Author's Notice: My writing has been stolen twice by someone who tried to pass it off as their own. If you recognize my writing anywhere please contact me immediately.

A WARNING TO ALL REEDUS WRITERS: In light of posting a very angry author's note to the story that the content was stolen from. I have been informed by a fellow writer that many other writers in the Reedus fandom have had their work stolen recently.

This person will most likely make a new blog, steal more writing, and submit it as their own to another innocent fic blog. Look out for writing you recognize and if possible inform the rightful owner.

She made her way lethargically through the ever winding stone passageways towards the council chamber. Today's order of business, another familiar to be judged worthy or not. Yet another idiotic human desperate to be a minion.

What she wouldn't give to be human, to feel the sun on her flesh for more than a blistering moment before yet another attempt at release from this cold existence was thwarted. She smiled at the thought of trying again, it had been nearly seven decades since her last suicide attempt. She could have always just staked herself, swallowed some silver. But the sun held a special end for her, a warm way to go in her mother's footsteps.

The guard on her had grown lax in her facade of defeat. Her father allowed her access to the human world above to gather the things that kept her at a semblance of happy. It would be so easy to slip away just before dawn, climb to the highest rooftop she could find and wait for burning peace to engulf her with the light.

As she neared her destination she decided it was time to try again. This time she would be more careful, leave no trail for the trackers to follow, no indication that she wasn't locked away in her sanctuary as usual.

Her expression hardened over into the usual indifferent mask she wore outside her chamber as she entered, taking the seat to her father's right, her mother's rightful throne. The day her mother went to the sun, she became Queen. She had no interest in ruling by her father's side. Her younger sister Nyssa was being groomed for the position in the wake of her refusal. She was present merely for appearances sake.

"Eve." her father greeted, with a slight bow of his head.

"Father." she replied, bowing hers in cold tradition.

"I am told this one is an ally of the daywalker, seeking to become a familiar in light of our inevitable victory." Eli told her, attempting to bait his eldest offspring into conversation.

"It will surly be an asset father." she replied mechanically, wondering internally why he would allow such a candidate.

The human could very well be spying for the daywalker, a double agent. How she envied Blade, and pitied him. One able to walk in sunlight but never be free of their cursed hunger.

The arrival of her younger brother tore her thoughts from the daywalker. She shivered internally as his gaze landed on her from his seat amongst the other council members. Judas was vicious and blood thirsty, hardly adequate material for the future ruler of their kind, much better suited for his current place as a warrior.

She dreaded the day her father would step down and hand him the throne, Nyssa at his side. It was supposed to her keeping control of Judas when the time came. But with her 'condition' she was relieved of her duties as the future Queen much to Nyssa's pleasure and Judas' distain. He kept it no secret that he preferred his elder sister over the younger to be his mate.

Eve's mind wandered to her own cowardice, what an utter disappointment and failure she was to her species and father. It was a wonder why he insisted she live, if you call their existence living. She knew he refused to let her go because of her resemblance to her mother, unique, the sole female product of their union. Judas was her only full blood sibling, Nyssa an illegitimate secret.

The announcement of the potential's arrival gained her attention, the doors parting slowly to reveal a human male.

Scud paced the small waiting room nervously, an audience with the Damaskinos, the ruling family of the vampire race awaited him. If he fucked this up he was so dinner.

"Shit what do I call him, sir, your highness, majesty?" he muttered to himself, wishing he'd lit up before coming to calm his nerves.

He felt like shit betraying B but there was no denying that eventually Blade would lose the war and vampires would inherit the earth. He figured it was better to be a pet than cattle.

"Such a fucking coward." he sighed to himself, hanging his head in shame.

He jumped a little when the double doors began to open, signaling for him to enter. The entire medieval compound creeped him out.

Eve watched the human enter, taking in his messy appearance, shaggy hair, and shuffled walk. His mismatched modern clothing were a far cry from the ridiculous ancient aristocratic garb she was forced to wear to such meetings. Just looking at him made her itch to be back in her room.

He didn't look up until spoken to, a sign he'd studied their customs. As her father spoke to him she was focused on the human's shockingly beautiful blue eyes, they had her hypnotized, drawing her in.

He wasn't like most others that came seeking to assist them, not pathetic and begging but still humble and respectful. He was young and full of life. A spark coming about him when he began describing the weapons he had developed for the daywalker, excited, proud. He talked with slang and present day terms, so different from those who shared her reluctant home. He intrigued her.

Judas watched as his sister examined the meager human from her pedestal, not keeping to her typical routine of staring off at a bare point on the wall during an examination. She was engaged, not her usual detached self. She wanted him.

A cruel smile spread over his face as he began to count the ways he would make this human man suffer to spite his sister.

"I believe you may be of use to us." Eli concluded, having gained much valuable information from him.

"But who shall step forward to be this creature's master?" he asked the congregation.

When Judas stood from his seat in answer a feeling of dread washed over Eve. Her brother would do unspeakable things to him, treat him as a playtoy.

As she rose gracefully from her place beside her father all eyes turned to her. The customary silence of the chamber was broken as all began to whisper in shock. The Queen had never spoken during any meeting, let alone an examination.

"I will." she announced firmly, staring down her brother for dominance.

Scud's eyes flickered to the girl who stood beside the King. All through his questioning he'd fought to keep his eyes from moving to the raven haired beauty, knowing it could cost him his life to look upon her without permission.

