So here's the next chapter. Sorry it's late... . But a late Happy Halloween to all my readers! I hope you all had a great time. =)

Chapter 3

Kuroi

Toris had successfully clothed my body with a rich blue Victorian coat and black slacks. I had to admit, the clothing fit well and felt somewhat comfortable… but I couldn't help but feel anxious. Toris was now escorting me to the foyer where Sadiq would be waiting for me.

This couldn't be happening. I was supposed to home, researching and writing. This had to be a dream. When I woke up, I would be home and everything would be back to normal. Angus, Malcolm, and Stephen would be picking on me for my bushy eyebrows while Peter would kick my shins… Mum would be crying over how her baby grew up…

But I was still in Sadiq's accursed mansion, still being betrothed to a sadistic man that would probably only leave scars and bruises instead of kisses and love.

Toris stopped, releasing my hand as we entered the foyer. The Lithuanian dropped to his knee upon seeing Sadiq, bowing respectfully. Sadiq smirked at me, holding a hand out for me to take.

"Those clothes suit you," he said, kissing the back of my gloved hand. "Toris did a good job."

"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice coming out weak and submissive.

"You'll see, pet," he smirked. "Toris!"

"Yes sir?"

"Prepare the carriage," Sadiq commanded, not taking his eyes off of me.

"Yes sir," Toris was gone, leaving me with the last man I wanted to be with.

Sadiq kept a firm grip on my hand as he led me outside into the cool night, leading me to a fancy horse-drawn carriage. The carriage was ebony, lined with a shining gold. The horses were pure white, red plumes adorning their heads. Toris ran over to the carriage and opened the door for us, lowering his head respectfully. Sadiq led me into the carriage, letting me climb in first.

I sat in silence as Toris took his seat in the front, taking the reins in his hands. The carriage slowly moved away from the mansion, the impressive structure slowly disappearing from sight. I looked straight ahead, trying not to focus at the man by my side. However, Sadiq wanted me to do otherwise.

"I hope you'll be on your best behavior, pet," he purred, taking my hand from my lap. "The event we're attending is of most importance to my status in the vampire community. I brought you just so everyone could see what a unique specimen you are…"

It was at that moment that I realized just what I was. He didn't pick me out of love or infatuation (although, I wouldn't have liked either) but he instead wanted me to show me off like some sort of prize. I was only an artifact to go upon his shelf, like a priceless porcelain vase. That was all I was to him.

In a matter of moments, the carriage stopped in front of another mansion, one that looked larger and more beautiful than Sadiq's. Its walls shined as if it were made of gold and the upper-most peak of the tallest tower was shrouded by clouds. The windows sparkled, velvet curtains gleaming in the moonlight. I was entranced by its beauty and wonderful craftsmanship.

Toris hopped down from his seat and opened the door for me, trying to give me a reassuring look. It wasn't working. I got out slowly and gracefully, waiting for Sadiq to exit as well. After exiting, he took my hand and kissed it, signaling for Toris to leave.

"What do you think, pet?" he purred as he led me to the entrance. "Lovely, is it not?"

"Yes… Very," I responded, keeping my tone emotionless.

"Wait until they see you," Sadiq whispered seductively, pressing his nose against my hair. "You're just so…" Sniff. "Perfect…"

I squirmed under his touch, my actions only amusing him. He chuckled and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. I didn't try to shake off his grip, I had learned from the last time. His eyes bore into mine, sending shivers up and down my spine.

"Behave, pet," he snickered. "Or I may be forced to do something drastic…"

He let go of my chin, allowing me to face forward. I felt my body shake as we slowly approached the entrance. I had to spend an entire night alone… with him. I had only been part of his coven for a couple of nights and he was trying to force me into… mating… There was no telling what he would try to do to me.

When we entered the mansion, my breath was taken away. The inside was definitely grander than the outside. The walls looked as if they were made of marble, contrasting to the gold of the outside walls. The floors were a shined wood and ornaments of alabaster graced the walls.

That was only the foyer.

The ballroom was a different story. The floor was made of golden tile, looking as if it had just been spun by the miller's daughter in the tale of Rumpelstiltskin. A magnificent chandelier hung from the ceiling, the flames lighting up every corner of the room. I stared in awe at the room before Sadiq pulled roughly on my hand, leading me through the ballroom.

I glanced around fearfully, feeling a bit self-conscious. Everyone else was staring at me as if I were some sort of slab of meat. I felt Sadiq's grip tighten on my hand. His little plan must have been working; everyone else was getting jealous of me, his prize.

"They're all intrigued, pet…" he whispered to me. "Good job."

"I didn't have to do much…" I snorted. "All I had to do was be paraded around like some priceless artifact."

"Careful, pet," Sadiq hissed. "I don't want to damage you…" To prove his point, his grip tightened to the point where he would have snapped my fingers. "Do not speak unless spoken to, understand?"

I nodded quickly, trying not to gasp in pain. He smiled, easing his grip. He had me and he knew it. I was Sadiq's puppet; if he pulled the strings, I would dance. I was under his control.

