Pain without Love
Chapter 14
A/N:…Hi.
Zoey had become good at avoiding Sarahan as the days past, and in the week since the woman had arrived at Daniel's estate, Zoey had only seen her three times in passing. Zoey didn't attend meals anymore, mostly because Sarahan was a fallen angel, which meant she ate food like Niall. She didn't want to be put in the position to make small talk with the woman, so she just had Matilda send her food to the training room where Niall ate with her. She hoped it upset Daniel that she didn't go to her meals, because as he stopped coming to see her, she assumed he just didn't care anymore.
Niall tried to urge her to forget about him and just focus on training, any drama could lead her to slack off and that might hurt her if the need for her training came up on a mission.
As the new week began, Zoey found herself sitting on the floor of the training room waiting for Niall's arrival. To her dismay he was late, "What the hell…" she mumbled grumpily. She got excited when the sound of the door creaking open made her turn, but her excitement died as soon as she spotted Daniel. He seemed surprised to see her and tried to back out of the room. "HEY! Stop it right there!" Daniel paused and looked at her, "Where the hell have you been!? You rough me up and then disappear from sight?! If you don't care anymore I'll just find somewhere else to live you know….I don't need charity anymore…." Her anger seemed to just explode out of her and Daniel seemed extremely surprised by the outburst.
"Zoey…I've been trying to keep Sarahan away from you…My time has been spent doing nothing but protect you…." He said calmly, but she could see the emotions that rushed through his gaze. "I have never stopped caring…" he sighed, shook his head, and then left the room, closing the door as he left. As Zoey sat quietly in thought she realized he did look pretty tired, maybe he was just trying to protect her.
"Damn it.." she mumbled. Just as she was getting up to go to her room, Niall rushed in with a grin. "You're late!"
"I know I know! You've got your first mission!" he said in a rush of words. Zoey clapped her hands, excited she would get to get out of the house and actually do something.
"Great! Doing what?!" she asked with a grin. Niall's face instantly fell and she frowned, knowing she wasn't going to like the answer.
"Slave trade….you've be placed in it again…and bought by a specific vampire…When you get to his estate you are needed to infiltrate his private office…he normally only allows his slaves in there to…aid him in what he needs done…But when left alone you'll get to look at documents and financial records that nobody else can get too…Also he has been heard to keep a journal of his activities…" Niall explained solemnly. Zoey sighed and took a deep breath but smiled anyway.
"When do I start?" she asked.
"Now…" he replied. Zoey grumbled and Niall led her out of the training room and down the hall. Daniel must have heard the assignment because as she stepped into the hallway his eyes were wide and he was shaking his head. He looked terrified. "Daniel- don't…" Niall said with a frown. Daniel opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out and he merely watched as Zoey and Niall walked away. "We have to get you changed into basic slave clothes…some were delivered and there is a car waiting outside….You have had no master yet, but you need to be well behaved to not suffer injuries during the mission…" he explained further. "He will expect a little bite of rebel in you because you're supposed to be unbroken…"
"I am unbroken…" Zoey said with a frown.
"Well….yes…but…Nevermind that….you name is going to be Bella…"
XXXXXXxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxXXXXX XXX
Zoey sat in the car with another organization member driving, but other than that she was alone. The man did not say a word to her, just left her to her thoughts, and her thoughts were filled with terrified scenarios and worries. They had dressed her in basic white pants, and a white t-shirt, which seemed like a weird outfit, one that best suited a prisoner, but she later assumed that was a good fit. She was a prisoner.
The car ride was unbearable long, but after three hours the car stopped and the man in the front seat muttered two words before the door opened and she was roughly pulled from the car, "Good luck." She knew she would need it.
Zoey was dragged down a stone pathway to a large house, the house wasn't beautiful like Daniel's though, it was instead dark and foreboding. She shivered and the man dragging her along laughed, "Master Lucian will be pleased that you already fear the house…" the man said in a gruff voice. She bit back a retort, remembering what Niall had told her about being behaved. Within moments they were entering the house and she was pushed even farther into her new Hell.
