Faline

"This place is a bit large to just tell me 'in the east'. Anyone else know where this secret room is that can direct me?"

My cool hands rest just behind her hips, tracing the bone and indentations. She doesn't move at all, keeping her face tucked into my shoulder when she responds.

"It is not a secret room, just one that has been closed off for a very long time. You are not to open it or go near it during the day."

My face closes down in a scowl, aggravated all over again.

"Relax, Pet. I say this to protect you. The room is very large and much like the solarium, just without all the foliage to block most of the sunlight. It is a conservatory. I am not even sure just what is all in there anymore."

Oh. Well now I just feel foolish but you can hardly blame me. This woman gets off on ordering people about, even more so when they aren't happy with the order. She pulls away after a quick lick up my throat. Short and sweet, yet enough to cause goosebumps.

Lady moves to where I had tossed her trousers, the dark blue material having been thrown off to the side to land over a chair. Wrinkles galore. Ray of sick pleasure goes through me at the thought of having ruined her clothes, she doesn't seem to care much though.

Snapping them smartly before stepping into them, they're pulled up and about to be buttoned when she finds it gone. She looks up at me, finding me sitting cross-legged on the desk in cheeky innocence. A grin creeps up before she turns away, retrieving her suit coat and shaking it out as well.

"Think you'd learn not to wear those around me, they tend to get a bit rumpled."

She shrugs, adjusting it over her shoulders. Her head tilts as if listening to something, brushing her hair back. Prefer the tousled look on her, but that's just me.

"Would appear you have someone worried about you."

The Mistress looks at me while I look back at her, a bit confused. Concentrating and listening as well, I can hear Avina talking with Trisha and Tasha, who's demanding to know if I'm alright. I blink at Lady in surprise, a little lost and confused. She watches me for a moment before a smile appears.

"Is it really so hard for you to believe that she is asking after you? You are her savior. It is a wonder the other two are not with her. Would appear they listen better."

I have to swallow down a snort. Thessily, sure, she wouldn't move unless ordered to, but Leidolf only listens when he wants to.

"Speaking of the other two, that cat is lost. Why not just give her to Max? It will shut him up for a while."

My eyes flash fire at her, anger boiling up.

"You know as well as I that the only reason he wants her is because she belongs to me. He could care less about her, just wants to hurt me in any way he can."

Her head cocks, watching me before agreeing.

"And she's not lost. I refuse to give up on her just because you have."

Dual-colored eyes soften as she shakes her head at me, believing me naive, I'm sure. Arms go from resting on my legs to crossed over my chest in stubborn defiance. A smile touches her mouth before taking the few steps forward to stand in front of me.

"You will learn, my pet, that caring for them the way you do only leads to pain when they are no longer there. The animals may live for years yet, but when affection is shown, that just leaves you open for others to use it against you."

Sounds like she speaks from experience but her features are guarded.

"Then how do you explain what you do with Avina? Is she not a favorite of yours?"

The Vampire waves my question away as if it's unimportant.

"She is human and therefore already dead in everyone’s eyes. An object of flesh to be used however seen fit. She is known to be a favorite of mine, yes, but she is shared. In doing so, she is not used against me. Not like you would be."

My chin is grabbed once more, her eyes on mine as she leans close. Her voice had lowered even more than it already was. The given explanation revealing the cause for why Avina is wearing a collar. In the showing that she could care less, she's protecting the girl from further harm by being looked at as a shared treat. Viewed as already dead since she has a short life span - even shorter in a place like this.

When I first met her, she'd been weeping over a friend who'd been killed by what I thought to be an overzealous Vamp. In a sense, it was, I guess. He'd been older, a human male getting past his prime. Still useful in many ways, but viewed as an animal needing to be put down. Bought, played with, and drained. It hadn't been a kind death.

Soft lips touch on mine but I can't make myself return the motion. I hope I never look at others the way the rest of the Vamps here do but I fear I will once my family is all but gone. Hard to care for those who you know will only be around a short while before ripping your heart out as they die.

