Raven's P•O•V

Although Alec had been showing me his abilities as well as taking me around the castle grounds, he didn't seem phased whatsoever. I on the other hand was trying to keep myself on my aching feet. We must've spent the whole day hiking around the acres and acres of land they owned. Once it got dark we finally decided to head back for the night.

I walked down the halls with Alec, the chandeliers were shining as the windows let in the darkness of night. I felt relieved to be back indoors and I was ready for a hot shower to relax my aching muscles. Clearly I was out of shape.

We approached the fork in the hall where Alec's room was straight ahead and my room was to the right. We stopped and Alec turned to me.

"Thank you Alec." I said with an appreciative smile. He smiled back and nodded, accepting the gratitude. He turned to leave but I felt something come over me.

"Alec," I held his wrist. He turned back to me and I hesitated.

"I'm sorry for being so selfish. I never knew how hard it must be for you. I've had no right to be like this." I apologized, feeling the guilt of my own self-absorption weighing down on me. He gave a crooked smile.

"You had every right. You didn't know, and I understand. You needed the chance to go back and decide for yourself. I never wanted to force you into this life without closure of your past one." Alec told, his words kind and understanding. I looked up at him and studied his eyes, not knowing how he could forgive me.

"I made you fly eight hours just to turn around and fly another eight back." I testified, trying to convince him he had no reason to forgive me although he was.

"Raven," Alec sighed and reached out to softly brush his hand against my cheek, "I don't think either of us would have ever been content if we stayed here. You needed to know you had a choice, and I needed to be at ease knowing you made the decision."

I leaned into his hand and sighed.

"Thank you for understanding." I thanked him. "I've just been so frustrated at how selfish I've become, I just wanted to apologize." I said honestly. Alec smiled at me in reply. He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek softly. I felt my breath get caught in my throat.

"Get some rest, Raven. You have nothing to fret about." He spoke gently. I nodded and gave a soft smile.

"Goodnight Alec." I departed from him.

"Goodnight Raven." He said in reply and left. I turned and started down my hall.

As I approached my room, I noticed a small stream of light emitting from the opening between my door and the frame. I furrowed my brow and walked up to my door. I slowly pushed the door open and saw nothing, or no one, there. The room was empty.

I walked in and felt a shiver run down my spine. Something wasn't right.

The door shut behind me. I gasped and shot around to see DeMalo standing there, leaning against my door with his arms crossed against his chest. I swallowed hard and watched him.

"It's such a mortal thing, don't you think?" DeMalo questioned, looking around my room nonchalantly. I didn't say anything in reply, all I could feel were the nerves prickling at my skin.

"You all fall so fast. Even when you know you shouldn't. But being naïve must come easily to you humans." He scoffed and seemed interested in observing my room, yet he kept communicating with me.

"Trust me Sweetheart," I mentally cringed when he called me that, "don't be fooled by Alec's humanity. The second daddy gives the order to turn you, Alec will turn you without a second thought." The way DeMalo said his father's name made me realize the amount of dislike he had for him.

"You're wrong. He's more humane than you." I defended my beliefs, crossing my arms across my chest defiantly.

"Of course you think that," he scoffed, "how about you tell me why you got kidnapped in the first place?" He countered, knowing well enough that I would connect the dots and it would make sense what he meant. I only got kidnapped because Alec and DeMalo's father ordered it.

DeMalo saw the expression I had and laughed.

"The man you think you know, is far from humane. I've known Alec all my life, I'm his brother. Who else do you think he goes out with for drinks?" DeMalo pointed out. I shivered at the thought. "Honestly, I can't even begin to count how many people he's killed. My poor brother can barely control himself."

"What are you getting at DeMalo?" I said with an annoyed expression. He finally looked at me with a fed up look, like I should've been getting what he was saying.

"Alec gets everything. The glory, the crown, the girl." DeMalo started to sound more and more irritated as he started to step towards me. "All he's ever done his entire life is sit around and get spoiled! He doesn't deserve the throne. He doesn't deserve to be king." He was now a foot away from me. I couldn't help but feel the red flags pulsing in my nerves. I'm sure he could hear the sirens filling my head just as much as I could. I felt my stomach drop as DeMalo fumed, "He doesn't deserve to have you as his Soulmate."

His eyes were bright red, almost glowing as they stared down at me. His eyes screamed of the pure starvation that filled him. All I could feel was the fear vining up my body, rooting through my skin and clenching onto my nerves.

"Alec will never love you. He's too worried about what our precious father thinks to even care about you. He's not fit to be king, especially with such an independent and strong woman being his queen." DeMalo tried to compliment me, but his words were meaningless and made me sick. I hated my sister, but not to the degree DeMalo hated his own twin.

"Alec simply isn't suited to have such a woman by his side." DeMalo murmured, his attempt of trying to be alluring made me want to throw up. He stepped closer and I stepped back. He rolled his eyes at me.

"Don't you get it Raven? Alec sees you as no more than his trophy. He thinks of you as a fragile thing that he can have at his arm for show. Alec doesn't know you like I do. I see right through you. You're uncontrollable and strong. Don't you see? We're the same." DeMalo's voice was almost pleading, like he wanted me to understand what he was saying. But all I understood was how jealous and downright obsessive he was.

He reached out and caressed my cheek, his hands freezing and foreign. I flinched at his mere touch, not wanting him anywhere near me. I shoved his hand away harshly.

"You don't know me," I growled. "Who are you to say you know me? You might be some immortal, untouchable vampire but there is one thing that sets you and I apart completely. And that one thing is humanity." I snapped back in reply.

"You may be 143 years old but in the end all you are is a spoiled brat who throws a fit when he doesn't getting what he wants-" I went far enough to set him off and quickly he grabbed my neck and slammed me against the wall. The force knocked the wind out of me.

His grip on my neck made it hard to breath. I gripped his hand in a weak attempt to rip it off but it was no use. I stared down at him with anger, yet fear still flowed through me.

"Don't do that again!" He roared.

"What do you want? Do you want me to believe you?" I choked out, wondering if that's all DeMalo wanted; for me to believe that Alec is who DeMalo said he is.

"I want you to be mine. I want you to see that Alec doesn't deserve you but I do." DeMalo muttered, staring down at my lips and forced himself onto me. His grip was still tight on my neck as he kissed me sloppily. I let go of his hand wrapped around my throat and tried to push him away. I was trying to yell against his lips but he trapped it. One scream did go into the air and I unconsciously screamed the first thing that came to my mind.

"Alec!" I screamed hoarsely and felt Demalo backhand slap me. My head threw the opposite way and I could feel my head collide with the wall. I saw stars as I faced the door. Although my head was throbbing, I could still feel the stinging sensation in my cheek.

"You shouldn't have done that." He snarled in my ear. I shook in fear of how close he was to my now exposed neck. His threat made me scared of how quickly he could kill me.

I watched the door burst open and DeMalo was shoved off of me. I gasped for air and collapsed onto the floor, my head pounding. I could feel the bile burning in my throat, but I kept it down. Piper ran over to me and held my shaking body gently. She must've heard from her room.

I turned to see Alec holding DeMalo against the wall. He slammed him into it once, then again, then again, completely obliterating the wall. Suddenly Dimitri appeared behind Alec and tore him off of DeMalo. Alec looked furious, his hands clenched as he gave DeMalo a look that could kill. Dimitri held DeMalo back.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Dimitri boomed and everyone looked at me for the answers...

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