The Turkish vampire then led me over to a small corner where a petite Asian woman was standing. She wore a wondrous kimono of pinks and golds, the fabric wrapping around her slender frame and high-lighting her pale skin. Her hair was bobbed, cupping her chin, and jet black, like a raven's wing. Her eyes were a kind brown, soft yet powerful. Sadiq smiled at her, releasing my hand to approach her and greet her.

"Sakura, my dear!" he greeted, kissing her pale hand. "How wonderful it is to see you!"

"Konban wa, Sadiq-san," Sakura smiled, bowing her head slightly. "I enjoy seeing you again." Her eyes wandered over to me, her gaze curious. "Dare desu ka?"

"Excuse my terrible manners, my lady," Sadiq smiled, pulling me closer. "This is Arthur Kirkland. He's new to my coven."

"Nice to meet you…" I stuttered, reaching out to shake her hand.

"Hajimemashite," she smiled, bowing instead of taking my hand.

I let my arm fall awkwardly at my side, remaining silent as Sadiq talked with her. He ignored my presence as he shamelessly flirted with the girl, seeming to completely forget about his intentions for me. Such a shallow and uncaring man… No wonder he had no luck getting mates.

Sakura, however, seemed unaffected by his advances. I watched as she brushed aside every attempt and every comment, paying them no mind. She didn't care for him at all, her movements proved it. Judging from what I saw of her movements, she couldn't have cared less if he had dropped off of the face of the Earth.

Sadiq then turned back to me, his eyes sly and glinting with malice. He took my hand and kissed it, letting his fangs catch on my gloves. His hand caressed my cheek, his smile malicious and plotting.

"How are you doing so far, pet?" he asked. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"It's… I'm fine…" I muttered, not meeting his eyes. "It is… lovely here."

"Glad to hear it," Sadiq smiled, pulling me close. "How about a dance?"

"I don't know how…" I lied, turning away from him. I had to get away. I would dance with anyone as long as it wasn't him.

"You can learn…" Sadiq hissed, his grip threatening to break my fingers. "Come, pet, dance."

Sakura shot me a pitied look as Sadiq dragged me onto the ballroom floor, holding me close. Normally, someone would call such a situation romantic. It was anything but. His grip was tight on my hand and his arm was wrapped possessively around my waist. He sent out a message to everyone else in the room: This one's mine.

"Do you know of your purpose, pet?" Sadiq asked me, his voice a slight purr.

"Am I supposed to?" I countered as we twirled around the room.

"You're so difficult…" he chuckled. "I have chosen you, Arthur. You will be my mate."

"Mate…" I muttered. The word made me uneasy. I already knew what Sadiq wanted for me but… the reoccurrence of the subject made my insides shudder. Something was going to happen… something horrible. Sadiq wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Forever bound," he whispered and my blood froze in my veins. "Mine for eternity…"

I froze in his grip and he smirked at me, possibly sensing my fear. He laughed and twirled me around, catching me and bending over so that I was parallel to the floor.

"Look, pet," Sadiq snickered, his eyes flickering to a giant mirror placed on the wall across from us. "Look at mirror."

I looked and there was nothing staring back at me. To the mirror, the room was empty. The mirror would not reflect our damned souls to the rest of the world, showing just how far gone we were.

"You have nothing left…" Sadiq whispered to me as I stared at the empty glass. "Even the mirror has forgotten your face. But I know who you are… I have everything that you will ever need." He stood erect again, pulling me up with him. "I am everything you will ever need in this world."

"But… my family…" I whispered, not meeting his cold eyes.

"They think you're dead," Sadiq hissed to me, filling my head with lies. "And if you went back to them, what would they do once they found out? They wouldn't want you anymore…"

"No," I protested. "That's not true…"

"Arthur, look at me," he sighed, grabbing my chin to make me meet his eyes. "I will always be here… you can always count on me…"

I felt torn. Just a moment ago, he was trying to hit on some girl and now he was whispering sweet nothings into my ear. Then again, he was right; I had nothing. My family wouldn't take me back, especially since I was a… monster. For a moment, I began to believe Sadiq was right. Maybe he was the only thing I had left in the whole world…

"Then will you, pet?" he asked, whispering in my ear. "Will you become one with me?"

All feelings of self doubt were gone in an instant. I needed to get away from him. My blood boiled and I pulled my hand away, trying to turn away from him.

"Let go," I hissed as he clung to my hand.

"Not so fast, pet…" Sadiq said with a smirk. "I don't care how long it takes but you will be mine…"

I tried pulling away again, only for him to tug sharply on my fingers. With a yelp, I turned back to him with a glare. "Let go of me!"

A small growl came from his throat as he glared back at me, his gaze making my legs weak. His pulled me back to him, his face inches away from mine.

"You. Are. Mine."

My blood froze in my veins. This was a new side to Sadiq that I had never seen before. His eyes had a murderous intent to them, the bronze now a blood red. I began to fear for my life. He could kill me if he wanted to, right at that moment.

"Sadiq-san…"

I looked over to see Sakura approaching us, her expression curious. Sadiq released my throbbing fingers to bow to her.