Eli was just as surprised as the others. Making no move to silence them he stood beside her, ignoring his son's outburst of rage at being opposed. She automatically outranked Judas in the right to claim a familiar but that could be overruled by Eli if he saw fit.

"My dear I am elated you are finally partaking in our customs. But why I must ask, do you choose this human after so many others have passed before you?" he questioned quietly, waving his clawed hand in the man's direction.

"He is too important to be thrown to Judas's whims and brutality father." she answered, glancing to her irate brother. "He is the first real advantage we have gained over the daywalker in years. With no one else to oppose Judas the human will be wasted."

Her father nodded at her proudly before facing the congregation.

"The Queen shall have her first pet, we will celebrate with a feast!" he announced, rising his arms with finality.

Eve bowed her head at her father in goodbye. Walking to her new charge in the middle of the chamber floor she decided to have a little fun with him.

"Come my pet." she ordered in a overtly ghoulish voice, crooking her finger at him in an eerie fashion.

Scud obeyed, following close behind her as the bloodsuckers converged to congratulate her and get a closer look at him.

"I thank you all graciously for your felicitations, please excuse me I must get him marked." she exclaimed over the din of questions, complements, and well wishes.

One stony pale face had not moved from its place, glaring at them with unbridled hatred. Turning from her brother's gaze she began walking and the crowd parted, making a path for her and her new slave.

Scud thought he heard her muttering something along the lines of "ass kissers" under her breath as he followed her through a maze of corridors and chambers.

Finally they approached a large steel door at the end of a stretching hallway, out of place in comparison to the rest of the wooden ones they'd passed on the journey there. Removing a leather glove she placed her hand in a hole that appeared when she drew near and the door began to slide into the wall.

"Accept additional vocal key." she ordered at a panel beside the hole.

"Say 'open'." she demanded, pushing him toward a speaker that replaced the hole.

"Open." he called out, unsure of what she was doing.

His voice played back at them before a mechanical voice announced that a new key was accepted.

"You'll be able to get in without getting stabbed in the hand every time now." she explained when he glanced at her questioningly.

Scud followed her inside, expecting a dungeon filled with torture devices, coffins, and people wailing out in agony as they were drained of blood.

He found walls adorned with band and movie posters instead of whips and chains. South Park boomed from a flat screen suspended in front of a large four poster bed instead of wails of pain and a crush velvet lined box.

"Make yourself at home." she yelled from in front of her California style closets. Scud tried but failed to avert his eyes as she stripped in front of him without concern. "I don't understand why we need to dress like S&M rejects." she murmured, struggling to unlace her corset.

"Little help?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Uhh, y-yeah sure." he stammered, making his way over to where she stood, bottom half naked, arms outstretched clutching a bed post.

"This is one of my favorite episodes, Cartman feeds this kid's parents to him in a bowl of chili." she commented through her laughter while he fumbled to free her from the laces and tried not to stare at her pale perfect ass.

Once she was free of the offending garment she tossed it aside, turning to face him.

"Thanks." she offered, holding back a laugh at his eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets at the sight of her fully nude in front of him.

He watched as she turned away to fish out a Van Halen t-shirt and a pair of black boy short panties from the closet. Scud cleared his throat.

"Permission to speak mistress?" he asked, eyes on the ground as per custom.

She let out a long sigh, causing him to expect some kind of pain for his speaking.

"First of all don't call me mistress or master or any of that other oppressive bullshit. My name is Eve." she told him, moving her hands to release her hair from its iron clad bun, shaking her strands out.

"Second, you can talk however you want, whenever you want. If you don't like something say so, if you want something tell me, don't ask. And third, don't look down, I want to see those pretty blue eyes when you talk to me." she instructed him, grinning at his slight blush in reaction to her complement.

"I'm not exactly normal if you haven't noticed, considered a weirdo by my society's standards." she added at his perplexed look.

"Yeah all that studying I did kinda just went down the shitter." he admitted, bringing his thumb up to chew on.

"Not necessarily." she corrected him, moving to hop on the bed, patting the space beside her. Scud walked around to the other side, climbing on and resting his back against the headboard.

Keeping his weary eyes on her he watched as she became the best 'mistress' ever and pulled a large jar of weed from the cabinet beside her bed along with rolling papers.

"You'll have to adhere to the ways of my kind out there." she told him, with a jerk or her chin towards the door.

"But in here, and in the world outside this compound you're free to be yourself." she explained softly, offering him an expertly rolled joint. When he didn't take it she scoffed. "Come on don't lie, I can smell the THC seeping from your pores."

When he reached for it she pulled it just out of reach.

"What's your name?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Given name? Joshua Frohmeyer, but my friends call me Scud." he divulged, taking the joint she handed over in exchange for his answer.

"Scud, I'm over five thousand years old and I've never had a friend before." she confessed, looking up at him through her lashes before handing him a lighter and beginning to roll several more.

"That's sad..I'm sorry." he apologized before lighting it and taking a long hit.

His brows shot up in pleasant surprise, it was good shit, really good.

"Why don't you have any?" he asked around a breath of held in smoke.

Bringing a filled paper up to lick she gave him a flat sarcastic look that plainly said 'really?' before her mouth was free.

"Look around you. I could never be me around any of them." she stated with a sweep of her hand before lighting up her own. "That's why my place is so far off from the rest, Eli can't have people finding out about me."

"Looks like paradise to me." he murmured, looking at her and not the room around them.

