After Ishmael left the room, an awkward silence reigned between him and Astrid. The recent turn of events bitch-slapped Jason into a stupor. It wasn't how he planned things going for him, especially not ending up as a meal for a bloodsucker. Now he sat in a sex room in the middle of a BDSM club with a job and a place to stay. Working at the club wasn't his first choice, but beggars couldn't be choosers. And besides, Jason had virtually no hope that anyone would give him a job in his current condition. He had nothing to lose other than to give it a shot.

"Jason?" A finger snapped in front of his face, whipping him out of his funk.

Jason gulped and said, "Sorry, got lost there for a minute."

"No doubt... Well, you can't sit here all night long. Why don't I show you to your room?"

Jason nodded as he threw off the silk sheet, hoping the next bed his ass encountered would not have silk bedding. It must have been another weird kink.

Jason slowly heaved off the bed, stumbling a few steps forward. In a blink of an eye, Astrid caught his upper arm before he face-planted into the shaggy carpet.

"Thanks!" Jason steadied his feet.

"Not needed. I should have guessed that you've not yet recovered from your ordeal." She slung his shoulder over hers and helped him out of the room.

Walking down the narrow hallway, they passed a half dozen rooms with crimson red doors with Roman numerals on them. The muffled cries and groans seeped through the doors, heating Jason's neck and ears. They were play rooms like the one he was in minutes ago. Jason tried to ignore the carnal sounds that filled the air, but unfortunately his body didn't get the memo. His hard-on ached, begging for release.

Don't look down. Don't look down! Jason cried in his mind. But as fate's twisted humor played out, Astrid's eyes found Jason's prick tenting in his sweatpants.

A grin appeared on her undead face. She said nothing, but she didn't have to. Jason never wished harder for the earth to swallow him whole. With an awkward silence, they reached the end of the hallway. Astrid pressed the top button on a panel next to a silver door. It slid open, revealing an elevator. They quickly entered it.

Jason leaned back against the back wall of the elevator and adjusted his erection before accidentally poking someone with it. Come on, Jason. Think about something completely disgusting. No matter how he tried, Jason couldn't think clearly with the muffled cries of sex pounding through the hallway. Why was the elevator taking so long? Just as the thought left him, the door shut and the bucket rose with a slight nudge.

Jason breathed out a sigh of relief while he avoided the dominatrix's sinful gaze. No doubt she was enjoying his humiliation. A few seconds later, the elevator doors opened. Hallelujah! Jason wanted to burn ass to the nearest room and lock himself away until he could stare them in the face again without blushing. If that was ever going to happen. It was a grand way of leaving an impression on the people who saved him by drooling over them and having erections in front of them.

Good going, Jason. He shook his head.

Jason slouched and then pushed off the wall, following Astrid as she walked down the hallway. Just like the one below, the hallway had over a dozen doors. The only difference was that the doors were a deep navy blue. Astrid came to a stop at number nine and unlocked the door with a key chain she dug out of the depths of her cleavage. Wonder what else she got hidden in there? Jason quickly averted his eye when Astrid eyed him suspiciously.

She opened the door and stepped into the room. Well, actually it wasn't a room per se, but a small apartment. There was a modest livingroom with a L-shaped, red sofa and a black wall unit with a fifty-two inch plasma T.V. Goddamn! A small kitchenette sat to the side with marble countertops and the latest appliances money could buy. Jason felt guilty for taking them up on their offer. It was too much. A single room at the opposite end of the livingroom led into a bedroom with a queen sized bed and matching nightstands similar to the wall unit in the livingroom. Wooden flooring ran throughout the small apartment.

"I hope it's to your liking," Astrid called out to Jason as he inspected the en-suit bathroom, which consisted of a glass shower in the corner, toilet, and white countertop with a single basin. A massive mirror ran along the entire bathroom.

Jason didn't like it one bit. His phantom features stared back at him and he looked like crap on two shaky legs. He could scare children into a phobia with his face alone. Jason rushed out of the bathroom as quickly as his legs could carry him and entered the livingroom to see Astrid sitting on the leather couch.

"It's too much," Jason blurted out his concerns.

Astrid stood up from the couch and walked up to him. She placed both of her hands on his shoulders. "Nonsense. Most of the employees that work here will be your neighbors. And they too live in the same apartment as you do. It comes with the job. So don't stress it, it's not doing you any good. Ishmael wouldn't have taken a chance on you if he didn't see your worth."

Which wasn't much in his condition. What could he accomplish? Jason couldn't carry heavy things without breaking his limbs. He got exhausted really quickly and could barely move around without any help. The vampire really fucked up his body, adding to the carnage his family left behind.

His doubts must have flashed across his forehead in neon lights because she continued, "Don't worry about overexerting yourself. We know you took a beating. Hell, most people wouldn't have survived what you've been through. So don't be so harsh on yourself. Rest and heal, that's all we want from you. Ishmael will take you to a doctor early in the morning—no arguing." She placed her finger on Jason's lips when he tried to argue. "We need to see what we're dealing with before you can get back on your feet."

Astrid squeezed his shoulders before planting a quick kiss on his forehead. Jason bore the pain of her lips on his skin, not to hurt her feelings. She smiled at him before making her way to the front door.

"Shower and get some rest. You're going to need it." She blew him a kiss before she disappeared out of the apartment.

Jason walked up to the door and locked it. He walked up to every window and checked if they were locked before he made his way into the bedroom. He slumped down onto the bed and ran his fingers over the green comforter. Thank goodness it was cotton and not silk. He leaned over and grabbed his backpack. Ishmael must have brought it here. Jason opened it and pulled out the clothing he had, which wasn't much. Two pairs of jeans, underwear, and t-shirts. What was he going to do? He had no night clothing to wear to bed.

