When we arrive back at the palace, Marina is silent as she watches the humans sitting along the grass. Most of the slaves are on their breaks and are choosing to spend it with several of the owned girls. There are more couples than groups, they have blankets underneath them along with bowls of fruit and snacks. I spot Jackson and Natalie together on the path, they're walking down to the woods, they hold hands as Natalie rests her head into his shoulder.

"They take everything from them," Marina says quietly. "Their knowledge, their memories, their desires, their emotions, even their nightmares. But the one thing my species has never come close to understanding is this." She flicks her red eyes across the couples, no form of enjoyment at the sight. "Love."

"Cain said your species form couples."

"Not like this," she says. "We choose close companions but we don't experience love like you do. It isn't a sight that would make you envious or fill you with goodness. This is. We cannot feel each other's souls but it is like the humans can." She finally smiles, lingering on something humorous. "Ironic, isn't it?"

I smile back. My smile fades when I see Christian among them. He sits with Gianna on a blanket, showing her something in his basket, to which she laughs. I can feel Marina's gaze burning into me but I can't look away from them.

"He is very attractive," Marina says. "Does it shock you that others think so too?"

"What?" I whisper.

"Or does it shock you that he finds them attractive back?"

I fold my arms and lower my eyes to my feet, shuffling them awkwardly. I start backing into the bench behind us, dropping down slowly.

"I heard Cain gave them condoms," she says as she sits beside me. "They probably just want to feel something before their owners ultimately take their lives. I'm sure Christian is just assisting."

She's trying to make me feel better but I don't need to feel better. I'm happy for Christian, if he wants to pursue a doomed relationship with Gianna then I won't stand in the way. I have no right to.

"I'm sure he'd even allow you to experience it if you asked."

She means with a slave. Cain would never allow such a thing. I couldn't anyway. Even if I wasn't sleeping with Cain then I don't think I'd be tempted. Some of the slaves are handsome, with tall builds and lean muscles. I imagine many of the girls are working their way through them now. As I glance at that line of couples, I wonder how many have just come from secret bedrooms.

"One month will seem like a year in this place," Marina says. "It'd be a good way to pass the time. I could talk to him for you."

"No," I say instantly. "Don't do that."

A body suddenly lands in front of us. An extremely tall, large creature with light hair and ink markings along his throat. He is Cain's head guard, the one that read out the law changes yesterday. I flinch but Marina doesn't even react.

"Hello, Blake," Marina says. "Is there a problem?"

Blake looks directly at Marina, not even glancing at me. His black wings remain spread out, blocking the sun. I look over to the humans, they're staring over at us, even Christian. "You are to take the girl back to her room after your walk. The King's orders."

"I am aware," she says. "The girl has been cooped up in that room for far too long, allow her to just enjoy some time outside."

"On the King's orders, she is to return to her room."

"I am in charge here," Marina says. "Not you."

Blake flicks his fingers towards the high roof of the palace and a group of creatures fall to his aid, one is very close to me, I watch him cautiously as he stands just to the left of the bench. Unlike Blake, this creature looks directly at me. His head twisting as the wind blows my scent towards his nostrils.

"Marina," I say. "It's fine, let's go."

She ignores me, she stands from the bench and straightens. "You have never really liked me, have you? Does it make you feel special that you can give me orders?"

"The King has given me permission to give you orders," Blake responds. "It is not personal, just take the girl back to her room and you can talk with her there. Do not force me to remove you."

Marina snarls. "You wouldn't dare."

Blake grips his hand to her wrist and begins to pull her, the moment he moves, the guard close to me moves too. Only his face is more excited. His eyes are turning blood orange and he places his hand to my arm as he drags me to my feet.

"No!" Blake yells at him. "Not her!"

The guard doesn't care, it's like he can't even hear anything around him. His lips are trembling, his eyes watering with hunger.

"Dominic," Blake says in a calm voice, releasing Marina softly. "Let her go."

Dominic bites on his lip, his fingers squeezing tighter into my arm. "I can't."

