Firstly, I just wanted to say a quick thank you for anyone who is reading this FanFic and supporting it so far by following the story, leaving reviews or even granting it a favourite. It's awesome! Anyway, I hope that you will continue reading and will enjoy this new chapter. Remember, reviews are highly appreciated. Thanks guys! Enjoy ~

It was the scream of scratching metal that awoke her, jolting the nord girl back into reality. Her eyes sprung open as quick as light, with the vivid bright colours of them glimmering when the orange glow of the room hit them. A horrid biting chill was nipping at her arms and legs, and sinking into her wrists as she moved her cold fingers. It took a while for her vision to adjust – still her sight was shrouded by that horrid grey mist, which prevented her from making out any objects and concealed any figures that may be lurking nearby. A small moan slipped from her lips, as her head continued to throb and tighten. That was probably the cause for her current loss of sight – that horrendous lancing pain at the back of her head, that is. So she absorbed her other senses.

Her arm rubbed against a rough toothed surface that felt like rock, and the more she twitched the more it scoured her skin. The coarse surface triggered toe-curling shivers to consume her whenever any exposed skin came in contact with it. A wall? She guessed it was either brick or stone, but definitely a wall of some sort. Where in Oblivion was she?

The ice stone floor beneath her was uncomfortable to sit on, and made it difficult to cease any fidgeting. The girl gritted her teeth and hissed through the tiny gaps, squeezing her eyes shut and bowing her head to her chest as the endured the pain for another moment. A sweet honeyed fragrance simmered by her nostrils. She almost smiled, savouring that sweet, fresh perfume of roses and spice. It surprised her. She expected to be plagued by a ghastly stink that would swamped her senses – the repulsive stench of blood and damp that would make her retch, popped into her mind. For whatever reason, she was expecting to detect that sort of smell.

When she opened her eyes again, slowly so that her long eyelashes fluttered like the delicate flapping of a moth, she could at last see again. She yanked her arms, but frowned when they stuck to their pinned position beside the stone wall. The chiming of metal rang through her ears like a siren. Apprehension shakily building up inside of her, she timidly scanned her arms and wrists with her glassy eyes. A short gasp sprung from her tongue when she saw the heavy metal chains swathed around her limbs. She yanked at her limbs harder in her moment of panic, grunting and gasping as she rocketed her body that was lashed on the ice floor. The ringing metal continued to tremor in the air when she moved, sounding almost identical to the chiming and scratching of shackles that are normally bond to a prisoner, or criminal. Was she a prisoner now, was that it? Was she going to die? Crumble to ash, with her body pinned to the wall? Where was she? How could she get out of here?

It was then, when it all flushed back to her, swooping towards her like a towering, treacherous tidal wave that would knock you into the air when the ice impact crashed against you. She remembered the cold, the rain and the inn. She remembered the cries of nords, the splashes of dark blood on the dark stone walls and those eyes! Her body trembled when that startling image was planted in her mind. She could see the eyes in her head, dark and bitter they were – blood red with a piercing orange glow around the sharp ebony pupil. She remembered the halls and dark corridors, and the cages in the ice dungeon. She remembered the dagger that she used to pierce the skin of one walking corpse, and how she had to fight –victoriously slaying three callous blood-suckers in the process - and that voice! That rich gilded voice that echoed through the halls. The voice that everyone grew silent to; one of the last voices she heard before…

"Ah, so I see you are awake," a heavy, rich voice declared, each word gliding through the air like melted gold, "good. I was beginning to think that blow to the head, had forever silenced you."

The girl bit onto her tongue, as she glared emptily at the grey tiled floor, almost retching as her stomach flipped and turned. She felt as if something was callously crawling up her throat, ripping at her insides and making her body sweat. She had a nasty feeling on what it could be, and the thought of it irritated her. Angered her even. She didn't want to emit, or even endure fear. There was no good to come of it! As she sat, with her knees cradled to her chest, her breath snatched away from her lips. Everything around her became clear. It would poking out at her, screaming and growling. To her right, plastered in splashes of blood, seemed to be a sort of bench, something that victims would be lashed onto and strapped down as unspeakable things were performed. Blood was splattered all over the floor around her, splashes painted on the stone wall behind her, and to her left, mounted on a long table, were several torture devices – also tainted with a deep red liquid, with blood dripping onto the floor, creating a horrid red puddle beneath the table that made it difficult for the girl not to gag. In the corner of the great room, was a cage - cold and horrid - making a wave of restlessness come over the girl as her swelling eyes rested on it. A torture room! Is this what this was? Her head snapped to the bench beside her, where she wondered why she had been lashed on the floor, instead of there – she did, after all slay three vampires.

The girl's lip trembled with disquiet, with the sting of tears pricking at her eyes and tear droplets brimming her eyelashes. She shook her head quickly; one crystal droplet spat out from her eye and soared through the air. She chocked on air, almost certain that her thumping heart was creeping up her throat, preventing her from taking in proper breath. Still fretfully restless, the girl bit down onto her tongue, in an attempt to cease any screaming that was desperate to erupt from her lips, gnawing onto her flesh with such force, that a splash of warm blood exploded in her mouth.

