A/N – This chapter is pretty dark. Fair warning to those who are squeamish, Crowley takes the gloves off...

To quote a well-known movie. "Here there be monsters..."

Crowley was well on his way to drunk, and for being a demon, that was saying something. He was somewhere beyond furious, way, way beyond. This small woman in front of him tested every molecule of patience that he possessed or ever would. Somewhere in the back of him mind, he knew seeing her right now, like this, was a very, very bad idea. He crushed that voice mercilessly.

He felt her tense but before she could resist, he pushed her down into one of the plush chairs by the fire. He slammed back the rest of the whiskey in his glass and took a deep breath to steady himself as he set it down on the table nestled between the chairs. Placing his hands ever so gently on her shoulders, he leaned over and inhaled her sweet scent. He detected just a trace of the angel's smell and he growled.

"You know I can smell him on you. The stench of your precious angel." The fire's heat intensified with his rage. He could hear her heart begin to race. Tightening his grip, he could feel her tense in pain as a whisper of a groan made its way out before she could stop it.

"Crowley.." Thea started.

"You should know that I do not share." He cut her off sharply. Caressing her throat, he felt her swallow involuntarily.

To her credit, Thea didn't make another sound. This only served, however, to further anger Crowley. He let his hands drop and he circled her, eyes predatory, searching for an opening, no matter how small. He studied her, noticing how she kept very still, as if she sensed the danger. Her eyes were on him, watching, but she was careful not to make eye contact. Back behind her again, he grabbed her by the back of the neck, ripping her out of the chair. Now she struggled against him, instinct taking over, as she tried to free herself from his grip.

"You test my generous nature." He purred, fully back in control and with a small effort had her hands held in an iron grip, he stepped them backwards to the wall beside the fireplace. The fire had calmed somewhat, so she was no longer in danger if being singed - by those flames at least.

Moving her hands to above her head, he forced her up on her toes so they were eyes to eye. He slowly let go of her hands, making sure they stayed put with a thought. Caressing her face with deceptive softness, he wrapped his hand around her throat and started to squeeze.

"Please," Thea managed to whisper with what little air Crowley was still allowing her to get. He moved even closer, so that they were touching chest to hip. Just like when he had appeared on her and the angel. He growled and cut off her air completely, watching as she bucked against against him. Just as she was about to pass out, he loosened his grip, raising an eyebrow as she gasped for air, their faces just inches apart. "Please," she started again. Gasping as he suddenly released her and stepped back. Keeping eye contact, he slowly removed his coat and tie. Smirking as her eyes widened at the sight of it as he laid it over the arm of the chair. Her eyes widened farther as he then removed a switchblade from his pocket. Flicking it open, he set it temporarily by the tie. Moving with a bit more purpose, he removed his belt and opened his shirt.

Picking up the knife again, he noticed how Thea's eyes flickered back and forth between it and him. Moving quickly, he pressed her against the wall, holding her there with his body as he inserted a knee between her legs. Placing the hand without the knife next to her head, he watch her shiver as the he ran the point of the knife slowly across her stomach and up between her breasts coming to a rest in the hollow of her throat.

"Kitten," he breathed, "think very carefully about the words that you chose now." He watched as Thea bit her lip, swallowing slowly as the point of the blade rode the hallow of her throat. "The honeymoon is over, and I'm afraid you may not like what is coming next." He shifted ever so slightly.

"What were you going out there in the woods, today? Other than finding dear Cass's tonsils for him?"

"I..." Thea let out a gasp as the pressure on the blade increased, just on the edge of breaking her skin. "I just needed to clear my head, make sense of a few things. I asked Cass to appear, I didn't actually expect it to work." Crowley decreased the pressure on the knife against her throat, pulling back from drawing blood, as he pondered this. She was telling the truth.

"Why Cass? Why not me?" He asked cocking his head to the side, studying her. Feeling slighted, but knowing that she still was holding back something.

"Because you may not lie to me, but you don't tell me the truth either. I'm stuck in the middle of something that I don't understand, and I'm afraid."

"When you need to know, I will tell you." He hissed. She was digging again. How many warnings can he give? Perhaps it is time to step it up a notch.

She opened her mouth to protest and he shifted the point of the blade, drawing the faintest line of blood. Stilling instantly, her eyes went wide.

"Shhh..." He cautioned, placing a finger on her lips. "Since my previous attempts to get you to learn who is in charge have not worked, let's see if this does..." Brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face with gentle fingers and tucking it behind her ear Crowley leaned back to admire his captive audience.

"This is not going to be pleasant for you. I'd advise you to focus and pay attention and you may just make it though."

Slowly moving the knife down, he easily cut through the thin fabric of her t-shirt. She tried to shy away but he arrested any movement by pressing his hips into hers, letting her know without a doubt how much he was enjoying this.

"Oh darling, there will be plenty of time for some rough and tumble later." Flexing his hips into hers for emphasis.

"Bastard." Thea spat, realizing too late her mistake, was prevented from even doubling over by her hands above her head, she absorbed the full force of the fist to her stomach. Gasping for breath, he watched as she hung her head down.

"That's my girl, I was wondering when the claws would come out." Crowley snarled as he slammed her head back into the wall.

Watching as her eyes flashed, "Bite me." She snarled.

"With pleasure." Licking his way up her neck and sweeping away the blood that had beaded up on her neck, he nibbled up her jaw line, then back down to the spot right where her neck and shoulder meet. Just as Thea started to relax into his touch, he bit down.

"Fuck." Thea bit out a curse.

"The mouth on you love," Crowley smirked. "I hope you remember your manners, because its high time you visited my office. The real one, not the one the PR department has me keep."

