted with each other about artists we liked, and I was surprised to hear that she liked a great deal more human artists than immortal. 

As we walked through the main area of lawn, we saw a crowd and I got a very bad feeling in the bottom of my stomach. I walked over to a set of stairs and climbed them and saw that in the circle was Ryder, Dimitri and the girl. Both boys were yelling at each other, but neither had a fighting stance, so I left them alone to their conflict, deciding that if they were stupid enough to fight over that kind of girl, they could deal with the embarassment, and their parents scolding later.

I got down and realized Sioban was with the crowd watching, and I shook my head and turned the other way and walked off. 

I barely got through the front door when I heard Victor roar my name. I sighed and walked into his main floor study, knowing I would see Dimitri in the room and probably Ryder. I sighed when I also was Mariah and collapsed into a chair unceremoniously. 

Victor and Mariah both looked at me curiously but ignored my informal entrance and instead both started yelling at their sons at the same time. Finally when asked what the argument had been about both boys shut up tightly and that's when Victor turned his attention to me. 

I looked between the two boys and snorted and shook my head, "it isn't even worth noting."

"Did you see them fighting?"

"I saw them yelling at each other like idiots in the Quad is what I think its called." I said disgusted.

"And you didn't see fit to save them from embarrassing themselves?"

I looked at the King and shook my head, "No, I was pretty much completely ignored by them, so why should I go out of my way to save them? Seemed to me they knew exactly what they were doing."

I stood to go and looked over my back, "And the argument was over a girl."

And I left, not caring to see the four sets of shocked eyes. My day had been thoroughly exhausting, emotionally and mentally, and the only saving grace was my art class. 

I walked into my room and opened my bag and laying each syllabus out side by side and began to write down the things I needed. It was going to be expensive, very expensive, most of my professors required a digital tablet to take notes in, and one professor made it point to say that if he saw a pen and paper in his class again he would expel the student.

I slumped even lower when I saw the obscene list for my art class and by the end I had two pages full of books and supplies that I had no idea on how to get a hold of. I pulled my knees to me and hung my head in them wanting very much to cry.

I had to get out of the building and into the garden, I needed to ask my mother for advice and even if it was a cool tickling breeze, I still needed. I threw open my door to see Dimitri standing there looking pissed. I ignored him as I walked passed him and he grabbed my hand, the hand that was holding the two page long list of supplies.

"What the hell was that in there!"

I tried to yank my wrist free but he held on, "Let go Dimitri."

"Not until you explain what the hell just happened back in my fathers office." He squeezed in frusteration and I cried out as the pain lanced up my arm and I collapsed onto my knees. 

He let go immediately kneeling down next to me, I held my wrist against my chest and stood up wobbly and ignoring him and the dropped list, I ran through the halls and down the staircase and out to the garden. I collapsed behind the bushes and laid there flexing my wrist to make sure it wasn't broken. 

I mentally cursed Dimitri and finally let the tears fall. I felt a breeze blow over me and lifted my hand, feeling the breeze caress in between my fingers, "What do I do Mom, I don't have the money for any of this stuff."

I sighed and sat up, and walked back into the Palace, avoiding Victors different offices. The front of the Palace door opened as a curior walked in with a stack of boxes and the butler signed for them. Curiosity got the better of me and I peeked at the name on them, and seeing that they were Isadorre's packages I offered to run and get her.

I knocked on her apartment door only briefly before she flung the door open, and I saw another Vampire in the room with her, older, so I assumed it was her husband the Duke. She gasped in surprise when she saw me and I realized she had a desperate look on her face, "Oh thank heaven I didn't know if you would be around. I need your help."




The Pride of a Slave Ch. 02



I nodded and walked into her apartment seeing that her husband looked drained and his hair was very messy, "Um, whats the matter."

"Oh, Edward's pair is sick with crying, and no one can get the poor thing calmed down. I offered to have her go visit her family, but she said that they would disown her if she gave us any problems, which is just strange. I figured, since you might know each other, you could help calm her down."

I nodded knowing that if the girl were sick, her energy wouldn't do anything other than make Isadorre's husband sick. She opened a small, yet very nice room and I saw the lump under the home made quilt, and could hear her sobbing. I could tell instantly it was home sickness, which happens to every slave but had to be delt with quickly when the slave was in a pair not a mating. 

I walked slowly to her bed and sat down and pulled down the bed enough to see the haggard face. I was stunned to see my friend Becka, and I jumped up and yanked the bedding off, "Becka!!"

Becka lifted her head and stared at me a moment and then tackled me sending us both tumbling to the floor. We hugged each other and giggled each exclaiming the surprise at finding the other. Finally after calming down I looked at her and the first thing I did was send her to take a shower.

After a very brief shower she ran back out, as if expecting me to disappear. I sat on her bed after I had made it and waited for her knowing what she would do, simply because it is what I would do. She wrapped the fluffly towel around herself and sat down next to me. 

We both talked quickly, telling each other about what had happened in such a sort time. I told her about how the boys were acting, and how overwhelming it felt at the University. She nodded, being the only one that could possibly understand what it felt like to not have enough money for school. We complained to each other for a good hour, both of us feeling much better when everything was out.

Isadorre came in worry still on her face, her husband closely behind her. Becka stood up and bowed apologizing and Isadorre hugged Becka, surprising me and Becka and said that she was just worried and that she felt better knowing that Becka felt better. Becka blushed and apologized again, Isadorre waving it off.

"I couldn't help but to hear some of your conversation, and I must have forgot to mention Seraphina, that your scholarship covers all of your school supplies, in fact they should have been shipped here this afternoon."

I gaped at her, "All those boxes downstairs are for me?"

She smiled, "Of course dear, Ill have them brought up to your room. Why don't you and Becka go open them, it would do her good to get out and stretch her legs."

Both of us nodded and Becka threw on a dress and we ran out of the apartments to my room, arriving just as the boxes did. I grabbed the letter opener and we started tearing the boxes open, seeing book after book come out. I piled them carefully onto the floor and then opened the box with the tablet. Both Becka and I ogled the thing, I was afraid to touch it, that I would break it. I opened the package and pulled out the instructions, reading out loud as Becka and I followed them. 

Eventually we had the tablet worked out and I left the last box of art supplies unopened, wanting to open them by myself. Becka looked fondly at the tablet and sighed handing it over, "I wish I could have one."

"Oh?" I smiled at her waiting for her to finish.

"I need to get back."

I nodded and we got up and slowly meandered through the hall quietly until Becka sighed, "Im so bored all the time Sera. I know I have to keep my energy healthy and up, so I don't do much, but Im so used to running around taking care of a house full of little kids that im getting lonely."

I chuckled, "You want a house full of kids to take care of?"

Becka shook her head, "No way, but if I had something like your tablet I could write."

I smiled, "You want to write?"

"Well, I always wanted to write childrens stories, I remember telling all sorts of stories to the kids." She sighed. "But you know how it is, Im a slave, I cant do something like that."

I looked at her and shook my head, "You are so slow Becka. I would bet if you asked for a tablet and asked to write, they would let you write in your spare time. My mother learned how to draw, and that's what she did during her resting times. She taught me too."

Becka perked up but then slumped back down, "I would bet it would be rude to ask for one so soon upon knowing them."

"If they thought it would keep you from getting so depressed, they would get you one. Maybe I can see if Dimitri or Ryder have an old one and you could use that one. You would have to get permission from your Pair first."

Becka hugged me as we reached the door and the Duke opened it. She squeezed me tighter and then turned and brightly pranced into the apartment, the Duke staring at her startled. We both watched her prance into her room and close the door behind her. 

I bowed to the Duke and turned to go when he stopped me, "I, uh, wanted to thank you. Becka is my first Pair and when she got depressed so quickly, I, uh, didn't know what to do. Thank you."

I beamed at the Duke and shrugged, "More often than not, slaves are never left time to themselves, especially mated slaves. Becka has been trained since she was a child to be mated which means that Becka is used to getting up at sunrise, cooking for a full household, and then doing tasks all day or going to school, then taking care of children until nightfall. When someone as busy as that, stops having so much to do, they do, on occasion, get depressed. May I make a suggestion?"

The Duke nodded, "Please, anything." I smiled at his eagnerness, "She was talking about writing childrens stories. I am aware that slaves are not supposed to work and doing something like writing books would be considered working, but my mother used to paint during her resting time, and the late Queen just sold the painting under her name and used the money to keep my mother well stocked in supplies."

The Duke nodded, "I have one of the late Queens paintings, actually."

I beamed, "Well, she was drooling over my tablet and wants to ask you for one, but is too shy. I can ask Dimitri and Ryder if they have a used one she could have, which would make her feel better, but she still needs your permission to do what she wants." 

Isadorre came to the door and smiled at me and slipped an arm around her husbands waist. He smiled at her and shrugged, "I don't see a problem with it if you don't."

"Oh, I think it's a marvelous idea, however, it would be nice, though, if Seraphina would come by every so often and visit though."

Both nodded and turned to me and I agreed heartily, then bid them good night and walked back to my room. I packed my bag for the next day, making sure I had the books that I needed for the next day out, so that I could do the assigned reading assignment for tomorrow. I sat down and opened the first book, relishing the sound of the new binding popping as it was opened.

I settled down and read the chapters, taking notes on my new pad as I did so, marking down questions to ask the professor, so that I could better understand what was meant by certain things. After about three hours I realized that it was close to dinner and that someone would be coming up soon to fetch me, or to drop off a sandwhich, depending on how upset everyone was by how I acted earlier.

My mother had once told me that the worst time of day for me was right after school, I was always in the worst mood, having had to deal with the social stresses, as well as the mental strains of my classes, and finally the physical troubles because I often got harassed in school. It had become a tradition of my mothers to leave a stack of my favorite cookies on the table so that when I got home, I had something sweet to greet me. 

The arrival back at the Palace had made me feel that gaping hole that my mothers absence now left me with. I didn't like being yelled at when arrived back, and having to confront the boys and deal and their stupidity had simply become too much for me. I had snapped and been very rude to people that had done nothing but be kind, especially when they didn't need to be. 

I stretched my arms and listened for the soft pattering of feet, which I heard only minutes later and the soft knock on my door. I opened it and the servant informed me that dinner would be served soon. I thanked him and grabbed my tablet, hoping that maybe Dimitri would be in a good enough mood that I could ask him about the reading on the first chapter in the first class. 

When I arrived however, I found myself having to clutch my tablet, in order to keep it from falling, because right in front of me was the girl again, this time having obviously been invited. And doting on either side were Ryder and Dimitri, but what had upset me more was that Mariah and Victor were there and they were engaged in conversation with the girl, laughing and carrying on as well.

A very deep pang of jealousy shot through me, and for a moment I realized that no matter how close I was to my friends, or their parents, that I would always be a slave to them. A human interloper. And had I been born this girl instead of myself, that my comments would be doted over and I would be admired as well. I became self conscious of the wrinkled state I was in, but as a final act of defiance I grabbed my tablet stylis and twisted my hair up and off of my neck, rubbing my brand for a moment.

I shook myself out of my jealousy, remembering that if I were born this girl I wouldn't be anything like who I was right now. In fact, I would be like her, and if everyone else were too beguiled by the charm to see the sharp look in her eye, the small downturn of her mouth when something other than immortals were spoken of. No one noticed any of it, and it bothered me greatly that Dimitri and Ryder didn't listen to her snide remarks about humans in the University, or that Victor and Mariah mearly ignored them and changed the subject.

I walked in and sat at the far end of the table, making sure not to sit in the late Queens place, but instead sat at my mothers chair and feeling ignored by the happy little group I put the tablet on the table and flipped through my notes, occasionally taking the stylis out of my hair and correcting something before twisting my hair back up.

"So, Sera, how was your first day of school.'

I looked up at Mariah and smiled, noticing the corners of the immortal girls lips instantly twist downward. I shrugged, "It went fine, I suppose. The classes and reading are interesting, which is all I can ask from a class."

The girl laughed, "Especially with that awful new grading scale the teachers are doing." She then rambled off about the new grading and only after telling them what the second period teacher had said did Victors head jerk up and finally take more than a passing glance at me.

"How many people do you sit next to Seraphina?"

"None, I only need to focus on myself." I watched as Victor gave his son a very black look but it quickly disappeared when the girl giggled about the seating and how it will be nice to have Dimitri to help her study. My stomach started to twist and I felt my appetite leave as the girl kept rambling on and on about herself and then about her classes with Dimitri and her classes with Ryder. 

I suppressed and sigh and returned to my notes, finding the answers to one of my questions only after having re read that section of notes for the seventh time. My nights were going to be very long if it was going to take me multiple times of reading to understand the content. 

I looked at a different question, the answer plying at my head, when I shook away the food offered. I asked instead for an apple and a glass of juice, to which the servant looked hesitantly from the group of immortals and back to me.

He dropped his voice low and leaned in closer to murmur to me, "um, begging your pardon, but the lady chef said that you were to sit and eat your meal. She said she is well aware of your appetite problems and insists that you at least try."

I nodded and looked startled at the dish, taking a moment to look at the other end of the tables meal and seeing that mine was drastically different. I thanked the servant and felt a tear glide down my cheek. The cook wasn't playing fair, it was a stack of cookies with a glass of milk right in the center. It made me miss my mother greatly and I quickly wiped the tear away before grabbing one and biting into it, if only just to keep from openingly sobbing.

"I'm terribly sorry we are late." I looked up, startled to see Isadorre, her husband, and Becka walk in. Isadorre looked at me then at the other end of the table then back at me.

"What the hell is this?!?" Her outburst startled everyone out of their own thoughts and Victor finally realized where I was, by that time it was too late. Isadorre glared daggers at everyone and very loudly stomped over to me and sat across from me calling in a bit of a shrill, for her table settings and food. 

Becka sat next to me, obviously having already been told not to sit in the late Queens chair. She saw the tears in my eyes and looked at me worried until she saw the tower of cookies on my plate. She breathed in a shuttered breath and closed her eyes, obviously trying to hide her tears too.

She reached over and grabbed a cookie and biting into it sighed, "Sometimes I think I will call your house and your mom will answer saying you are over here studying."

I nodded and looked down at my plate, ignoring the chatter on the other side of the table. Isadorre leaned forward, "I don't understand."

Becka cleared her throat after swallowing and said softly, "Sera's mom would bake her cookies so that when she got home she would have a sweeter temper, that and her mom always knew Sera didn't hardly ever eat."

I took a sip of the milk and pulled my knees up to my chest, tucking myself up onto the chair, "Today was the first day I ever came to where I live, and there wasn't a stack of cookies on the table..."

Becka started crying softly, "And a two glasses of milk."

I started to cry now as well, "And a letter: To sweeten your day, to help the hurts go away. To sugar your brain, to keep tears from falling like rain. Every day is a bump, but don't make it a lump. For a bit of laughter, from my darling daughter.

Becka and I said the note together, having read it for four years straight. I stood up and grabbing another cookie, walked out of the dining room without a word, knowing that Dimitri and Ryder didn't even see me walk out.

I got only a few feet before I listened to Isadorre yelling, "someone had better explain what's going on, and I don't want to hear a single syllable out of you Miss Patrine. And while your at it, someone can tell me why she has a bruise as black as my hair on her wrist!!!"

I ducked through the halls embarrassed that Isadorre felt the need to yell like that. I wanted and needed to take care of myself. I ducked out of the back doors and into the garden and sat down in the dark, in the flowers, touching their bright heads and trying to tell myself that I would be alright.

I felt the wind then, strong, sharp, and cool. It smelled of rain and I looked up just in time to see the sky flash brightly, followed quickly by a loud, deafening crack. I stood up and faced into the wind, feeling its strength push against me. I pulled the stylis out of my hair and put it in my pocket, letting my hair whip around me, snapping against my face and stinging it. 

I missed my mother, I missed my life, but more than anything I missed my two best friends. This had been the first time in my life that I was feeling myself drowning and neither of them was there to laugh at me and tell me to stand up, because the water wasn't that deep. I missed Ryder's warmth across my back and Dimitri's cool hand in mine. I missed the talks and feeling like I had two people who totally understood me. 

I missed them.



The Pride of a Slave Ch. 03



Thanks to my editor SkepticalHeretic who is an awesome editor and has not only been editing my work but has been asking questions and encouraging me. I hope everyone likes this one, and please keep rating and commenting, its pretty awesome to be getting such an amazing response from everyone. Also the reasons why the chapters are taking longer to come out is because of the approval process for Literotica, I'm submitting them, it just takes a bit for Literotica to get them posted.

Anyway thanks for the suggestions and comments. 

************ 

I woke up the next morning and skipped breakfast entirely, opting, instead, to go to class early and reread the chapter and try to answer more of my own questions. I had unpacked my art supplies last night and after weeping irrationally over them, I tucked them into the very nice carrying case that came with them. I had to carry them to my art class and drop them off. 

I escaped out of the Palace unseen, quickly made my way to the gates. I smiled at the guards who greeted me warmly and asked me how my day went. I thanked them for their directions telling them how much time they saved me, which seemed to make the guards even brighter. They let me through quickly and bid me another good luck as I raced across the grass. 

I stopped at the art class open door and saw that the professor was there sketching in a pad. I knocked softly and he looked up smiling, "Ah, you are the first one here. Lets have a look at those supplies so I can decide if you need to go back and get better ones."

I nodded and handed him the case and canvas bag. He whistled and nodded appreciably going through all my supplies very delicately. He complimented me on my guidance counselors choice of art supplies and directed me to a locker where I could lock the supplies in safely. 

He removed a box of charcoal, erasers, shaders, and the small sketchpad and handed them to me before letting me put the supplies in the locker, "You need to sketch every day, that's everyone's daily assignment, one sketch daily, doesn't even have to be good. And you get to show it to the class for critique, before begin our actual work."

I nodded tucking the pad, and pencil case worth of things into my bag. I thanked him and left for first period, spending the rest of my time attached to my tablet answering questions that I had prepared for class, without even having to ask them myself. And that was how the rest of the week went.

I avoided Dimitri, Ryder, Victor, and Mariah as much as possible. I kept myself busy studying in my room until dinner, in which I would sit away from them and would eat sparingly, mostly because Delilah, as I found her name to be, was a frequent dinner guest. I stopped eating breakfast and lunch, mostly because I hated seeing Delilah first thing in the morning, and I didn't eat lunch because I used the time to sketch instead. 

It was towards the end of the week that I noticed my hands wouldn't stop shaking and as I struggled to take notes in my third class of the day I heard feet running down the hall in a frantic hurry. I felt my stomach drop as everyone froze for a moment and then continued the lecture. I didn't pay attention however, as I realized Dimitri and Delilah, both, weren't in class. 

I stood up suddenly, pausing only long enough to let the dizzy spell subside and to apologize to my professor, and leaving my tablet and bag in class I ran at a break neck speed toward the Quad. I burst out of the doors and down the steps only vaguely aware of the crowd there, instead all I could hear were the thuds. 

I forced my way to the front and watched with horror as Dimitri and Ryder wrestled on the ground, each getting a chance to pin the other and land some very violent blows. I looked around to see if anyone would stop it and my eyes landed on Delilah who was standing off to the side grinning and giggling behind her hand. 

The two stood up and backed away from each other and with what little energy I had I yelled, "STOP IT!!"

Neither one heard me, of course, they never heard me when they were this mad. So I jumped into the middle of the fight, realizing that they must be pretty far gone, because they didn't even notice me. I realized I only had a few seconds more before they killed each other. I ran at Ryder and slammed my fist into his left ear as he yelped and fell down. I turned to land an elbow into Dimitri's left, middle, rib, causing him to stop his charge and collapse as well gasping from pain. Knowing that they could both focus I slapped the pair of them across the face, finally gaining their full attention.

"Are you kidding me?" I was yelling at the top of my lungs at them, "Look at you, look at each other. What the hell was so important that you did this?" 

I turned and pointed at the Delilah who still hadn't stopped smiling, "You did this to each other FOR THAT?!? Look at her, she's nothing but glad you two are trying to kill each other. What is so wonderful about that disgusting creature that you would do this? And on top of that don't think I haven't noticed how its been this last week. I don't see you at all, and when I do you, BOTH OF YOU, pretend I don't exist."

Delilah stepped forward, "You don't have any right..."

I was so violently angry I didn't give her a chance to say anything instead I turned to her and stalked towards her, her forward motion stopping instantly and she began to back away from me, "And you, I don't care whether you are sleeping with the King himself, I never want to see you within ten feet of these two in ANYTHING but the academic setting. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!?"

She nodded quickly and ran away clutching her chest as she went. I turned and looked at the group that were staring at me opened mouth, "AND YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING BUNCH CAN BEAT IT AS WELL. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES, LETTING YOUR FUTURE LEADERS DO THIS!!"

The crowd dispersed quickly and I returned my fury to the two princes, my energy careening out of control. I grabbed Ryder's bruised ear and pinched the skin on Dimitri's bruised rib and dragged the pair of them to the main building. I didn't have to say anything as students opened the doors for me and I dragged the limping Princes along with me to the medical office. I ignored the nurse and yanked Ryder by the ear until he sat quietly on the cot I put him on and walking across the room did the say to Dimitri. 

I turned to the nurse who had become very upset, "Where is the phone."

"Look I know who you are, but you have no right..."

I cut her off with the commanding voice I used on the two princes, "I ASKED WHERE THE PHONE IS!!!"

She gasped and stepped backwards, pointing shakily to a small door off to the side. I turned to the Princes and glared at each of them, "Do not move a freaking muscle, you hear me!!!"

The both nodded and I stormed over to the phone and called Victors emergency number. 

"Hello?"

"Hi, its Seraphina, you need to call Mariah, and both of you need to come over here and sort your sons out."

I heard Victor sigh and before he could say anything, "It was over that stupid girl you all seem to be so doting over. Maybe next time you will think before you pit two Princes against each other over a stupid, vapid, female."

And with that final scolding I slammed the phone down and took a deep breath, releasing the tension I used when dealing with these sort of situations. After a few deep breaths I stepped out of the office feeling very light headed and wobbly. The nurse caught me as I felt the world tilt and sat me down quickly in a chair. 

Both Princes made to stand up but I glared at both of them and they both sat back down and didn't move. The nurse took my blood pressure and temperature and then looked at me closely, suddenly flashing a light in my eyes and checking my throat. 

When she was finished she crossed her arms and looked down at me, "Is there anything I should know?"

I looked at her confused and noticed Dimitri and Ryder both looking at her warily, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"I don't know much about slaves and your habits, but starvation for any reason is not good."

I shook my head, "I'm not starving myself, I just, haven't been hungry really. And then these two idiots were fighting over Delilah, and her being at every dinner and breakfast like she lived there..."

I felt a rant coming on and I felt too weak to stop it, "And no one in that stupid palace except for Lady Alekzaner and the servants could see through that girls bullshit. Do you have any idea what its like to see your best friends, two people who you love like family fight over a creature LIKE THAT. My mom died two days before I came here, two days. I moved into the Palace and had NO ONE there. I had no one to talk to about my mom, except my slave friend who is paired, so I don't get to talk to her much.  

Even the King was drooling over that stupid girl, EVEN THE ALPHA WAS. I felt like the only person in the world who saw her for what she really was. And I was overwhelmed with the work, the reading, and I had so many questions but I had no one to ask because those two idiots over there, they were too busy partying, or pinning after Delilah. I was alone, and...and I just wasn't hungry okay?!? It all tasted like dirt when I ate it, okay?"

I pulled my knees to me and buried my face in my arms, shutting out the entire world. I stayed like that until I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up into Victor's concerned face. I smiled weakly and nodded towards the Princes, resting my head back down and closing my eyes. I head Mariah a moment later and she touched my shoulder and I looked up nodded and rested my head back on my arms. 

This time the Nurse took over and told the King and Alpha what had happened, "...Their marks will fade and be gone by tomorrow, all except the bruising on their pressure points that Seraphina, here, dealt them, rightfully so. However, its her I'm truly worried about. She hasn't been eating."

I heard Mariah huff, "Of course she has, we see her at every dinner."

I heard the nurse cough softly, "Um, yes, well she sat there and told me she hasn't been eating a full meal in almost a week. Which isn't unusual for grieving humans, however, because she hasn't eaten she is severely anemic. My suggestion is to take this weekend, and to make sure she gets food in her, start with broth so her stomach doesn't reject it right away and then more solid foods by Saturday. All three of them have been excused and the teachers have sent their belongings and assignments to the office."

The nurse bustled off and I felt warm hands touch my shoulder again and I looked up again into Mariah's face, it was pinched with worry now, as she grabbed my chin and forced me to look straight at her.

"We didn't even notice, Victor, look at the poor thing." And he came over and sighed when he looked at me. I closed my eyes and felt Mariah softly release my chin so I could put it back in my arms. I felt brutally weak and when I tried to stand I had to sit right back down.

Dimitri scooped me up and I snuggled into his arms reaching up and stroking the back of his neck. It was a sign of my affection for him, I always did it after I beat him up like this, when I was younger, "Hey Ryder, take her please."

I didn't bother to open my eyes as I was switched into Ryder's very warm arms. It was a lullaby with Ryder. I hummed it to him, in the same way I stroked the back of Dimitri's neck, to reassure him I still loved him and that I was sorry. Ryder groaned and walked over to Mariah, "Mom take her."

She chuckled, "Oh, no you don't. You both will deal with your guilt, look at her, the poor thing, half dead and she's trying to reassure you idiots."

She snorted and I could hear her put distance between herself and Ryder. I felt Ryder squeeze me a little tighter to him, "Stop humming Sera, I know you still care. I'm not mad at you."

I nodded sighed, stopping my humming and falling into a deep sleep. I felt cool arms replace warm ones and I patted his chest, not having the strength to reassure him properly. He sighed and hugged me to him much as Ryder did, "I'm sorry Sera, you should be mad, even if you aren't."

I cracked my eyes open, "Oh, I'm mad, but I still love you." I said it softly and closed my eyes again never noticing the very pained look on Dimitri's face. 

It felt like I slept for a long time as I woke up and stretched my sore body. My head was fuzzy and my stomach growled like an animal possessed. I sat up and looked around, curious as to how I got into Dimitri's room instead of my own. I heard the running water in the bath stop and I laid back and watched Dimitri come out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a black pair of soft, sweat pants. 

He noticed I was up immediately and sat next to me taking my hand and squeezing it. I squeezed back and leaned forward and touched his side, seeing the black, and green bruise I had left there.

I touched it softly, "Sorry Di." I looked up and saw that his blue eyes were glowing slightly and he was staring at me in a way that made my stomach flip. 

He leaned forward slightly and his gaze dropped from my eyes to my lips and I suddenly held my breath, my heart quickening. Suddenly, he turned his head and stood up backing away from me a few paces. I looked at him differently this time, noticing the defined muscles on his arms and stomach. He caught me looking.

I flushed and turned away, "I think I just became aware you aren't my little friend anymore.

Dimitri nodded, "I noticed that about a week ago, when you walked out in your undergarments. I never noticed that at some point, you stopped being my androgynous friend, and became a beautiful woman."

I blushed, "You think I'm beautiful?"

Dimitri nodded and then walked into his closet and put on a shirt. I sighed and leaned back trying to understand what had just happened. I felt Dimitri next to me and I turned just in time for his lips to press into mine. He stood up rigid and stared at me for a moment then closed his eyes and with a small shake of his head, turned and walked out of the room.

