Chapter 9 – Bogdan's POV

Time is an elusive concept, one that is lost to the immortal species. It's not seen or heard, but it's there all the same. Like air. Or hope. It's an endless commodity to us. Unlike the humans, we don't live in Time's spotlight. Instead we live in its shadows – our presence noted throughout the transformation of seasons, but never changing.

It's because of this that we don't think of passing time. I certainly never did. Yet now I find myself consumed by it. Every one of my thoughts is aligned with Time's heavy hand. My gaze flickers to the door. I don't want to care about the minutes I'm apart from my human, but my mind continues to count them anyway.

47 minutes and 26 seconds.

27 seconds.

I pace back and forth across the jagged floor of the room carved from rock. My feet pause near the end of the bed. The bedspread is silk, it's dark golden color reminding me of his hair when the sun hits it just right.

46 seconds.

His scent is still on me, tricking my senses into a false sense of hope. I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. It's been too long since I drank from him. My immortal body aches for him, dependent on his blood like a human is to air.

57 seconds.

I grip the bedposts and force my eyes open. Splinters of wood attempt to pierce my unbreakable skin beneath the strength of my hold. What could the Primary possibly have to discuss that would take this long? I smelled his attraction, his desire for my human the closer we got. Whether it was sexual desire or attraction for another reason I'm not sure. But it was there, and his emotions were potent.

My shoulders stiffen when I smell blood nearing my room. It's a Secondary. Their scent is far less potent than a human's. It's weaker, less palatable. I turn before they're able to knock and shout for them to come inside. It's not as if I have a choice in the matter. For all intents and purposes, the human and myself are now prisoners in this world hidden beneath layers of rock.

A woman swiftly opens the door. She carries a soft smile across her lips, but the rest of her expression is cautious. She's afraid. As she should be. She takes a step towards me, and then another. The scent of her fear intensifies when she gets within arm's distance of me and comes to a hesitant stop.

It is far more difficult to kill a Secondary than it is to kill a human, but it's still possible. She must know this too. Or perhaps it's not me who she fears but rather the reputation of my species. The last real interaction the Secondaries had with us was during the last war. I can't imagine we parted with a warm embrace.

"Hello...sorry to disturb you."

I blink back at her, unmoving.

"Uhm, my name is Anna," she continues, straightening her spine. "I was instructed to bring you a meal."

Her attempt of confidence is almost laughable. Almost. If it wasn't for the clock gibbering inside my head, I might actually indulge in a warning chuckle. But as it stands, my thoughts are currently entranced by the hands of Time.

52 minutes and 12 seconds.

"Ah, splendid," I respond coldly. "And am I to assume the Secondary population has fine-tuned their skills of illusion or invisibility?"

She visibly shudders at the menacing tone of my voice and falls back a step. Her fingers twitch at her sides.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean."

I counter her step back with a step forward of my own. "My human," I growl. "Where is he?"

Her eyes widen at my closeness. Most humans would step away, but this time she remains where she is. It's clear their Primary has taught them to not back down to our species. It's a valiant and courageous quality, of course, but in Anna's case, it has plenty of room for fine-tuning.

"They said you might ask about Finn," she stutters back in reply. Her voice quivers, and she swallows hard, tearing her eyes away from me to catch her breath. "And told me to tell you that he'll be here shortly."

Shortly.

Shortly.

Yet another of Time's many wild cards. No definite minute or second marker, but merely a segment of time that's open to interpretation.

"Ah," I say after a beat of silence. "How very helpful."

The sarcasm and disdain drip from my every word. Anna grimaces but holds her ground. The fear exuding from her is more potent than scent of her blood. Why doesn't she just leave? But of course, she was asked to bring me a meal. And as I smell no other form of blood, I can only assume she's offering herself for a live feeding.

"The Primary has suggested you enjoy the festivities in the common room," Anna explains tremulously. "But before you do, he thinks it best if you eat. Just in case..."

My eyes flicker with black. "In case what?" I ask seductively. "In case I turn into a demon and drain the blood from every last one of you?"

She swallows hard and glances at the floor. My eyes catch on the vein traveling up the base of her neck until it becomes hidden beneath her thin, black hair. The mixed mortal and immortal blood flowing through them smells displeasing, but my hunger calls out to it of its own accord. I'm becoming weak for it.

"No," she whispers. "He just...he thought that you'd be more comfortable if you drank before you joined us."

I force away my thoughts of hunger, refusing to succumb to the blood of a Secondary. Instead I glare down at Anna, simultaneously hating and enjoying her presence. She is, at the very least, softening the obsessive clock beating between my temples like a pendulum. But she's not my human, nor is she delivering my human.

Two strikes.

I tilt my head to the side and reach forward. She freezes when my fingers push aside the black tendrils of hair sweeping across her neck. My finger trails up the pulsing vein, and I smell desire pushing through her fear.

"He is a smart man," I agree in a murmur. "And I am quite thirsty."

Pink blossoms into the tips of Anna's cheeks, and she holds her breath as I lean into her and brush my lips against her ear. She attempts to slide her arm around my waist, but I catch it and hold in place. My grip tightens in warning and I lower my voice to a whisper.

"But not for you."

I gently push Anna away from me. Her eyes are wide with embarrassment and confusion as I nod towards the door in dismissal.

"So tell your Primary I'll wait until he returns my human to me before joining the festivities. To use your words, I'll be there shortly."

________________________________

175 minutes and 14 seconds.

15 seconds.

The wait is becoming more than just a mild annoyance. It's now intolerable. My hunger is worsening, too. The need for my human's blood swarms through my veins, and an odd, empty ache builds in the pit of my stomach. It's something I've never experienced before.