She smiled shyly, not used to male attention aside from the negative kind her brother supplied.

"Yeah? Get used to it." she asserted before lighting her first joint and inhaling slowly, making Scud's jaw drop as she burnt it right down to a roach in one hit. She held it in for a full two minutes, just staring at him, studying his features, posture, breathing pattern. Letting out a thick cloud of smoke she continued. "Because I can't have you staying in the familiar housing, it's not safe."

"Why?" he asked, taking another inhale and feeling more than a little like an amateur.

"Remember the guy who stood first to claim you?" she recalled, continuing at his nod. "That was my brother Judas. He would hurt or kill you too easily if you stayed in the slave quarters."

Scud let out an alarmed cough along with his lung full of smoke.

"Why the hell would he want to kill me, besides the obvious food thing?" he wheezed out.

"He probably caught me looking at you." she answered honestly, lighting up her second and throwing another his way. After repeating her amazing feat she realized how that explanation might be lost on him. "Since I abdicated my continued right to the throne when my father steps down I got out of having to be his mate, he's pretty pissed about it. I guess he's jealous because I was staring at you. Which isn't normal for me, usually I'm zoned out at meetings."

"Why were you staring?" he asked coyly, hurrying to catch up with her and light his second.

She looked up at him from where she'd slouched down into the mattress.

"Why not?" she countered, reaching out to touch his face, trace along his jaw line, down to the pulse in his neck, savoring his warmth against her own icy temperature. She'd never touched a human before.

"I have to take you to get marked." she reluctantly informed him, taking her hand from his flesh, restraining herself. "The question is, where to put it so the daywalker can't see it."

"Why not just skip over that?" he asked, a little disappointed when her touch left him.

He was surprised to find her chilly caress not as unpleasant as he would have thought.

"Because if you're left unmarked anyone can take you, eat you. Bearing my mark you'll have protection, superiority over all other familiars except my father's. And exemption from obeying any other vampire besides myself and my father, even Judas." she smiled at that prospect.

"So I'm like pet royalty?" he asked, amused at the idea.

"Exactly." she laughed, moving to slip a simple ceremonial robe over her body, tying it before slipping into some flats.

"Ready?" she asked, turning to him. She very much liked the image of him in her bed, sexual relations with ones familiars wasn't uncommon.

Before she opened the door she turned to him. "Remember, eyes down and three-"

"Paces behind you." he cut in, proving he'd done his homework.

She hesitated a moment, turning back to him.

"If we come across Judas fuck the three paces, get right behind me." she instructed, sure her brother would be skulking around the marker's room.

"He may be larger in appearance but I'm much stronger, faster, and older." she reassured him.

Scud nodded in understanding.

"Good to hear cuz, I'm a lover not a fighter." he told her with a lopsided grin.

"Where m' I getting this?" he asked with a sweep of his hand towards his body.

"Shit I forgot about that part." She scowled as she stood back, looking him over.

"Well short of humiliating you and getting it on your ass-cheek I'd say this would be the perfect place." she decided, approaching him to lightly pull down his bottom lip. Secretly wanting to suck it into her mouth.

"Fuck that's gonna hurt." he muttered, self-consciously rubbing a finger along his bottom lip once she let go.

"I'll be there the whole time." she offered, not having much else to help the pain during the act.

Eve turned back to the door reluctantly, letting out a long huff of breath.

"You really hate goin' out there don't you?" came a question from behind her.

"You have no idea." she replied, striding through the door when it slid open.

Scud was more than a little weirded out when people in the halls bowed to her, even more so when other familiars did the same to him.

Sure enough there was a hulking figure stationed next to the door, waiting. Eve ignored his gaze, guiding Scud with a firm hand into the room, keeping her body in between him and her brother.

"Don't you have something to go kill you insufferable brute." she hissed as they passed.

"I currently have it within my sights." he growled, looking at Scud behind her in a predatory fashion.

"Are you just that ignorant or looking to get your ass kicked?" she snarled, advancing on him. "He's invaluable to our father's cause."

Judas disregarded her, looking past her to growl at the man behind her with a sadistic smirk. "I'll surely be seeing you tonight."

"Search the quarters all you like you won't find him. He stays with me, in my chamber. In my bed." she added with a smirk of her own before turning away to usher her pet over to the chair.

Scud couldn't help the little smile that stretched his lips at that last part, something to infuriate her brother further.

The marker had been watching the scene unfold from his peripheral vision as not to get caught nosing into royal affairs. News of the queen's first familiar had spread like wild fire through the nest, all anyone was talking about. It was an honor to be marking her choice.

While the marker retreated into the vault to retrieve her insignia she knelt next to Scud so to easier talk to him privately, well aware Judas was still watching from the doorway.

"Luckily my mark was the third to ever be created so it's fairly simple in detail, it'll be over quick." she reassured him, squeezing his shoulder.

Once everything was in place and an assistant was called to hold his lip the markist fired up the tattoo gun. It wasn't Scud's first tattoo by far but it was the most painful.

Without thinking he grabbed for Eve's hand while the needle dug into his sensitive flesh, an offense worthy of cutting his limb off. If it were an offense to her. Familiars were never supposed to touch their master without consent. Her eyes flickered over to Judas who was grinning at her pet's blunder, sure the human wretch would be punished.

Eve smiled at him, amused at how little he knew her. Keeping her eyes on her brother's she brought the hand clutching hers up to her mouth for a kiss before looking down at Scud. She had to contain a smirk at the quiet grow that emitted from the doorway at her intimate action.