"Brian…that is all…go on with your duties…I have it from here…" said a smooth, calm voice from beside them. There was a tall, pale man standing in the doorway of what looked like an office. The office! Zoey took a note of where it was, because that was where she needed to be. Brian nodded and shoved Zoey away like she was just some trash. The man in the doorway caught her and she got a closer look into the office, but then he reached behind him and closed the door. "Ahh…Let's go somewhere more comfortable…." He mused. Zoey looked up at him and saw he had grey hued eyes and strong facial features, with black hair and a wicked grin. "If you have not already formulated an assumption…I am Master Lucian…."
Zoey was tense as he placed his hand on the nape of her neck and led her forward down the hallway. "I bought you from a large import of slaves…You are from America?" he asked. Zoey nodded, "And your name is Bella?" She nodded once more. His grip tightened on her neck and she gasped, "Reply in words, girl…"
"Yes, sir…." She said in a trembling voice. She wasn't proud of the voice, but it ended up helping her cause.
"Good…pretty voice you have…I bought you for several reasons….some more private that others…but your main concern will be in feeding me…" She tensed and he laughed, "Ahh….normal response…" he said with a grin. They entered a room and he closed the door behind them. As she looked around she realized they were in a suite of sorts. She could tell there was a large bathroom attached to a master bedroom, but there was also a sitting area with a large fireplace, and a small bedroom to the side. "You will be staying in my main suite as long as you remain well behaved…That way you'll be around whenever I need you…" he said simply, pushing her towards the couch.
Zoey fell onto the couch and turned to watch Lucian as he walked around the couch, much like a predator hunting his prey. "I suppose I'll have to give you other things to do while you're here…" he mused. "Ahh- I have needed a maid…I don't allow my usual maids into my private chambers or my office…perhaps if you behave I'll give you that job. Zoey nodded and smiled, but quickly frowned as he seemed perturbed by her sudden happiness. If she could get that job than she could look around his office while she was "cleaning" it. "Now…Come…I haven't fed in days and I'm parched…" She stood up and he led her into her bedroom. Why? He probably didn't want to pick her up and toss her on the bed once he was finished. Less clean up, same outcome. "One thing you should know…" he murmured as he left her to stand in front of the bed as he moved several feet from her. He turned and looked at her with a grin, "I like my meals…spooked…with fear shooting through their veins…." He laughed, and Zoey suddenly got very nervous and extremely confused. She wasn't for long however because suddenly a very feral looking vampire was lunging at her and she screamed as she saw the absolute hunger in his eyes. The impact of his body sent her flying onto the bed and he wasted no time in latching onto her throat. The slid of his fangs through her skin made her cry out and struggle, but he held her down to the bed by his hands on her shoulders.
He was very messy, not caring if the wound tore while he fed, and as he clamped down tighter, and he fed harder the wound did tear. Zoey felt the pain, which meant Lucian was obviously making her feel it. Daniel had once made it easy and painless, but Lucian had no thoughts of doing such a thing.
Her limbs grew heavy and her whimpers began to die down as the feeding came to a close. He had been right, he hadn't fed in days, because he was close to draining her. When Lucian pulled back he licked his lips and nodded in approval, "Perfection….Your blood is like wine…" he mused. With that he climbed off the bed and left her there. Zoey cursed under her breath as he closed the door and she faintly heard the sound of a click. Great- she was locked in the room. Her head was heavy and her eyes wanted to do nothing but close.
"No- come on Zoe…" she murmured, pushing herself up into a sitting position. Her vision swam as she tried to focus around the room," Damn it…" she moved her legs over the side of the bed and peered around again, noting she did have a bathroom, a small one, but it would do. She then suddenly got a horrible realization. "My medicine…" She cursed under her breath. How did this keep happening? She kept being thrown into situations where she was bound to have an attack. She frowned, hoping she could get what she needed done before she suffered the consequences. She doubted Lucian would do anything to help her if she suffered the attack, he'd probably just watch her die. Cursing more she stood up and used the wall to help her get to the bathroom. She flicked the light on and then fell against the sink.
