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Her Heart, His Prey

By: SongsofaSiren



This is my first submission so play nice. I don't have an editor and there is no sex in this segment either. You'll just have to be patient with me. I guarantee things will get interesting quickly. Also, don't complain if certain things don't make sense right now. It's the first portion, things aren't supposed to make perfect sense just yet.

If you're reading this, thank you.

If not, thanks anyway

*

Ten Days Earlier:

"Stop!" he said suddenly as I stormed to the door, desperate to show him out. I whirled on him, furious, but the look in his eyes made me pause. "She's my one," he murmured, stepping forward and fingering a lock of my hair. "You know I cannot help what I feel with her." My chest ached as he continued, and I didn't look at him. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of allowing him to see my face while he tore me up inside.

I bit my lip, closing my eyes tightly for a moment, willing the tears to not come. "Then go to her. Don't worry about me." I hadn't even blinked once and he was already gone. The silence of the room he had just been in mere moments ago was staggering as I caved in on myself, curling up into a ball against the door he had just vacated.

My heart broke for the second time that day at his final proclamation.

Present:

"Mar, come on, I know what's up." My best friend Cathia nudged my shoulder. I sat up straight, looking at her in shock. How on earth did my best friend, my best human friend know that my ex-boyfriend, who just so happened to be a werewolf, had cheated on me with my own sister, and then been too afraid to tell me because he thought it would 'hurt my feelings'? Men were so stupid.

"I know that you and David are having problems, but come on, you can't let one guy get you down." I breathed an internal sigh of relief, her having not mentioned anything about half-wolf men running around and mating with people's sisters after they had already agreed to marry you mere days before.

"I know," I sighed. "It's complicated..."

"Bull shit!" Cathia leaped up. "That's it. You and me are going out tonight, and you are going to meet a smoking hot guy—preferably one that has a smoking hot best friend—and you are going to enjoy yourself!" With that she slammed twenty dollars onto the table, causing the waiter to jump as he walked by us. I gave him an apologetic smile, and turned back to Cathia.

"No. I'm really not," I replied tersely. 

"That's sweet. You think you have a choice," she giggled. I rolled my eyes, knowing this would be a very hard battle to win. And I was done battling for a while.

"Fine, but I won't enjoy myself, and I'll make sure his friend is ugly just to piss you off!" I 

conceded with a wink.

She grinned at me, hooking her elbow through mine as we left the coffee shop, her short dark hair flipping around in the wind while my long hair flew back into my face. "Just make sure you wear something sexy."

That I did. I might have gone a little too far, wearing one of my low cut loose, black tank tops and tight black jeans that showed off my curves. The shoes I chose made me look amazing too. The black strappy four inch heels made my legs look toned, and I noticed a lot of looks from the males in the club. My hair fell down my back in waves of gold, and though I had scarcely put any makeup on, I felt more done up than I had in a very long time.

I chuckled at the name of the club when we had gotten there. 'Thirst': it was just so typical of the paranormal fanatics out there. Little did they know that their little fantasies were actually a reality.

"Shit." It was the first word I uttered after stepping foot into the place, the security guards barely glancing at us.

"I know right!" Cathia called over the music. She was dressed in a tight, sparkly green party dress with matching heals, her short, brown hair spiking out in different directions. She looked unique in an exotic way and I envied her for it.

However, my muttering of curses was not due to the fact that the club was hypnotizing. By all means it was, but the name 'Thirst', was quickly becoming not.

There were paranormals everywhere. Werewolves, vampires, I even saw a few people that I was sure were fae. "Damn. Damn, damn, damn, this is not good." I kept repeating to myself. Cathia on the other hand was literally bouncing up and down with excitement. The dark lighting was spooky and the flashing lights entrancing. I almost wanted to jump up and down myself.

Almost. The bloodthirsty gazes from a few of the male vampires present in the room quickly put a 

damper on that.

We made our way towards the back where the bar was, weaving through gyrating bodies and avoiding the leering gazes from undesirable dance partners, which, for me, was everyone. Cathia eventually acquiesced to one of her offers, strutting away with a blonde-haired guy wearing richly styled clothing. I was pretty sure he was human, so I let it slide. How the hell had I gotten caught up with another paranormal extravangza? The last I had was... well...

I'll get back to you on that later.

I sat at the bar for a while, not letting Cathia out of my sight while taking advantage of the lack of carding going on here. It wasn't every day a nineteen year old got to go to a club and actually drink these days. I still wasn't very much in the mood for dancing, and only a few guys had the nerve to come up to me and asked me to dance.

After a while I noticed another presence at my side, and tried my best to ignore them.

"Rough day?" they asked, making me jump. I turned in my seat to look at him and my drink almost went crashing to the floor. He was mesmerizing. He had eyes that were so dark blue they were almost black, and hair the color of ash. His skin was well-tanned, though with the odd lighting I couldn't be sure. He smiled at me and it was all I could do not to drool. "Or are you just not very good at dancing?" he finished lightly.

Instead of horrifically embarrassing myself, I plastered on my best 'I'm not interested' face. "I guess it's a combination of both, you could say." I replied indignantly.

Instead of looking surprised as I'd expected, he chuckled. "I'd offer myself, but I doubt I'd be a suitable partner. As you've probably been able to see, I'm about as awful as you presume yourself to be."

I raised an eyebrow at that, the cocky tone to his voice picking at my nerves. "Oh I highly doubt that." I replied bitingly.

"What on earth do you mean?" he scoffed, a grin slipping onto his face as he pretended to be offended by my comment. He shifted so that he was closer to me and I tensed.

I turned to face him fully. "Well, on the one hand you seem to be very self-assured. Self-assured people don't tend to worry about how ridiculous they look doing anything, let alone dancing in a club full of people who only care about how far down you go on someone before you stop. On the other hand, I saw you dancing while staring at me a few moments ago with some tall red-headed girl who kept glaring at me. While I can't call you a proficient, I can most assuredly put your doubts to rest about your dancing skills." He didn't interrupt me once during my monologue, and I had to admit I was surprised. If he was half as snobby as I had just accused him of being, he would have tried to get a word in at some point.

But again he simply nodded. "I thank you for your mitigation of my self-supposed gracelessness. I'll be sure to be much more self-assured from now on." 

I couldn't help but laugh at that, giving him another look. He seemed amiable, even if a little too officious.

"Are you always such a flirt, or is does it just come naturally to you?" I asked him casually turning back to the dancing crowd. He grinned, and something about the way he smiled caused me to feel uneasy. I moved as far away from him as I could on my chair.

"Mostly the latter, but if it works on beautiful women like you, then I won't complain." He winked and it took everything in me not to role my eyes. 

His smile was catching, though, and I eventually surrendered one to him.

"You're right it does come naturally to you." I assented with a laugh. I had only had one drink, and for some reason it was affecting me far more than it should have. I cursed myself inwardly. Of course, places where werewolves and vampires were regulars were going to have stronger stuff in their drinks.

"All jokes aside, I really would like to dance with you," he added. The smile immediately fell from my face. I regarded him seriously.

"Look, I came here per request of a friend, and I'm honestly not in the mood for dancing with anyone tonight." I grabbed my drink and hopped off the stool, looking at him over my shoulder. "But thanks anyway." With that I strode off, searching through the crowds of people for Cathia while trying to get the gorgeous guy with the mind-boggling eyes out of my head. 

Just when I had almost given up looking for her, I spotted her and some guy moving towards the back door of the club. Another blonde guy was on her arm, but this one had a glint in his eyes that brought the uneasy feeling back. "Fuck, Cathia, what are you doing?" I mumbled, setting my drink on a random table before rushing after her. 

As soon as I had pushed through the door, I could see her and the guy making out against the brick wall of the alleyway.

Vampire. A voice in my head whispered as I took a tentative step towards them. I watched as the blonde paranormal kissed his way down to her neck, much to her delight. His eyes opened, glowing red for a brief second before he revealed his fangs, his face distorting grotesquely. I quickly grabbed the switchblade out of my back pocket, and moved behind him, pressing the sharp end of the blade into his back.

"Bite her and I'll cut your heart out." My voice was icy as I dug the blade into his shirt, thankful that he hadn't picked up on my scent too soon. He froze and I grinned victoriously to myself. I had had enough of paranormals tossing me around like some toy.

I kept the blade pressed against his back until he let go of Cathia, who slumped to the ground, unconscious. She'd been drinking again. While my attention was focused on Cathia, the vampire made his move. Swift as lightning, he grabbed my wrist in his icy hand, twisting it painfully around until I heard a snap, the switchblade clattering to the ground. When the pain caught up with what he'd done I screamed out loud. It only lasted for a moment before he slapped his other hand over my mouth, pushing me backwards.

His fiery red eyes leered at me as he pressed me against the wall. I kicked out at him, but he dodged it, gripping my neck fiercely. "You will be a much better snack than the other one."

"Fuck you." I managed to get out through my rapidly closing windpipe. With a hiss, he lunged forward, his sharp fangs glinting in the light from the streetlamps. I clenched my eyes shut, and...

Something large slammed into the vampire from the side. His hands were wrenched off of me, sending me toppling to the ground. I felt his nails scrape my skin as he was thrown off of me by whatever it was and I gasped at the searing pain on my arm and neck.

"Run!" I heard a familiar voice shout. They sure as hell didn't have to tell me twice. I pushed myself to my feet with my good arm and, after looking around frantically for Cathia, who had disappeared, took off in the other direction than where the vampire and my rescuer were. 

I didn't even look at the face of my savior as I ran for my life back to my apartment. What I wasn't expecting was the sight that greeted me upon arrival. 

Her Heart, His Prey Ch. 02



As promised here's part two of Marlow's story. This portion is much longer than the first per request of a few of you, and I hope you all enjoy. Once again, try not to be too critical, this is my first story after all, but criticism is always well accepted.

'Apostrophes' around certain sentences indicate thoughts or the ever popular mind-speak found in werewolf stories. I hope you all enjoy! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What the hell?!" I screeched upon opening the door to my apartment. Almost immediately I slammed the door shut again, slapping a hand to my forehead and waiting for them to become decent while I stood shaking outside. 

When Charlotte opened the door, peering out tentatively with her wide brown eyes, I glared at her. "When I said you could stay in my apartment for the week I didn't mean you could bring him here too, Char!" I hissed at her quietly. She bit her lip, glaring back at me with big brown eyes.

"We thought you weren't going to be back until later," she hissed back, tossing her messy short blonde hair in irritation. I continued to narrow my eyes at her, but a sliver of hurt slipped through.

At least she had the decency to look somewhat guilty. I shoved past her, pushing open the door and ignoring a halfway dressed David who was sitting, and looking equally as guilty, on the old sofa in my tiny, yet clean, living room. I made my way to my room without either of them saying anything to me, or asking about where I'd been, an amazing feat indeed as my right arm was twice its normal size and I could feel blood soaking into the neck of my shirt. Both were too busy examining the floor.

I rushed into my bathroom, flicking on the light and surveying the damage. My arm was throbbing, and looked even worse in decent lighting. I bit back a moan of pain, shrugging off my jacket while trying to avoid contact with my forearm that was quickly becoming even more swollen and purple. I saw gashes on my neck and my left arm from where the vampire had been holding me when he got torn off, and I saw blood on my head from where I had hit the ground. I debated going to the hospital or not, but a loud banging on the door interrupted my thoughts.

"Mar, what's going on?" David's voice sounded through the door. I let out an irritated sigh.

"Get the hell out of my apartment," I responded, my voice stern, yet strained.

"Marlow, I can smell the blood from out here, so open the fucking door and tell me what's wrong," he ordered, his voice growing angry. 

My door wasn't what you were fucking five minutes ago, I thought, rolling my eyes as I went to open it. I would have crossed my arms if my right one would have allowed it.

David stood there, fully dressed thank the gods, and stared at me hard for a moment, his eyes taking in my various injuries. "What the hell happened?" he demanded. My sister came up behind him and gaped, staring at me with wide eyes as she took in the damage.

"Mar, what were you and Cathia doing last night?" Charlotte gasped out. I grumbled inaudibly, only wanting for the two of them to stop staring at me like I'd gone and tried to get myself killed.

David grabbed my good arm, dragging me out into the living room. When he went to sit me on the sofa I resisted. "Considering what you two were just doing on this couch, I'd rather not." My sister's cheeks flared crimson while David merely rolled his eyes, sitting me on a stool in my kitchen instead. 

I'd have to remember to burn that couch later. 

"Can you get the med kit?" he asked my sister as he flipped on the light, causing me to squint for a moment until my eyes adjusted to its brightness. She nodded and ran to find the medical supplies I kept in my bathroom while I glared at David.

"I don't need you to be my goddamn doctor, David. Honestly I just want you out." I felt tired. I was tired of seeing him all the time after he broke my heart. He was still breaking my heart. I was happy that they were happy, but it hurt, worse than the physical pain I was now experiencing.

"You didn't used to be so bitter," he retorted, looking me over again. I felt tears fill my eyes at his statement, and I pushed them back. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, and I looked up to see him gazing sorrowfully at me as he reached for my arm. When I went to pull it away he snagged it gently, lifting it up so he could inspect it. Aside from apparently being a beta in his pack of wolves, David was also a pack doctor, meaning he dealt with all sorts of crazy injuries inflicted upon weres by other supernaturals.

I winced as he tried turning it, biting my lip hard when he moved my wrist awkwardly. "Stop!" I eventually choked out. He gave me a sympathetic grimace.

Charlotte came back with the medical kit, staring worriedly at me. I didn't miss the tender expression David had in his eyes when he saw her. I looked away from them. "What happened, Mar?" she asked me.

"I really don't want to talk about it," I muttered in response, not meeting her gaze.

David took the med kit from her, pulling out bandages and a splint. I held my breath as he put the splint in place, realigning the damage the vampire inflicted upon me. The pain intensified for a brief moment, and faded to a dull ache when he had it set. He went to rub my arm soothingly, but I jerked away from him, bumping my shoulder into the wall behind me.

"It's broken, but I'm sure you already figured that out." I didn't respond, choosing instead to cradle my arm against my chest whilst ignoring him. It was childish, but the only self-defense I had left.

Then he turned his attention to the scratches on my neck and arm while I avoided his attempts to make conversation. When he stopped moving and began to stare at me accusingly I realized he had figured it out. He knew what happened.

"Since when do you consort with vampires?" he asked, trying to keep his tone in check, but failing miserably.

I snorted. "I don't want to consort with any supernaturals actually; it's not my fault I can't seem to stay away from them now." I gave him an accusing glare back, and we stayed like that for a moment, seeing who would break first. Charlotte cleared her throat, and we both looked away from each other.

He heaved a deep sigh, quickly bandaging the rest of my wounds. When he was done we all stood in an uncomfortable silence. "Well I'm going to bed," I provided, making my way back towards my room while hoping David would take the hint and leave. 

"I think I'm going to spend the rest of the week at David's." Charlotte suddenly interjected. I stopped walking. Well that hadn't gone the way I'd hoped.

"What?" I asked before I could think to say anything else. I flinched at the hurt tone of my voice.

"I-I don't think I should stay here for the rest of the week is all," she murmured, going to stand by David and wrapping her arms around his waist. I tried not cave in on myself. How many days had it been since he practically tore my heart out? Ten? Eleven? And I still had the privilege to see him every goddamned day. "I don't want to put any more strain on our relationship," she finished, biting her lower lip.

"You don't care anymore." My voice was so quiet that Charlotte couldn't even hear me. David, on the other hand could, and his head snapped up to give me a pained look, his pale eyes darkening.

'Don't say that, Mar. You know it's not true.' He spoke inside my head, and when he did I just about lost it.

'You stay as far away from my head as you can, wolf-boy, otherwise I'll be making sure you run around with only half your tail from now on!' I thought back at him furiously. His grip around my sister's waist tightened as his eyes grew heated. 'You took the last of my family from me.'

"Okay, sure," I said, my voice monotone as I spoke to the both of them. Inside I felt defeated. I guess you just weren't a priority when your sister's soul mate finally came around.

"No," David interrupted suddenly. "Char, we can't leave her here after what happened." She looked about ready to argue with him, and I decided to step in.