"Just a moment, I'd like something as well." she commanded once he was finished, much to everyone's surprise.

"Of course your highness, what do you wish?" the marker asked, motioning for her to take Scud's place in the chair.

She sat, not letting go of the hand wrapped around hers.

"An S in royal script, here." she told him, using her free hand to pull her lip down before looking up into the crystal gaze trained on her.

"As you wish majesty." he replied, the significance of just where she wanted it not lost on him, her brother, or the assistant moving to pull her lip into place.

It was scandalous to say the least.

As the buzzing started she squeezed his hand, careful not to get too carried away and literally break his bones. There was only a minute of pain before it was done and a mirror was held in front of her face for her inspection.

"It looks lovely, I'll be sure to tell everyone of your excellent workmanship. How much do I owe you?" she asked the maker, rising from the chair to pull a bag from within her robe.

"Free of charge for her majesty, your word of praise is payment enough." he replied, elated at her compliment.

"Come Ssscud, we must find you proper clothing for the feast in our honor this evening." she announced loudly on their way past Judas.

"Did you see his face? It was priceless!" she burst out in laughter once they made it around a corner .

Scud looked at her seriously, trying not to move his lips as he spoke. "Kinda hurts to talk."

"Shit I forgot because I'm already healed, sorry!" she whispered excitedly. Pulling back her sleeve she bit into her wrist, opening a vein for him to drink from.

"Here, hurry before it closes, my blood will heal you and take the pain away." she told him, offering it to him. Scud looked at her uncertainly before accepting it.

When his mouth latched onto her she couldn't suppress the moan that left her lips and traveled the length of the empty corridor. Once fresh blood stopped flowing he licked the perfect skin surrounded by his mouth clean before capturing her bloodstained lips, taking her by surprise. Her gasp allowed his tongue entrance, his hand snaking around to cup the back of her head. After he cautiously caressed her elongated canines he moved to do the same to her tongue, coaxing it out of her mouth and into his own. Her movements were clumsy and slow, sloppy. Her obvious inexperience turning him on.

Eve pulled away breathlessly, looking around to make sure they weren't seen, a small embarrassed smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, I've never..done that before." her eyes golden eyes flickered down quickly. "Did I do alright?" she asked, looking up through her lashes.

Scud let out laugh. "Much better than alright."

Stopping at the compound tailor she selected a fine black button down silk shirt for him along with a pair of slacks and dress shoes. Hardly the standard familiar garb but the way she saw it he was hardly the standard familiar. Once on their way it felt like more and more weight was lifted off her shoulders the closer they got to her room.

"Try it." she told him, pointing at the door.

"Open." he commanded, smiling at her when it slid to the side, revealing their oasis.

Once she discarded the robe they adjourned to the bed, her throwing the remote his way along with another joint. She put on a show and smoked three in a row continuously as Scud watched in awe.

"Where have you been all my life?" he wondered aloud, looking a little love-struck at her vampire lungs.

"Right here." she laughed, exhaling smoke with her words. "You know you really fucked up my plans showing up today like you did."

"What'd you have in mind?" he asked, looking over from channel surfing.

"Killing myself." she replied nonchalantly, lighting up her fourth and puffing on it slowly to savor the experience.

Scud's bloodshot eyes flickered to her face, concern etched into his features.

"Well in that case I'm glad I fucked them up." he admitted, leaning across the bed to peck her lips playfully.

"There's something I always wanted to try." she giggled, putting the joint's hot end inside her mouth. She leaned into him, centimeters from his face as she blew, sending a thick stream of white smoke into his open mouth until he could take no more and began to choke.

"Holy shit you blow a killer shottie." he choked out, coughing until tears formed in his eyes. "How'd you learn to do that?" he asked once he could breathe again.

"Youtube." she answered, waving over at the computer situated next to her bookcase filled with movies.

"Fuck I'm starving!" she exclaimed, looking over at Scud when he visibly stiffened next to her. "Oh, no no no no!" she hurriedly backtracked, putting her hands up in a peaceful gesture.

"I can't eat from humans, it makes me nauseous. I have to be fed from an IV." she admitted shamefully, pointing at the stand in the corner.

"No shit?" he whispered in surprise, relaxing as he looked over to the IV stand.

"I was talking about pizza anyways." she muttered, looking over to her digital bedside clock. "And a burger. And ice cream. And doughnuts. And pickles."

Scud looked at her like she'd grown a third fang. "What?"

"I like the taste of human food." she confessed, yanking on pants and grabbing a brown leather bomber jacket from the closet along with her keys and wallet.

"I can't digest it so I have to yak it up or else it just rots inside me but I'm kind of addicted so I do it anyways. That's why I have a fridge, stove yadda yadda yadda, and why you'll find a toilet in there." she explained, pointing towards a door next to the kitchen area while slipping on shoes.

Scud took it all in stride. No wonder why her father had her hidden away back there. Weird didn't even begin to cover her.

"Aren't we going to be cutting it a little close?" he worried, following her to a door on the other side of the room from the one they'd entered through.

"Yeah but I like cutting it close, keeps me crispy." she joked, leading him out the door and up a flight of steps that led to a small parking lot.

Scud had a mini spaz attack at the sight of her car. "Is that a mother fucking Rolls Royce Phantom?"

