Warmth.

All I felt was warmth, warmth and Ross' addicting lips consuming my own as things quickly started to become intense the more he kissed me. My breathing was all over the place, making it hard for me to concentrate on the events that were unfolding before me.

"Wait- Ross stop wait-" I stuttered between kisses but instead of stopping Ross continued his kissing down my neck and I struggled to stop myself from letting him carry on.

"WAIT" I commanded and Ross immediately pulled away. I was shocked to see his eyes, his pupils were blown wide and the blue was literally shining.

"Forgive me, I got a little out of hand.." Ross mumbled and ran a hand through his hair. I nodded in agreement. "This doesn't make sense, why do I feel so warm?" I asked breathlessly and he started at my strangely. "I was pondering the same thing. Never mind, do not tell anyone about this, I will explain everything once I've figured out what is going on here, alright?" He stated and in a second he was gone.

I was still so warm, I'd never felt this way before, not even with Sebastian...

Feeling confused and curious I pulled out Sebastian's laptop from under the bed and pressed the google sign. I typed in 'vampire soul mates' into Google and I had a lot of results.

I found the one that Sebastian had read from and peered at it. I got it! Sebastian had missed another big paragraph... Wait... How did he miss this?

It said, "The soul mates will experience a heighten in temperature when they are being intimate, this will leave them with a warm feeling where ever the other had touched. To become true soul mates they must conduct the mating ritual, this can be found in the steps below. The mating ritual is the most important part of soul mates, if the soulmates do not complete the ritual then the bond will slowly drive them into insanity and will eventually kill them."

Sebastian and I have not completed this 'ritual' thing, I didn't even know about it! Would he hide this from me?

My brain could not handle this much information and I started to get a headache. Shutting the laptop I decided to put this soul mate issue to one side and go back downstairs.

-----

I could not get that kiss out of my head, what was it about it that made it so... Warm?

I was now sitting in the living room in between Tri and Chris, we had been playing truth or dare, and still were and so far it had been quite amusing.

Ross had been non-stop staring at me since I came downstairs, not that I minded, I had been staring too.

Just as Tri was about to ask me another question we heard the door slam shut and heavy footsteps pounding their way down the hallway and into the room. Sebby was back.

Dragging my gaze away from Ross, I looked at the doorway to see a very bloody and angry Sebastian glaring at all of us.

"It's 1am, go to your rooms before I make you." He barked and myself and Tri sprang up and darted towards our rooms, in my case, Sebby's room.

After a couple of minutes of getting changed and sitting in bed I saw Sebastian enter the room and close the door. Something was off about him but I couldn't quite place it.

I watched as he got undressed, turned off all the lights and slipped into bed beside me, but with his back facing me. Ah, the silent treatment.

-----

I sat straight up, giving myself whiplash, and panted hard in the darkness. I had the most horrifying dream and had shivers crawling down my spine. I looked over at Sebastian, whom still had his back to me and was snoring peacefully.

I didn't want to be alone, I couldn't go back to sleep like this. Deciding to maybe get a glass of water I crept out of bed and in no time had opened the door and was walking down the hallway.

A shock and light flashed in the hallway and I jumped out of my skin at the sight. I was now shaking with fear and I felt like crying, mixed with the biting cold.

"Darcy, are you alright?" I heard a voice ask in the distant left and walked towards the voice. It was Alex.

"No, I had a nightmare and Sebby is ignoring me and I'm scared..." I whispered and Alex nodded, pulling me gently into his room. He closed to door and walked me calmly over to his king sized bed and tucked me in.

He got in next to me and cuddled me into his chest, he was surprisingly cosy too. He was acting like an older brother to me, gently stroking my back as sleep took over my eyes and brought me into its deep depths.

-----

The next morning I woke to shouting coming from downstairs. Alex was no longer next to me and as I peered into the hallway I made out that it was Tri that was shouting.

I quietly made my way to the bottom step of the stairs and listened in to the argument.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT TO HER! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Tri screamed at someone but I couldn't tell who.

"SHE HAS BEEN ONLY GOOD TO YOU AFTER EVERYTHING THAT SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH AND YOU GO AND DO THIS!" Was Tri talking about me...?

Before I could hear anymore the three brothers stormed out of the kitchen. They all gazed at me with sadness and regret, why?

I could not question them as Alex lifted me up in his arms and carried me out the door. I let him of course, they were going to give me answers so I might as well give into their kindness.

Ross had his eyes on my again, but the look in his eyes made my gut twist and turn. It was empathy.