"Yes you can." I put in before they could argue any more about it. I spun on my heel and slammed the door to my room. "And don't bother calling me," I added through the door. "Enjoy your lives." I whispered brokenly as I stood in the middle of my room.

How did my life get so fucked up so fast?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Please don't cry,' a warm voice pleaded with me. It was the broken voice of an angel, begging me not to be sad for them. I tried to dry my eyes, but the tears continued to fall, quickly filling the small empty room I was in. I was slowly pulled under, literally drowning in my own sorrow. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't...

A shrill ringing jolted me out of my dream, and I bolted upright, gasping in deep breaths of air. The dead silence in the rest of my apartment told me that David had consented to Charlotte's wishes last night. They left me. I shuddered, not wanting to even think about what they were doing, especially after walking in on them last night.

My thoughts returned to the irritating noise, and I picked up the phone jerkily. "Hello?" I asked, my voice croaky.

"Marlow?" Cathia's voice echoed through the phone. 

"Cathia!" I cried out, a huge weight lifting off of my shoulders as I realized she had managed to get home alright and away from the vampire. I winced at the pain in my broken arm, the memories from the night before rushing back. I shuddered, wondering if the vampire was still out there.

"Aww, someone's excited to see me." She giggled, not noticing the tense edge to my voice. 

I laughed. "Of course I am. Anyway what's up?" She went on, asking me if I could come over in a short bit. "I'll be there. Any reason why?" I asked.

"No reason." She replied quickly. "I just miss your gorgeous face is all. See ya, girlie!" With that and a sweet giggle she hung up the phone.

I groaned when I sat up in my semi-lumpy bed, my arm aching even more than yesterday. I clumsily made my way to my closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Getting dressed was difficult with only having one easily maneuverable arm, but I managed.

After brushing my teeth and grabbing my purse and a scarf to wrap around the scratches on my neck, I made my way outside. It was colder outside today than the night previous, and I cursed myself for not bringing a jacket. 

Cathia's house was about four blocks away from my apartment, and I tended to walk over to her house frequently as it was usually nice outside. I felt, for a moment, that I should be afraid that the vampire from last night would come back, that he would find me. I wasn't afraid though. In fact, I felt... safe? Well, maybe not safe, but not like I was in any imminent danger.

Rubbing my good hand along my arm to stay warm, I made my way along the semi-crowded streets to Cathia's house. I felt eyes on me, but I brushed it off as being due to my unseasonable dress. 

When I made it to Cathia's small house, a small bungalow styled house painted a pale gray-blue color that I loved, I jogged up the stairs, not bothering to knock as I pushed open the door into her house. I reveled in the warmth for a moment before searching for Cathia. "Hey Cat, where are you?" I called out into the cozy house.

I heard an unintelligible groan coming from her kitchen and found her sitting at her little breakfast nook with a cup of coffee on the table and her head in her hands. "Aww Cat, why didn't you tell me you were hung over?" I sat next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She groaned again in response.

We sat in silence for a while, her taking an occasional sip of coffee while I continued talking to keep her distracted. "It hurts, Mar," she moaned as she leaned her head on my shoulder, interrupting me from my talking about my new job assignment in the city.

"Then you should stop drinking so much when we go out." I grinned at her as I spoke, knowing that wasn't going to happen. She laughed weakly at my comment.

"So not happening. That would take all of the fun out of going out," she replied. Then she looked back up. "What happened last night?" she asked. I didn't feel too surprised at her question. She tended to be way out of it once she started drinking, and last night it had worked to my advantage. The more she remained ignorant of the wonderful (not) world of supernaturals, the better.

I shrugged. "You tell me, you vanished before I could find a hot guy with a hot best friend." Make that just the part about the hot friend, I thought as I remembered the attractive, 'self-assured' guy from the night before who had taken the time to try and have a conversation with me. Shaking him off, I turned my attention back to Cathia.

She sat back up slowly, blinking tiredly. Her hair was a mess, pulled back into a short ponytail while strands fell around her face. She had dark purple shadows under her eyes that gave her a haunted look, and she hadn't taken the time to take off her makeup last night either, causing her to look a bit like an overworked clown who had been forced to take on the nightshift.

While I studied her, she studied me as well. "Holy fuck!" she exclaimed, pointing at my arm. "What happened to you?!"

I grimaced. "I fell down the stairs on my way back home last night. Last time I ever wear those heels," I lied. She was either too hung over or too tired to see through my story. 

"You're a mess, Mar." I couldn't help but laugh aloud at the irony of her statement. After a moment she joined me, leaning so that her head was on my shoulder again. It was her close proximity that led me to see the markings on the skin of her neck.

My eyes widened and my laughter ceased as a chill washed through me. I hadn't remembered seeing the vampire from last night bite her, but here she was with bite marks all over her neck. "C-Cat?" I asked her quietly. "What's on your neck?" her laughter stopped instantly at my inquiry. 

"Scars," she replied simply, as if I were stupid. 

"From what?" I pried. She hadn't moved from where her head was resting partly on my neck, and I cringed. 

She inhaled deeply before replying, edging closer to my pulse. "It's nothing, Mar, don't worry about it." I began to inch away from her, but a low growl emanated from her throat. 'Vampire!' A voice inside my head screeched in warning. My breathing accelerated. "Mar, I'm so hungry, do you think...?" she trailed off, and I quickly moved away from her, sliding into a chair across the table from her before she could react. 

She toppled drunkenly for a moment as I moved out from under her, righting herself with the help of the table, which rocked precariously. She sat up straight, giving me a confused look before it morphed into a glare. I cleared my throat, my instincts urging me to run. "Um, Cat, I should really go, I-!" With a loud hiss she lunged at me, her eyes glowing red. 

I fled my chair, sprinting towards her front door. I had only grabbed the handle when I felt her stone cold grip around my upper arm. I was whipped around to see her eyes, her blood-red eyes, staring at me like I was the most delicious thing ever. I screamed out loud as her fangs lengthened from her mouth. She gave me a wicked smile before she attacked. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke with a start. I was breathing heavily, and I felt like I had just run a marathon. "It didn't happen," I whispered to myself softly. "She's not really a vampire."

I opened my eyes, and stared out into the darkness, dread seeping into my core. Where the hell was I? Did I dream all of this?

I was no longer in my room, and the darkness was so all-consuming that I couldn't see a foot in front of my face. When I went to sit up I realized why. I was trapped in some sort of container. My breathing began to accelerate again. I was so claustrophobic that I could barely stand to be in an elevator, let alone whatever this was.

Pushing against the box didn't seem to be working. "Hello?!" I shouted, my voice hoarse. "Is anyone out there?! Please let me out!" I banged against the box with my left arm and my feet, my right arm still trapped in the splint. Muffled sounds from outside were my only forewarning to the invasion of the bright light. I raised my hands to cover my eyes.

"Cole what the fuck is this!?" David's angry voice shouted. My ears rang at his voice, and I moved my hands to peer out of what was apparently a trunk of a car. David stood there along with a shorter blonde-haired man. Both were glaring at each other, and I began to feel very confused.

"David?" I asked groggily. I sat up. Why the hell had David put me in a trunk? Outrage began to seep into my nerves as I realized what this meant. He had fucking kidnapped me!

"Cole, this is not the girl you were supposed to bring us," David snarled at the smaller man. I rolled my eyes at his tone as I shakily moved to get out of the trunk. He went to help me, but I shook my head with finality.

"It's the girl he's had me tracking since two nights ago, David. She's definitely the one," the man named Cole replied shortly, his arms crossed across his broad chest.

"It's not her." David sputtered. He continued to stare wildly at me as he spoke, his eyes shifting from gold to normal as he fought to control his anger. I gave him an annoyed look as I turned to get a feel for our surroundings. I was broiling with fury, but also confusion. I was yet again being dragged into the paranormal world by my obnoxious ex-boyfriend.

"It's her, David, and if I don't deliver her soon, the Alpha's gonna make us all pay," the stocky man shot back. I froze in fear. What did the Alpha of David's pack want with me? I gazed around wildly for a way out.

We were in a deeply forested area, not another car in sight. There was no escape.

The man named Cole took matters into his own hands as he came towards me and grabbed my arm. I made an offended noise and shook my arm out of his grip. Even though he was shorter than David, he still towered over my small frame. He glared at me. When he went to grab me again I slapped him as hard as I could with my left hand. "I don't like to be manhandled," I ground out through clenched teeth.

"Cole, stop," David urged, though I didn't see him racing to my rescue anytime soon. Cole ignored him and grabbed my arm again, gazing deeply into my eyes. I noticed every detail of his brown eyes down to the flecks of amber surrounding the pupil. 

"Get the fuck off of me." I spat out, trying to shake him off again, but I suddenly felt weaker. Tired. When my legs gave out I felt David catch me, lifting me into the air and carrying me back towards the car. I tried to protest, but nothing seemed to be working. They have powers you've only ever dreamed of, Mar. My mother's voice rang in my ears, and I tried desperately to move something. It was like I was a puppet, free to be used and abused by anyone who wanted, and all because I was a simple mortal.

"Just relax, Mar, I'm going to figure this out," he murmured as he settled me into the back seat of the car beside him. "Then I'm going to make sure we leave you alone for good." I sat there in stunned, immovable silence for the rest of the ride.

"It's her, trust me, I saw them at the club together." A solemn voice jolted me out of my trance-like state with a groan. I cradled my splinted arm against my chest and immediately I felt a hand on my forehead. 

"Mar?" David's voice sounded hazy and I blinked, looking up at him confusedly. "Mar come on, we need you to focus." My mind was fuzzy, and all I could see were shapes and colors.

I heard voices arguing, gradually becoming clearer as the fog in my head evaporated. "What... What the hell?" I managed to get out as I looked around. About ten men and women were standing around where I was situated on a sofa in an overly fancy living room, either shouting at each other or glaring at each other with irritation written all over their faces.




Her Heart, His Prey Ch. 02



I shifted uncomfortably. David's hand was still on my forehead and one of his hands gripping my non-broken arm. As soon as I had spoken, the entire room went dead silent. "David what the hell is going on?" I hissed, trying not to return any of the stares I received from the exasperated weres.

"You are here to save my son," a commanding voice spoke up, and as if on cue, David moved away from me. I glanced around only to rest my eyes on possibly the largest man I had ever seen before in my life. I tried not to gawk as I took in his brawny shoulders and six and a half foot frame, incredibly well-muscled and completely noticeable even through the dress shirt and pants he wore. He had dark hair and familiar eyes that seemed as if they could hear your every thought—which wouldn't surprise me by now. I felt trapped by his power and I clamped my mouth shut, not sure if I could say anything if I wanted to. He walked towards me until he stood merely a few feet away. 

His presence was imposing and I struggled to make my mouth form words. "What are you talking about?" I asked hesitantly, astonished that my voice didn't quaver. 

"My son. He risked his life saving yours, and now you have to do the same for him." His voice was stern and I could see why he was an Alpha. He exuded confidence and authority.

"The hell I-!" I broke off. His son; he was my savior in the alley, the one who had saved me from the vampire. "What?" I finished lamely. I was starting to get a headache and I felt more confused than ever as I stared at the overly large wolf-man.

I noticed a few glares in my direction when I had begun to argue, but they quickly softened back into their previous composures as they realized I was merely confused. The Alpha gazed down at me, his eyes warm, but his mouth set in a frown at my outburst. "He needs your help, Marlow." He knelt in front of me placing a warm hand on my knee. "We don't have much time to explain, but I promise you that no harm will befall you." 

"You can promise that?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"I can," he stated, completely certain of himself. "We will release you upon completion of your service." I noted a few incredulous looks from some of the other weres in the room.

He saved your life, a voice in my head whispered. Do it! I clenched my hand around my other knee, trying to decide what I should do. I owed him, yes, but at what cost would this be to me? I met David's pleading eyes, him urging me to refuse. I made up my mind then.

"I'll do it," I murmured. The Alpha smiled victoriously. Taking my good hand in his, he helped me to my feet and led me out of the room and down a darkened hall.

"Here's what you need to know..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twenty minutes later, I was thrust into an isolated room, tripping over my feet so that I ended up falling to my knees in front of a small, low-to-the-ground bed. On top of that bed was a sight that caused me to gasp.

It was the guy from the club: the arrogant yet appealing one, the one who had talked to me. I started to tremble. What did all of this mean? The weres had told me so much yet so little at the same time. Taking a tentative step forward, I scrutinized him.

For lack of a better word, he looked horrible. His chest was bare only to be covered by thick bandages that still had blood seeping through, the dark crimson color sickening. This is your fault, a voice in my head whispered. I bit my lip. His expression was pained, his dark hair drenched with sweat as he fought to control the agony he felt even in his unconscious. 'Cassian,' the voice urged, remembering a few of the details told to me by the Alpha, 'his name is Cassian. Call him that.' Moving so that I was kneeling by the edge of the mattress, I reached out hesitantly towards him. My fingers brushed the rough bandages, blood staining my fingertips as I pulled back. 

I wondered what on earth the vampire had done to him that he was in such critical condition. Could he die from his injury? 

'Your blood is the key,' the Alpha's voice in my head reminded me. I grimaced.

A battle was ensuing inside of me then. They said he needed my blood and had thrown me in here without a single explanation as to what that meant among other things. I should be trying to escape, not sitting here seeing if he was going to be okay. 

'Your fault, your fault,' the voice in my head kept saying. I felt tears begin to form in my eyes as I tried to figure out what to do. 

When I shifted my gaze back to his face, I started. His eyes were open, glowing a brilliant gold, and staring directly at me. A low growl formed in his throat, and I froze. We stayed like that for the longest time, just looking at each other.

Panic erupted inside of me and I lurched backwards. At the same time, his hand shot out, faster than I could escape, and yanked me down onto the mattress, pinning me there. I lay awkwardly on my side, breathing heavily. I heard him whimper softly as he moved, pressing his bandaged chest into my side, turning me slightly so that I was facing him. He was over top of me, and I couldn't disguise the panicked look in my eyes.

His blazing xanthic eyes were as inescapable as they were inhuman. I couldn't take my eyes off of them, and I was partially sure that was because he was using his weird lupine super-powers on me. A panicked noise emanated from my chest and he reached up to cup my face, apparently trying to soothe me. I stiffened and he leaned his head down to my neck.

He inhaled deeply. I still couldn't bring myself to say anything, so I struggled to move instead. Even injured he was immensely more powerful than me, and he gripped my arms harder. 

He pulled away. I exhaled in relief. If that was all he was going to do, then...

As soon as the thought came to my mind he lunged forward with a growl. I couldn't even scream as he bit down hard onto the juncture between my shoulder and my neck. Immeasurable pain flooded my nerves for a moment and then suddenly I was out cold.

In the dream I was falling. Down, down, a cry emanated from my throat. And then arms caught me. I luxuriated in the soft grass as I was placed upon it, and I gazed up into the eyes of a silver wolf. It almost seemed to smile at me as it stood over me. I gazed at it in awe.

And in a burst of moonlight, it was suddenly a man. His back was to the moon and I wasn't able to see his face. He moved forward so that he was lying down next to me. I realized then that I was naked, my body exposed to the stars, the moon, but most importantly to him, whoever he was. I wondered why I wasn't afraid of him in my dream.

Shadows covered his face and I strained to make out any of his features. I didn't realize I had moved closer until I was an inch away from his face. There was a moment's pause in which neither of us moved, and I thought I could make out the lines of his face when suddenly he bent forward, crushing his lips against mine with a groan.

The kiss was searing, yet tender and I felt his warm hands glide along my body. When they reached my breasts he teased my nipples, causing me to moan into his mouth with pleasure. He moved his head down, a grumble of soft laughter rippling through his chest as he began pressing sensual kisses along my jaw and further down on my neck as he continued to play with my breasts. I moaned as he nipped at my neck and I reached down to pull his head back up. I wanted, no, I needed to see his face. I needed to know who he was.

His hands began to glide further down and I shivered under his knowing touch. He allowed me to guide his head back up so that he was looking at me as his fingertips brushed my core.

Gold, blazing gold eyes, stared back at me in lust. Werewolf, the voice in my head screeched. The pleasure instantly forgotten, I opened my mouth to scream. He vanished, winking out of existence, leaving me stranded with the moon as my only companion.