Zoey turned on the cold water and grabbed a wash cloth to soak it and place it on her neck. A hiss of pain fell from her lips and she slowly slid to the ground, leaning against the cabinets below the sink. Before she realized what was happening she had passed out.
XXXXXXxxxxxxXXXXXXXxxxxxxxXXXXXXXxxxxxxxXXXXXXX
Zoey woke up to a pounding headache and groaned. She stood up and found she felt a little better than before resting, but when she looked at her neck she growled, "FUCK!" she grabbed the washcloth again and started to wipe away the dried blood. The wound on her neck was brutal, and there was a lining of dark bruising around it that took up almost the entire right side of her neck and shoulder. It probably wouldn't heal fully for weeks, and if he continued to feed from that part of her she was screwed. It would scar and it would hurt when he bit into the bruises.
Her white shirt was also covered in blood, something she hadn't realized in the haze of blood loss. Did she have anything else to wear? She walked out of the bathroom and realized that he must have been in the room while she was passed out. A note and an outfit were laid out for her. The note read, "Though not necessary for one of my strength- I sleep during the day. Which means you will be given duties you must complete before I awaken every evening. When I awake I will expect to be fed. Your door is unlocked, and at 7pm you will be at my bedroom door waiting for me….The outfit on your bed is your uniform. Wear it or you'll be punished." Zoey rolled her eyes and looked at the oufit. "Shit…" she mumbled.
It was a black dress with one-inch straps that fell to the knee, paired with a scooping neckline and a low back, which made it at first look like a cute cocktail dress, but there was a white apron beside it that made Zoey laugh, "The hell?! Am I a french maid all of a sudden!" she shook her head and then saw the shoes, at least they were normal, simple black flats. She knew she couldn't do anything in heels! With a shake of her head she grabbed the clothes and went to grab a shower and get dressed. The shower was welcoming, the warm water wrapping around her and cooling the terror in her gut. "You can do this Zoey, they're counting on you…" she whispered, letting the water run down her back, some of it tinted pink from the blood still covering her neck. "I can do it…"
XXXXXxxxxxXXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXXXxxxxxxXXXXX
Zoey looked like an idiot in her "uniform" and she really hoped Lucian got what was coming to him by the end of this experience. She grabbed the list of duties left with the letter and headed out of her bedroom. A loud groan instantly left her lips. Did he have a party while she was asleep?! The living room was completely trashed, with stains on the carpet, stains which she was pretty sure were blood, there were a few women lying around on the floor, and clothes littered the furniture. "The fuck!" Zoey cursed, realizing in that moment that she really did curse a lot. Her eyes fell to one of the three women lying on the floor and she prayed she was still alive. Slowly she leaned down and lifted a shaking hand to the women's cheek. As her fingers fell on her skin she choked on a sob, she was dead! "Oh my god…" she whispered, snatching her hand back and trying to hold in the panic. She was supposed to clean up his dead bodies?! "I can't do this…I can't do this…"she muttered, shaking her head and hugging herself.
She stood up and looked around for something to clean with; she would deal with the bodies last, maybe someone else would come to get them. She found some cleaning supplies in her bathroom and immediately got started trying to get the blood stains out of the carpet, which were really hard. She ended up letting a solution soak on the carpet for several minutes while she collected clothing from around the numerous pieces of furniture in the room. She had a pile in her arms and she threw them over by the door, knowing they weren't Lucian's; they were the dead women's. What had happened when she was sleeping? A murder party? She shook her head and went back to finish the stains and then she straightened the furniture and collected wine glasses.
Hours had passed and everything was pristine, she had even left the suite to go rid the room of the clothes and dishes. It had been easy to find the laundry room, where she had actually just thrown the clothes in the trash bin, and then the kitchen where other servants were busy at work. They had just grabbed the items from her and pushed her out of the room so they could finish working. Nobody else had the same outfit as her, but they all wore dresses, a few had aprons as well, but none as elegant. "I guess he likes his dinner garnished well…" Zoey grumbled as she entered the suite again. The bodies were still there. "Oh god…" she whispered.