I touched my lips, still feeling his cool lips against mine and shuttered. I didn't understand my bodies reaction, I have kissed Dimitri many times. More often than not it was on the cheek, but this time the kiss felt different. I knew he meant to kiss my cheek, and that I accidentally turned my head, and that wasn't surprising, but both his reaction and mine were what was different.

My body had warmed up, even long after the Dimitri had left and I couldn't get rid of this amazing electrical feeling that seemed to correlate with how fast my heart was beating. I laid back and threw my arm over my eyes, trying to reason out what had just happened and how I had reacted. With little reasoning and instead of working out the problem, I kept day dreaming of Dimitri shirtless and became even more disturbed by my dreams. 

I sat up again and got out of bed slowly, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over me before being able to walk. Before I could do more than straighten up Dimitri was back at the door with a tray in his hand, "You should be warned the Chef is very upset with you."

I looked at him confused and watched him walk the food through the bedroom door into his living room, and set it on the table in front of the couch. He grabbed my hand softly and guided me to the couch, and sat beside me once I settled in. I looked at the food warily, not seeing anything even moderately appetizing. 

Dimitri saw me hesitate and sighed, "Why aren't you eating Sera?"

I shrugged, "I'm all honestly, nothing seems to appeal to me much anymore."

He nodded, "That's how it was with me too, when my mom died, remember? You used to sit on me and shove porridge down my throat?"

I looked away from him and the food, pulled my knees up and wrapped my arms around them and rested my chin on my arms, "I'm not hungry."

Dimitri sighed, "Well, you can eat voluntarily or I can call Ryder in and we can pin you down and feed you."

I turned and glared at him, "You wouldn't dare."

He shrugged, "Oh yes I would."

I snatched a piece of cheese off of the plate and nibbled on it, and Dimitri leaned back satisfied for now. We sat in silence for a moment then I felt Dimitri shift his weight and lean back again. Since when had I become so aware of him? I felt like I had a Dimitri radar all of a sudden, when he shifted I attuned and adjusted to it. It was weird, and unsettling and it did nothing for my confusion and appetite.

I cleared my throat getting his attention, "So what happened after I fell asleep?"

Dimitri ran his hand through his hair, sighing and settling it into the palms of his hands, "Basically we aren't allowed to go to parties anymore. I guess Father was allowing us to go to them on the basis that we stayed together, and that we hadn't been fighting."

I sighed and nibbled on the cheese a little more, "What were you two fighting about exactly?"

Dimitri shifted uncomfortably, "Delilah."

"No kidding, but what exactly."

Dimitri leaned back and sighed, "She was paying too much attention to Ryder and it upset me, and unfortunately Ryder felt she was spending too much time with me."

I shook my head confused, "What was the appeal?"

He chuckled, "I don't think you would understand, really."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "It shall always be an elusive thing to me then. She was quite horrible, and no one, not even your father seemed to notice."

He sighed frustrated jerking his arm through his hair, "What is your problem with her? Are you jealous or something?"

I turned in the couch and looked at him shocked, "Well sure, at first I was, when I saw her the next morning, knowing she spent the night with you. There she was with you and Ryder and your families and she looked perfect there. She looked like she belonged there because in all honestly someone like her does and will belong there. Why wouldn't I be jealous of that? But beyond her being immortal, I most definitely wasn't jealous. You really didn't notice it at all, did you?"

Dimitri glared at me, "Noticed what?" I rolled my eyes and stood up to leave but Dimitri caught my wrist and pulled me back down, "First, you aren't done eating, second stop running and just tell me."

I threw my hands up, "She hates humans, and in particular me. She changed you the whole time you were with her. One minute we were best friends, the next you are pretending you don't even know I exist. She would cut me off every time I tried to talk, and acted like she lived here and on top of that she kept commenting on the company at the table whenever I was there. She felt wrong Dimitri, she was just this ball of awful energy, walking around wrapped around you and then Ryder."

I pulled my knees to my chest again and hid my face in my arms. Dimitri stayed silent and I spoke into my arms, " When your mom died, I stayed with you every day and night. I sat with you and talked and even stole my moms drawings of her so that you could sleep with them. I stayed with you when you didn't want to get out of bed, and fed you when you wouldn't eat. And...and...my mom dies and the next day you bring home some girl and she never leaves. You ignore me and the worst part it was because I embarrassed you right?"

I looked away from him and out the darkening window, "For the first time you made me feel like a slave. I wasn't worth your attention, help, or even friendship. What Prince could stand to have a friend that's a slave, right? I was sinking, and you weren't there!"

My breath hitched as I felt the urge to cry, I rubbed the back of my neck, the raised flesh of the brand feeling like fire against my fingers. Dimitri didn't say anything, just sat silently and I sat wrapped up around myself finally unable to hold it in any longer I whispered softly, "I want to go home, but I don't have a home anymore."




The Pride of a Slave Ch. 03



Dimitri grabbed my arm and pulled me to him, wrapping me up in a cool hug. I buried my face in his shoulder and cried, feeling him squeeze me softly and pat and stroke my back. I kept crying until it turned to hiccups and then just sat in Dimitri's lap hiccupping and breathing in the smell that was uniquely him, clean with a slight musk from his shaving cream. 

Eventually Dimitri pulled back and pushed my hair off of my face, "I'm sorry, it was unforgivable that I did that. I guess, I got caught up in everything, for the first time I was being treated like a Prince, everything was being given to me, girls were doting on me. And you were hurting alone, and weren't around, and then Delilah. She was incredible, she did things that I've never even heard of before."

I began to pull away from him when he spoke of Delilah and he let me go, shifting me back to the couch and firmly placing a half of sandwich in my hands, "And it wasn't just that, she made me believe that I was special, and that I deserved special things, special treatments."

I put the sandwich down, ignoring it, "You loved a woman that would leave your room in the middle of the night to go into Ryder's?

Dimitri sat rigid, "How do you know she did that?"

"I stayed up, late at night studying and a few times I thought to ask for help, hoping you were home, or awake, and I watched her."

He stood up and took a few paces to the door, "I think we are just having growing pains Seraphina. At some point this was going to happen, Ryder and I would start dating, and, I'm sorry I treated you like that. It is wrong, regardless of anything going on, you always look out for us, for me. I'm sorry, but I need to go for a walk."

I nodded and watched him walk out, worried but feeling better for the first time in weeks. I stood up and stretched and grabbed the apple on the plate and bit into it turning to walk out when a servant walked in through the open door, "Pardon me Miss Sera, there is a gentleman at the main door, looking for you."

I was surprised and followed the servant to the front and was even more surprised to see my human art professor, looking amazingly young, if not messy, in jeans and a painted and stained t-shirt. He spotted me walking down the stairs and greeted me heartily.

"You aren't missing any limbs, your head is still attached, no open, gaping, bleeding wounds. So there must be a reason why you missed my amazing class."

I laughed and shook my head, "It had ore to do with the two Princes."

"Ah, the curse of royalty. Nice place you have here, though." He nodded and winked and I laughed again.

"Well, sure, its not mine though."

"I deduced that, so anyway, I'm here to collect your homework and then catch you up on the lesson you missed."

I smiled and looked around trying to decide where the best light was for the lessons, I decided on the main family parlor and showed him the way, and left him to set up his stuff while I ran up the stairs and grabbed my pad, which luckily was in the bag, that was sitting on my bed. 

I grabbed my pad and pencils and walked quickly through the halls, side stepping Dimitri who had a distance look on his face and was chatting away on the phone. I think I startled him because he turned quickly and followed me down the hall. I skipped down the stairs and walked into the parlor surprised to see all the furniture pushed to the side and sitting in the middle of a large sheet of plastic were two easels.

I turned and saw Dimitri walk in and pause his conversation to look over the parlor confused. My art professor walked from in from one of the other doors and had his hair pulled back and out of his eyes, and he had switched shirts from the t-shirt to a ratty, sleeveless shirt, that was ripped. 

My mouth raised in a half grin as I looked at him, I was suddenly acutely aware at how much of a good looking guy my professor was. He grinned in return, "Alright, since we aren't in class you can call me Joseph, that being said hand it over."

He held out his hand and I chuckled and handed my notepad over and he flipped it open, taking a look at the sketches I had been working on all week, but hadn't shown anyone. He flipped through them frowning at a couple as he flipped through them. He stopped on the last one and squinted at it, "Wow, that is a very good looking girl, but I can tell you don't like her. She isn't very nice either, from this."

He laughed and ripped the page off and walked to one of the two easels and with a piece of charcoal he did a vague outline of Delilah, who happened to be the picture I had drawn. 

I looked at him warily as he grabbed a large paint bucket of black paint and stopped in front of the picture. He walked back over me and showed me a drawing he had made of one of the professors, then he started to teach.

I stood apt, following him around as he paced to and from the case of materials and lessons he brought with him. He explained about abstract and shadowing, and showed me how to do it on the picture. I watched as the basic sketch of Delilah turned from just a crappy outline to a dark, mysterious, and beautiful picture. I sighed pained and Joseph paused mid brush stroke and looked at me, "A critique Sera?"

I grinned at him rolling my eyes, "I just fail to understand every mans obsession with this annoying twit."

Joseph stepped back and laughed and I crossed my arms glaring at him, "Yes, well, she's lovely, and I used to have her in a class, so make no mistake, I understand her disposition very well."

I shrugged, "You are the only one in this damnable place."

Joseph laughed again and grabbed my hands in his paint covered ones and pulled me to the canvas, "Well then, show me how she really is."

"You've almost finished this one."

He lifted the canvas up and replaced it with a blank one, "Talk to me as you draw, tell me what you see as you draw her, I promise not to make a single comment to the contrary."

There was a lot of laughter in his voice and I couldn't help but to smile and grabbing the charcoal I began to sketch, "First, no one notices but her face is really long but then her chin is like no where to be seen. Everyone would notice it if they weren't so taken by her lips. I hate them, because, well, because she misuses them. Her nose is narrow and sharp, it makes her look like some sharp beaked bird, and her eyes. They are beautiful and big, but she always narrows them, especially every time a human comes anywhere near her, so she has these small wrinkles at the corner of her eyes. And instead of being upturned as if she laughed all the time, they are down turned.

When she isn't putting on her show, and is just sitting quietly, her mouth turns downward. I just don't understand how Dimitri is so enamored with her, her eyes are vacant when they look at you, there is nothing ever behind them, no mystery, no thought that would make you want to know what is deeper inside of her. Instead, its all shallow, as thin as her hair, which she adds body to by curling it, but its paper thin."

I kept talking as I dropped the charcoal and picked up the brush and dunking it aggressively in the paint I began to shadow and give the picture black depth.

I turned to Joseph who was in the middle of painting something himself and I pointed the brush at the picture, "I mean you would figure after so many years of life that people could see beyond pretty."

I attacked the painting again and after a little while I stepped back, out of breath and panting, the painting of Delilah completed. I put the brush down and rubbed my arm across my forehead, amazed at the exertion I had used in painting such a contemptible creature. Joseph made the final touches to his picture, which I couldn't see because he was facing me, his picture hidden entirely from my view. 

He stepped around and looked at it whistling appreciatively, "At least you give due where it belongs, she's still beautiful but I see what you meant by over looking things. Her mouth does do that little down turn thing, hmm. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and I automatically leaned into him like I would with Ryder, "It is amazing seeing people from your point of view. I wish I could teach you something more about emotion in painting but you have such natural talent at it that there is nothing to teach you. I can feel how you respect her looks but I can also feel how much of a dislikable person you believe her to be. In fact I feel like I'm being punched in the stomach by how unlikable she is."

He pulled away and grabbed his painting bringing and setting it carefully underneath Delilah's. I was shocked to see myself as I was painting, paint on my cheek and across my forehead. I looked angry but when I looked closer I also looked like I was going to cry. I was sort of shocked because I looked really pretty in it. 

I blushed and looked back at Joseph who was standing back observing our two pictures with a frown. He stepped forward and removed Delilah's picture from the easel and put it on the floor then grabbed the picture of mine and put it on the easel, "There, you are on top today."

I laughed and wiped a tear rolling down my check with a dirty hand, "I'm a big crybaby lately."

I faced him and he smiled and reached out and cleaned my cheek, "Its alright, everything gets better, and besides, you're a human, we are far more emotional than the immortals."

"I guess so." and I began to laugh as he wiped another mark on my chin and I felt wet paint spread across my face.

He frowned and grabbed a towel, handing it to me, "There you go, any place we can hose off." I nodded and took him into the large bathroom on the main floor. We both washed off in the sink, laughing at the sight of ourselves. 

He nudged me with his shoulder as we walked back to the parlor, "I bet you are wrong about the Princes, though. Guys aren't that dumb, not unless they are hiding from something they don't want to think about. Then guys get really dumb."

We walked into the parlor and saw Dimitri, Ryder, Mariah, and Victor all gathered around the pictures. Dimitri was squatting looking at Delilah's picture and I looked at Joseph pointedly and said softly, "He will say she looks beautiful and that's it. I bet a private painting lesson tomorrow for it."

Joseph nodded, "Deal, but if I win, I want four sketches and TWO paintings by Monday."

"Deal."

I cleared my throat and everyone turned and smiled at me, "These are amazing."

I thanked them and Joseph ran distraction while I went over to Dimitri and squatted next to him, "That one is mine."

"I figured, since I doubted you would paint yourself painting. Its beautiful."

"How do you think I did?"

"I think you did a really good job, she looks absolutely beautiful in the painting."

His phone rang and he picked up saying hello quietly and standing up, he slipped out the other door without anyone noticing. I frowned at his departure and pondered placing my foot through the portrait. I turned to Joseph and mouthed, "Tomorrow."

He shook his head, rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, "What can you do?" is what it said to me. I shrugged too and walked out the other door as well, avoiding Dimitri who was by the window, looking out over the front lawns.

I walked in a large circle, and ended up in the main entrance way. I turned to go up the stairs but I heard Joseph call me and I turned to see him holding a bag, "Help me to the front will ya?"

I smiled, nodded, and picked up the bag and flung it onto my shoulder. We walked out of the house quietly, "So I'm guessing I owe you some free art lessons tomorrow."

I nodded my smile disappearing, "Yeah."

He stopped me in the middle of the walkway and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His eyes were serious and he seemed to memorize my face for a few moments before he spoke, "Its hard when we see something that others don't. You can be angry at him because he doesn't see the world like you do. You are you, and the Prince is. Well, a Prince. Most immortals don't see cruelty in each other because they were never exposed to it. You and me, we know, because we were exposed to it a lot, its part of being a human in this world."

He let my chin go and tucked a curl behind my ear softly, "You are an amazing girl Sera, and talented, and beautiful in every way, which is what is important. You cant let someone like Delilah make you as ugly and bitter as she is. You are beautiful outside and you are beautiful inside, and soon it just wont be your professor telling you, okay?"

I blushed and nodded, not being used to hearing myself be praised and complimented so openly and honestly. He leaned back and grabbed his case and the bag off of my shoulder, "And Ill be here tomorrow. I'm dying, actually, to see where your studio is, Isadorre said you had one set up, and I'm also dying to see that garden. Its rumored to be always in bloom, even during winter."

I laughed, "It does! And its good because it's where I do most of my work and has huge windows that open right into the garden."

"Ah, an artists paradise, you lucky girl. See you tomorrow Seraphina."

I waved and turned around and walked back into the Palace, touching the hair and ear that Joseph had touched. I realized I definitely had a serious crush on my professor, but then what human wouldn't.



The Pride of a Slave Ch. 04



Thank you to my editor SkepticalHeratic for his hard work in editing, which isn't easy, so take it easy on us everyone. I hope you like this one. Please rate and message me with your thoughts. 

*********

I stood in the parlor looking at the portraits and thinking about what Joseph had said. I was starting to feel bitter when I saw how stupidly devoted Dimitri was to Delilah, never seeing her flaws. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up and turned to see Ryder staring at me, his eyes a bright green.

"They are really good, you know." He nodded to the paintings and 

I smiled, "Thanks, his is better though." 

Ryder shrugged, "He's the teacher, his technique is supposed to be good, but you gave him a run for his money, so to speak. It also helps that he had the better subject."

I chuckled, "I figured you would be like Dimitri and would still be pinning after Delilah."

Ryder snorted, "I never really wanted her, I guess I just didn't want Di to have something that I couldn't. And come to find out, I was having it as often as he was, so..."

I shook my head and turned back to the paintings, "Why is he so obsessed with her?"

Ryder walked until he was standing next to me, "I don't know, to be honest. But, it wasn't worth it to me. I saw how upset she made you, maybe I didn't see it soon enough, but our fist fight wasn't fighting over Delilah, exactly."

I looked at Ryder confused and he looked at me, his face serious, "I saw you not eating, I saw you hurting. I didn't know how to help, I've never lost someone as important as your mom was to you. Maybe, I shoulda kept trying, but I really thought Di would be there for you. I remembered, after his mom died, you sitting with him until you were sore, and stiff. I remember you getting sick a couple of times, because you didn't sleep or eat taking care of him.

"Then I realized the reason why he wasn't there was because of Delilah, I told him to stop seeing her. He flipped out, probably because he knew she was coming over to my rooms and trying to sleep with me night after night. It became hard to get her to leave sometimes, but I told him to leave her be. I did it hoping he would remember he needed to help you. But he just, I dunno, Sera, he just didn't, and when I saw him not getting it, I snapped. 

You two have always been thicker than thieves and sometimes I felt like the third wheel. You and Di, you were like two creatures made right next to each other, and I came along further down the line. And it pissed me off that he let you drown like that, and I didn't know what he was doing in your classes Sera, or I woulda switched classes."

Ryder grabbed me and hugged me, leaning down to kiss my forehead, "I know I'm not as helpful as Dimitri, Sera, but I'm here for you, okay? It isn't just Di that loves you."

I grabbed Ryder's shirt and pulled him back into a hug, feeling soothed by his warm embrace. Dimitri smelled clean but Ryder's smell always reminded me of the earth, it was rich, and dark, like the forest at night. 

Ryder pulled away and slung his arm over my shoulders, "So, I'm moving out of my apartment. I know I'm supposed to be close to Di and all, but I cant stand Delilah sneaking into my bed all the time. It scares the hell outta me, because she just tries to jump my bones right then and there."

I groaned and shook my head and Ryder shook his head too, "yeah, well while you were in there with your professor, Di and his dad went round and round about Delilah, and it looks like Delilah is going to be here a lot. That being said, I'm moving the hell outta the area. If its alright I'm going to move across the hall from you."

I groaned, "Alright, but no multiple girls past one in the morning."

Ryder laughed and agreed then sobered, "I should warn you though, Delilah got here a few minutes ago, she's having dinner with us again."

I groaned, "I'm going to bed then."

"Nope, you are going to eat like the rest of it. And anyway, you can't leave me alone with her anymore, she's scary since I told her to go suck an Administrator." Ryder looked mischievous and I laughed. 

We walked like that into the dinning room, both of us already knowing dinner had started a few minutes ago. Ryder didn't move his arm off of my shoulder as we walked to the other end of the table and sat down. Mariah, surprised at the move, shrugged at Victor and moved herself to our end of the table, sitting across from Ryder and me.

"I'm glad to see you two made up." Mariah had the same twinkle in her eye as Ryder did when she thought something was funny. 

I smiled and nodded, "Yeah, but are you alright with him moving across the hall from me?"

Mariah nodded, "Yes well he explained in graphic detail why it was essential he moved. As an Alpha I am reluctant to let him move but as his mother I would drag him out of there by the scruff of his neck if I had to."

We laughed, ignoring Delilah's whiney voice at the other end of the table and ate, joking with each other. When dinner was done I excused myself and walked over to Victor who looked completely annoyed with the situation.

"Um, excuse me sire?" Victor smiled and motioned for me to sit next to him. I pulled out the chair and sat, hearing Delilah stop talking when she realized that the King wasn't listening.

"Yes Seraphina?"

"I needed to ask. My professor, the one from today, he offered to give me a private lesson again tomorrow, and I was wondering if we could use the Lilac room and the gardens tomorrow. I know they were originally Madam Alekzaner's room...but they have the best lighting because of the windows." I felt nervous for some reason as Victor considered the idea.

"On one condition. I would like to see any of the artwork you do, I find that I have started to enjoy art in both the royal gallery and out, and for an old King, small pleasures keep me healthy."

I laughed and nodded, "You can have those paintings if you want."

The King nodded, "The one your professor made is already hanging up in the cherry wood study, it was a beautiful rendering of you my dear, however, I do not care for the inspiration of the other one."

I choked for a moment then released a small trill of nervous giggles and turned to see Dimitri staring at me, his look distant and distracted. Delilah sat forward blocking my view and giving me a sharp, narrow look, "Perhaps the guest would like it?"

I offered and heard Ryder roar with laughter, "Oh this will be rich. SERVANTS!!"

A servant ran in and Ryder murmured something to him and the servant nodded and ran out quickly returning with my still drying painting. He sat it in a chair in front of Delilah and Dimitri and quickly departed as if there were fire on his heels. 

I sat and watched Delilah's face go from surprised, to critical, and slowly turn into fury. She was shaking with anger when she stood up and took a step towards me. I stood up and took a step towards her, feeling the manic energy I got when I was going to fight with Ryder and Dimitri build up, I glared at her and she stopped, "Got something to say?" I said in my deep throaty voice.

She hissed, "You are not worthy of making a likeness of me, pathetic, bastard of an Administrator."

Now, I like to think that on most occasions I am a pretty even tempered girl, especially considered I was raised with a vampire and werewolf, both creatures having legendarily short, violent, tempers. But when the insult to my mother passed over those toxic lips I stopped seeing any color other than blood red.

I lunged at her at the same time she lunged at me. Immortals are naturally stronger and faster than humans, but one thing that is failed to be told was that it is only male vampires that are invulnerable. The females are build just like a human female, in that they feel every blow. 

And feel every blow I intended Delilah to feel. I grabbed her hair as she grabbed mine, but as she tried to slap me, I balled up my fist and connected with her face. I felt pain blossom in my hand as I pulled it back and slammed it into her face again. Her fingers went slack a bit on my hair and I shoved her and was on top of her, swinging one fist after another into her face. 

It was quick when I felt cold arms wrap around me and yank me off of Delilah. I cried out in surprise as I was literally flung across the room by Dimitri. Ryder jumped up and caught me like a large football, and with his green eyes turning the reflective black color of fury he set me down and in two large bounds was grabbing Dimitri by the back of the neck and throwing him into the opposite wall. 

I dodged the fighting boys and went straight for Delilah again, this time the girl kicking me soundly in the stomach. I oofed as the wind was blasted out of me, but having taken many beatings before now I landed on her and began to punch her ribs, feeling her pulling my hair as hard as she could and slapping at my body. 

I was too far gone in my rage to hear Mariah or Victor trying to stop the two Princes from killing each other for the second time that day, all I was focused on was Delilah screaming beneath me. I felt a resounding smack across my cheek and froze, looking up and seeing Isadorre shaking and panting.

She yanked me off of Delilah, enabling the immortal girl to slap me soundly across the face, her nails raking cuts across my cheeks. Isadorre shook me frantically, "Seraphina!! Stop, you have to stop! Please, you have to stop Dimitri and Ryder, they are going to kill each other."

I looked at her confused then heard the roaring from the other side of the room and turned to see Ryder changed into a werewolf pinned underneath Dimitri. Ryder's eyes were entirely black and Dimitri's eyes were entirely white and I stumbled over to them, knowing that they were trying to kill each other in earnest this time. 

The manic energy in me built to a point of pain and I screamed at them, "STOP!!"

Neither heard and I jumped onto Dimitri's back and yanked with all of my strength, managing to pull him off of Ryder and even put distance between the two. Ryder was up in a flash and I spun to stand in front of Dimitri and Ryder crashed into me. I winced but didn't feel anything break as Ryder pinned me down and his teeth grabbed onto my shoulder.

"Ryder stop please!!" My voice was deep and husky and his teeth stopped short of puncturing my skin and his eyes faded away from back to their green, the fur dropping off as quickly.

Dimitri was on Ryder's back and he flung him off then backed up looking down at me horrified before Mariah jumped in front of him and the two of them ran out of the room. Victor held Dimitri back for a few moments before he broke free and tried to run to the door. I, however, got up and put myself in the doorway, blocking him.

Dimitri's cold fingers grabbed onto my throat and he picked me up and slammed me into the wall holding me up off of my feet. I stared into his completely white eyes gasping for breath as his fingers began to close slowly. I reached up and rested my hand on the back of his neck, "Di...come back."

It was all I could manage before my air supply was cut off. It was enough, though, because his fingers loosened just enough for me to gasp in a gulp of air, and I watched as the white slowly turned blue. He looked at me confused then cried out and dropped me and backed up. I landed hard on the floor and stayed knelt down gasping for breath, holding my throat with my good hand, my bitten arm pressed against my chest. 

Water poured out of my stinging eyes and dripped down my cheeks as I looked up, still gasping for air, which had never tasted so absolutely wonderful until this moment. The manic energy was still humming just underneath my skin, my mom had called it my "Prince Mode" because it was something that happened every time the Princes fought. 

I vaguely heard my name being called, all I could hear was the hum of the energy and my gasping breathing in my ears. I noticed Isadorre reach down to touch me and then recoiled back with a yelp. My senses were starting to come back as the energy began to subside, and I watched Victor call in guards and had them take Delilah away, banishing her and her family from the city, under the pretext that she had been trying to kill the Prince heirs and nearly succeeded tonight.

Dimitri was gone and Victor looked shaken and out of energy as he walked to me. I tracked his movements and saw Isadorre hesitate to touch me again and Victor looked at her and the two exchanged looks. Victor nodded grimly and turned to go. I grabbed his hand and he jumped, startled and surprised before he relaxed and pulled me up. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly.

"You saved my sons life, and you saved us from war by saving Mariah's son. Thank you Seraphina."

I sagged in his grip exhausted as the last of the manic energy left me. Victor sent Isadorre after a doctor for his son and me and I felt myself picked up and carried into the familiar room of Dimitri. I heard him yelling in his room and lifted my head worried.

"It's the werewolf venom, it's a well guarded secret. But werewolves and vampires are venomous, the venom does nothing to the human body, but when bit too many times it can be fatal to an immortal. Ryder's venom is burning through Dimitri's system, and it's quite painful."

He sat me on the couch and I sat up immediately, "Will he die?"

Victor sunk down into the chair next to the couch, "No, Ryder only bit him once. If you would have been unable to stop it and Ryder would have bit him again, it wouldn't be as assured he would live."

"What about Ryder?"

"I imagine Dimitri's venom is freezing his veins right now. Dimitri only got one bite in as well, so both boys will be writhing in pain for the rest of the night, but should emerge no worse for the wear." He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.

I flexed my shoulder and rubbed my throat, my voice croaking as I speak now, "How did I pull Dimitri off of Ryder?"

Victors eyes opened and he looked at me warily, "That is an explanation for another night my dear. But I swear that it will be explained to you."

I nodded and jumped as I heard Dimitri scream my name. I jumped up off of the couch, "Don't Seraphina. He is delirious, and may attack you."

I shook, listening to Dimitri crying out in pain over and over again, his screams feeling like shots into my being. When he screamed my name out again I ignored the King and walked into his room. 