When I finally came to, I was sweltering. Warmth was surrounding me, suffocating me. I struggled against my captor, trying to escape the heat that was so contrary to the coolness of the moon. All memory of the dream began to evade me and I strived to remember how I had ended up like this, in a cupboard of a room with only a small bed and a door occupying it along with whatever held me trapped.

Suddenly I was released, and I flashed out of the grip of whoever had been holding me. I dove off of the mattress and into the wall across from it in the small room. I was panting, terror and relief coursing through me as I was freed only to gaze upon my captor. 

I looked up to see Cassian sitting propped up on his elbow. He was staring at me in confusion. "Why are you...?" he trailed off as he stared at me, confusion, anger, and horror crossing his face all at once. I could see that the wounds on his chest had stopped bleeding and he was seemingly almost healed, infinitely better than before. I tried not to notice how delicious he looked, his dark hair falling partially into his eyes as his muscled arm held himself off of the bed. I thought back to how tightly those arms had held me.

'Hold up,' I thought to myself, 'stop right there.'

Rising slowly to his feet, he strode to where I was curled up against the wall, pulling the bandages off of his chest as he went. I flinched away from him when he knelt in front me, just like his father had before. He ignored my discomfort and reached up to cup my chin in his hand, lifting it up. I made a pained noise as he did, my neck flaring in agony. I raised my good hand to cover it, but he captured it with a large one of his own. 

As he leaned forward, terror kept me frozen in place. My instinct to flee was battling with my knowledge that there was absolutely no way out of here. I felt his nose graze my neck and a broken gasp came from my chest. He pulled back, looking at me curiously. "What happened? Who did this to you?" he asked gruffly. His face was ruggedly handsome, and a small beard forming on his face as he most likely hadn't shaved in days. 

I opened my mouth to speak, but winced as every movement wrought pain on my neck. I felt his fingertips brush the wound. "Who hurt you, love?" he asked softly.

I blinked. I hadn't been treated so tenderly since David and I had broken it off—or rather since he cheated on me. I felt tears form in my eyes and I tried to pry myself away from him. His shadowy eyes met my distressed ones and his face fell. "Did I do this to you?" he murmured. He looked pained, but I knew not to trust werewolves. They moved on quickly. They had overactive emotions that ran rampant at times. What David had felt for me had probably never been love. I was destined to a life as an old cat lady, made better only by the fact that I was allergic to cats.

Not that I'm thinking positively or anything.

I didn't meet his eyes, instead I chose to stare at the wall to my left, my neck smarting as he continued to examine the bite.

Moving slowly, trying not to frighten me, he leaned in again. I tensed as his nose brushed against my neck again, but this time he did something I didn't expect. I started as I felt his tongue scrape against the wound on my neck. I waited for the pain to explode from the injury, but instead I shuddered at the relief from the sting. It washed over me, and I shut my eyes, reveling in it as it ran, tingling, through my body. My neck was healing, I could feel it, and it was both amazing and terrifying knowing they had such powers.

Pulling away, he nuzzled my neck softly for a moment. I felt like a statue. I could see, hear, even feel everything, but I felt like I couldn't move. I felt stuck, and all because of him, and the strange power he held over me.

I lingered like that, lost in thought, and somewhere in the back of my mind I could feel the hand brushing along my hair and my jaw. Someone was talking to me...

"Love?" the werewolf asked, his voice still soft. 

"Don't call me that," I replied sharply before I had a chance to think. I no longer felt any pain from the injury to my neck, and my first words to him were filled with venom.

He smirked at me. "Well since I don't have any other name for you, I figured it fit."

"My name is Marlow..." I trailed off, trying not to roll my eyes at his smartass response. "How long do I have to stay here?" I wanted out, I wanted out now, before I did something stupid. Or someone tried to kill me again.

His eyes narrowed in confusion and he was about to respond when the door to the room finally opened. Light streamed in behind the figure of someone who was clearly Cassian's mother, and I gazed stonily at her. She glanced from me to her son, her face devoid of expression. She had the same dark hair as Cassian and his father, but her eyes were a light brown, almost caramel colored.

I felt panic for a moment, thinking that they weren't going to let me go. "Cassian, a word please," she ordered, before turning to leave the minuscule room.

I unfroze in that moment, rising quickly to my feet. "I have done as you have asked," I gasped out. "Our deal is over." I didn't glace at Cassian, but I could feel his eyes on me as I spoke.

His mother gazed over her shoulder at me, her eyes saddening slightly at my desperation. "I fear, my dear, that our deal is far from being over." Cassian swiftly followed behind his mother, giving me a lingering look with his smoldering eyes. I didn't realize how much space he took up until he had stood up, and I tried not to gawk. When the door began to close behind him I ran at it, slamming my fist against it when it banged shut, the lock clicking into place.

"Dammit!" I shouted. Panic, fear, and despair all crept up on me. I sank to the floor with a quiet sob. What had I done to deserve this? What had I done that reserved me to this captured fate, forever surrounded by the supernaturals I hated and the man who broke my heart? 

Why did I feel so strange about this man I scarcely even knew? I bit my lip, urging myself to not even consider the possibilities.

You saved his life, he's grateful. Get over it, the cynical voice in my head harped. I sighed. No tears fell as I sat there, cross-legged in front of the door that had been so unceremoniously slammed in my face. 'Ungrateful wolves,' I grumped, 'always screwing up your life.'

I waited there for what felt like hours, just sitting. I wanted my old life back. I wanted my life without supernatural crazies in it. I wanted no boy drama, and I wanted my family back. Of everything, my sister's rejection of me probably hurt the worst. Even worse than my parents untimely...

I took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts out of my head. Biting my lip, I finally gave up on the notion that someone was going to come save me. Avoiding the bed that had a highly defined blood stain on it from where he had bitten me, I managed to haul myself over into the corner of the tiny room, curling into a ball on the cold floor. 

This time I was plagued by nightmares of the strange wolf-men who held me captive. There were no erotic dreams about kindly wolves or the moon above me. They held me isolated from the world forever, locked in tiny rooms. They laughed. They were amused at my human feelings. My pain.

When I awoke, I could feel arms encircling me yet again. My fear receded to a point and a fury boiled deep within me. "Get. The. Fuck. Off of me!" I shrieked. The arms around me immediately loosened and I rolled forward...

...right off the bed. I landed with a thud, miraculously avoiding my broken arm. "Ow," I mumbled. From somewhere above me I could hear muffled laughter. 

I blinked, tears beginning to form in my eyes. I was in a new room now, clearly, even though I could only see the underside of the large mahogany bed. I felt a hand on my shoulder, but I refused to turn my head and look at him. I knew it was him, Cassian, even without looking.

Giving a cross sigh, he brushed his hand along my shoulder. 'You can't hide from me, Marlow.' His voice in my head sent shivers down my spine. I wasn't sure if they were good or bad shivers, but I only knew I had to reject any feeling for him from my mind or else I was never getting out of here. 

'I don't like it when people force themselves into my head,' I replied icily.

I could sense his surprise as it took him a moment to continue. 'That would imply people have been in your head before, love, and I thought you were human.' I snorted from where I was lying on the floor. 'You laugh, but I'm the one up here on the comfy bed while you're down there on the cold floor.'

"It's perfectly fine down here," I replied out loud, my head aching too much to continue communicating by thought. 

Arms wrapped around my waist and yanked me into the air. "Hey!" I cried out, twisting against the arms that were settling me back on the bed. He didn't say anything for a moment, just held me there. I could make out the refined furnishing of the room, all modern and all way more than I could ever afford. "I know that weres like to be near to people and everything, but I'm really not much of a snuggler," I griped, shoving one elbow back into his chest.

I felt him growl in response. I heaved a sigh and gripped one of his arms that encircled my waist. I tried pulling at it, trying to push it away, I even debated biting him, but I got the feeling he would like that. "No," he grumbled into my ear. "Marlow, stop moving, you're going to hurt yourself."

"Then let me go," I suggested. 

"No," he grumbled again.

I grew irritated, partially because he refused to release me. The other part was irritated because I had begun to like that he was holding me. "You know, I get that you're the Alpha's son or whatever, and you don't like taking orders, but when I told you I didn't want to dance with you at the club I was implying that you and your pack of wolves shouldn't come near me at all. Let alone kidnap me!" 

"I'm aware of the circumstances that brought you here now, but believe me if I had had anything to say about it, you wouldn't be here right now," he declared. I could feel his breath against the side of my neck. I wanted desperately to be facing him, so that he could see how pissed I was at him. "Even though I am immeasurably glad you are now."

His words made me froze. David had told me all about weres, and I had learned a thing or two from my parents as well. Their feelings ran to extremes, especially after being hurt as badly as he was. What he felt towards me was an intense gratitude, nothing more. "You're glad because I saved your life," I told him sharply.

A low rumble in his chest caused me to tense for his next words. "You are wrong, ocella. I am glad because I found you. I am glad because you are mine."



Her Heart, His Prey Ch. 03



This is it, the chapter that will (hopefully) stop confusing the absolute hell out of everyone! I agree with you all, the last chapter was very confusing, but as it was written in first person, I figured it would be best to feel like you were literally in her shoes (which is not always desirable).

Also, before people start asking, 'ocella' is a Latin derived word meaning 'dear' or 'beloved'. 

I hope you all enjoy, but I must admit, not EVERY secret is revealed in this chapter. That would ruin all the fun! I have many tricks up my sleeve (hypothetical sleeves of course because it's summer now), and I can't wait to get the next part out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Breakup

'What the hell?' it seemed to be a common phrase in my vocabulary as of late. I had been asking that in my head for the past six months after my parents were found dead in our suburban home, apparently murdered. I had been asking that to myself after David had proposed. What would an amazing, not to mention inhuman, guy like him want with a mere human such as myself?

And yet there I stood, watching as my sister made out with my fiancée in a back room of our wedding rehearsal dinner. I could feel tears of anger—tears of heartbreak-- begin to form in my eyes. I could feel my heart shattering, slowly, agonizingly. They didn't see me standing there; they were too... consumed by each other. She was all over him, her hands in his short hair as he grabbed her ass, drawing her as close as possible. 

Normally I was a very assertive person. As a photographer I had to be to talk to certain people, to get whatever information I needed and to get what people wanted to see on film. But the assertive edge I usually possessed had abandoned me in this moment. 

Instead I spun on my heel and raced back down the hall, trying my best to hold in the sobs I knew were coming. I didn't hear the footsteps behind me until someone's arms caught me around the waist, holding me tightly to them while I struggled. "Marlow, stop." David's voice caused me to freeze momentarily.

But only for a second; in the next I was raising my foot to kick him in the shin. As I made contact, he grunted, but otherwise didn't say anything. His hold remained firm. "I guess I deserved that," he muttered.

"Let me go!" I snarled, thrashing against his hold.

"Marlow can we please just talk about this?" The tone of his voice made it seem like he was trying to have a conversation with a five year old. I fought to control my rage.

"No," I replied austerely. 

"Marlow, come on."

I struggled free of his grasp, whirling around to face him irately. "What the hell makes you think that I want to talk to you about this?! Just go and find my sister and finish whatever you two were clearly starting back there!" 

Glancing around for a second, he grasped my arm and pulled me into another room. As he shut the door, I took a step back, crossing my arms as if to fend myself off from him. 

He came forward, grabbing my shoulders with both hands, trying to get me to look at him. I stared at the floor. I knew one look at his face would cause me to lose it. "Marlow please look at me." His voice was earnest, and I struggled to resist. 

I succeeded. "Why would you do that to me?" I whispered. I didn't trust my voice.

I felt his hand grip my chin, raising it so that I would look at him. There was no kindness or care in his eyes, only sympathy and pity. There was no love left in them for me. I shoved him away from me. "Get out."

"Marlow, you have to understand-"

"I have to understand what?!" I hissed. 

"You can't tell anyone about me, about my kind," he spoke softly. His words finalized that he truly was leaving me. And for my sister! I swallowed tightly, trying to push aside the suffocating feeling. 

"Please just get out," I whispered. 

"Marlow, I'm so sorry..." he reached for me and I avoided him.

"No, you're not. If it's some freak wolf thing, then I don't want to know. Just get out and leave me the hell alone!" I shouted at him. I noticed him wince as I said the word 'freak'. 

"Stop!" he said suddenly as I stormed to the door, desperate to show him out. I whirled on him, furious, but the look in his eyes made me pause. "She's my one," he murmured, stepping forward and fingering a lock of my hair. "You know I cannot help what I feel with her." My chest ached as he continued, and I didn't look at him. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of allowing him to see my face while he tore me up inside.

I bit my lip, closing my eyes tightly for a moment, willing the tears to not come. "Then go to her. Don't worry about me." I hadn't even blinked once and he was already gone. The silence of the room he had just been in mere moments ago was staggering as I caved in on myself, curling up into a ball against the door he had just vacated.

My heart broke for the second time that day at his final proclamation.

And yet I couldn't help but wonder... what could I have possibly done wrong?



The Present

"I want you to let me go," I stated as calmly as I could. I began to feel like I was suffocating all over again. David's face swam in my mind, and I shoved it out just like I was shoving Cassian away from me.

"Marlow-" he tried to get me to look at him, but I was having none of that. 

"Let me go right now! I don't know who the hell you are, and I don't want to be here, so just let me go before I start freaking out!" I clenched my eyes shut as I spoke through my teeth, my voice sounding desperate as I demanded to be released. 

Slowly his arms unwound from me, and I quickly slid off of the side of the bed, standing up warily. Our eyes locked and remained so for an undefinable amount of time. Cassian's gaze was hurt, and I tried to ignore the pang of guilt that swept through me at causing him to feel upset. I crossed my arms, staring at him evenly. "I need to see David."

The change in his composure was immediate. "No," he snarled, his eyes shimmering for a moment. Fear and tension invaded my mind for a second as he did, but he calmed quickly. "Anything you need to speak to him about, you can speak to me about."

"I don't know you," I replied evenly.

"You will," he edged off of the bed, padding over quickly until he stood in front of me, looking down at me as his dark hair fell into his eyes again. "You will remember." The way he said that, so cryptically, sent shivers through me. 

"Remember what?" I asked, biting my tongue as I waited for the answer. 

"Our past lives."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing at that. Our past lives? This man was the definition of a lunatic—slightly ironic due to his being a creature of the moon, but hey, no one ever accused me of being funny—and I was not going to sit here and listen about how we were freaking soul mates or whatever it was that he was getting at.

Cassian stared at me, irritation evident somewhat in his expression before he composed it again. "Why don't you believe me, ocella?" he asked softly, barging in on my personal space as he took another step closer.

"Stop calling me that," I told him, taking an intentional step back.

"Make me." I glared at him in response, too irritated to form a coherent response. He took my hand then. "Why don't we go talk to my parents about what is going to happen now?" 

I snorted. "So they can do what? Tell me I have to stay here now because you're under some delusion that I'm your soul mate?"

He frowned at that. "So they can meet you properly," he amended.

"No," I stated, crossing my arms.

"Why not?" he was getting frustrated and I couldn't help but grin slightly at my being able to rub his fur the wrong way. 

"Because I don't want to," I replied with a casual shrug. 

He sighed agitatedly, running a hand through his hair. It was almost laughable. He was clearly not used to being refused. "What do I have to do to get you out of this room?" he asked, crossing his own arms. It looked a little ridiculous, my small frame glaring up at his six foot plus tall body. I felt absolutely minute compared to him. 

"Let me talk to David," I replied dryly.

"That is out of the question!" he snarled, baring his teeth. His face looked ruggedly handsome, his features feral and terrifying but also beautiful. He really did look like a wolf in human form.

'Bad Marlow, stop it!' I chastised myself.

"Why?! At least I know him!" I shot back. 

He unwound his arms and began to walk forward. I moved backwards until my back hit the bedpost. He towered over me, and I began to feel fear creeping back into my mind. "I don't want you interacting with any other males until you accept me! You WILL accept me, and you WILL come with me to talk to my parents!" 

I lifted my chin, meeting his furious gaze. His eyes were shifting from dark blue to gold as he spoke. "Why don't YOU stop being such an ass and try actually being nice to me?" I smiled cloyingly. That seemed to get to him as he grabbed the bedpost with a clawed hand. I could hear the wood begin to splinter under his grip.

