Wooh, it's been a while! But on the bright side, HOORAH to an update. This year is going by so fast, I swear the next time I blink it'll be 2010. Anyways, I'm always trying to update. I actually wrote this whole entire chapter on my iPod touch just because I'm hardly ever home. Seriously though, thanks for your reviews, I really appreciate it. I know I'm a horrible author, but if I don't update, PM me and just cuss me out. Trust me, I won't mind. I'll stop babbering, hope you enjoy :)

-Aeieo

Chapter 9

(PS: I tried something new about halfway through the chapter. Feedback appreciated, thanks)

They were meant to kill without feeling. Without faltering. They were brought upon us to restore order. They succeeded when they overpowered us. The Royal Blooded were a long line of heritage kept carefully concealed until of full power, whereas they rose, and overruled the ones of existence who had not a choice of whether to agree to this. It was planned for years… and everyone else was simply ignorant to the matter. Those who knew were paid off… those who didn't take the money were killed. And when they rose, they rose. In the past they had managed to rise politically and emotionally, starting small, becoming popular with all people. Of course, there were a few here and their that saw through their whole act, and were ignored, and there were those who willingly bowed at their feet to be bled dry. But maybe none of that would have mattered.

To know that he was a part of that… To know that he agreed with their ways and was brought up in those beliefs… It was disturbing to a point where I flinched every time I looked at him.

No… I said nothing to Ryder. I couldn't find the right thing to say… If he thought I was scared before, then now I was absolutely petrified. He didn't push me though. He didn't force me to look at him, or talk to him. I'm not sure I would've been able to even if forced.

He probably decided by now I wasn't worth it and was looking for another human… I'm not sure he would actually do that though. I don't even know why I was even considering that he might possibly care. Every time I had a feeling though, it almost always turned out to be right, but I didn't even want to think about that right now.

I paced absentmindedly, finally resting at the small balcony in his room. I sat against the glass door, holding my head in my hands.

I knew I couldn't wallow in my own self pity… It didn't fix anything. Then again there was no way to solve it. I may have been able to deal with if he had just been a vampire. Maybe. But to be a part of that… To become the next king… I couldn't fully comprehend that.

I stood up. I needed to get out of here. He had left me in his room when I didn't respond, so I had been walking back and forth in the large confinement for the past hour. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to leave or not, but I was sure someone would stop me if I wasn't supposed to.

Opening and closing the door softly, I headed down the staircase being careful to look around for anyone in sight. As usual there was no one; completely desperate. I was beginning to wonder if this was just all some sort of sick test to see how I would react to situation. I mean no human actually knew what the Royal Blooded headquarters looked like, so who was I to know anything…

But he looked so pained when he told me that… Like he was ashamed of it or something. But no vampire would actually be ashamed of being a part of that organization.

Except for the few vampires who donated and were involved with the Corporation. Only the leaders, like Brydson, actually got to see who they were and know their identity.

Now, standing outside in the garden, I decided to sit under a large willow tree, not bothered by the small bugs flying around me. I lay down to stare at the sky through the limbs of the tree. I knew I probably looked like a complete idiot, but I wasn't sure I cared.

If Brydson had such high ranking with vampires, then it would easily explain why he had intentionally found me, kept me under his care, and managed to brainwash me into believing that he loved me. Then sold me off to Ryder.

It was no different than raising a child only to sell them off into slavery. Same concept.

It really hurt that in the eyes of Brydson I was only a chunk of money or a new gun. Was that all I was to anyone anymore?

I don't think I've ever missed my parents anymore than I did now. I found myself asking the same questions I did back then…

"Mom, why are we hiding?"

We lived out in the middle of nowhere. Literally speaking.

The trees went on for miles and miles and they were so tall they covered the house from all angles; even aerial. But here we were, sitting in a crevice underground that I didn't even know we had. There was no electricity, although there were a couple candles and boxes of food and water in storage. I was not allowed to light one however.

"Shh, it'll be alright," She responded back.

"That's not what I asked…" I muttered, but kept quiet as she wished.

I'm pretty sure she was saying that to reassure herself. Her hands were trembling, her face composed of fear and fake calmness, a struggle in which I could not comprehend at the time. My mother was a very small woman, reaching only 5'2 and weighing around 115. But even at her size, I had never seen her scared of anything. I'm not sure if it was because Dad wasn't around or what was going on, but they wouldn't tell me and I wasn't going to worry her anymore than she already was.

I heard a gunshot. A scream. A loud thump right above our heads. Dad.

I screamed before she could cover my mouth. I began to sob as the word escaped my mouth.

Vampires.

"Be quiet." A harsh command that shut me immediately. I knew now that this was no longer a game or bad weather, but survival.

I never heard the footsteps above us. I never knew that what was about to happen would change my life forever. I never noticed the sudden light that filled the small space. I never felt the arms dragging us out, or the voice that commanded me not to struggle. I complied in silence as they dragged my mother away.

