Well gals and guys, i had posted a story called tender hell, so now i am basically rewriting it into something else. It's going to be very different from tender hell, anyways i hope ye like it, please review as continuing it will depend on it. : ) anyways later.

I felt a reoccurring pinch on my face. As consciousness returned i realized that that it wasn't a pinch it was more like a slap. When i could actually move my body my hand went up to push away the hand. I touched the hand and realized it was cold as ice. That brought me to my senses. I opened my eyes and saw that a man was leaning in on me. No not a man. A vampire. A very amused vampire. His blond curls were no longer flattened and darkened by the rain like they were when he caught me.

We were in a questioning room. One light hung from the ceiling, it flickered. And i bet it was all for my benefit. To induce fear. Like i needed anymore fear.

"Aw little fox, how good it is to see you've finally decided to grace me with your presence."

"Go to hell." I retorted before i had a chance to rein in my tongue. I slowly sat up and realized that my body hurt like hell. I was betting i had many bruises.

His hand came across my face before i had a chance to react. This time it hurt like hell and i didn't black out. Stars clouded my vision.

He grabbed my face in his hands, his face digging into the bruises he had already made. A gasp escaped my lips.

"You know love, for a very sneaky fox, sneaking into the manor was a very dumb thing to do. Now i have some questions. Play nice, then I'll be soft on you. Be a smart-ass and I'll not be so graceful. Your choice."

I didn't sneak into the manor by myself. The team was of five, and we managed to retrieve the information we were paid for. When we sneaked into the manor i was able to hack into the main system and copy Ulric's business dealings. I gave the disk to one of the men on the team. Everything was going well until we almost made it to our vehicle. We realized that Jen fell behind. I went back to get her and i found her. When we were coming back we almost got caught, well i got caught.

"First question,- Who hired you?"

"Screw you." I all but spat in his face. And he rewarded me by taking a hold of my index finger. His fingers softly caressed it, and as he did so my breath hiked and came out faster. I knew what he could do.

He took in my expression and smiled. Then a flash of white came across my eyes and an pain took my hand. A hoarse scream shattered across the room. It took me some time to realize that it was my scream. Tears had leaked down my eyes and i breathed through my mouth in attempt to control the pain. That barely worked. I look down at my hand and saw that he had dislocated my index finger.

"You have nine more fingers love, 19 if i could your toes. I will make you speak, i have broken soldiers twice your size, and i will break you if i have to." Then he smoothed his tone a bit as if talking to a child. "But this doesn't have to be hard. Answer my questions and i promise not hurt you. You are most charming and i think perhaps I'll like to keep you."

"Well get...started....we have...nineteen more." I said between breaths. My lips curled back and i snarled at him. I know, no need to act more animalistic than they make us, but you try having your finger dislocated and see how you feel.

He then took my next finger in his hand i tried moving away from him but obviously i was going nowhere.

The door to the room opened and my next finger was spared for the moment. A powerful man walked inside. Well not a man, a vampire. His steps were liquid grace and everything about him screamed predator and power. He was tall at least six-four and the muscles underneath his riding outfit were sculpted, lean and perfect. His hair was long and pale, almost white. His features were angular and sharp, the only softness came from his lips which were full and seemed somehow soft. Ulric, the master vampire himself.

His eyes fell on me with an intensity of a thousand suns yet the coldness of the coldest winter. He seemed to belong in another century, for the coldness to him said he could slaughter the whole human race and so much as blink afterwards. Yet despite it all he was beautiful, so devastatingly beautiful my heart felt like weeping.

When Ulric's eyes fell on me i felt the blood drawn from my face. Primal instinct in my head screamed to run as fast as i can, to run and never stop. My heart beat was fast and frantic. It felt as if any second now it was going to leave my chest.

He stepped into the room and i stepped back, until the wall was at my back.

"Boian," His voice was soft and powerful as thunder.

Boian, the bastard who dislocated my finger got on his knees, his head bowed. I felt the urgency to do the same but my knees were locked in place. And a flicker of my pride commanded me not to do so no matter how scary the vampire was.

"You've captured a thief and fail to notify me," His soft tone failed to hide the threat behind the words.