It was pitch black and I couldn't see anything, "Dimitri?"

I heard ragged gasping coming from the far corner, "Sera? Is that you?"

"Yeah, I can't see you."

"The light...it hurts too much. My body is on fire Sera, it hurts."

I stumbled to the bed and crawled onto it, "Come and sit down and I'll get a cold cloth and try and bring down the burning a bit."

I heard him stumble over as well and collapse onto the bed, only missing me by a fraction. I reached over and touched him, feeling that his back was bare, and he was burning up. It startled me to feel his otherwise cold skin, hot. I let my eyes adjust a bit and walked into the bathroom and grabbed a hand town and soaked it in the coldest water I could. I came back into the room and saw that Dimitri hadn't moved but his breath gasped in and out. 

I sat down and pressed the rag to his back and dabbed it up and down, feeling the towel warm up quickly. I pondered the problem and touched Dimitri, "Can you stand up?"

"Kinda, but not for long."

"Come on we are going to take a cold shower."

"I cant Sera, it hurts too much." I took my shirt and pants off quickly, standing in only my white lace bra and panties. I tugged on him until he sat up and then pulled until he was standing. 

I put his arm around mine, cursing how short I was, and got him quickly into the shower. I turned the cold water on and let it pour on him, leaving quickly to grab a chair and sit it in the shower. I made it just in time before he collapsed with a pained moan. I kept him sitting up and was relieved to feel that his skin was starting to cool down. I was shivering from the cold water but was so focused on the task at hand I didn't notice. 

I felt the fever finally dissipate and was left with Dimitri sitting limply in the chair, barely able to keep himself in it. I turned the water off and pulled Dimitri up and we both stumbled back into the bedroom, soaking wet. I wrapped a towel around his waist and tied it tightly then with a deep breath I yanked his sweat pants off, letting the sodden things drop to the floor. I swallowed a sudden wave of embarrassment and reached into the waist of the towel to feel for the band of the underwear and then blushed brightly when I realized there wasn't one. 

I nodded and pulled him into the bed and laid him on top of the bedding, knowing the cool air on his still damp skin would help eliminate the rest of the fever. I shivered and grabbed a blanket and wrapped myself in it, and laid out next to Dimitri. He fell asleep and I ran my fingers through his hair over and over again, trying to get rid of the last of the pain in his mind. I felt my eyes close and I fell into a deep sleep, waking only once to feel Dimitri pull me to him and cradle me against him.

I slept deeply and woke to the feeling of someone staring at me. I slowly opened my eyes and realized I was on my stomach and I could feel the air on my back. I lifted my head a bit and saw Dimitri looking down at me. His eyes sad and bright blue as he kept looking at my body. 

He reached out and his cool fingers traced a line across my nearly bare back, "How did this happen?"

I focused on where he was touching, "I think that was from Ryder catching me when you threw me."

He winced and then touched another part of my back, "Here?"

"You slammed me into a wall."

He ran his finger across what must have been bruised indentations on my shoulder, "This?"

"Ryder bit me. Di, I can cover up."

Dimitri shook his head and turned me over and I became very aware of how much skin was exposed. Dimitri didn't notice as he looked at the bruises on me, his face a mask of sadness. He touched the rest of Ryder's bite then moved to my neck.

He ran his fingers lightly across the bruises there, "I know that these are from me."

I nodded as his fingers glided down, between my breast, and to my left rib, "This?"

"I believe that is Ryder, when he crashed into me."

His fingers moved a bit and stopped in the center of my stomach, "Delilah's initial kick."

His fingers traced my body upward and to my arms, stopping at the knuckles, "Delilah's face did that when I started punching it."

His fingers trailed down my body, and I began to feel incredibly warm and electric as he did so. He stopped on my knee, "My landing after you dropped me."

I closed my eyes feeling the delicious feeling of Dimitri's hands run back up my body. They froze at my hips and I opened an eye curiously and was met by a very conflicted look on Dimitri's face.

I reached up and touched his face, "Are you alright?"

He leaned into the touch, "No."

"What's the matter? Maybe I can help."

Dimitri's face became anguished for a moment and he began to pull away. I stopped him and he looked down at me, "Please stop pushing me away Di."

I wasn't sure what happened but suddenly his lips were on mine and he was kissing me. The first few were short, brief kisses, but then his kisses lingered, becoming more and more passionate. My arms lifted up and wrapped around his neck, and I felt myself responding to the kiss with a passion of my own. I opened my mouth slightly and felt his cool tongue delve into mine. I moaned softly and caressed it with mine. He kissed down my neck and I felt feverish all over. 

My heart was beating quickly and I felt hot all over, writhing with a need I had never experienced before. His kiss trailed down my collar bone and paused. I felt cold hands on my back and before I realized it my bra was being pulled away from me, and my breast were exposed. It was cool in the room already and the pink peaks hardened. 




The Pride of a Slave Ch. 04



Dimitri kissed down until he was between my breast and then he kissed each one in turn, rubbing and grabbing them. I squirmed, feeling the beginning of a burning in my nether region. I gasped when his lips locked onto one of my sensitive nipples, the burning turning to electricity, shooting directly to my center. He released my nipple and began to kiss along my body.

It took a few minutes to realize he was kissing softly along each bruise on my body. I felt warm at the junction between my legs, and I knew I had grown damp there from my arousal. I rubbed my thighs together and fisted the sheets in my hands. I arched repeatedly as his lips touched my fevered flesh, a chill escaping me each time I thought he was kissing downwards only to feel him cross my body and kiss another bruise. I became nearly dizzy with desire when I felt him kiss down my leg and kiss my knees.

My body quivered with a primal need and I wanted Dimitri to kiss me again. I reached down and touched the side of his face and pulled him slowly back to me, until my lips locked onto his. I wrapped my arms around him and devoured his mouth, him responding in kind until he was lying on top of me and had wrapped his arms around me and was pulling me even closer to him.

"Dimitri." It was a soft whisper of desire but it was enough to shatter the moment.

Dimitri let me go and jumped away from the bed putting as much distance between himself and me as he could. He hands shook with an internal effort I could visibly see in his eyes. I sat up looking at him confused and he shook his head, holding the wall, anchoring himself like he was caught in a storm.

"Sera...I'm sorry." His voice was rough with desire and it felt like fingers across my body.

I shivered and looked at him, "No, please Dimitri."

I pleaded with him, uncertain of the reason why but knowing I needed him back with me. He shook his head and looked at me with a deep anguish, "We can't Sera."

The world we lived in snapped back like an overstretched rubber band. I strangled a cry and grabbed the sheets covering myself up quickly. I hated myself suddenly, I was ashamed at how I reacted. I had wanted him so badly, I still wanted him badly, but I was a slave, he was immortal, and what's more, he was the heir. 

I covered my face with the sheet and jumped off of his bed and walked quickly into his closet, closing the door behind me. I fell to my knees in privacy, lying my arms and face on the chair in there. I wept with pain, I wept with the knowledge that I still needed him, I wanted everything he had been giving me, and I wanted more, so much more. 

I had always been proud of what I was, I was a slave, that had worked so hard. I had been placed among immortals that had done nothing more than be born into their luck. I had always been proud of being a slave, if only because I loved my mother and that I was proud for whom she was, and there by proud of who I was. 

I reached behind my neck and felt the brand there, and for the first time my pride shattered and I dug my nails into my flesh, feeling the sting as the nails broke the skin and I wept with hatred as I pulled my nails along the back of my neck, pieces of the brand ripping away with a sting of blood following. 

I wept softly but hard and long until the burning in my body stopped. I lifted myself from the floor and pulled down a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, putting them on and stepping out of the closet. Dimitri was on the bed, his head in his hands, his fists full of hair. I wanted to console him but I couldn't this time, he was right, we couldn't, and we wouldn't, ever.

I touched his shoulder and told him softly I needed to go shower and change in my room. He nodded without looking up and I walked out of his room, through the apartment, and into the hall. I ran to my room and slammed the door behind me, accepting that no matter how I cried, or screamed, or railed against it, this was one thing that would never happen.

Instead, I showered and took stock of the damage done to me by Dimitri, Ryder, and Delilah. I looked like a wreck, ignoring the red eyes and tear stains, I was covered in bruises. I sighed, and put on a pair of ripped jeans and a tight black tank top and pulled my hair back in a ponytail, the length hiding the back of my neck from sight. 

I heard the knock and shouted I would be to breakfast as soon as possible. I took a deep breath, staring in the mirror, gripping the counter tightly. "I am who I am, and I wont let them make me feel bad for it."

It was my mantra and I tried saying it over and over again, it didn't help, and finally I gave up and walked to breakfast. I walked into the dining room, surprised to see how quick all the damage had been fixed or replaced. I shook my head giving credit to the servants, they worked hard.

I jumped startled as a hand landed on my shoulder and I turned into the brown eyes of my professor. I stumbled then righted myself, "Good grief, give someone a warning."

Joseph laughed, his laugh contagious and I smiled in response, "I should have warned you but I wanted to get here early, I was dying to get started, honestly. But I was told that you would be having breakfast so I decided to join you, if that's alright."

I sighed in relief, "More than okay, I'm afraid it would have just been me without you here as company."

His eyebrows furrowed, "I thought you all had breakfast together. It was in the social views section of the paper."

I snorted and shook my head, media. I nodded, "Usually yes, but this isn't a usual morning."

I turned fully to Joseph and he cried out in surprised, "Heaven! What happened to your neck!!"

I touched my neck and grimaced, "Like I said it isn't a normal morning."

I sat down and Joseph sat next to me. We ate while I told him what had happened when he had left that day. He laughed until he cried when I told him I had lost my temper and attacked Delilah, but then sobered quickly when he listened to what happened between Ryder and Dimitri.

"Why did Ryder attack Dimitri?" Joseph's tone was curious and I shrugged.

"I think it was because he threw me across the room, and to be quite frank if Ryder hadn't caught me, Dimitri would have done serious damage."

Joseph whistled in appreciation, "How did you get the two to stop?"

I shook my head, "That is between us, I'm sorry. Its very difficult to explain, and I haven't had the best results after I have talked about it."

Joseph nodded easily accepting the explanation, "I am impressed though. I imagine you have a lot of emotional energy that needs an escape."

I muttered darkly, "You have no idea."

Joseph clapped his hands together and gave thanks for the meal, which I thought was odd, but mimicked him and we both got up and walked out. I showed him the lilac room and was pleasantly surprised to find all the furniture had been removed leaving just the empty room. Joseph walked around deciding on a good angle for the light.

We spent the entire morning painting and laughing together. It felt good to be around another human, and Joseph didn't once remind me of my place, or what I was. It was nice and I needed it after the break my heart felt with Dimitri. We stopped after noon and took a walk in the garden. Joseph talked and lectured about colors in nature and shadowing, and angles. We looked at a flower longer than any normal creature should, noticing everything about it, right down to the light hairs on the stem.

We were sitting down next to each other, leaning back on our hands when he reached over and touched my neck, "That looks really bad."

I shook my head, "Not as bad as you think, I didn't even lose consciousness."

"You shouldn't have to deal with being treated like that."

I raised an eyebrow at him surprised, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you are a brilliant, bright, creative, artistic, beautiful, talented girl. You shouldn't have to be the punching bag of any immortals, even the Princes."

I was flattered and laughed trying to shake off the intensity of the statement. But the look on Josephs face was deadly serious and I found myself startled into silence. We stared at each other for a long time, neither one of us moving.

"I don't have anywhere else to go." I said softly. It was the basic of excuses but I saw a glimmer of anger across his face.

"Yes you do." He leveled a gaze at me that had me dropping my jaw stunned.

He reached over and grabbed my hand softly in his, "Just think about it. You are amazing, and you shouldn't have to deal with this. What happens when he doesn't stop next time, Seraphina?" He motioned to my neck and dropped my hand, "Think about it, alright?"

He grabbed my sketch pad, and with a charcoal wrote his address in the middle, then stood up and stretched, "Well I need to get going, I have teacher business to do. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

I nodded and watched him go into the Palace and disappear completely from view. I laid back into the grass with my hands above my head. I had no idea what to think, I had a lot happen in such a short time. A shadow loomed over me and I turned and saw Ryder standing above me, shifting uneasy.

I laughed and patted the grass next to him. He collapsed with a huff and sat forward looking into the forest outside of the garden, "Di called, he said I needed to survey the damage."

I froze remembering how Dimitri surveyed the damage that morning. I felt Ryder touch my shoulder and he groaned and collapsed backwards with his arm over his eyes, "Sorry Sera."

"I know you are, you weren't yourself."

"I know you know that, but I'm still sorry."

I waved it off and wrapped my hand with his, "How was your night?"

"Oh man, it was awful. I spent all of it in a scalding hot bath, damn Dimitri. I sat freezing my ass off all night, I felt like I coulda died from the cold. Only to finally warm up and see that my entire body was a prune."

I laughed and squeezed his hand, "I'm glad you are better."

"Yeah, how did Di fare?"

I winced trying to push the memory of his lips on my skin out of my head, "He spent the night in an ice shower."

"You help him through?"

"Yeah."

"He didn't deserve it!" Ryder's body went rigid and I reached over with my other hand and pinched him hard. He snorted, "He didn't, he freaking threw you across the damn room. He knows that you are fragile, and that if we aren't careful we could really hurt you, maybe even...you know. And the asshole threw you just because you landed a few good punches in that bitches face."

I sighed, "I don't think it was entirely to save Delilah."

"What do you mean. He didn't even look at you after he threw you."

I nodded, unable to correlate the Dimitri in the dinning room and the one from his bedroom this morning, "Ryder, something weird is going on with Di, he seems really confused about things."

"Yeah, pussy will do that to a man."

I choked and swatted him, the both of us laughing. He pulled me into a hug and I squeezed him tightly, his face buried in my neck. Suddenly he went rigid and breathed in deeply. He pushed me away and looked at me and I watched his nose twitch and I realized he was smelling me.

He pressed his nose gently to my neck then slowly down before I pushed him off of me. His green eyes became dark and he grabbed me softly, "What did he do?"

I looked at him confused, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Dimitri, damn him, what did he do?" I stared at Ryder stunned. I didn't say anything and Ryder stood up and grabbed me roughly and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and bounded quickly out of the garden and into the forest. 

"Put me down Ryder, damn it!! Put me the hell down!!"

He ignored me until we were well within the forest and then he set me softly next to a stream, the dry moss making a comfortable cushion underneath me. I looked at him confused and he stepped away and paced, taking deep breaths until he was calm again.

He sat down next to me and touched the side of my face with the hot outside of his hand, "What did Dimitri do with you Seraphina?"

I shook my head and looked away from Ryder, embarrassed. He grabbed my face and pulled it softly to him, then put one hand on each side of my face, the large hands engulfing my face. He looked conflicted and finally he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on my lips. 

I looked at him stunned and reached up and pulled his hands from my face, "What are you doing Ryder?"

He was silently staring at me and then he leaned forward and kissed me again. I tried to pull away but he pushed me onto my back instead and I wriggled against him, trying to get him off of me. He grabbed my hands and pinned them above my head, "Please Sera, please...just let me kiss you."

"No, you have to stop."

His lip were on mine before I could tell him to let me go, and I fought with him a little harder this time. His warm mouth plied at my lips, caressing and cajoling them until I began to respond, my lips opening of their own accord. He slipped his tongue into me and deepened the kiss. 

He kept my hands pinned above me with one hand and moved his other down the length of my body, grabbing roughly onto my jeans at the hips before released them and then running his hand down my thighs and back up my front. I had meant to keep fighting him, but my body had already been aroused earlier and it responded quickly to Ryder's rough caresses.

I arched into his hand as he snaked it up the front of my shirt and across my stomach. He kept kissing me, never stopping as he lifted the bra up, letting my breast spill out of them. He grabbed them and massaged them, flicking his fingers over the hardening peaks as he did so. I moaned into his mouth and his tongue caressed mine in response. 

He broke the kiss to lift up my shirt and kiss my stomach, his hot tongue running along the length of my abdomen. I moaned slightly and felt him reach down with his hand and grab my ass through my pants and squeeze it. 

He finally let my hands go as he worked on the button of my pants, quickly slipping them down my hips and legs, I lifted my butt to let him, getting a soft growl in response as I did so. He looked at my baby blue cotton panties and kissed the edge of them. I gasped and rubbed my legs together, feeling the moisture of my arousal begin to dew onto my panties. 

To my surprise Ryder grabbed the hem of my panties and dragged them down before running his hands up the length of my leg and up my hips and sides, until he was grabbing my breast again, twisting the nipples until I moaned. 

His hands slid back down and I felt him gently pull my legs apart. I opened them and released a breath when I felt the cool air touch the hot, dripping center of me. Ryder kissed the inside of my leg starting at the knee and moving slowly down towards me. I was writhing in anticipation and pleasure as he made slow work of my leg. 

When he kissed the junction where my legs turned into my center I grabbed his hair and squeezed it. He chuckled and unwrapped my hands from his hair whispering throatily, "Patience."

I nodded and watched him kiss the crease of my leg until he was finally dragging his tongue across the thick outer lip of me. I opened my legs wider and felt his hands move underneath me and hold my ass, lifting me up to his face. I felt his eyes on me as he licked the center of me in a long stroke. 

I felt like my heart would explode and I gasped at the sensation. He kissed me and licked again, this time staying longer in my folds. I gasped and lifted myself a little more in his hands. I looked down and saw that his eyes were a glowing emerald. He stared at me a moment then leaned forward and settled his mouth onto me. I felt an explosion of fire from my center as he began to lick and suck in earnest. I was writhing and moaning on him, not understanding what he was doing exactly, but loving it the same. I felt an electric feeling build as he kept sucking and licking and finally unable to stop it, I screamed out in pleasure as the electricity exploded, turning into a fire that consumed my body. 

I stayed in that state for a long series of moments as I felt Ryder's mouth drop lower and gently suck and lap at my juices. He moaned in pleasure as he cleaned me of my passion, seeming to savor every lick. He released me slowly and pulled away before kissing the side of my neck and breathing into my hair.

"Ryder, wh..why..."

He sighed softly and just laid on me, most of his weight on his hands rather than on me, "I couldn't stop Sera. I've wanted you for so long, I've loved you for so long, but I'm not supposed to be with you, ever."

My breathing slowly returned to normal and I sat up, pulling my bra back over my breast along with my shirt. He watched me, "You have to understand, I..I don't have Di's control. I smelled him on you, more than his hug, more than his small kiss of affection, I smelled him over too much of your body. I couldn't stop, even if I had wanted to, I couldn't."

I grabbed my panties and put them on and my pants, standing up quickly. I was confused, with Dimitri every part of me wanted whatever he would give me and he refused, torturing me with a sweet frustration I couldn't even begin to explain. And then Ryder had taken me into the forest, pinned me down and had caressed a response out of me. I hadn't wanted Ryder to do anything, and even with the explosion he gave me felt amazing, maybe even right, I was still confused.

We walked quietly back to the Palace. When it was in sight Ryder stopped me and dropped to his knees and looked up at me, "Please say something."

The pain on his face looked beautiful, and it hurt almost as much as Dimitri's refusal had. I ran my fingers through his hair and sighed, "I'm confused. I love you Ryder but, what you did, was wonderful."

His eyes brightened but I shook my head and he looked away from me, "You aren't supposed to do anything like that with me, right?"

He sighed frustrated, "Since when have I given a shit about what people tell me I SHOULD do when it comes to you and Di?"

I shook my head keeping my eyes closed, "You are going to be the next ruling Alpha Ryder, we cant do this."

"I don't care, I've never cared." He sounded pleading.

"I'm a slave Ryder." I turned on him angry, not at him, but at the whole world I was born into, "Don't you get it? The best I could be is a pleasure slave for you, and even if I could be that for you, what happens when you get married? Would you keep me around, to watch your wife have the children I could not give you? To watch your mate have the life with you I could never hope for? And when you turn of age, would you cut me open and drink me to keep yourself living longer?"

His head was bowed down, looking at the ground defeated before I could say more. I choked back a sob, "I cant be anything for you, if you force me into that Ryder. Dimitri understands that, and he pulled away."

I knelt down with him and held his hand and rested my head against his, "Please, don't take away what little we have by insisting on this. I love you so much Ryder, I would die if I lost you and Dimitri."

Ryder pulled away and stood up grabbing my shoulders and lifting me and crushing me to him, "I cant Sera, I cant go back."

He released me and turned around and walked back into the forest, disappearing after a few feet. I wrapped my arms around my stomach and walked through the garden, into the Palace, through the halls, up the stairs and into my room, never once seeing Dimitri, Victor, Mariah, or Isadorre.

Their words fell onto deaf ears, and I slammed my door in their faces, never once realizing they were even there. I went to my bed and grabbed my tablet from my bags and opening my books I began to study, losing myself in the laws and history of the world I lived in. I didn't notice the time had passed until there was a soft knock on the door.




The Pride of a Slave Ch. 04



"Come in." The servant entered and smiled warmly at me.

"Miss, dinner will be soon."

I shook my head, "No, I need to catch up on my study." I grabbed my sketch book and pulled a paper out and ripped it in half, writing a message on each letter then putting Ryder's and Dimitri's names on them, I gave them to the servant asking him to give them to the Princes for me.

I knew they would be upset that I didn't join them, and immortals had amazing senses, especially of smell, Dimitri would know what Ryder had done, as would Victor and Mariah. I knew the two would over react so I had written three words on each page, hoping it would be enough.

Please, don't fight.

It was very little, but I was sure it would be enough, especially after such a huge disaster last night, and five minutes later the servant delivered a sandwich, glass of water, and a letter. I recognized Dimitri's rounded cursive.

I opened it and read quietly:

Eat, even if you don't think you can. If you have any questions on the subject, I am willing to help you. I wont ask any questions, or say anything. Just studying.

I smiled at the letter and bit into the sandwich, chewing slowly and swallowing, feeling like I was eating paste. I took three more bites, struggling to swallow before tossing it aside and returning to my studying. It was much later at night when I heard the soft knocking on my door. 

"Come in." I was nervous at who would be coming in, afraid it would be one of the Princes, but also wishing it was.

The King strode in and closed the door behind him, "I came to check in on you. I was just finishing in my office and I saw your light on."

I stretched my arms above my head, feeling it crack, "Man, what time is it?"

"Close to three in the morning."

"Wow, I'm going to be a wreck in the morning."

Victor smiled at me, "How have your studies been going, the first week is usually the hardest to adjust to."

I nodded, "It's intense, but I'm finding that studying is kind of a relief from the drama of life."

I chuckled humorously and Victor nodded, "Yes, well, you and I need to speak soon, and I would like to do it during Ryder's birthday celebration at the end of the month."

I sat straight, "I, thought, I would be going..."

Victor shook his head, "Mariah said its going to be a Werewolf affair, and Damien will be the only one that will probably be able to keep up, and only just." He sighed and ran his hands through his slicked back hair in a gesture identical to his sons, "As of recent events Mariah suggested that maybe your participation should be limited."

I blushed and looked down both embarrassed and hurt, "I didn't encourage any of it, you know that right?"

Victor nodded, "Oh, I was well aware of where a lot of this was headed shortly after graduation. I was rather encouraged when Dimitri and Ryder seemed so enamored with Delilah."

I sighed and looked up at him, "Are you going to ask me to leave?"

Victor looked surprised and shook his head, "Of course not, I cant fault you for being the way your are Seraphina. To be honest, I was surprised it took as long as it did to come to this point, although I am rather surprised at how quickly other factors have moved in to the situation as well."

I looked at him confused and he held his hand up to stave off any questions, "During Ryder's party, Seraphina." I bit my lip and nodded, "Oh and one more thing?"

I looked up at him confused and curious, "Please don't consider any large decision until I have explained things to you first. Even if you are mad and think it is for the best, give me a chance to talk to you before you do anything."

I nodded, "Alright, I promise."

He smiled and walked out, closing the door softly behind him. I carefully put my tablet away with my books and settled myself into my bed. I was wary of what the next few weeks held for me. I felt my eyelids fall down, heavy with exhaustion, my last thoughts about Dimitri and Ryder.



The Pride of a Slave Ch. 05



Hello all, this chapter is a nice long one for everyone, so I hope you enjoy it. Also, I wanted to answer a common question I am getting. The reason it is taking so long for the chapters to come out even though my wonderful editor SkepticalHeritic and I are three chapters ahead, is because I am going over them again trying to catch editing errors. On top of that Literotica takes a bit longer to approve and post stories that are in Rich Text Format which is what I submit my stories as. If you have any more questions give me a post and don't forget to rate, its fun to see me on the top lists sometimes, gives me bragging rights. HeHe, anyway enjoy this chapter, its one of my favorites!! 

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The following weeks became a boring series of routines, I would wake up, eat breakfast in my room, dress, go to class, and see Dimitri in between classes to go over the work before walking into the next class. I didn't see Ryder much of the following weeks, not acting as if he were avoiding me, but just feeling like he wouldn't go out of his way to seek me out either. 

The class that became the most uncomfortable was art. I loved the work, and the attention Joseph paid to each and every student but I became weary of the time he had me spending after school. Eventually after the first week, I realized he was trying to convince me to leave the Palace but I simply couldn't figure out why.

At first I thought he was attracted to me, and considering what was happening back at the place I called home now, it was entirely possible. However, my intuition never failed me, especially when it came to emotions. I felt Joseph wanted me, but it wasn't lust or desire that caused him to constantly refer to the open invitation to live with him. It made me uncomfortable and nervous to be alone with him.

I refused to say anything to anyone though, life was incredibly intense in the Palace, especially as Ryder's birthday was arriving. It was his 19th birthday, which meant that his mother would present possible mates for him. She didn't choose his mates, or anything like that, it wasn't like he was a slave. All she did was make sure he knew each of them, so that if at any point he needed the services of a woman, he knew his options. Wolves didn't marry exactly, because it was hard for an Alpha to be monogamous, this celebration and presentation was the closest to courting as anything got. 

Every girl that was presented to him was declaring that she would be there for him should he need it. Eventually one, or many of the girls would carry his children, and from these broods would come his successor. If one particular girl showed an aptitude for leadership and strength she might also be considered to become Ryder's Beta. A position that was more strategic in securing the Pack, than it was romantic. It was lucky, I often thought, that Werewolves could intuitively sense their own children, because it would become confusing otherwise.

It was the day before the celebration that I found myself staying behind with Joseph to help clean up my and the other students mess. I didn't like doing this chore with him, but he too often asked and I was left either declining the offer and seeming rude, or accepting and trying to keep my distance from him. 

I would notice him staring at me some days, and other days he would make it a habit to touch my hand, or to brush past me. I hated the feeling of it, because it felt hollow and forced, he didn't desire me any more than I desired him, but he seemed to force himself to act like he did. I couldn't figure out why he was doing it, and this inability to figure out this problem, is what led me to try and distance myself from him. 

He touched my hand as we finished and I looked at him snatching my hand back. He ignored the action, "Are you going to Ryder's celebration?"

I shook my head, "That is most certainly not a place for a human."

He seemed relieved and that peaked my curiosity, "Why do you ask?"

He tried to shrug nonchalantly but it didn't hide the actual relief on his face, "You are right, it isn't safe for you there."

I sighed, "Well, I'm going home."

He stopped in front of the door, blocking my way, "The Palace isn't your home."

I glared at him, "If that were the case, it wouldn't be any of your business. Now let me pass."