"The papers, the papers, the papers!" She shouted over and over until I somewhat managed to nod my head in acknowledgment. And despite the situation she smiled and the words fell off her lips as easily as she fell to the ground.

"We love you."

Maybe it was that moment reality struck through for me or it may have been an eternity- I wasn't sure. But I began to scream. I screamed and screamed at them until my voice grew hoarse as they burned their bodies. However when the flames burned out and the ashes settled thickly in the air, they began to leave. Only one was left, the hooded figure's eyes the only appearance visible of him, the one who had held me back the entire time. The redness.

"Why didn't you kill me?" I screamed up at him, banging my fists against his chest.

He shrugged away the hood, his mouth upturned into a sadistic smirk as he grabbed each of my wrists and kissed the vein tenderly. I jerked them away, backing up.

"Because dear… you are nothing to us. Not ours for the keeping." His low gravelly voice sent shivers down my spine. His face was now expressionless as he looked into my eyes, the cold-blooded killer now present under the thin surface before pulling his hood back over his head.

But when I blinked, he was gone and I was alone. I stared up through the sifting ashes into the clear night sky never once feeling so small.

"Why me, why me, why… me?"

I was being shaken, being sharply told to wake up. Realization dawned on me and I jumped up and ran a few feet away to find Raed staring at me with musing curiosity.

"What do you want from me?" I screamed, my voice echoing far off.

He sighed. "I was walking and found you having a nightmare. I didn't think Ryder would appreciate it if I ignored you and kept on walking."

Of course it had nothing to do with my personal well being, only due to the fact that I belonged to Ryder now. I shuddered at the thought.

"Are you hurt, dear?" Raed asked, walking towards me. I stepped back in unison.

"Please don't touch me," I whispered, clenching my fists tightly, my nails digging into my flesh. However he ignored this, stepping forward to run a finger across my cheek.

His eyes returned to their usual hardened self. "I told you not to be afraid of me… considering… we're family now."

I opened my mouth to scream, to say something back, but another voice stopped me.

"What's going on here?"

Ryder. Like a fallen angel from hell. A small sigh of relief left me as Raed took a step back from me.

"She was having a nightmare and I awoke her, she ran away from me and I followed to be sure she was well," He said so smoothly and convincing I almost believed it myself. Ryder may or may not have seen through it; I wasn't sure, but his darkened expression stayed the same.

"Thank you, Raed. I'll be sure to keep a better eye on her." Ryder said in almost a growl.

"No problem, brother. Family always helps family." Saying this, he winked at me before walking around the other side of the corner, deep off into the woods. I turned to face Ryder, sighing in relief.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have walked out on you, or left you alone for that matter. It was stupid. I should not have expected a better reaction when I knew it was going to scare you. Well more than you already were… God I'm rambling. I'm deeply sorry, would you forgive me?"

I blinked a couple times, trying to comprehend what he had said so quickly to me before answering in a mutter I had forgotten he could hear.

"What do you have to apologize for? I'm sorry for not reacting like you wanted me to."

I started to walk back towards the door, but he stopped me with a vice grip on my arm.

"I never wanted to see a certain reaction from you. I wanted to see the natural one," He said in a low voice.

"Well you're not giving me much of an option here," I snapped back. The hell with crying. I'm a red head with a hell of a temper and I was mad. Ryder's eyes darkened.

"An option? I could have forced you to marry me yesterday, but I didn't. I could have taken you in years ago, but I didn't. I'm giving you options, Alexandra." He struggled to keep his voice under control.

"No you are not! You're telling me that I have to be married to you, to love you, and live here, while you're a part of that?" I couldn't hide the disgust in my voice. He pushed me up against the wall, his arms a trap around me. And I'm not sure why, but I wasn't scared.

"I can't help what I raised to be and I can't help who my imprint was chosen to be. If I had brought you in sooner, you would have hated me for taking you away from your parents when you needed them most. If I decided to take you in any later, you would've been in danger. This was the only way," He growled in response.

"So you thought the best way was to allow me to fall in love with one of your slaves in the long-run, when all it would do was break me?"

That shut him up. He stepped away, his fists clenched tightly.

"He was never supposed to fall in love with you. And the last thing on this damn earth I would want to do is hurt you."

I stepped forward, almost touching each other. His gaze was lowered, not meeting my eye. "You're hurting me by keeping me here… Why can't you let me go?"

And Ryder's hand came to rest against the back of my neck, his voice a small whisper. "Because you're a part of me now."

And with the small amount of pressure he applied to my neck, I let out a small whimper, a veil of darkness beginning to cloud my vision.

Ryder's POV

How did I manage to do this every time I touched her? I gathered her into my arms, never growing old of the feeling between warmth and ice. Her heartbeat was yet again faint, but steady.

