Feeling rather like a deer in a hunter's path, I nervously tested the ropes that held me, hoping against hope that they had somehow come loose. No such luck.

"So being the mate of a Nymph means feeling something of what they do. Probably a defence mechanism, so when they are in trouble their mates know." He smiled, something decidedly more disturbing than his famous smirk. Slowly Riddle approached the bed; his hand briefly touched my forehead before I jerked it away. "You're burning up, must be all that pure magic in your veins. What does it feel like, Mudblood, to finally have something truly magical inside of you?" I didn't answer, "It must torment you to know that the two people in the world who can provide you with true power are the ones you hate the most."

"L—Leave me alone." Finally words passed through my mouth.

Chuckling Riddle shrugged out of his school robe and placed it on the chair he had conjured before. Left in a pure white shirt and black slacks, he truly looked like a fallen angel. The flickering candle light making his cheekbones even more sinister and sharp only emphasised this. "You will learn to be more respectful to me, little Nymph."

At this I actually laughed a small hysterical laugh but a laugh nonetheless. "You might be my mate, but I can never respect somebody like you. You get pleasure from my pain, you're a monster and Malfoy is no better." This feeding from people was giving me courage, small and pointless bursts of courage.

Two hands slammed down on the mattress either side of my head, squeaking I pulled my face as far away from Riddle's as I could. "Be careful, I like this slightly feisty side of you, but my patience only goes so far." His hand moved from the bed to around my neck, it tightened causing my throat to constrict. "Nod if you understand." Frantically I did as he said; the last thing I wanted was to be subject to more torture. "Good," the hand released its tight grip but stayed where it was, slowly caressing my neck. Tilting his head Riddle moved his hand from my neck to my chin, applying just enough pressure for my mouth to open. "Hmm, your fangs are gone."

I hadn't even felt them slide away, my tongue touched perfectly normal teeth instead of the sharp points I had expected. "Maybe you aren't my mate, maybe only Malfoy is." It was a low blow, insinuating that Riddle was second best to anybody and he took it exactly the way I knew he would.

"I think we both know that I would only have to touch you in the right way," his finger slipped down my chin and neck, softly circling around my pulse. The traitorous body I now inhabited immediately relaxed, my teeth made a small 'click' as their more lethal companions slid back down. "There they are." Unconcerned with their sharpness, he touched them with the tip of his finger, pressing down just enough to cause a tiny drop of blood to touch my tongue.

My body jolted and my teeth snapped at the finger still daring to keep circling my fang. He drew it away faster than I could bite down. Chuckling, he softly pushed my sweaty hair away from my face. The same finger that I had pierced slowly trailed down the side of my face. Leaving a thin slither of blood down my cheek in its wake, I could feel it slowly drying.

"How is it you always look so beautiful covered in blood," he spoke as if he were in a daze. Green eyes looked into mine, then a slither of red swirled in them and he seemed to regain his senses. "Do tell me, how do I taste?"

The urge to lie was strong, but he would know, he always knows… "You taste like power." My tongue was still searching for the dangerous flavour he had left in my mouth. "Abraxas tastes like…" I tried to think of a word that fit, but only one came to mind. "Desire."

Riddle didn't seem concerned with my answer, if anything he seemed to lose some of the tension he carried so well in his shoulders. "Yes, Malfoy has always had that effect on women."

"No." I blurted out, not wanting to be misunderstood. "I—I mean, it wasn't my desire that I felt, I felt his desires." Blushing bright red I added, "for me."

Tilting his head, my tormentor smirked down at me. "You felt lust, Antoinette; I could feel it from even where I was standing." Going even redder I turned my head and looked at the wall, it was easier than looking at his 'know-everything' eyes. Gripping me softly under the chin he bought my gaze back to his. "You're afraid, terrified of what I will do to you…" He smirked, "as well you should be. But considering that I cannot touch you without causing myself to feel what you are feeling, it is hardly likely that I would force myself upon you." His finger trailed down my cheek, "eventually you will give yourself to me despite what you misguided sense of propriety might urge you to do… or not do in this case."

