When I finally ran out of tears, I separated from the hug. "I missed you so much." I spoke.

He only wants you for your blood, you're nothing. Derek's voice filled my mind. My breath hitched. He won't leave my head. Why does this keep happening?

"Finn! You may want to come down here, mate." Zachary's voice echoed from somewhere in the mansion.

Finnigan rolled his eyes. "A little busy!"

Zach was leaning against the door way in a flash. "I'm serious. This isn't good." His hand was behind the door like he was hiding something. "Hi, love. Nice to have you back."

I flinched. That word and accent combo made me sick. Brandon had paid special attention to his words to make sure he stopped saying it. Derek ruined love for me.

Finnigan eyed me with caution. "Jess, are you okay?"

No, I was far from okay. "Yes, sir." I answered back.

Finnigan looked me over carefully before turning back to Zachary. "What is it?"

"He's a siren, Finn. I don't know how, but he's a goddamn siren." Zach pulled his surprise from behind the door and shoved him to the floor in front of us.

Brandon stared up at me. His eye was swollen and his mouth and nose were covered in blood. My body ran cold. I completely forgot about him when I saw Finnigan. What had they done to him?

Without thinking, I ran to him. His hands were shackled behind his back and there was a wooden steak sticking out from his shoulder. "No, no, no. Brandon, I'm so sorry."

Brandon shook his head. "Jess don't. Go with the prince." So Finnigan was really who he meant when he said royalty. Doesn't he know that Finnigan is Tanner's brother? He told me he would make sure I was never back in their hands, yet here I am.

I glanced up at Zach who was right behind Brandon now. His arms were crossed and is eyes were dark and angry. "You have to let him go. Please," I said.

Finnigan's hand touched my shoulder and he shoved himself between us.

"What are you talking about, Zach? He's not a fish he can't be a siren."

"He told me himself, and look in his eyes, Finn." Zach grabbed a fistful of Brandon's hair and tilted his head up so Finnigan could get a better look.

Finnigan took a step closer, "son of a bitch."

My mind raced. What do I do? I can't let them hurt him. I owe him my life.

"How?" Finnigan questioned.

"I was turned as a part of a science experiment, your majesty." Brandon answered.

Finnigan shook his head. "Now I have even more of a reason to kill you. Take him back down to the basement. Do what you want but keep him alive until I get down there."

Come on Jess, say something. You can't let him die. You're such a coward.

You'd rather let Brandon die then risk getting in trouble. He should have let you kill yourself in that basement, Derek commented.

I bit my lip. Derek was right. Brandon risked everything for me and here I am watching someone plan out his death.

"Master, please." I begged. Wrong word choice.

Finnigan growled. "It's his fault you're so broken, but everything is going to be alright, Jess. You don't have to answer to this scum anymore." He lifted his foot and kicked Brandon in the jaw, sending him crashing the floor.

"No!" I ran to Brandon's side and knelt near him. I pulled my sleeve up and ripped off the bandages. "I know you don't want to but please, drink from me."

"Jessica get away from him now!" Finnigan yelled.

I turned to Finnigan and clasped my hands together. "I'm begging you. If you want to hurt someone, hurt me."

"That's an order!" Finningan's voice held more range in it than I had ever heard.

I turned around to hide my tear ridden eyes. Brandon and I locked gazes and he nodded at me weakly. I stood up and sulked back to stand beside Finnigan. He grabbed at my chin and jerked it up, "he brainwashed you, didn't he?"

My body shook under his touch. "N-no sir. I just care about him." He may look like Finn but right now he was acting like Tanner. This was a disaster.

Zach lifted Brandon up and shoved him against the wall. "Doesn't matter. When I kill him, it'll break all bonds he has." He grabbed onto the steak and yanked it out. Brandon groaned, and my stomach dropped.

"You can't kill him!" I cried out.

"Remember what I told you earlier, babe, don't worry about me. As long as they don't hurt you everything is fine. It has been an honor to know you." The corner of Brandon's mouth tugged up into a smirk.

I could feel my heart breaking in a million pieces. Brandon didn't deserve this. He saved my life in more ways than one. It was sickening to know that I couldn't help save his.

Finnigan released my chin and sighed, "drop him Zach."

Zach glanced over at us, "the fuck did you just say? Have you gone insane? He needs to die!"

Finnigan wiped the tears from my cheeks, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that. Did I hurt you?"

I shook my head, "no sir." There's the Finnigan I know, level headed and sweet.

Zach hadn't moved from his position. His eyes were focused on Brandon and the steak was still seconds away from piercing his chest. "Set. Him. Down. Now." Finnigan said as he stepped away from me and toward the two.

Zachary shook his head. "I love you mate, you're like a brother to me, but I cannot do that. It doesn't matter what she says or what he's done. I already fucked up protecting Jessica once. He needs to die. He's nothing but a monster."

Finnigan messaged his temples with his fingers. "As your prince I command you to release him!" Finnigan's voice bounced off the walls with such force it made me jump.

Zachary hesitated before letting go of Brandon. He fell to the floor in a heap. "I cannot believe you just pulled rank with me Finnigan," he muttered.

"What the fuck else was I supposed to do?! You aren't thinking clearly, man. Not all sirens are the one who killed your sister." Finnigan fired back.

Zachary growled and in a blink was behind me. "There's only one way to settle this. You think this hybrid is so innocent? Let's find out, shall we?" He wrapped his serpent inked arm around my stomach and pulled me into him. "Would you look at that, fresh bite marks. I wonder who those could have come from."

Finnigan tensed. "We don't need to do this right now. She's already been through a lot. Let her rest."

Zachary bent down and dragged his teeth along the bare side of my neck. I shivered. "You don't mind if I take some of your blood do you, love?"

I flinched. There's that word again. I never really got a long with Zach in the first place, but now I'm even more against him. I closed me eyes, "d-do whatever you want, sir."

Brandon was able to stand up and braced himself against the wall with his shoulder. "It isn't my place to say it but you're scaring her. I know it's just an Aussie reflex but please try not to say that word. You'll trigger her ptsd."

"Don't you dare tell me what to do you sorry excuse for a vampire. If I want to call a girl 'love' then that's what I'm going to fucking do!" Zach yelled.

The longer I had my eyes closed the more Zach's voice started to sound like Derek's.

All vampires are monsters, love. You're only escape is death.

I shook my head. "Leave me alone, Derek!" I screamed.

Zach's grip tightened on me. "Woah, hey now. It's me, Zach. Remember?"

My mind flashed back to the basement again. Derek sat in his black chair and glared down at me. "You're nothing but a sack of blood and that's all you'll ever be. Tell me you're worthless."

His boot pressed down on my throat and all airflow stopped. "P-please. I can't breathe."

Derek pressed down harder, "try again, bitch."

"I-I'm worthless." I finally choked out.