I hurt her constantly whether it be physically or emotionally. I wanted so much to never let go of her… but she was uncomfortable with that right now. I hardly believe we are on speaking terms, much less any form of physical communication.

I suppose had thought it would be easier for her to fall into this lifestyle. I had watched her for her entire life, most recently in the past five years it had taken her to begin to trust Brydson… She fascinated me. After watching her for so long I began to grow closer to her; if even possible at all.

However she saw me as a monster. A bloodsucking bastard that lusted only after her blood.

But how can you tell the truth if in their eyes you're a liar?

Her small hand gripped mine as tightly as a human her size could, an obvious suggestion she was having some form of a nightmare. Probably about me.

I talked in a low voice to her, hoping that somehow it could sooth her restless slumber. But the contortion of pain and fear continued to splay across her face.

I sighed as the door opened and the doctor I had requested finally arriving with his human assistant following and her small child closely behind her.

"Mr. Stoughton." I nodded my head in acknowledgement, standing to shake his hand.

"Thanks for being able to come on such short notice." I had specially requested this doctor for a number of reasons. Although he was usually working in a lab somewhere, he was very well known for finding cures for things such as diseases for humans. A man easy to trust and rely on, many slaves felt comfortable with him. I was positive he would know what was wrong.

"It's not a problem." He smiled, maneuvering himself so that he could reach Alexandra. I sauntered over to another chair, nervous about another man even touching my imprint. But my face was calm and composed. He listened to her heartbeat, occasionally asking a question.

At one point he lifted her up slightly to check the markings on her neck. I could somewhat sense Alexandra awakening, but she showed no sign.

They're definitely unusual…" He murmured before clearing his throat.

"What's the verdict?" I asked, impatient.

"She's in perfect health and shape. Iron and cholesterol levels are perfect and metabolism is excellent. From the answers you've given me, I can only determine a couple of different theories. With many slaves I've seen over the years, I've concluded that rushing a human into adapting to a new environment can cause them to undergo some forms of depressions or panic attacks. A lot have been somewhat abused or scarred in the past, leaving hem to feel the side effects later in life-"

"She's never been tainted," I growled. He smiled at me calmly, but I saw the slight shake in his hands.

"Let me finish Mr. Stoughton, if I may. From her markings of the imprint, I can almost guarantee a theory which I have seen only one other time in my life. It is rare for certain strong minded humans, that they are able to fight off an imprint," He stated, and I allowed the shock to register across my face. He continued. "That doesn't necessarily mean that she will be able to fight it off, but it may be likely that her body will. Some humans simply aren't strong enough to handle the chemicals released into the bite that mix with their own chromosomes from the imprint set in long ago. Along with a stressful environment, it sometimes leads to malnutrition, panic attacks or sometimes referred to as breakdowns, or sometimes death. But from her healthy activity and brain function, I can 100% guarantee that she will be perfectly fine."

He snapped his briefcase shut, ordering his assistant to go ahead and give her a booster vaccination that was needed.

"I suggest to you that you keep her as happy as possible, allow her to have no stress whatsoever." I nodded and he grinned slightly. "I can tell she means a lot to you. I've never seen a vampire so protective over a human before. I thought a few times there for sure you were going to attack me."

He chuckled lightly, and I forced a smile back.

"No worries though, eh? I'll be right back, I have a shot that you can give her whenever she awakes, to prevent any form of depression or panic attacks. I also will go ahead and give you some anti depressant pills, just in case you notice any signs. If you ever need anything, contact me." With that he walked out, the young assistant continuing on with her duties, her little girl peaking at me. Although awake, Alexandra lay perfectly still, I rested my head in my hands, closing my eyes to think things over.

I was mightily relieved it was nothing major. But if she fought off the imprint… I'm not sure what would happen for me or for her. When a mate died, the other mate died soon after. And if the imprint was broken… Well I wasn't sure what would happen. We couldn't just move on. Fate never worked that way.

A small tug against my pant brought me back to realization. My head snapped up to meet the wide-eyed expression. I could say she was around three or four, and absolutely precious. She smelled distinctly of a sweet fragrance. I lifted her onto my lap, smiling, and she giggled. This of course caused her mother to look up with absolute horror and fear, stopping what she was doing.

"Please don't hurt her! She's my only child! She's all I have left now… Please." The young mother's voice was tempted to break. I shook my head, smiling softly in reassurance.

"I would never hurt a child or anyone purposely. She's far too much of a beauty for our kind anyways. Innocence and youth like hers shouldn't be shouldn't be bothered by the harsh reality we've caused." The mother looked at me in shock, shaking her head in disbelief. "Please continue with what you are doing. You have my life in your hands, I have your life in my hands."

She smiled slightly and shook her head before she was completely reassured her daughter was safe, to return to her work.

