The familiar rocky driveway crunched beneath my feet as we approached the mansion. Its regal walls were as intimidating as ever, providing more of a reason why I was so motivated to leave with Aiden, to stop that feeling of oppression and suffocation.

My only worry was that I would be leaving Rose behind.

Aiden let us in, ''Rose is downstairs, I'm going to go and have a word with Millie and Josh. Come to my room once you've packed some things.'' He sped away, there one second and gone the next without giving me a chance to reply. It seemed that he had been ready for this too for a while.

I headed straight for the stairs down, the eerie silence of the slave quarters greeting me as the sound of my shoes hitting the hard floor echoed off of the walls.

Marching into the living area, I spotted Rose lounging on the sofa with a magazine that looked reasonably current dangling from her fingers, ''Everything went well?'' She questioned, eyeing me with an eyebrow raised.

''Yeah...'' I paused, contemplating my next words, ''Rose you're not gonna like what I have to say.'' Without stopping and hoping she'd follow, I pushed my way through the door into our bedroom. I flipped the switch that bathed the room in a warm light, though the cold air of the basement slave quarters still bit at my skin.

''Best tell me fast then, I guess. Like ripping off a plaster.'' She had followed me in as I'd hoped, having abandoned her magazine for the night. I was glad that she still tried to keep the mood light, but I wasn't sure how long that would last.

''Aiden and me are leaving, tonight.'' I swung open the doors of my wardrobe, grabbing clothes that had been provided to me and throwing them unceremoniously onto my bed, too much of a coward to watch her expression as she reacted to the news.

''Leaving?'' She paused, I could hear the trepidation in her tone, ''This isn't another forest adventure is it? Like with the slave camps and the fighting and the bombs?''

''No. Think of it like we're moving out. Going someplace new that isn't here.'' After I was sure that I had all of the clothes I would need for a short time, I let the wardrobe doors fall closed and began gathering the clothes into a pile, still avoiding her eyes.

Funny how Aiden hadn't thought of some sort of suitcase.

''I know the definition of 'moving', Violet. But isn't that a bit suspicious with just you two?'' I knew she was just standing idle and watching me work, but I didn't blame her for not wanting to help. I was basically ditching her after all.

''No, it's Master and slave. Where Aiden goes I must follow.'' I mocked a formal accent, though I wasn't really in the mood to joke around.

''You're not kidding.''

''No, I'm being completely serious. And I'm so sorry. But, Aiden's speaking with Josh right now and I'm sure they'll sort something out for you too. I'd hate to know that you're being dumped here alone.'' I stopped what I was doing and finally turned to face her. She looked angry and stern, which didn't really surprise me.

''But that's what you're doing, isn't it?'' She sounded deeply hurt, and I had known that would be the case.

''Josh doesn't live here permanently. He can take you to his actual home, which would be way better than being anywhere near the Queen.'' I repeated what Aiden had previously suggested to me, a way of life that would definitely be better for Rose. Plus, despite not knowing Josh very well, I trusted that he'd keep her safe the same way Aiden would me.

I went back to the task at hand, wondering what I could use to carry my clothes. My eyes landed on my bed sheets and I proceeded to gather my clothes up in them. Even if it would be heavy, it would suffice.

''I just think you should think this through.'' Rose pleaded, abandoning her anger.

''Aiden and I have discussed it. We both know that it's for the best. You have to believe how sorry I am, but I need this.'' I grabbed a few other knickknacks from my bedside table, ensuring that I still had my favourite hairclip, and turned to Rose once again.

''Can I at least come and say goodbye?'' Her voice wavered, and that was the moment that I knew how hard this would truly be for Rose, for both of us. We'd been there for each other since the beginning, but I knew that I'd see her again.

''Of course you can, Rose.'' I gave her an awkward one-arm hug, still gripping tightly to my belongings in the other hand, ''Aiden told me to go upstairs when I'm done, come with me?''

Rose took a deep breath, pulling back from our hug, ''Yeah, okay.''

We snuck upstairs in silence, partly because neither of us knew what to say, and partly because we didn't want to be caught. We were successful in reaching Aiden's door, through which I could hear him speaking with the others, which would undoubtedly be Millie and Josh like he'd said.

I knocked out of precaution, Rose's presence supportive at my back as we waited.

