You're woken by someone gently shaking your shoulder. Your mind takes a while to register this however, as you're beyond exhausted after last night.

Yet again, Sebastian had kept you up for most of the night, his appetite as insatiable as always. You've lost count of how many times you'd climaxed last night, but you're certain it's the most you've ever finished in a single night. All you want to do today is stay in bed and recover, but clearly someone else has other ideas.

You open your eyes slowly, blinking a few times as your eyes adjust to the brightly lit room. You can just about make out the figure of the person who woke you; Sebastian.

You smile sleepily at him. 'Morning.' You grumble out, words difficult to form in your sleep-deprived state of mind. You hear him make that little noise that accompanies a smirk, and he leans down you give you a quick peck on your lips.

'Good morning, my sleepy little playmate. I'd ask if you've slept well, but I know you haven't had much sleep; I saw to that.

'I've make you breakfast in bed. I hope it's to your liking. I'd also like to remind you that you're due to see the Undertaker today, but I'm sure my Young Master would be willing to reschedule the appointment if you're not feeling up to it. I myself rather like the idea of keeping you in bed.' He licks his lips, and your legs squirm subconsciously. How can you still want him, given how exhausted you are? This man will be the death of you…

You somehow manage to sit up, despite your body protesting against such movement. You take the tray of food from him; bacon, eggs, and toast, with a cup of tea and a single red rose next to the plate of food. The rose is a sweet gesture, one you hadn't thought Sebastian capable of up until recently. It seems as if he really has turned a corner…

At least, you truly hope he has.

Still, you find it hard to fully trust his new attitude towards you. You can't shake the feeling that he's still manipulating you somehow. Your mistrust isn't the healthiest of attitudes, and you're trying to change it. Still, given Sebastian's past treatment of you, altering your attitude isn't easy.

You shake of your thoughts. Now isn't the time to start questioning Sebastian's motives. It's going to take all of your energy just to put one foot in front of the other today.

Sebastian smiles as you begin eating. 'I'll have a coach ready for when you wish to leave. Also, feel free to linger in town as long as you desire. I'm sure you still have a little money left over from the other day. Why not treat yourself again? Should you wish to procure some more exciting underwear, I certainly shan't protest…' his smile turns licentious, making you squirm again. You get the feeling you're in for a repeat performance later tonight…

Sebastian leaves you to eat your breakfast.

-t/s-

It's a little past noon when you finally arrive in London. You'd decided to have a wash after breakfast, not wanting to face the Undertaker still smelling of sweat and sex. By the time you were finished with your post-wash preening, it was far later than you'd intended. You were somewhat concerned that Sebastian would scold your for your tardiness, but he hadn't. Instead, he'd given you a quick peck on the cheek and a promise to see you as soon as his master dismissed him for the night. You'd reminded him that he'd technically be seeing you upon your return, as you'd be carrying information for the Young Lord. He'd winked at you in response, once again reinforcing your suspicions that tonight is going to be just as taxing as last night.

Right now, you're not sure you'd have it any other way.

You enter the Undertaker's shop hesitantly, uncertain of how he'll react to seeing you. The last time you were here, you'd slapped his face! Surely he's not going to be pleased to see you…

Then again, it was him who requested your presence. He must want to see you, no matter what the reason behind it. You only hope that reason isn't revenge of some kind. Perhaps he expects you to offer yourself to him, just as you'd proposed on your first visit here. After all, forcing you to degrade yourself for him would be revenge indeed. It would also serve as a petty jab at Sebastian, whom Undertaker seems to dislike immensely.

'No way,' your mind screams at you. 'There's no way I'm going to let someone use me like that. If that's the Undertaker's price, then I'm not paying!' Then again, if you return without the information, then Sebastian will surely want to know why. You've already lied to him to protect Undertaker. Are you willing to lie again? Or will you let your efforts at keeping him safe go to waste?

You'll have to decide sooner or later; Undertaker has appeared.

He smiles at you, although you can't help but feel it's not a true smile. It seems as if there's great sadness in it…

You're about to talk, but he raises his hand in front of him, indicating you to refrain from speaking.

He uses the hand not currently raised to reach for something in his pockets, which makes you tense up. You know that he keeps his information elsewhere, so what is he looking for? Is it a weapon? Does he mean you harm? Your heart skips several beats, terrified of his next move.

He pulls out a bar of chocolate.

You can't contain the nervous laugh that slips out. There you are, getting all worked up over confectionary. He approaches you slowly, giving you the opportunity to speak at last.