"I have tried, love, you just have decided to be overly difficult," he murmured indignantly, his face mere inches from mine. Suddenly he made a pained face and turned away from me, taking a few steps. His bare shoulders lifted as he took a deep breath.

"You haven't even bothered telling me your name," I added for good measure as he grabbed a black t-shirt and tugged it over his head.

He turned back slowly. "My name is Cassian." He paused. "Can we go now?"

"Not quite, I-"

Suddenly he surged forward, grabbing me around the waist and lifting me so that I was hanging over his shoulder. I gasped, not having time to cry out in surprise. "What the- Cassian dammit put me DOWN!" I glared at the floor as we exited the room, trying to ignore the fact that the only view I really had was that of his ass. Instead I hung there, the epitome of pissed off female. 

I watched other feet pass us by, some of them stopping or slowing down so that they could say something to or acknowledge the arrogant ass of a man who was parading me around the halls, slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "If I'm going to be here long, can I at least ask a few questions?" I asked sardonically as he turned down another hallway.

"Ask away," he replied casually, as if he did this every day. I scowled.

"Why do you think that we are meant to be together?" I began.

"How much do you really know about werewolves?" he asked, answering my question with a question. "Since you apparently have consorted with supernaturals before."

"Well I dated one long enough..." I mumbled irritably, thinking back on how David had pretty much given me the down-low on weres, even though I had already known some from my parents. 

"What?" he asked, apparently having heard my mutterings. 

"I know enough," I told him, cutting off his own interruption. I could tell that he wanted to continue on about the were I had dated, but he seemed to have other things to discuss with me on his agenda as well.

"So you know about mates and everything?" he asked, almost seeming hopeful.

I snorted. "I've heard about it. Doesn't mean I believe in all of that."

He sighed in response to my blunt confession. "I had to get a difficult one." I narrowed my eyes at his comment. How dare he complain about me! It's not like I was the one running around kidnapping innocent humans so that I could freaking BITE them and then hold them captive.

"I'm so sorry that this isn't going your way, if you would like to trade places I will gladly swap with you." I countered. My stomach was digging painfully into his shoulder. "So what exactly led you to the highly enlightened conclusion that we," I emphasized the word we, "are mates?" his grip around my waist tightened and I grumbled to myself.

"Your scent," he replied simply, his voice gravelly.

"Okay, hold up, we're mates because of the way I SMELL?!" I griped. "I'll just change my perfume and then we can be on our merry ways." If I could have put my hands on my hips I would've.

He snorted. "You're funny, Marlow, but that won't do anything." 

I humphed, and suddenly he came to a door. I heard him open it and after a few moments I was being dumped onto a black, leather sofa in another profligate room. This one was an office, however, and a huge fireplace made of uncut rock took up about eighty percent of the far wall. Everything in the room was made of dark wood and leather, giving it an upscale cabin kind of feel. In between the fireplace and myself was a large desk, behind which stood Cassian's parents. 

I began to feel panic swell within me. They both stared at me with critical, calculating eyes. I could feel Cassian's presence by my side and I held back the desire to hide behind him. Instead I lifted my chin, returning their loutish stares. Cassian's mother was the first to break, offering me a small smile as she moved out from behind the desk. Standing in front of me, she took one of my hands in hers. I tried not to gawk at how warm it was. "Thank you," she whispered, "for helping my son."

I opened my mouth to reply, but found my urge to be polite to my elders was conflicting with the fact that they kidnapped me and I had no choice in the matter. Instead of giving an answer, I just nodded. She smiled again, her warm, caramel eyes trying to reassure me as she patted my hand and moved back to her husband's side.

"We are in your debt," Cassian's father added. I looked up to see him looking infinitely less severe than before. He even offered me a smile. "But I'm afraid that the circumstances of our arrangement have been... altered."

"You can't force me to stay here," I replied coldly. His face tightened and the tension in the room was almost tangible.

"I'm afraid that the matter is out of our hands," he disclosed. His dark blue eyes were identical to Cassian's, and I could easily picture Cassian as almost an exact replica of his father when he grew older. Not that I would be sticking around for that...

"Then whose hands is it in?" I retorted angrily. 

"Marlow-" Cassian went to intervene, but his father held up a hand.

"It's alright, son, she has every right to be upset about this." I put my head in my hands. "Marlow, we can't risk anyone finding out about our kind."

"I've known about werewolves and vampires and witches since I was four and I've never told a soul. It's not like anyone would believe me anyway!" I countered. They all gave me surprised looks. I shifted uncomfortably. "I don't see why I have to stay here?" I finished lamely.

"We can't risk exposure, it's a pack rule that anyone with knowledge about our kind either stays here and becomes one of us or..." I heard a low growl emanate from Cassian as his father trailed off. 

"Or what?" I asked carefully.

"Or they are... how do you say it? Put down?" My breath caught in my chest. So it was either stay here and turn into a were, or die? Neither were highly desirable options to me personally. Cassian inhaled sharply.

"That won't happen," he replied sharply. His father stared at him evenly. 

"You are right Cassian." He turned his gaze back to me and I stiffened. "You have probably been told by my son already that you are his mate." I nodded slightly albeit unwillingly. "I'm sure at this point in time and under the circumstances you are unwilling, but-"

I held up a hand. "Please, just stop, I can't deal with this right now," I ground out. It was probably not the best idea to interrupt an alpha and completely disregard what he was saying, but I couldn't help it anymore. "I had a life before this. It may not have been an ideal life, but you took that away from me. I don't want any of this!" I gestured around. "I hate your kind for what they've done to me!" I could feel tears welling up in my eyes and I rose shakily to my feet. "I'm sorry, but I need time to think." I walked around the sofa, brushing past Cassian who had a strained look in his eyes. 

As I walked out the door, I could hear remnants of conversation from the room. "You boys really need to stop being to blunt with this girl, can't you see that her entire life has been turned upside down because of us?!" I tried not to smile to myself at Cassian's mother's words, but failed, allowing the corner of my mouth to quirk up.

I had barely made it halfway down the dark corridor when a hand clamped down on my shoulder. I turned, and, unsurprisingly, found Cassian standing behind me. "Come with me," he said, motioning back to the way we had come. 

I gave him a confused look, but consented, following behind him as we went down another unfamiliar hallway. "Where are we going exactly?" I questioned him as we rounded corner after corner, passing various doors and hallways. Every once in a while we would see another werewolf and I would look away shyly. 

"I'm taking you to talk to David." His reply was short, and I could tell that he didn't want to take me to David by the set of his brow. They were pulled tightly together, making him look like my father after I had gotten sent to the principal's office one time for getting into fight with another girl at my school.

She had totally started it, though. "Thank you," I responded quietly. His shoulders relaxed, the fabric on the black t-shirt stretching less tightly about his torso. 

"Just don't do anything that will make me want to rip his head off, okay?" I gave him a bewildered look at his request. At my expression he burst out laughing, his eyes lighting up. I rolled my eyes, poking him in the stomach.

"You're hilarious," I told him sarcastically. 

"So I've been told." We stopped outside of a slightly larger door than the rest in the hallway and he opened the door without knocking. Inside the room was another office space, this one containing a desk that was piled high with paperwork. David wasn't in here either. I looked at him suspiciously. "I've called him, he'll be up soon." I nodded without saying a word.

Moving away from him, I walked over to the cluttered desk. "What is all this?" I asked Cassian.

"David is in charge of security both inside and outside of pack territory. This is nothing compared to what his office usually looks like." I gave him an incredulous look before turning back to the files. I fingered a few of them, noticing they had names on the tabs.

"Do you mind?" I asked Cassian, gesturing to the files.

He shook his head. "Be my guest." His voice was low and seductive, and the look he gave me made my face redden. I felt a tingle run through me and I berated myself for it. I couldn't, no I wouldn't, let another David into my life.

I looked at the files, the names, even opening a few. They were mostly dull, boring articles on how a vampire had partially cut into pack territory while hunting or something along those lines. There were so many files on his desk I wondered how David kept them all in check. I was starting to get bored and was about to ask Cassian when David was to arrive when something caught my attention.

One of the files had my last name on it. I reached for it slowly, picking it up while ignoring Cassian's concerned scrutiny. Opening it, a picture of my mother and father fell out, landing unceremoniously on the floor. 

Tears began to form in my eyes as I started to read the report. Not much stuck in my mind except for the words 'vampire', 'donors', and maybe the worst...

'Terminated'.

"Terminated?" I looked up to see Cassian striding towards me with a confused expression on his face, his eyes on the file in my hand. In that moment, the door was also flung open to reveal a disgruntled David. His face immediately lost all color when he saw what I was holding. 

Cassian took my hand, taking the file out of my grasp slowly, and leading me over to the sofa in front of the desk. I sat down languorously, staring blankly in front of me as David walked cautiously into the room. Cassian rested one hand on my knee as he sat beside me, and David came to stand in front of us. He looked like he was on trial.




Her Heart, His Prey Ch. 03



"Donors?" I asked quietly. "What are donors?" I looked from Cassian to David as they both glanced awkwardly at each other. Cassian leaned back into the sofa, reaching for an unresponsive hand as David began.

"Donors are people who either purposefully or accidentally become involved in the vampire community. If they don't want to be changed or killed, then they are given the opportunity to be donors for certain vampire colonies. Most of the time it's humane, the people just go ever month or so to donate blood, nothing special." 

I began to feel sick to my stomach. My parents had done this? They had risked all of our safety, had risked having children who would be exposed to this ridiculousness! "However," my head snapped up as David continued, "your parents were part of a particular group of donors who were chosen due to the rarity of their blood. Some of the stronger vampires in the colony near here wanted to be spoiled if they were to live forever, only searching for the best type of blood. The contract they had with your family decreed that you would eventually become part of their donor group." A low growl sounded from Cassian and he gripped my hand more tightly, causing me to wince and him to instantly release his grasp. 

"What about Charlotte?" I asked him.

"I'm not sure why, but she wasn't a part of the contract," David replied, relief evident on his face as he spoke of his 'mate'.

"Anyway," David continued, "when they refused to give you to them when you turned nineteen, they killed your parents. Vampires are not easy creatures to ward off. They play mind games." My eyes widened at that and he nodded. "They tricked you about your friend, too. They were trying to lure you out. They needed a way to get to you that didn't draw too much attention." 

"So Cathia's fine?" I asked, relieved. David nodded.

"We became involved a few years ago, once your parents agreed to add you into their contract." David's voice was strained, almost...guilty as he spoke. I peered at him for a moment. 

And then I figured it all out. Everything. Every last bit made perfect sense in that moment. "So that's it then," I whispered. 

David gave me a confused look while Cassian squeezed my hand in reassurance. I was positive he could feel something of what I felt, but then again I wasn't sure. The whole supposed "mate" thing was still confusing to me. "That's what, love?" Cassian asked softly. I ignored him, instead focusing my attention on David, who had realized I figured it out.

"That's why you gave me the time of day," I snapped, addressing David with eyes filled with betrayal. "That's why we even met in the first place, wasn't it?!"

"Marlow..." David tried to intervene, but I was on my feet now, one of my hands still gripped tightly by Cassian, whose worried gaze grew even more pronounced as he tried to hold me down. 

"Don't even try to deny it, David!" I pressed forward. "That's why you even bothered going out with me, why you promised to marry me-!"

"What!" Cassian interrupted with a growl, but I pressed on.

"You were in charge of protecting them weren't you?! You went out with me because you figured it would be an easy way to keep an eye on us. I was simply a human. You could toy with me in whatever way you wanted and not give a damn later because you knew one day you'd find your soul mate!" I was seething, my voice echoing in the otherwise silent room as I continued my accusation. "I would be easy to give up afterwards, once your job was done, but then you found her! Tell me, did you even consider how I would feel once I found out? Were you just not going to show up at the wedding? Hope I wouldn't notice?!"

"Marlow, I never meant to hurt you," David tried to intervene softly, but one glare from me and he was silent. 

"You tore my heart out and didn't care! You took the last of everything I had, the last of my family, the last piece of happiness I had managed to hold on to! My parents died, you found her, and I didn't matter anymore! I was merely a complication to your relationship, nothing else!" I accused. "And I hate you for that. I hate that you can care so little for someone you pretended to care so much about for almost a year and a half of your life!"

Cassian moved his hands so that he was gripping both of my shoulders. I didn't realize that he had been holding me back until I stopped talking and realized how much closer I had gotten to David. David's face was pained, his pale eyes sobering as I continued. "I hope you two are happy together, because I swear to god if you hurt her, I..." I trailed off, not sure exactly how to finish that statement. "Where is she?" I asked him suddenly.

David opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "And don't you dare lie to me!"

"She got sick," he half-whispered. "We had to change her sooner than we thought." My fury reached a peak in that moment. He had taken my sister from me a little less than two weeks ago and she was already like them, already a monster.

"Marlow, love-"

"Stop!" I jerked out of Cassian's grip, throwing my hands into the air. "Just stop! Stop calling me that! Stop talking to me! And stop ruining my life!" I didn't even care that I sounded like a petty teenager. I hated how he made me feel so strange, how he made me feel like I had when I had been with David only... different. Both of them stared at my face with shock and sympathy. When I couldn't take it anymore, I turned and stormed towards the door, yanking it open with my good arm. "Gods I'm so fucking confused!" I hollered as I slammed it behind me, making my way through the halls while the other weres avoided me. I made it all the way outside before I didn't know where to go. 

I didn't see anyone else around, and I was sure that Cassian or someone else had "telepathically" told them all to leave me alone. I stood alone on a darkly colored deck taking up the length of the back of the house, scowling to myself.

The outside of the immense house was even more beautiful than the inside. There was a large expanse of open field, contrasting greatly with the vibrant sunset dominating the sky. It would have been beautiful if I had not been so furious, so confused. I was hurting, and I wanted to be alone. 

Beyond the vast area, there was a darkened forest. I shuddered, thinking of all the eyes that were probably watching me as I stormed around like a contemptible mortal. They were probably amused at my human feelings.

I wrapped my arms around myself, staring out at the forest. It was beautiful and mysterious. 'Sort of like someone else you just met, huh?' the voice inside my head teased. I groaned, making my way down the stairs and into the field. When I had wandered far enough, I flopped onto the grass, staring up at the kaleidoscope colored sky as the sun began to set. I closed my eyes, trying to get my bearings.

"Marlow," my sister's voice caused me to sit up and whirl around. It was strange, because she was exactly the person I wanted to talk to, werewolf or not. She stood alone there, her clothes torn and tattered, her face smeared with something dark. My stomach churned uneasily. 

"Hey Charlotte," I said tentatively. "How are you feeling?" I got to my feet slowly. They had said she was in transition, and to be honest, I had no idea what that meant. That was something neither my parent's nor David had ever discussed with me. Her eyes blazed with an inhuman fire. I could see nothing of my sister in them. What had they done to her? I took a step towards her, my arms out to show I wouldn't hurt her. "Char, it's me, Marlow."

"You need to go." She swayed on her feet as she spoke. Her eyes moved around wildly, occasionally resting on me. Her hair blew back in the slight breeze. "You have to go. NOW!" she took a jerky step forward, grabbing my upper arm with a clammy hand. It didn't hurt at first, but when she started squeezing I cried out. She released me instantly.

"Char, I think we should find David and see what's up." I took another step closer to her and I could now see her face in the remaining light of the sun. The dark smear was blood, apparently fresh. My stomach contracted sickeningly. I wanted to throw up. I wanted to run away.

"Run," she whispered. Suddenly an ear-splitting howl emanated from her lips. She collapsed to the ground and I watched in horror as her bones began to move and shift, making gruesome, popping noises as they did. 

Without another thought I turned and ran, sprinting across the vast field towards the front of the darkened house. I heard growling and the sound of something following me, and I was so fearful that I didn't even think why no one was stopping me as I hopped into my car, grabbed the keys and started the car.

I had to get out of here. There was nothing left for me now. Not even my sister. She was something else entirely now, and I was so, so afraid...

The only thoughts that permeated my brain as I drove for mile after mile were those of my parents—well, my parents and a certain kidnapping werewolf. I shook my head. I had to forget Cassian. He was a werewolf and he was arrogant, basically everything I hated rolled up into one, sexy package.