Eve let out a round of laughter as he circled the car, practically pulling his hair out.

"It's a 29 and it used to be Al Capone's." she replied, only to be treated to another comical outburst from him.

"Wanna drive?" she asked before tossing him the keys when he nodded vigorously and extended aggressive 'gimmie' hands.

"Large pizza with the works, hold the garlic." she ordered into her phone, hanging up to call the burger place next while directing Scud towards the grocery store.

A shopping cart full of munchies later they were racing to pick up their order of burgers and fries. Half way back from picking up the pizza the sun started to rise.

"Don't speed, I'll be fine." she advised, waiting until she started to sizzle a bit before snatching the thick wool fire retardant blanket from the back seat.

"You have no idea how much I fucking hate this." came an annoyed, muffled, exclamation from the bundle bedside him.

Scud had never felt sorry for a vampire before but now, glancing down at the girl swaddled in smoking wool he felt a pang of sorrow jolt through him.

"How are you supposed to get inside?" he asked, putting the car in park and cutting the engine.

"Just open the door and get out of the way." she grumbled from her smoldering cocoon.

Scud ran around to open the passenger door and stood behind it, keeping well away from the open space. A blur of smoking brown barely caught his eye before she was calling from the shadowed stairwell for him to grab the food. He looked down at the empty blanket on the seat in shock.

"How'd you do that?" he inquired from behind the mountain of food in his arms as he approached the door she was holding open.

"The older we are the more shit we can do." she replied, trying to hide her burn blistered face as he passed her to retrieve the rest.

"Holy shit are you okay?" he gasped, moving to hold her face in his hands.

She backed out of his reach with a sad smile that made her scalded lips crack and bleed. "I'll be healed by the time you get back. Besides, I like the burn. It's the only time I feel warm."

Scud threw her a sad half smile of his own before bounding up the stairs two at a time. She followed, stopping just short of the line of sunlight cutting off the top step. She thrust her hand out, enjoying the second of comfortable warmth before the searing pain began.

"Eve what the fuck!" Scud yelled when he came back, arms loaded with bags to find her with her hand practically catching fire.

She retreated back into the shade, shaking the flame off.

"I don't want the ice cream to melt. Gimmie the bags." she suggested, offering up a lame excuse for her self harm. She'd spent entire, what her kind called evenings but were really mornings, sitting on those steps catching herself on fire.

Scud threw her a dirty look, unloading the bags into her arms before turning around to grab the last of them. He found her inside, keeping busy stocking the cupboards and fridge with their goodies.

"Why do you wanna die?" he called out from the kitchen table where he began munching on a piece of pizza.

"When you've been alive as long as I have and hate what you are, you run out of reasons to keep on living quite quickly." she growled out, frustrated at trying to cram a carton of ice cream in her already packed freezer.

"What do you care anyways?" she questioned, moving to pick up the fangs strung around his neck. "I'm just another leech to you." she continued, letting his trophies drop back to his chest.

"What if I found myself likin' a leech? One that was different from the rest, a weirdo. And what if you had a reason to keep on living?" he inquired, sliding the pizza box her way.

"Even if I don't want one I have a reason now." she replied, pointedly looking at him. "But that doesn't mean I can't do a little sun tanning every now and then." she added, selecting a slice loaded with meat and vegetables.

Scud watched in fascination as she popped the pointed end in her mouth and bit it off like it was the most natural thing in the world, chewing slowly to taste all the flavors.

"What?" she mumbled around her mouthful before swallowing.

"Sorry it's just not every day you see a vamp gobbling down pizza." he explained with a laugh, pausing to take in her rapidly reddening face, a wisp of smoke coming from her mouth. "Are you okay?"

She waved him off, bloody tears pooling in her eyes.

"Fucking garlic salt." she wheezed out, taking another bite and enduring.

Scud's brow furrowed in disapproval.

"You're one hell of a masochist, you know that?" he stated before taking another bite of his own.

She shrugged, taking another scalding bite. "It's kind of like a human eating a habanero pepper. Only it burns all the way down."

Eve switched to her burger and fries after finishing off the torture triangle, eyes darting to the clock and then the IV in the corner. A sigh slipping out.

"I need to feed before the banquet. There will be a lot of blood present and I can't be passing out in front of the whole coven." she clarified as she snatched a blood bag from a bottom drawer in the fridge.

Striding to the stand she slid the needle into her arm facing away from him, taping it down before hanging the bag and wheeling her contraption over to the table.

"You've got virgin fangs." he joked, glancing at the blood bag dangling from above while she swiped her fries through some ketchup and popped them in her mouth.

"Virgin everything." she gloomily replied before swallowing.

Scud's eyebrows disappeared into his shaggy fringe, he should have guessed as much from her admission about kissing earlier.

"I can hear the blood rushing to your dick." she teased before lunging on her loaded burger.

Scud choked on his mouthful, turning red from embarrassment.

"Um.." There was really no excuse or explanation he could give. "You're beautiful, can you blame me?" he offered softly, giving up with a shrug of his shoulders.

She looked up at him, face covered in mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup, onion hanging from the corner of her mouth.

"Really?" she muffled out through a full mouth, sending bits of hamburger spraying onto the table unattractively.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the adorable spectacle she presented.

"Yeah." he snickered, reaching out to wipe some ketchup off her face and suck it off his finger.

She stuffed the rest of the burger in her mouth, cheeks bulging out like a chipmunk.

"Still?" she asked, more food coming out with her question.

