Well, here's a new chapter - which happens to be part 2 of "Turned". I send my thanks to Journey Maker. Her review was so nice!

Yami's POV

I stood outside Arella's door, musing.

She has beauty, and beauty like hers should not be wasted, I thought.

Then with that, I made my decision and smiled insolently. Tomorrow night, I will make Arella my bride.

The next night, Arella opened her eyes and found herself in a room she had never seen before. But, indeed, everything about it seemed far more luxurious than anything she had known before, even in the books she had read one fine summer day before she started at Domino High School. The blankets on the bed were of a rich, heavy fabric that she thought were much warmer than the thin sheets at home. Red canopies were hung around the bed, and though they bothered her somehow – they felt too extravagant, and sinful in some way – she had to admit that they were beautiful. The wood on all the furniture in the room was of a dark wood, and was intricately carved.

A dress was laid out for her to wear, in a shade the color of dried blood that made her blink in surprise at first. In fact, it was the same color as the red stains she found on her nightgown. The stains of red, she realized with a shudder, had to be blood. How could they not be as such? There was no other possibility that would explain those stains anyway. With that realization, she quickly changed out of her nightgown.

But the red dress made her blush as soon as she put it on. She rarely wore red in the first place; for one thing, it was too eye-catching for her. And this dress was even worse, with a neckline that was almost too low to be acceptable anywhere but a brothel. The dress also only came down to a bit below her knees, and as there were no petticoats laid out with the dress, a wide expanse of her legs was left bare. Neither was a corset put there, leaving her feeling almost naked in only that obscene dress. But she supposed it did not matter, not really, if Yami was to be the only one seeing her.

The door to the room was locked, but there was food left in the room for her, as well as a book that seemed to be about the Undead. She began reading the book as she ate, and it soon became clear that this was that man – Yami – was, and intended to turn her into. As the realization of that overcame her, Arella could do nothing but lie on the bed, thinking. Two days ago, the thought of anything of this sort had never entered her mind. Her only worry had been being lonely.

Now she was locked in a room of a mansion somewhere in Transylvania, wearing a dress she would have been ashamed to wear anywhere else, waiting for the sun to set and the man who imprisoned her here to return to turn her into a monster who would be damned for eternity.

She finished the book quickly, and imagined having to live off human blood every night and never being able to see the sunlight. And always the image of Yami was in her mind, which terrified and thrilled her - all at the same time.

No one else came to her room all day, neither to bring more food, nor to speak to her. By the time the sunset came, she was quite hungry from having only one, rather minimal meal that day, and beginning to wonder if she had just been left to stay in the room forever. But, a few moments after the sun had set, the door opened, and Yami entered. Arella froze, not sure how to react.

He spoke as if this was a completely ordinary situation. "Good evening, Arella. I trust everything has been serviceable?"

She nodded, not sure what to say or how to reply. When she did not speak, he spoke again, a command in his voice this time. "My dear, please stand. I would like to look at you."

Arella hesitated for a moment. She wasn't used to being treated like an object, and she didn't like it, but she supposed that was what she was. It was up to him to do as he pleased with her.

She stood, though hesitantly, her head lowered. She was unable to meet his vivid crimson eyes. But he lifted her chin with an icy fingertip, forcing her to look at him. And then he leaned in to kiss her.

She had heard that kisses sometimes were chaste, proper for two young fiancées. This was different. It was dark, sinful, heady and filled with passion. When it ended, she was left gasping for breath as though she had forgotten to breathe while kissing him. At her reaction, he smiled.

"You see what I can give you?" Yami whispered to her. "You will have an eternity at my side, and do you not think you could fall in love with me in all that time, and far more deeply than you ever could with someone else? It would be pure bliss for us both, Arella. You would be my companion, my favored one, always at my side."

She finally found her voice; her words were slow, and in some ways she was talking more to herself than to him.

"This seems so unreal... like a dream of sorts... and in dreams there is not such thing as guilt or infidelity… no such thing as sin…"

She looked straight into his eyes.

"Even if this is a dream, then I know that... when I am around you I feel something completely different from what I feel whenever I am around another person..."

She hated herself for her words, knew they were wrong and awful. And yet, she knew she was telling the truth, and she would be with him for eternity. Wasn't she allowed to enjoy that somehow? But still her words were choked, hesitant.

"Your voice, your touch... they thrill me... I do not, cannot believe this is love, but perhaps... maybe in two hundred years... it could be so."

She took a deep breath before speaking again.

"So take me. Make me yours. Bind me to you for eternity, and if this is a dream, then I will simply awake and need not feel guilt."

She heard him whisper, "Yes."

After yet another moment of silence, Yami then added, "... You see, Arella, you are mine and will forever be. I love you and nothing will ever change that. I can't stand… No, I will not stand for another man to touch you. I can't even imagine it. Nor will I make it become reality."

One of his strong hands removed themselves from her wrist to stroke her cheek softly, his lips inches away from her own.

"As I told Dracula, Arella, you can never escape me. Never," he whispered, his breath washing over her face, smelling a bit like sweet cinnamon. Her eyelashes fluttered closed as he pressed his lips over hers, kissing her sweetly.

He was right; as much as she didn't want to admit it, she could never escape from his grasp. She was an angel tempted by the fallen into their web, their cage…

Her free hand traced the line of his jaw before burying it in his hair. Biting softly on her lower lip, he snaked his tongue into her sweet mouth, tasting her, playing with her. She moaned into his mouth, betraying how much she enjoyed it, while he hastily took off his pants and boxers.

His other hand was unzipping the dress she wore, desire fully taking over him; the need to be inside her body drove him onward.

Arella turned her head slightly upward, a blush staining her cheeks as a warm, moist tongue sensually trailed down her neck and to her collarbone, biting at the tender flesh beneath as he removed his other hand from her wrist to help in freeing her from her garments.

After his jeans were thrown unceremoniously to the floor, he nuzzled the side of her throat before slowly slipping inside of her, causing a sudden gasp to escape her kiss-bruised lips, her hands wrapping around him as he plunged into her again and again, going from a slow, hard pace to a rapid change of pace, pure sensations controlling their actions.

"... Y... Yami..." she whimpered silently in his ear, sending him to the brink. She was already there, poised, her euphoria taking her into a sensation she long wanted to feel. And she was granted that.

Gasping her name as his release finally took place, he collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily, a satisfied smirk upon his handsome features, sweat running down his forehead and lithe body and so was she.

Then Arella spoke. "Yami?"

"Yes, love?" Yami asked.

"I've decided that I'll be your bride."

Yami's smirk turned into a true smile. "Of course, Arella. I somehow knew you would say that. You're beautiful."

He grinned against her soft skin and allowed his lips to glide down to where her pulse beat softly in her throat. Then with one final grin, Yami sank his fangs seductively into her throat and drank deeply.

Well, I hope you liked this chapter as much as I did writing it. Be sure to give me some ideas as to what should happen in the next chapter as well, please. (I could sure use some.) If you do, I might use them and list your name in the Author's Notes at the beginning of the chapter.

And as usual, nice feedback is very much appreciated, of course. :)