"I didn't want to bother you." If i didn't know any better I'd say dear Boian was defying Mr. all powerful and scary. Damn my finger hurts like hell, who knew one finger can cause such pain.

"This human" Ulric looked at me again and i could have sworn a tiny smile played on his lips and eyes. "She'll not speak. I've seen her kind before, proud and hardheaded." He said his voice low and detached.

"I can make her talk, sir."

"By the end of the night?...I do not believe so. I have a hunt to attend to Boian and i don't intend to miss it for information i already know."

Boian stood and left but not before i saw a flash of insolence in his statuesque face. Apparently Mr. powerful saw it too.

"I walked the hell's and slaughter your people when you were but a dream in your great grandaddy's mind. " His voice was low, almost a whisper but the threat in those words were unmistakable. With that Boian closed the door behind him.

When Boian left i was the only living thing left in the room. Somewhat, seeing as Boian is a vampire. The vampire locked his powerful gaze on me. He dissected me with his gaze, measuring me, calculating...he looked like a lion waiting to pounce on a gazelle. And guess who the gazelle was. Yup me.

"What do they call you?"

"Huh?" I said smartly. But hey the pain was getting the better of me.

"Your...name?" He spoke as if English was not his native tone. There was no accent but the way he spoke it almost made him sound alien.

"Ava."

He tried walking closer. And i move out of his reach. When he attempted it again, i did the same.

"You do realize that i can cross the distance between us before you blink twice, i am just...humoring you."

"Yes by all means, humor me, that's what i need right now because the pain is not enough." I helpfully added in.

With that he ended his 'humoring' and crossed the distance between us in a blink of an eye. He was overwhelming at a distance but close to me he invaded all my space. There was not enough room for him. I flatted myself against the wall, willing to become invisible, but of course no such luck.

He looked at my finger. Before i realized what he was doing he closed the very little distance between us and flatten his body against mine. I realized that even though he looks like winter his touch was cool and pleasant instead of just cold. And despite the pain in my hand his closeness sent tingles down my spine.

He pinned my body with his and then He grabbed my left hand and straightened my index finger. For the second time today in less than an hour a hoarse cry escaped my lips. White flashed my eyes and for a few seconds the pain was twice as strong as it was when it was broken, then it lessen a bit, becoming somewhat bearable.

My knees went weak and if it wasn't for his body holding me in place i think i would have fallen. My head fell to his chest. He smelled of the woods, of home and safety, and for a second i felt safe in his arms. Then i remembered what he was and i pushed him away. Not that i could actually push him away but he let me go and stepped away from me.

I managed to stand on my own. When my breathing regulated again and i was able to speak i did so.

"Don't touch me."

"Would you rather your finger at an unnatural angle?"He seemed genuely curious but also amused.

"You should at least have told me what you were going to do." I manage to scowl at him. And let me tell you that ain't easy with a guy as intimidating as he is.

"Would that have made it any easier?" A smile played on his lips.

I ignored his questions. "I am not going to tell you where the others are?"

"I have no interest in finding a handful of humans, when i know who sent them to begin with."

"Then what are you going to do with me?"

His lips formed a smile that managed to be cruel and beautiful at once.

"I haven't hunted a two feet prey in so long." The air left my lungs."There's a hunt tonight, following old tradition. I think you'll make a fine twist to my hunt."

"Hell no."

"Listen first Ava." With a grand effort i ground my teeth and kept quite, even though i wanted to tell him where to stuff his idea. "The hunt will be held in the woods surrounding my manor. The woods is quite large covering many acres of land. Now hunters will be on horse and you love, will be on foot. Well have bows and arrows. You will be given a five minute head start. If i manage to catch you, you belong to me, if you escape me your free. The hunt will run for two hours after midnight. Two hours you'll run from me."

"What about the other hunters?"

"They'll be a total of five myself included. They catch you, your still mine."

"And if i refuse?"

"Then your mine anyways." He shrugged a little, and the gesture seemed strange on him. "I am giving you a chance of evading me...Boian calls you a fox, but can you use your...skills to avoid captivity?"

When i didn't say anything he asked another question.

"What says you?" I simply nodded. Let the hunt begin.

To be continued, perhaps : )...... R&R please