Blake and Marina both charge towards him at the same time but Dominic turns with my back tight to his chest and holds his entire hand around my throat. "One more step and I'll snap her neck." They both stop. "Back up." He looks at the other guards. "All of you."

"Aurora!"

I meet Christian's eyes across the grounds, he starts to run at us, being met with a guard retaliation that prevent him from coming too close. All the guards suddenly drop to the ground, there are dozens of them surrounding us.

"Tell them to go inside," Dominic says. "Now."

He increases the pressure around my throat and I start to suffocate. Blake snaps at them to retreat, and they listen, hurdling the gawping humans inside with them. Christian resists but he doesn't have a choice.

"Think about this," Marina says. "If you let her go now then we won't tell the King a thing. You can live to see tomorrow."

"Lies," Dominic says. "I'm dead now anyway. Might as well make it worthwhile. Go inside too."

Marina snarls and eyes Blake. She wants to call his bluff that he won't kill me but she won't risk it. The pressure becomes so strong that my mouth makes strange sounds. I clutch my hands to his, I try to break free but my body is starting to go limp.

"Fine. Fine." Marina holds her hands up and pushes into the side of Blake to start him moving. "We'll go inside."

"If I see any of you following us then I'll kill her," he shouts.

Marina and Blake reach the steps of the palace and they go inside hesitantly, slamming the door closed. The creature finally releases me and I fall to my knees as I hold my aching throat. I don't have time to recover because he folds his arms around my stomach and lifts me from the ground. He throws me over his shoulder and runs with me. He runs towards the trees and then unfurls his wings, soaring us into the sky.

We're not in the air for very long. He touches down outside a farmhouse; he kicks the front door open and throws me inside. I roll across the ground, coughing up saliva that I unleash onto a rough rug. Dominic stays near the window; I use his paranoia to my advantage and I get up and run through the house. I jump over toys and storage boxes as I push towards the kitchen in the back. My back presses into a wall with a panicked gasp as I look upon the decomposed bodies sitting at the kitchen table. There are four of them, the last thing they ever did was eat as a family.

"Where are you going, human?" Dominic shouts. "You can't hide from me. I can smell your fear."

I rush over to the door and I am so relieved that it's unlocked. I have no idea where I am or where I'm going but I just pick a direction and run. I'm outside, I see a large barn in the distance and I make my way there. The creature drops in front of the door to the barn before I even have time to see it clearly. I back up and run right, hearing his wings flutter as he flies over me. I trip my body over purposely, crashing to my knees as Dominic's hands miss me and he loses his balance for a moment, spinning through the air. I spot a warehouse, made of tougher material than the barn, and I go there as Dominic rolls across the ground.

I pull the sliding doors open and I enter it, sliding them closed and locking it into place. I back up as the doors tremble, as he tries to use his strength to kick them open. I hold my hands to my head in panic as I look around.

"You are just postponing the inevitable!" he yells, kicking the door again, the lock is beginning to break and I know it won't hold for long.

There are so many weapons in this warehouse. It makes me wonder just what kind of people lived here. Axes, sharp hooks and blades of all different sizes are lined up against the wall. They won't do much good against a creature. Still, I'd rather have the chance to use one than not. I take one of the blades from the hooks and I keep it tight in my hand as I run towards the covered object in the corner. I remove the sheet and my eyes widen as I look upon the motorbike.

It's small, not too heavy, and I can just about push it from the corner into the middle. The key is still inside and I turn it gently, praying that it still works. The bike roars to life below my body, now I've started it, I have no idea how to use it. I've never even driven a car let alone a bike. The noise makes the vibrations stop as Dominic hears it. There is a long silence and then the side of the warehouse shakes as he kicks in the wall. I play around with the controls desperately, finding the control switch that makes the bike charge forwards. As I hear him go around to the back wall and attempt to kick that one, I run towards the front doors. The back part is more fragile and his body is causing a hole to pierce through it.

I slide the doors open slowly; he's making too much noise to hear me. I take my position on the bike, staring at the miles of land in front of me. I tuck my legs in and I release the controls, the bike hurls me out of the warehouse and towards the barn. I spin around it, trying to keep my balance as the vibrations shake my body.