I increased my pressure on the gas pedal, surging forward towards the sign that let me know I was leaving the state. Something was coiled tightly within me, waiting to burst. I figured it was the anticipation of getting the hell out of here. The rain continued to pelt down on the roof of the car, almost like a drumbeat, foreshadowing some momentous occasion.

'Almost there,' I thought. 'You're almost free.'

The coil wound tighter, almost uncomfortably so. The sign grew nearer still. 

'Marlow!'

The voice in my head made me jump, swerving the car slightly. I didn't even have time to narrow my eyes in annoyance at Cassian when a searing pain exploded in my chest. I had passed the sign. "Ah!" I cried out, slamming my foot on the brakes while veering off to the side of the road. I clutched my one hand to my chest, the pain increasing as I sat there in my car. 

I racked my mind for possibilities as to what was happening. I knew nothing had physically injured me, so what was it? Was I having a heart attack? Could nineteen year old girls have heart attacks?? I whimpered, fumbling for the seatbelt. The agonizing pain was fading in and out, giving me a moment of relief before flaring up again. I could feel a bead of sweat run down my forehead as I struggled with the invisible injury. 

It was right where my heart was. I tried to move, tried to reach my phone, but everything hurt. Vaguely I could hear a voice in my mind. The voice was trying to talk to me, to soothe me, but I didn't hear it. I couldn't do anything except feel what was happening to me. Gods it hurt...

And then it stopped. I gasped in a breath of air, reaching for the handle to the door. Before I could open it, however, it was jerked open by someone outside. They grabbed my arm and yanked me out as well, crushing me to their chest. "What the hell were you thinking, love?!" his voice was rough, irritated, but with a note of tenderness in it. 

Strange noises reached my ears, and it took me a moment, but I realized that they were coming from me. I tried to breathe normally, to forget about the pain I had felt. Looking back on it, I realize that it wasn't just a physical ache, it was loneliness. It was a deep-seated loneliness that made me feel terrified. My own sister was now even a stranger to me, and I had longed for something...

"I-I'm sorry," I gasped out, my arms pinned against his chest. 

"Shh, love, it's alright," he crooned. I was so wound up I didn't even have it in me to tell him off for calling me 'love' again. He held me there, not saying anything for the longest time. "Did you feel it?"

I nodded slowly against his chest. "Wh-why?"

"The mating bond," he explained. "It doesn't let us separate ourselves too much from each other." He moved so that his mouth was right by my ear, his warm breath making me shiver. "It wants us to stay together."

I began to push away then. I was feeling overwhelmed, like my emotions were running on overdrive. He let me go this time, watching me with a bemused expression. "What made you run, love?" I narrowed my eyes at him and his grin broadened for a moment before vanishing completely. "Was it me again?"

I laughed once, humorlessly. Running a hand through my hair, I leaned against the car. "Believe it or not it actually wasn't you."

This picked his interest. "Really?" he asked without a hint of sarcasm. He seemed genuinely curious.

"Charlotte, she..." I trailed off, shutting my eyes as I tried to get the picture of her turning into a furry beast out of my head. "She attacked me," I finished, resting my head against the glass of the window.

"What?!" Cassian's voice sounded appalled.

"Is that like your favorite phrase or something, or am I just not speaking loud enough for your wolfy hearing to pick up?" I retorted.

He shook his head, ignoring my question. "Ocella, your sister hasn't even woken up yet, she hasn't moved since David changed her."

I raised my head to look at him. I noticed for the first time what he was wearing. The jeans hung low on his hips, fitting tightly in all the right places, and the black t-shirt he wore was stretched across his chest, his impeccable physique put on display.

'Goddammit Marlow, focus!' The rational voice in my mind was close to throttling me.

"Then how the hell did she...?" I trailed off and the look that emerged on Cassian's face had me panicking yet again. 

"Get in the car," he ordered suddenly.

"I'm not crazy-" I began.

"Jesus, love, just get in the fucking car!" he didn't wait for me to say anything this time, opening the door to the backseat and physically placing me there while he slid gracefully into the driver's seat. I had barely gotten the door shut when he took off. 

My back slammed against the seat as the tires squealed on the wet pavement. Eyes wide, I fumbled blindly for the seatbelt, clicking it in place just in time for his Tom Cruise style turn onto the main road. I braced myself with my good hand, chest heaving as I fought to find words. "Are you going to explain what the hell that was?!" 

For a few moments he ignored me, instead choosing to run his hand through his already messy, dark hair. "Your sister didn't attack you, Marlow."

"I'm not crazy," I said again, this time desperately. I gripped the back of his seat tightly, partially with my desperation but also in fear. The speed limit had been broken and then some and I didn't want to wind up as road kill.

He rested his hand on top of mine. "I know, but you know how we were telling you earlier about how vampires can get into your head? Make you see things?"

"Yeah?" my voice was hoarse and I figured it out quickly. "Y-you think they made me see my sister attacking me? To lure me out?" 

I looked into the rearview mirror and saw him smirk at me. "Exactly."

"Why the hell are they doing this to me?" I asked him.

His expression darkened, his eyes glowing for a brief moment. "I'm not going to let them get to you, Marlow," he replied poignantly. I knew it was serious because he was using my full name instead of one of his pet names for me.

I slowly drew my hand back from his, wrapping them both around my legs as I brought them up so that I was curled into a ball. I watched Cassian as he watched the road. His eyes were intense hues of blue with silver streaks in them I had never noticed before. He had a strong face that was framed by medium length jet black locks that were in between straight and curly. It was the first time I had truly looked at his face and I had to admit, he was beautiful.

His eyes glanced up at the mirror and he met my stare with a grin. I blushed and looked away.

The rest of the drive was made in silence, or as close to silence as was possible with all the tire squealing madness he was driving with. When we pulled back into the den I got my very first good look at the front of the house. It was mostly brick, old fashioned in style but with modern elements. Columns held up the overhang that led into a porch area that took up most of the front of the house. It was massive, quite possibly the largest house I had ever seen in my life. I felt dizzy just looking up at it.

Cassian opened the door and I quickly stepped out, stopping for a moment to take in the incredible piece of architecture with a grimace. His hand on my shoulder caused me to start forward, making my way back into my prison. I could feel my spirits drop as I entered the overly luxurious doorway. A few werewolves were hanging around and some looked at me with curiosity. Others considered me with distaste. 

I crossed my arms defensively, about to make my way to the stairs when Cassian grabbed my arm. He pulled me into his side, bringing his lips to my ear. "You are not going anywhere without me."

"Can I just go to my room, please?" I whined.

"You can stay in my room," he suggested smugly.

I threw my hands into the air, completely done with his arrogant ass. "Fine, whatever!" The exhaustion of the day had finally caught up with me, and I was too tired to argue with him over anything.

He grinned victoriously, taking my hand and practically dragging me up the stairs to his room. My head spun as we stopped outside his door. I had never been to this part of the house, and my mouth dropped as I took in his room. It was the perfect combination of old-fashioned and modern. The bed was a dark, mahogany four poster bed that appeared to be able to fit almost five or six people. There was a small sitting area in one fourth of the room right next to a set of french doors that led out onto a balcony overseeing the fields behind the house. There were two large bookcases filled almost to overflowing with all sorts of genres. I itched to get my hands on one of them, but held myself immobile. 

I noticed two other doors in the room, probably leading to some overly extravagant walk-in closet or bathroom that I wouldn't be able to afford in my whole one hundred years of living. 

"All this is yours?" I asked, shocked. 

He shot me a sideways grin and I elbowed him. "The bathroom's over there," he said, gesturing to one of the other doors in the room, "and I had Lydia buy some clothes for you, so they're hanging in there." He gestured to the other door. 

I nodded quickly, deciding not to ask who Lydia was, and began to make my way to the bathroom when he caught my arm. He spun me around so that I was facing him. He brushed a hand across my cheek, moving a few loose strands of hair behind my ear. "Try not to endanger yourself, okay? You seem to find trouble more often than not," he teased. I rolled my eyes.

When he released me I almost sprinted into the bathroom, leaning against the door after I closed it. I looked into the mirror and grimaced. The room was exactly as I had thought it would be: absolutely, one hundred percent overboard. It had an enormous bathtub and shower that made me want to roll my eyes again, and everything was marble. 

Not only that, but I looked atrocious. Cassian must have been insane to come after me while I looked like this. I certainly wouldn't have. I turned away from the large mirror and directed my attention towards the even larger shower.

Shaking my head to myself, I stripped out of my clothes and carefully undid my splint and stepped into the shower. I wondered how many people could fit in here, but I quickly annihilated that thought as my mind began to think of Cassian showering in here with me. 

It took me a little while, but I managed to figure out how to turn it on. Cold water blasted me from everywhere and I squealed. Vaguely I could hear laughter from the other room and I scowled while turning bright red in the face. 




Her Heart, His Prey Ch. 03



'Nice one, Mar...' I thought to myself. Sighing, I went to work on my hair, washing it twice while I tried to get most of the tangles out. I began to hum to myself while I carefully washed my body, trying not to move my one arm around too much. It was a shame that I couldn't stay in here for longer, but I knew that if I didn't come out soon, Cassian was going to come in.

And I most personally did not want to be forcibly removed from the shower by a pissy, overprotective werewolf who would probably be more than happy to see me naked. 

Turning off the water, I reached for a towel. The mirrors were steamy and I wiped away just enough space so that I could see myself. I felt, and looked, much better than I had before. I searched the countertop for a few moments before grabbing a comb and running it through my long hair. I tried to push all thoughts out of my head, but almost immediately failed.

What did it mean for me now that I was back here? Would he hold me prisoner again? I didn't want to stay here, but now I was afraid of what would happen if I left. The pain from earlier was worse than anything I had ever felt.

Biting my lip, I realized that I had no other clothes to put on, and that I would have to walk back through his room to get more clothes with only my towel. I knew I couldn't very well just walk out there naked, so I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, stepping out into his chilly bedroom. I clutched the towel protectively about me, and tried not to blush when I heard a soft gasp coming from the bed where he was lounging. Instead of giving into my embarrassment, I gave him an annoyed stare. "Men," I muttered under my breath. I could almost feel his boyish grin against my back. 'And my legs and my ass...' the voice in my head continued. I sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean, love?" his teasing voice sounded strained now and I tried not to grin as I opened the door to the closet. My mouth immediately dropped. 

"Holy hell," I gasped out. 

I heard him snort. "Everything alright?"

"You actually wear all of this stuff?!" I queried, turning so that I was looking at him. He had his arms behind his head, leaning back against one of the pillows, looking almost like a god waiting to be tended to by one of his various worshippers.

He rolled his eyes. "One of the perks of being the next Alpha," he huffed.

I gave him a searching look and he stared evenly back at me. "Interesting," I murmured as I stepped into the vast expanse of expensive silks and cottons. 

"What's interesting?" he called.

"How do you not get lost in here?!" I called back, placing my hands on my hips. There was row after row after row of shirts, pants, ties, etc. I noted the smaller section that was for me, and even then it was larger than my closet back at my apartment. I began to search for something more casual to put on.

"I know that's not what you were talking about!" he mused.

"True," I replied. "Your comment earlier just made me pause was all." I managed to procure a pair of jeans and a loose t-shirt. Tugging them on quickly along with a blue silk bra and panties combination, I walked back out into the room. He was lying in the same spot as before. I flopped onto the sofa in the small sitting area, leaning on one of the armrests so that I was looking at him. "I would've thought you loved being given all this fancy stuff."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be you know," he replied softly.

"What happened to you anyway?" I asked him suddenly. He raised a brow, leaning on one arm so that he could look at me. "I meant how did you get hurt in the first place?" I clarified.

He nodded slowly. "Well, when you pick a fight with an angry vampire that ends up belonging to a coven, you don't always come out with mere cuts and bruises."

"So it was my fault that you were hurt in the first place," I assumed with a grimace. I crossed my arms in the loose t-shirt, feeling guilty and irritated all at the same time.

"No it wasn't your fault." I looked up at him. Shaking my head, I went to say something, but he interrupted. "Marlow, your parents condemned you to the vampires as soon as they signed that damned contract. And you can't blame yourself for trying to help your friend, either."

I huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of my face. "You almost died, though. I don't see how you can be so alright with the fact that I practically got you killed!"

He made a strange face. "You almost sound like you care, love. Why is that?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"It's my compassionate side coming out. I'll try to be less considerate next time." He seemed to always be able to say the one thing that got me riled up.

He chuckled. "Calm down, love, I was only teasing. Anyway, I seem to have come out of it a lot better than you." He nodded towards my arm, and I held it protectively to my chest. 

"I've had worse." He raised his eyebrows at that and I fought the urge to stick my tongue out at him. "Was it really necessary to bite me?" I added.

"Yes." His eyes made contact with mine and I raised my eyebrows.

"Well that was straightforward," I quipped.

"That was the other way I knew you were meant to be mine," he declared. "Only the blood of our mate can heal us from wounds that fatal."

"You could have given me a little forewarning; it's not the easiest thing to have some strange man wolf out on you and not have nightmares afterwards," I joked. His eyes darkened for a moment. 

"This is not how I wanted finding my mate to be like," he murmured. 

"I'm not your mate!" I called softly. 

Suddenly he was standing over me. I froze, gazing up at him with wide eyes as he stared hungrily at me. "You are. You are my one and only, you are the only soul my heart can respond to, and I will never let something that important out of my sight for an instant."

"So I really can't leave here at all?" I asked, disheartened. 

"I'm sorry," he uttered, kneeling by the sofa and resting a hand on my cheek. I struggled not to move into his touch. I wouldn't let him get a hold over me like David had. 

"What about my life, my things, what about what I want?" His eyes saddened as I continued.

"In time you will come to realize what it is you truly want." His cryptic commentary was beginning to aggravate me. "Marlow, it's too dangerous right now for you to go anywhere. I need to know that you are safe. It would literally kill me if anything happened to you."

"Because I'm your mate?" I inquired incredulously. 

He gave me a soft smile. "You will come to feel for me too, you know. In time."

"I-" I began, but stopped as I looked into his sincere eyes. I couldn't shake it. Yes, I was attracted to him, but I hardly knew him! This was ridiculous... 

"Cassian, I..." I trailed off as I looked into his eyes. I felt a mixture of emotions: fear, intrigue, and for some strange reason, nervousness. I looked away, my cheeks flushing.

"Ocella, look at me." Shyly, I let my eyes lift to his.

"You mean something to me. No!" he added abruptly when I opened my mouth to say something. "You're not allowed to talk right now." He brushed his thumb across my cheek, shifting so that he was ever so slightly nearer to me. "I know you don't like supernaturals, and I can understand why. You had your heart broken. Not only once but several times because of us." His eyes darkened infinitesimally, turning them completely black. "But I want you to know that I'm here for you if you need me."

There was a brief silence in between my calm and the tears that followed. Cassian scooped me up into his arms, pulling me against him while I continued to just let the tears fall. It wasn't full out sobbing, but more of a letting go of the hurt I had felt in the past few months. My heart was going through a lot, even now, and I had resisted the urge to cry about it and get over it for far too long. I hadn't even let David ever see me cry and here I was bawling in front of a guy I had known for only a few days.

His hand rubbed soothing circles on my back while he murmured into my ear. I realized it was in that same undefinable language as the pet name he had given me. I gave a half laugh. "You know I can't understand anything you're saying, right?" I pulled back from him, reaching up to wipe the remaining tears from my face, while grimacing at the mess I had made of his shirt. 

He glanced down and rolled his eyes. "It's one shirt, love, I'll live."

I raised my eyebrows at him. Brushing some of the soaked strands of hair out of my face, I smirked at him. "On a scale of not bad to awful how ridiculous do I look right now?"

He leaned forward so that he could nuzzle my neck. I shivered at his touch. 'You feel nothing, you feel...'

"You look beautiful," he murmured as he placed a soft kiss against my neck. I didn't move as he did this, didn't say anything; I barely even breathed. 

'Don't do it, don't give in...' I thought to myself. 'But maybe...'

"Marlow, I want to let you know something," he murmured. I didn't say anything as I waited for him to continue. "Marlow, I want you to give me a chance. I am aware of the hurt you are experiencing, and it pains me to see you hurting like this, but I want you to give me a chance. I promise you I will do everything in my power to make you happy again. I want to make you feel loved and cherished the way you should be, and I want for you to see me as something other than a monster."

