Chapter 3

Cat Walk

The next few nights were not as exciting as the last; mostly because she slept through them. When she did wake she was always greeted by the familiar face of Calien, who usually sat on the bed next to her with a smug look on his face.

She had first thought that he was going to starve her, seeing as she hadn't been out to feed in the nearly the past few nights. But on the third night of her "stay" she woke for a brief moment to find an IV line running into her left arm. At first she was alarmed at the IV line, thinking the blood flowing in it was Calien's...if it was then he truly was renewing their bond.

This idea was soon proved wrong once she focused properly on the blood being fed to her. It wasn't his...wasn't Calien's she could tell. After all those decades she knew the potencies of his blood and this was merely gajo blood. Perhaps it was out of pity, that he was not force feeding her his blood. Or maybe he had other plans and would some more devious way to bind her again...She more willingly believed the latter.

Upon the seven's night of her stay, Aura finally regained much of her strength, at least enough to finally free herself of the accursed bed. Also for good measure once she was free she allowed her claws to extend and shredded the comforter and sheet of the bed into shred with great pleasure. Once done she wore a satisfied grin.

Taking a brief moment to regain her feline balance, Aura set off across the room towards the door. Placing a hand on the smooth brass doorknob she paused and strained to listen to the hall, she didn't want any surprise visit from Calien. It was true she had the strength to finally rid herself of the bed, but taking him on was another story. Even at her best he gave her a run her money.

After several minutes of silences she slowly opened the door, peeking out the door into the dark hall she saw nothing. Even without her nocturnal vision she could tell that the hallway was quite bare save the rug that ran along it.

She slipped out of the door slowly and with some grace, her legs still were not fully functioning correctly but she didn't wish to wait any long then she had to. So she treaded as quietly as she could down the hall. As she walked she saw light coming from a room at the end of the hall, not wishing to meet up with anyone she started to turn and go in the opposite direction but stop when she heard someone coming towards her.

Frowning in panic, she couldn't get back to her room before whoever it was that was coming got there, she had to do something. She grinned sly as a solution came to her, she would hide in the shadow...but since the hallway was not that large just hiding would not do. She would need to...shrink if she was to go completely unnoticed.

Inhaling slowly she began to focus her blood, till it ran through her like a torrent. She crouched over suddenly as if she was doubling over in pain, but on the contrary the feeling running through her was pure bliss by her standards. Her back muscles and bones began to contract violently, reshaping themselves. Her arms and legs grew shorter. The fine hair that had graced her skin became thick and black like fur. Her clothes seemed to disappear under the new coverage. Her eyes grew wide and sharp, her ears rising to the top of her ears and were tipped.

Her once beautifully tanned visage now covered in silky fur that was blacker then night itself. Instead of her once tall elegant body, she now stood in that of merely black cat; her tail flicking in the air behind her. She stretched out her new feline form, though she did not stop to savor the form though she was more then fond of it. She did however make a mental note to thank Griffin for teaching her the art of shape-shifting whenever she saw him again.

Quickly scampering to the side of the hallway, she used the complexion of her fur to hide herself in the darkness of the hallway. She ran along the side of the walls, her bright green eyes piercing the dark, allowing her to see her way more clearly then ever. Her ear flicked behind her, the steps that were once approaching her had vanished. She was somewhat relieved and also somewhat suspicion. The sudden silence could mean anything in this place.

She continued down the hall as she had before. She paused as she reached the door; much to her relief the door was only ajar which meant that she could probably slip by unnoticed. As she moved to continue past the door, something caused her to stop...she turned around and peeked into the room.

It was identical to the room she had stayed in, right down to the fur comforter. After looking over the display of the room she focused her attention on the inhabitants. She noticed Calien almost immediately; his right side was facing her as he was sitting at a desk, pondering over something she could see. Her eyes narrowed for a moment before she heard the footsteps again, she backed up slowly and silently into the shadows again and remains still. The steps were close now.

Glancing back over her shoulder she could seeing a woman coming down the hall towards the door. From the angle she saw her, the woman could be no taller then 5' 3" if even that. Despite her height she was obviously a fully grown woman, attractive in her own way. Her creamy pale skin glowed in the moonlight that reflected through the windows as she passed them, her eyes were an almost jaded blue color and her hair a rich blonde. She was dressed in a unbelievably tight leather outfit, made up of a pair of black leather pants and vest that fitted her form so snug it was obvious to tell definitely wasn't wearing a bra...not that she needed it as tight as the leather vest was. Overall she had the body of a runway model, and carried a smug air about her that went along with it.

Aura looked up at the woman in disgust, woman like this one always annoyed her probably mostly due to the fact that they were so caught up in themselves that they took life and people for granted. Even Aura had her morals and that was one thing she never did...and hated when others did.

Shaking her head she watched the woman pass by her and enter the room. After she entered Aura moved closer to the door and peeked around the corner to see what was going on inside...not that she cared of course, but still she looked.

Calien glanced up from his desk, upon hearing the woman enter the room. Staring at her form as she sauntered in, a sly grin slipped its way across his lips and his eyes twinkled in a mischievous manner.

"Ah Lucia my dear, you look absolutely delicious tonight...." His deep romaine accent carried through the air in a silkily way that seemed to send a shiver through the woman, who was returning Calien's grin with a lustfully one of her own.

Taking a few more steps into the room until she stood behind the chair he sat in, leaning forward she bent her head down and planted a teasing kiss on Calien's lips, her petite fangs grazing his lower lip a little, "Hmm...flattery will get you every where, my dear." She leaned back up and brushing a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear.

Aura stood there, eyes wide for a moment then narrowing dangerously at the sight before her. She felt many things, like hatred and loathing, but she also felt things she shouldn't have felt...like jealousy and betrayal. She cautiously and silently backed away from the door again, and sat there dumbfounded. Not understanding why she felt as she did. It didn't make sense, she had denounced the man in that room...over two centuries ago, even killed him herself...or at least she thought she had killed him. Though that obviously wasn't the case, for there he sat in that very room with another woman.

Her mind was jumbled with thoughts and emotions that she just couldn't take it anymore, she had to leave. Why had she stopped to watch anyway? It didn't mean anything to her....right? Shaking her head she stood once again and crept slowly towards the door, peeking inside once to only be sure that she wouldn't be seen as she crossed. Much to her luck and disgust, she found the two preoccupied in themselves, hissing in silent disgust she continued passed the door and down the hall way in silence.

Calien lifted his head from girls neck only a moment to glanced towards the door, he had heard something...he was sure of it. Upon looking he noticed something black with...emerald green eyes at the door? A faintly smirk graced his lips. "So my dear wife has finally left her bed, has she?" He without further thought, he turned his attentions back to the female vampire in his grasps.