She had to get them out, so she approached the first one and lifted her up, frowning when she realized how heavy she actually was, with a huff she moved towards the door and switched the weight of the bodies to one arm so she could open it. Once out in the hall she looked around for anyone to help her with where to put the body. Minutes passed and she still couldn't figure it out.
"Eeh you!" said a voice behind her, Zoey turned and saw a young man about her age, "Where ya goin' with that…" he questioned. "Yeer Bella, right?" he asked and she nodded. "Bodies go wit me…Leave 'em outside the door in the mornin'…"
"Oh…just…out in the hall?" Zoey questioned. He nodded and took the woman from her arms. "Is that your job?"
"One of 'em…." He mumbled," he shrugged, "Ya get used to 'em…the dirty jobs…I'm Dave…" He replied.
"Well…thanks Dave…I'll leave the rest outside the room…" she said as she turned and headed back to the suite. Once in the room she gasped when she saw the time, it was 6:50. She had ten minutes to be ready for Lucian. She quickly grabbed the other two bodies, groaning when she couldn't get them both up. She had to drop one and take the other to the door, set her outside in the hall, and then run back for the next one. She closed the door and saw another blood spot, "No…" she whispered as she rushed back to her room to get the cleaning solution again. The time read 6:57 as she dumped it on the carpet. Time was ticking painfully slow as she waited for the color to turn on the carpet and pat it off, and then do it again when she realized she hadn't let it sit long enough. "No no no…" She looked at the carpet then at the clock 6:59. She wiped the carpet up and then bolted from the room to throw the cleaning supplies on her bed. As she came back out she saw Lucian standing in his bedroom doorway, a frown on his face. It was exactly 7:00 as she opened her door, but he wasn't happy. Why? Because she wasn't right in front of him. She walked carefully across the room and stood before him, her eyes wavering as she looked at him.
"You need to be right here…Right here…" Lucian growled. She didn't bother arguing, he was obviously crazy. "None of the other girls ever got that…" he growled, "Their masters had to have been idiots to prize them-" he cut himself off. Was he one of the men stealing other Master's pets? She frowned and he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his bedroom. "You did well cleaning up the suite…I have business to attend tonight so you will be cleaning my room and bathroom while I'm away…" he ordered. "Your meals will be delivered to you here…I do not want you interacting with the other help…" he grumbled as he pressed her down onto the bed and headed towards his closet. "You're the only one I know has no affiliation with other Master's, you are untainted…pure for me and me alone…" he said with a sigh, "If only they all came that way…"
Zoey frowned, he was a thief! He was taking other Master's pets and throwing them in to do his dirty work and clean his house. Why? Why would he do that? "They're cheaper that way though- virtually free…" he laughed and she had her answer. He didn't feel like paying for them. He paid for her though. The confusion continued to build as she watched him gather his clothes. He set them beside her and then took a finger and pushed her chin up and to the side, she gasped and he laughed softly. "I guess I was a little rough for your first time…" he murmured, "I'll try to be more gentle…maybe…" he shrugged. Lucian lowered his lips to her throat and she made a soft sound of protest as he pressed them lightly to her bruises. He didn't bite her, he kissed her throat and then moved his lips upward across the rest of her neck until he was kissing her lips. Oh God. It wasn't going to happen again was it? Was he going to want other things from her as his pet as well? She shivered and he pulled away, "Always appreciate ones pet before they give you a service…" he murmured, "That's what they tell us to do…" he sighed, "I don't agree…but it's a pretty concept…"
The fangs came next and Zoey cried out as he pulled her to her feet and fed from her. It was not as brutal as the night prior, which was somewhat of a relief, but it hurt just as bad because of the heavy bruising on her skin. Whimpers fell from her lips and she gripped at his shoulders as she fought the need to cry. Not as much blood was taken this time, so within a minute he had released her and licked his lips clean. Lucian wasn't an idiot, he knew he couldn't nearly drain her every night and keep her alive.
Zoey was light on her feet, her head spinning a little as she fought to stay upright. "Now…you will behave…" he murmured, "For now though- wait outside, clean up and I'll be out in a moment…."
Zoey frowned and turned away to enter the main suite, her chest squeezing tight and causing her to gasp. She had to get home….soon.