Jess could not have picked a better time to bring this up. I had just consumed her blood, her thoughts were back in my access. I felt bad for frightening her, but I had to. She needed to tell me the truth. Besides, it pissed me off that she would believe Tanner even though I was 'the nicest vampire she's ever met'. "What did Tanner tell you," I growled.

Jess averted my eyes, but they stayed glued to her. She had a spectacular body. It was a bit thin from starvation, most likely from that horrid boarding house, her parents sold her to. I wish she wouldn't try to hide from me but I understood why she was. We were strangers. 'I'm so fucked. He's so mad.'

"I know why you don't own humans of your own," she whispered. " I know that you end up killing them because you love seeing people in pain." Her nose sniffled, she was crying. What kind of twisted shit was my brother filling this girl's head with? None of that was true.

"Jess," I started, but she cut me off.

"It's okay, Finningan. If..if you want to hurt me. I'll behave I promise. We don't have to tell Tanner, as long as you don't kill me..." She trailed off. 'Submit to him, Jess. You already fucked up enough for two days. You're going to get yourself killed.'

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Tanner knew at very least what happened between Brynn and I. Yet he had the nerve to tell her I was a human killer! I stood up, "you really believe all of that? Just because Tanner told you it."

Jess couldn't take her eyes off of her feet, which swung in small circles. "At first I did. But you're being so nice, so I thought maybe Tanner was wrong, but he warned me about that too. He said you were good at mind games and would do anything to break me down." 'You've sure done that.'

"Of course he did. Whatever. Finish showering. We will talk about this later." I couldn't stand to hear anymore. My blood lust was already putting me on edge. This conversation was just making things worse. I sped back over to the showerhead and rushed washing my hair.

'No. Damn it. Now I feel bad. I realize he's a good person. I just didn't know at first. Tanner isn't the most trustworthy source. But when you get sent up a mountain with a stranger, you tend to heed people's warnings about the said stranger. Ugh. Why can't he just understand that.'

Without another word, Jess had also gone back to showering. I rolled my eyes. I want to be mad at her, but she's got a point. I finished up within a few minutes and got out to dry off.

'Shit, am I taking too long? Is he going to get mad at me?'

"Take your time. I'll grab you clothes to change into and set them on the counter for when you get out," I murmured.

I walked into the main bedroom and headed over to the walk-in closet. It's ridiculous that Tanner had not gone and bought her any kind of clothes yet. Luckily, I had a few things left over from Brynn, the last human that had come here with me. She was a bit heavier set than Jess but it will work for now. We only had four more days left anyway. I grabbed her a black hoodie and a pair of gray sweats. For myself, I decided to go with faded blue jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt.

After sneaking in and setting the clothes on the counter of the bathroom I sped back downstairs. I supposed this was a good time to call my dad and tell him what I've found out about her. Things will certainly change when he finds out she's a Pureblood. Having her in our possession makes us arguably the most powerful vampire clan in the world. My main question though was how Tanner had managed to be unaware of it. I suppose he isn't old enough to gain power from her blood, but still. Her blood tasted like no other blood type too.

Lost in my thoughts, I completely didn't notice Jessica had walked down the stairs. Her hair was dry and fluffier than I'd ever seen it. She sat on the floor in front of the couch, her back to it. Was she mad at me? "How do you feel?" I prodded.

"So much better. Thank you for allowing me to shower," she said staring straight forward. 'I wish I could talk to him more. I'm so intrigued by him, but I need to stay professional. I still have all the beatings back at Tanner's to endure for what's happened so far.'

I sighed. I wanted to break down those walls she had up. I was just as interested in knowing about her as she was me. She was right, that wasn't what we were there to do. That said, she's doing fine serving. There was nothing I could teach her that she didn't already know. Even if there was, she would pick it up in a second. She was the perfect servant, even for a McClain. Which gave me an idea. Hmmm. I wonder if she would rather be at Tanner's than here with me.

"So I was thinking," I started, and she turned to face me." You seem well-behaved enough. Maybe you ought to go back to Tanner sooner than a week."

I stared at her intent on catching any kind of response. Her heart began to beat faster. 'What? No! I'm not ready to go back to that hell. Jared's going to give me such a terrible time. It's been so relaxing here. Even despite the beating. I've got to do something. I have to stop this. I've got to show him I need his coaching.' "F-fuck you, I'm not going anywhere you-you bloodsucking jerk," she whispered.

I cocked my head to the side in shock. "What?"

She stood up, on shaky legs. "You heard me you monster. I'm not going back there and you know what? I'm not staying here either. I'm leaving." 'Jess what are you doing?! Why can't I stop talking? Shut up!' She began to step toward the front door. She was resorting to running, again. She would rather take another livid beating from me to get out of going back to my brother. Now that said something. The door nob jingled slightly, her hand was set on it.

"Jessica, think about what you're doing. Come back and sit down. I want to talk to you." My voice was calm but demanding. I didn't want to have to chase her again. This was my fault entirely, but I didn't know asking that would rile her up so much. How bad was their past?

'What do I do?' Repeated over and over in her mind. I stood up and took a step towards her. She to flinched into the door.

"S-stay back! I'll leave, I swear!" She yelled. Her heart was beating as rapidly as it did the night she took off. She was frightened out of her mind.

"It was only a suggestion. You don't have to go back to Tanner's yet. Step away from the door, hun." I could be next to her in a second.