He pulled away like he was surprised I thought he was blocking me in, but I wasn't stupid. He had been playing this game since the day in the garden, and it left me with an uneasy feeling. I gathered my supplies and walked quickly from the room and retreated hurridly to the outside where the energy felt less oppressive. 

I made it back to the Palace before Dimitri did and sat on his bed waiting for him, my tablet and books out, studying to try and keep my mind off of how disturbing my Art teachers behavior had become. 

I could tell Dimitri hadn't been expecting me there because he froze in his doorway, not making a single motion towards me. I was lying stomach down on his bed, my feet up and twisted together and the ankles. I was wearing my sweats and tank top, my preferred outfit when studying. 

I had decided to stay in his bed to study because Josephs energy and attitude had made me afraid and I always felt the safest when surrounded by Dimitri or Ryder's smell. I also wanted to see him before he went to the party to give him Ryder's gift, so he could have it during the revelry. 

He looked at me warily and I laid my face into his bedding and sighed in frustration. I looked back up at him, "I'm not trying to attack you Di, jeeze. I just wanted to catch you before you left, so I could give you Ryder's birthday present."

His face didn't relax and I sighed, "that and I didn't want to study alone in my room, I felt safer here."

His demeanor changed from wary to protective, "What happened?"

I shook my head, "Nothing happened, just getting a bad vibe from this guy and it made me want to hide out here for a bit. I figured since you were leaving to go to Ryder's party I could hang out here until your father was ready for dinner."

Dimitri walked into his closet and closed the door enough so that I couldn't see anything. I looked at the bedroom door avoiding looking in the closets direction.

"Why is dinner with my father so important." His voice was slightly muffled by the door.

"It isn't important as it is just nice. He's taking me out to dinner, nothing fancy but he's trying to be nice considering this will be the first birthday I miss. He thinks it will kill me or something." I said loudly, so he could hear me.

Dimitri popped out wearing jeans and a black t-shirt, "I was worried too, to be honest."

I chuckled, "You guys act like I haven't noticed your men and not my playmates."

Dimitri leveled me with a look, "I distinctly remember your breakdown when Ryder and I started dating."

I groaned, "ohhhh puuulllleeeaaaasssee! Being obsessed with a soul less creature is not considered dating. I would like it if you found someone who I would bow down to in joy instead of scurry around, hoping she doesn't kill me off."

Dimitri snorted, "yeah, and what about Ryder?"

"What about him?"

"You know about this celebration and you know what it entails."

I shifted slightly uncomfortable and kicked my legs down before lifting them, over and over again, "What, that he's getting his mothers blessing to do what he's been doing for years. Yes, my whole existence is being destroyed as we speak."

Dimitri chuckled, "Well I guess you have a point." Dimitri sat next to me on the bed, the distance painfully obvious, but we both pretended it was nothing. He pointed to my tablet, "You have the math equation wrong."

I looked at the equation horrified, "Are you serious?"

Dimitri grabbed my stylus and leaned in close to me and wrote the correct equation on the tablet. I pretended to study the equation closely and compare it to mine, to keep my mind off of his sudden closeness. I spotted the difference and swore. 

Dimitri chuckled and I looked at him darkly, "I did my entire homework with the wrong damn equation! I have to redo it! How did you come to this equation."

Dimitri leaned close again and explained how he had gotten to it and where I had gone wrong. I sighed and pressed my head to the tablet, "Thank goodness it's the weekend."

"Hey, I need to be going, where's Ryder's present?"

I jumped up and reached under Dimitri's bed, having hid it there a week ago. Dimitri's eyes looked at me warily but I ignored the look and instead pulled out the three tubes. It had taken me days to find these, and then even more days to get the money together to get them. They were antique and I handed them to Dimitri.

"Right before you guys go into the forest, snap them, shake and they glow, remember?"

Dimitri burst out laughing, "Yeah, he was obsessed with them for almost four years after your Mother had those two little glow sticks."

I nodded, "He is going to be running around, there's no moon out at all, he will have a blast being the only glowing wolf."

Dimitri looked at the little relics curiously, "What color are they?"

I beamed, "Green, his favorite color."

Dimitri put them back into the box and put the box into his backpack, "I will be sure he knows they are from you, for his birthday."

I beamed and gathered my things together, Dimitri stopped me, "Stay if it makes you feel better, I wont be home tonight, so its no big deal."

"You sure?"

"Yup, and you have fun with my father."

I made a face and waved him away, "Go go, you have enough fun for the both of us. Off with you, be careful okay?"

Dimitri laughed saying he would and left, closing the door softly behind him. I looked down at the equation written in my tablet, his writing long and beautiful and sighed. I pulled up the homework I had thought I finished, and redid it, applying Dimitri's formula instead of mine.

I got lost in the equations never noticing the time passing until I heard a throat clear in the room. I screeched and flung myself back, promptly falling off the bed, "May I ask why you are on my sons bed?"

Victors voice sounded dangerous and I looked up at him wary, "I wanted to catch him before he left for the party, so I could give him Ryder's gift. I had to wait a while so I was studying, up until your son kindly showed me the math equation I was using wasn't right. And when you came in I was redoing my math homework with the proper equation."

Victors serious face turned amused as he looked at the scattered papers, books, and my tablet, "It seems you have been quite productive. Shall we go to dinner?"

I nodded and got up walking with him out into the garden, to a candle lit dinner for two. I was surprised that he had picked something so romantic, and was instantly wary for no other reason than Joseph's behavior had started to get to me. Victor sat staring at me as I shifted.

"Something else is bothering you."

I looked at Victor for a few moments, trying to decide what to tell him. Unable to lie to him, and needed advise that wouldn't result in someone killing someone else, like it would with the boys I took a deep breath and began to tell him about Joseph.

Victors amused face slowly vanished and I continued to tell him up until today after class, "I can see why you are so nervous then, I thought it had to do with something else."

I sighed and took a sip of the water, politely setting back, "Everyone seems to think I am going to be violently upset because of Ryder's birthday. I'm entirely aware of what Mariah is going to do, and what it means for Ryder. But I feel compelled to remind everyone that Ryder has been promiscuous since he was fifteen, and the fact that his mother is giving him her blessing from now on has little effect on me. Ryder was Ryder yesterday and he will be so tomorrow, and whomever he takes to his bed, be it Pack or not, is none of my business."

Victor smiled amused, "Yes, but I distinctly remember a very violent end to my sons relationship."

I scoffed and leaned back, "I plead differently on that. Ryder takes females to his bed, and should, God willing, he fall in love, he has the fortitude to stay exactly the same Ryder as he has always been. I simply want that for Dimitri, and Delilah, for all her beauty and immortality, did nothing more than make Dimitri into a pawn to which she moved at her will. All I want for Dimitri is to have what Ryder has, but Dimitri isn't really built like that, and as such, I want Dimitri to find someone who will make a wonderful Queen, but will make an even better wife."

Victor looked at me surprised, "Mariah and I may have misjudged your intention as of late."

I winced and blushed knowing exactly what he was talking about, "I...cannot really explain what happened, to be honest. Mostly, because I don't understand it much myself."

Victors raised his eyebrow as the first course was set in front of us, "I will not deny I love them both, and when I was little it was as my playmates, when I grew it was as my brothers. It seems it has developed to something infinitely more complicated." 

"Yes, well, there are things you need to understand about that, Seraphina." Victor sighed.

We sat in silence and I had little of the soup, not being fond of cold soups. It was taken away and the next course of a salad was brought, which was much more to my liking.

"I am honestly very confused at how sudden Ryder and Di changed our relationship." I said, digging through the salad for the bits of green I enjoyed most.

Victor left his salad untouched and instead watched me amused, "It would behoove me to inform you that their attentions were not as sudden as you seem to think. I was relieved in the fact that you were so dedicated to your studies that you failed to notice the change in my son and my god son's attentions. About the time you became more endowed as a young lady, was around the time their attentions changed. Mariah and I put our foot down about it, as did your mother."

I set my fork down, and looked at him wary, "Even my mother noticed?"

He chuckled, "Why do you think she no longer allowed you to spend the night here on occasion?"

I smiled, "I thought it was because she wanted to spend more time with me, and because it was truly wrong, socially, that I spend so much of my time with the Princes."

A very serious look crossed Victors face, "You have as much right to live in this palace, Seraphina, as I do, maybe even more so."

I looked at him startled and confused, "I do not understand your meaning, I am a slave, I don't deserve a palace at all. I'm blessed to live here, and honored to be a student at University, but I, by no means, consider myself as expectant of these amazing luxuries."

Victor sighed and became silent as another course was set in front of us, this time raw slices of beef, with a sauce to dip. I left it alone while Victor ate elegantly, savoring the meat. 

When he finished he looked up at me, "You know a great deal about the history of how our society came into being, correct?"

I nodded, "I did, after all, want to major in anthropology, your highness."

The corner of his mouth flitted up briefly before settling back down into his stoic face, "Yes, well, there are things that they do not tell you in the history books, things that are written no where, but passed down between families. Precious secrets that if left unsaid keep our society stable, but if found out, would result in possibly, a catastrophic upset, to which it may take years, even decades and many lives before it settled again."

I looked at him entirely intrigued hoping he would tell me what he was talking about. I must have appeared eager because Victor held his hand up, "Not here my dear, somewhere more secluded, when we are finished."

I nodded and we spent the rest of the dinner mostly silent. Victor seemed lost in his own thoughts and I remained silent, both watching him and thinking about what he could possibly be willing to tell me. By the end of the dinner I was anxious and Victor was resigned, and I followed him silently through the halls of the palace and into one of his more secluded studies. 

He motioned for me to sit on the very comfortable couch and sat in a chair next to me. He cleared his throat and began his story:

"You are well aware, that the Immortals, the Vampires and Werewolves were both derived from the desire to keep the greatest scientific minds safe from the one thing that no one had been able to escape, death. That a group of scientists over many generations had worked on a elixir that would grant immortality to whomever drank it. The elixir would attach to the cells inability to revive upon damage or age, and would instead cause the cell to regenerate upon being damaged. 

"I also know you are well acquainted with the side effects of the elixir, that it would attach to different proteins in different humans, thus separating the immortals into Werewolves, who's cells would not only regenerate but could also undergo a change, changing the human from a human state into a Were, or into a wolf entirely. Where as the Vampires like myself, do not suffer from such severe side effects of the Werewolves, however, there are still side effects, the cold skin, I'm sure you have noticed, our violent intolerance to things such as open flames.

"But none of the side effects were so startling as what was discovered when we turn 40. We, vampires, must feed on the energy of a human or, as you are well acquainted of, our cells begin to degenerate. The same with our Wolf counterparts, if they do not partake of human blood regularly, their cells also degenerate until we are dead.

"That is what you know of our history. What you do not know is that the elixir was continually worked on by the very scientists that had been granted their immortality, and with it the curses of it. What is guarded by my family, and Mariah's family, was that in later years, they perfected the elixir. It became what they had thought it had been when they had first taken it, and given it to their leaders.

"The new elixir, however, when given to immortal test subjects, caused instant degeneration of the cells, and led to nearly instantaneous death. So, instead, the scientists picked two families, whom had potential to be brilliant artists and politicians and gave them the revised elixir, and found that it worked perfectly. It bonded to their cells as they had been hoping for and when the subjects turned 21 their bodies time clock froze, they had become perfectly immortal."

I sat back stunned at this revelation, I had never even dreamed that the scientists had continued to work and perfect the elixir, "what happened next?"

"What happened next was nothing more than a result of fear. The scientists were promptly killed, as were the test subjects and the formula was destroyed."

"But why?!?" 

"Fear Seraphina, all the people of power were already immortal, and the new elixir could not be used by them. They were, for all their imperfections, stuck in their lots as Vampires and Werewolves. What they didn't know, and was later found out, was that the study had been conducted on the family generations before. The elixir's immortality was passed down to their children much like the original Immortality. However, these humans had lost their families, and were forced to become a slaves, simply because their families had been taken away from them, and they had become orphans."

I began to feel a knot in my stomach as Victor continued, "I am ashamed to say that my father spent a great deal of his existence hunting down the descendants of those who had taken the elixir and murdered them, simply by ordering the Administrators to kill them. It was believed that my father and Mariah's father had both killed the last of the descendants, thus eliminating the secret."




The Pride of a Slave Ch. 05



I couldn't help but shift in my seat, tucking my knees to my chest, "How did they find out who had the immortality and who didn't?"

Victor cleared his throat, "The immortal elixir that was used on my ancestors and Mariah's ancestors, had other side effects, like enhanced speed, strength, and senses. The new elixir didn't give the user those side effects, but instead strengthened a different sense, a sixth sense. The future immortal could use a sixth sense that the current Immortals responded to."

I started to shake, thinking about the manic energy I used on Dimitri and Ryder whenever my friends fought, the same energy that seemed to calm them down and disperse a crowd of immortals.

I looked at him confused, "My mother, died of disease. If she had been immortal she wouldn't have died."

Victor shook his head, "No, it wasn't your mother. Your father died in an accident at the Administrators complex, didn't he?"

I paled and nodded, "He was nineteen, and he and my mother had just been mated, he didn't even know about me."

Victor nodded, "The fact that no one knew of your existence until my father stopped taking energy and died, was the only thing that saved you."

"I'm confused, you knew about me all along?"

Victor shook his head, "No, when I took your mother into my home, to help Esperanza find the will to continue, I did not think about you at all. And I continued to ignore you, even as my son became incredibly attached to you as a playmate, even as a infant. It wasn't until Ryder was first introduced that I realized what you might be."

I barely remembered the event, but I did remember that it was that time that the nannies had begun to be switched out regularly, never staying for too long before a new one showed up. 

"Ryder was wild, like Mariah had warned, and as we feared, Dimitri and Ryder heartily disliked each other. You took over the introduction, grabbing Dimitri and forcing him to greet Ryder and to play together with the two of you. Mariah spotted it first, and she felt heart sick at the thought of what we were obligated to do."

Victor sat back weary in his chair, "I couldn't kill you Seraphina, simply because your mother was getting Esperanza to take a little energy, to get out of bed, to walk in the gardens and spend time with Dimitri. If I killed you, your mother would not be able to focus on the task, and I feared losing Esperanza. It was selfish, but on the occasions you weren't there with the boys, they would fight, violently. Mariah and I feared they would be like their grandmothers before them, both women spending their entire rule trying to kill the other."

"I feared that I would be handing over the country to a vampire who would repeat his grandmothers mistakes and destroy what little trust remained between our two groups. Then in walked your little self, and would grab Ryder by his weak point and sit him down, and would grab Dimitri by his weak point and would sit him down in front of Ryder and would demand they talk it out. And after a little while Mariah and I couldn't be without you there keeping our sons from killing each other, this little angel that blessed our families with the ability to teach our sons compromise."

I was overwhelmed, I was shaking and holding onto myself afraid, "What will you do to me now?"

Victors eyebrow rose, "Seraphina you are like a daughter to me and probably more so to Mariah, I could no more harm you than I could harm Dimitri."

I gave him a weak smile, "I sense a 'but' coming."

He nodded, "But, you are powerful Seraphina. Your gifts aren't at all developed and can you imagine how they will mature when you hit 21? There are humans, I am sure, that know about the human immortals, and my father did a good job of eliminating them as thoroughly as possible. But if you were to be found out, I fear what will happen to you. You know that you have never truly been a slave, I have never allowed it as much as your mother would let me. If I had my way, your mother and you would have moved in as my daughter and sister. But it was an old vampires dream, and your mother knew better."

I smiled softly remembering how often I had dreamed of that too but didn't say a thing, "However, if you were to be found out, I fear you would become the slave I never wanted you to be. You would become a possession, a way to control the ruling governments, a way to bend the rules to a single individuals will."

I gasped, "I don't understand, why would I do anything like that?"

"To save your life? Because you had been tortured? There are so many ways to get compliance from a person."

His cool voice caused me to wince, realizing he may know about that first hand.

"How do I stop being, this way?"

Victor smiled, "I don't know Seraphina, perhaps just being aware and wary of what others may want from you or want you to do for them, may allow you to put yourself on guard."

My mind instantly lingered on what had been happening with Joseph at the University. It made me doubly nervous.

"There is another reason I wanted to tell you this."

I looked up waiting, "You must not become involved with either Prince. If one possessed you, the other would become jealous and vengeful. You have always had an amazing way of balancing the two of them, giving each what they needed without causing the other jealousy, it has been an amazing ability that I think was inherited not from your father, but from your mother."

I winced and looked down, "But what has been going on, it hasn't been within my control."

Victor chuckled, "Yes, well you must figure something out. You cannot keep avoiding the boys as you have been, within a week it had resulted in the two of them nearly killed each other twice, and I cannot allow that to happen again. Even if this old Vampire has to beg on his knees for you to help Mariah and I keep our sons together as the governing system requires them to be, I shall."

I winced and shook my head, "You don't have to worry, I cant leave them."

My eyes began to water and the tears dripped down my face, I had never thought that I would become romantic with either of my friends, but having someone tell me that it would never, ever, be allowed, and that if by being in love with one would possibly destroy the other, it hurt me deeply, more than I ever expected.

Victor stood up and sat next to me and wrapped an arm around me in a surprising display of affection, "If there were a way to keep a balance and to get everything you more than deserve, I would have found it. The most that I can do for you is give you pieces of your dreams."

I looked over at him something unsettling coming to my mind, "What happens if I fall in love with someone? What if I wish to leave?"

Victor looked at me worried and strained, "I do not know. I had hoped that the boys would be happy for you, and that is still a possibility with time and maturity. As for the second part of your question, I would like to say you are forbidden to leave, and I suppose it is in my power to do just that. But I wouldn't do that to you, all I would do is ask that you remember that a week, with you still being here but merely in the background was a catastrophe. I shutter to think of those two pig headed boys living their lives entirely without you there, as the voice of reason."

He stiffened as he pondered something and looked at me out of the corner of his eye, his face changing into an expression I had never seen before, "Why did you ask? Is there someone I should be meeting?"

I scoffed imagining any creature who could possibly be interested in me and somehow get past my two over protective friends only to be met by an over protective King and possibly Alpha, would not be interested in me for very long. I shook my head and saw him relax with a great deal of relief.

"I must admit, the idea of you engaging suitors upsets me. There has been some benefits to my idiot son and god son's possessiveness of you, I have not had to worry about suitors."

I chuckled, "Slaves are not supposed to have suitors."

Victor removed his arm from me and tapped the corner of his lips, "When the University accepted you, it brought you up from your slave status. Your not restricted under the same rules that you once were."

I snorted, "It doesn't do me any good."

Victor chuckled and stood up from the couch and walked over to his desk and grabbed a paper, "That being said, I need to talk to you about your art professor."

He looked at the paper reading something, "I'm not entirely sure what your professors motives are, but humor me and don't allow yourself to be alone with him any longer. If he asks to speak with you after class, tell him you are unable to be alone with him because you are currently being formally courted by another."

I looked up surprised, "Who do I say is courting me?"

He winked, "That's none of his business."

I laughed and nodded but found myself wrapping my arms around myself when I thought about the intense look Joseph had been giving me as of late. Before I could say anything the phone rang and Victor looked down at the phone and looked back up mournfully. I looked and saw it was on the Kings line, which meant it was business call for him.

He picked it up with his official title and then covered the mouth piece and bid me a good night as I walked out the door. I hesitated and he smiled warmly at me, "Also, it is unlikely Dimitri will be back tonight, if it makes you feel better you can stay in his room, since he already said it was alright. And I will have your rooms switched to one closer to both he and Ryder." I thanked him heartily and left him to the straining task ahead of him.

I walked into Dimitri's room and threw myself onto his bed breathing in the clean scent of him and feeling myself calm down. I replayed the entire conversation that I had with Victor and once someone got past the hard lump of the impossibility of it, it didn't seem to bother me much. All Victor was asking was that I be wary of others, which I automatically was, mostly because it was not unusual for someone to pretend to be my friend with the sole purpose of getting closer to the Princes or to play a cruel joke on me. It had happened enough times, so the fact that I needed to be wary of being "used" as Victor had put it, didn't bother me as much as it would have, had I not been through what I already had been through.

That being decided I sighed and rethought about my "Prince mode." It made sense, as I had gotten older, the manic energy had increased and it had been able to go from stopping the princes through physical attacks just to get them to pay attention, then calm them, to not really needing more than to yell. Except for the rare occasions that their primal nature was in control, and then I had to hurt them to get their attention. 

I thought back to the fight in the Quad earlier this month. I had told everyone to disband and they had done it, even though I could tell they were more inclined to hang about and get good gossip, I had commanded them, and they had jumped at the command. Even the nurse had jumped at the command and it made me nervous. I wasn't 21 and that was the age when everything would mature, my abilities would blossom, so to speak. I was worried that if I already had this much control over the immortals what kind of control would I have over them when I was 21. Would Dimitri and Ryder still be my friends or would they become slaves, and more horrifically, happy slaves who didn't know better. 

I took my clothes off and grabbed one of Dimitri's large t-shirts putting it on over my frame. I pulled down his blankets and crawled into them, tucking them around my head and engulfing myself in darkness and Dimitri's scent. I fell asleep thinking about the few times I had fallen asleep on Dimitri's couch in high school and he had put me in his bed and we had slept in the same bed. It had been innocent, once upon a time, and I longed for that security again.

I woke up startled and sat up looking around not nearly as confused as I would have been, had I been in my own room. I heard the bedroom door open and I laid back in the bed and buried myself in the blankets and pillows, disappearing. I breathed shallowly and peeked out of the pillow only enough to see two shadows walking through the room. One walked into the closet and turned the light on, I could barely make out the figure, but I could tell it was a female, and by the height I could tell she was immortal.

My heart sank down to my toes as I realized that the other person whispering was Dimitri, "Come Elaina, we need to return to Ryder's party."

She crossed her arms, "I don't want to go, I want to see more of your Palace."

Dimitri stumbled and they both laughed and I realized with weariness that Dimitri was drunk, "We cant, I'm not supposed to be home tonight. My father doesn't sleep until really late, if at all, sometimes, so he could walk through the door any time now."

The figure shimmied over to Dimitri and the two shadows became one for a moment, "I want to see the slave. Can I see the slave?"

Dimitri, even drunk, straightened up and his voice became cold, "what slave?"

"The one going to University with us, my uncle says your father dresses her up like a princess. Its shameful, to have a slave prancing around like a princess with real prince's, around."

Dimitri pulled away from her and shoved her away when she tried to get close, "Get out."

She crossed her arms, "You know, your whole family is strange, some say too strange. A lot of people believe the slave is the reason for it. You haven't taken an immortal to your bed, except for Delilah, who was banished because she was attacked by that human."

Dimitri's body spoke of fury but the girl was either too drunk or too stupid to notice, "I can smell her in here, on your bed even. Is that why no Vampire graces your bed? Because you prefer slaves instead?"

I could literally hear Dimitri's self control snap and I feared for the girl. I jumped out of the bed and ran to Dimitri, pushing my hands against his chest. I purposefully summoned the manic energy this time, and said softly and deeply, "Stop."

He froze and his crazed look landed on my face, and instantly softened. I turned to the girl, "The reason you smell me here, is because I'm slow in comparison to the whole lot of you vampires and werewolves. I have to be in here most nights studying with him so I can appear smarter than I am."

I finally got a good look at the girl and she was really lovely, standing as tall as Dimitri, with short black hair that was cupped around her heart shaped face. Her deep blue eyes took me in as she crossed her arms, "Oh yeah, so why were you in the bed just now?"

I humped, "Dimitri isn't supposed to come back at all tonight. I am staying here because just like you mentioned or alluded to, I have enemies, and it makes me nervous, so I am hiding for one night of fearless sleep."

The girl shifted uncomfortable and looked me up and down, "You really aren't that weird."

I shrugged, "Thanks I guess."

She cleared her throat, "What I mean is you are weird for a slave. You look us in the eye, you compete with us, you are even well spoken like an Immortal. Which is weird for a slave but not really weird for a University student."

I sighed and nodded, "Again, thank you, I think."

She giggled, "Well, I think I should go. I didn't mean to make him mad or offend you, I was just very curious to meet you is all."

I stuck my hand out and she grabbed it in a firm, cool handshake, "It was nice to meet you."

She giggled as she pulled her hand away and tottered out of the room, bumping into a few things on her way out.

I turned to Dimitri who was standing where he was, staring at me, "What are you doing here?"

"I stayed the night in your room to hide out from my monsters, so to speak, and I was having the best sleep of my life until you came back. Why aren't you with Ryder?"

Dimitri shook his head, "He was starting to annoy me."

I sighed dramatically, "When doesn't he annoy you. Usually you are a good sport when you aren't so drunk."

Dimitri shrugged and tilted a little where he stood. I squeaked and pushed him to the bed until he was sitting down, "Any chance you could go back?"

Dimitri muttered under his breath, "Not a chance."

I nodded and grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted it up, his hands coming up automatically. I tossed the shirt onto the floor and set down and unlaced his boots and pulled the mud covered thing off and deposited them by the bathroom door. I pulled the blankets down and Dimitri turned and tucked his legs in and I tucked him in. I watched him shimmy for a moment and his pants appeared, he handed them to me and I tossed them over to where his shirt was.

I filled the empty glass of water on his nightstand, knowing he always woke up at some point thirsty. Once he was settled I turned and gathered my clothes, feeling his eyes on me the entire time. I grabbed the last piece of clothing, my bra, and walked to the bedroom door.

"Don't go!"

I winced at Dimitri's too loud voice and shushed him, "Stop, I have to. Where would you have me sleep Di, on the couch? No, I need sleep so I'm going to my room."

I watched as he stumbled out of bed in nothing but his boxers and I sighed annoyed and he blocked me from leaving, "No. I want you to stay here."

He sounded petulant, like a spoiled child and I tried to reason with him but he wouldn't have it. I finally relented thinking of letting him fall asleep and then I would leave once he slept. He pulled me to the bed and I crawled in with him, making sure to leave the usual inch of space between us. 

I started to close my eyes when I felt Dimitri close the distance between us and put his chin on the top of my head and throw his large arm around me and start to snore. I grumbled, realizing that now I couldn't escape and instead slowly fell into another deep sleep.

I felt hands on my back as I woke up, the hands cool on my hot skin. I opened my eyes and instantly recognized the colors around me. I turned my head and saw that Dimitri was lying next to me, him on his back, and me on my stomach. The sun was filtering in and his eyes were a deep, dark blue and I smiled into them.

"Morning." He grunted and I chuckled, "Hung over?"

"Yes. Do you mind telling me how I came to be in my bed, at home, with you?"

I laughed and turned over and sat up enough to lean against the pillows and look down at him, "I don't know exactly how you got here, but it was with a very interesting girl Elaina I believe you said her name was. Anyway she wanted to see the place and you felt obligated to indulge her. She and I conversed because she was upsetting you, and then she departed with some rather kind words. I got you undressed and put you to bed but you threw a tantrum when I tried to leave, insisting I stay with you, so I did. I had every intention of climbing out once you were asleep, but you pinned me down and I had no choice but to sleep as well."

He nodded and sat himself up as well, looking down at me without saying a word. I shifted, "Why did you leave Ryder's party?"

Dimitri shook his head, "Ryder's boasting upset me."

"Ryder always boasts."

"Yes."

"So what exactly was it that set you off then?"

