The bloodcurdling screams of the man the monster had referred to as Marcel reverberated off the stone walls after he passively followed it into what must be the heart of its lair.

The leech's nature was clear to me, a demon cat playing with its human mice.

There was no way that I would be able to stop it under the circumstances, but I didn't want to give it the satisfaction of the chase.

The only opportunity it would get to chase me was when I was getting the hell out of here, whenever my chance might come.

And it would. This was not the first time that I had been captured by leeches and it would not be the first time I had escaped.

While I was a mere mortal, I knew how to extinguish these monsters. By now, I knew their weaknesses like the back of my hand and I had a good chance in a one on one fight if I had the element of surprise on my side.

The only reason I had been captured this time was because I had been caught off guard and overwhelmed, but these damn leeches were overconfident. Eventually they would slip and I would escape again. I did not smile at the prospect, because I sensed it would take longer before this one let down its guard.

I was not so foolish as they, to underestimate my enemies.

My fellow human, who had said her name was Trisha, was led out of my sight by several of the broken slaves the creature maintained. There were faded bite marks on a couple of their necks, but they seemed otherwise physically unharmed.

Mentally was a different story. None of them had looked weaker or smaller than me, but their pathetic deference towards the creature filled me with disgust. They obeyed like automatons even as one of their number screamed as if he was being tortured to death. The two within my sight continued dutifully at some mindless tasks.

If the leech thought it could teach me to yield like these slaves, it was in for a severe disappointment. I would resist even its control on my mind to the death.

Trisha returned some time later, right around the time that the screams finally faded into nearly imperceptible murmurs. She was wearing clean clothing that swam on her small frame, obviously intended for someone far larger. Her wide brown eyes darted in the direction of the low agonized sounds.

There were slaves on either side of her and one flanked her. The tallest came forward carrying something in his hands and I realized it was a metal collar exactly like the ones they wore. I gritted my teeth, but refused to let my distaste show outwardly.

"You can be traced by this collar, so there's no point in trying to run." I glanced at the slave giving the matter of fact explanation to the new victim, this vile traitor to humanity. He had brown skin and a sturdy form, but none of that was of interest to me, my focus rather on the cowardly resignation in his stance and his attitude.

She looked like she was ready to fight, but she did not move as they placed it around her neck and fastened it. There was a spark in her eye.

Perhaps I would bring Trisha with me when I escaped. She might be a liability, but if that spark did not die before my chance came, I would give her the choice regardless.

Clearly the rest of these men were lost causes already.

I could not help those who did not wish to be helped. The second time I had been captured had firmly entrenched that harsh fact in my mind.

The tall slave sat Trisha down on a couch while others unhooked my shackles or stood watching like sentinels in case I tried to struggle or flee.

They need not have worried; I would be stupid to make my attempt so soon. For now, I would be nothing more on the surface than the broken human that I wanted everyone to see.

I was led down a long hall to a simple, but fancy washroom.

"Do you need me to help you, or can you handle washing up on your own?" asked one of my slave guards, this one well tanned with his long brown hair tied back in a ponytail.

"I can do it," I said with a shrug.

"There's no way out of here," cautioned the single blond of the group.

Another shrug. "Didn't think there would be."

It was frankly weird to be taken to the washroom by an escort of five other men.

Weirder, that that was what jumped out at me as odd. I'd obviously been in brush-ups with vampires too often if that was the case.

"Wait," said Ponytail. I paused with strategic obedience."Hands," he said.

Understanding what he was asking, I held my hands out in front of me. He unlocked my shackles and Blondie grabbed them before they could fall to the floor.

I walked into the washroom and no one stopped me. I shut and then locked the door and no one protested.

Even though I had the illusion of privacy, I didn't lower my guard. In all likelihood, there was surveillance even in a place like this.

I pretended that I had no awareness of the fact. I stripped off my clothing and turned on the water in the shower. There was hot water, which was much better than the cool water Trisha and I had been sprayed down with before we had been brought up to the lair of the monster who had purchased us.

I scoffed. My compliance could not be bought with such luxuries, but the pretense of such could be. I let myself enjoy the heat of the shower as I scrubbed myself down like I had not had the opportunity to do in a very long time.

