Part 3
"Not bad, little one."
Dafne kept her eyes on the floor as her dark-haired master inspected her appearance. She was wearing a clean grey dress and her hair was up in a bun.
"What do you think, Nik?"
The blonde man moved in front of Dafne and touched her hair.
"There are few things you must understand before we will take you to your new master," he stated. "Look at me."
Cautiously she obeyed. He was smiling, but it wasn't a warm smile.
"Now, let's see how brave you really are, my dear."
Dafne's eyes widened as his face started to change. Black veins appeared under his eyes and his teeth became canine teeth. He was a monster. Instinctively she tried to back away, but the dark-haired man had moved behind her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. She was trapped. Her heart was pounding, but she didn't make a sound. The blonde man moved closer and leaned forward. His face was almost touching hers.
"Hmm, I can hear your little heart pounding," he hummed and touched her cheek. "Are you too afraid to scream?"
"No, master," she murmured.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you not crying out for help then?"
She swallowed before replying.
"No one would help me."
The blonde man stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter. His face was normal again.
"Smart girl," he chuckled. "Very smart girl."
The dark-haired man turned her around and lifted her chin. His face was also the face of a monster.
"This is what we are, little one," he said and took her hand, making her to touch his face. Her hand was shaking a little, but she didn't dare to pull it away. "We could easily kill you; there is nothing you can do to stop us. You cannot run or hide from us. Do you understand?"
"Yes, master."
He smiled and his face became normal again.
"Good girl. It seems that you really are a brave little thing."
"Yes," the blonde man said. "I believe we made a good choice."
Dafne was trying to process everything that had just happened. She had met monsters before, just not this kind of monsters. She held still and waited what would happen now.
"Our brother is also like us," the dark-haired man continued. "We brought you here to fulfill all his needs."
Dafne didn't shiver; she had learned how to control herself.
"You will feed him," the blonde man added.
"Of course, master…"
"No, not with food," he cut in and moved in front of her. "We drink blood. You will allow him to drink from you whenever he is hungry. Do you understand?"
It took a brief moment before Dafne understood what he was saying. They wanted her to…
"As long as you serve our family well, you have no reason to fear, little one."
She remembered Lorena's warning and nodded.
"Yes, master."
"We also have a sister, but you will meet her later," the blonde man stated. "She has… other things to worry about at the moment."
"Is she still crying over that hunter?" the dark-haired man snorted.
"She is crying because she betrayed us," the blonde man replied coolly. "She betrayed me."
His brother rolled his eyes.
"Yes and surely there is no greater sin, is there, Nik?"
The blonde man smiled.
"No, there is not." He paused and glanced at Dafne. "I would advice you to keep than in mind, my dear."
"Yes, master."
She most definitely was going to keep that in mind. At least now she knew what to expect. Hopefully she would be able to adapt.
"Your other duties will be the normal duties of a servant," the blonde man stated after a brief silence. "You will take care of our brother's needs, Lorena will teach you."
"Yes, master."
The blonde man smiled.
"Very good. I must say that I am impressed, I was sure that I have to compel you to behave."
That didn't sound good at all and she was going to do her best to avoid that, whatever it was. Some kind of flogging maybe? She had been flogged more than once, no matter how hard she had tried not to displease her master. It hadn't mattered; he had taken pleasure of her suffering. She truly hoped that her new master wouldn't be like that. Hopefully he wouldn't punish her for fun.
"Alright, I think you are ready to meet your new master," the blonde man said and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Come along."
Obediently she let him lead her to a closed door. The dark-haired man was right behind them.
"Elijah?" the blonde man said and knocked before opening the door. There was a man sitting at a table, he was writing something. Dafne noticed that the room looked a bit untidy. So did the man, it seemed that he hadn't brushed his dark brown hair or shaved for a few days.
"What is it, Niklaus?" he murmured without looking up.
"We have a gift for you."
Slowly the man looked up. His eyebrows furrowed as he noticed Dafne.
"What is this?"
"Your new servant," the dark-haired man replied cheerfully.
"I have no use for her."
"Oh come on now," the blonde man said and entered the room, pulling Dafne in with him. "Is she not of your liking?"
The man wasn't looking at Dafne anymore; he was looking at his papers.
"I told you, I have no use for her."
"Well, she will stay here either way. Kill her if you do not want her. Come on, Kol."
Dafne didn't move as the two men left the room, leaving her alone with her new master. He seemed tense, he wasn't looking at her. Patiently she held still until he finally sighed and looked up.
"What is your name?" he asked.
"Dafne, master."
"Hmm. I suppose my brothers compelled you to offer me your blood."
She hesitated for a brief moment before replying.
"No, master, they did not. They merely explained my duties."
He sighed again and shook his head.
"Why cannot they simply leave me alone… I do not want anything from you."
Dafne wasn't sure how to reply, she knew that she needed to be careful.
"I understand, master. May I clean your room?"
He waved his hand carelessly.
"Fine, go ahead."
"Thank you, master."
She started by making his bed and picking up some clothes lying on the floor. After that she went to get a broom and a wet cloth. Neither of them spoke as she worked, but she noticed him glancing at her couple of times. After she was finished, she asked could she brush his hair. He looked surprised for a brief moment, but he agreed. They were both quiet again as she concentrated on his hair.
"I suppose I can understand why they chose you," he finally stated. "Your scent is very…pleasant."
"Thank you, master."
Suddenly he grabbed her wrist, making her to drop the hairbrush. Slowly he stood up and looked at her. His eyes looked very dark, almost black. Somehow she managed to control herself, but she couldn't stop her heart from pounding.
"It has been a long while since I have fed," he stated. "It would be a lie to say that I would not be hungry."
She swallowed and nodded.
"I understand, master."
He looked at her for a moment before speaking.
"You are afraid. Did they not compel you not to be?"
"I… I am sorry, master, but I do not know what that means. Your brothers explained my duties to me; they did not…compel me."
"You are not compelled?" he muttered disbelievingly. "Then why on Earth are you not trying to run?"
"I…"
She had no idea what kind of an answer he wanted to hear.
"Your brothers told me that as long as I serve you and your family, I have no reason to fear."
He was quiet for a while, she was afraid that she had said something wrong. Finally he cupped her chin and lifted it until her eyes met his.
"Do you understand what kind of service they were talking about?"
She nodded.
"Yes, master."
He bit his bottom lip and touched her neck with his thumb.
"Well… As I said, I cannot deny that I am hungry. Do you allow me to feed from you?"
She nodded again.
"Yes, master."
His eyes darkened even more and the black veins appeared under them. His fingers caressed her neck as he wrapped his arm tightly around her and lowered his head. She flinched when his teeth pierced her skin. It hurt, but the pain wasn't intolerable. She had been through much worse. Judging by the sounds he was making, he was enjoying this. She concentrated on her breathing and kept her eyes shut until he was finished. Slowly he pulled away, licking his lips. He seemed very satisfied as he told her to take a seat and rest for a moment. He even smiled at her and tugged a stray hair behind her ear.
"Thank you, Dafne."