Granted the same happens even if you're human, but you carry the knowledge that one day you will join them. A Vampire's future is pretty bleak; an endless trek to nothing. Sure, you can 'live', explore the world over and all, but with no one to really share that with through the years...

I blink, breaking myself away from where my brain had been going. No point in worrying about what might be, since just like a human, I may not live to see it. Depressing, but not as much as it would be normally. Instead, it creates that wonder, that you don't know if you'll have a tomorrow, so you have to make the best of today. Heh. Talk about maudlin. Pulling away from her, I shake my head hard.

"Doubt they'll use me against you, it's quite clear that I annoy you and just give you grief."

She smirks, dipping forward to run her tongue across my lower lip.

"That's how it appears, isn't it?"

I blink at her as she takes advantage, biting at my lip and coaxing me to follow. I do, but I stay guarded and aware, refusing to fall under the haze again. Easier when I hear those in the hallway come closer. Tasha's ready to storm the room.

Lady pulls away, a slight annoyed look about her while bending down to grab my towel, putting it in my lap absently.

"That is one of the humans, is it not?"

My head lowers in a slow affirmative, wary of what she plans on doing. Wrapping the towel under my arms before moving to stand upright. There's no hiding what happened here, not with the strong scents in the air.

"She's the one that was being raped by the wolf when we went into the basement."

The look of recognition is there for a moment before she scowls.

"Would seem you have a batch of defiants under your wing."

I laugh at her expression, it's just too precious. As if someone having a personality is the worst thing in the world. Which is funny considering she seems to like me defying her; gives her a reason to give me a tongue lashing...as if she needed one.

"Don't know why you seem to have an issue with that. Spunky people are more interesting than paper copied mannequins. As long as I get it through to them that they have to be careful, I think them being themselves is a good thing."

Her eyebrow raises, looking unconvinced. My eyes roll at her.

"Really? What am I then?"

Lady's gaze heats up as she looks down my frame, then back up, lingering at my mouth before going back to my eyes. A smirk crosses her lips, face smug.

"You, my pet, are mine."

My mouth snaps shut, lips pursing as I glare. She chuckles and moves to open the door.

"There are some clothes in the office you can change into. Much more manageable than a towel."

Glowering at her back gets me nowhere, but it makes me feel a little better. Before the others come in, I use the corner of said towel to wipe down the desk corner, keeping faced away from her and crossing my arms as the others come in at her direction.

The door is left open with Avina standing just inside it with her head down, Trisha looks a little lost but stays quiet, and Tasha comes over to me. The expression on her face lets me know she's aware of what transpired.

"Are you alright? When you did’n come back I was afraid she'd hurt..."

My head shakes, hair tousling. Her concern warms me, but at the same time, she's putting herself in a bad spot.

"I'm fine. Punishment was met. But that brings up a point, you ever see that man, go the other way. Quickly."

Her light brown eyes had sparked when I mentioned punishment, so I keep going, hoping she cools down soon before she gets hurt.

"Tasha, this is the Mistress of this brothel; she's the one that made it possible for me to save all those within that house."

Think she catches on to my worry, but it's clear she's unhappy. She stifles it enough to look over at the head Vamp. Lady is watching her carefully, judging her reactions.

Really hope she doesn't pull any bullshit. Either of them.

"Avina, take Faline to her office to retrieve some clothing while I speak with...Tasha."

I'm about to speak up but both give me a look. Sighing, I follow Avina out. I can only protect them so far, and if they're the ones who create a problem for themselves after being warned, then the only way for them to get it is to be scared.

Before the door closes, another order slips through, demanding I feed. A growl slips from me as the door clicks into place. Urge to kick it is strong, but I curb the impulse. Hard to tell others to watch their attitudes around the woman if I keep doing what they are told not to do. Whereas I may live through it, however, they won’t.