"Need something to drink Ma'am?" I froze on the door for a quick second. I recognized the voice, but it sounded dead devoid of any emotions... I turn slowly towards it scare out of my mind.

"Marcus?" It's Marcus... But at the same time, It isn't... This guy wasn't my slayer... This guy in front of me was dressed just like the human servants that work here... Marcus usual charismatic smirk is gone, his eyes looked dead, no emotion in them. 

A gasp of horror escapes my lips. I can feel my eyes begin to water...  Three days. I was away for three days and they were able to break him?  "What... What did they do to you?" My voice breaks at the question.

"What do you mean Ma'am?" My heart sinks... I just stare at him with horror... NO... No! The servants here are not like THIS! They are free to come and go...  They wouldn't brainwash Marcus-

Marcus burst out laughing not able to contain the laughs anymore. His whole body rocks as he laughs, he walks towards me and pulls me to him into a hug. I let out a breath I haven't notice I was holding and step back and slap him hard on the cheek.

His hands go towards the cheek I slap automatically, but the assholes continue to laugh at my expenses.  "Don't scare me like that!"

He keeps laughing thinking what he did was funny. "Where were you? Where did the bloodsucker keep you?" He says between laughs. I blush for a moment and look away feeling guilty. Nathan managed to distract my mind in Dubai...

Marcus has been living with me in the same house and hasn't noticed anything between Nathan and me. The same way John is clueless about Aurora's dirty little secret... I am starting to think that the only person that really pay attention to her surroundings is me. That thought gives me an idea of how to answer his question with one of mine, knowing it would distract him.

"What did they do to you?" It does work.

"After they dragged me away from your bedroom they whip me 50 times and I counted without making a mistake." He says smug and I wince feeling guilty. I should have pushed him away faster.  Even though three days ago... I might have wanted the kiss...

I know Marcus might be safe if he's staying. My feelings for him have changed... I no longer feel attracted to him...  "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. I have been trained to deal with pain." I stare at him. "After that, I behave not that it was hard... when I wasn't allowed to see you. They told me to stay clear of your room until further notice... So I waited until I could see you around the house, but you disappeared." He looks lost in thought for a moment...

"Yes..." But I don't know what else to say...

"Don't worry so much Zoey... I am fine, you are fine... That's all that matters." I nod only.

"So... What else you did while they kept us away?"

"They gave me my first check, and I found out, this mansion has all kinds of stores, so I went to the pharmacy and bought a cream... It would have been nice if you were the one to apply it on my back... But I asked another servant girl."

I bit my lips nervously at his flirtiness tone... I need to get Marcus out of here fast or at least cut anything remotely romantical with him. Marcus lost me the moment Nathan took me to Dubai...

"Marcus... What are you going to do now?" I mentally crossed my finger's hoping he had it and say he was going to leave. Marcus looks away for a moment, and hope sprung to my chest. 

Marcus turns to look at me with a glare on his face.  What did I do now?

"You know what's eating at me?"

"What?" I murmur.

"Everyone in this house is free to come and go as they please, no one is a prisoner here... Granted this house has a lot of guards and security but is to keep people to come in... Not to keep them in. Except you... Why are you a prisoner here Zoey?"

"I told you-"

"Yes," He interrupts me. "I need to apologize for the way I reacted when you first told me-"

"You don't-"

"Yes. I. Do. I like you, Zoey, I should have done this when you told me-" I did not have a chance to ask him what the hell he means by that. Marcus walks even closer towards me with determination, he snakes a hand around my waist and pulls me towards him into a kiss.

His tongue flicks on my lips asking for entrance and stupidly I part my lips giving him the entrance he asks for... His hands are everywhere while mine hangs limps to my side. A moan escapes his lips and suddenly he is kissing me harder, deeper, with a fervent urgent need... I on the other hands just follow his lead.

I do not like this kiss...

After Dubai, The fountain, the birthday surprise... This feels wrong... Like I'm cheating on Nathan... Which is stupid. This kiss feels as if I am kissing the brother I never had... This kiss feels unnatural... I don't want this... But I don't know how to stop it. 