'For a moment there, I thought you were going to draw a weapon or something!' You say, nervous laughter still present. From what you know of him, you're expecting him to produce a small giggle of his own. Instead, the weak smile that he had been wearing has completely faded, his expression becoming completely serious.

'I'm not Sebastian. I'd never lay a hand on you, not like that.' You can hear the absolute sincerity in his voice, and start to feel guilty for thinking so low of him. After all, he's the only man who's ever taken the time to help you without asking for something in return. Even if it did involve him creeping into your bedroom…

He finally stops, his body mere inches away from you. He hands you the bar of chocolate. 'I wanted to apologise for the other night. It was inappropriate, me sneaking into a lady's room like that. I just couldn't stand to see you suffer like that. I swear, I never intended to offend you. I only hope that you'll forgive me for it, even if I can't promise it won't happen again.' You stare down at the chocolate in your hands, thinking about what he's just told you. He sounds contrite, although that last bit indicates that he's not quite as sorry as he maybe should be.

You eventually look up at him, trying to figure out where his eyes are on his face so you can look at them, even if you can't see them. Your half-tempted to sweep away his fringe, but stop yourself for fear of offending him. You settle for guessing where they are, and smiling at him. 'I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have hit you. It's just… I was afraid for you.' The Undertaker tilts his head in curiosity.

'Afraid for me? How so?' He seems genuinely curious. Does he really or understand just how possessive Sebastian is?

You sigh, trying to find the words to explain your concern. 'Sebastian is very… attached to me. The last time a man other than him entered my room, he took it out on me. You saw the evidence of his rage the day we first met. I don't think he was angry at me, though. I think the only reason he took it out on me is because he couldn't risk harming one of Lord Ciel's staff. But if he found out it was you who snuck in…' you trail off, unable to think of anything else to say.

Undertaker considers your words carefully before responding. 'You seem to forget, my dear, that I am the Little Lord's primary source of information. Sebastian is hardly likely to harm me. I fear you would have been the target of his ire yet again, and for that I apologise. I should have realised he'd do something like that to you again, given how I witnessed it the first time.' Hang on, what? He witnessed it? Does he mean the marks on your legs? Surely he must.

The Undertaker shifts awkwardly. 'Ah, I probably should have mentioned this sooner, but I'd actually seen you before we met. I'd hear rumours that a demon had taken a human mate, so I decided to investigate. After all, it was once my job to keep an eye on such things.' Well, this isn't a conversation you thought you'd be having today. Not only has the Undertaker confessed to spying on you and Sebastian, he's also insinuating that he's not human either! Unless the government know about demons, and he's a former agent?

You need clarification. 'Who did you work for?'

Undertaker clears his throat. 'I belong to a race known as the Grim Reapers. It is our sole duty to collect and catalogue he souls of every human that has ever lived, still lives, or is yet to live. To that end, we monitor demon activity, to ensure that these most precious souls do not end up as a feast for noxious beasts such as Sebastian. I once held particularly high standing within our race, until I decided to retire. Still, that doesn't mean I haven't retained my sense of duty. Few reapers know the truth behind demon-human pairings. They assume nothing much will come of them. We both know that they are wrong, don't we my dear?' His answer is not what you were expecting, although you manage to digest the information fairly quickly this time. Why do you always seem to attract the attention of men who aren't human? Well, technically your husband was human, although that's a bit of a stretch really…

Still, one thing has you confused. 'What will come of me and Sebastian? I know he's mentioned children, but surely you're referring to more than just that?'

The Undertaker scoffs. ''Just that'? Clearly you've never met demon spawn before! Nasty little things, nothing like human children. You're right though, I do mean more than that. Has Sebastian explained to you what happens to your soul after the ritual is complete?' You shake your head. 'Can't say I'm surprised. I doubt you would have agreed to it, if you knew the truth beforehand. You may want to sit down, my dear. This is going to be a nasty shock.'

You shake your head. 'I'll be fine. Just tell me the truth.'

The Undertaker takes in a deep breath, clearly hesitant. Nevertheless, he soon start talking. 'The point of the ritual is to corrupt you to the point where you're no longer human. Well, you'll still be human in appearance, but in essence you'll be something else. You'll be hollow, devoid anything remotely human. You'll exist solely to please your demonic master, bound to him for the rest of your mortal life. When that life finally ends, your soul shall be sent into his realm, where he shall keep it locked away, a slave to his desires for eternity.