The door swung inwards under my fist and Aiden gestured us inside, a slight incline of his head in the direction of the others. Millie's expression was sour yet sympathetic, whereas Josh just looked plain angry. It was the latter that frightened me much more, obviously.

''What's with the sheets? I'm sure that there will be fresh bed covers where we're going, Violet.'' I swung the sheets onto his bed in the centre of the room as they all watched me.

Instead of coming back with some strange retort, I simply unfolded the sheets and showed him my belongings, ''Do you have a suitcase at all?''

His expression gave away the fact that he definitely hadn't even thought of transporting all of our stuff, but he nodded nonetheless and disappeared to go and dig one out.

''Are you sure that you're comfortable with this, Violet? Aiden can be a bit of a handful.'' Millie looked genuinely concerned, but Josh just crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.

''At this moment in time, I'd do anything to get away from your mother, no offense.'' I shrugged, examining my clothes once again to double check that everything was in order.

''This isn't a good idea.'' Josh quickly spoke, cutting off whatever Millie was about to say, ''They'll be worse if they know that he's taken you away for that reason. You've seen what she can do first hand.''

''But, that's not Violet's problem, is it?'' Aiden cut in, strolling past the others with a suitcase in his hand, ''We can share.'' He directed the latter at me.

Of course we could.

''You're just annoyed that Aiden won't tell you where they're going.'' Millie interjected, her previous concerns forgotten as she teased Josh.

''That's not-''

''Josh, can I ask you a serious question?'' I asked, hoping to prevent another argument from escalating between the vampires.

''You already did, but okay.'' His tone was harsh, which made me swallow nervously.

''Can you please protect Rose while we're away?'' He looked a little taken aback by that question, even offended maybe. I guess it was a bit odd for a human to be asking a vampire to protect their friend, then again Rose was his slave so it should have gone without saying really.

''And what do you mean by that?'' His eyes narrowed, as if I were insulting his strength.

''She means, that she's worried about her friend and I told her that you wouldn't leave Rose here alone. Don't act like you don't understand that, we both know that you should more than anyone.'' Aiden's words triggered something in Josh, whatever it was made him almost instantly deflate which I was thankful for.

But, at the same time it made me realise how little I actually knew about these vampires. Spending all of the time with them that I had done, anybody would believe that we should know each other inside out. That just wasn't the way it was between vampires and humans, ever.

''Fine. We'll leave too, but not straight away. It would look even worse if we all just up and left together.'' I heard Rose let out a breath at his words. I was glad that it must have brought her some relief that she would at least be cared for by Josh even if I was gone.

''Not to mention the fact that you'd all be leaving me. God, talk about being abandoned.'' Millie muttered, her hair shielding her face.

''Look, when we're settled in and when Violet's happy, we'll invite you all over. Just give us a little time first, so much has happened that we just need some time.'' Aiden reassured his sister, putting his arm around her tiny frame in a show of affection that had hardly been present between the two of them in front of me.

''Thank you.'' Millie whispered, smiling slightly at her brother.

''Great,'' Aiden dropped his arm, showing his teeth in a perfect smile that had my heart fluttering, ''We're all set to leave then.'' He quickly shoved a pile of his own things into the suitcase where I had been neatly folding mine.

Then there was a series of hugs and goodbyes, mostly between myself, Rose and Millie before an awkward handshake between Josh and I that really could have been avoided. Aiden had decided that he should tell his mother alone and ordered for me to carry our things to his car.

My previous image of him being a gentlemen was slowly deteriorating. Then again, I definitely didn't want to be there when he broke the news to the Queen.

Rose helped me out, chatting about how she was excited to see me outside of the mansion, and that it surely wouldn't be long. I think both of us were beginning to feel like a new chapter had begun in our lives, the mansion holding too many dark memories for either of us to enjoy the luxuries it held any longer. Personally, I was just looking forward to being myself with Aiden, without worrying about others overhearing or being suspicious.

It would be almost normal.

Or so I believed.

-*-*-*-

A/N Another update!? Yeah. This chapter literally was written at the speed of light and I have no idea where my motivation came from. One minute I was posting chapter five and then I was halfway done writing chapter six! So why would I want to hold it back and not post it straight away? I think you all deserve it! :)

Also, I'm about to post chapter one of my new story 'Boundless'! I have some great plans for that one, you should go check it out!

Thanks for reading!