I felt tears form in my eyes at his proclamation. "How?" I asked.

"How what?" His hand brushed my cheek and I leaned into his touch. 

"How do I know that you won't leave me for someone better? How do I know you truly feel the way you do about me?" I asked softly, staring at my hands. He moved one of his own, reaching out to cradle my broken wrist in one of his huge hands.

"Marlow look at me," he murmured. Turning slowly, I did as he asked. His dark, entrancing blue eyes held mine for a moment before he ever so cautiously tilted his head forward. 

'Oh damn...' the voice had finally given up trying to tell me between right and wrong.

Something came over me in that very same moment, something I had no idea was inside of me. I filled the void that still remained between us, crushing my lips against his with a quiet moan. He responded instantly, his strong hands grabbing at my waist, drawing me closer to him as our lips moved against each other. 

He pressed a kiss against my neck as he drew away. "Did you love him, Marlow?"

I drew my head back at his question. "I-I'm not sure." I told him softly. "I'm not sure about anything anymore." He went to move in to kiss me again, and I very well would have let him, but in that same moment a crash resounded through the house.

Cassian leapt up in surprise as a howl emanated from outside the door, taking a protective stance in front of me. "Shit," he muttered. Looking back at me over his shoulder, I could see his face was partially transformed, his eyes blazing gold and his teeth elongated. "I think your sister wants to talk to you."



Her Heart, His Prey Ch. 04 Pt. 1



A NOTE FROM ME:

I am so sorry. To everyone who wanted me to continue, this is for you (to those who didn't, well, too bad). School and family have kept me away from you all for far too long, so I'm only just now getting the first part of chapter four to you. It's not much, but it is something.

If you notice any errors or mistakes, please don't try to hard to find ways to criticize me for them, because I scarcely had time to look over this part before submitting. But you get answers. You get so many answers, and maybe a little confrontation between Marlow and some guy named David. Charlotte's bringing out her claws in this partand so am I. I have clearly neglected you all and for that I am sorry.

But I'm still here. Nothing could keep me away from you all (I swear, if I die my ghost will probably continue writing for you). 

Hugs and kisses,

-Siren




After the Breakup

I sat on my lopsided sofa, still wearing my dress from the rehearsal, tears running unashamedly down my face. David and... Charlotte? How could she do this to me? What the hell was she thinking? She was only eighteen, and... and...

Oh what was the use? Charlotte was far prettier than me. She was tall, her long legs caught the eyes of men every time we went out, and she was far more sociable than I. Cathia was the closest friend I had, and other than her I could probably count all of my "friends" on my fingers. I blamed my job. Being a photographer meant you didn't get to spend much time in one place, so I was out travelling quite frequently.

Although our faces were shaped the same, she had endearing, chocolate brown eyes. Mine were a yellow-green that, while attractive, were nothing of notice. Her blonde hair was beautifully styled, kept short in a way that made her look more mature. I'd never had the heart to cut my long hair. It reached my waist now and still held its curl, making me look like a little girl.

It was so embarrassing, having to go back into the rehearsal, having to announce that the wedding was off to my entire family, and various members of his while he was off gallivanting around with my younger sister doing who knows what. I could still see my grandmother's shocked face, Cathia's wide eyes, as I walked quickly off the stage, almost running through the French doors that led out of the fancy building. I hadn't let myself cry until then, and I'd almost had to pull over twice while driving because I couldn't see anything. After making it through my front door, I had settled here and not moved since. It felt like too much effort to move any of my limbs at the moment.

A knock sounded at the door then, and I almost ignored it, figuring it would be a relative or someone else I really didn't want to talk to. But I knew better than to just leave them hanging when they knew I was here. It's not as if I would be in the mood for clubbing after what had just happened. Pushing myself to my feet, I made the seemingly endless trek towards my front door. I wiped the tears from under my eyes before opening it.

Charlotte threw herself at me, throwing her arms around my neck and practically squeezing the life out of me. I gasped, staggering backwards as her tall frame dwarfed me. "Marlow, I'm so, so sorry! I swear I didn't know it was David, I've barely ever seen him before and I didn't know how different he would look! Please don't hate me! I promise I'll never see him again! I know how much you love him and I would never do anything like that on purpose!"

Throughout her speech, I had managed to stay upright by holding onto the doorframe for dear life. "Charlotte..." my voice was hoarse, the suddenness of her intrusion sending me into yet another state of shock.

"You have to believe me, Mar, I didn't even know at first! I swear I didn't recognize him, he looked so different in the photos!" her voice was so high pitched that my ears began to ring, and I pushed her back to gain some breathing room. I also didn't really want to hug her or anyone else right now.

"I believe you," I cut in. Truthfully I just wanted her to stop talking, to just let me relish in the pain that was my heartache. And I realized she was right. We hadn't talked much ever since I had gone off to pursue my dream job and she had gone off to stay with our grandparents while taking classes. David and I had been separated frequently because of my job, so a lot of the pictures I had shown people were from when we first started dating. I guess the ones I did send Charlotte were taken a while ago, and I guess he did look sort of... different—his hair was definitely longer. And yet, as much as I loved Charlotte, she didn't always seem to be the most observant person around, and whether or not she actually even looked at the pictures or tried to remember his face was a complete mystery to me.

"I'm a horrible sister!" Charlotte sobbed. "I'm sorry, I'll just go. I just wanted to let you know how sorry I was, Mar." I knew she was leaving to go right back to him. David had explained how it was. As soon as you saw your mate it was like a switch was flipped. You were never the same after. You were drawn to them, and nothing could keep you apart. Not even if they were about to marry your own sister apparently...

"It's fine, Char. I get it. It wasn't meant to be. Go off and get married in Vegas for all I care. Just be sure to ask him about his super big secret." With that I ushered her back out the door, slamming it in her confused face. I felt bitter before, but now I felt bitter and mean. Sure he had torn my heart out and gnawed it to pieces like the wolf he was, but I had just thrown him under the bus and yelled at my sister after the first time I'd seen her in almost two years other than the funeral.

I flopped back onto the couch, bringing my hands to my tearstained face and grimacing when they came back stained with my dark mascara. I probably looked like a train wreck and then some.

Not even a minute later I heard another knock on the door. "Go away Charlotte!" I yelled at the door like the bitch I was.

When it opened to reveal a very grim looking, sweats wearing, ice cream carrying Cathia, I couldn't help but let the tears fall again. Now I really did feel like a bitch. "Oh, sweetie..." she came in and gave me a hug while pulling me off of the sofa. "Come on let's get you out of that dress and all that makeup and into something more comfortable."

PRESENT

His glowing eyes stared at me over his shoulder as the noises came closer. He seemed worried, but also protective. "My sister wants to-?" I began, but suddenly the door banged open, and...

There was my sister. My eyes widened and I backed up so that I was half-sitting on the arm of the sofa, my non-broken arm braced again the wall behind it while the broken one hung limply in my lap. "Charlotte?" I asked quietly, staring at the malformed version of my new and improved sister.

Charlotte's eyes were glowing brightly, just like Cassian's were, only hers were more orange than gold. Her teeth were elongated and bared in a way that almost completely animalized her face. Her head whipped around wildly before her eyes landed on me, a distraught expression flitting across her face. She howled again, so loud it was earsplitting. "Damn it, David!" 

David arrived at the door only a millisecond later, gazing at his mate with pride and annoyance, his eyes tired. "Charlotte, I told you not to run off!" There was irritation in his voice, yes, but mostly a tenderness that, for some reason, didn't seem to instantly send a pang of hurt right to my heart as it had before.

"You told me you were going to leave her out of all this if I came here!" she growled back at him, eyes flashing. I could see her hands, balled into tight fists as she whirled on her mate. Cassian was still crouched in front of me protectively, as if to make sure she didn't draw too close in her out of control behavior, especially after what the vampires had apparently done. I could tell Cassian was very on edge about this. "And who the hell are you?!" she turned on Cassian. I held back the urge to tell her off for yelling at him like that. Gods, what was wrong with me?

Cassian finally righted himself, looming over her smaller form, earning him a growl from David as he threatened his mate. "I am your Alpha, little one, and you will do well to respect me," he spoke carefully, each word emphasized in what I was quickly learning to be his "Alpha voice". His authoritative tone had Charlotte stop in her advance and David lower his head in respect for his superior. She gave him a confused look before taking a step back with a whimper, moving lower to the ground in submission of her Alpha. I was torn between racing from the room in fear and rushing to her side to console her.

Instead I chose to do the ever-useful, cower in fear on the sofa,

"I'm s-sorry Alpha, I didn't realize-!" Recognition flashed in her manic eyes, and I wondered at the insane world I had just dove into—well, more like belly-flopped into. Dives tended to be graceful, and my introduction to this world was a far stretch from grace at this point.

I was brought back to the scene before me at the sound of Cassian's voice. "Shh," Cassian rested his hand on the top of her head and drew her back up to her full height. "You're new to this, little one, you will adjust." David moved over to his mate and pulled her to him, turning her face to his.

"You promised," she whimpered to him. David gave her a sorrowful look. I began to feel severely excluded from this affair, but I got the feeling I would've felt more awkward if I had been directly involved.

"I'm sorry, Char, I wouldn't have done it if I'd had any other choice." Charlotte buried her face into his shoulder and I found myself turning away from their heated embrace. I could feel Cassian's eyes on me as I stared at the wall, trying to discern if it was painted dark blue or black. Anything to take my mind off of my current predicament.

"Why did you do it then?" Charlotte lifted her head, looking in between David, Cassian, and me. Her eyes were still glowing brightly and I tried to control my fear and mistrust when she looked at me. I couldn't see my sister in those eyes and it frightened me. It made me wonder if she would ever truly be the same girl I had grown up with. "Why did you bring my sister back into this mess?"

"That is between me and your sister," Cassian replied softly, interrupting the exchange between her and David. Charlotte locked her eyes with mine and I held her strange gaze, trying not to look horrified at her altered appearance. Her blonde hair was disheveled and I was positive I didn't want to know what turning felt like if she felt as haggard as she looked. She really was acting like a wolf, too. It was utterly bizarre to see my sister scenting the air like a dog.

"Do you want to be here, Mar?" she asked me. Her voice sounded odd, and I realized it was because of her teeth, or were they fangs? Either way, I felt very uneasy as I blatantly stared at her.

I suddenly felt every eye in the room on me and I shifted uncomfortably in my odd position on the sofa. "Uh, if it makes you feel better, Char, then yeah I want to be here." Cassian seemed to visibly relax as did David. My sister, however, did not.

Charlotte put her hands on her hips, fixing me with a glare. "What kind of bullshit answer is that, Mar?" She took an aggressive step forward.

I heard Cassian give her a low growl as he moved into his protective stance again. I tried not to notice how good his butt looked while doing so, and then blushed when I failed, looking elsewhere in the room. I had never analyzed furniture so much in my life. "You may be new, Charlotte, but you will respect my mate," Cassian growled. David eyed the two of them warily and I slowly lowered myself back onto the actual sofa still cradling my hurt arm, shooting Cassian a scowl as he told my sister of our supposed relationship. 

Charlotte's jaw dropped. "Mate?!" she screeched. "What the hell are you talking about?!" She looked at me again in shock, but this time fixed her glare on Cassian. "If you even think to take advantage of my sister I swear I will not be the only angry bitch coming after your hide, Alpha or not!"

Instead of growling again for her impertinence, this time Cassian did something that surprised everyone. He laughed. He threw his head back and laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world. I almost fell off the sofa at the outburst. 

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at his reaction, clearly displeased. "I'm glad you are amused by my sentiment Mr. Alpha, but I suggest you heed my threat because it is not an idle one!" Cassian sobered, still trying to suppress a grin as he glanced between me and my sister. 'I'm beginning to see the familial resemblance,' he joked, throwing his thoughts my way. I winced when he first entered my head, but rolled my eyes at him. His back was still facing me, but I got the sense he could figure out what I'd done. 

"May I ask you something Charlotte?" he asked, tapping against his head as he did so. Charlotte nodded uncertainly. A surprised expression crossed her face and I assumed that this was the first time she had ever mentally conversed with another were. Her surprised demeanor only lasted for a moment because in the next she smiled. 

Then she gave me a mischievous look. I raised an eyebrow at Cassian, who smiled innocently at me. "What did you say to her?" I ground out. He merely gazed impishly at me, as if he had no idea what had just occurred. Sighing I readjusted myself back onto the sofa, wincing as my arm brushed the side cushion. 

Cassian fixed me with a concerned stare. "It's broken," David stated, either hearing or guessing at Cassian's thoughts. Cassian frowned at me. 

"I thought it was only sprained. It didn't seem to hurt her that much."

"Well you can guess why that is. Anyway, she's supposed to be wearing the brace, but I guess we'll just have to get her a real cast. I figured she would've gone to the hospital by now, but she ended up being brought here." He fixed Cassian with a pointed look. "She should at least have stopped using it-"

"I haven't been using it-!" I protested even as I realized with a grimace that it wasn't true—god what the hell had I been thinking earlier?!—but I was cut off again anyway.

"-but I guess we'll just have to fix her up with something better now that she's here," David finished. Cassian nodded approvingly, flashing a concerned look in my direction.

"No!" my voice sounded whiney. I hated being made a fuss over, but I hated making a fuss even more. "Can't I just wear the brace and promise to be careful?!" 

"No." All three of their voices rang out at once. I jumped, looking at them all in surprise and mild irritation. Shaking my head, I glared at the floor as they all continued on as if I weren't there. They made arrangements for my stuff to be brought here and I realized with a start that I'd never see my place again. At least, I wouldn't if Cassian had anything to say about it. I scowled to myself. 

'Domineering bastard...' I thought to myself.

'What was that?' Cassian's voice in my head caused my scowl to deepen.

'Nothing,' I thought back. I hadn't noticed I was projecting. I'd have to be more careful. I wondered if he'd heard my comment about his butt from earlier...

I heard footsteps come towards me, and I looked up to see Cassian standing there. Lifting my feet up, he sat down on the sofa before resting my feet in his lap. I gazed at him evenly, ensuring that he couldn't read anything into my expression. He moved closer, resting a hand on my knee while I clutched my arm to my chest. 

Still I had no reaction. Or, well, no change in my expression. My heart felt like it was about ready to jump out of my chest.

When he shifted so close that I was practically sitting on his lap, I made a disgruntled noise, but he quickly covered my mouth with a hand. Brushing his thumb across my lip and gently reaching over to take my injured hand in his grasp, prying it from my own grip. He was so gentle I didn't even feel any pain. I stared at him, speechless as he leaned closer to me. "Please let me take care of you." His voice was warm and endearing, drawing me in like a moth to the light.

'You are much prettier than a moth,' he thought to me. My face, of course, turned bright red as he heard my thoughts again. So much for being careful...

I sat frozen, stunned by his gaze and the ache I began to feel in my arm. I hadn't realized just how bad it had gotten. There was so much, too much in fact, going on. I hadn't had time to focus on any physical pain. I was too fixated on the emotional, or maybe the vampires were just that powerful in their compulsion and I had fallen right into their cold, pale hands entirely without thought of my own well-being. 

Slowly I opened my mouth. "I don't like people touching my feet," I said dumbly. This, for some reason, caused him to smile at me. A genuine smile, not like one your parents would give you when you were four and told them you could sing or play the piano. I, however, wanted to kick myself repeatedly and then hide in a cave forever. Really, Marlow, could you have said anything more completely idiotic than that?

"Oh girl, you've got it BAD!" My sister's voice made me jump, reminding me that there was an audience to our exchange, and my eternal embarrassment. I blushed deeply, turning my head away from Cassian's eyes and the power they held over me. 

"Knock it off, Char," I muttered. Their stares, both her and David's, bothered me. Cassian's eyes moved over to Charlotte, and he raised an eyebrow in question.

"She doesn't just talk about her feet issues to anyone, you know. You should feel special," she told him, still laughing. I could hear David snickering, and I pulled my feet from Cassian's lap, crossing them underneath me. 