Her running posed no threat to me. I wanted to give her space though. I knew I could coax her out of this without force. I'm better than my brother.

'Was he lying? Why hasn't he dragged me back down into the basement? I've broken so many rules. Maybe he's waiting to get me calm, so he can make me feel even worse about myself.'

I took another step, "I want to know about you, Tanner, and Jared. It's obvious you don't want to go back there. Will you sit and tell me why?"

She hesitated for a moment. 'Why does he care about any of that? No. It's a distraction. Focus, Jess.' She shook her head. "That's not what this is about. This is about me wanting away from you, y-you awful creatures." Her voice began to falter, she was wearing down.

I raised my eyebrows, "what have I done to make you think I'm such a monster. Huh? Why do you want to run away from me?"

'What am I going to say to that? He's been nothing but nice to me. Yet again I've forced myself in a corner.' "Nothing yet."

There we go, she was getting back to reality. "Exactly. Now please come here. I don't want to hurt you." This has to work. My voice was perfectly sincere. I didn't want to have to get mean.

Jess's hand slipped off of the nob, and she padded back until she was inches from me. She glanced up with tears all along the brims of her eyelids. 'I lost, again. What now? Another basement session I'm sure.' "I'm so stupid. I'm sorry you have to deal with me. Don't worry, I'm fully aware of how worthless I am. You don't need to tell me, sir." She whispered. 'I hate myself.'

I reached down and caressed her cheek. "Where is this coming from? Why do you think that?"

Her fragile body shook under my touch, "what do you mean? It's a fact. Besides, I was taught to say that. I know vampires enjoy belittling humans. Why else would they own servants?"

I blinked, hard. "Who in the hell taught you to say that?" I asked even though I could have guessed.

"Jared," she answered back. She had been absentmindedly biting her lip. I only took notice because when it started to bleed. 'Right before he beat me until I was unconscious. I'm shocked he didn't know about that.'

"Whoa, hey. You're bleeding, hun. Why are you biting your lip so hard?"

Jess's eyes widened. "Shit. I-its a habit. I tend to hurt myself when I've done something wrong." 'I didn't think he'd realize that. Most people don't.'

"Well stop. It's my job to punish you if you've done something wrong. Not yours." I glided my thumb over her bottom lip, wiping the small pool of blood off of it.

"We're going back into the basement, aren't we," Those bright blue eyes pierced into mine.

I shook my head and lifted her up. "No. We are going to the couch, and we are going to talk." I sat down on the recliner and set her on my lap. "Before anything else, I want you to admit something to me. You only acted out just now because you don't want to go back to my brother."

"You're right." Jess averted her eyes and she shifted in my lap. She was holding her knees up to her chest and buried her face in-between the two. 'I'd do anything to keep from going back there.'

"You didn't have to do that. I wanted to know what you honestly felt. All you had to do was tell me you didn't want to go back."

"I thought if I told you the truth you'd get mad at me. No one speaks ill of the McClains."

"You have a point, but when I ask a question I want an answer. I'm only angry that you chose to lie and threaten to run out on me." I glared internally at myself. Why did I admit to being mad? Now she's going to feel worse.

"So you are angry..." Her voice trailed off. 'Fuck, fuck, fuck.'

"I was in the moment. But I have a feeling you have good reasoning for not wanting to go back. Tell me what happened between the three of you and I will forget this whole thing ever happened." I hope this works. She needs to open up more.

'He wants to know what happened between Tanner, Jared, and I? I'd rather another beating. I'm fine with him knowing what happened with Tanner. That was typical high school bullshit. Jared...was a different story. Tanner doesn't even know all that's happened between us. No one does and no one ever should.' "Chris didn't tell you what happened on Tanner's birthday?" She looked up at me, hoping I would say no, so she could pass that off as the only reason she wanted to stay here.

"Yeah. I know all about that. I'm talking about what happened when you and Tanner were dating. Tell me why you two broke up. It's kind of clear that it was messy."

She sighed. "It happened shortly after the Vampire v. Humans law was passed. Tanner and I had been dating for a while, but then, he bought this girl. She had to have been around sixteen. He was treating her so awfully. It was one thing for them to fuck with me, but she was so small and innocent. I couldn't take it. I left and he threw an absolute fit. He even threatened to kill me because 'no one leaves Tanner McClain'." Jess rolled her eyes in disgust. "As for Jared. Before I had even met Tanner, my best friend Tammy was dating Jared. That's actually how Tanner and I met. I started hanging with their group more. One night at a party I caught Jared in a room making out with some other girl. Being the good friend I am, I told Tammy. She confronted Jared, and he has been out to get me since."

"Is that everything?" I looked down at her with raised brows. That was very rushed. It also didn't account for any of their actual relationships.

'No. But that's all anyone else knows.' "Yes, Finn." Jess lied. "May I, um, have some water please?" She began to move off of my lap, but I pushed her back in place.

"No. You're not moving. Not until you tell me the whole story. I know you're hiding details. What is with you and lying to me?" I was beginning to grow tired of her withholding things from me. I was trying to help her. Not to mention, I owned her. That included access to her past.

'Fuck. How could he tell? Am I really going to tell him? I've never told these stories to anyone. Would I be able to? I guess we will have to find out.' Jess sat there, staring at me, but her gaze was far away. She inhaled deeply. "You can't tell Tanner. Promise me you won't."

"That's fine. I promise." Wow, this was serious whatever it was.

"For you to understand Jared and I's relationship, you need to know what happened to me three years ago."