The small child played contentedly, amazed at the differences between the size.

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

Now shy, she looked up at me through thick lashes. "07594."

My haw tightened in anger. Some 'masters' these days… Haven't the littlest decency to give a child a name. I stood to walk over and place the girl back with her mother.

"What's her real name?" She looked up at me, fearful.

"I wasn't allowed to name her. It's against Master's rules." She muttered automatically. Robotically.

"You have to give her a name," I murmured back, pacing back and forth slowly before leaning back against the wall. The mother didn't respond however continued with her duties with shaking hands. I don't know why it bothered me. But it did way more than it should have. When she was finished, the doctor came back in with the pills and shot. I paid him over his amount as they left, but not before the mother slipped past me whispering a name in my ear.

"Marie." I smiled as she picked up her child and followed closely behind the doctor.

Alexandra sat up, wide wake. She was a hell of an actress, fooling even vampires.

Her dark eyes glanced at me questioningly. Almost wearily. As if she were tired of fighting. I stayed put against the wall for now, certain to no longer push her boundaries.

"How do you feel?"

She stared at me with a blank expression, ignoring the question. "I'm not crazy."

I walked over to the edge where she sat. She didn't move a muscle.

"No one said you were, dear. I'm afraid you misinterpreted what he said-" Alexandra cut me off.

"I'm not depressed. And I'm definitely not going to take any of that medicine or a shot. I'm stable."

"I am only concerned about your well-being," I said softly back.

"I'm not crazy," She whispered. I rested my hand on her leg lightly, watching for any signs of discomfort.

"It's your body and I won't give you anything unless you need it. You already promised you would not harm yourself. I trust you Alexandra." And why can't you trust me? "Can it be a deal?"

She looked down to where my hand was, again forgetting I could hear her whisper. "It shouldn't be up to you in any way."

"I know."

Alexandra peeked up at me through her eyelashes, confused. I grinned slightly, trying to lighten the atmosphere a bit.

"How does your arm feel?" At once her eyes narrowed, her face going from pain, to shock, and finally again to confusion.

"But how did that… How long was I asleep?" Her voice rose to hysteria. I came closer to her, taking Alex's hands into my own. She didn't flinch. Perhaps she was over her fear.

"Two nights ago, when I had… bitten you. The venom healed you," I murmured.

"Is that why you did it?" There was not a single hint of accusation in her voice, so I had a hard time believing that she believed it herself.

I shook my head, careful not to lose my temper. Her pulse was steady and by all means I intended to keep it that way.

"No, of course not. I had lost control." My voice was a whisper. "I had almost killed you."

I ran a hand through my hair. "I'm sorry."

Her hand squeezed mine gently, a small comforting gesture I wasn't expecting. I looked up shocked and she quickly took back her hand, drawing up her knees slightly.

The docile creature drew in a sharp breath, looking away shyly. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. My emotions are so off right now, I am beginning to think I'm not me anymore. I hate everything about you, what you are and what you're a part of. But when I see you sad, it upsets me and I don't even know why. I can't believe that I'm telling you this. I can't believe what I tell myself anymore. Everything feels like a lie. Maybe I am crazy." She laughed shakily. I ran my fingers over her face lightly and breathing quieted as her heart sped up.

"I've been feeling that every day since you were born." I saw it in her expression, the way her eyes became distant, that she was looking back.

"What happened to them?"

"Pardon?"

"What happened to the two vampires that brought me here? The ones that you said you'd…" She didn't finish her sentence, but the blood drained from her face. "You killed them?"

I smiled, amused, and her eyes widened in fear. Such an odd human. Mad that I would kill two vampires for her. Or perhaps scared that I could kill two vampires with no apprehension or trouble.

"No, dear. We'll just say they got more than a stern talking to." I winked at her. She remained serious however. I read her emotions carefully.

"I'm scared," Alexandra whispered a few seconds later. I wasn't sure if she was telling that to herself or me, however I immediately responded.

"I'll protect you."

Her expression was broken, torn between sorrow and confusion. "How can you protect me from yourself?"

There was a long pause between us I found hard to understand.

I had to get out of here before I lost control. I think I had managed to mumble an apology of some sort before I ran, knowing she would stay.

This girl… this woman… my imprint. She caused my distress.

And I took it out on nature, ravaging whatever I allowed my instincts to control. In fact, it seemed to be the only control I had anymore.

She hated me.

I was a monster. I could never compare. I could never be what she wanted.

She was scared of me.

The gentlest of touches could not soothe her. I was the predator, she the prey. Who was I change the way things were.

She loved me.

She wouldn't have to say it. It was a forced reaction set in long ago, shown only from her eyes. Perhaps one day she would break.

The haze from the bloodlust drained my sanity, instincts more prominent rather than emotions.

She was mine.

Yeah so I tried something new. I wasn't too fond of it. What'd you guys think?