And here's chapter 3! Hope you enjoy. I'm having a lot of fun writing Abbadon, and I know you'll grow to love him in these next few chapters coming up. Don't forget to leave a review or critiques! Hope everyone had great holidays. As usual, J. R. Ward owns the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Nalla woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing…again.

In the past two weeks, she'd received a total of twenty three calls from her male, twenty two of which came with a message. Nalla hadn't listened to a single one, and if she found herself on the verge of opening her voicemail, she forced herself to think about the night where he'd left her ass for a new life in the Old Country.

Her ringtone sounded, indicating that he had left her another message.

She groaned and looked at the time. She'd missed first meal, but she could still make it to lunch if she got up. Nalla slipped out of bed and threw on some decent clothes. She brushed her hair but didn't bother putting it up. While she was brushing her teeth there was a knock on the door.

She rinsed her mouth and went for the door quickly.

Ahnger son of Butch towered over her, and she was reminded that she was in a house full of warrior males. His eyes were friendly, and his smile contagious. "Yes?" She smiled at him when he just stood there grinning.

"I was just waiting for you to invite a male in, but looks like I've got to just take the lead." He ruffled her hair and walked past her in to the room.

"Ahnger, my room is a mess!" Her protests went unanswered as he got comfortable on her bed.

He looked around the room, seeing clothes thrown on the floor and hair products all over the counter in the bathroom. Finally his hazel eyes came to her, "Looks good to me."

She felt uncomfortably hot under his gaze. "Sure, if you live in a mess all of the time this must look like heaven."

He sat back with his arms behind his head on her bed. "Well you are an angel aren't you."

"How sweet of you," she said rolling her eyes.

Nalla joined him on the bed. "Are you here for a reason or just to bother me? I'm hungry."

Ahnger frowned at her, "Come on I'm not that much of a bore am I?"

"You're the most fun a girl can have, but I'm still hungry." She punched his shoulder playfully.

Ahnger grinned, but underneath the smile she could see the heat in his eyes. She abruptly noticed the way his heavy weight made a dip in her mattress, and how he smelled strong…like-

Memories of them entangled in her sheets flooded her thoughts, and she tried to block them out of her brain but they were so fresh. One look at Ahnger's face and she knew he was thinking about that same night.

He was the first to speak, "It's so weird being here since…"

She tried not to meet his eyes but they locked for a second. "I didn't mean to make things awkward, Nalla."

"You're not!" She tried as convincingly as possible, "Shit happens, right?"

He nodded, but his hazel eyes didn't waver from her. His deep voice was unreadable. "Yeah…shit does happen." Nalla looked down and fiddled with her hands. "Listen, I uh, I want to hang out more. You and me, and Rosa. Abbadon too if he's down. It should be like old times again. No more girl's night out with Rosa like you guys have been doing lately. She's too much to handle alone."

They both laughed at that, and she met his eyes. They were friendly, no longer heated.

"Ahnger you're right. It should be like old times. That's why I'm glad we are all home."

He nodded, and sat up. "Yeah, Abbadon was worried when you were living on your own."

She frowned, "Really?" No one had told her that.

Ahnger brushed it off, "He worries about everyone. It's in his blood."

But did he really? When she was living in the mansion before the prince's transition it hadn't seemed like he cared for her. They were all friends, almost like siblings, but he was the most distant. Even more so after his change. And especially so since she'd been back these last few weeks.

Nalla remembered that day in Trez's club where he'd made an effort to comfort her. She appreciated that, she really was unusual for him to be so…kind.

She was pulled from her thoughts as she felt Ahnger's hand brush against her cheek and tuck her unruly hair behind her ear. Their eyes met and he looked troubled. "You should smile more Nalla." The look in his eyes was familiar.

A series of snickers from the doorway snapped them apart. Ahnger dropped his hand from her cheek and she whipped around to see who was making the noise.

Vishous, Rhage, and Butch were in the hall giggling to themselves like little girls. She rolled her eyes as Rhage spoke. "Jeeze my brothers, can you feel the love tonight?"

"Oh, somebody's feeling it, true?" Vishous replied. Butch started laughing and Ahnger groaned in embarrassment.

"You guys going to gossip and giggle all day?" Nalla said, chucking a pillow in their direction.

Rhage caught it before it hit him in the head, and the Brothers laughed some more as he scolded her playfully.

"Now, now, Nalla."

Ahnger shook his head, "Sorry, this is what I deal with 24/7." He got up and headed out of the room, ruffling his dad's hair as they left. She heard Butch protest as they headed down the hall and more laughter after that.

Nalla willed the door closed with her mind and fell back on her bed.

She hoped they didn't run their mouths to Abbadon…well…it didn't actually matter…but that would be it? They were all just friends.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Abbadon's jaw clenched in disgust as he looked around the dainty boutique Rosa had dragged him in to.

One movie, she'd asked him to see one movie before they left the mansion. One movie turned in to two, and then dinner, and then a shopping spree in a series of female stores he didn't even know the names of. He couldn't believe he was tricked by her every time.

The place was pale blue, a pathetic color in his mind. Like a child's nursery. The decorations were unappealing as well, but Rosa loved it. A bunch of pictures of celebrities and outlines of models donned the walls. And the clothes were small and delicate, too small in his opinion. He didn't understand how women got in to the things they did.

Or, hell, how they even got out.

Abbadon lifted a dress from one of the racks he'd been searching through. It resembled fishing line attached to a washcloth. "No." He muttered to himself.

Something like this was for a different type of female. Someone like...that vixen he'd seen in Trez's club a few weeks ago. Sweet Virgin, he'd wanted her. But Rosa would never be wearing the type of clothes that a female like that wore. Ever.