My feet never tire from pacing back and forth across the uneven floor. My breathing never changes. Not that I need to breathe, but I have been practicing the action around my human. He seems to become unsettled when he cannot hear a beating heart or a steady breathing pattern.

The lack of heartbeat I cannot change. But the breathing I can.

Just before Time's hand strikes minute 176, my nose twitches at Anna's familiar scent. She's back. I cross my arms over my chest and tell her to enter yet again. Her wide eyes peer into the holding cell that's meant to be hidden as a guest room.

"What?" I bark.

"Finn has been moved to the Learning Center with Mr. Primary. They're still going to be awhile. I was told to check on you, to ask again if you'd like to join me in the common room?"

Hearing his name causes that odd feeling in my stomach to tremble. This woman, this Secondary, knows nothing about my human. Yet she speaks of him as if she has the right to say his name. Anna twists her hands together and nudges the door open a bit further with her shoulder.

"The Primary even agreed that you don't have to eat before you join us. He trusts you."

"Is that so...?"

He trusts me. How comical. There's nothing about their leader that is trusting. He captured my human and is no doubt feeding mind all kinds of garbage. Why else would he feel the instinctive need to not only separate us, but also force me into a locked room with no escape?

A calculated smile spreads across my lips at the wording replaying in my mind. He trusts me. Ah, yes. Of course he does. He doesn't trust me in the logical sense. Rather, he trusts me to be everything a vampire normally stands for. He trusts me to be violent, act out, and do all he can to turn my human against me. Therefore, I can also trust that this common room will be littered with his guards – ready to take me down at a moment's notice.

My gaze flickers to the door. I don't want to leave, but every moment spent in captivity is deepening my hunger and unraveling my self-control – minute by minute.

"How generous," I mumble. "Well, given the Primary's new state of trust, I'm far more inclined. Please, lead the way."

Anna hesitates. I sense her confusion, suspicion and fear. It's a bitter combination of emotions. After my slight outburst earlier I expect this. My human has unknowingly taught me the delicacy of emotion and their fleeting tendencies. Although Secondaries are less emotional than humans, they still experience them. Just not to the same degree.

Anna pushes the door open for me. Her light footsteps click down the darkened hallway, and I follow behind her. Different scents cling to the stagnant air. Some are sweeter. Some are stronger than others. They're the only remnants left behind from the other Secondaries who used this hallway.

And none of them are my human.

My jaw works itself tighter and tighter. From day one I have exercised patience and control with him. Obviously the effects of his Nirv blood have changed me more than I'd care to admit, but I still manage to wait for a feeding when he offers it. I have not claimed blood without it being offered to me since right after I was changed. But I'm reaching my limit.

Anna turns the corner. And then another. Her wispy hair trails behind her, the tendrils barely fluttering against the nonexistent wind. The familiar lighting from the common room spills into the hallway and the onslaught of fresh blood sets my nose into a frenzy. A year ago I would be smelling for the best option. Now my body has changed, and my needs have become fine-tuned to the blood of a Nirv.

My nostrils flare in hungry desperation as Anna ushers me into a room packed with Secondaries. Their eyes follow me, and the loud chatter tapers off to silence. I am their new attraction. My stomach twists when I intercept a hint of my human's scent. It's incredibly weak, nothing more than a whisper from when we moved through this room earlier. But it's there.

Anna slows her pace and points to an empty couch near the side of the room. "Looks like that one's open. There are plenty of board games and card games too. If you need me, I'll be up at the front."

She nods her head towards the front of the room where we entered earlier. A male guard stares back at her, and the two exchange a look before she leaves my side. As my human's scent fades, I instead focus on the emotions pulsing from the Secondaries around me.

Most of them are curious. Some terrified. A few angry. Though if this was a recipe for an attack, most of them would be anxious and giddy. I settle onto the couch and lace my fingers together. I won't rule out that I will be attacked at some point. But it's safe to say it won't be now.

I keep my eyes to myself as the chatter slowly picks up around the room. No one speaks to me. No one approaches me. But they watch me. Oh, do they watch me. Their emotions flicker and change, and my mind sorts through and places every one before moving on to the next.

It's a defensive, primal technique, but I've been doing it for so long I barely notice. More often than not, thoughts are driven by emotion. Therefore, to know your opponent's emotions is half the battle. I make my way through the room. The emotions are all the same. Fear. Curiosity. Fear again. Envy.

But I'm stopped cold when I pick up an emotion I'm not expecting.

Desire.

Then longing.

They're both strong. I lift my gaze, searching for the Secondary feeling these. My eyes collide with a man on the other side of the room. He doesn't seem at all ashamed by his staring, and a soft smile touches his lips. There's an almost... familiarly to it.

The emotions intensify as he stands from his seat and starts making his way over to me. They're so strong, in fact, that they remind me of the way my human feels towards me.

My eyes sweep over his torso. He's tall, perhaps an inch shorter than me. His thick, blonde hair bounces as he walks, and his bright eyes catch the glow of the lights above him. If he was a human, he'd be a year or two older than my human. Mid-twenties, perhaps. But such a thought is deceiving. Since he's a Secondary, he could be hundreds of years old by now.

I stand just before he reaches me and straighten my spine. His longing is so strong I can almost feel it for myself.

"Who are you?" I ask cautiously.

The man's smile widens. He shakes his head and laughs softly under his breath. "You never were one for small talk. Always right to the point. I guess some things don't change?"

The affection in his voice is palpable. His blue eyes look over every inch of my face, before he hesitantly brings up his hand in introduction.

"I'm Gabe," he finally says. "I was your fiancé."