Stepping back, he looked Thea up and down with a satisfied sneer. Her shirt was split, revealing her toned stomach and lovely breasts encased in a sinfully soft gray bra. The wound on her neck had stopped bleeding and the newly minted bite stood out sharply against her pale skin. "My how you look delicious..." With a wave he released her arms from above her head. The suddenness of the release caught Thea off guard as she stumbled forward right into him. Wrapping her wrists in the tie that he had put down just for this purpose, he had them bound in front of her in no time flat. Winding his arms around her back, he pulled it in close, trapping her arms between them. Again Thea began to try to pull away, but he just growled and pulled her closer, tighter. Kissing her roughly, he transported them to the outer rooms of Hell.

Eventually, Thea stopped fighting him, and as he broke the kiss he noted the flush spreading across her cheeks and the stubble burn on her lips and jaw. Damn, but she was beautiful. Now, where the bloody hell did that come from? Crowley shook his head quickly.

Grabbing her wrists, he pulled her behind him as he strode down the hallway to the chambers where souls, were tried, tested, and almost always found wanting. Entering the darkened rooms, he pulled her back in front of him and held her there.

"Do not move and do not make a sound." He warned in her ear. "Just watch."

There was movement in the darkness as two figure entered the chamber, unaware of their presence. The features were difficult to make out given the low light, one figure was down on her knees, futilely resisting. The other brutally beat her down and threw her on a tilted table in the corner of the room. Screams filled the air as the woman was strapped down and tortured in front of them.

Thea tried to turn away and Crowley wouldn't let her. Tears ran down her cheeks, wetting his hands as they held her face.

Eventually, the screams died down as the woman's vocal cords gave out and she could only scream silently. Thea watched in horror as the man continued to mercilessly torture her. Stepping backwards, silently, out of the room, Crowley steered her back down the endless hallways.

Stopping finally at a little used room in the back. He pushed her inside, watching as she stumbled and fell to her knees.

Ignoring her for the moment, he busied himself with re-familiarizing himself with the multitude of instruments on the table, taking the time to ease the storm of thoughts and strangle the unwanted emotions that were dulling his senses. It had been a very long time, longer than he cared to think about, since he had felt... anything close to this. He would almost think there were human qualities there, but that was impossible, wasn't it?

Once he was done with his little troublemaker, there was someone that he needed to see. He would have answers. Grabbing a familiar blade, he turned back to his prey.

Thea had not moved, head bowed, waiting for him to strike. He allowed himself to smile at that before grabbing her hair and yanking her back to her feet. With a swift cut, her wrists were no longer bound behind her back. Guiding her to the cold metal table in the corner of the room, he pushed her against it. Watching with grim satisfaction as she gasped when he contacted the chilled metal. Using his demonic speed, he had her hands locked in shackles above her head and her feet similarly restrained. Only then did she cry out and start to uselessly fight the metal.

Her strength faded quickly and then she was completely his. Crowley toyed with the knife, twisting it in his hands and letting it catch the light in the room. Letting the tips of the blade caress her exposed stomach he ran it in random patterns as he contemplated the many ways in which he could play with Thea. Too much was at risk for him to do too much damage, but he needed her to understand that he was capable. As he moved closer to the top of the table he noticed the markings on her right arm were fluttering and continuing to grow up her arm. Feeling a slight tickle in his left arm, he rolled up the sleeve to see his tattoo was mirroring hers. "Curiouser and curiouser..."

Putting more pressure on the blade, Crowley threatened to break the delicate skin on Thea's chest and was rewarded with a soft gasp of pain.

"Ahhh, now you are starting to get it..." He purred. Increasing the pressure, he watched as blood welled up on the shallow cuts. "...you are mine." He placed the blade down on the table with a dramatic clatter. "And you are starting to grasp what I am capable of."

"Crowley," Thea started to whisper. Only be sharply cut off as his hand once more wrapped around her throat. Squeezing a warning, he leaned in closer.

"Hush now love." Tears fell silently down her face as she struggled for calm, struggled to control the panic as he watched her realize that she was swimming in waters with sharks. And the sharks smelled blood.

Crowley worked without emotion, working to scare her, but carefully avoiding permanent damage. To his surprise and Thea's credit, he had to work to make her scream. But scream she did.

A small part of Crowley wished that he could be making her scream for more pleasurable reasons. However, his plans were too important, her role too vital, he needed her docile, but undamaged. There would be time later to pursue her for those reasons.

Finally, Thea's body and mind had given out, she lapsed into unconsciousness and Crowley worked efficiently to clean up the mess that he had made.

Carrying her to the large, soft bed, in his other office. The one that they had nearly broken before, he gently secured her so that when she awoke she would be held, but comfortable. Caressing her face as she slept, he wondered if she would ever forgive him. Shaking his head at that very human thought, the demon came fully to the surface as he disappeared back into the pit. He needed to see a man about a horse.

Moving with purpose, he entered an ancient part of the pit. Even he felt the malice and power that radiated from this part of hell. This was old, powerful, and only the stupid forgot that. There were things that even the King of Hell respected.

Stopping at the edge of a doorway with writing so ancient, Crowley knew that no human had every seen it, hell, there were only a few demons that knew what it was. It would be a mistake to cross the barrier, and Crowley was not going to make that mistake.

"We have been expecting you." A voice called from the darkness, smooth, clipped tones dripped danger, but lulled the listener in. Crowley nearly took a step back as the captive in the cell stepped into the light. Tall, thin, but powerful, the man was taller than Crowley and his blue/green eyes locked on to the King. Standing his ground, Crowley cut to the point, the less he spoke to the being in front of him, the better off he was.

"What the hell did you trick me into?" Crowley growled, exposing his arm and watching the lack of reaction from the man in front of him.

"What the Hell, indeed." The being smiled and chuckled, Crowley got chills as sinister laughter rang throughout the ancient halls.