He almost fell out of his chair when he looked up at her from laughing so hard.

"Yes, very sexy." he told her when he recovered, still shaking with laughter.

She spit the ball back into the wrapper and set to cleaning up, putting away uneaten food, all the while with the IV tailing her. Moving to the computer she tapped away on the keyboard before Gun's N' Roses 'Knockin On Heavens Door' filled the room through speakers mounted throughout the room. She cranked up the volume before heading into the bathroom so he couldn't hear her do her nasty business.

Scud had browsed through her movie, book, and music collection before she returned twenty minutes later. IV gone, her ebony hair curled into ringlets and piled high on her head.

"Get dressed we have to leave shortly." she shouted his way over the music.

He could see her shifting back into queen mode, not just outside as she shed her band tee and slipped into a black satin strapless gown, but on the inside as well. She was visibly hardening. Readying for battle.

When he'd shed his last shirt layer a gasp made Scud look up, she was staring at the scars patterned across his stomach and chest.

"First vampire encounter." he grunted, opting to leave out the threesome detail.

He averted his eyes from her apologetic expression and slipped into his shirt, surprised when she came forward to button it for him.

"The monster who gave you those, are its fangs hanging from your neck?" she asked as her hands grew closer to said necklace, leaving the last few buttons open to show it and a bare expanse of his chest off.

He nodded in conformation, looking down into her face.

"Good." she whispered, letting her hand linger on his skin for a moment before turning away to slip on a pair of black sateen elbow length gloves.

While her back was turned and she was busy jamming her ridiculous crown into her hair he busied himself with changing his pants and slipping into his new shoes. Scud looked up from tying them to find her still not facing him, clasp to a cascading ruby choker dangling open along her bare back.

"Would you?" she requested with her face turned to the side.

He approached her, eyes trailing down the ivory expanse of skin the plunging back revealed. It was the corset all over again, he couldn't make his fingers work properly. All he could focus on was the heaving valley of cleavage he was treated to over her shoulder.

"Concentrate, I can hear that blood rushing again." she chided with a hidden smirk.

Finally on the fourth attempt he accomplished his task and the jewels hugged her milky neck tightly, the extra gems trailing down the back of her nape in a single line.

Eve turned to thank him but her gratitude died on her lips, profanity taking its place instead.

"Unholy fuck, you look hot." she rasped out, stepping back to look him up and down.

He appeared more rugged, darker, and dangerous with his sapphires burning from behind the strands falling in his eyes. A few shades paler and he could have passed for one of them. The coal black material clung to his frame in all the right places. Accentuating broad shoulders and defined biceps along with a slim waist, completing his figure into a perfect V that his baggy clothing had hidden.

If she had a pulse her heart would have been racing. Eve unconsciously sank a fang into her bottom lip while admiring him.

Scud leaned forward to catch the crimson droplet that welled up on her already red stained lip, swiping his tongue along it to lap up her blood.

"Are you sure you aren't a leech?" She murmured against his lips. "Because you seem to enjoy my blood an awful lot." she teased, running her own tongue along to imitate his before pulling away.

"I've been thinking and I want to try something different." she hesitantly told him while she slipped into her matching heels. "I want you to walk beside me but slightly half a step back, keeping your hand wrapped around my inner elbow."

He got into position uncertain about breaking caste protocol in front of all of the bloodsuckers that would be present tonight.

"A little closer." she instructed, tugging him forward by the hand wrapped around her arm.

"Presenting you this way hints that you're my mate rather than my minion, my consort. Putting you in a higher position." she clarified, leading him towards the door.

"Besides, the train on this dress makes walking three steps behind me impossible." she added with a bit of dry humor.

She paused reluctantly as usual, looking to him at her side before the door slid open and they left the comfort of her room behind.

"My mother once had a familiar." she whispered as they made their way down her hallway. "She fell in love with him and when my father found out he tortured her pet, made her watch while he healed the wounds and repeated the horrible process over and over until he just died from the pain."

Eve swallowed down a lump of sadness and continued on with her story. "When my father ordered his body be dumped out along with the garbage my mother ran out after it, into the sunlight to be with him. I watched her burn and I tried to join her, the first of many attempts."

Scud stopped her strides, pulling her in for a tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry." he whispered, kissing her forehead before she moved to press it against his neck.

"You have no idea how precious you are to me Scud, in so many ways. You've given me more happiness in a mere few hours than I've felt in many a millennia." she confessed, allowing herself a moment to savor his warmth.

He only laid his head on top of hers, stroking her back, at a loss for what to say.

"With the way you're treating me and presenting me don't you think he'll want to do the same to me?" he asked, voicing the fear that had risen in him from her story.

She pulled back, outraged at the very thought.

"He wouldn't dare." she hissed, taking his hand.

"I'm all of her he has left, he's afraid to do any little thing to upset me for fear I'll actually succeed at killing myself. That's why I'm so spoiled." she added with a little smile.

Offering her arm to him they continued on, falling silent when they began to make their way through populated corridors.

Upon their entering the banquet hall all eyes turned on them. A clear path parted to the royal table where her father was seated, Judas to his left, Nyssa to his. She felt Scud clutch her arm a little tighter, heard his breathing increase and heart rate accelerate. As they made their way towards the table whispers and murmurs erupted at their intimate stance.

"The rumors of the Queen bearing a slave's mark must be true!"

"Isn't he handsome for a human?"