'At least, that's what I've heard. I've no way of knowing for certain if that's true or not. However, I do know for certain that the ritual will change you. Tell me, have you become more… assertive lately? Has Sebastian started showing some degree of kindness towards you?' You're taken aback by his questions, especially given the bombshell he's just dropped! Seriously, who asks questions after telling you that your soul is doomed?! You want to start crying, but the tears simply won't fall. It's as if your body is refusing to show any sign of weakness.

Instead of trying to shed nonexistent tears, you decide to get angry at him. 'How dare you? How dare you tell me something so horrible, then switch to asking questions as if nothing happened?! If you're right, this changes everything! I demand to know more about the ritual! Tell me everything you know!' You're shouting now, unable to control your volume. You expect the Undertaker to back off, to walk several steps away for fear of being hit again.

Instead, he inches closer, his body practically touching yours. He puts his hands on the tops of your arms, thumbs rubbing your body through the sleeves of your dress. He smiles a little as he speaks. 'It may have been careless of me to ask those questions, but you have given me the answers without speaking them. His essence is making you more demon-like with each passing day. Soon you will lose all feelings of compassion, empathy, love… meanwhile, while Sebastian is pouring his cruelty into you, your perception of him shall change. You'll see him at his weakest, all of his hatred seeming gone. That persona is a lie. As soon as he's finished corrupting you, his own dark side shall resurface with a vengeance. He'll no longer have a place to store that dark essence of his. Instead, it shall fester inside of him, just as it always has.

'I implore you, get out while you still can. I understand that you don't trust me enough to let me help you, but please, at least consider what I have to say. If the thought of me helping you is truly worse than the thought of staying where you are, then find another man to help you. That cook at the manor seems to have a crush on you. If you explain your situation, he might be able to help you. Please don't throw your soul away like this.' You can see a tear gliding down his cheek, the passion in his voice clearly genuine. However, you can't be sure where that passion comes from. Does he truly care for you, or is he only doing his duty as a 'Grim reaper'?

You back away from his touch. 'I think I'd like to leave now. What do you want in exchange for your information?' You're almost afraid to ask him after that, mind certain that he'll want exactly what you'd suspected earlier.

Undertaker doesn't say a word as he walks over to his desk. He removes a file from one of the draws, before walking back to you with the document outstretched. You take it hesitantly, unsure if he's offering it to you or not. He doesn't pull it away from your grasp, but he doesn't let go of it either. Instead, his grip remains firm, clearly waiting for payment. You wish he'd just tell you want it is he wants from you.

He tilts his head, causing his bangs to slide away from one of his eyes. You gasp in surprise; it's beautiful. A mixture of both green and yellow, with an entire ocean of emotions lying just beneath the surface. You'd happily spent hours gazing into it, mesmerised by its unquestionable beauty…

His one exposed eye looks straight into yours. 'There is only one thing I want in exchange for this. Consider what I've told you today. Think on it, and decide once and for all if Sebastian is what you want. If he is, and if you're truly comfortable with your fate, then I shan't intervene. I may have gone against your wishes and helped you the first time you rejected my offer, but not this time. As much as I want to help you, I won't force you into accepting said help.

'If you decide that you no longer desire to be Sebastian's 'mate', then let me know. All you have to do is leave your window open. I'll take that as a sign that you need my help. Either way, the choice is yours. That is the price of this information.' You consider his price carefully. Technically, you could lie to him, tell him that you'll think things through without planning to do so. Part of you thinks that you should do just that. But there's also a part of you that can't lie to him, not after he's tried so hard to help you. Even if you don't decide to accept his help, he's at least tried. How many other have done such a thing?

You nod your head slowly. 'Alright, I'll think about it. But only if you swear to stay true to your word. Don't interfere unless I ask you to.' He drops his hold on the document, allowing you to take it properly. His eye is still focused on yours, almost as if he's staring into your soul.

'You have my word. I'm still going to request that you collect information from me, though; I have no desire to see Sebastian's face ever again, not after what he's done to you.' He gently caresses the side of your face, the touch surprising enough to break the hold of his gaze. You turn to leave immediately, rushing over to the door until you realise you've forgotten something.

You turn your head and smile at him a little. 'Thank you for the chocolate, Undertaker.'

He smiles back at you. 'You're welcome, my dear.'

You leave the shop, and jump straight into the carriage. You tell the driver to take you straight back to the manor.

If what you've been told is true, it means that your lover has been keeping secrets from you.

Secrets you intend to discover now, before it's too late.