Kate wakes up to find herself in a dark, damp room that reeks of human waste. Her vision is blurry, her head throbbing, and it takes a second for it to sink in her hands are cuffed to the chair behind her. She tries to jostle her arm to no avail. A quick glance around the room - it looks like a warehouse - reveals she's alone. Shit. The last thing she remembers is Santanico charging into the room, grabbing Richie by the neck. After that, everything is a blur. All of a sudden she spots a movement in the dark. "Who's there?" she calls out.

Santanico saunters towards her. The vampire is dressed in tight leather pants that are moulded to her slim figure, a black crop top that displays her perfectly contoured abs. Her lips are a vampy red, her dark hair cascading down her chest. Perfect in every way, she's a deadly predator lurking behind an exquisite face.

As Santanico comes to a stop in front of Kate, fear trickles down Kate's spine. "Where's Richie and Seth?"

"You should worry about yourself first."

Her stomach coils into a tight knot as Santanico circles around her but Kate refuses to give into it. "I asked you a question. Where are they?"

"The Gecko brothers?" Santanico muses, running her fingers through Kate's hair. "Or your brother?"

Panic floods over Kate. "You have Scott? Where is he? What the hell have you done to him?" She starts squirming in her seat, trying to undo the cuffs behind her when Santanico slaps her across the cheek, so hard that she sees black for a second.

"Look at me, little girl." Santanico grabs her chin, her claw-shaped nails digging into her skin. "I have worked too hard and too long to go back to being nothing."

"Fuck you!" Kate spits on her face. "The first chance I get I'm going to slaughter you."

Santanico smirks, wiping the saliva off. "Fiery little thing, aren't you? No wonder Richie likes you."

"Go to hell!"

Santanico's eyes shine with emotion. "Not that his feelings for you ever stopped him from making love to me. That's the thing with men. Even when they know they're in love with someone else, they're slaves to their base desires. They say us women are weak, but they're the weak ones. They are pathetic."

"I'm not interested in your 'I'm a woman. Hear me roar' lectures."

Santanico levels her with a cold stare. "For hundreds of years I was their slave, forced to do their bidding. They used me in ways you will never know." Her jaw clenches, a faraway look crossing her face. "Consider yourself lucky you never went through what I did."

"If you had your way I would be their slave now." Kate glares up at Santanico. "What they did to you was horrible, and I did feel sorry for you, but you were willing to sacrifice me the same way they did you. You're no better than those you hate."

Shame flits across Santanico's face. "That was not my idea. Carlos-"

"Oh no you don't. You don't get to shift blame on anyone else."

"Enough!" Santanico commands, straightening to her full height. "I have kept you alive because I know I did you wrong but I will not let you vanquish everything I've worked for. Drop your vendetta against me or I will kill you and everyone you love."

"Where's my brother?" Kate demands, panicking.

"He's taken very well to his new identity. I would hate to put an end to it just because of your stubbornness."

"Where the fuck is he?"

"That was quite an interesting scene I interrupted. How long have you been fucking both brothers?"

"Kiss my ass!"

Santanico smiles, a cruel sneer that makes her look somehow more ethereal. "The gods call me a whore even though it's them that force me to do things, but I've never willingly fucked two brothers at once. I wonder what the gods would call you."

"You think you can shame me, Santanico? You can't! Whatever I do, it's nothing compared to what you've done."

"Richie is a wonderful lover. I know that from personal experience, but how do you stand that brother of his mauling you? Seth is so vile."

"Because he always saw you for the monster that you are? Because you couldn't manipulate him like you do everyone else?" Kate taunts, but her pleasure is short-lived when she notes the wicked glint in Santanico's eyes.

"You think you know Seth? You think you have him wrapped around your little finger?"

"Unlike you, I'm not into lapdogs. He's a grown man. He makes his own decisions."

"Yes, he does. And he chose to make a deal with me."

"You're lying. He hates your guts."

Santanico quirks her eyebrow, and for the first time Kate begins to feel a thread of nervousness deep in her soul.

"Seth will do anything for his brother. You must know that already. You may think he loves you but the only thing those two are capable of loving are each other."

"He would never make a deal with you."

"Oh, but he would. And he has. You see, if I die then so does everyone I've ever turned." Santanico waits a beat. "Including Richie."

Kate's heart starts to pound in her chest. "You're lying."

"He would love to see me dead but not if it means killing his brother." Santanico turns around and walks into the shadows again. "You've been after the Ford ring for a long time now. Haven't you wondered why you still haven't gotten your hands on it? Why you seem to always be distracted?"

Kate shakes her head 'no'. "I don't believe you. I'm not going to let you fill my head with nonsense."

"As much as he hates me, he's my best protection against any threats. I already have the dagger you stole, courtesy of Seth. It's only a matter of time I have the ring."

Kate has a sinking feeling that everything Santanico has said so far is true. Her heart refuses to believe it even as her head is scrambling back to past events, recalling the details from the last few days. Can this be really true? Can Seth be protecting Santanico? While she knows with absolute certainty Seth bears a deep hatred for the vampire, she's also aware of the lengths he'll go to protect Richie. Betraying Kate? Derailing all her efforts behind her back to save his brother? He wouldn't think twice about it.

Fuck.

A/N - Sorry about the long delay. My muse went on vacation but all the new S2 stuff brought her rushing back. Not sure if anyone's still reading but thank you anyway :)