I awoke to dim candle light illuminating the darkness around me. I looked around and immediately recognized the dark stone walls and the chains which hung around me from the ceiling and walls.

Here again, in her musty, concealed dungeon just below the mansion. It was a basement, in the terms you would use today, but to me it was hell. Hanging from these chains sparked a variety of different memories... from the day she brought me in from the gloomy streets, to the days that Mikael and I shared this very room, side by side, trapped in these same chains.

I had pulled them from their sturdy binds once before, yet this time, I was incredibly dizzy and my head pounded severely from the effects of the poison I had consumed the night before.

Well, I believe it was last night...

I blinked my eyes again at the sight around me. I wasn't elevated from the elixir now, the colors that seamed so bright in my vision had now calmed. The hallucinations I experienced before were gone. What the poison had left me was a tiresome feeling, sick and exhausted with an atrocious migraine.

Soon, I heard footsteps near and a loud rattling of keys as the door creaked open. I closed my eyes to try to shut out the unbearably loud noise.

“Hey,” a voice called out. “Wake up!”

I spotted Sebastian standing face to face with me.

“Tell me what the fuck happened last night?” he asked.

I groaned and put my head down.

“As if she would pick you over me!” He grabbing me by the hair and tipped my head up to look at him.

“No,” I growled, “It didn't happen like that!”

“Then, what is it?” he wondered, grasping my hair tighter. “Tell me why she took you and not me.”

I couldn't stand for his interrogations. I clasped my lips together and squinted my eyes preparing for the next blow. Instead, I heard Serena's voice come from down the hallway.

“You can't come in here...” She growled. “Sebastian!”

Immediately, Sebastian let go of my hair and ran to the hallway. There he was met by Chris's bodyguard who grabbed his arms, slamming him against the bars to the cell.

“Chris, what is this about?” Serena hollered as he entered my cell and approached me.

He didn't say a single word to her, only continued to draw closer to me with rage in his eyes.

I stared at him for a moment then focused on the floor.

“Where's my glasses?” he asked as he swung his fist, hitting me in the side of the mouth.

I followed his fist as it slid off my cheek, still taking the brunt of his strength to my face. I tipped my head for a second, reveling in the fact I could now taste blood.

“Fuck you!” I spat the blood in his face.

A sly smirk came to his lips as he wiped the small drips of blood from his nose then took another swing. This time I wasn't ready and felt the entire momentum of his fist hit my face, sending my head and neck back. I could taste blood again, and again I spat it back out at him.

“I don't know!” I yelled.

“Here they are,” Serena said, handing Chris's glasses to him.

He turned to her, continuing to wipe away the crimson spittle I had gifted him, and reached out for them.

“Thank you, dear.” He smiled as he pocketed them. “Now, unleash him from these chains.” He signaled to his bodyguard who immediately let go of Sebastian and came over to me to loosen the chains from around my wrists.

“You can't do this, we had a deal!” Serena barked.

Chris looked at her with that same smirk. “The arrangement has been terminated, Serena.”

“Chris, you bastard!” She reached out towards him, yet before she could have him in her grasp, he pushed her up against the wall.

“Listen you worthless vampire skank, have you forgotten exactly who you are dealing with?” he muttered loudly, the volume of his voice dropping and rising again. “If you value your life, do. Not. Get. In. My. Way.”

“But—“

“Ahh,” He placed his forefinger to her lips. “Do not play with me, Serena. I can easily strip you of all of this. Have you forgotten that?”

“He's always been mine, Chris!” she argued, nervousness in her voice.

“You're still not listening, bitch.” He grasped hold of her hair. “The deal is terminated! Why can't you get that in your fucking head?”

He held her to the wall a second longer then let go of her and turned around to face me. I stood staring at him in wonder.

What deal? What the hell is going on?

He grabbed hold of my arm and signaled to his body guard who was now standing in the hallway.

“Let's go, Rickie,” he ordered, dragging me along up the stairs.

Serena was quiet now as she followed us up into the main part of the mansion. She must have realized she wasn't a match against Chris's strength. But I couldn't understand why she seemed so tense and what this supposed deal was between them.

As we entered the upstairs hallway, I spotted Mikael walking out of the sitting room to my right.

“Chris, wait!”

I had seen that glimpse of concern before, affliction wavering over Mikael's face and for a moment I thought that maybe he had recognized me, though he remained quiet.

“No,” Chris said impatiently as he continued to tug at my arm.