Riddle making a joke…

"Why are you doing this?" His motive made no sense, why force me to feed from him if it would tie us together forever. "I—I understood the torture and tormenting, you hate me and want to hurt me." I tried to ignore the urge I had to throw up at the realistic statement I was making. "But allowing me to feed on Malfoy… and wanting me to feed on you, I can't understand the reasoning behind it."

I could practically see the internal debate going on inside his head, probably about whether or not to kill me for my question.

"It's easy to keep somebody captive, you either lock them in a cell or tie them to a bed," he pointedly glanced up at the bonds keeping me in place. "Or you give them an incentive to stay. Now for some this might be money, but others it could even become love." Horrified at the idea of loving either of the Slytherin monsters my mouth gaped, he clicked it shut with a quick tap of his hand. "You however will stay of your own freewill, not because of love, but because you will need what we have flowing through our veins. You will crave our protection, as female Nymphs are apparently quiet submissive, and eventually you won't be able to stand the idea of not spending every night wrapped up around at least one of us." I went to question him further but he beat me to it. "Now the value this has to me is simple, you are a rare creature, possibly the last of your kind. You are invincible to what is probably every type of plant form poison, and you hold power in your veins that even you don't understand. But I will one day harness for my own plans."

I said the only thing that would come to mind, "You're wrong if you think I will help you kill Muggleborns."

He tisked at me, "You're forgetting you won't have a choice. All the pain I have caused you so far is nothing compared to what you will experience if Malfoy or I were to stop feeding you." My face must have showed my fear as he ran his fingers lightly through my hair, shushing me gently under his breath. "I hold all the cards, my little Nymph. Not only are Malfoy and I the only wizards in the world that can satisfy you, I also have the honour of protecting your little friend's dark secret. And then there is the fact that your boyfriend is one of my lesser Knights…"

I knew all of this already, and though I cared less for Jeremy than I cared to admit, I couldn't sign his death warrant for the sake of my own rebellious wishes. My only chance was to do what Riddle said. For now.

"What do you want me to do?" my voice was small and weak; I hated the way Riddle's eyes seemed to darken in pleasure at the sound.

"Good girl," smirking he said a charm under his breath. By the time I blinked he was shirtless and leaning over me again, his thighs trapping my legs between them.

Calm, keep calm.

"You have already taken Malfoy's blood, which is good, but now you will take mine. I am curious to see what effect it will have on you, and how you taking it will affect me." There was a slight tugging sensation at my wrists and I was free, my hands started to cramp almost immediately. Hissing I clutched them close to my chest, willing the pain away. "So sensitive to pain," gripping my hands Riddle slowly massaged them with his, "and pleasure." The second I realized I was free my body started moving before my mind could stop it, a breed in instinct to escape the man near me.

Feeling me shift into flight mode, Riddle gripped my wrists tighter and slammed them down on either side of my head, caging me in with his body. He didn't appear as strong as Malfoy outwardly, but I could sense the sinewy power he had. "So predictable," his fingers flexed around my wrists, "like a caged animal, always trying to escape."

"I was going to bite you…" as I spoke I realized how foolish it was to lie, he was probably reading my mind as I lay here. "Instinct!" I blurted out, "I—I can't fight the urge to run from you."

'Humming' under his breath, Riddle leaned in closer, if that was even possible. "I had best overwrite that instinct with another then." Slowly removing his hands he seemed to dare me with his eyes to move them. Coward that I was, I didn't. "Good girl." Petting my hair, he had unintentionally angled his wrist so it was in my line of sight. I could see his pulse moving, pressing the veins my 'other side' wanted so badly to sink her teeth into. My new teeth sank into place above the old ones, and my head tilted slowly towards the beckoning scent. "Ah, ah." Riddle moved his hand, "I won't have matching marks with Malfoy."

"Where," I breathed deep, trying to control my urges. "Where then?"

"Here," he touched his collarbone lightly. "The blood is purer and the bond will be stronger if you feed closer to the heart."