"Milady…" he muttered, his anger flaring down. "How may I be of service to you?"

"I wish to speak to Arthur-san," the Japanese vampire said, catching my fearful expression. "Do not be worried. It isn't anything too serious."

Sadiq glanced at me, a possessive gleam in his eye. "Very well," he said after thinking it over. "I will leave you two alone."

A weight seemed to leave my chest after he left; I could breathe again. I turned to Sakura, bowing like Sadiq had. "Milady."

"Please, no need for formalities," she said with a small smile. "Would you mind following me outside to the balcony?"

"Not at all, milady," I responded as she led me to the outside balcony.

"Please, call me Sakura," she said, touching my hand. "Arthur-san, I wish to ask you an important question."

"I don't mind if you do," I muttered.

"It's about Sadiq-san," she said. "I want to know… how has he been treating you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Sadiq-san… tends to act very possessive over who he chooses to be his mate," Sakura explained. "He usually acts jealous of a mate's interaction with other people… and it never ends well. My friend, Athena Karpusi, was his last choice. We made plans to run far away from this area but he got to her before I could…"

I felt my throat tighten. I was right; Sadiq would go to any lengths to keep me under his heel. As long as I was "his", there was no telling what he would do.

"Please, Arthur-san," Sakura warned, looking at me straight in the eye. "Be careful around Sadiq-san. I don't want to see anyone else get hurt."

"I'll try, Sakura…" I whispered. "But… I don't want this…"

"I know," she sighed. "Arthur-san, I promise that I will help you whenever I can. For now, be strong."

"Arthur, we're leaving!" Sadiq called from inside.

I looked at Sakura, reluctant to leave.

"Go," she said with a soft smile. "Trust me, you will remain unharmed."

I nodded, unsure of what she meant, and turned to go back inside. Sadiq immediately took my hand and led me out of the mansion where our carriage awaited us. I looked around nervously; Toris was nowhere to be found.

"Get in," Sadiq commanded, pulling me towards the carriage.

I obeyed his command, opening the door and sliding in. I pressed my shoulder up against the opposite door, hoping to get as much space between Sadiq and I as possible. He slid in after me, closing the door firmly. His eyes flickered over to me, hungry and cat-like.

"Lie down."

"What…?" I gasped.

"I said, lie down," he snapped, glaring at me.

I obeyed, lying on my back as I tried to spread out as much as I could along the carriage seat. Alarms bells started to go off in my head when he leaned over me, straddling my hips. He smirked, his fangs twinkling in the dark as he looked down at me.

"You will be mine, pet…" he hissed. "You will."

I lied to Alfred when I told him I had never kissed someone before. Well, sort of… I had never been kissed like Alfred had kissed me. The kisses I had before had never held such love like Alfred's kisses had.

When Sadiq kissed me, it was another form of possession. He was telling me that I belonged to him with every forceful kiss. I was being invaded instead of being loved. Therefore, my first kiss would always be Alfred.

In the carriage, Sadiq had forced one of his possessive kisses on me. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to ignore the unpleasant feeling that made my stomach clench. I tried to push him off but he remained in place, trying to push his tongue down my throat. I made a strangled sound of protest, beating my fists against his chest. My blows didn't affect him and he retaliated by holding my arms down.

Sadiq leaned back, a snarl on his lips. He pressed down on my arms hard enough to where I thought that they would break. I yelped in pain and he chuckled, amused by my pain. With one swift move, he tore off my ascot and tore my shirt open as I squirmed helplessly underneath him.

His lips crushed against mine again as I struggled, bucking and kicking at him. Sadiq's free hand went to my trousers, threatening to tear them off as well. I panicked even more as I felt him rub against me, feeling something hard brush against my leg. He was going to…

"Sadiq? Sir? Are you in the carriage?"

Sadiq pulled away abruptly, sitting up straight in his seat. He growled to himself as I shrank into my corner of the carriage, gathering my ruined clothes around me. Toris was back, thank the Lord…

"Sir?" the Lithuanian asked, popping his head inside the carriage. "I presume that we're leaving?"

"Yes," Sadiq fumed. "We're leaving."

"Yes sir," Toris nodded, hopping into his seat… but not before throwing a worried look at me.

My arms ached and were probably bruising and once the carriage lurched forward, I squeaked in pain since the motion aroused some new-found wounds. Sadiq shot a glare at me, meaning "Next time, you're mine…" I looked away, watching the mansion as we left.

My eyes widened at what I saw. Sakura was standing at the foot of the mansion, waving at me as we left. Her eyes held a knowing look to them as if she knew what Sadiq was planning. She must have sent Toris to get the carriage, therefore saving my arse.

I sighed in relief. Whoever she was, she was definitely on my side. I had successfully avoided Sadiq's advances… for now. As long as I was part of his coven, he could do whatever he wanted to me. I just had to keep going, I couldn't give in.

I would walk through the flames and come out unscathed.

So, just in case you're wondering, Sakura is the gender-bent version of Kiku. I'll give a reason for her being there later but just for now, I'll let ya know that she's important. ;) Hope you all liked this chapter and thanks for reading!