"There's nothing else we can do. We tried. She wants to be with him." Simon said, hands on Mary's shoulders staring into her eyes.

"I know, I know. I just have a feeling that something isn't quite settled." Mary responded.

"I'll tell you what. We'll stay in the little village down from the castle for a few days and see if there's any sign of Lauren being in trouble. If nothing happens after a week or so that we're here, we'll leave." , said Simon.

After thinking it over for a moment, Mary answered, "Ok, we'll stick with that plan. I just hope that I'm wrong and nothing bad happens." Simon nodded his head and hugged Mary.

This loving embrace reminded him of the hell they went through last time Dracula returned. It also reminded him of how in love he used to be with Mary. Oh well, thought Simon, I have Eliza now, nothing can change that.

Lauren's lips met his with the slightest touch. He reciprocated by pulling her body closer to him, deepening the kiss. As they pulled away, Lauren placed a hand on Dracula's cheek and said, "Thank you for not hurting Simon and Mary."

Dracula moved her hand with his own to his mouth and kissed it. "Your wish is my command. You have made the ultimate sacrifice to be mine and I will do anything for you. I am your slave, all I ask is that you love me." , Dracula said.

He paused before saying, "But, I still do not trust them. Him, I do not care about, he is weak. Mary, on the other hand, is strong, and does not understand the powers she possess, the powers I bestowed to her so long ago."

Lauren responded with concern, "What is to be gained from killing Mary, tell me that."

Noting the seriousness in her voice, Dracula looked straight into her eyes and said, "Mary could ruin us in an instant. Although she does not know it, she holds my future, our future in her hands. If she obeys your wishes to leave us alone, then we have nothing to fear." Lauren's eyes were filled with tears as she stared into the glowing flames in the fireplace.

"Do not cry, my love. All will be taken care of in time." ,Dracula said before kissing her passionately. Lauren's tears were soon replaced by moans as he removed her robe to expose her nude body. Her hands ripped off his robe in response as she explored his manhood with her hands. His body was illuminated by the light of the fire, and his eyes shone with lust. As they made love, Lauren laid there, thinking, Wow, it really does get better each time.

A nice warm bath is what I need right now, thought Mary. Mary and Simon had just arrived at the little cottage they were renting. The sun had not risen that day, for the rain and thunder had taken over the lonely village. Mary looked about her bedroom. Her bed was large and made of dark mahogany wood. On top of it sat an emerald quilt and gray silken pillows. In front of the bed sat an elaborate matching dresser with a large oval mirror adorned in gold. It reminded her of medieval castles and such.

Mary walked from her bedroom to the adjoining bathroom. This was the room she liked the best in the house. It had a marble sink, an old-fashioned toilet with the rope to pull to flush it, and a marble bathtub in the middle. The bathroom had a magnificent view of the castle. This made Mary think of Lauren. She almost wished that she had not listened to Lauren and just got her out of the castle, away from Dracula.

"Just don't think about it, Mary. Relax.", Mary said aloud to herself.

She slipped off her clothes and into the bathtub. The hot water instantly relieved the tension in her body. Mary stared into the distance at the looming castle before placing a washcloth over her eyes and sinking down into the water. She couldn't have been in there for more than ten minutes before she fell asleep. It wasn't long before she began to dream...

"Simon, what are you doing!" , Mary asked. She was still in the bathtub. Simon had walked in and removed the washcloth from her face. Simon looked her body up and down with a coy smile on his face.

His eyes still lingering on her exposed breasts, he said, "Mary, I know you still love me. All those years we dated and you never made love to me. Well, I thought right now would be perfect to make up for lost times."

Mary was scared. She didn't know what to do or say. This just wasn't like Simon. Mary screamed "No!" several times, but Simon had already lifted her out of the bathtub and tied her hands around her back with rope. He lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom and threw her on the bed. Mary began to cry, still screaming as Simon's hands were all over her body, groping, feeling between her legs with his fingers.

"Oh yeah, baby. You want it rough, don't you?" Simon said, panting. Just as he was about to enter her, Mary woke up. Nothing had happened. She was still in the bathtub. She flung the washcloth from her face and got out.

Just a dream, she told herself. After putting on her Virgin Records T-shirt and sweatpants, Mary went to go see what Simon was up to. She walked into his bedroom and saw his bathroom light on and figured he must be in there. Mary was about to leave, but she saw something that made her cringe. On his bed lay a rope...the same rope he had used to tie her up with in the dream.