"Scandalous!"

"She must be as insane as everyone says."

"Disgraceful."

"Isn't she supposed to be Prince Judas' mate?"

"He's not dressed as a pet, look at their matching clothing!"

"She looks stunning."

"Perhaps she plans to turn him."

"Look at the hold he has on her arm!"

"Outrageous!"

Her brother was busy trying to whisper his poison in her father's ear, the King's unwavering gaze not leaving the couple as they approached. Reaching the steps leading the raised platform the table sat on Eve bowed her head slightly. Scud bowing into a much deeper pose, never releasing his hold on her.

Eli inclined his head back at his daughter, impatient to hear her explanation for these antics. Eve approached her seat, Scud following close next to her. She paused, motioning for a servant.

"Bring another chair and place it here next to mine." she commanded, remaining standing until one was produced, only then did she sit and motion for him to do the same.

The chorus of gossip grew ever louder at her actions. Familiars were to stand behind their masters, never sit. Let alone beside them. Never mind humans hanging from the ceiling in chains with their limbs severed, but should a pet be treated with care and respect they all lose their minds.

"What is this my child?" Eli rasped, leaning close to speak with his favorite offspring.

"This is my mate father. Scud." she told him, placing her hand on Scud's shoulder.

Eli's eyes flickered from the human to his daughter, taking note of the fire in her eyes, something he had not seen in her since her mother's death.

"You left my presence today with a pet and now you return to me tonight declaring it your mate?" he snapped, enraged that a simple human could bring back so much of his daughter.

At the same time he was begrudgingly grateful towards the pitiful creature.

"Count it a blessing I returned to you at all this night, I planned to meet the sun and join my mother this evening." she growled lowly, playing on his weakness. "Do you care to repeat tragic history as the human race does or do you wish to see me enjoying my existence with this man?"

"After our goal is completed and the daywalker is in our custody you must turn him, I can not condone a human mate." he tersely ordered after a moments silence to think it over.

"Of course father." she replied with a victorious smile shot her brother's way.

"I must confess I intend on accompanying Scud when he returns to the daywalker tomorrow under the guise of a brat rebelling against her father." she informed him.

"That won't be hard to pull off." she heard Scud whisper under his breath, earning him a light smack to the arm.

Her father roared with laughter having heard Scud's comment, reaching across her to shake his shoulder and leave her scowling at the both of them.

"Yes, very good. You shall keep watch until such time as Nyssa and Asad infiltrate the lair of the daywalker to deliver the peace treaty with the information your mate has given us on his security system." he affirmed once his laughter subsided.

As the hour stretched on many approached the table to congratulate her and sniff for answers as to what the man to her right actually was to her. It seemed to many that the celebration of her first familiar had turned into a wedding reception of sorts. Either way once the visitors turned to a fresh group of humans being hurdled in like lambs for the slaughter she felt it was time to leave.

"You must excuse us father, I have not fed this evening and grow weary." she lied, anxious to get Scud out before the massacre began.

When her father nodded consenting their departure she clasped his hand, dragging him from his chair and across the hall. But not quickly enough before the screams started.

She shuttered at the sound, picking up the pace so Scud had to run to keep up with her until the agonized wails faded from her sensitive ears. She slowed, keeping on the route to their room.

"He used to make me stay and watch." she sneered, referring to her father, her hatred for him seeping into her tone before she switched to a lighter note.

"See, I told you he wouldn't kill you." she beamed, smiling over at him.

"Yeah you were right but as far as the plan for you to come back with me goes. I don't know if I can keep B from killing you." he admitted darkly.

Her steps faltered at a kink she should have foreseen. "Cant you convince him? I mean aren't you his best friend?"

"No I'm just the weapon maker, he's kind of a dick to be honest. Maybe if you give him a little inside info he'll spare you." he suggested with a shrug.

As they neared the door her pace quickened again, eager to get inside. With a prick of her hand they were in and she was on him like the ravenous beast she was meant to be. She fisted his hair, crashing her mouth against his, her tongue forcefully demanding entrance. He gave it, working to unzip her dress at its side as her tongue wrestled with his.

Eve let him go, moving her lips to his neck, nipping carefully along his jugular before moving down to the exposed skin of his chest, slipping buttons free to create more warm skin for her to devour. Once his shirt fell to the ground she stood back to observe him hungrily.

"On the bed." she throatily commanded while slipping her gloves off and tossing them aside before ripping the jewels from her neck, sending precious stones scattering along the floor.

Next came her hated tiara, then her hair was let down and her heels were kicked aside before she slowly slipped the dress off her body, teasingly.

She mounted the bed, crawling over him as she licked along his scars. Tracing them to the button on his slacks. She made quick work of his pants and boxers, marveling at the sight of all his tan skin revealed to her.

Flipping them over she felt him jump back with a hiss.

"Ah, cold is not an erection's friend." he admitted, trying not to hurt her feelings and figure out how they were supposed to do this.

"Put your fingers inside me." she suggested, moving his hand down to the apex between her thighs.

"You guys don't have teeth or anything down there do you?" he asked with hesitation, referring to female vampire's sexual anatomy.

"Go inside and find out for yourself." she challenged, grinding up against his hand.

As Scud cautiously pushed two fingers inside, testing for sharp points she let out a deep moan at his warmth spreading through her dead tissue. Her skin absorbed it like a sponge. It felt just like the inside of a human woman only icy, she was even wet.