A small amount of sanity returned. "Why do you want a stronger b—bond?"

His eyes flashed to his finger, to that damned ring again, and back to mine. "Does it matter?" he questioned dryly.

Yes, yes it does. "No."

"Good." The air filled for a moment with awkwardness, which was strange considering Riddle was always so sure of himself.

"Can I move my hands?" it would be hard to bite him considering how far away he was. Nodding slowly he shifted above me. A knee nudged my legs apart and he lowered himself gingerly between my spread thighs. Hesitant for only a moment at the idea of touching him, I moved my hands onto his sides. Immediately the softness of his waist surprised me, my hands trailed up his ribs and back down again, momentarily mesmerised at the image of my tanned skin against his pale. I looked back at his face, shocked at the half lidded eyes staring back at me. Mumbling out an apology, I tried to concentrate on the task at hand. Pulling slightly on his waist, I forced him lower onto me and bought his neck close enough to scent. A pleasurable hum started low in my stomach, erupting out my mouth before I could stop it. Rather than be embarrassed though, I shifted closer to the smell of damp forest that seemed to resonate from Riddle alone. Nuzzling his neck softly, I allowed my 'other side' to take over. My lips slowly moved around his collarbone until I could sense the blood beneath the surface pooling. Tongue licking the area gently as a warning to Riddle of my incoming bite; then before he could change his mind, I opened my mouth and sunk my teeth in. The body above me stiffened and then shuddered, slumping down even further into my embrace. We both groaned as the first taste hit my tongue. Pure untainted magic poured into me, my fingers curled and a sharp pain erupted from them. Vaguely I noted that sharp claws had taken the place of my normal blunt ones and sunk their way into Riddle's back, if anything though they seemed to cause an even greater reaction in him. Growling he pushed even further into me, a hand gripped the back of my head and pushed my mouth further into him. I couldn't chastise him for it though, like I had done Malfoy, Riddle's manner was far to dominating for that. Instead I conceded and sunk my teeth in even further, his blood gushed into my mouth and though my body in a steady flow, and with it his magic.

"More," snarled Riddle, his other hand twining itself up in my hair and yanking my head. My teeth tore his skin. We might have gone on like this forever, had I not sensed a change in heartbeat, it slowed. I could have killed him in that moment continued feeding and be free of him forever. The second that thought came to mind my teeth immediately retracted, clearly my own body didn't trust me not to go through with what I knew might be the only way to freedom. Immediately noticing that my teeth were gone Riddle pulled my head back, glaring down at me he uttered only one word. "Why?"

"Your heartbeat slowed, I—I wasn't allowed to continue."

An internal battle seemed to go on in his mind, his eyes flashing from red to green quicker than I could track. Finally they settled on a deep red. "Nymph," he grated out, voice thick with a mix of desire and accusation. We were both panting hard, our chests brushing lightly through the cover I was still under. His eyes flickered between my lips and the hand he had tangled in my hair, "damn you," snarling he slammed his mouth down onto mine. Teeth and tongue pried my stunned lips open, and he slipped his tongue inside. Twirling it roughly around mine he seemed to dare me to have the courage to kiss him back, before I could change my mind I pushed back against his with my own. Roughly he commanded my mouth to follow his, biting my lips when I didn't or tried to take control. Tired of the blanket between our bodies he lifted his chest slightly and shoved it down to below my navel. Bombarded with new sensations I whimpered slightly into his punishing mouth, unsure if it was a cry for help or more. Either way Riddle stilled at the noise, his mouth left mine and I noticed that his mouth was stained red from his own blood. Panting harshly he tore himself off me, hastily I pulled the cover up. Sanity was slowly returning and I waited with baited breath for some curse to be cast my way.

Clenching his fists Riddle stood, almost frantic he picked up his shirt and threw it on, movements hasty and rushed. Finally clothed he stood with his side to me staring at the floor, fists still clenched he didn't spare me a glance as he stormed over to the door. Almost seeming to rip it from its hinges he opened it and paused in the arch, a final "damn you" was muttered from his lips before he slammed it closed behind him.