I agreed finally to getting the cast when I found I couldn't take the staring anymore. I swear they'd done that on purpose. Fixing me up with a cast didn't take too long. David had insisted on taking me down to the small infirmary they had in the southern end of the estate. I grumbled about it the whole way, but Cassian insisted. Since he was an Alpha, David had very little say in the matter.

Although, when David sent Cassian away, I realized that he apparently had a double motive. He wanted to talk to me. I grew tense as he turned towards me and where I still sat on the padded table in his small office. The cast made my arm feel heavy but it no longer hurt so I dealt with it. David's eyes on me were another matter.

"Marlow, I wanted to apologize..." he began before clearing his throat.

"Are you serious?" I asked him, irritation coursing through me. "You're going to apologize now?! After everything that's happened?! After I've been kidnapped and lied to and here for...for... I don't even know how long I've been here!" I was almost shouting now, throwing my hands in the air and almost knocking myself in the head with my cast.

"You've been here for about five days," he told me softly. I couldn't hide the rising panic I felt. I was an animal trapped in a cage. I couldn't leave, couldn't escape. Freedom was no longer a right for me, but a privilege. And right now I had no privileges.

"I thought it was only two?" I asked dryly. Don't go crazy, don't go crazy... it was my mantra now. I could not handle a panic attack among other things right now. This alone was bad enough.

"After Cassian bit you, it... took a while for you to come out of it. It's completely normal!" he added swiftly before I could freak out about something else. "A lot of times, when one mate takes blood from the other to heal, their body shuts down because it used part of their soul to heal the other."

"He took part of my soul?!" I shrieked. David looked about ready to knock a few walls down with all the aggravation I was currently causing him by not allowing him to finish any of his thoughts. But it wasn't as if he were handling the situation any better than I was.




Her Heart, His Prey Ch. 04 Pt. 1



"It was such an insignificant amount that you'll hardly notice," he ground out, clenching his fists, "now let me finish! Your body shut down so that it could heal itself. Cassian was there the entire time." He said it like it made sense, like it should make me feel better to know this. In truth, it did make me feel better to know that he cared so much, but I refused to let myself acknowledge that.

"Seriously?" I asked, in spite of myself.

David nodded. "The whole time. He was practically going insane when he came back to find you unconscious. Although I do think he's come to like you better when you're unconscious," he joked. 

I frowned. "Now is really not the time for you to make fun of me." My voice sounded dangerous. I liked it.

He sighed. I knew I was being irritable, but I wanted answers not jokes. 

"To answer your first question, yes, I am going to apologize now," he stated, narrowing his eyes as if daring me to challenge his response. "Marlow I realize what I did was wrong, to use you like that, but it was my job as a beta of this pack to figure out what was going on with your parents and the vampires." When I went to say something, he held up a hand. "Please, just... let me finish." He took a deep breath. "I will admit, the feelings I had for you were real, everything that happened... I cared for you, truly I did. But you weren't my soul mate. I offered to marry you, and I made a poor choice that night in abandoning that decision so quickly. And for that I am deeply sorry. It was never my intention to hurt you in such a way and I hope you can find it within you to forgive me."

I sat there, stunned, for a moment at his confession. "David, I- I get that you feel bad for what you did, but it's going to take time for me to forgive you. It's not like you were some high school fling, we were about to get married-!"

"Do you still feel anything for me? Now?" he interjected. I paused. Cassian had asked me the same thing only an hour ago, and I found myself sitting in the same stupefied silence as I had before. "Or is it gone for you now that you've met Cassian? Your mate?"

"I don't want to talk about this right now. Especially not with you," I ground out. This mate crap was really beginning to get on my nerves. I didn't want this, but I had begun to realize that maybe I was, in fact, mated to Cassian. Even so, I would never tell David that. My attraction to other men, especially werewolf men, was none of his business.

He grinned victoriously. "See! You won't even admit it to yourself." He moved close to me, not quite so that we were touching, but so that our faces were mere inches apart. I couldn't move, still trapped on the table by his arms that were planted on either side of me. "Stop hating me for what I did and move on. I know it was wrong, that it was an awful, terrible thing I did to lead you on like that, but your heart has moved on and you can't even see that because your head is still so stuck in the past!" His voice was a growl, and it made me inch back.

He took a deep breath before saying what he did next. "That's how the vampires got to you, too, you know. You were so focused on everything everyone had done wrong and your wounded feelings that they managed to get a hold of your emotions and control you that way."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded suddenly. My flesh was heated, and I tried to deny his words. I tried with every fiber of my being, but there was a tingling truth racing through them that I could not ignore.

And it pissed me the hell off.

"I'm saying that vampires can manipulate you in ways you cannot even imagine. Cassian told you they can make you see things?" I nodded, a sick feeling settling in my stomach. He smirked briefly, his eyebrow quirking in a way that used to drive me crazy. "Well they can make you feel things, too. They can make you forget all about this," he held up my hand for emphasis, "and focus everything on what they're trying to get you to see."

This made my stomach clench in apprehension, but I knew it would do me no good to show my fear. "So I'm screwed no matter what?" I bit out. We had gone from my new (and improved? I had no idea anymore) love life to how the vampires were trying to screw me over and possess me like they had possessed my parents. "No matter what happens, they'll be able to control me and get to me?"

"No, but you need to trust us. You need to trust Cassian. We can't help you if you won't let us, and you're trying so hard to resist us, because of me, that you're going to end up getting yourself killed!" he growled. I could feel my heart racing, and I was surprised Cassian hadn't shown up during our little confrontation. He usually seemed to get involved when things got heavy.

"I don't want any of this," I said softly. "Why did it have to be me?" it was the most ridiculous, most helpless thing I could've said, and I wanted to take the words back as soon as I said them. I hated seeming weak, even if I was.

David's face softened. "I don't know why, Mar, and I'm sorry it had to be you. I can't imagine what your feeling, and I won't try because I know it'll make you upset." He placed a reassuring hand on my arm. "I've known you long enough to know that you're strong, that you're capable of healing. You can get through this, but you need to give him a chance. He hasn't done anything wrong. He wasn't the one who kidnapped you. I was. He didn't break up with you. I did. He's not the horrible person you're making him out to be... that's me. I am the only one who has caused you pain intentionally, and you may not like it, but I know there's something inside of you that cares for him."

"It's not that simple," I mumbled.

"The hell it is!" David bellowed, slamming his fist on the table and making me jump. His threw his hands into the air, moving away from me. "Marlow, I know you're human and this doesn't make much sense to you, but I also know you aren't stupid! We aren't together anymore. I know that you were torn up about it at first, and believe me, I regretted every second I led you on, but you can't possibly tell me you still feel the same about me as before! Ever since you met him, you've known there was something there. That wasn't like what it was for us! We were friends for months before we even started thinking about dating!" He looked directly at me. "You didn't even look to me for comfort when your parents were killed. You wanted solitude."

I couldn't breathe. He was right. I knew he was right, and maybe, looking back on our relationship, it hadn't been as wonderful as I'd made it out to be. I bit my lip, willing my tears back. I would not cry in front of this man.

This time when he came forward, he clutched my good hand desperately in his. "Promise me you'll give him a chance."

"David, I-!"

"Promise me, damn it!" he shouted. Instead of cowering at the tone of his voice, I lifted my chin, glaring back at him full force.

"Stop talking to me like that," I snarled, wishing I could bare my teeth or growl at him the way wolves did. It would have made me seem much more intimidating.

"Then promise me that! You've hurt him just as much as I hurt you, only you've done it over a few days instead of the ten minutes it took for me to do it. Stop torturing the poor man and let him be there for you!" he shouted back. I was on my feet now, stalking towards him in the little space that there was.

"I let someone be there for me once, and I think you know very well where that got me," I shot back, crossing my arms as best I could with the bulky cast.

"You're afraid," David stated suddenly, his anger dissipating instantly as he ignored what I'd said. It was unnerving how fast his mood changed, and I struggled to keep my fierce composure.

"I'm not afraid," I whispered darkly. "I don't want to get hurt again. I know what it's like to have all your loved ones leave you at once. I know what it's like to lose everything."

"You aren't just afraid. You're terrified," David murmured, nodding to himself. 

"I'm not," I managed to keep my voice calm, but it still had an edge. I opened my mouth to say something before closing it then opening it finally. "I was going to leave here," I said emotionlessly, telling him what I hadn't told anyone else.

David looked at me, shocked, like he was truly surprised that I had told him that. "What?" 

I nodded. "I had my ticket and everything. I was going to go back to my parent's house."

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked, his voice suddenly hoarse as his hand gripped the edge of one of his chair.

I shrugged and met his eyes, and for once did not let them stray. "Because I wanted you to know just how low I got after losing almost my whole family and then the only man I ever thought I loved. That's the only reason I let Charlotte stay at the apartment. I was going to leave and I was never going to come back." I paused, re-crossing my arms the other way. "I can't forgive you or Char for what you two did to me, at least not right now, but I've realized I still care a hell of a lot more about her than I ever did for you. If you ever hurt her, even if it's unintentional, I will not be held responsible for my actions."

The look in his eyes told me that he understood perfectly what I was saying at, but the slant to his mouth gave me a sudden anxious feeling. He took a step towards me before speaking.

"You said you thought you loved me." His voice was smug.

"And?" I asked venomously.

"Clearly that means you feel differently now." He shrugged as he spoke and it made me want to punch him. Preferably somewhere below the belt.

"I don't know how I feel anymore," I mumbled, looking away from him and at the gaudy blue wallpaper covering the walls. It was truly hideous.

"Bullshit." His face was directly in front of mine, his eyes blazing as he spoke. 

"Asshole."

"Promise me," he demanded. I held my tongue, but I could feel myself caving in. I could feel myself letting go, shattering my resolve into tiny pieces. "Promise me!" he yelled before I could say anything.

"God dammit! I promise, all right?! Are you happy now?!" I shouted back, tears forming in my eyes as I finally gave in. I had a feeling that it had been coming regardless of our conversation, but David had really made his point, and was probably not going to let me walk out of here until I gave in to what he demanded anyway.

At that he smiled, his pale eyes glimmering in victory. I don't think I'd ever wanted to punch him as much as I did in that moment. "Good because he was getting pretty pissed at me for yelling at you so much."

I made my way back to his room slowly, taking my time and trying to think all the way back. I was positive that Cassian was going to intercept me at some point after that horrific interlude, but I supposed he wanted to give me a little space to think. I decided then and there that I wanted to know everything. I wanted to know what being his mate meant, what I was expected to do now, everything about my parents and what they were involved in. I wasn't mad at him. I never had been. I knew that now. I just wanted to him to know my decision.

Actually, what I really wanted was to go to bed, but I doubted I could sleep considering I had about a billion questions rambling through my head that would've kept me up wondering all night.

Somehow I managed to make it back to his room without getting lost. Pushing open the door, I found Cassian lounging on his bed, a calculating expression on his handsome face. His arms were folded behind his head like they were earlier. "Nice cast," he quipped. Apparently he was still irritated with me. I rolled my eyes, sitting cross-legged on the bed opposite from him.

"That was an asshole move, you know, getting him to do that," I told him pointedly, referring to his and David's planned conversation. I realized on the way back that it was why he hadn't intervened. It didn't seem like his style to stray from an argument. Cassian shrugged, staring at me from the other side of the bed with dark eyes. They were so observant it was as if he saw right through me.

"I know," he replied simply and indifferently. I had to admit it stung slightly. "It was his idea, actually, but I did agree that you needed to hear it." He reminded me so much of when we'd first met in the club. It felt so long ago. And to think it had only been a couple days.

"You listened, I assume?" I supposed quietly while pulling the afghan from the bed around my shoulders. I wasn't really cold, but I felt safer with it around me.

"No." He still wouldn't look at me.

"Really?" I was surprised. I had figured that he would do something like that, but I also heard the truth in his voice. I drew my knees up to my chest, pondering this.

"I figured it was something private. As much as it kills me that you two have a past together, I understand that you two needed closure." He was so sincere, so honest. I felt tears of frustration well up in my eyes. He hadn't done anything wrong, just like David had said, and while I may still not have forgiven David for what he did, I shouldn't have taken it out on Cassian. Even if he did bite me to heal himself before we had an actual date... or an actual conversation that didn't involve me criticizing him the whole time.

"This is all happening really fast," I whispered, pulling the blanket protectively around me.

"I know. I don't want to rush you, Marlow, but I do want you to trust me, to stop pushing me away." I nodded, almost to myself. I had promised to do as such, and I would follow through on that. His voice was tender and I looked up to see his handsome face looking at mine. The way he looked at me... it made everything else seem insignificant. He made me feel like I was worthy to be looked at like that.

Man I was piling on the cheese today, wasn't I? 

"I'm sorry." As soon as the words came from my lips I realized how much I meant them. I was sorry, and I wanted him to know how sorry I was, how much I regretted the way I'd treated him. "But I really need to start getting some answers or I swear my head is literally going to explode." I added as I laughed bitterly.

He gave me a warm smile and I found myself staring at his lips, remembering how they felt against mine earlier. I blushed, moving my eyes to the comforter I was sitting on while pretending to fix a stray edge of the blanket. His eyes were still on my face and I was struggling not to blush. "What do you want to know?" he queried.

"Everything," I responded quickly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I mean, well, yeah I mean everything," I finished lamely, giving him a smirk. "I want to know about werewolves, mates, my parents, the vampires, everything!"

"That may take a while," he replied, his voice low as he pushed himself into a less awkward sitting position. "And you look like you're about to pass out any second." The sudden concern was startling. I did feel like that, but I also knew that I needed answers more.

I shook my head. "I'm not going to be able to sleep at all until I get some answers."

He sighed, giving me an exasperated look. "Alright. I promise to give you the answers, but you'll have to promise me something in return."

"What's that?" I asked suspiciously.

"For every question you ask, I get to ask one in return." I raised my eyebrows at his proposition as a mischievous glint entered his eyes and the set of his mouth. I felt like I was about to make a huge mistake, but I had agreed to throw him a bone, now, hadn't I? If wolves liked bones that is...

"I guess I can live with that." He chuckled at my response, shifting so that he was sitting cross-legged on the bed in front of me, his back resting on the headboard. His dark eyes sparkled with humor and... excitement? I averted my eyes from his mouth, knowing exactly where my thoughts would take me.

"What is a mate... exactly?" I held my gaze to his as I asked and could see the happy glint in his when he noticed that was the first question I asked.

"Come here." He held out his arms and I raised an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes. "You said you'd trust me, now come here."

I slid closer, almost falling onto his lap when he grabbed my non-casted arm and pulled me right up against him. He chuckled and placed my hand on his chest, over his heart. It took me a moment to figure it out, but I gasped when I did. "We have the same heartbeat?" I asked. I wasn't sure if I was right in my assumption, but he nodded. "Is that part of...?" I trailed off, unsure of how to finish my question.

Again he nodded. "Our history isn't really written down, per say, but it is common that soul mates share that aspect. Some believe it is because our souls were divided in half, therefore we are destined to find or be drawn to where the other half of our soul is. It's reflected, literally, in the beat of our hearts."

"Soul mates," I breathed. He nodded, an encouraging smile forming on his lips.

"Our mates are our perfect match, even if we do not recognize it at first." His voice was so serious, so warm, so... I had to mentally slap myself to pull my thoughts away from him and only him. Damn David, why'd he have to go and be so right about all of this? Cassian's hand ran up my arm and back down, as if he were trying to comfort me—or distract me. I found that I was staring at him wordlessly, and had to forcibly remove my eyes from his. There was so much there, so much longing, so much... love? 

"My turn," he said suddenly, and my eyes snapped back up to his. He released my arm and I sat back down, not moving back to my side of the bed, instead opting to stay closer to him while not quite touching. Still, the nearness almost made me shudder.

"Shoot." I pulled the blanket more tightly around my shoulders as I felt his eyes run me over. Werewolves were nothing if not subtle.

"How old are you?" he asked.s

"What?" I was shocked by his easy question, and found myself staring dumbly at him.

"I asked you how old you are," he replied simply.

"I know that! I was just surprised. I would've thought you'd found out everything about me by now! Don't you have like fifty werewolves at your disposal to dig up my personal life or something like that? Isn't that how it works?" I knew I was being rude, but I couldn't stop the nervous flow of words.