The road is close and the ride is smoother once I reach the concrete. I look over my shoulder to see the creature gliding through the air. His pursuit is faster and he's almost got me. He swerves down, his hands stretched out to grab me like a hawk. I turn the bike a sharp left, not realizing that the impact would throw me from it. The wheels hit some rocks and the bike turns sideways, my body crashes against rough ground as I roll. I'm bleeding from many places. My head the most. It spins as I try to sit up but I'm too weak to move.

Dominic lands right on top of me, his legs either side of my waist as he crushes me further into the ground. His weight is against one of my wounds but it's bearable. He places each of his hands on both of my wrists and yanks so hard that both of my shoulders dislocate simultaneously. I scream so loud that he trembles.

"That'll teach you to run from me," he says. He lays his hands flat against my stomach. "I can finally enjoy this now."

I cry to myself as he leans his face down to mine. He inhales first, his fingers squeezing into a wound around my chest, which causes my legs to kick in response as I scream again. His orange eyes shoot up. Anger creases over his middle-aged face.

"Ah, crap."

Dominic is pulled from me, by something so fast that I cannot see it. He is dragged backwards by his foot and then a battle follows in the air. I try to use my arms to sit up but they just dangle at my side.

Marina drops at my side, looking over my wounds with concern. "It's okay. You're safe now. Did he feed from you?"

I shake my head. "My arms," I whisper. "He dislocated my shoulders."

"Stay still. This might hurt."

She pushes one shoulder back into its place and I cry out. Before the pain is over, she walks around and clicks the other one back. I'm in so much agony that I just lay there. Marina picks me up from the ground, my legs dangle over her arms. I hiss and clench my teeth; I think my back is wounded too.

Dominic and Blake are still fighting in the air, their winged bodies clashing in a powerful, thunderous way that makes me stare in wonder. Other creatures begin arriving to assist Blake, four of them manage to subdue Dominic into a restraining position until Dominic eventually surrenders and stays still in their hold.

"Take him to the dungeons," Blake says. "The King will deal with him later." Blake returns to us as the creatures shoot through the sky. "Is she okay? Did he feed from her?"

"I don't think so," Marina says. "She's severely wounded. We need to get a medical servant to her."

"I've consumed a few doctors, I can take a look," Blake says.

Marina treads backwards as Blake tries to get too close. "That isn't a good idea."

"You can trust me," he says. "My loyalty is to the King."

"They will all say that until they touch her," Marina says.

"Those at the nanneries managed to resist her," Blake says. "Thousands of bidders managed to walk away. She's falling unconscious, it might be the only way to save her life."

"She wasn't at a nannery, she was a stray."

"The King trusts me with her life, Marina," Blake says. "I know everything. I was the one that killed her watcher. Please, trust me too."

"Okay," I hear Marina say as my eyes close and remain closed. "Send someone to fetch Cain."

+ + +

I feel a hand gently squeezing against mine as I wake up. It takes me a while to get there, my body is stiff and decrepit. I'm lying in my bed; the sun is getting low outside. Christian is beside me but he's on the top of the covers, his long legs spread out.

He sees me looking at him and he turns sharply. "You're waking up. Take it easy, they didn't know if you would."

I nudge myself up and he helps me, a pain shoots around my arm and I clench on my teeth as I look at the thick, purple bruises. There are bandages all over my skin. I place a finger to the side of my head, to where the pain is most strong, and I feel the several stitches.

"Apart from the head wound you are fine," he says. "That was what concerned us the most. Do you remember what happened?"

I nod my head. "I rode a motorcycle."

"What?"

"Yeah, it was kind of the only way to escape him. Didn't last very long."

"It bought you time," he says. "You really scared me."

"I was scared too," I say. "Where's Jackson?"

"He's been trying to see you for the last hour. They had to separate him because he was causing so much trouble. I didn't think it was a good idea that he saw you, it would have just upset him further. I'll bring him to you later."