His sister had made him her pet, sending him to find different sizes and colors of the clothes she was trying on in the dressing room. And like a good little boy, he was fetching her everything she wanted. Despite their sibling rivalry he adored his younger sister. She was his other half, and he would be her slave for a day to please her.

The place was empty except for them, and the male behind the counter had been eyeing him strangely. Abbadon knew he looked as out of place as he felt. He had on a black hoodie and a pair of dark denim jeans with his shitkickers. And the guy couldn't see it, but he was armed like a marine. His black daggers in a holster under his hoodie, a glock on his hip. A couple of knives here and there.

He needed to get out of this place.

Abbadon headed for the back, empty handed, and knocked hard on Rosa's dressing room. She poked her head out and looked down at his hands in his jean pockets.

"They don't have it?"

"I didn't find it. Hey, Rosa I'm ready to head home. I've been out all night with you."

"Stop whining, we're shopping for you later."

Later? "That's okay, I don't need new clothes."

"Yeah well that's not what people think." He paused and frowned.

"Who?"

"Nalla thinks you're a health freak because you're always in workout clothes."

"She does?" He said surprised. What was so bad about that? Fitness was important to the Brotherhood. He couldn't be out there in the field without good cardio. Abbadon knew from experience that females like athletic-

"Oh get that look off your face."

He smiled at her. "What?"

Rosa put her hands on her hips and checked out the jeans he'd brought her earlier, turning around in the mirror. "She's not in to you. Believe it or not everyone doesn't fall for good looks and good blood."

Ouch. She went in and changed in to something else and he sat on the bench didn't actually think Nalla was in to him, and that would be awkward anyway. But…how would Rosa even know that. "Wait, so you've talked?"

"About what, brother mine?" She called from behind the door. He heard her let out a breath as if she was struggling in to something.

"About me, Rosa. You and her have mentioned me?"

She came out in slacks and a blazer and stared in the mirror. "My god, I look like mom." He burst in to laughter and she looked at him frantically but with amusement. "It's not funny!"

"You look exactly like her."

"I'm trying to seem professional, but not old!"

"Our mahmen is barely a hundred."

"Yeah, well don't remind me of the age difference with her and dad."

He frowned, trying to get that out of his head as well.

"Seriously though, you and Nalla talk about me?" He didn't know if he liked being talked about. Especially with Nalla. Christ, what if Rosa was embarrassing him?

Rosa straightened her jacket and let down her hair. "I mean she mentioned you once. It was no big deal. We talk about everyone. You, civilians, trainees, Ahnger…Hayte."

He was beginning to get real annoyed by that name.

"She's still on that guy? He's… not even half of what she deserves you know."

"Yeah I tell her that but you know," She turned and shrugged her shoulder at him, "love is hard to quit."

He scoffed at her, "What do you know about love Rosa." She rolled her eyes at him and went to change.

Abbadon stared at the door Rosa had gone through. He had hoped Nalla would benefit from the talk he'd given her at Trez's place, but clearly he didn't have an effect on her.

Hell, he'd hoped Hayte would just erase from her mind. Seriously it was sad seeing her all alone. What kind of male abandoned a female like that?

Nalla was worth something. Worth a lot.

And Hayte? The guy was a great fighter, handsome as the devil, but... Abbadon had all those qualities…and a lot of other males did too. Why would she choose to dwell on him? Shit, now he sounded jealous or something.

They stayed for another half hour as he paid for the clothes Rosa decided on, and then headed home in his Jeep.

His sister was busy on her phone during the trip home, and he didn't mind. His head was in a different place altogether.

He stared at the highway, the road a blur as his thoughts raced past him. He was such a control freak, but the idea of Rosa and Nalla talking about him made his skin feel like a blaze. He wondered what she thought of him now that he was a grown male. Last time she really saw him was before him transition, and back then he was lanky and quiet. He was still quiet depending on who he was around, but he'd filled out for sure. And he was taller.

Shit, what was he thinking? He didn't want that kind of attention from Nalla. She was beautiful, even more beautiful than he remember but...hell. He found himself thinking about the female more often than not.

Abbadon felt his jaw ache, and his fangs began to come down slowly.

Of course, he needed to feed. He didn't want her, he wanted her blood. Biology was messing with his head like usual. He couldn't control himself when he went too long without blood, and the last time he fed was around a month ago.

And he hadn't fucked in a month either. Jesus what was his deal?

They parked in the garage and Rosa hugged him before heading to her room. He went in to the kitchen and looked in the fridge for something to quench his thirst. He'd text Phury to get one of the Chosen to the mansion, or maybe he should just call up a female. His phone was full of numbers that he hadn't used in a while. He still had that female's number from the club.

Suddenly, Abbadon's senses went off.

"My lord, how are you."

He turned around hearing Nalla's soft voice, and kept his lips tight as he spoke. "Uh, great."

She smiled, "You look stressed."

She was in a t-shirt and leggings, like she'd just come from the gym. His fangs bit in to his bottom lip.

"Just hungry, that's all."

She nodded and looked at his death grip on the fridge door. "You find anything in there?"

"Not anything I want."

Whoa, his voice was deeper than he'd intended.

Her yellow eyes met his and he felt his thirst turn to dehydration.

"Well...I'll see you around I guess?"

He nodded, looking away from her as he responded. "Of course."

With that she left the kitchen, glancing back at him with a confused expression on her face.

As soon as she was out of sight Abbadon let out the breath he had been holding through the whole conversation. He hadn't dared to take in her scent.