The rhythmic pounding of his skull violently forced him into consciousness.

Joel's eyes shot open. Dazed and groggy, he struggled to stand and found thick chains encircling his wrists painfully. On instinct, he struggled against the binding metal, his vertigo threatening to pull him back into unconsciousness.

As he scanned the room to get his bearings, he noticed the plump woman from before lounging on a leather couch across from him. She toyed lazily with a lock of silvery blonde hair, her gaze fixed on him with a predatory glint. The stagnant, moist air grew heavier with every frantic beat of his heart as he pieced together the events leading to his unconsciousness.

"It's about time you woke up." She drawled, examining one of her thin, pointed nails. Joel silently hoped they were acrylics.

"Where am I?" Joel snapped, leaning against the wall for support.

"Nowhere important." Her tone was clipped, cruel, and calculated. She stretched before slowly rising off the couch and walking a few steps away from him.

Joel slid against the wall, staggering to remain upright. He fought limply in his chains to no avail.

"I wouldn't bother. Those chains are much too strong for one of you to break. Plus, you don't want to leave too soon. You have to stay for dinner." She licked a viciously sharp canine tooth for emphasis.

"Is that why you brought me here? To eat me?" Joel tried to sound more threatening than he felt. He willed the weakness trembling in his legs to stop, but couldn't.

The shorter woman threw her head back, letting out a squawking cackle that chilled him to the core. "Eat you? You're about as tasty to one of our kind as the gristle on steak. No, no. It's your mind that I need." She stalked towards him suddenly, reaching up to take hold of his chin. She dug her stiletto nails into his cheek, chuckling as he winced. A single drop of blood rolled down his cheek and she quickly lapped up.

Her nose wrinkled and she made a sour face. "Ick. It's a good thing I don't want to eat you. You've spoiled. One too many late-night take-out dinners at the office, I suspect."

Joel wrenched his face away from her claws, wincing as he realized he'd only made them dig deeper. She leaned in closer, this time bringing their faces only millimeters apart. Joel steeled his resolve in front of the vicious woman, attempting to look unfazed. "What do you want from me?"

She smiled at him, almost sweetly, before forcefully shoving his head away from her and taking a few steps back. "Prince Industries is at the forefront of technological advancements. Including medical technology and bioengineering."

"We only started the medical branch of the company a year ago." Joel's confusion was evident across his angular features. "Why would you pick me when there are other more successful bioengineer companies in Port Rosa?"

Talia smirked, an unnerving gesture. "Your company is making advancements that have taken other companies years to accomplish. Yet, you don't advertise the bioengineering department. What are you hiding?"

A lanky man with a curly mane of blonde hair slammed the door open and cut her tirade short. "Talia!" He shouted, his arms wide in a display of goodwill. The woman, unimpressed, crossed her arms, drumming her nails.

"Ceasar. What brings you here?"

The beady-eyed man grinned at her, slithering closer to the shorter woman. "I wanted to see if you'd actually caught the bastard. He'd fetch a pretty price for ransom."

Talia snorted, a rather unfitting noise for such a polished woman. "What do I need money for? I have the cash cow right here."

Ceasar gave her a lecherous smile, leaning close enough to speak in her ear. Joel couldn't hear what Ceasar said, but it sent the plump woman into a fury. With dizzying strength, she shoved him clean across the room, staggering away from him.

Talia snarled, and her aquamarine eyes shifted into glowing gold. She jerked, leaning a hand against the wall, her sadistic, fanged smile splitting a wet curve up her face as her teeth narrowed into slender pinpricks. Her face swung towards the disrespectful human, who wore a confident smile.

Joel watched in horror as the graceful curves of the cruel woman snapped and elongated in a sickening display. The change was nearly instant, but Joel felt as if it was in slow motion.

Talia's short legs elongated and thinned, her plush thighs becoming lithe and muscular, growing in height until she was nearly six feet tall. The flesh of her fingers split as her razor-sharp claws burst from their prison, making her digits impossibly long.

The hulking creature fell to its knees as the final transformations of the shift wracked her body. Her nose and mouth lengthened further into a wide muzzle, tipped with an upright, ridged nose that flared in fury. Finally, the creature stood, slamming the helpless human against the wall.

"You DARE defy me?" Joel winced at the shrill, shrieking voice of the creature.

The human nonchalantly caressed the amber pendant dangling from around his neck. He watched as Talia's maw twisted into a sickening smile. "You think the amulets I made can stop me?"

The human's cocky demeanor vanished in an instant. "Tal, you know I didn't mean any real harm-" His pitiful begging for his life was cut off by the squelch of Talia's teeth sinking into his face. Effortlessly, the demon tore the flesh from his face.

His tongue flopped uselessly in his mouth, trying to form words without the use of his missing lower jaw and a torrent of blood stained the concrete floor. Talia gave him a toothy smile as he wailed in agony, before digging her claws deep into his stomach.

In one swift motion, Talia ripped him in half. Tears streamed down Joel's face as Talia ripped the human apart, tossing the jawless upper torso at his feet. Trembling, he stared with wide eyes at the hulking form of his captor.

Talia slammed her clawed hands over him, her wide jaws struggling to form words. Sinew and gore dangled from her mouth, dribbling warm blood on his cheek. "Let this be your only warning. Watch your step, Prince. If you bring me down, I'll take you and everyone you care about with me."

She turned and stalked out of the room, leaving Joel cowering in the corner, crouching in his own waste.