Dimitri looked at me pointedly for a moment and I felt a flush whisper up my neck and across my cheeks, "That?!?"

Dimitri nodded and looked away, obviously disgruntled. I clenched my jaw and had a violent thought of pummeling my best friend, "I'm going to kill him.'

Dimitri turned and looked at me, "Why? You chose him after all, didn't you?"

I choked on the misunderstanding and stared at Dimitri incredulous, "I didn't chose anything Di. And I'm pretty sure that you stopped what we were doing when we were here. He had caught me, when I was thinking of you, I think. I don't know, it just sort of happened."




The Pride of a Slave Ch. 05



I must have sounded hurt because Dimitri grabbed my hand and relaxed the fist and laced it with his, "I didn't want to stop Sera, but we couldn't."

"I know Di, I'm not saying I don't understand." 

Dimitri startled me by slamming his other hand into the bed, making a loud puffing noise, "It isn't right, I remember what he and I should be and should not be doing. But he disregards it, instead taking what he wants."

I groaned, "That's always been Ryder, Di, and you know it. You cannot compare him to you because you two are so different. Ryder will do what is best for the packs, but he doesn't feel like every rule is set in stone. He has bent the rules since we were toddlers, its just who he is."

"And who am I Sera?" His voice was cold but I ignored it.

"You are you Dimitri. You are calm, thoughtful, considerate of everyone before yourself. You will put the welfare of the entire world before your own. Your wants and needs come last, and that is an amazing thing Di."

He looked away and flexed his hand, tightening it on mine. I flexed back to remind him he still had my hand and felt him quickly relax, "You are right, I suppose, Sera. I sacrifice what I want for the better of everyone else."

His voice was hot and cold at the same time and I felt a shiver run through me as I sensed something switch in him. He turned and faced me and I looked at him curiously and was startled to see him leaning forward to kiss me.

I tried to pull back and even managed to scoot to the edge of the bed and nearly fell off before his hand, still laced in mine, yanked me back from the edge and pulled me until I was wrapped in his arms, one of my arms pinned to my back. I tried to open my mouth to stop him, but he pushed his mouth onto mine and I was silenced quickly. His lips and tongue plied at mine until I felt them relent.

I felt my body heat as he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss that I had become a willing participant in. That was how it was with Dimitri, I could never fight him off, neither could I fight Ryder off. I loved them both too much and the need in Dimitri's kiss pulled the response out of me. I closed my eyes, finally, releasing my reasoning and let myself respond to Dimitri.

He moaned when he felt me wrap one arm around the back of his neck and pull him in closer for a deeper kiss. My tongue now played with his, darting and caressing against his cool one, tasting him and breathing his flavor with all of my senses. He released my pinned hand and I lifted it and wrapped it around his neck as well. 

Dimitri gripped my lower back and pulled me to him until our bodies were pressed, flushed, against each other. I moaned ever so softly as he broke the kiss and began to trail light kisses down my jaw and neck. He stopped at the collar of the t-shirt and pressed me down into the bed and pulled away, and began rubbing his hands across my body. He didn't try to lift the shirt up, but instead grabbed one of my breast through the shirt and massaged it, pinching my nipples and watching them harden through the shirt. 

He did the same with the other breast and I felt myself instantly respond, my center becoming warm as jolts of electricity shot from my hardening nipples to my sex. He continued to play with them through the t-shirt until I became frustrated. I wanted to feel his skin on mine, to feel the skin of his fingers on the sensitive raised flesh. 

I moaned in frustration and pushed him off of me long enough to pull the t-shirt off. He sat back surprised and then spent what felt like an eternity staring at my nearly naked form. I blushed at his stare and I watched his eyes turn a very light shade of blue, his carnal side on the surface. He pushed me back down and kissed me again, this time his mouth pressing harder and more demanding onto mine. I accepted the kiss, caressing and diving into his mouth, reassuring him that I wasn't going to leave. 

He ran his hands gently down my body, his cool fingers tips, whispering along the heated flesh. I arched against him, the light caress almost more torturous than it would have been had he been rougher. He chuckled softly but didn't press any harder, instead sending my nerves on fire with the whispering sensation. He kept this up until I was writhing in a strange feeling of deep desire and frustration, then he finally pressed his cool mouth against my stomach, the sensation was intense compared to the whispers my body had expected. I hissed and arched against him, the simple act of kissing my stomach sending waves of electricity to my now damp sex.

He kissed me a few more times, than began to whisper touches again. I writhed and moaned softly in desperation until his lips locked fully onto one of my nipples. I gasped and grabbed his hair, fingers lacing into the silky threads. I pressed him to me and felt my body explode in a short, but intense orgasm. 

He continued to suck and nibble on my nipple, and I felt his hand rub up my leg. I closed my eyes and felt his tongue continue to send electricity to my center and I felt his hand rub towards me. He touched the edge of my lace panties and removed his mouth from my nipple to pull back and look at them. 

He smiled devilishly as he ran his hands along the black lace things. He hooked his finger into them and I lifted myself up allowing him to slide them down my ass, my thighs, calves and finally off of my ankle. He spread my legs open gently and stared at me for what felt like an eternity. 

I couldn't help but to blush at his attentions and he simply murmured, "Beautiful." Before leaning forward and licking up the middle. I gasped and raised myself into his second pass of my slit. He pulled the puffy lips back with his cool fingers and I felt his tongue lap at the entrance of me, licking up the already pooled juices there. He licked until he was satisfied and then licked up and down, causing an overload of sensations coursing through me. 

I felt myself build as he kept licking my entire pussy, and moaned and arched against him, hoping he would find the little nub that would give me release. He licked around it and I gasped in frustration as I tried to arch into his too quick mouth. 

I cried out in surprise as I felt one of his long, slender fingers slide into me, and groaned when I felt him curve his finger and press against me. I flexed, feeling his finger inside of me just as he centered on my clit, and began to suck and nibble on it. His finger began to pull out of me and was replaced by two, this time. The second finger, causing a slight sting as it stretched my virginity upon its entrance. 

He began to pump the two fingers in and out of me and sucked on my clitoris, building me up with epic speed and I moaned and writhed on the bed, my hands fisting the sheets beside me. He continued but was unable to push me off the edge and I gasped out wanting more of him.

I reached down and pulled his face from my soaping went sex, "Dimitri, I need more."

His fingers pulled out of me, and I felt my walls squeeze against them in protest. I sat up on my elbows and watched Dimitri pull down his boxers, his beautiful erection bobbing into view. I stared at him, as he had stared and me and I pulled myself up into a sitting position, and with no understanding past a carnal sense of wanting to taste him, I leaned forward and licked the dew at the tip.

I was surprised at the sweet saltiness of him, and ran my tongue down the length of him, my mind only hesitating once about the thought of something that seemed to be so large, pressing into me. The thought made me shiver in pleasure and trepidation, and I swirled my tongue along the edge of the head. Dimitri gasped as I pressed my mouth onto him, sliding slowly down his shaft until my mouth was full. I sucked and caressed the thing with my mouth before pulling up, increasing the suction and then sliding back down.

I had never done this before, but I knew what I was doing to Dimitri would give him pleasure and I was pleasantly surprised to feel that it was also giving me pleasure. He wrapped his fingers into my hair and pulled me down further on his cock until he was halfway down my throat, my breathing paused, and my nose pressed against his stomach. 

I looked up at him, and the sight of me looking up at him with his cock in my mouth caused him to groan and he pulled away, gasping as he did so. He panted for a moment before he turned to me and laid me gently back down, "Did you enjoy that?"

I nodded and felt his fingers run through my folds and reveal my enjoyment on his glistening fingers. I watched with baited breath and he slowly licked his fingers clean, the sight sending another wave of pleasure to my already dripping sex. I pulled him to me and moaned softly against him, "Stop tormenting me."

He pulled back and continued to run his fingers back through me, over and over again, "Do you know how much your tormented me? How often I fantasized of having you here, like this in my bed, while you slept soundly next to me. I wanted you so badly it hurt sometimes, and I was enraged when Ryder got to taste and touch you before I could."

He kissed my neck, licking and nibbling it and I felt his cool member press softly against me. He grabbed it and rubbed the head all along me, centering it on my clit for a few strokes until I was bleary eyed with pleasure. 

He leaned forward and nibbled my ear, "It will hurt."

I nodded and he centered himself against my hole and pressed in slowly but steadily. At first I didn't feel anything but as I began to stretch around his slowly invading head, I felt myself begin to rip and cried out when the head of his cock popped into me. He stopped moving as I dug my nails into his shoulders and panted with the pain. 

His hand reached up and began to rub my clitoris and soon the pain was replaced with pleasure and desire as I began to writhe under his fingers, my pussy clenching tightly against his invaded head. 

He continued to wait, playing with me until I finally moaned to him, "More, Dimitri."

He pressed in a little faster this time, and I was so focused on the inflamed electricity that his member caused in me that I paid little heed to the pain. My pussy stretched and clenched and released against him, the sensation no longer painful but entirely pleasurable. I rocked a bit on him as he paused to let me adjust.

I moaned against his shoulder, "Fuck me Dimitri."

He growled in response and I suddenly felt his cock slide slowly out of me only to be thrust back in gently. He kept up the deep, slow thrusting, and I met each thrust with a thrust of my own, my body heating into an inferno. I moaned and pulled at him as he thrust into me, my body jerking against his as I reached the crescendo. I cried out to him as I climaxed, clawing and thrusting against him, my body and mind exploding with release.

I heard him moan my name and squeeze me tightly to him and he thrust a little more urgently into me. I felt his seed a few moments later fill me and my pussy responded by squeezing and milking him as he came. After a few more languid thrusts he buried himself deep into me and then collapsed onto me a bit, panting and kissing my neck and shoulders. After a few moments Dimitri pulled out of me and disappeared and returned with a warm cloth in the blink of an eye.

I thanked him embarrassed and slowly cleaned myself up. My body was slowly returning to its senses and with it came a very painful sensation between my legs. I winced as I cleaned, seeing a bit of blood dripping out of me. Dimitri watched and touched my hand softly, stopping me.

He put the towel beside me and put his arms underneath me and lifted me up gently. He planted a kiss on my cheek and held me as he turned the bath on and let the hot water fill the tub. He gently laid me in it, planting a soft kiss on my lips before turning on the shower and jumping in. I laid back and let the hot water soothe the pain and eventually it did do the trick. When Dimitri emerged from his shower, dripping wet and naked I was conscious enough to blush in response. He chuckled and wrapped a towel around himself and sat next to me on a small stool.

"Does it hurt a lot?" His voice was concerned and I nodded in response.

"It does but the water is soothing it. It will only be this time that it hurts." I heard him chuckle again and I looked up at him confused.

"Are you planning on doing this regularly then?" his voice was teasing but there was a hint of cool passion in it and I flushed in response.

"I..didn't mean...I mean...I don't...I...um..." I was baffled at what to say and earned a laugh in response.

"Its alright Sera, its just me." He leaned forward and kissed me softly then stood up and smiling at me, left the bathroom. 

I scrubbed my body thoroughly with every scented soap in the bathroom. I also scrubbed my mouth voraciously, hoping the scent of what had happened between Dimitri and I wouldn't be scented. I had just dried my hair and had walked out with the towel around me when I spotted Ryder and Dimitri both deep in conversation. 

I froze when both pairs of eyes landed on me and squealed and ran for the closet in response. Both Princes burst out laughing as I shouted out for them to be quiet. I grabbed my clothes from the previous night, and put them on and walked back out. The two had gone from a seemingly happy conversation to both of them glaring at each other, Ryder and Dimitri both rigid and analyzing each other. 

I rushed over to them and stepped in between them, feeling heartily irritated that they never, ever, seemed to get along, "What is the problem now?"

I asked annoyed and Ryder looked down at me, frowned and stormed out of the room. I turned to Dimitri looking at him confused and he winced and motioned with his head to the bed. I noticed that it was rumpled but sitting underneath one of the pillows was the rag I had used to try and clean up. I gapped at it and then turned to where Ryder had strode out.

I released a sound of disbelief and collapsed onto the couch shocked. What had I done? Everything Victor had said, began to come to mind. This would be the governments undoing. I did the exact opposite of what Victor had said, the day after he had said it. I had let myself become Dimitri's, had relished and demanded it even. And now there was a rift between them, one that I was scared couldn't be mended.

I looked up at Dimitri who was standing over me watching me carefully. He sat down on the coffee table and grabbed my hands, "Sera, perhaps we need to talk about what happened."

I nodded unable to say anything. He took a deep breath, "I love you, as you well know. But I love you in the way an Immortal should love his mate, in a way a King loves his Queen. If I were a different creature, with different circumstances, I would take you, marry you and leave all of this."

My eyes watered and I nodded knowing there was a resounding 'but' coming, "But, I cannot change what I am. I cannot change who I am, and I cannot give you everything you more than deserve. I was selfish, in taking you like I did, and I would say I am sorry, but I cannot. I simply love you too much to regret what happened. I have loved you for my entire life, since the moment you were carried into my nursery and turned those incredible brown eyes onto me. And even if you begged me, pleaded on your hands and knees to stop loving you, to let you go, I won't ever do it."

I nodded, shaken by what he had said. I purposefully ignored the thoughts about what kind of future I could have, now that I had done this, and instead focused on what I should do about Ryder.

"What about Ryder?"

Dimitri snorted, "He's pissed, but he will get over it."

I shook my head, "No he wont, you know as well as I do he will just brood and brood and brood on it until he is murderous."

Dimitri sighed and walked into his closet changing quickly into a very nice suit. He walked into the bathroom and began to tie his tie. I walked after him miserable, watching him in the mirror, "I want to talk with him, but I don't think he will let me."

Dimitri paused his tying and looked at me for a moment, "Sera, if you really want to talk to him, let him know this morning at breakfast, then wait. It is rare that he and I are able to deny you something you want, for very long."

He finished tying his tie and adjusted it. I watched him quietly and followed him as he put his shoes and jacket on and headed for the door. He stopped at the door and bent down and kissed me, his tongue lingering on my lips.

"I know you are worried. Tell him at breakfast you want to talk with him, then give him a little bit. I've been with him as long as you Sera, there are times I do know him."

I smiled and followed him out of the apartment, "Why are you so dressed up anyway?"

Dimitri grunted, "There is a council session being called at the University over three professors. They're employment needs to be reviewed and decided upon. And it just so happened that late last night an Administrator died, his daughter is old enough to take his place, and she is completely groomed and ready. There is just the unfortunate politics of setting her on the seat, the council votes and all that bore. Well, because my father and Mariah cannot be at both places at once, Mariah and I are attending the meeting with the Administrators and Ryder and my father are attending the meeting at the University which is a few hours later than my meeting."

I nodded, "Meaning I get to eat breakfast with Ryder and your father, and not you and Mariah."

He nodded and kissed my cheek when we arrived at the breakfast hall, then quickly disappeared down the halls. I watched him go and then turned and walked into breakfast. Ryder was there with Victor, the two talking somberly. I smiled at him and earned a dark glare in return. I sighed and sat across from him, wondering if Dimitri was wrong about our friend. 

When we finished eating, most of the breakfast consumed in silence, Victor got up and left quickly through one of the hidden passageways. I continued to sit where I was at and watch Ryder stand up and walk around the table, and behind me to leave. I reached out and grabbed his hand, and he froze, neither returning the touch nor shaking it off.

"When you are done with everything, I would like to talk to you."

He had already started shaking his head and I yanked his arm, causing him to look directly at me, "Please, Ryder."

He looked at me for a few breaths then shook me off and walked out. I stared after him and sighed walked morosely to my room. I grabbed the art supplies that I had brought back with me and went to the Lilac room, and set up my easel and set to work. Instead of painting, though, I found myself sitting in the window, feeling the breeze blow through my loose hair and ruffle the pages of my sketch book.

I was looking at the garden but my thoughts were really towards what happened this morning. I felt both elation and dread, because it had felt right to be with Dimitri, and when I had told him to take my virginity, in much more crude ways, it had felt even more right. 

I sighed and let my hand sketch without my mind getting to involved, the charcoal felt just as right in my hand as Dimitri had felt right in my arms, and it was a truly odd feeling. I looked down and watched the lines of Dimitri's chest appear, and felt a strange thrill when I ran my finger along a few of the lines to shade them. 

I finished his chest and flipped the page over and let my hand take over again, this time drawing his legs, stopping at the high thigh. They were strong, lithe thighs, and I kept sketching every bit of him I had explored and touched this morning. 

I was a blushing, quivering mess when I heard a throat clear behind me. I turned suddenly, startled and fell right out of the window and into the bushes below them. I released an oaf and stood up, pulling the leaves out of my hair as I looked back into the room and saw Becka bent over laughing hysterically. 




The Pride of a Slave Ch. 06



I woke up in my bed and stretched, a happy sort of soreness greeting me. I hadn't seen Dimitri last night, mostly because when Ryder brought me to my rooms he advised me to avoid Dimitri, because he would be informing him of what we had done.

I got up to see that it was well past breakfast and that a servant had brought in some fruit while I had slept. I bit into a pear and savored its sweetness as I looked out of my window at the green grass. I was in such a good mood I could barely stand it, and I felt the need to share it with someone. 

I dressed in a flounce summer dress that I found in my closet and grabbed my tablet and books and walked to Dimitri's room. I had hoped to find him there so we could study, but when I received no call to my knock I walked in to see him gone and was sorely disappointed. I sighed and decided to set up shop on his bed, I had amazing memories on that bed and I felt in a very reminiscing mood. 

I spread out my work on the bed with the intention of doing nothing but acting like I was studying, so that I had an excuse to surprise Dimitri but when he didn't show up for a while I decided to actually study. I spent two hours on political theory and history, which had become increasingly easier as I had discovered that if I just paid close attention to Victor and Mariah I could see it in action. 

I closed the books after studying them and was left with the dreaded math book. I hated math, and it seemed to harbor the same feelings towards me. Usually, if I was in here, it was because of this damned subject. I moaned in defeat as I opened it up and began to work through some equations.

I checked my work against the key in the back and nearly sobbed when I realized they were all wrong. I cleared the tablet and started again, this time trying to work out the equation all over again. After about three tries I felt near to outright weeping and picked up the math book and laid my head down and covered it with the book. 

"If there were a way for me to shove this into my head and actually understand it, I would barter a first born I think." I mumbled into the mattress and heard a soft chuckle.

I looked up, the book thumped down my back, and smiled when I saw Dimitri in the door way. I sat up and pulled the tablet to me, dimming it to hide how many recycled pages I had. He still walked over to me and picked it up chuckling again as he pulled each page out and read through the work.

I laid back with a dramatic poof, and stared at him, "I absolutely hate mathematics Dimitri, it is appalling at how complicated it is."

"Its really not that difficult."

I scoffed and closed my eyes, "Its unfair to say that. It is not that difficult to you, but I was under the impression that you were failing your art class, to which I can reply, it is really not that difficult."

Dimitri snorted, "I am not failing my art class, who told you that."

"Joseph, he told me right after he told me that I should leave here because even you were artistically slow and it would ruin my natural abilities."

The air between us froze and I sat up slowly seeing Dimitri's eyes become very light, "Does this Joseph do that often Seraphina? Ask you to leave with him?"

I waved it off, "Don't Di, I already told your father, there is nothing left to do. I will not be alone with him anymore, and that is that."

Dimitri didn't seem to wave it off as easily and I felt put out by his sudden coldness. I leaned back onto my stomach and watched as he wrote down the right equation and showed me how he got it. I nodded and began work, sensing, instantly, that Dimitri was in no mood for any flirtation from me.

I finally got the answers and sighed in relief and saw that Dimitri had a pair of earphones in and was working on his own tablet, a few of his books open as well. I sighed, knowing the earphones were a way to tell me that he didn't want to be bothered so I gathered up my books and tablet and stood up.

A brief flare of inspiration came over me and when I walked past him to go out of the apartment I leaned down and kissed the side of his neck. He leaned into my kiss a bit and reached up and caressed the side of my face before returning to his work. I smiled and left, feeling a little less nervous about how he was acting towards me.

I dumped my assignments on my bed and quickly changed into my paint stained t-shirt and skirt. 

It was unusually hot and I found that wearing the dress had been quite cool, and I didn't want to exchange it for pants yet. I walked into the Lilac studio and saw my painting. It was beautiful and very erotic to my eye, I followed line after line and recognized the different lines of Dimitri's body. I even blushed when I realized I had a line in there that reminded me of his beautiful cock. I squealed in embarrassment for a second and grabbed the painting and took it down, tucking it away, making sure it faced away from me.

I grabbed my sketch pad and opened it up past Dimitri's drawings and I sat on the window seal and let my hand sketch again. I was thinking about Dimitri, worried about him, but I was also thinking about Ryder. He had told me the same thing Dimitri had, once we had finished making love, and it was a touch heartbreaking to hear, but I had already known that before I even allowed the idea of being with them into my mind.

I loved both these Princes my whole life, and there had been a point when I was sixteen, that I realized I would lose my cherished loves. As I realized this I had started to think of different ways to keep them, most involving tying them up and never letting them go. But it had been my mother that had put the idea of possibly getting into the University into my head and it had been Becka's older sister that had put the idea of sleeping with the both of them into my head.

I couldn't believe I still remembered that but I did, and I grinned to myself, I guess I had taken both of their suggestions. I was unsure of what would happen when the two men actually married, what wife would stand for a slave to be their husbands concubine. I looked down at my drawing and saw that I had drawn Ryder.

The sketches of him were not like the ones I had done of Dimitri, these ones hadn't been fueled by arousal, they had been fueled by love. And as I looked down into Ryder's bright laughing face, I did feel the pain of loving him hit my heart, much in the same way it hit my heart when I thought of Dimitri. 

I sighed and kept drawing, each page turning out drawings of Dimitri and Ryder. Finally I walked over to the fresh canvas I had put up and I began to paint. I worked on another abstract, the paints blending into the beautiful array of colors. It turned out to look like a sunset, just a the moment when the sky slowly turned to night, part of it still afire with the sunset but the other part bleeding the dark blue into the sky for the quiet darkness.

Half way through the painting I got frustrated with my hair and grabbing a paintbrush I wasn't going to use I pined it up and out of my face. I felt a strange frenzy take over me as I kept painting, it was a lot like the manic energy I gathered when I tried to stop Dimitri and Ryder from doing something. I let the frenzy flow out, as I grabbed another empty canvas and paint. I had begun to fling the paint around a bit as I kept painting, one line turned into two lines, colors, shapes, impressions, I kept going, and it wasn't too long before I stared to see Ryder and Dimitri's faces hidden in the painting.

I watched as the burning side which held Ryder, and the dark blue night that held Dimitri blended together. The colors were strong on their own and when the blended it was like they were at battle, neither one quite mixing with the other. I fought the colors on the canvas until I finally gave up and put a strip of white down the middle of the two colors. The white blended the two colors with each other, creating a softer pastel of both.

I dropped my paintbrushes into the bucket of cleaner and stepped back and stared at my painting. I couldn't help but to chuckle at the irony of the painting. I, obviously, was still very aware of the balance I needed to maintain when it came to both of my friends. I took my time cleaning my brushes and I made sure to position the first painting I had worked on that day, so that it would dry evenly. It was good, and I thought about possibly giving this one to my class.

My stomach twisted when I thought of going back to my art class. I sighed and turned all three paintings to me and decided that it would probably be the first one that would be ready for class, the other two would take a long time to dry. I sat back and waved my sketchpad back and forth trying to fan away the sweat and heat that the room always caused, thanks to the huge windows.

I walked to the windows and opened the last two I hadn't earlier and opened them wide, bending far forward to do so. I felt someone behind me and turned quickly, letting out a relieved sigh when I saw Dimitri standing behind me. He grabbed my waist softly as I finished opening the window. He let me go when I stood back up and I turned and smiled at him.

"Thanks, did you see the paintings?"

He nodded, "They are good. I like the first one best."

I blushed wondering if he knew what the subject was and saw him smile down at me before grabbing my hand, "My father wants to have lunch together." I smiled, "He seems to be trying very hard to spend time with us lately."

Dimitri looked at me sharply then pressed his lips together into a firm line, "you think?" I nodded, "Yes, I remember when we were lucky to get even one meal a day with him, now he insists on breakfast and usually he is there for dinner as well."

Dimitri sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "I didn't notice, but you are right."

I could feel the worry rippling off of Dimitri and I looked up at him worried, "What is it?"

He tried to smile at me but it was stiff and wrong and I crossed my arms and frowned at him, before he could lie to me. He took one look at me and sighed, "I will let you know as soon as I figure it out myself."

I nodded, "Alright, if that's the best you can give me, then I will take it I suppose." He grabbed my hand, "Lets go then." I squeezed his hand and followed him out of the room.

********

Lunch ended a lot more quickly than I had wanted, but then I had to get used to it. The King was called away abruptly and asked that Dimitri join him. I waved to both of them and helped the servants pack up the small picnic and then they insisted they carry it away.

I walked back into the Palace and into my room and I spent the rest of the day alone, working on different assignments and studying ahead for the coming week. It was after dinner, which I had eaten alone, but before it was too late that I heard the soft knock on my door. My heart skipped a few beats wondering if it was Dimitri on the other side, but was startled to see Victor.

He greeted me and asked me to follow him, which I did, only to discover that he had been leading me to the Lilac room. I walked in with him and winced as he turned on the lights in the bare room. He walked over to the three canvas' and touched each, "When did you make these?"

I blushed, "Yesterday and today."

Victor walked back to where I was standing and stared at them, "For a class?"

I nodded, "One of them is going to my class, the other two was because I had a lot of pent up energy that needed dispelling."

Victor looked at them in silence then ran his finger over his mouth in though, "Dimitri informed me of the change in your relationship with him and Ryder."

I blushed deeper and dipped my eyes down in both embarrassment and guilt, "I cant say I'm too happy about it Seraphina."

"Because I am a slave?"

He snorted at my comment, "Because I think of you as a daughter, and I don't particularly like the path you are headed down."

I stared at the paintings and pointed to the last one I did, he looked at the one I had painted and nodded, "Yes, seems a bit prophetic doesn't it. Those two will never work well together, not even as they mature and realize their parts in this functioning government."

I nodded and bit my lip, "I'm being trained to be their advisor, aren't I?"

Victor nodded looked at me coolly, "yes, it was decided upon, shortly after your acceptance."

I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes, "And if I don't want to be?"

Victor snorted, "I think you, Dimitri, and Ryder already decided that amongst yourselves."

I couldn't help but feel the irony and laughed, "I slept with them, it doesn't mean that I will be a good advisor to them."

I heard soft clicking of high heels and turned to see Isadorre walking in, "You already are their advisor." I looked up at her confused, "They seek your opinion and approval of what they are doing almost constantly. Ryder does it far more often than Dimitri, but then it is a royal advisors job to advise, not run the country."

I wrapped my arms around myself and rubbed my hands up and down my arms as if trying to warm myself, even though the night was brutally hot, "All advisors have been men."

Victor nodded, "Yes, and you see how often they are used. Mariah and I prefer to contact each other directly to ask questions and gain ideas for events and situations, but our mothers had advisors for them, because they couldn't get along."

"I don't remember reading that."

Victor chuckled, "Because they all failed horribly and Mariah's mother spent a great deal of time trying to kill my mother."