When he was knuckle deep inside her he ran into a barrier, surprised at how just virginal she actually was.

"Go on, break it, I don't want your dick shriveling up because I'm an icebox." she joked, urging him on.

Scud leaned down, kissing her before pulling away and aligning himself at her entrance. "No, I want to do this the right way, body temperature be damned."

With one last look of conformation from her he slid home, tearing through her thin flesh and making her wince before bottoming out. He let out high pitched sounds one would make when getting into a cold swimming pool. It was like dipping his dick in a tight, slick, velvety, bucket of ice cubes. Immediately he began to go soft and slip from her confines.

"Don't worry, the scudster can fix anything." he reassured her at the disappointed look on her face.

Sliding down her body he settled his face between her legs, giving little Scud some time to warm and harden up.

If she thought his fingers and appendage were pleasantly warm then his tongue and mouth were molten lava.

"Holy fuck!" she screamed out, struggling to keep her thighs from slamming together and crushing his head into a bloody pulp when his hot muscle invaded her.

"Knew you'd like that." he murmured against her wet flesh, sending his tongue back in to make her squirm.

Her fingers ran through his hair as she moaned out her praises while he worked on her. Replacing his fingers to warm her deeper he moved his tongue to her sensitive bundle of nerves, flicking his eyes up to watch her face contort in agonized pleasure.

His hips bucked into the sheets on their own accord at one particularly strained wail coming from her.

"Scud please tell me you're ready to go." she panted out, looking down at his oceanic orbs from between her legs.

"More than ready." he growled, removing his fingers and quickly thrusting inside her without warning.

He stayed sheathed fully inside her pussy, maintaining the temperature as he ducked his head to lave attention on her alabaster breasts, rolling the hard peak in between his fingers while he circled its twin with his tongue.

"Fuck me." she mewled out, shifting her hips pleadingly.

"Yes your majesty." he quipped with a grin, quickly snapping his hips into action.

As Scud laid his body over hers and continued in slow lazy thrusts Eve wondered if she had died and gone to heaven, she'd never felt so deliciously warm before without pain being involved. He was a god send, her own personal sun, and he only kept getting warmer as his movements continued.

"Harder, I'm not going to break." she assured him, raising her hips to meet his with a wet smack, increasing their pace.

Scud obeyed, rearing back to slam home with all his might, making her scream. He continued his fervent pace, reaching down to circle her nub and get her closer to the edge, making her whimper beneath him. She broke around him without warning, insides contracting all around him so hard he was forced to stop and keep perfectly still. Afraid the iron wrapped in satin surrounding his cock would break it in half if he made one wrong move, instead opting to capture her scream of bliss with his mouth, kissing her deeply as she came around him.

When she started to come down from her peak he pulled back, looking into her yellow spheres.

"Good?" he asked, rising a brow confidently and cocking his head to the side.

At her giggle and nod he began moving again, his gaze not leaving hers as he hammered into her, eager to reach his end as well.

She felt him beginning to tense, his thrusts becoming shallow and desperate before a flood of near scalding liquid filled her in spurts as he groaned above her. She smiled up at his twisted face, elated when his body dropped back down to hers and she was treated to his fiery skin covering her.

Eve lay there practically purring with happiness, weaving her fingers in and out of his hair, playing with it as he rested and his heart rate returned to normal. Scud rolled off her, concerned about crushing her, not realizing she had no real need to breathe other than to smell his scent and inhale smoke.

Her pout was short lived as he tugged her over onto his chest, wrapping an arm around her body. She laid still for a moment, head pressed to his chest, trying to get closer to his heartbeat.

"That's my new favorite song." she blurted out, tapping out its rhythm on the other side of his chest.

"Well that's a shame, it's not gonna play again after were through with B." he noted, moving some hair behind her ear with his free hand.

Eve frowned, crawling over him to snag some dubies from her night table and return to her place cuddled up to his side. She lit both and offered one to him.

"If you don't want to turn we could leave, I'd run off with you if you wanted to stay human." she vowed, secretly hoping he would.

She would never wish this curse on him.

Scud shrugged, taking a hit.

"I was kind of looking forward to chilling out with you forever." he confessed with a puff of smoke, smiling down at her.

"It's not all sunshine and green grass on this side of the evolutionary fence Scud, the exact opposite really. You need to think a little harder before committing to damning yourself for all of eternity" she insisted, taking one hit to finish hers off.

"What? You don't want me up your ass for thousands of years?" he joked to hide his feeling a little dejected.

She straddled him, leaning in for a slow kiss before grabbing another joint.

"Not at all, in fact as you know, if it weren't for you I wouldn't even be here right now. I'm just saying you have the option to stay the way you are if you want to, there's no going back with the other choice. I just don't want you to regret your decision five hundred years from now. "

He nodded up at her, understanding where she was coming from.

"Thank you, for offering me a choice." he replied, opening his arms wide for her to lay down on him.

A devilish smile spread across her face somewhere around her third roach landing in the ashtray, the high finally hitting her. She sat up on him again, showing off her fangs.

"I vant to suck your bloood." she drawled, imitating a bad Transylvanian accent and swooping into his neck to land sloppy open mouthed kissed and hoover hickies along it while tickling his sides.

"Come on, lets just cuddle, watch some cartoons and get high." he begged, squirming for mercy from her tickle torture.

She relented, laying back down, snuggling into his chest.

"As you vish my pet." she replied, not giving up the accent.