I wiggled my wrist in his grasp, turning my body and using my other hand to try and loosen his hold but I couldn't free myself. His body guard had noticed my resistance and took hold of my other arm, leading me out the door. Why was I so weak against them?

“Mikael,” I called, noticing Serena approach him and pull him out of the room.

Outside, the air was cold on my bare skin as we stepped out and down the stairs. They continued to hold tightly to my arms and as I desperately tried to break free, I grew more weak and tired against them.

With our vampyric speed, we went forth towards Chris's manor and once we arrived, they lead me inside. My head still pounding, dizzy and wary, I was able to lift their grasp from around my wrist for just a second.

I stood and shook my arms, still feeling the tight grip stinging at my wrists.

“Up to the room,” Chris ordered, taking my arm again.

He dragged me upstairs as I tugged and pulled on my arm trying to release his hold. I still couldn't loosen his strong grasp on me. Frustration finally set in as we reached the room and walked inside.

“What the hell was that shit?” I questioned as he finally let my arm go. “What is this supposed deal you had with Serena?”

He wore that pretentious smirk. “So many questions.”

“Hell yeah,” I said angrily. “You're playing with me, Chris.”

I turned my back to him for a second looking around at the room. It had been four nights since I was here last, nothing ever changed.

“And I want to know what the fuck is going on!” I yelled as I turned around to face him again.

“I'll tell you, then.” I felt a tap on my shoulder, his voice rattling in my ear as I turned my head.

He had quickly shifted behind me, and I grew even more frustrated to the fact I did not hear him move. Just before I could turn to face him, he clutched his hand around my neck pulling me closer to him. Holding me tightly, he placed his lips close up to my ear, and I felt his short breath pass along the side of my cheek.

“I witnessed everything,” he whispered softly.

“What?” I gasped.

“Everything, from when you collapsed into his embrace to when you moaned his name, Mikael.” Chris's left hand grabbed my chest pulling me even closer into his body. “Such pleasure. Pure ecstasy in your voice.”

“That's impossible,” I squirmed in his grasp.

“Nothing is impossible, Lucious. However, I didn't envision that bitch would have such stipulations to what was originally my plan to begin with,” he spoke slightly louder from the hush he used before. “And I'll tell you something else...”

I felt his hand slide down my chest and onto my stomach, lightly slithering down until he reached the belt secured on my jeans. I continued to writhe, desperately trying to loosen his hold on me.

“It was my blood mixed into that elixir last night.” He drew his lips in closer to my ear as he whispered. “How does it feel to have my blood coursing through your veins?”

I closed my eyes and caught my breath, my struggle had ceased as I examined his words. I never could foresee this from Chris, who in our fifty plus years of companionship, had not once shown such malicious conduct but for seducing his prey.

“You should have told me you required a strong hand, unlike a woman's.” His lips graced the side of my neck. “Do you want more of me inside of you?”

“Stop!” I quickly twisted my body until his hands felt loose enough that I could escape.

Yet, he rapidly moved in front of me, catching my arms to shove me forcefully against the wall.

“Who are you trying to fool?” Chris tipped his head, glazing over me with arrogant eyes. “You're weak, and it's not a side effect of that drug.” He chucked. “You've always been weak from your foolish battle to retain your humanity.”

I stood in wonder, silently pondering how he could know about my fight to maintain myself. Never had I explained these details to him and he had never cared to ask.

“Stop fighting, Lucious,” he whispered once more, leaning closer. “Forget him, forget your humanity, forget anything of the past... It's easy once you just let go.”

I closed my eyes again, running his words through my head. He stood silent now watching me question everything he had just told me.

My humanity, my past... the women in the orphanage, my fight... my wish to end my life. Mikael... the only one I ever truly wanted in my life...

“Never,” I said softly. “I'll never let him go.”

He lowered his eyes in displeasure and backed away from me. “A vampire torn shall see the end of himself too soon.” He turned his back to me. “I guess there's no choice then.”

Frustration tipped me now as I sunk down to the floor and pulled my knees up to my chest.

“You're not to leave this room,” he ordered, preparing to walk out into the hallway.

“And what's to stop me?”

“I guarantee you will regret it if you do, Lucious.” Chris sighed. “I have some things to take care of. In the meantime, CiCi will tend to your requests.”

Chris began to walk out, leaving me to my own thoughts. I still did not understand the arrangement made between him and Serena, this supposed plan to poison me and allow Mikael to have his way... what exactly was the purpose of it?

Before he closed the door, Chris looked back at me. “You are now under my care, Lucious. This whole charade stops tonight.” He gave me a smirk, and closed the door behind him.