"You think that Di and Ryder will end up like that?"

Isadorre laughed bitterly, "They already are like that. They go too long with out you around and they start to trying to kill each other. Our government is built upon the idea that the Alpha and the King are close enough to run a country together, successfully. Keeping that in mind, how often are you breaking up their bickering or having to remind one of the others strengths and good points."

I wanted to deny what she was saying, but I couldn't because she was right, "I will be the first human advisor."

"A bonus to be sure, simply because it will make the Administrators feel like we are giving humans more respect, which we are trying to." Victor said softly

"I will be the first female advisor."

"Well, that is something that will be a tad harder to overcome but I'm sure that it will be done with more success than without you as the advisor." Isadorre touched my arm and smiled at me.

"What of my relationship with them?"

Victor snorted, "That is between the three of you, and clearly none of my business. However, I ask you to remember that my son will have little choice in his future wife."

I gaped openly at him, "He is going to have an arranged marriage?"

He nodded, "It has always been done this way, my wife was arranged."

"Oh." I said softly.

"Its barbaric, but it really is the only way to ensure that a woman is paired with him that will allow him to rule entirely. Most men will give in to the power of sex, and if a Queen were to withhold herself so she could gain power, it destroys the governments basic structure." Isadorre said softly to me before taking a few steps forward to look at my paintings.

"It happens often when the heir is female simply because it is in a males psyche to be the dominating one. What everyone seems to fail to understand is that the heirs are raised since birth to be heirs. They are schooled and taught especially with that thought it mind. So, when a husband or wife comes along thinking they can rule, they are sorely unequipped to do so, and usually it results in a great deal of turmoil."

Victor was trying to get me to understand, and from a logical stand point, I did understand him. It was the emotional part of me that didn't understand, the boys would be expected to have children with the women their parents chose, and if they didn't love the woman or the woman didn't love them, how could they have a happy life.

I sighed trying not to dwell on it too much, "When will they be taking over then?"

Victor smiled, "Mariah and I are going to start throwing them into as much as we can very soon."

Isadorre looked up from my more erotic painting, "Why so soon?"

Victor shrugged at his sister, "We both have become quite jaded when it comes to a lot of the politics and the government needs the new vision that Dimitri and Ryder have."

"What does that mean for me, exactly?" I said softly.

Victor smiled at me and picked up the third painting I had made of Dimitri and Ryder and held it up, "May I have this?"

I nodded, "Of course."

Victor wrapped it in brown paper I hadn't noticed had been sitting there until I saw him start to wrap, "You will be introduced into society as the heir Advisor after your first semester is over."

I gasped and counted on my fingers, "That's like four months away."

Victor nodded, "Yes and I would like to see exceptional grades in your academics so there would be one less complaint about your introduction."

I nodded, "Okay, but you haven't forgotten that I'm a slave, right?"

Victor chuckled with his sister, "Of course not, and I would ask if you would like your brand removed but I can already imagine the answer."

I sat and thought about it, it would be amazing to have the scar that forever defines me as the lowest example of our society removed, however, my mothers pride wouldn't allow me to do it. I had been born as a slave, and if I eliminated that small piece of my history, I eliminate the greater part of who I was. 

"No, I don't believe I will."

Victor shrugged and looked over at his sister, "See, her pride runs very deep."

Isadorre looked at me with a worried look in her face, "You do realize that you will give every single Immortal the excuse of your status to refuse to accept you as advisor."

I crossed my arms and felt something tickling at the back of my mind. I concentrated and realized I was trying to remember a recent lesson in my political history and developments class. I broke down what the thought could possibly be and after far more work that I liked, the memory came back.

I cleared my throat to stop the two from debating each other, "Actually there is a provision in the original contract of governmental development that says that the advisor to the Immortal leaders could be a human of any status, granted that the current rulers, and future rulers approved of the candidate."

Isadorre started, "Where did you learn that?"

"Class, it took me a second to bring the memory back up, but once I did, it seems like a pretty simple fix, the complaints of the officials are easily over ruled by the very book they like to use to control the situations."

Victor snorted, "Don't say that out loud too often please."

I laughed and nodded, "I don't know much about the official business and history of the advisors, simply because I think my instructor finds the whole thing boring. We glazed over it briefly and are moving on."

Isadorre patted at her dress, as if to remove invisible wrinkles, "Well since we are going through with this plan I do believe it would behoove you to do a little extra studying on the title and responsibilities you will inherit from my brother and royal sister's unused advisor."

I nodded and helped Victor finish wrapping my painting. I didn't ask what he was going to do with it because I didn't feel it was my place. I looked at the other two paintings woefully and decided on the first to take to class. I grabbed my painting and Victor grabbed his wrapped painting and we left the Lilac room, each of us silently thinking about the conversation.

I left the two immortal royals down the hall as I went quickly into my own room. I had something new I must study and learn about and I felt ill equipped to do so. I left the painting on the side of my bed and walked quickly through the twisted halls until I came to a large, carved, maple door. I touched the different carvings, looking at the rendering of Shakespeare's Hamlet. I always touched Ophelia's flower covered form in the carving, feeling sadness as she laid in the bottom of the river.




The Pride of a Slave Ch. 06



I gave Ophelia one more caress and then pushed the door open, the smell of aging books assaulting my senses immediately. The palace library was second in size, its rival being the universal public library, which was located north, and was jealously guarded by the residents there.

I walked in feeling a sense of nostalgia as I did so and walked to the card catalog and pulled a few cards based on subject and went about finding the three books. I managed to find one only to sigh and put it back, it wasn't what I was looking for at all. I had to climb the library ladder for the second book, and I looked around hoping to spot a servant to do it for me. I hated heights, it was my weakness, so when I was faced with this dilemma I didn't know what to do. 

I decided to try and find the other book, and succeeded only to put it back, again not the right type of book. I looked forlornly at the ladder and kicked my shoes off, I wanted to feel the wood underneath my feet. I focused on the high shelf I needed and began to climb. Each step took me closer to the book and further from comfort, by the time I reached the shelf I was out of breath and shaking with fear. 

My body had frozen and I couldn't move, not up, nor down. All I could do was grip the book I had managed to grab before I fell apart and then grip the wooden ladder. I felt the urge to sob start to take over and only managed to hold it back by sheer will power. 

Time passed far to quickly and I began to feel fatigued, the shaking and terror taking all the energy right out of me. 

"You know, if I didn't know how horrible it was for you up there, I might think of leaving you up there for a while longer, just to enjoy the view." Dimitri's cool voice worked through my fear and I whimpered to him, "Please get me down."

I felt him carefully climb the ladder and with the strength I envied him, he reached an arm around my waist and pressed me to him and carried me back down the ladder. I felt my knees go out when we were back on the ground, and Dimitri caught me, smiling the entire time. My fingers were locked onto his shirt, and I was still shaking. He picked me up like a child and walked over to a chair and sat down holding me tightly and waiting for me to calm down. 

It took some time but eventually I stopped shaking, then a little while longer I released my death grip on Dimitri's shirt. I leaned back and looked at him and smiled weakly, "Thanks." He leaned forward and ran his lips softly down the nape of my neck and then with a soft kiss on my shoulder he whispered to me, "You are most welcome."

I shuddered, this time my shiver coming from an entirely different emotion. He sighed and stood up, letting me get off his lap before he stood up entirely. I looked at him confused and let him grab the book out of my hand and read the title. His eyebrows shot up in surprise and he looked at me expectantly.

"Your father and Isadorre thought I would benefit from private study for the position."

"You mean, he plans on making you my and Ryder's advisor?"

I nodded looking at him to gauge his reaction. He revealed nothing as he stared at the book. I reached up and touched his cheek snapping him out, instantly, of his musings.

"Does it bother you?"

He looked at my sharply, "Would it matter if it bothered me or Ryder? It seems my father and you have already decided on this."

I sighed dramatically, "You know as well as I that the legislative congress will protest me being in the position."

He grabbed my shoulders tightly, "and what is your plan if they do?"

I looked at him confused, "There is a law that says if you, Ryder, Victor and Mariah approved of the assigned person then it doesn't matter what the congress says, they have to respect it."

His eyebrows shot up and he looked closer at the book, "How did you now about that and I didn't?"

I smirked, "I was actually at the lecture that day, you were busy helping your father with some business."

He sighed and nodded, "Its hard to pay attention to that class anyway, it is rare that they discuss things I haven't already been taught when I was much younger."

I smiled and looked up at him, "So, what do you think about me being your advisor."

He shrugged, "Its better than that old codger being our advisor, and you already are. More often than not you are calming one or both of us down and getting us to listen to each other."

I beamed up at him, "Its weird but I feel, kind of, like I was raised to be your advisor just as much as you and Ryder were raised to be rulers."

He pondered my comment with a soft smile on his face, "Its true, you have been our advisor since toddlers. Did my father say when he was going to announce you as the heir?"

I nodded, "After finals, I think he's hoping that if I get the top of my class than it will ease the disagreements a bit."

He shook his head, "He's dreaming, but if you have your mind set on this, than I know it will happen regardless of the protests."

I turned his comment over in my head, "How have you been hearing complaints about me and I haven't?"

He looked at me pointedly, "Have you been going to many parties?"

I shook my head, "Of course not."

"Exactly, no one will speak openly in class, it would be questioning the Deans decision to accept you into the university, and this dean is very strict, he would expel protesters with little provocation."

"Oh, so they keep it quiet at school."

He nodded, "But at parties it is easy to listen to them complain. I'm somewhat glad my father forbade me to go to the parties, it was getting aggravating listening to those pampered Immortals complain about you. It usually ended in Ryder breaking someone's bones when the complaining really started to get out of hand."

I sighed and shook my head, "You both are stupid to take what people say about me to such heart. It always can get worse and going around being a snob or fighting people who just have a separate opinion, that is usually based on the views of their parents, is irrational. You have to let people vent out their worries and frustrations, and unless you want to calmly debate with them about the things they are complaining about, it is best to turn a deaf ear to it."

Dimitri chuckled and handed me the book, "You were defiantly raised to be our advisor. Now, go and study, I need the library alone for a bit."

I looked at him suspiciously, "Why?"

He chuckled, "I need to make a conference call and my father is using the other conference phone."

"Ah, got you, and I gather I cannot hear the nature of the call?"

He nodded then winked, "That is, until you are announced as the heir advisor. Then you get to suffer through these atrocious meetings along with Ryder and me."

I winced playfully and waved at him as I walked out. I gripped the book to me as I walked back to my room, and laid down on my bed and with my legs kicked up I began to read. The first chapter was very dry and I found myself yawning and falling asleep before I got to the second chapter. I felt cool hands on my arms and opened my eyes to see Dimitri's face.

"Hey, my father wanted me to let you know that he will not be showing for dinner, so the staff is taking the night off. I thought you would like to come to the kitchen with me and find something to eat."

I yawned and stretched, "You can just be honest and say that you want me there so that I can fix you something because you have no idea how to cook."

Dimitri snorted, "To be fair, I was never allowed in the kitchen after you convinced me that the flour bomb would be funny."

I noticed that Dimitri's light hearted tone was forced but I left it alone, he seemed upset by something, "Well, lets go then, what do you want?"

He helped me stand and brought me into his arms, holding me tightly for a few moments. I rested my face onto his chest and squeezed him back, breathing in his clean scent. He pushed me back and looked down into my face. I smiled and reached up and tucked his hair behind one ear, he smiled. 

I pulled away when I realized he wouldn't but kept my hand on him, running it down his arm and to his hand, lacing my fingers with his. He was in a very strange mood, and I couldn't help but to ponder it in focused silence as I walked with him to the kitchen. 

When we arrived I realized he hadn't told me what he wanted, "So, what will you have?"

He smiled and sat down on one of the stools at the counter, "Anything you want to make me."

I laughed, "Oh please, you are the pickiest eater alive, I need direction or you will be eating sunny side up eggs with toast."

He made a disgusted look, and I laughed knowing that he hated eggs and that I had used the proper threat to get him to direct me, "Make me a sandwich, steak sandwich, like you used to when we were studying really late during high school."

I chuckled, "Hopefully the cook wont try to beat me to death with her spoon when she sees some of the steaks gone this time."

He smiled at me but his smile didn't reach his eyes, "I made sure it would be alright if we used anything."

I nodded and walked into the huge freezer and found the steaks that I knew Dimitri loved and pulled them out. I threw them into boiling water so they would defrost and I began to make the mayonnaise, which was what made the sandwiches special. 

I made it a point to face Dimitri as I cut the sun dried tomatoes and basil into fine, thin slices, hoping that he would talk to me. As I added the olive oil to the mixture and stirred so the herbs and tomatoes would give the oil their essence I heard Dimitri sigh, "I will miss this."

My had frozen in mid mix and looked up at him, a sense of worry seizing my chest, "What will you miss?"

He looked at me and shook his head slightly and sighed, "I have to go soon."

I started to stir again, this time with renewed vigor, letting the nervous energy out through my hand, "What do you mean?"

He watched me silently for a few minutes and I finished the mix by adding mayonnaise and a few different seasonings. I stirred it together and then put it in a small bowl and put it in the walk in refrigeration and grabbed a knife and cut the bone out of the steak. When I was finished and set the knife down and looked up at him waiting.

"I am going to have to take my tests the day before Ryder comes back, and then once he is back, I am going to have to travel." He spoke softly but his voice had an edge.

I resumed cutting the steak until I had a thinly cut, tenderized steak. I put the pan on the stove and turned the heat on and then turned to Dimitri, "For how long?"

"Until your announcement ball."

I looked at him disgusted, "I didn't know my announcement had to be a ball."

Dimitri's smile flashed briefly before once again disappearing, "Yes, well my Aunt thought the announcement would go better if it were made in to an elaborate party."

I sighed and put the steaks onto the now hot pan, I seared Dimitri's steak and seasoned it before quickly taking it off, leaving it very rare, just like he liked it. I covered my steak and let it cook while I finished his sandwich, cutting the home made rolls and putting the mayonnaise and steak onto it. I closed it and cut it in half then dug through the cupboard and pulled out the small preserves jar.

I opened the home canned jar of jalapeño slices and put nice pile on his plate. No one besides perhaps the cook and I knew that Dimitri adored the pickled jalapeños, and that my mother was to blame for getting him hooked on them for life. They were impossible to find on this side of the border and during jalapeño season the Palace would send a human servant out to buy pretty much every canned jalapeño they could find, just so Dimitri could have his fix.

I handed him the sandwich and poured him a glass of water then returned to finish my sandwich and sat across from him at the counter. We both ate in silence until I couldn't stand it anymore, "Okay, so why do you have to travel? And where are you traveling to?"

He popped a few slices of jalapeños into his mouth and chewed pensively, which I didn't think was possible while eating ones favorite food, "I have to travel to the other countries."

"Okay, and why do you have to do that?"

He cleared his throat, "Because your announcement isn't the only reason for the ball. I am going to be personally inviting the Immortal, eligible, princesses of the various royalties to attend the ball."

I sighed and took a deep drink of my own water, "Already? Your father is pushing all of this rather fast." I tried to sound professional, but my stomach and heart squeezed when I processed what he was saying, Dimitri was officially on the hunt for his queen now.

He nodded, "I believe it is because my father believes that if Ryder and I are actively courting young ladies it will lessen the shock of the announcement of your heir status."

"Basically, he's hoping that if you and Ryder are busing chasing princesses and mates that people wont freak out because I'm a female."

He nodded and I couldn't help but to chuckle, "I figured everyone's biggest worry would be that I'm a slave, but I guess it is pretty scandalous that both of you are princes and a girl is being made your advisor."

"The fact you are a slave will be another hardship but Ryder and myself have already added our names to my father and Mariah's to the veto of congressional option."

I nodded, "I remember that in class, the veto of congressional option basically means you are telling the congress that they can't make decisions above your own when the two ruling houses are unanimous in the decision. When was the last time you guys had to use that?" Dimitri made a face, "Its been a while."

I nodded and finished my water and food then cleaned both of our dishes and put them away. Dimitri helped with the cleaning and when it was all done we both walked out of the kitchen and decided on a walk around the Palace halls.

"So, I don't understand why you seem so frustrated with having to travel."

Dimitri squeezed my hand, "I'm not ready to give this up yet, not when I just started to explore it."

I smiled at him, "This meaning us?"

He nodded, "I cannot imagine many women vampires agreeing to a marriage with an heir that is in love with his advisor."

I felt heat cascade through me at his words and I blushed but I kept my face as neutral as possible, "You have the added bonus of being THIS countries heir. We hold most of the power in the world, that alone will entice a princess."

"I can't imagine what type of girl will agree to marry me like this, though."

I rubbed my thumb across the top of his hand thinking, "Well, just invite every available princess you can get your hands on. When the announcement is made I'm positive some of them will leave. From the ones that don't then we can go from there."

"Yes, well there's another reason I don't like this whole situation. The travel."

"The traveling? Why?"

He stopped and pulled me to him and leaned forward and brushed his lips gently against mine, "You will be left alone with my main competition." I pulled back and rolled my eyes, "He is not competition, I will not chose between the two of you which should eliminate this whole absurd competition idea. And you will only be gone for a few weeks."

"You are trying to make it sound like less time but it's a couple of months Sera, don't try to break it down into weeks."

I sighed, "I'm sorry, I wish..." I let the sentence hang but I knew that he understood what I wished because he pulled me to his side briefly before we returned to walking.

"The only satisfaction I will have is that he will not be around all the time. Mariah wants him to do the same as I am doing, but on a much smaller scale. He will be gone a lot but he will still get to see you more often than I will."

I kissed the top of his hand and we silently walked through the halls until we reached his rooms. I tried to let his hand go but he wouldn't let me go and instead pulled me into his rooms. I tried to protest lightly but his mouth locked onto mine before I could form any words.

He pressed me to the door and continued to kiss me, his kisses hungry and passionate. I stood on the tips of my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck kissing him as deeply as I could. My tongue slipped out of my mouth and ran across his lips only briefly before his mouth opened and invited me in.

Our tongues danced in and out of each others mouths, my breathing ragged as we continued to kiss. At some point he picked me up and relocated to his room. He closed the door firmly behind him as he carried me to his bed, our lips never leaving each others. 

He set me on the bed and I scrambled to my knees while he stood at the side of the bed. I broke the kiss first as I pulled his shirt over his head and off of him. I returned to kissing him and kissed slowly down his neck and collar bone. I kissed down his chest running my hands along his bare torso, my hands hot against his cold skin. 

He let me kiss down to his navel before he moaned and yanked me back up and kissed me with more ferocity. I met his kissing, coaxing the intensity away leaving the loving passion in its wake. I pulled away again and pulled my shirt up and over my head. My white cotton bra came into view and I made quick work of pulling that off as well. 

I knelt on the bed in front of Dimitri and felt his stare on my bare skin. His stare felt hot on me and I felt my body warm and send small waves of heat to my center. He leaned forward and kissed the nape of my neck, pressing me back into the soft blanket of his bed. His hands ran down my sides, each finger leaving a trail of cold pleasure in their wake. 

He reached down and unbuttoned my skirt and made quick work of getting it off of me. I ran my hands up and down his back until his mouth slid further down my body and rested just above my breast. I felt him breath his cool breath onto each nipple, pausing to watch them harden before locking his mouth onto one. I moaned softly and felt my center become warmer and grow moist. 

He switched from one nipple to the other, his hand reaching up and tweaking and pinching the damp nipple while he sucked and nipped on the other. I felt my need for him growing and arched into him. He responded by his hand leaving my nipple and dripping to my hips. Never breaking his kiss on my nipple he pulled my underwear off of my hips and down my legs. 

I worked the panties off and he ran his hands up my legs and across my hips, my skin so sensitive that it felt like electricity running over me. He nipped my nipple soundly before releasing it and kissing the rest of my breast before kissing down my chest and down my stomach. I shuddered and heard his belt buckle clink then his zipper and finally the sound of his pants hitting the ground.

By now I was sopping wet and the electricity was doing nothing more than drive me insane with a carnal need. I pulled Dimitri back to me and locked his lips to mine and arched my body against his. He responded by pressing himself and me back down into the bed. 

I let him lift one of my legs and open me to him and I wrapped it around his hip as I felt the hard head of him stroke gently against me. I reached down and grabbed it and pulled him to my opening.

He broke the kiss and looked down at me with amusement and I moaned in response, "Dimitri..."

He touched my face and staring at me he thrust into me in one stroke, burying himself to he hilt into me. I felt myself invaded, my walls stretch just enough to allow him entrance. I was snug against him and flexed around him eliciting a moan from him. He kissed me briefly before he began to stroke in and out of me. It was like fire every time he moved, the friction of him inside of me driving me insane. 

I exploded in a cry after only two slow strokes, but Dimitri wasn't done with me and my now sensitive body responded even more to him. He stroked deeply and slowly into me and I responded to each thrust, my legs wrapped around his waist and squeezing him to me. 




The Pride of a Slave Ch. 06



He leaned forward and breathed into my ear, "You are...so tight. You drive me insane Sera."

I could only moan his name in response and exploded again in a stronger orgasm when he grabbed my breast and pinched my nipples, continuing to thrust slowly and deeply in me. I kept thrusting against him his coolness responding against the flames of my skin. I kissed him and moaned to him, "Oh gods Dimitri...you feel so good."

He moaned and suddenly his thrusts became more powerful and I was more than happy to respond in kind and just as he released I did as well, this time screaming as the world shattered around me, my body exhausted and electrified from the pleasure. 

Dimitri collapsed on top of me and I nuzzled into his neck, the weight making it hard to breathe but I didn't care. After a few minutes he lifted himself enough to look at me, "Did I hurt you?"

I laughed and kissed him with the remaining of the passion in me. His kiss was soft and gentle without the intense need in it and it made my heart squeeze. I looked at his eyes, the very icy blue bleeding out and being replaced with his usual darker blue. He kissed my neck and with a sigh he pulled out of me. 

I moaned in displeasure but he just smiled at me and disappeared into the bathroom, returning quickly with a wash towel. I wiped off and stood up, wondering if he wanted me to leave. I made to grab my underwear but he snatched my hand and pulled me back to him and the bed, "Stay."

I snuggled against him and fell asleep to his steady breathing and his steady heart beat. I heard him murmur something but couldn't make it out before I was totally unconscious.



The Pride of a Slave



I smiled, "Mine too." I grew serious and began to take down my long chestnut hair, pulling each pin out and setting it on the bed.

My mother watched me and then reached forward and touched my hand softly, "I'm sorry Seraphina, if I had just ignored the announcement from the King you would not, perhaps, be in the situation you are in."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, "I would too, I just would be too dumb and brainwashed to know any better."

"That's what I mean Seraphina, for a slave, ignorance is bliss, and I took away your bliss before you even could walk."

I sighed and slammed my hands into my lap painfully, "I would rather KNOW what is going on and be where I am, than to be just another idiot walking around here thinking they are so important."

My mother grew quiet and we sat quietly before I finally laid down in the bed, on top of the bedding next to her small, frail form, "When do you think the pairing will happen."

My mother looked at me and reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, "I don't think you will get paired Seraphina, I think you will get mated."

My stomach dropped and I felt my hands begin to sweat, I would rather be paired with a family, I knew I would. The idea of being mated terrified me. The Administration would pick a guy and then would stick us in a room with our mothers and fathers and siblings, telling us the laws of being mated, and then would proclaim us married. If I were mated any chance at freedom would be gone, a woman in a mated pair had no freedom, no rights, nothing. 

The mated woman has to be quiet and docile. She never leaves her home unless it is with her husband or his family, she is to stay at the home and clean, cook, and take care of the husbands parents, while he goes out and as a servant to a family of Administers or Immortals. She is expected to have one child a year for six years. The first ten years of her life she is sheltered because it is believed these were the prime child bearing years for her. Once her ten years are up, she becomes her husband's property. It is common for a man to barter his wife for goods, services or even to satisfy a debt. 

It was a horror I couldn't imagine, occasionally though, mated pairs did fall in love like my mother and father had. But my father had died months before I was born, the victim of an accident at an Administrators home. My mother had once told me that she believed that my father's death wasn't an accident, because the next day the Administrator that my father worked for had propositioned my mother to stay at the house as his mistress.

When a woman loses her husband she has few choices, one is to become petition to the Administration to get paired to a family, get another mate or to work in the stead of the husband. What happenes more often than not, when beautiful women lose their husbands, Administrators would offer to make them mistresses and that would be the only option for them, because the Administrators would block them from getting paired or re-mated. 

The Kings announcement had saved my mother from having to sleep with Joe's father, another reason I think he was obsessed with beating me to a pulp. My mother had put her name on the list and had also known that it would be crossed off by the Administrator that wanted her. Instead, she instead sneaked out over the border and went to see the King personally, which had not been entirely unheard of, but surprisingly bold. My mother explained that she wouldn't be on the list because of the Administrator but she believed she could help, being both an unused source of energy and being maternal by nature.

He thanked her and a week later my mother and I had moved into the Palace. My mother had nursed the Queen out of her postpartum depression and back to health by sheer will power. My mother's dedication to the Queen was something the servants talked about even now, and because she had become so dedicated I had been left with the same nurse with Dimitri. We learned to crawl within hours of each other, learned to walk a day later and once we had learned to toddle, Ryder joined us. 

His mother was the Alpha of the Wolves, and it was tradition that the Heir of the Vampires and the Heir of the Wolves were nursery mates once both had started to toddle. It was a way that the original leaders could insure that the Wolves and Vampires would get along together without problems. It had only backfired once, when a female heir to the vampires and female heir to the wolves had become instant rivals instead of sisters, which had everything to do with their nursemaid than any true hidden animosity between the two, or so I believed.

The fact I was part of this special bonding was unheard of. Once it was found that I spent most of my time soothing the fights between the boys than being the source of the fights I was not only allowed to stay, but ordered to stay. Which meant when the Queen did, finally, die, instead of being thrown back to the fat, old, eager Administrator, my mother became a secondary pair for Dimitri's father, and occasionally a secondary source for Ryder's mother. They used her sparingly because it upset me greatly when my mother was in recovery, which, in turn, upset the two Princes.

I was allowed to go to all the same classes that the boys went to, especially after we were separated for a week and the Princes both had tried to beat each other within an inch of their lives. I was taken from my overcrowded, hot, dirty slave school room to the cool, high tech, clean, high class school of my friends. And it had stayed this way, until we were teenagers, and again I was taken away.

I had tried to soothe my two friends when they grew so violently angry when I was put back to the slaves that it took only two days this time before I was yanked out and put into the middle school with them. We all went to high school together, which ended up being a relief to the Administrators and the schools, because I was no longer the anomaly in the school. Instead, they could treat me just like the slave I was, I went to the slave classes, had my locker with the other slaves, ate at the same time as the other slaves. But I was never part of them, they kept distant and were often more cruel than welcoming. I would go to school with Dimitri and Ryder, visit them between classes and would go to Dimitri's home to work on homework.

The united high school gave the school the ability to test the entire population equally and find the rare prodigy or genius among the humans and to elevate them. It had been my only chance to avoid what I was now forced to face, the fact I was a slave.

I heard my mother's gentle snores and I walked into the kitchen and called Becka, my only slave friend. She picked up on the first ring, "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." 

"Oh, " Her voice sounded disappointed, "Did I interrupt anything?"

"No, I was just...what's up?"