He didn't see what happened but it must have really panicked him when he found out. I have this strong urge to just hold him in my arms, my heart stings that I am so far away from him right now.

"Where's Marina?" I say.

Christian sighs to himself and looks away. "She's waiting for the King to arrive so she can calm him. I guess she's worried that he'll act out and hurt someone in the process."

I reach out and take the glass of water from my nightstand, taking a long sip. "All we were doing was sitting outside. What is it about me? Why can't they just leave me alone?" I wipe my eyes softly.

Christian smiles and leans his head against mine. "Why can't they just leave us all alone?"

"That too," I mumble.

"Cain! Wait!" a voice screams up the staircase outside.

Christian's head moves from mine and we both stare at the door as he almost rips it from the hinges to open it. I meet Cain's eyes and he takes deep breaths, calming himself as he paces over to me.

"Are you okay?" he says, running his hand along my cheek.

"I'm okay," I say.

"You're awake," Marina says in the doorway. "I'm so glad you're awake."

"You were supposed to be protecting her," Cain growls. "Both of you." He glares at Blake who enters behind Marina fearfully.

"What would you have done if he had his hand to her throat?" Marina demands. "We had to retreat."

"I wouldn't have let him leave with her!" Cain yells. "You were supposed to take her back to her room, those were my orders. Do you see what happens when you think for yourself?"

Marina's eyes narrow. I start rubbing my head. "You think this is healthy for her? Locking her away in this room for weeks without allowing her even the simple choice of going outside?"

"Don't lecture me on her needs. I know her needs better than anyone, including you!"

"Shut up!" Christian yells. They turn and stare at him. "This yelling isn't good for her; can't you see that?"

I rest my back into the board as my fingers still graze my temple. Marina calms herself instantly but the moment Cain looks over me his eyes are blazing with fury. He pulls out the blade from his pocket.

"Where is he?"

"The dungeons," Marina mutters.

Marina stays in the room as Cain charges past Blake, dragging him along. I push my knees to my chest as my migraine worsens. Marina opens a box from the shelves and brings me some painkillers. I swallow two down with a sip of water.

"I'm sorry," she says. "Cain is right, I should have brought you back here. Blake fixed you up pretty good, I stayed by your side the whole time."

"We both did," Christian says.

"The guard that took you, Dominic, his female companion is a powerful world leader," she says quietly. "Cain's rage is blinding him of that, his existence will end in moments, if he's not dead already. Cain has reasonable grounds to kill him, and he has witnesses to testify that he broke a law, but the companion will still retaliate."

"Meaning what?" I whisper.

"I don't know yet," she says. "She could take her rage out on the humans. Cain has never killed one of his guards before, they've always been loyal to him. If any were in doubt about him harbouring a completed soul before then they won't be now. Only a completed would make a guard turn against him."

"But this makes no sense," I say. "I have been touched by thousands of creatures. They always wanted me but they never tried to abduct me. Not even Raven who knew I was completed. I was only ever taken by a visitor that fed on me but he wasn't a guard. It was like Dominic couldn't stop himself, if the guards are as loyal as you say then why would he do it?"

"The soul can change," Marina says quietly, her voice is soft as though I'll crack into pieces if she raises it higher. "Something has made your soul purer." She looks over at Christian. "If the two of you have. . . been involved. From data at the breeding centres, it is known that souls become different after the experience."

Christian tenses at my side, distancing himself slowly. We both know that's not the case but he's starting to wonder about it. He's piecing it together and I can't stop him.

"I won't say anything," she says. "But your soul has changed, Aurora. Yesterday it was the most amazing thing I had ever felt but today. . . it is beyond that. It is rare for a completed soul to become purer. I don't understand why Cain hasn't picked up on it."

He hasn't picked up on it because he can't taste me anymore. Not like that anyway. I didn't think that having sex with him would make my soul different. That it would cause any creature that touches me to find themselves with no other choice than to have me. Some must still be strong enough to resist, Blake did. Or was he pretending to?

"Blake was close to her for a long time," Christian says.