I had to close my eyes as they all started running, my arms clinging onto Alex's arm and shoulder, even though I knew he could never drop me.

It was strange how quickly I started to trust these boys, maybe even more than Sebastian. I felt safe with them.

They stopped in this clearing surrounded by trees, it must be a secret spot of theirs' or something.

"What's going on?" I asked but my throat was hoarse from the nightmare.

None of them answered, Chris instead handed me a bottle of water and gave me a sad smile. That was not the answer I wanted.

I didn't press anymore, I felt tired still and I saw that Ross had set out some blankets. They all sat down and as Ross laid down I crawled over to him and cuddled into him. I needed to think, if they were not ready to tell me then maybe I could find out.

Minutes passed as I laid there and thought when suddenly three terrible questions popped into my head:

Where did Sebastian go yesterday?

Why did I not feel warm with him?

And the worst question, the question that had my heart tearing and sirens going off in my ears.

What was he doing at the slave market the night he found me, what was he really looking for?

At the thought of these questions I sat up, everything started to become clear. The hiding, the lack of warmth, the slave market, the shouting, the blood.

I couldn't think it, never mind say it.

Tears started pouring from my eyes as the truth started to consume me in its metal claws.

"Darcy, Darcy please," Alex murmured as they all watched me cry in front of them. Ross turned round and sat up, cradling me in his lap as I sobbed into his black shirt.

It wasn't fair, all my life all I've had is disappointment.

I wanted Sebastian to say it to my face, I want him to tell me the truth right to my face. My sadness being replaced by thick anger I stood up and faced the brothers who looked shocked at my change in mood.

"Take me to him, now."

-----

The brothers brought my back home and Ross took my hand as we walked through the door. He gave my hand a light squeeze and I squeezed his back, I'm glad he was here for me.

It's only now that I realised how long the brothers must have known Sebastian, being old vampires as well and knowing how he acts. It makes me feel comforted to know that they are taking the side of a stranger instead of an old friend.

We walked into the living room again and Sebastian sat there, fresh blood dried under his nose and at the corner of his mouth, must have been Tri.

Tri was sitting across from him, a reassuring smile tugging at his lips making me feel more confident.

"So, who's going to do the explaining then? And don't hold anything back, I've already guessed most of it." I spat with a hiss in Sebastian's direction.

"Just ask the questions and I'll answer them, just know Darcy, I am truly sorry," Sebastian spoke up but I glared in return, an empty apology could not make this any better.

"Where did you go yesterday?" My first question.

Sebastian lowered his head but answered anyway, "first I went into the forest for some blood, I was angry and I needed to feed... Then... I went to see Maya, I was angry and I needed to take my anger out and we..." I nodded, not needing to here anymore, I had already guessed.

"Why don't I feel warm with you?" It was an open question but he knew what I was talking about.

He sighed slowly and looked me straight in the eye, this was a question that I was not ready for.

"We... I... I lied to you, we are not 'soul mates', I was using you, it might have been real to you but for me you were just another human girl." He answered straight and I physically strained forward like someone had punched me in the stomach.

Ross growled at Sebastian but I squeezed his hand again, there was no point in fighting, I was tired, tired of everything.

"What were you really doing at the slave market, what were you really looking for?" I asked with an edge in my voice. His eyes widened at the question, funny, didn't think I could catch him by surprise.

"I was looking for someone to use, just someone to get off with and a blood bag, nothing more." He gritted with ice in his voice and at that moment I stopped breathing. My skin turned snow white and my eyes became watery but no tears appeared.

I took one last glance at Sebastian, then at Tri, then turned and walked back out the door. I stopped outside the front door when I knew no one had followed but they could still hear me.

I didn't make any noise, just silent tears falling from my empty eyes. I was really nothing to him, the short time we had spent together was nothing but a lie.

I couldn't feel anything, my hands and feet turned numb and my body shook uncontrollably.

I didn't think it could hurt this bad, then again, I never had a mother there to teach me. I never had anyone for that matter, the first person that cared about me in years was just as dead to me as my parents.

I didn't know how long I had been standing these, I don't think I cared.

After a while I heard someone approach me as I stared blankly at the ground, tears dry and stained on my cheeks.

It was when I felt a warm hand lace its fingers with mine that I smiled.

I turned my head and looked up into Ross' beautiful blue eyes, eyes I knew I could really trust this time. We didn't say anything, we didn't need to. Instead, he picked me up in his arms as the other two joined him at his sides.

Then, as the brothers ran off into the night, I knew I would never see that house ever again.