I rarely called her, she was a friend that I had during my classes, never after. She couldn't handle being around Ryder and Dimitri and while the boys were more than welcoming to any friend I had, she simply refused to spend time with me any place other than in class. 

"It's unusual for you to call, what's up?"

I shifted uncomfortable and sighed, "I have a question for you."

"Me? Why not ask the Prince?" She sounded grumpy and I figured it was because it had gotten out about the confrontation between Ryder, Dimitri and the other immortal families.

"This is out of their depth." I said softly and I heard all the sounds from Becka's house dim.

"Oh." The attitude disappeared and she sounded worried, and a bit sad, "What do you need to know?"

I sighed and gripped the cord of the phone tightly in my hand, "I need to know when they do the pairing and the mating decisions."

Becka was quiet, "You aren't going to University?"

I couldn't help but to scoff, "I'm a slave Becka, what do you think?"

"I had hoped, well...I guess it was silly to think that they would have let a slave go to University." She sounded wistful which I never expected, "But I thought if any slave could do it, it would have been you."

"I don't know, I applied with Dimitri's and Ryder's families recommendations but I don't think it will help." I wanted to cry, and I could feel the tears building in my eyes. I took a few deep breaths to calm the feeling and waited.

"They will let us know who it is today, this evening. If you are paired you will be picked up by the servants of the family tonight to meet the one you are paired with. If you are mated you will get a hand delivered envelope with the name of your mate on it. Then you and your family should go and have dinner with his family." Her voice trailed off and she said very softly, "If you made it to University they will deliver a letter too. It will tell you stuff like which dorm you will live in, and then also it will tell you who your Guidance Counselor is."

"How do you know that and I don't?" I said teasingly, trying to release the stress and sadness between us.

"I wanted to know, what would happen to you, so I traded my stitching for information from a few girls from the Administrators side of the city."

I was shocked and thanked her no longer able to hold back my tears, "Thank you so much Becka."

"Anyway, call me when you know. I'll call you when I know too, okay?"

I nodded even though she couldn't see it and we both hung up the phone. 

I sat down at the kitchen table and chewed on my thumbnail, my leg slamming up and down so hard it was knocking against the table. I had sat in this exact spot for four years, studying day and night, and I thought it was appropriate that I would find out what I was going to face in the future at this very spot.

I watched the sun dip low in the sky and I knew it would be any time now. My mother walked carefully through the door and sat down in the rocking chair just to the right of me. We didn't say anything to each other and I kept chewing my thumb, having moved from the nail to the cuticle.

The knock from the door startled me out of my musings and I jumped up. My mother stood up and put her hand on my shoulder, "Let me Seraphina, it is traditional that the head of the house greets the destiny of their child first."

She looked so frail as she walked the short distance to the door. She had cancer, and while she was still, offically, being used by Ryder's mother, in reality she wasn't because Mariah loved my mother so much she didn't want to see her put in a hospital so she said she was, she had become weaker and weaker over the last month. I squeezed my eyes shut hoping for a servant to a family I was paired with unable to think about what I would do if it were just a delivery carrier.

My mother opened the door and I opened my eyes and saw the long white envelope and flung myself backwards so hard I pushed the chair back and ended up toppling feet over head. My mother thanked the man gracefully and closed the door and waited for me to right myself.

She was smiling and shaking her head, "Your first impressions are not getting anymore graceful."

I ignored her attempt and humor and grabbed the letter with a shaking hand. I touched it having visions of marrying someone like Joe and I nearly ripped it apart. After a deep breath I reminded myself that my father and mother had met this way and my mother spoke often of how much they had loved each other. So I carefully popped the soft wax seal and stared at the letter head.

I froze, stunned and after a few minutes of not moving my mother sighed and grabbed the letter, "It can't be that horrible Seraphina...oh my!!"

I stood up and grabbed it from her and stared at the letter head again, it was for University.

We are proud to accept you as the first slave class student among our ranks. Your recommendations from both personal and school were impressive, and with your grades being high enough to adequately and comfortably compete with the other students at this institution we are proud to offer you not only a spot to further your education but also to offer you a full ride scholarship, created by our proud, magnanimous, and successful rulers of the immortal colonies, so that you and future generations may be able to follow in your footsteps.

Your housing is still being discussed due to your uniqueness to our population.

Your counselor is the Lady Harrington of the lead Alpha Pack, and Madam Aleckzaner of the royal family.

Your enrollment has already been processed so further efforts need not be met by you or your family. You will meet with both your counselors tomorrow at noon to pick your classes and future major, also you will use this session to discuss your housing arrangements. 

The dean,

There was an illegible name written on the bottom but I didn't care I was gasping at the letter, "I made it! I MADE IT MOM!!!!"

I burst into honest, full tears and my mother stood up and ran outside and to the neighbor's house I worried only briefly about her running then ran myself to the phone and dialed Becka's phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, is Becka there?"

"Oh, yes I think I can catch her hold on..." I heard the woman called to Becka and I heard Becka run to the phone out of breath.

"Sera, I got paired, not mated!!"

"Becka...IM GOING TO UNIVERSITY!!!" I held the phone away from my ear as she screamed and then her whole family screamed in the background. 

I heard an echo of the scream and pulled the phone from my ear and listened to the neighbors run outside screaming that I had made it into the university. I felt choked up for different reasons this time, I had never thought about how much me getting into the university would mean to the people around me. I had labored long, and hard, night after night and I remembered the breads that were handed to me as I jogged to the border, the lunches that were on my doorstep when my mother was too sick to go shopping or we didn't have enough money to shop.

My door burst open and my mom dashed in, her cheeks flushed in the first sign of health I had seen in her in such a long time. She hugged me crying and was closely followed by the families of the houses next to us, who I had never had enough time to get to know, but had known about me. They hugged me and my mother cheering and carrying on, and suddenly food began to appear on the table, cakes, pies, and deserts, all using the sparingly found sugar. 

Suddenly the open door was crowded by guards who looked around upset, "What's going on here, a gathering? A meeting?"

A neighbor turned and beamed at the three guards, "A celebration!"

The guards looked at me and humped, "What, did she get mated with the Administrators?"

The crowd erupted in hoots and hollers ignoring the agitation starting to show on the face of the guards. My mother stood on a chair and looked at the guards and yelled, "No, MY DAUGHTERS GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY!!"

The guards jaws fell open as the crowd started changing, "U-ni-ver-si-ty, U-ni-ver-si-ty!!"

A dark windowed car pulled up and everyone turned as Becka flew out of the door and ran up the stairs. I met her at the door and crushed her into a hug, both of us crying. She had been afraid she would be mated like her mother and two older sisters had been, and I had the same fear. But she quickly explained she was being paired to a Duke who had just moved into the area to teach at the University. She explained that in order to teach, he had to be paired and that was why Becka had lucked out and been plucked from a sure destiny of breeding. 

The guards began to encourage the neighbors to return to their houses reminding them of the curfew, but did it with small grins on their faces, and they did it kindly. As the last of our neighbors left and Becka was back in her dark car driving away to her pairing, the guard's radio crackled and they raised it to their ears to listen.

They looked at me after a moment and then the leader confirmed into the radio and reached up and grabbed my coat from the coat hanger, "Might as well put this on, you have half the Alpha's and Vampires on our borders pacing in anticipation. I'm just glad we got good news for the lot of them."

I turned to mother who was sitting down shaking but smiling, "Go, I need to get to bed, I was over eager and now I'm exhausted." 

I smiled and kissed her cheek and put my coat on, following the guards out. I stayed with them smiling and waving to the heads that were shot out of a window that yelled to me. One house after another's phone rang, there was yelling and then they were sticking their heads out of their little houses to congratulate me. I had a very hard time keeping myself from crying and just kept smiling and waving as the tears dripped down my cheeks. 

We crossed the invisible line and were walking through the Administrator's part of the city. The sounds of cheering and celebrating could still be heard as we walked down the dark, silent road but it soon faded leaving nothing but the sound of our feet on the road. 

The walk didn't take long and eventually we turned a corner and I saw the bright lights of the border. There on the other side sat a large group of partying Wolves, wearing the bare minimum of clothing and to the left of them were Dimitri and his father and a few of their immortal servants waiting, wearing party clothes, looking like they had also left a celebration to be here. 

The wolves spotted me first and they all began to howl causing everyone to turn and face me, including the very nervous border guards. I also saw a few of the Administrators by the border pacing back and forth agitated at the commotion but having to bite their tongues because not only was Dimitri's father there but Mariah, Ryder's mother, was there as well.    

I cleared my throat and let my tear stained face lose all of its joy and instead dropping my head down, I couldn't help myself, I didn't get a chance to play a trick on Ryder and Dimitri often. One of the guards seemed to laugh but hid it as a cough behind his fist. Everyone got quiet when they saw me and I walked briskly but with my head down to the border. I was through it quickly and swept up in a hug by Ryder and then released only to be hugged by Dimitri.

"We know it was not a pairing." I nodded and held up the letter, hiding the wax seal, showing Ryder.

He gasped and sat down with a loud thud onto the ground, "H..how bad is it then?"

I wouldn't talk knowing I wouldn't be able to hide the joy from my voice. Dimitri's father grabbed my hand and I was very surprised he didn't know what was going on, "We are sorry this is the way of things Seraphina. If the University didn't accept you of their own accord, there was nothing Mariah nor could I have said or done to force them."

I looked up and noticed Dimitri's angry eyes narrow suddenly as he grabbed my chin and turned it to him, ignoring his father's sound of protest. I tried not to look directly at him but I still didn't work, instead he grabbed me in a breath eliminating hug.

"You got in!!" 

I laughed and hugged him before I was passed to Ryder who hugged me also but vowed revenge for the trick into my ear. I beamed at the whole group and flipped the letter over and showed them the clear, soft, wax seal. Both Mariah and Dimitri's father Victor were stunned.

"My, my, my, will wonders never cease." Mariah and her whole loving pack hugged me congratulating me before bounding off back to their revelries, Ryder stayed with me instead of going with them. 

The look on Victor's face wasn't as joyous as I would have thought, but he seemed glad. If anything he was glad for me but seemed bothered by the Universities decision, the face of the ruler replacing the face of my best friend's dad.

"May I read your letter?" I nodded, handing it too him and then distracting myself with telling the two boys what the reaction of everyone around me was.




The Pride of a Slave



They laughed loud, full laughs at the celebration and both strained their ears saying the slaves were still calling and partying. I also told them about Becka, both genuinely happy for the girl. 

"Who is the relative of yours that arrived." I asked curiously to Dimitri.

"My Aunt Isadorre. My father's little sister." He smiled and shrugged, "We haven't been acquainted as of yet."

Victor handed the letter back to me, "This explains why she suddenly appeared, she is one of your Guidance Counselors."

Dimitri looked at his father suddenly concerned, "They brought Aunt Isadorre here to be a counselor?"

Victor nodded, "I knew a few teachers had quit, transferring to another University further north, but I didn't understand what was happening until now."

I got the first bad feeling in my stomach when I heard this, "They left because I was accepted?"

Victor neither nodded nor shook his head, instead changing the subject, "When the old President of the University retired, Mariah and I went through many applications and settled on this particular immortal from the East. He was a bit more progressive in his thinking, but not so much as to rock the boat this much. My guess is he was left with little option considering the letter here says that he got recommendation letters from your teachers.

I looked at him puzzled and reread the letter, "That's weird, I didn't get a single recommendation from them, just from you and Mariah."

"Well apparently you had more people in your corner than you anticipated, it is comforting to see so many rally behind you."

I looked at Ryder who was avoiding my look, an entirely too smug look on his face. Victor and I both noticed and we narrowed our eyes at him.

"What did you do Ryder?" I accused and he looked at Dimitri who seemed to nod slightly out of the corner of my eye.

"We went around collecting recommendations, your teachers already had them filled out and sealed, they were just waiting for you to ask." Ryder boasted.

Dimitri crossed his arms, "It was your friend Becka, though, who put the most work in. I think she got everyone in your neighborhood to write letters of recommendations. In fact, by the time Ryder and I delivered all the recommendations with your applications I would have had to assume that there was a letter from every slave household."

My eyes watered and I touched my chest stunned, everyone had rallied behind me, when I had thought I was so much alone, they had pooled together silently to support me. Dimitri and Ryder laughed and each kissed my cheek, passing my letter between them before tucking it into my back pocket.

"Alright boys, each of you have a celebration that you are neglecting, and Seraphina is out far past her curfew. Seraphina, I ask that you come to the Palace before your interview, you will need an escort to go into the University, and my son might as well make himself useful since his interview is during the same time."

Dimitri smiled at me and winked before schooling his face and waving back to me wishing me a good night before getting into the car with his father and driving off. Ryder hugged me again and kissed my cheek again, "I'm so proud of you little sister. I wasn't sure what my life would be without you, in that scary university."

I laughed and shook my head, "You haven't been afraid of anything since Dimitri put a snake in your crib to get you over your phobia."

Ryder lifted his nose into the breeze and looked back to the border worried, "Hurry back to your home, don't dawdle. There isn't a guard to take you back and I'm worried about you going so late at night."

I shook my head, punching him in the arm, my fist stinging but knowing he barely felt it, "I'll be fine, I'll see you tomorrow at Dimitri's."

Ryder nodded and watched me walk through the border, his face worried as his glowing eyes followed me until I disappeared around the corner. 

I walked quickly, being unable to run because of how dark it was. I knew I didn't have to worry about the guard, they all knew why I was pass curfew, but the silent, dark streets were frightening, none the less. 

I had just passed the park when someone grabbed me and covered my mouth with a soft, large hand. I squirmed against the grip and felt myself dragged backwards until I was thrown down into the grass. I tried to get up and run but was soundly punched in the face and fell to my knees.

"That's the perfect position to start." I began to shake as I realized it was Joes voice. I gained my wits quickly as I heard his belt buckle and heard his zipper. I swallowed my gag reflex and waited.

"See, you are already ready for it. A whore, just like your mother." He came closer and I saw him in the darkness, and I punched my fist out as hard as I could, feeling my knuckled slam into the hot, sweaty flesh that had just been exposed.

He screamed and fell to the ground cursing. I tried to stand up but the world spun and I fell back down again with a groan, instead scurrying against a tree trunk. There were lights as two familiar guards ran quickly towards us. The lights flashed to Joe and they made a disgusted sound and then turned to me. 

"Holy hell, we are all dead." I must have looked bad because both guards ignored Joe and instead knelt in front of me, holding my chin and looking at my head, hurting it as I looked into the light of their flash lights. 

Joe finally recovered and was on his feet screaming, "I'm going to kill that worthless slave!"

He rushed me and the guards, landing a kick into my stomach soundly, a crack shattering my world into a thousand painful pieces, it was my rib again. The guard threw Joe off of me and smacked him in the gut with his small club, knocking the wind out of Joe.

"Do..you..know..who..I...am?" Joe gasped out holding his stomach.

"I do, and do you know who you just attacked?" The guard growled to Joe as the other one tried to figure out why I was gasping for breath.

"Yeah, that's Seraphina, from the slave block. She got her mating pair tonight."

"Where did you hear she got a mate from?" The guard pressed, he sounded agitated. 

"I saw her walking with her letter, with my own eyes."

The guard grabbed the envelope that had fallen when I had gotten punched and shoved it into Joes face hissing at him, "She just got accepted to University, you imbecile."

Joe grew stunned, "She's going to the administrative program?"

I whispered softly to the guard next to me, "Academic program."

The guard gasped and jumped up, "She got accepted into the Academic Program, she ranks us all."

I groaned and the guard got onto the radio while the other guard grabbed Joe and flung him over pinning him down with a knee and hand cuffing him tightly before standing him up and marching him away, his pants still down around his ankles. The other guard spoke quickly into his radio and quickly I heard the sirens of an ambulance scream through the silent air. It stopped and I was quickly strapped to a bed and pulled in. The pain and exhaustion of the day got the better of me and I finally blacked out, my last thoughts of my mother, hoping she was alright.





******************

I felt a familiar presence smiled slightly and the person pressed his hot face against mine. I felt him inhale deeply and then turn and kiss my cheek and squeeze my hand briefly. I opened my eyes to see Ryder walk out Dimitri standing on my other side with a grim look on his face. He spotted me and grabbed my hand, squeezing it softly as well, his face not changing, something I spent four years insisting he never do on my account.

"Where is Ryder going?" I winced as I spoke but I shifted the pillows and sat up with much huffing and groaning, the pain in my rib not nearly as painful as that last time I broke a rib.

"He scented who it was that attacked you and he is reporting it to the police. It seems the Administrators want more evidence than two guards seeing the whole thing happen in front of them."

I sighed, it was commonly accepted that a werewolves nose in both human and wolf form was impeccable. So having a wolf state on record that they scented the person being accused on the victim as good as condemned the person, and with this wolf just happening to be the future Alpha, I was satisfied to know that Joe would get his rightful due.

Dimitri helped settle me into the bed and then pulled a chair to the bed and sat down, "Our three interviews got rescheduled for later tonight at the Palace. The University was worried that the attack on you had to do with your acceptance. Much to my horror I find out that this guy has been attacking you regularly and that this had nothing to do with your acceptance but rather a long, steady, pattern of abuse."

I winced at Dimitri's cold voice and looked down at my hands, "I didn't want to get you guys involved, you both get so hot headed so fast, I was handling it on my own, and I got in a good shot."

Dimitri sighed and put his head on the bed next to my hand. I ran my hand through his hair, softly scratching his scalp like he liked me to do whenever he was sick or very sad, like when his older brother had died. He just stayed there letting me soothe him, and I in turn felt soothed. 

Finally he looked up and Ryder walked in his face pale and drawn. He saw me awake and grabbed the chair on the other side of my bed and sat down pressing the top of my hand to his forehead. I looked at my two friends sensing that they were very sad about something.

I couldn't quite place what they were so upset about and so I soothed both of them, "I'm really alright you two, I've had worse."

They both lifted their heads and looked at each other before Dimitri nodded. They grabbed my hands solidly and Dimitri cleared his throat, "Actually, Sera, it's about your mom."

My heart froze, everything in me froze. The very pale, tired, happy, face of my mother flashed into my head, that was how I last saw her, beaming happy when I left to see my friends. I began to clench down on my friends hands, my heart pounding in my ears, the rest of my muscles frozen. 

"S...She passed away last night." Dimitri's voice was thick with emotion but I couldn't do anything but stare at him as the words he said stuck to my skin, refusing to sink in so I could understand them.

"What?" I said, my voice strangled and high pitched.

Ryder wrapped my hand with his other hand, his large hands engulfing my small ones, "She died last night, she's been sick a while Sera. Mother said that she was holding on just long enough to see that you were alright. She lived longer than anyone guessed she would."

"What?" My brain wasn't functioning, I heard everything they said, I felt everything they were feeling, but I simply couldn't understand. All I could see was the pale, exhausted, so very proudly happy face of my mother.

I felt the frenzy building as I realized that I wouldn't see her again. I would touch her, cuddle against her in our only bed, listen to her wisdom on how to handle my life, or hear her soft lecture about patience with the Princes, when I was so frustrated I could have killed them. 

The feeling of guild hit first and I looked at Ryder, "I shouldn't have left..."

Ryder shook his head, and Dimitri recaptured my attention, "Sera, she died in her sleep, she didn't feel a thing. But the fact of the matter is, it was determined that she died minutes after you left, you couldn't have done anything."

I stared at Dimitri hearing this horrible gasping, screaming, sobbing sound in my ears and when I looked at his expression I realized the noise was coming from me. Ryder and me wrapped in his arms quickly and I fought against him, forgetting my rib or anything else. I punched and scratched at his arms, all the while sobbing. He held onto me until I quit struggling and then let me lay back down, only to be lying next to Dimitri, put into his arms.

I pressed my head into his shoulder and wept until I felt sick. A nurse came in and was quickly dismissed with a roar and a tray thrown at her by Ryder, who was sitting behind me and stroking my back as Dimitri cradled me. I began to calm down and shake, not from Dimitri's cold skin, the feeling soothing against face, but I pulled Ryder's hand and he laid down behind me throwing his large arm across me, eliciting a small protest as it fell onto Dimitri. I reprimanded them softly and fell asleep, feeling safe as I slept with my two friends as I had when I was small and my mother was away only because she had too big a heart, and too much determination.

I woke up a little while later with a ferocious pain in my side, realizing it was because I was laying on my rib in Dimitri's arms, and Ryder was snoring away in my ear, his hot arm pressing me into my hurt rib. When I opened my eyes, Dimitri's blue eyes were glowing brightly as he glared at Ryder until he saw my eyes and then the icy burn subsided.

"How can you sleep with all that racket." He murmured softly and I smiled at him.

"He is used to sleeping squished with everyone, its how a pack is. And it's always been comforting, Dimitri, some creatures need touch." I winced and I reached behind me and pinched Ryder's nose, the wolf instantly jumping up in defense, snorting and growling half asleep, "What's going on..."

"Sorry Ryder, I needed to get up." Ryder's face softened and he and Dimitri helped me resituate until I was alone, sitting up in the bed. 

Dimitri had just started to straighten his slacks when the door burst open and a very grumpy doctor stormed in, glaring death at the two Princes.

"Good, I was prepared to start a war to get you out of that poor girl's bed. She needs rest and sleep, not whatever that was."

Dimitri stared at her coolly and Ryder just yawned and stretched, "Oh stuff it sis, what's the damage." 

She pointed to Ryder, "Mom wants you home NOW, she said you shoulda been home an hour ago. Not to mention about three nurses saw your bonding sleep here, and all three of you are in trouble. But don't worry, Sera they are more mad at my idiot brother than anything else."

I smiled at the Theresa, she looked just like Mariah, but had lacked the strength, inner and outer, to be an Alpha, which was why Ryder's only older sibling was the head of the hospital, rather than the future Alpha. 

Theresa pointed to Dimitri, "Your father wants to speak with you right now, he's in my office."

Both hesitated looking back at me worried, I sighed and nodded at them, "Go on."

"That's right, go on, I need to check her over and your big ole bodies are in my way. Out with the pair of you." Theresa shooed them out the door and slammed it closed, leaning against it and sighing.

"I'm glad they listen to someone. I was afraid they wouldn't leave."

"They're are just upset."

Theresa paused and nodded, "Yeah, we are all pretty upset over at the pack too. Your mom was very well liked by everyone. Mom is beside herself, she just won't let anyone see it. Now I need to take a look at your bruised rib, and black eye."

I hissed as she prodded, "I figured it was broken."

Theresa shook her head, "No no, just a good bruise, will feel worse because it feels like it takes longer to heal, but you can get up and move around now. In fact I would rather you do it now so that I don't have to worry about Di telling Ryder that you were forced out of bed limping and in pain and all of that."

I smiled and got out of the bed slowly, the doctor helping me stand and get my balance before walking. The bruised rib felt terrible but nothing I couldn't handle my head is what felt bad and I groaned holding it as I sat back down."

"Yeah, that idiot got you pretty good upside the head, you have little knot there but no big damage, just take it easy on the sports, and especially don't let Di and Ryder get you all riled, or else that headache will turn to nausea." the doctor wrote something down on her computer pad then grabbed my I.D. and swiped it, putting my medical instructions and prescription on my I.D. "Alright, you get a little something to help to sleep at night, and some basic pain medication for the head, I want you to use it sparingly."

I nodded only wincing softly, "I don't really think I'll use it."

"Good, that's the spirit. Alright, I'm dismissing you from the hospital with strict instruction that if you start seeing floaters or colored dots, or start vomiting regularly, you return, got it?"

"Got it." the doctor handed me my I.D. and walked out. I sat on the bed, feeling scared and confused. I had nowhere to go now. I didn't have a home now, the house was mother's, and when she died the house was reassigned to a new mated couple. If I had been mated or paired I would just go to my mate or pair early and live with them. But I was lost at what to do, even the University had said they were still working out my living accommodations. I was homeless and the realization that Mother was gone hit me again and I pulled my knees to my chest and cried into them.

I felt a cold hand on the back of my neck and looked up expecting to see Dimitri but was surprised to see a very worried looking Victor. He patted my back and stepped back, "I am truly sorry for you loss, Sera."

"I didn't get to say goodbye." I choked out.

Victor nodded and with an understanding that could only be had from losing someone you loved , said softly, "We never do. And even if we get the chance, it doesn't feel like enough."

I nodded wiping my tears from my cheeks and closing my eyes remembering her so happy, I pushed the sorrow away. Victor waited for a moment then seeing that I was composed put his hand on my shoulder, "The doctor has told me that you have been released."

I nodded and said softly, "Do you think the University knows where I will be staying yet?"

"I doubt it."

"I'm homeless, then."

Victor snorted and gave me a grave look, "Absolute nonsense, do you have any idea the amount of bickering I did with Mariah over you? I haven't bickered with that woman since she and I were sixteen."

I smiled thinking of the two of them as children fighting over toys as Dimitri and Ryder had.

"No you are not homeless, you will be staying with me in the Palace. I thought the arrangement of you having your own room would suit you a great deal better than sleeping in a den with arms and legs pressed against you at all times." His face was still a mask of perfect motionlessness but his voice held a tease in it that made me smile in response.

"Thank you, you were correct." I said with much relief.

He nodded and turned and strode out the door, Dimitri coming in as soon as he left. Dimitri didn't say anything as he watched me hobble to the bathroom with my clothes to change out of the hospital gear. I winced as I carefully brushed my chestnut, wavy, hair. I looked at the girl in the mirror, shaking my head at the reflection. My hair was wavy, stuck between curly and straight, and it landed down the middle of my back, very long by slave standards. I was also very willowy and small by slave standards as well. My mother had been short and I had only managed to become a five foot five by the end of my growth. I was willowy, mostly thanks to having to run to my house every single day and then not eating either due to poverty, or simply because I was too busy studying to eat.

My mother had said that I had a very appealing body in the fact that while I was slender, I was still full in the bust and the rear end, leaving me with a very beautiful body type. I slipped my pants on and shirt, hiding my body figure from view and slowly shuffling back out to the room. 

Dimitri paused looking at me a strange look on his face, "I haven't seen you with your hair down since we were in basic primary school. It's really long and its really pretty Sera."

I thanked him and sat on the bed with my bag in my lap waiting for Dimitri to get the text that the car is ready. We sat next to each other and I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder, my heart still in a great deal of pain. He leaned his head onto mine and sighed neither of us saying anything until his pocket rang with a soft beep. Without looking at it Dimitri stood up and walked slightly ahead of me, as we walked out the hospital and to the car.




The Pride of a Slave



**********

I stood in my room, looking at it stunned, it was bigger than my entire house had been. The bed was large and had white gossamer curtains around it, allowing one to hide the bed from view. 

I started to protest but Dimitri shook his head, "Before you start complaining Sera, there are smaller rooms for the servants and I am sure that you would be more comfortable there. However, I thought you would want this room because it was the same room your mother used when she lived with us. You always slept in the nursery so I assumed you wouldn't remember it."

I got a little choked up when he said this and he was right, I didn't remember it but I felt a little better knowing I was in the same room my mother had spent her night in, sleeping as she changed the future for her daughter and herself by simply being the amazing woman she was. 

Dimitri placed my bags on the floor next to the door just as Ryder came in looking grumpy but no worse for the wear, "Shown her the closet and all yet?"

"No." Dimitri shook his head and Ryder leaned against the door frame.