Someone clears their throat thankfully breaking Marcus away from me and this weird kiss.

"Well, well, well. Then you call ME the slut." She smirks. I blush like a little kid that has been caught doing something wrong. "What would Nathan think of this little romance?"

"I'm so sorry Miss." Marcus interrupts her. "It is my fault... I kissed her first-" Aurora stares at him and gives him such a glared that Marcus pales. He turns and looks at me, then at Aurora.

"You have exactly 5 seconds until I put my hand on your Adam apple and pull." Marcus goes still. This guy is either a good actor... Or not a real Slayer... I would have laughed at her treat. I open my mouth to say something but Marcus turns towards me with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry," He murmurs looking at Aurora, but I know the apology is for me. For being such a fucking coward. Marcus walks away leaving me alone with the angry vampire. I glare after the little coward... That attitude of Marcus was really telling something.

"So. How should I tell Nathan?" I turn to look at Aurora with the same glare I had for Marcus a few seconds ago. "Your girlfriend is fucking the help. Or would you break up with him?"

"Why don't you just leave me alone? Or better yet, help me leave this house." She walks towards me until we are face to face.

"I hate you too much to do that." I put a hand on my face and clean the spit that manages to get on my face.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to kill your lover." I know I'm staring at her in pure horror. Why is it that everything I do reflects back on Marcus...

"Don't," I warn her.

"Or what"

"I'll tell, on you too." Her smirk goes even wider.

"That would be telling on Nathan getting him killed in the process." I shrug acting uninterested.

"He's just a warm body for my bed. I'm pretty sure my father would give me another one after he's done killing Nathan." The moment I call John my father, vile rises to my throat... But the lie is necessary to send my point across.

I feel sick acting like this... but Marcus got hurt once because of me... I'll be damn if I let him die for a stupid kiss that meant nothing to me in the first place.

"And here I thought you were a Slayer."

"I was..." I lie. Nothing can't change who I am... "Here is the thing though. Is better to let go and be a slut. But I don't have to tell YOU. As you already know very well." Aurora's eyes turn red with fury. In an instant, she grabs a fist full of my light brown hair and pulls on it making me walk with her outside or lose a piece of my hair.

Once outside she kicks me in the stomach, while still holding onto my hair. I am already crouching. I grunt when her heels connect with my stomach. Aurora goes to kick me again, but I flip backward pretty much-ripping apart from her. Part of my hair is on her hands. 

I take the opportunity she's staring down and kick her hard in the stomach making her fall to the floor hard.

Aurora stands up using her vampire's abilities and runs towards me, throwing a slappy kick my way. I catch her foot and twist her leg in an unnatural way. Once I'm satisfied with my action I push her back hard making her fall on her ass yet again.

I take the opportunity to run to the house, but she's a vampire. Her legs heal in seconds, and she stands up even faster. My hands are on the knob when she grabs me by the hair and pulls me back hard.

My leg lifts off the ground and I flight backward falling to the floor on my back. Air leaves my lungs and for a few seconds, I can't breathe.

Aurora is in front of me fast and lifts her legs about to kick me in the stomach but I pull my self off the floor doing a backflip. Aurora throws a punch to my face, but I block it and swing a punch to her face with my free hands which connect with her nose, blood springs out from it.

Aurora hisses in pain and stumbles backward. I run towards her and grab her by the wrist and turn until bone cracks again. Her hiss of pain is long but I don't let go of her like I did with the leg, I pull her towards me and headbutt her. I push her backward making her fall to the floor hard.

"That was a leg and my wrist. Yo do know once I get a hold of you I am returning the favor with interest right?" I smile smugly at her.

"That is... IF you get a hold of me, bitch. You seem to forget I was a Slayer before being turn into a slut." Aurora runs to me, about to kick me but her form is very sloppy. I easily block the kick holding onto the leg and turning her so she falls to the floor on her face.

