I was driven straight to Lucian's home. Nedd waited till I got out of the car and let myself in.

I closed the door to the empty house and waited till Nedd drove away. Then I shifted my hollow frame with some effort towards the kitchen. I drank water and made myself a protein shake before I made my way gingerly towards the bedroom.

The house was huge and I had my own room in it but I longed to sleep in Lucian's bed. I felt closest to him there. It was the only place where the pain of simply living was bearable.

I took a detour to my room stopping by the closed doors of Lucian's chambers. A delicious thrill ran down my spine just thinking of him being in this room. Only he wasn't. He was hard at work. I on the other hand was here. I opened his door and simply stood there breathing the faint traces of Lucian's presence. I closed my eyes drawing in his scent and reveling in the feelings that coursed through me.

The torment and disappointments of unrequited love faded away into the back burner. Instead my love for him was renewed and with it came my hope. I moved to close the door behind me when the doorbell rang.

I was glad for the interruption. my thoughts needed some respite from its never ending turmoil over Lucian.

I headed downstairs and opened the front door. Blondie and Redbeans stood outside waiting impatiently.

"I told you his food would be here to let us in," said Blondie before she swept past me without a word.

I looked up at her suspiciously. Lucian had not mentioned that these two would be here today. But then maybe he simply didn't get the chance. I recalled our awkward moment in the car with some clarity. And found myself drawn paler in recoil.

I shook away my heart break. It was not the first time its happened. But it was the first after I'd given voice to my love.

I turned back to the two girls. Reed thin and glamorous. Just two more adjectives to describe otherwise blatant beauties. That they were under Lucian's brethren was nothing knew neither was the knowledge that they shared his bed in a very sexual sense. He didn't love them. But that was a small consolation. For they still had that opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh with my love. I on the other hand had always been merely his choice of food.

The two girls were gone from my sight before I even completed the turn to follow them in with my eyes. I heard a door slam shut and knew with some certainty it led to Lucian's chambers.

I drew back with a shudder. My minor joy from the quiet pleasures of my own delusions were ripped to shreds. The hope I had felt faded. And with it went my willingness to remain in his home waiting for his return.

I stepped out the front door that I still held open and softly shut the door behind me.

I simply walked.

The tears of sorrow did not appear. My eyes remained dry and my thoughts blank. With each step the distance between myself and the house grew. I found myself walking along the lonely street back and then when night fell I was still a long way away from my home. Still my thoughts remained blank.

Empty.

Devoid of emotions.

Devoid of thoughts at all.

A car pulled over at the curb infront of me. I shifted effortlessly to walk around it.

"Need a lift baby? Its a long walk from here to anywhere? Come with us we'll give you a ride."

I jerked to a halt then. My mind didn't completely process what the stranger was saying but the double entendre was clear.

Warning bells clamoured faintly deep in the recesses of my otherwise blank mind.

I wavered weakly where I stood then turned completely to the stranger. He looked vaguely familiar.

"You work at that bar at the edge of town, Hell's Bell's," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Darling I could take you all the way to hell if that is what you want, " he said again to the heartg guffaws of his budies in the car.

I solemnly shook my head feeling dizzy as I did. "Been there, already. I'd rather not go back just yet," I muttered weakly.

Then in a wobbly spin I continued on down the street. It was not the first time I have been accosted on my own and I knew it wouldn't be the last but I didn't want to deal with it and the with fallout from it yet.

These drunks didn't know what was coming at them. A hand on me would mean hell to pay for them. I was determined to put as much distance between us hoping they would simply forget they encountered me and drifted away.

But I should have known better. The car door slammed shut behind me and my would be accosters got out. Heavy footsteps closed in leisurely behind me. I didn't stop. I didn't speed up. I simply continued on as I was not seeing, not hearing their ribaldry comments.

Then a hand closed over my shoulder to spin me around. The toxic scent of liquor breathed fumes across my face as one of the men tugged me closer. He moved to take my lips in a grotesque kiss.

That's when the unavoidable happened.

My alarm shot through the roof. I turned my head away to scream loud and piercing. A hand clamped over my mouth with bruising force. Rough words telling me to be quiet or else were beaten into me quite literally. I felt the blows on my body. Boot shod feet slamming into my midsection. Then my clothes was being torn and my screams didn't stop. Muffled though they were I knew they were being heard.

My jeans were being tugged off my hips and my legs pushed apart when a blood curling scream rendered the air.

Inhuman in its pitch and fury. I knew it marked the death of those who accosted me with utmost certainty.

More screams rang out against the pitch black darkness. One by one those who held me were torn away. Limb by limbs. The acidic stench of fear and revulsion mixed with a good dose of blood and gore filled the air.

I closed my eyes glad for the darkness that even the glow from the car lights failed to dispel. And I prayed for my consciousness to fade away. But I remained stubbornly alert throughout the blood bath that spilled and flowed all around me. Till long after life had flickered out for the last of them. Still he went on wrenching their flesh off their bones. All but gnawing them to their bones.

After a while, I decided enough was enough.

"Their already dead," I said flatly into the dark. The sudden stillness at the sound of my voice echoed more loudly then the screams of the past.

I pulled together my torn clothing and shifted to stand up. Buckling close my jeans I continued down the road towards my home without a backward glance.

I reached the next intersection before the wind whipped up and strong arms bore me away.