"Okay, well Sera, basically the University has a dress code. Your normal clothes just wouldn't make the cut. Its nothing personal against the lower class humans, but its simply the fact that they believe finer clothing shows that the student care about their appearance." 

Dimitri nodded at Ryder's statement, "It is a sad truth that for Ryder and myself, that how we dress reflects directly on us as leaders. Most everyone in University got accepted because they will be politically, scientifically, or academically important. In all three of these, learning to dress properly and to be comfortable in proper clothing is essential."

I nodded at Dimitri knowing that they were right. Ryder cleared his throat and continued, "So, like I said it wasn't a direct stab at you. You are the first slave that we've ever heard of going to University. So before you start complaining about the clothes, just remember that they are so that you can adjust as well as possible."

I took a deep breath and nodded looking at the double doors of the closet, "It must be pretty bad if you guys gave me a disclaimer before I even took a look."

They both snorted and I walked over and with as much courage as I could muster I opened the doors and winced and hissed as the lights turned on. It was simply obscene, the amount of clothing in the room. It wasn't just the amount of clothing that was obscene as it was the fineness of the clothes. There was a great deal of silk, satin, lace, in bright amazing colors I had only seen occasionally here at the palace. I sighed as I walked in looking disheartened at the whole quarter wall dedicated to shoes of every kind. Some flat, some athletic, some fine and high, and some just old enough to make me think of them as work shoes. Next to that was a wall of purses, large gaudy name brand purses lined half of the section and the other half was a selection of smaller purses and bags, all still name brand but not as gaudy. 

I still accepted everything, the hats, the dresses, the shoes, the bags but I drew the line at the large cabinet of jewelry. I didn't open it but instead I crossed my arms and said loudly to the two standing at the door way, "Absolutely not."

I heard them murmuring to each other and I stormed out of the closet, "I draw the line at the jewelry!"

"Ha." Ryder said to Dimitri and he held to his hand and Dimitri handed him a wad of cash, the pair being rewarded with a sour look from me. 

Ryder and Dimitri held their hands up, "The jewelry in there was what your mother had given to you. Also a lot of that is Ryder's moms presents to your mother and you. You will need a selection of jewelry for the more formal occasions, regardless if you like the idea. The cabinet is more space than jewelry."

I took a breath and nodded, turning and looking at the room feeling greatly overwhelmed. Ryder threw an arm over my shoulder, "Well Di and I need to go get ready for the interview, and you do too. Use the closet, you need to make a good impression on the counselors so they feel inspired to help you as much as possible."

Dimitri nodded, "You need to shine like a new penny, if you dress and act like a slave you will be seen as nothing but a slave. We both know you have greatness in you Sera, just make the outside match the inside."

I nodded, "Alright, can you guys come back when you are done. Just knock and I'll let you in."

They both nodded grinning as if they had won a war without fighting and then both took off to their rooms. I turned back and walked into the bathroom, turning the shower on and getting into it, scrubbing every inch of me. I stayed in the shower longer than I normal would have, enjoying the fact that the hot water didn't fade away after a few minutes. 

I got out of the shower to a very plush set of towels and I put my hair up in one and wrapped another around my body and went warily to my new closet. I looked at all the dresses not liking how formal they all looked. After looking through them I started seeing less formal dresses but I still didn't like them. I sat on the bench in the closet and sat thinking about the clothes.

I hated the fact that the clothing would be a significant part of how people perceive me, and if I wasn't serious and didn't look serious or if I didn't look like I could handle what was being thrown at me, my link to success, my guidance counselors, would write me off, and it wouldn't matter if I were accepted or not, I would fail out after a year and never go back. 

I straightened my back and looked through the dresses again, unsatisfied with what I found. I couldn't look too formal, because then I would look stupid, like I was an onion trying to be an apple. I turned away from the dresses and began to search the rest of the closet, becoming more impressed with the extent of the different clothing in it. I grabbed a few shirts and pants and skirts and then as I moved around a few outfits I saw a beautiful, dark, blue, pinstripe, ladies suit. 

I pulled it down and grabbing a cream colored undershirt I put it on, surprised only mildly that it was in fact tailored to fit me. I put on a good looking pair of shoes and then spent a while in the mirror putting my wavy hair up in a twist that looked professional, but still young. 

I opened a drawer looking for some hair pins and stumbled onto a very expensive set up of make up. I looked at it nervously and held up a black coal liner, and lined my eyes, and a pink liner, and lined my lips, glossing them and with a hint of darker color on my lids I stepped back and looked at me entirely.

I looked very different, there was no doubt I was a human, that couldn't be avoided, and the brand of a slave was very visible on the back of my neck, but I didn't care about it being seen, it was part of who I was. The rest of me could have passed as very important Administration, maybe even main level Administration. The idea unsettled me a bit but I figured for a human that was a good thing to look and with a sigh I walked out into my room and waited for Dimitri and Ryder. 

They knocked a few minutes later and trying to tuck an unruly, curly, piece of hair back with the rest of my hair I opened the door. The boys looked amazing, like I knew they would. Dimitri was in a very good looking, perfectly tailored, black suit. The likeness to his father was unsettling, except, unlike his father, he kept his hair un-styled, letting it still fall down.

Ryder was wearing a black pair of slacks and a green, button up, shirt with a darker green tie. His hair was brushed and the frizzy curls were suddenly in control. I smiled at the two of them and invited them in, both of them looking me up and down. I shifted, not from being uncomfortable, but from hoping that I had judged right and was wearing something appropriate. 

After a few moments of silence between the three of us, with me trying to wrestle the lose curl into submission, and finally giving up Ryder nodded, "It looks good. That's what I think."

Dimitri nodded, "Yes, however, I don't know if you should have your hair up..."

My brand was something Dimitri hated on a very primal level, I had gotten it when I was two and he remembers me crying every night in pain because of it. I don't remember, but he does and because of that, he has always seen the brand on my neck and associated it with severe pain. 

I shrugged at him, "I'm a slave Dimitri, there's no getting around it."

Ryder nodded, "That's right Di, leave it alone. I think it's a bold statement, and I like it."

Dimitri pressed his lips together for a moment and nodded with a shrug, concern still in his eyes. We walked together into the main entrance way of the Palace and then reluctantly I let Ryder's and Dimitri's hands go as the boys went into separate rooms closing the door softly behind them. I turned and taking a deep breath walked into the atrium.

There were two women already seated at a small table, one vacant chair waiting for me. I walked to them quickly, picking out Madame Aleckzaner quickly from between the two. She was tall and much like Victor and Dimitri her hair was black, straight, and her face and body were much like her brother and nephew. The severe angles of the family made her look equally severe and quite intimidating and I would have been thoroughly intimidated except for her bright, blue eyes were twinkling with the same mischievous look that Dimitri's had when he was in an exceptionally good mood.

The other lady was the complete opposite of Madame Aleckzaner, while the vampire was tall, lean, and severe, Lady Harrington was short, barely over six foot which was very unusual for an immortal. She was round, and very merry looking, her face and cheeks flushed as if she were constantly laughing. 

Madame Aleckzaner noticed me first and stood up, Lady Harrington standing soon after both with wide, open smiles. I smiled in return and bowed to both of them, greetings them and then we all sat down waiting for tea.

"Well you certainly are quite lovely, Victor failed to mention that." I smiled at Madame Aleckzaner.

"Thank you Madam."

"Oh, goodness don't call me that, call me Isadorre when we are having private meetings like this."

"Oh, I agree, call me Jizelle, I can't imagine the horror of having myself called Ladyship all the time."

The two women both laughed and then turned their attention to the tea that was being served. I quietly stirred in the sugar and lemon into the tea and sipped it politely, my mother's instruction on proper tea etiquette reverberating in my head. When I looked up from sipping tea I saw the other two women staring at me intensely.

I smiled, setting my tea down and waiting politely with my hands in my lap.

"My, when I was told my first interview would be with you Seraphina, I must admit, I was a bit wary, even after speaking with Victor."

Jizelle smiled and patted her teased up hair and took another sip of tea, "Well, most of this meeting is to find out what your interests are and how we can reconcile that with what the plans for a major the University has for you. Which in this case is pretty open, so tell us Seraphina, what are you interested in studying?"

I took a breath thinking about what I was interested in and shaking from nerves I said softly, "I was interested in Anthropology or Sociology."

Both women sat back with a wince and sighed, "I'm not entirely sure you will be able to study that Seraphina."

I sighed disappointed and slumped a bit, "Why?"

"To be completely honest, it makes everyone nervous enough that you are going to University, but to center your studies on the role and development of the role of humans in our society, well that's too much." Isadorre was trying to be polite but I understood.

I sat back in my chair looking past the two counselors and to the windows, noticing the clouds moving across the sky. It didn't matter what I wanted, it was a brutal reality, and I was, suddenly, very glad my mother had died during the happy part of this whole thing.

"Alright, so what am I supposed to go into then? Because my guess is that it doesn't matter what I want to do unless what I want, is exactly what the University wants for me. So let's cut through the pretense of this entire conversation and get to the heart of the matter, what do they want me to major in, and then I'll take my class schedule, rooming assignment and we can, the three of us, be on our way."

Both women looked startled and Jizelle put her hand to her chest with a softly uttered, "My word."

I ignored the both of them, a dark streak of frustration and anger washing through me. I felt a cold hand cross the table and grab mine, "You have done well Seraphina, but things cannot be changed all at once. Take the steps that are given to you, and pick the battles for the other steps wisely. That being said, you will study politics."

I winced, "So I'm going to be an Administrator."

The calm, fluttery little Jizelle slammed her hand onto the table, causing the china to rattle violently, "You listen here young lady. Were you enrolled into the Administration program? No, you were not. A great deal of people fought to keep you out of that program. You are in the Academic program, and I can understand your disappointment but that is how it stands."

Isadorre seemed bemused by the woman's outburst and turned to me, "Matter of fact you are going to be in the same program that Ryder and Dimitri are being forced to take. Unlike them, however, you are not allowed to take a secondary major, mainly because we are more than aware that the work load would be too great for you to handle."

"You force them to take a major?"

Isadorre touched her chest, "Me? No, I do not. They are the future rulers, so as such, a lot of their destiny is predetermined, much as yours is right now. So if it helps, just try to remember that fact."

I swallowed feeling appropriately ashamed at my outburst and nodded, "I apologize for my previous words."

Both women waved them off and we sat down to finish the tea and spoke briefly of electives. Much to my horror Isadorre pulled one of the sketch books I kept at the palace out of her bag, "I found this in my room."

I gapped at her, "Your room is the lilac room?"

She laughed and nodded, "I saw your signature at the bottom, and I was wondering where you learned to draw like this."

She opened the book and handed one picture after another to Jizelle who kept patting her chest with soft "oh, my." every other picture.

"I taught myself."

I spotted one that I had done of Dimitri and Ryder, both of them sitting underneath the apple trees in the garden, Dimitri reading and Ryder sleeping. It was one of the rare times they had been touching, their shoulders touching, where I didn't have to force them. I considered it one of the best drawings of them I had done.

Isadorre sighed and continued to stare at the picture before carefully handing it over to Jizelle who gasped and stared at it, her face blushing, "This is beautiful."

Isadorre began to put the pictures back into the large pad leaving the last one out and on top, "Your technique needs a lot of work, but there is really something special about your art, especially the ones of Dimitri and Ryder, so I'm sure Jizelle will agree with me, that perhaps your electives should focus on art?"

Jizelle nodded emphatically and I smiled, "I have always wanted to get better."

She handed my pad back to me but I noticed her keep a hold of the drawing and I looked at her worried, "Oh, don't worry, I just want to show someone first."

I nodded and then stood up, realizing the interview had been concluded. Isadorre handed me my schedule, winking at me, "I had hoped you would agree to the art classes so I already enrolled you in them."

I looked at my schedule and taking a deep breath I thanked the women and turned and walked out.

*****

Isadorre smiled at the slaves departure, she was a bold girl, and Isadorre was content to know that all the while the girl would be pushed, she had it in her to push back just as hard. She looked down at the picture, her eyes automatically picking out the flaws in the shading and where the girl had spent too much time erasing a mistake.

The picture was stunning, despite its flaws, or maybe because of them. The drawing was amazing and Isadorre quickly bid the little Wolf woman farewell and walked through a hidden door way. She walked quickly through several of the unknown passageways until one opened up into her brothers study. He was silently reading something and as she closed the door behind her he cleared his throat.

"It would be more appropriate to enter through the main door Isadorre."

Isadorre held the picture behind her, "Oh hush, you already know I'm the only one that knows those passages. I have something for you."

"And what would that be?" He asked quizzically, his eyes leaving the page finally to look at his young sister.

"Seraphina has a talent I bet you didn't know of."

"It would not surprise me. The only thing that doesn't surprise me is how little I know of the child." there was a smile playing at the corner of his mouth and Isadorre felt a bit of her stress leave. Her brother was doing a lot better than she thought possible, since the loss of the Queen.

"Did you know that your son has been letting her spend her free time in my room?"

Victor shook his head, curiosity sparking his intelligent eyes, "Why have they been doing that?"

"Oh, probably because it has the best lighting in the Palace. She has certainly been using the window enough." Isadorre handed the page over to Victor.

He looked at it stunned for a moment, and then touched one of the edges very softly, so he wouldn't smudge the line, "Who?"

"Seraphina." Isadorre perched on the corner of the desk and watched her brothers expression go from amazed, to concerned, then amazed again.

"Her technique needs work."

"Oh I agree, it was a relief to find an elective she would be so interested in, considering you personally requested her to learn the same line of academics as your son, even though her mind was set elsewhere."

"I'm more than aware of where her mind was set on, but as optimistic and idealistic as she is, I'm hoping learning politics will give her the leg up she is going to need." He tapped his jaw in thought, considering the drawing carefully.

"Look at Dimitri and Ryder in the drawing, how often do you see the two of them at peace with each other like that?"

"Not as often as needed, to be honest I thought they both were going to take after their grandmothers for a while."

"Yes, I do remember when Ryder was first put in the nursery with Dimitri. You know, I remember you trying to do it when little Seraphina wasn't there, and the two did attack each other."

"That is how it has always been with those two boys, together and alone they are too opposite to ever get along. Seraphina's presence has ensured the boys at least consider each others opinions before disagreeing."

"This couldn't have been drawn too long ago, Victor, the boys look too old. I would say that she is getting them to do more than just not openly disagree right away."

Victor sighed, "I cannot lie when I say I wasn't greatly relieved when the University accepted Seraphina."

"I was relieved too." Isadorre and Victor both looked up to the door of the office and both smiled in greeting as Mariah walked in looking flushed and slightly out of breath.

"Ryder is still in his interview, I'm guessing Seraphina is done?" Mariah was speaking to Isadorre who nodded.

"She's as observant as you told me, she understood quickly about where she stood and her outburst was very minimal. She also looked very good in the clothes you both got her, the suit was nice on her."




The Pride of a Slave



Mariah smiled, "Oh good, I put that in there hoping she would wear that to the interview."

"The only thing I was concerned with was her hair. She is very understanding of her position in the University, but she does have a bit of a silent rebellious streak."

Victors eyebrows raised, "What do you mean."

"Well," Isadorre chuckled softly into her hand, "She wore her hair up, and did nothing to hide the slave brand. Almost like she was reminding us that she was a slave, and was doing it quite proudly."

Mariah and Victor both exchanged glances before Mariah shook her head a smile on her face, "The girls too much like her mother."

"I would say she's just enough of her mother to get through this." Victor said softly, looking down at the photo again.

Mariah went around the side of the desk and stood on the other side of Victor looking down at the drawing, "Wow, let me look at that."

Victor handed to her and she held it up careful not to touch anything but unmarked paper, "who did this?"

"Seraphina." Isadorre couldn't help but to sound smug because it was her discovery. She waited for the usual response about the technique but Mariah stayed silent looking at the drawing of her son.

"There is a lot of emotion in this drawing." Isadorre was surprised by Mariah's first comment and looked over at the drawing again trying to see what Mariah saw.

"She draws what she sees of our sons. I think even she was aware of how rare it is for those two boys to be so still, quiet, and together, and she drew it with a lot of love." Mariah said softly.

Victor nodded, "Yes, there is a great deal of emotion in that drawing."

Mariah handed the drawing back to Victor and turned to walk out only pausing at the door to say, "Give me a copy when you make yours."

Victor snorted at Mariah as she smiled and thanked him and walked out. Isadorre looked at the empty door way then looked back at her brother, "Let me know when you are done with that so I can give it back to Seraphina, I have a feeling that particular drawing is important to her."

"I will." Victor listened as his sister ghosted through the secret door in the wall and out of his study. He leaned back in his chair and looked out of the window seeing the garden and the exact tree that the drawing had been drawn from. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, standing up and looking at the portrait of his passed wife. He looked at her and said softly, "I hope this work is successful."

***********

I ran up to my room and putting my schedule carefully on my desk I went into the bathroom and washed my face clean. I pulled down my hair, leaving the wavy hair to its unruly ends. I took the jacket off when I first came into the room and stripped my pants off and folded them on the counter and removed the sheer, cream, silk shirt. Leaving me in my dark blue lace undergarments. 

There were very expensive, and far more revealing and delicate than I would have ever worn before, but they were comfortable so instead of stripping them off I kept them on, turning in the mirror, taking a moment to look at myself in them, feeling a bit of pride at the idea that I did in fact look very good in them.

I stepped out of the bathroom to cross the bedroom to the closet to grab a pair of pants and a simple shirt. I heard a gasp as I walked out and I turned to see Ryder and Dimitri sitting on my bed staring at me. I looked at them confused at how bright Dimitri's eyes had gotten and how red Ryder's face had gotten. Their eyes were locked on me, and when both sets of eyes looked down from my face I realized instantly what I was wearing.

I screamed loudly and ran back into the bathroom, "DAMN IT DON'T YOU TWO EVER KNOCK?!?!?!?!"

I grabbed the robe hanging on the hook and put it on, wrapping it and my arms around me before walking back out, mortified, horrified, and confused. Both boys were standing up and separated from each other, looking as thoroughly embarrassed as I felt. 

I stomped my foot breaking the silence, "No more coming into my room without knocking, got that you two?"

The both nodded still not looking at me, but instead looking everywhere but at me. I snorted in disgust and walked into the closet and closed the door behind me, changing in there. I came back into the room in jeans and my shirt and sat on the floor, resting my back against the bed and held my hands up for my two friends.

The sat beside me, one on each side and I crossed my legs and smiled at them, "So how did it go?"

Ryder moaned, "It was awful Sera, I am being forced to be in the Political program. Its too serious of a program for me, its too serious and its dry."

He sat back with a huff and crossed his arms in an expression too much like his five year old sullen self. I smiled and turned to Dimitri, "And you?"

"The same, of course. It is an obvious requirement that we go through the political program." He leaned back and his jaw tightened, and I could tell he was just as upset about it as Ryder.

I got on my knees and kissed his cheek and then Ryder's cheek, both boys touching their cheeks, "Me too, it seems."

The looked at me stunned, "Really? I was under the impression you were going into Anthropology."

I shook my head, "My classes were already picked out for me and everything before the meeting. But that aside, what are you guys doing for your secondary majors?"

Ryder flexed and wiggled his eyebrows at me, "Athletics! Its awesome, because I get an automatic slot in every team, because I'm majoring in it."

I nodded, the major fit Ryder perfectly, he was the only person I knew that had gotten upset because there hadn't been enough sports played in school. I turned to Dimitri who shrugged, "Classic Literature."

I smiled and bumped him with my shoulder, "Promise you will take a sport as either an elective or an extra curricular, you need to work out your energy if you are going to be so focused on studying."

And I pointed at Ryder, "And you take at least one literature class, so that your not all politics and competition."

Ryder groaned and I smiled at him, "There will be more girls in a literature class than in any of your athletics and political. They are the romantic classes that draw females in."

Ryder perked right up and I rolled my eyes at him as he jumped up telling me he needed to log onto the computer and change a class. Dimitri stood up saying that he needed to do the same and I sat quietly watching the both of them murmur over each other about which classes to take, each one asking the other for advice.

In the end Dimitri ended up on the track team at Ryder's suggestion and at Dimitri's suggestion Ryder ended up in classical romance authors of the second millennium. When both were finished they sat in front of me.

"So what is your secondary major." Dimitri tried to sound off handed but I knew him too well not to notice the curiosity.

"I don't get one. They think the load of two majors would be too much for me." 

Both boys blanched, "You mean all you are going to be studying is political?"

I nodded but smiled, "On a bright side though, I'm going to be doing art as my electives."

They smiled, having already known my passion for drawing. I leaned back against the bed feeling tired, I pulled my knees up and rested my arms on them, "This is all kinda scary."

"For you maybe, I feel like I finally get to have a life now. I get to live in the dorms, and party and mix it up, and meet girls, and date." Ryder's enthusiasm refused to settle on me and instead made me feel less secure and more worried.

"You guys are staying in the dorms?"

Both shook their heads, "Nope, we have to stay at home, safety reasons and all that, but that doesn't mean we can't go to parties, the curfew is gone for University students."

I smiled because both seemed genuinely excited about the social life and I chuckled, "Well good, that means I don't have to figure out ways to keep you two occupied while I'm studying anymore. What a relief."

The boys laughed and both stood up and walked to the door, and out. Dimitri popped his head back in, "You know you're staying here too right?"

I nodded having already figured that out, "Also, classes start tomorrow, so I'll come back tonight and compare schedules and see where we have classes together, Ill check Ryder's too."

"Okay, okay, go off then, you both reek of mischief, go to the party I know your both dying to go to." I was secretly hoping I was wrong, and that they would want to spend the night watching movies or something with me, but as usual my feelings were never wrong and I instead received a laugh and a wave from Dimitri as they disappeared.

I sat on the floor for a little while longer and then gathered myself up and quietly walked to the garden, sitting outside on the grass. I pulled a few blades of grass thinking of my mother. I felt tears well up in my eyes and I let them fall silently, not bothering to wipe them away as they fell. 

I looked at the earth and spoke softly to the breeze, trying to imagine my mothers soul as being the one caressing my cheek rather than the breeze, "I feel really alone mother. I've always had you to get me through and now your gone, and I feel crippled."

The wind picked up a bit and blew my hair around me, tangling it and pulling it around me like a chestnut cloud caught at the whims of the wind. I closed my eyes and breathed in the clean, crisp air. I thought of what my mother would say, "Just remember who you are, you are my daughter, and nothing can stop you. Now no more fear, you have indulged it long enough."

I picked a dandelion from the grass and looked at it, the color of the flower was the exact same color as my mothers hair had been before she had gotten sick, "I wont even be able to go to your burial."

"It just the body that left. I will be in the wind, instead of stuck in this rotting old thing. If you are lucky enough to be busy when my rotting husk is buried I don't want you to be sad, instead spend a day in the sun, outside, and I will be the wind, free and dancing in celebration."

We had spoken of her death often and my fear of not being able to be with her after she died had always resulted in the same statement. Maybe that's why I had found myself outside in the twilight, the wind now cool and cutting through me would have normally drove me inside. Instead, I was sitting out here, taking all the strength I could from it and saying my goodbye to my mother. 

I laid back and watched the now pink and purple clouds dash across the sky, the wind commanding their movements. As I watched them I began to wonder who was the wind blowing me around like the clouds, it was strange enough that I had been accepted into the University. But as I thought more and more about Isadorre's and Jizelle's comments as to why I couldn't go into Anthropology but instead into politics, it didn't make sense. Wouldn't politics be even worse?

I felt my eyes close as I focused on the problem, but instead of finding the answer, I found myself thinking back to when I was a child in the nursery with Ryder and Dimitri. They were fighting over some stupid toy and being unable to take their bickering anymore I stood up and smacked the pair of them, scolding them about how silly their fighting was. I had burst into crying telling them that I hated them fighting and only wanted them to love each other like I loved them.

Of course the nanny had grabbed me and I was put into another room for attacking the two princes. I had been saved an hour later by Victor, who seemed amused as he picked me up, and carried me back to my two friends, both of which had tied the nanny to her chair and had gagged her, yelling for my release.

I had dried my tears quickly and had scolded them softly as I untied the nanny, but spent my time with the boys playing with the boys until we three fell asleep, all three of us cuddled closely together, even Dimitri had snuggled into me. I didn't realize until now that Victor had sit back and watched the whole thing, and not once did I remember him doing anything but asking the nanny to leave. Now that I think about it, that particular nanny never came back and was soon replaced by a human nanny. 

I shivered and opened my eyes seeing it was pitch black outside, and the wind was now bitter cold. I shivered and held my arms and stood up and stumbled half asleep back into the Palace, thanking my luck that someone had thought to leave the garden doors unlocked. I walked into and found the first couch I could and laid down and fell back asleep. 

I heard giggling in what seemed like moments later and sat up rigidly forgetting where I was. I didn't recognize the room I was in at first and didn't get a chance before the lights were thrown on and I could make out Dimitri and another immortal standing in the door way. I rubbed my eyes and looked around realizing I was in Dimitri's parlor.

"Sera? What are you doing in here?"

I turned to Dimitri's voice, his words slurred slightly. I managed to clear my eyes and saw the tall, dark haired girl next to him. She was only an inch shorter than Dimitri and was overall very pretty, except for her eyes, they were too light and her pretty lips were turned down in a frown.

I looked at the both of them and then around me, "Figures." I stood up and straightened myself up before walking past them and out of the door. I paused outside of the door to get my bearings, scolding myself for having followed my feet to his rooms. It would figure I would go there before anywhere else, I needed to spend time leaving and coming to my new room before my half asleep self would take me there.

I had paused too long at the closed door because I heard the girl giggle to Dimitri, "Who was that? Since when do your servants talk to you like that?"

"That wasn't a servant, that was my slave Sera."

I frowned at his statement, he was obviously drunk, "Oh my god, she's living with you? I heard about the slave that got in. Why is she living here?"

I waited for his reply, "I dunno, I don't care really."

I sighed feeling a bit hurt by his reply, but I didn't expect him to defend me being that drunk. I also really didn't like the idea he was already pulling girls into his room, especially one that didn't seem very nice.

I saw Ryder disappear into his room, not surprising with a girl on each arm. I sighed and passed his door hearing him laughing drunkenly, and the girls squeal in reply. I walked to the end of the hall and noticed Victor stalking towards me. I lifted a hand and he stopped looking me over, "Where have you been?"

I sighed, "I fell asleep outside in the gardens and then wandered in half asleep and guess where I end up."

A look of relief flitted across his face, "I didn't know if you were with Dimitri and Ryder or not."

"At the party? Not a chance." I shook my head and yawned, "I surprised the heck outta Di though, he brought a girl home."

Victors face pinched in annoyance, "Well, boys will sport. I guess I was hoping Dimitri would forego this part of manhood, especially since Ryder seemed to embrace it enough for the both of them."

I yawned again, not quite understanding what he was saying and he noticed, "I'm keeping you from bed, I will see you in the morning."

I nodded and walked a few steps down the hall before Victor called to me, "Seraphina?"

"yeah?"

"What did Dimitri say to the girl as an explanation of why you were here."

"He just called me his slave and said he didn't know why I was here, then I guess he got distracted by other things." I yawned again struggling to keep my eyes open.

Victor audibly sighed, "Alright, good night Seraphina."

"Night." I mumbled and made my way quickly to my bed and fell asleep.