He snorted, leaning forward and speaking to me in a low voice. "I wanted to know about you from you. If you'd rather I just looked up what was written about you in your files, I can do that."

"No, I-I'm sorry I just assumed." Biting my lip and feeling suddenly very young and foolish I remembered the question he'd asked. "I'm nineteen. I turn twenty in July."

"Nineteen!" he repeated, shocked. "And you were getting married?" I flushed deeply, the embarrassment triple that of what I had faced the months before the wedding. Those had been my sister's words exactly when I'd told her I was engaged. And my grandmother's, and my uncle's...

"That's two questions," I replied softly, trying to stop blushing when I thought of the confrontation with my uncle. He had never liked me much anyways, but when I'd told him he'd thrown a huge fuss in the middle of a restaurant. It was absolutely horrendous and I was afraid to go out for almost a week in fear that someone would recognize me as the careless girl who was getting married at nineteen.

He quickly realized his question had made me self-conscious. "Forgive me. I just didn't realize you were so young."

"Well how old are you?" I was beginning to get nervous again. What if he was way older than he looked and was really almost thirty? I wondered what my uncle would do then when he found out about him.

"In human years or wolf years?" he questioned back.

"Now I'm not sure I want to know..." I ventured cautiously. I knew wolves lived longer than humans, but how long was the real question. 




Her Heart, His Prey Ch. 04 Pt. 1



"To your eyes, I am only twenty-four. In reality, I've been around for about ninety," he told me, his gaze unmoving as he looked at me expectantly. It was as if he were waiting for me to freak out.

I tried not to gape. "Wow, you've been around for quite a, um, while haven't you?" I couldn't quite stamp all the nervousness out of my voice and he smirked at me, obviously amused at my attempt to remain stoic. 

"My turn," he said suddenly.

"No it's not!" I retorted. Now he was cheating.

"Fine, I'll give you this one, but only because I'm such a nice guy," he conceded, nodding to himself at his own joke while giving me a sly grin.

"You're terrible," I laughed, surprised at how easy it was to just talk to him. "Anyway, my next question..." I thought for a moment. "I guess I want to know how my parents got involved with the vampires in the first place." It wasn't a question, but he didn't tease me about it. In fact, his face grew very pained and tired looking. I considered just asking something else.

He sighed. "I don't know the specifics of what happened, but I do know most of the story." I nodded, waiting for him to continue. "David told me that about the time you were born, your mother grew very ill. She was still pregnant with you and when they took her to the hospital, they weren't sure she was going to make it." I sat, leaning towards him as I was enraptured at hearing this new part of my past I had never been told. "The doctor told her there was a way to save both her and you, but it would be costly and very dangerous. Your mother and father agreed to it without question. That night your mother was healed with vampire blood." He looked at me, frowning when I didn't react. I tried not to notice how kissable those lips were, and forced myself to focus. 

I stared blankly at him. "I don't think I'm following you. Is it bad to do that?"

He nodded, his face grim. "It's a very bad thing. Vampire blood, even with its amazing healing abilities, sets the person who it heals off from the rest. Not only is there a visible indication of your contact, but the taste of the person's blood becomes like ambrosia for vampires."

"Oh my god," I whispered. "So that's why my mother... and then me...?" The room went fuzzy for a moment before returning to normal. My whole life they'd been lying to me. It was hard to digest at first.

Cassian nodded. He took my one hand in his, holding it tightly. "Your mother and father didn't know what they, or the doctor, did until two vampires showed up at your home a couple weeks after you were born. The contract they created included your father because he was part of the actual event, but you and your mother were forced into it because of the taste of your blood, although they couldn't take from you until you were at least eighteen."

"So if drinking a vampire's blood is all it takes for it to taste like that, then why don't they just give it to everyone?" I asked him, my brain still functioning, but overwhelmed immensely.

"It takes certain circumstances, I'm told, such as the human being close to death, or something along those lines, and not everyone survives anyway when they are given it. David is unaware of these factors as well. The Alphas wanted to keep it between the Alpha council," he finished. Noticing my expression, he grew worried. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, that was a lot." His thumb ran reassuring circles over the back of my hand.

I nodded stiffly. "Yeah, it's just... wow." I wanted to change the topic to a less morbid one. "Anyway, it's your turn."

"Is it now? Hmm... what do you do with your life?" I could almost cry at the complete turn of conversation. Half of my life seemed so normal and the other, well, let's just say I wasn't going out partying anytime soon.

"I'm a photojournalist for a magazine I've been reading since I was a child so I end up travelling a lot, especially to places in Europe and Africa. I've been taking college courses online because I can't really settle down in one place too long, but I had friends that worked for the magazine who helped me to get a steady job with them." I paused, watching him watch me with what seemed like rapt attention. "What does everyone think happened to me anyway?" I asked in a small voice. This had been nagging at me since I thought of my old life.

He grimaced, holding my hand gently with his. "They think you've gone missing."

"I guess that happens every so often then, doesn't it?" I asked him, not being able to keep the accusing tone from my voice.

He looked down, releasing my hand as if it burned him. "We aren't proud of it, if that's what you think. We don't relish knowing that we've taken someone's life from them, but it's too risky to do otherwise. If our secret were to get out..." he took a deep breath. "There was an incident a few years ago, a were from a different pack nearby found his mate. She was so resistant to the idea of becoming like us and leaving behind her life that she fled and went off telling everyone that she was kidnapped by a pack of wolf-people." His voice was monotone, but I could see the emotion, the despair welling in his dark eyes.

"What happened?" I murmured. I didn't realize it then, but I had reclaimed the hand he had moved, tracing the lines of his palm with a finger.

"Most people didn't believe her, of course, but there were a few people who did. When he went after his mate, trying to bring her back and talk some sense into her, a small band of hunters followed him. When they saw him with the woman, they shot and killed them both." As he spoke, tension practically rolled off of his body. His eyes were haunted by the memories. "Please don't leave!" he said suddenly, his voice strained. His hands grabbed my upper arms and there was a frantic look in his eyes. They began to shift colors again.

"You knew him, didn't you?" I asked him after a moment of surprise. My one hand gripped his arm and he loosened his grip.

Cassian's eyes dulled and he nodded solemnly. "He was my best friend."

My heart plummeted, and I couldn't help but share in his sadness. "I'm so sorry," I murmured, knowing it would do no good but wanting him to know it all the same. He seemed suddenly very lost, a lost wolf cub, and I wanted to badly to hold him.

"Can I hold you? Please?" the raw need in his voice coupled with the sadness he still must've felt in regards to his friend, made me cave, especially since I secretly desired it as well. I nodded, and he drew me to him, holding me tightly against his chest and rubbing his face in my hair. I tentatively reached my hand up, touching the side of his face with my fingertips. He pressed his face into my hand. "I was so afraid you were going to end up like them. I wasn't sure what to expect when I found out you'd left."

"I told you already. I wasn't leaving here because of you, it was because of the... uh... hell, I still don't even really know what happened." I frowned. I knew the vampires had made me see things, but that was about it.

"Some supernatural creatures have special abilities," he explained, his voice dark. "With vampires, the special abilities come with age. The coven your family signed contract with was one of the oldest. Those vampires can play mind tricks on anyone, make you hear, see, or feel things that aren't really there." His voice was rougher than normal, but still deep and sexy.

"So the car, it wasn't really mine?" I asked confusedly.

"No, it was your car. I had David bring it over while you were unconscious. But your sister never really attacked you. After making you see that, they led you straight to your car. They... disguised your scent so no one would see you or try to stop you, or at least that's what I assume. That's why it was so easy for you to get out and for them to almost get you. Damn it!" I jumped when he growled out the last part, and he immediately went to soothe me, his arms holding me tightly as he waited for my heart to calm down. "Sorry...I just...damn it was so much like last time. I don't want to lose you." His voice was muffled by my hair. "I know it's hard, to accept all this and everything, but I want so badly to make it work."

I reached back up to touch one of the arms that surrounded me, and I could feel tears pricking at my eyes. "I've been really selfish, haven't I?" I tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a bitter sigh.

"No, you haven't been selfish. I have. To want a normal life... it's not selfish, love. It's never selfish." His words made me wonder.

"Have you ever wanted that?" I asked softly. "To have a normal life? A human life?"

I tilted my head up as I asked the question and realized how close our faces were to each other—how close our lips were. "I've thought about it sometimes," he admitted. "I've thought about what it might be like, but I only come to the conclusion that, to me, this is normal. This is my life and there's no use wanting what can never be." His eyes connected with mine and I could almost feel the thoughts running through his head.

'Can I kiss you?' his voice in my head caused me to jump and he smiled slightly at my humanness. 'Please?' Even his thoughts had a tender feel to them.

"Is it your turn to ask a question?" I asked out loud, trying to tease even though my thoughts had gone numb. Did I want this? Was I ready for this? Every thought was piling on top of the other fast and I couldn't make it stop.

He groaned. "It's been my turn, now shut up and kiss me." I closed my eyes as his lips met mine. It was like the last time we'd kissed. Was it really only earlier this night? I guessed it was. He was everywhere. As his lips moved urgently against mine, all I knew was him. Cassian. I felt his arms turn me and pull me more tightly against him. I returned his kiss with equal urgency, forgetting everything in that moment, and quite literally too. I was sure if you asked me my name, I would have no correct answer for you.

When he pulled away, we were breathless. He reached up a hand to caress my face, looking at me in wonder. "You really are willing to give me a chance?" he asked, still shocked apparently. "After everything that's happened?"

"I told you I would, didn't I?" I smiled back and he brought his lips back to mine. 

We spent the rest of the night talking, not only about the supernatural, but other things, too. We talked about what we liked and didn't like, and what kind of music we were into. We even got into a debate about Doctor Who and which season was best, and the anniversary. At some point we fell asleep, me resting my head on his chest and his arm wrapped around me.

And that's how we spent our nights for about a week, talking until we both fell asleep and then waking up still in each other's arms. If I didn't know any better, I would call it romantic, but to be honest it just felt right. There had been a few mornings, however, where I'd woken up before him. The first time it happened I'd decided to explore and had gotten hopelessly lost. He'd had to come find me, grinning from ear to ear when he saw me pouting as I sat on the floor in a hallway in the middle of absolutely nowhere. The second time, however, I'd managed to direct myself towards the kitchen and had hung out there until he found me later. I met the two chefs that worked there, Katrina and Jacques, and I'd managed to make friends out of them rather quickly. 

Katrina had dark skin and dark eyes that were constantly filled with humor. I doubted I'd ever seen a woman so tall before in my life, and if I didn't know better I would've thought she was an Amazon and not a werewolf, but she was a lot more robust and less angular. She also had an accent I couldn't quite place, but when I'd asked about it, she'd merely said "around". She reminded me so much of Cathia that I'd even called her by that name once or twice.

Jacques, however, was the complete opposite in about every category except for height. He had pale skin and cerulean eyes that were high contrast to his strawberry-blonde hair. He was tall and muscular (like every other freaking guy in this place), but still seemed lankier than everyone else. Maybe it was just the way he carried himself. When he wasn't around Katrina he seemed to brood. 

But when he was with her... damn. It was like night and day. One second he'd appear sullen and deep in thought, and the next he'd be teasing me and Katrina, even laughing. 

They weren't mates.

I'd pulled Katrina aside after the last time I'd gone down there and asked her about it. She seemed completely shocked by my question, immediately putting to rest any thoughts I had on the matter. It was odd, though. Jacques seemed so attached to her, so much better around her, and they weren't mates? There was no lasting attraction? I knew then that Katrina didn't feel anything, but I wondered if the mating pull could be a one way thing, or that maybe the women didn't feel it as much as the men. I'd thought I had gotten a hold on what being mates was, but I guess I still had a lot of learning to do.

"Marlow?" Cassian's voice brought me back to the present with a jolt.

"Sorry," I replied into the dark room." I was just thinking." He always seemed to know when I was distracted. Maybe it was because I was still projecting everything to him, but he told me I'd been getting better.

"It's alright, love, you just hadn't said anything for a while and I wondered if you were asleep." His own voice sounded tired and I smiled into the darkness.

"How do you always seem to know what I'm thinking? Am I really that bad about projecting?" I inquired softly. The feel of him against me, our arms pressed against each other from shoulder to elbow, made me relax.

He paused, and I wondered if he could truly pick up on all of my thoughts. The idea sent a ring of panic through me when I thought about all of the things he could have heard. "You know how I told you that some supernaturals have extra abilities?"

"Yeah?" I wasn't sure I was liking where this was headed. If he really could read all my thoughts, then... well let's just say I'd have quite a lot to answer for.

"I'm an empath," he told me quickly, sounding worried. I couldn't hold back the sigh of relief. "What was that for?" he queried, almost seeming amused, but also irritated.

"To be perfectly honest I thought you were going to tell me you could read my mind. I might've been freaking out for those few seconds it took you to tell me you were really an empath and not about to rat me out for every less than innocent thought I've had," I responded with a breathless laugh.

He snorted. "You humans are quite odd. Though I am curious as to what these unvirtuous thoughts may be." His hand trailed along my arm suggestively.

I elbowed him and he grunted, throwing his arm around my shoulder and pulling my back to his front. "So you don't care that I can feel all of your emotions whenever I want; when you're happy, sad...horny," he added the last with a low growl, running his nose the length of my neck. I could almost feel the sly smile he was giving me. He had an unfair advantage here. Whereas I couldn't see him in the dark, I was relatively sure he could see me. And my blush. I tried to hide it, though, with my ever useful sarcastic façade.

I rolled my eyes despite the warm feeling I had begun to get. "It doesn't bother me. It actually sounds kind of like a pain in the ass. Having to feel everything that everyone else is feeling... it honestly sounds miserable." My voice was quiet, but it still contrasted greatly to the deathly silent room.

He stilled behind me and I wondered if what I had said offended him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." I floundered around, trying to fix what I'd so inconsiderately said. I really needed to learn when to keep my mouth shut sometimes.

"No, don't apologize, you were right actually. It is hard, too hard most of the time. My mother's side of the family has passed it on, and I know even she has a hard time dealing with it sometimes. It's a lot easier to lose control when you can feel everyone else's anger, all their pain," he said. His arms flexed around me and I tilted my face up to where I guessed his was. 

"I'm sorry."

He pressed his lips to mine briefly before releasing me. "We should probably get to bed."

I bit my lip, wondering fleetingly if he was kicking me out. I still had no idea how to find my room, or if it was even really my room. When I voiced my concern, he instantly reassured me. Brushing his lips against mine again and tangling a hand in my hair, he took a deep breath. "Ocella, you can stay here all you want. Preferably forever, but for now I'll take what I can get." The teasing lilt to his voice made me roll my eyes again. 

"Mm, I guess I'll stay then," I assented. I could feel the joy radiating off of him at my decision. I turned away from him, curling up into the soft pillows of his bed with a yawn. He moved behind me and I felt warmth press against my back. There was complete and utter silence in the room save the sound of our breathing. I allowed my mind to wander. 

"Cassian?" I asked, as a question came to me.

"Mmm," he mumbled sleepily. I had always envied people that could fall asleep at the drop of a hat. I rolled over carefully, my breath catching only when I felt my thigh brush his leg. The moon had made its way over to this side of the house and had illuminated his bed with a subtle light. His eyes were open as I faced him, his face chiseled and perfect, yet made more dramatic by the shadows the light created when making contact with his flawless skin. He was perfection, and it made me feel like everyone said. It made me feel human.

"What's it like being a werewolf?" I asked him.

He cracked a smile, reaching out to brush my hand along my cheek. "I'm not sure," he murmured, "I've been one my whole life so I can't compare it to anything else." He paused. "I guess... it's empowering even if it does seem weird to you humans. Especially since we change into a different creature entirely." His voice sounded rough from almost being sleep and I wanted nothing more than to snuggle closer to him. So I did. He seemed surprised at first, almost as surprised as I was even though we'd spent the past week sleeping in his bed, but he quickly recovered, wrapping his arms around me. It was the first time I had initiated contact like this with him. He rubbed my back soothingly and I sighed. "Are we making progress, my feisty little human?" he asked almost hopefully.

"I do believe we are," I murmured back sleepily, a smile forming on my lips as I slowly drifted off to sleep.