Jared and I stood outside of yet another boarding house. I had honestly lost count of how many we had been to this week. The infrastructure mirrored its inhabitants, tired and broken down. It was a good thing that Mt. Hood didn't have many neighboring businesses because this one would tank the real estate value of anything it touched. I rang the doorbell, careful not to cause it to fall; it was only hanging on by a few wires. "Do you think she's here?" I asked.

" I hope so, we've been exhausting leads for months," Jared replied between scrapes of his muddy left boot across the corner of the top step.

Somewhere in the distance, a melancholy chime echoed. Before the tune could finish, a disheveled man threw open the door. "H-hello! Come in, come in! I'm David, head of the Cardozo Boarding House for the Unclaimed. What brings you in today, gentlemen?" He waved us in.

" I'm looking for a girl." I began as we sat down in a small office. The walls were once a nice pearly white but had since turned into a dirty "eggshell" looking white. The desk was barely visible, covered in papers and empty blood packets.

Before I had a chance to finish explaining to the man, he interjected, "O-oh my gods! You're Prince McClain! Well of course we can find you a girl, sir. You've come to the right place! We carry a wide variety of blood types, as well as girls, specialized for all kinds of purposes!" David's smile said "car salesman," but his dark gray eyes screamed "starving vampire". Business must have been slow as of late.

"Actually, we're looking for a specific girl. I was hoping you could check your records to see if she was registered here. Her name is Jessica. Jessica Dysart." Please be here, please be here.

The man's eyes lit up. "Jessica!? Yes, she is a resident here. Top of her class, in fact. If you like a good drink, she's the girl for you, master bartender."

A smile came across my face for the first time in what felt like centuries. Finally. I've found her." How much do you want for her?" Jared questioned, placing his hands on the messy desk. David leaned over and typed a few things into the computer. After a few moments, he looked back at us and sighed, "well, gents, it seems we have two parties already expressing interest in her. As of now the highest offer I've gotten is forty-five million. I'm afraid she's off the market now. But hey, I have many other worthy men and women here looking for homes. If you want I can take you around back, and we can have a -"

"We will give you sevnenty-five million, plus an extra twenty thousand under the table if you let us walk out with her today." I cut in, fishing my wallet out of my pocket. She's not getting away from me this time."

"You truly don't know how heckling works do you," Jared said glaring at me."

"Shut up, Jared. You know how much this means to me." I whispered back. David sat there, dumbfounded with his mouth open. "So, do we have a deal?" I asked impatient.

He scratched his head, "Y-yeah. Sure. There are a few forms we have to fill out, and then we can go grab her." He grabbed a stapled stack of papers out of a dusty filing cabinet and set it in front of us.

"I'll take care of this while you two get her ready," Jared stated, picking up a pen.

We walked through the vacant halls of the educating area along with two burly guards. I assumed they were tasked with carrying servants if they refused to accept their fate once sold. "If you don't mind me snooping, your highness, how did you know the girl by name? She had no previous owners." David lingered behind his staff to ask.

I smirked, "Jess and I are old friends, you could say." I couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she saw me again. David stopped at a classroom door and knocked on it. The doors were made of titanium, always locked for safety measures. Upon opening the door, the instructor greeted us with a smile. "How can I help you gentleman?" The woman was wearing a dark blue dress and her blonde hair was made up into a tight, perfectly set bun. The class was filled with twenty or so rather sickly-looking men and women. I ducked behind David. I wanted to wait until Jess got outside to reveal that I was her buyer.

"We're here to retrieve Jessica Dysart. She will be leaving the boarding house immediately." David announced, pride gleaming in his smile.

I was busy scribbling down notes when I heard my name being called. I froze. Did they call my name? Everyone's eyes were on me. "I, I don't want to. That's not a procedure, We normally have a week to get ready," I murmured.

By then, the two guards had made their way to my desk. "You have no choice. Get up, let's go," the first guard demanded. He grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me to my feet. Tears began to cloud my eyes. I had been at the boarding house for so long, it had to come to feel like home, completely fucked up, but home nonetheless. Girls came and went but I never fathomed it would happen to me. I never imagined that one day I would be bought by one of "them".

I ripped my arm out of the guard's grip, "I can walk myself out." We exited the room and walked out into the corridor. Before I could think to sprint for the door, the first guard grabbed me by the neck. He fished a pathetic-looking strip of leather-- what the Cardozo House passed for a collar-- and leash out of his utility belt and tightly secured it around my neck. I walked beside the guard as he pulled me along toward the front desk. I kept my head downcast, not wanting to make anyone angrier than their species already was. Keep calm. If we piss people off we will just get another beating. You know that.

"Jessica I'm surprised at you. You're normally so well-behaved. I can assure you, your highness, she is fully trained." David said.

A man chuckled. "It's quite alright. She's probably nervous. Hell, I would be too if I were in her position. And you can call me Tanner. I don't like all that royalty shit."

I stopped dead in my tracks. Oh. My. God. It was-- it was Tanner fucking McClain.The slack on the leash ran out and snagged, causing the party to stop. They all turned to see me starring at Tanner. "Not you..." I said a little too loud. My heart reacted faster than my brain and I lunged away from my captors. All that did was choke me out against the collar and stumble. The second guard quickly tackled me to the ground and straddled me, just for good measure. He pulled out a syringe filled with a clear liquid.

You fucked up, Jess. Now you're gonna get it. "Should I stick her, boss," he asked, staring up at David as I squirmed under him.

David sighed, "I suppose so. I had higher hopes for this one, but it looks like she's just as pathetic as the others."

The guard nodded and glanced back down at me and I took that as an invitation to plead. "I can't serve him! I won't serve him! Anyone but him please! I'll behave for literally anyone else!" Angry tears falling from my eyes. This could not be fucking happening. Not after all these years. Not after I escaped once...

Tanner bent down beside us, "May I?" He asked sticking his hand out to the guard. Please don't hand him that. The man handed him the syringe. Fuck.

Tanner looked down at me. His eyes lacked any emotion, but the corner of his mouth turned up into a wicked smirk. What a dick. My chest heaved up and down as I stared at him. "We'll meet you at the front," he told the others, all the while never taking his auburn eyes off of me.

"Are you sure? She could try to run." The guard hesitated.

Tanner chuckled. "She's not getting away. Trust me."

"As you wish your highness," he obliged.

Tanner held my hands down and replaced the guard that was on top of me. The rest men walked back to the front desk. "That was a hell of a hello, baby," he teased.

Why?! Why was he here? Why did he have to choose me? Out of every damn human on God's green Earth. I glared at him. "I left you. Leave me alone!" I yelled in his face.

Tanner flashed a mock gasp, "but I missed you. I've spent years trying to track you down. You're telling me you didn't miss your loving boyfriend? Besides, that's no way to talk to your Prince."

"We broke up, remember?! Get off of me and go find another thing to ruin. I will never belong to you!"

He frowned. "I'm afraid I can't do that. You're way too expensive to lose so easily. But don't worry, we will have plenty of time to catch up when you wake up."

This couldn't be happening. He couldn't be the one vampire in this entirely new world that I had to end up with, again!

Before I could yell another insult or plea, he stuck the needle into my neck and pushed down the plunger. "Sweet dreams, babe." Tanner snickered as I slipped into unconsciousness.