His eye then fell on the closet. Maybe there's something in there I could wear... Jason heaved off the bed and walked up to the closet and slid the doors open. To his elation, the closet was filled with clothing and in his size to boot. No doubt Ishmael's doing. Why, though? Why did Ishmael waste his time on him?

Not finding the answers to those on his own, Jason pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a white t-shirt. He headed for the showers and then his bed for a good night's rest.

***

Having sipped from a cup of sweet black coffee, Jason stared down at the people as they walked on their way to work. It was still six in the morning; he wanted to sleep in, but his mind didn't want to stay off line for long. It was still nippy outside. Fall was drifting into New York City.

A knock on the door prompted Jason to move away from the patio. He unlocked the front door and opened it up to see Ishmael standing in front of him in his casual clothes. He was wearing a pair of slim fit jeans and a blood red fitted henley that cradled his bulging biceps. He has tied his godly locks in a man bun. Jason shivered at the sight of the manly beast in front of him.

Get a grip on yourself, Jason. Don't get attached. A person like him already had a submissive under his firm grasp. No doubt he was also straight as a steel rod.

"D-Do you want to come in?" Jason stammered. He made way for the hulk.

Ishmael smiled and sauntered into the apartment. "Thank you, little one."

Little one? He wasn't that small. True, he lost a couple of inches when he lost Oz, but Jason still stood at a height of five-feet-eleven inches. Just four inches shorter than Ishmael.

"Can I get you a cup of coffee?" Jason walked over to the kitchen counter.

Ishmael shook his head. "No, thank you. I came here to escort you to the healer. He specializes in supernatural creatures and will give you a once over to see if there's anything wrong."

"It's unnecessary. I've already taken up too much of your time and effort to burden you any further. I'll just take it easy for the next few days and then I'll be out of your hair." Jason said.

As much as Jason appreciated the help, he couldn't expect a couple of strangers to waste their time on him. They weren't obligated to do shit. They've already done more than enough on his part and it didn't feel right to take advantage of them and play the victim card.

"You're not going anywhere," Ishmael replied firmly. "This is the safest place for you to be. If you go out there," he pointed to the patio door, "you'll have a massive target on your back. At least here you can work and live in peace. Look, you're free to do your own thing. Just don't wander off without alerting anyone and don't leave the premises without your collar."

Finding no way to argue with Ishmael, Jason nodded.

"Well, let's be off then."

***

After a quick drive, Ishmael and Jason arrived at an unassuming six-story building. A golden plaque at the top of the stairs announced they had arrived at the office of Dr. White. An icy wind bit into Jason's neck as they walked into the building. This sent a chill down his spine. However, a column of hot air wrapped around Jason's frail body as they walked through the foyer and up to the reception table. In front of a computer, sat a cute blonde girl. Her slender fingers danced over the keyboard until she glimpsed their arrival.

"Good morning to you, gentlemen," she greeted them with a pearly white smile. "Welcome to Dr. White's medical practice. How may I be of assistance?" Her blue eyes raked Ishmael for a moment. A mischievous smile appeared on her face as she started licking her glossy lips.

The moment Jason caught her eyes, they stretched. She quickly hid her reaction behind a fake smile before her eyes shifted back to Ishmael. He didn't need to decipher that look she gave him. Ever since he awoke from his coma, Jason had become used to the looks of disgust in people's eyes, as well as pity. Months before his life took a nosedive into a shithole, Jason would draw the attention of plenty of girls and guys. He didn't want to brag, but he was a good-looking guy. But now... he wasn't stupid. He had eyes.

"We have an appointment under Brooks," Ishmael replied, breaking Jason's embittered thoughts.

With a few taps of her pink painted talons on the keyboard, she said, "We have you here for seven thirty." She reached across the reception desk and pulled a clipboard closer. "Take this and fill out the patient's medical history. We'll be with you in a minute."

Ishmael nodded before strutting over to a gray sofa and taking a seat on it. Jason plopped down next to him and sighed, running his hands over his nearly bald head.

"Don't rile yourself up." Ishmael's hands flowed down the clipboard as he filled in the paperwork. "It's just a check-up, nothing more."

Jason's eyes narrowed on the clipboard. "How do you know all about my medical history and whatnots?"

Ishmael chuckled and said, "I did a background check and pulled your files."

"Oh..."

Ishmael reached over and hugged Jason. "I'm sorry if I snooped around behind your back but it was necessary—"

"You don't have to explain." It was Jason's time to chuckle. "I would do the same if a person with half a soul ended up on my doorstep."

A half an hour later, the doctor emerged from a door to their right with an enormous grin on his wrinkled face. If Einstein had a twin, it would be this man. The only difference was the man's freaky yellow eyes, they were that of an eagle's. Jason didn't know what weird shit this doctor was into, but those eyes pushed his freak meter into the red with blaring sirens sounding off in his head. Jason wanted to bolt for the nearest entrance, but Ishmael's hand on his back trapped him there.

"Good morning, Mr. Brooks, is it?" The doctor read from his file and then pierced him with those eyes.

Jason cautiously nodded while stealing glances at Ishmael. He didn't trust the doctor for a second. Who knew what the doc did to his patients behind closed doors?

Ishmael must have sensed his turmoil and said, "Jason, calm down. Dr. White here is the best healer in this city—hell, I would even say that he's the best healer in this entire country."

Dr. White laughed loudly before patting Ishmael's back. "Be careful, Ish. No amount of ass licking will waver my fees."

"Damn!" Ishmael mocked a pout. "I was so close."

The doctor hit him with his file before turning around. "Not even close. Now, come on, Mr. Brooks. Time's a wastin'."

Ishmael pushed Jason onward to his doom. They followed the doctor into his torture chamber. Hopefully, Jason would make it out alive.