I laugh at her pissing her off. "I told you." I take a step towards her, but she grabs a fist full of dirt and throws it at my face. I stumble backward as I yell in pain as dirt gets inside my eyes. I rub on my eyes fast which makes it harder. I am blind for a mere second, but it's the second Aurora needs to get the advantage on me.

She kicks me in the stomach hard making me fall to the floor hard. She gets on top of me and grabs a leg twisting it. I hear something crack and a gurgled scream escape my lips. She has broken one of the legs and I can't stand up anymore to defend myself. So, Aurora stands up getting off me and kicks me in the stomach, over, and over and over again.

I learned a hard lesson years ago when I was a Slayer... And that was always carrying a stake... Never engaged a vampire in a fight without a stake. I am so comfortable in the fucking house to carry one around with me all the times. I curl on the floor helplessly getting hit over and over again.

"I hate you!" She says starting another set of kicks to the stomach. "You ruined my life the moment John decided to bring you to the house! My life was perfect I had the best of both worlds." She kicks me again in the stomach and I hear something inside of me crack. I was pretty sure it was one of my ribs. I couldn't breathe and I start to feel like I was drowning and suffocating at the same time. I feel my life leaving my body slowly and painfully. She grabs the other leg and squeezes then twist. I scream again. 

"Say sorry! Tell me you're just a slut that envies me!"

I spit blood to the side. "Why the hell would I do that," I whisper trying to breathe. She grabs my hand and starts to twist slowly. A yelp escapes my lips. 

"Because is the truth." I can't speak. But I shake my head.  Crack... That is a broken arm now. My vision begins to blur.

"Oh no, you don't bitch."

She bit into my neck hard tearing flesh. I scream again, but it came out gurgled. I start to choke in my own blood, but the sweet darkness does not come for me. She grabs me by the neck squeezing hard and dragging me until we are in front of a lake. "I always thought that dying by drowning was the worse possible death..." She pauses thinking. "Or is it burned?" I shiver. "Let's do both."

"No." I start to say. One of my worse fears was drowning. But she pulls me up and throws me against the lake. I go under. Both my legs are broken so I can't kick. One of my arms is broken so I am moving my only good arm frantically trying to pull my limp body off the water. 

I just go under. I hold my breath and out of pure instinct I try kicking and moving both arms, pain erupts and I almost open my mouth to scream, but I clamp it shut just in time...

 I keep going down and under. My body is begging to open my mouth to bring air into my lungs. I know what would happen if I open my mouth for air... I would drown. 

Eventually, my body forces me to open my mouth and I start gulping water desperately over and over again, getting water into my lungs. This is the worse feeling ever... I was right drowning was the worse thing that happens to me. This hurts like hell.

Finally, darkness comes to me and I lost consciousness.

I wake up without a notion of time. Every little part of me hurts like hell. I am still suffocating every time I try to breathe. I try to stand and I yelp in pain. I want to cough but it hurts and I can taste blood in my mouth. I open my eyes slowly and to my horror, I am still in Aurora's hands.

She is putting wood after wood into a pile. She turns towards me with an evil smile. She doesn't bother dragging me, she simply kicks me on the stomach hard making me fall on top of the log. She has a can of something and starts getting my body wet with it.

It's smell fouls but I can't think straight as darkness comes for me again. I begin to close my eyes slowly. Aurora grabs my only arm and twist, bone cracks and pains erupts again making me stay wide awake.

"Oh. Good. Your up." She lights a cigarette turning it on and takes a big drag out of it as she stares at me. "I wish I could  say, it was nice meeting you." She looks down at me with an evil smile.

 I just stare at her with a blank expression wishing I could die like my self. Stay Zoey Lehane and curse at her, but I am too weak, I am more on the dead side than on the living one...

She takes a few more drags of smoke enjoying how much pain I am. I only send a small prayer that burning wouldn't last as much as drowning did. If I have to die now, hopefully, it would come fast. She takes the cigarette out of the mouth and flicks it towards me. I close my eyes waiting for the burn. But it never comes...

I open my eyes really slow only to see Aurora fly all the way into the lake. All of the sudden strong arms hold me...