~~

Blood.

Kaden tasted like blood and something unidentifiably masculine. I felt tears spring to my eyes as his tongue explored every available inch of my mouth.

This isn't what I wanted.

I never thought this would happen, I never thought the displined and somewhat distant vampire would do this to me.

I yelp against him and tried to rip away from him as his hands started exploring my body, my thighs, my breasts, "KADEN STOP IT!"

He didn't listen.

"STOP IT!" I wiggled around small terrified cries making their way out of my throat as I heard the thin fabric of the clothes I had been given for my dance lessons tear, and tear until I couldn't deny the feeling of the cool night air on my skin, "please stop it!"

His body wen't still above me as I began to sniffle and hiccup.

I tried my best not to cry and tremble beneath him but with all of my struggling he never moved, I was terrified knowing I would never have the strength to stop him if he really did decide he wanted me, all of me, "Please Kaden, please."

And then he was gone. across the room from me on the couch, head in his hands. His whole body visibly shaking.

I curled myself into a little ball, trying to protect what little modesty I had, gathering the torn scraps of clothes in front of me. Tears flowing down my cheeks I watched him as someone would watch an angry wild animal.

I was scared that he would catch me if I ran for the door.

We sat like that in silence for what felt like an eternity before he looked up at me again, eyes back to their original shades. Back to reminding me of a rose and a glass of wine.

The eerie brightness was gone, replaced with a deep sadness and regret as he watched me, cursing under his breath, "Calla..."

he stood and stepped toward me, I flinched and shuffled further away, still on the floor.

I don't think my legs would be able to hold me if I tried to stand.

His eyes wider for a moment before he nodded and rose his hands a bit, "I will not touch you. I just want...I need to make sure you are okay."

I held my pathetic shredded excuse for clothes close to me and shook my he'd rapidly, I didn't believe him, not after that.

He cursed again before slowly unbuttoning his shirt as If he didn't want to scare me by moving to fast and tossed it across the room, it landed a few feet in front of me.

Eyeing him cautiously It up trying my best to hide my modesty and put it on.

He turned around and placed a hand in front of his eyes as I put it on with shaky fingers, "Calla...I didn't mean to...I was never going to touch you like that."

I sniffled buttoning the last button, "then why did you?"

He was quite for a moment, "do you want honesty or what will make you feel better?"

"honesty."

I never wanted to live by lies never will.

"Because Calla I have always taken what I wanted, usually with more tact I assure you but...since you first arrived here so full of wonder and that fire only you seem to have, some horribly dark part of me has wanted you in ways a vampire should never want their pet. You were the first truly beautiful thing I have seen in a long time and half of me wanted to watch that beauty grow and the other half of me has wanted to lock you away in a dark room and keep you to myself until you were wilted and broken."

Well fuck, should have picked the lie.

I looked up at him fully for the first time since the fiasco, Eyes widening at the long jagged scar running across his chest.

How does someone even scar a vampire? I didn't think it was possible.

My eyes lingered on his perfectly sculpted, scarred torso for a moment before meeting his eyes, "So next time you take my blood..."

His jaw clenched and he looked away, "I had not expected that reaction out of myself. I assure you I will not be taking blood from you again."

...So he was just going to hide those creepy urges from everyone including himself? lock them away in some dark disturbing part of his brain?

That could not be healthy.

I blinked at him, "oh."

"I will not hurt you again."

Somehow I believed him, "I know."

He looked surprised, taking another cautious step forward.

I didn't move away or flinch back, instead I let him walk over to me, sink to his knees beside me and wrap me into his cool embrace. I let him brush my hair back and pull me into his lap as he muttered apologies.

My fingers brushed over his scar.

Another imperfection.

Another mystery.

Another secret.

Another part of Kaden.

A part I knew nothing about.