My eyes were staring at the wooden floor beneath me as my mind tried to comprehend what had just occurred. Colds hands were all over me, picking me up, my eyes seeing blurs of grey and I realized I could hear nothing but a dark silence. A face appeared before me, beautiful, pale, and worry in the eyes. His eyes. Theo's eyes. As soon as the connection clicked into my mind, I regained my hearing. An awful scream of a thousand tortured souls met my ears and I clenched my eyes as if not being able to see would dampen the screeching.

"Page! Look at me, damn it, LOOK!" Theo's harsh voice broke my thoughts and I opened my eyes once more. His brown eyes were stained with caution as he focused all of his attention on me, despite the manic yelling. I tried to speak, but my face ached with a dull pain as my lips tried to depart. I fought against the pain and managed to squeeze out words, barely audile but I knew he could hear them.

"You hurt me…you did this to me," my words were filled with malice and hatred. My memory tugged at me suddenly and I saw Raina attacking me with her mind and Theo walking to us, smiling, not even caring. Before I could question my next motive I acted. With as much strength as I could muster, I pushed a surprised Theo away from me and stood to run away to the staircase. Raina blocked my only entrance to the spiral staircase. Her eyes were alive with fire and her lips played a sinister smile.

"Leaving so soon, my kitten?" her voice purred.

"Let me leave or I'll make you experience true terror." I didn't really know what I could do. I know I summoned a true hate for Raina and it somehow washed over me into reality. The threat however, seemed to make Raina reconsider her actions. Her eyes turned into slits as she stepped away from the spiral staircase. In that moment, I darted across from her to the stairs. My right foot landed on the top stair when large hands grasped me away from my escape. I turned to see Theo holding me, bewilderment filling his brown orbs.

"Page," was all he said in an incredulous voice.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and gave him a look that would have made any normal person flinch. Theo simply lifted me higher into his arms and carried me to my room. I looked back to see Raina shooting bullets with her eyes straight at me. As we entered the room, Theo placed me carefully on the plush bed and moved to close the door behind him. I sat up straight and immediately scanned the room for an exit. Before my mind could think anymore, Theo stood in front of me. He appeared calm and collected but that didn't matter. He was a traitor. It took me everything not to spit in his very face.

"I know you are extremely pissed off right now, but I'm going to have to ask you to collect yourself. For the time being anyways." His voice was cool, with a sharp edge letting me know if I acted up again, there would be consequences.

"I am a little more than pissed off, if you couldn't tell," I snapped.

"I said extremely pissed off, mind you."

"You are not in the position to be a smart ass. You better say what you have to say."

Theo looked at me with a slight grin and agreed.

"Alright. Well, that was your first test."

My heart sunk into my chest. That was my first test? Impossible! Raina was a bitch to me since I first met her and today she just happened to snap. I shook my head in disbelief.

"You're lying. That bitch just had a bad cup of blood this morning or something."

"No, I'm not," Theo remarked, "I sent her to your room as a test. You reacted to her comments and she pushed you into madness. You let your hatred for her consume you, you became the hatred. Quite remarkable, actually."

"And then you PUNCHED me to what? What exactly was the point of that?" My fury began to rise from chest again and I took a deep breath.

"Well that could not have been avoided. I had to stop you from killing Raina, had to break your concentration. I am truly sorry for that, Page. I wish it didn't have to go there." Theo's voice trailed away somberly and I knew he meant the apology. I nodded.

"It's…fine. You were trying to protect her."

"And you," he added softly. I stood close to this lovely man, wanting to feel him over me, wanting him to comfort me and sooth my fury. I placed my face against his chest and he pulled me in closer. Theo smelled of soap and something else behind the soap, it was intoxicating but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. His arms wrapped tightly against my body and a chill coursed through my spine. Okay, so he punched me. Not a great start to whatever the hell this was but hey neither was him being a vampire.