Once finished, I towelled off and dressed in clothing that lay neatly folded on the counter. There was a plastic packet of toiletries and I ripped it open and brushed my teeth and ran a comb through the hair that was reaching to my shoulders.

It could use a cut, but I sure as hell was not going to be requesting one.

Still, being clean felt good, felt human, but nothing else. I would not feel gratitude for anything in the bloodsuckers' lair. Enjoying the small things for the moments I possessed them and letting go of them when they were gone was how I had survived so long on the fringes and it would serve me here as well.

A human could not afford to grieve the things they lost if they wanted to survive.

Once finished, I walked out of the washroom as if I couldn't care less that I was trapped in the lair of a monstrous leech.

My escort was waiting for me. I did not bother to meet their eyes.

They led me back out into the main room. Trisha seemed to be sleeping, but she jerked without opening her eyes as our footsteps came in.

My restraint was truly tested when it was my turn to be collared. An almost overwhelming desire to resist welled up inside me, but I allowed the collar to be placed around my neck without a fight, ignoring my deep desire to pummel these traitors of humanity to within an inch of their lives.

The smooth material of the collar felt like it burned my skin. Was there more to it than mere tracking? These bloodsuckers never did miss a chance to demean and torture their human slaves in my experience.

I did not intend to find out about its functionality any time soon, since I was going to be perfectly placid, nothing more than a still pond with not even a ripple to disturb the surface while I seethed in the depths.

My restraint was tested again as it came out of the inner chambers, sashaying with obvious indolent satisfaction at its feast.

Or was it the terrified screams of its victim that had brought it such pleasure?

There was a bit of blood on its full lips and it slowly licked the drop away as I watched. Its red eyes bore into mine as it did so, apparently carefully gauging my blank reaction.

It was simple enough to understand the leech's motivations. Some of them simply delighted in the blood of their victims, which was bad enough. Some of them thrilled in the chase like the predators they were.

But the most perverse leeches revelled in the suffering they caused, and this one was obviously of that type.

Because this monster could have easily charmed her slaves into giving it whatever it wanted, blood or service. It bore the form of a seductress that few men would have the wherewithal to resist, with the face of a fallen angel surrounded by sweeping long black tresses, atop a lithe form with glorious soft proportions. This leech would have no need to resort to fear.

No need, unless that was what it wanted.

Instead of focusing on the lie before my eyes, I remembered a name and a face that was long lost to me, stolen by a bloodsucker exactly like this one.

Melissa had been beautiful. Innocent brown eyes, soft lips I had stolen kisses from when none of the adults had been looking, delicate face framed by soft brown hair.

The future we had once planned together in whispers had been stolen by monsters exactly like the one that had dared to buy me as if I were some inanimate commodity.

Finally, the leech finished its inspection of me and turned its attention to its slaves. "Lucas, repurpose the supply closet next to your quarters as a sleeping area for the new slave female."

"Yes, Mistress," said Blondie as he hurried away.

"Javier, tend to Marcel."

"Yes, Mistress," Ponytail agreed as he strode off in the other direction.

Her gaze flickered towards me again before she looked at the tallest and thinnest of the slaves, although the bean sprout was by no means skinny, especially compared to the free humans living hard beyond the control of the vampires. "Jeffry, take Little Human and set him up in your sleeping quarters."

"Yes, Mistress," he said and then he turned to me expectantly.

I offered no resistance, stepping forward as I was led down an L shaped hall. Blondie passed us, heading swiftly in the opposite direction.

Bean Sprout stopped at a door and pushed it open, revealing a room with four beds.

"You can have either of those two," he said, indicating two undisturbed beds nearest to the door.

Both beds in the back corners had personal effects sitting on the side tables and one of the small wardrobes was slightly ajar.

I hid my surprise while I turned my attention to the two nearest to me. Like the ones that were taken, both had identical side tables and wardrobes on either side. I could not see a discernible difference, so I shrugged.

"Just pick one, man."

"What's the difference?"

"One's on the left, one's on the right," Bean Sprout said, not looking impressed with my apparent indecisiveness.

"I'll take the right," I said. I was in the right, so my location might as well match.