"It is not very prudent to self-harm, in the presence of a vampire." The gilded voice warned, almost stifled as he spoke, "The honeyed perfume of your blood, flushing across your tongue, is making it extremely difficult, for me not to seize you from where you stand and drain you of every drop."

The girl craned her head to the side, unable to prevent the twisted snarl that shrivelled her face as her eyes met with the mystery vampire who spoke, for the first time. He was quite tall, with strong broad shoulders. The armour he wore was extravagant, and almost appeared to glimmer in the golden light, provided by the candles that were speckled around the room. It was steel, around his torso, chest and shoulders, and then an opulent black leather swathed around his hips and legs, and a rich red leather around his powerful, robust arms. His armour even appeared royal! Perhaps it was…

His piercing eyes rested on the nord girl confined to the floor. They were truly captivating, but awfully horrifying, with the unnerving blood red hollowness, and the hypnotic golden glow that snatched the girls breath away. His skin was as pale as paper; his cheeks hollow and defined. His thick, dark beard was neatly shaped around his mouth, with a shadow of stubble trailing up his jaw. She couldn't tell now, but she guessed that his lush dark chocolate hair was quite long, perhaps even growing to his back? He was definitely handsome. There was something captivating about him… no! There was nothing of him! He was nothing but a filthy blood-sucking leech! He was probably old too. Old and wicked!

The girl viciously brought her eyebrows together and jolted her body on the floor, almost kicking the boot of the vampire that stood beside her. She rattled her chains and shook her arms and legs, grunting and growling through her clenched teeth. The vampire smiled with pleasure from her outlandish attempts to liberate herself from the chains that ensnared her. It was futile of course. The chains were too tight, and she was too frail, too weak, too much of a mere mortal to free herself from them. Not to mention she also looked a little pale. Probably hadn't had anything proper down her in days. An expression of panic flushed across the girls face as her fingertips rushed to her neck. Guess she noticed that her amulet was missing…

At last the riled girl's lips parted, and words spurted out from them, leaving her tongue as an annoyed growl, "Where's my amulet! Let me go now and give me back my amulet you spineless leech! If you wish to kill me, at least fight me like a man! Parasite!"

The girl initially expected the vampire to lunge for her - rip out her throat, wrench out her ribcage or crush her skull into powder. The girl actually raised an eyebrow when a low chuckle floated from his lips, sending shivers up her spine.

"I see," he began, still chuckling slightly between his harmonic words "that this little dragon has fangs. Was that your attempt to get me to kill you little dragon? Or an attempt to shroud your terror? Do not think of me as a fool mortal, I can smell the sickly sweet aroma of fear steaming off of your puny little body. I can hear the frantic rhythm of your racing heart rattling in your ribcage. I feel your blood, flowing deep in your veins, rushing to your heart and flushing to your head. I see your eyes have widened. Fearful? Yes, yes you are. Your heart has already quickened. You poor little thing." "Tell me, what is your name?"

"You first!"

"Very Well. I am Harkon, lord of this court. I presume by now, you already know what we are; what I am especially?"

"There isn't much to it." The girl snorted, throwing her foot across the ground and twisting her wrists in the cold chains, "you're a pack of boneless blood-suckers who feed off frightened, weak, innocent people who you snatch away in the night! There's nothing gallant, or noble, or great about any of you! If there was, you wouldn't be hiding away, wherever in Oblivion this godforsaken place is! You're nothing powerful! Nothing more than a leech! A pack of old leeches who all deserve to burn! Now give me back my fucking amulet, now!"

She couldn't stop the sharp squeal that erupted from her lips when the vampire, Harkon, flung his arm to her head, seizing a fistful of her tangled copper hair, roughly tugging on it and lifting her from the ground. The chains screeched and hissed as they scratched against the floor. With still one hand tightly clasped on the girl's hair, he bent her head backwards, exposing her pulsating pale neck. A whine slipped from the girl's mouth, with a tear droplet streaming down her cheek. Harkon couldn't help but chuckle, as he wickedly trailed his fingernail up the centre of her neck, slowly digging his nail into her skin. He could feel her trembling, hear the skipping beat of the drum in her chest. He could almost dance to the music her body was creating. He wasn't hurting her, this girl didn't suffer the fear of physical pain. She simply feared what he was. She feared his kind.

"Such hatred and hostility from a little lamb," he whispered, the heat of his breath triggering shivers to scuttle up the girls spine. "Now, I've told you my name; your turn."

"What do…"

"Ah, ah! That's not what I asked. Are you going to make me ask again?"

"What do you…"

"I do not have the patience for such games." Harkon hissed, yanking her head backwards even more and leaning his body closer to hers so that his body brushed against her torso. He continued his lips nearly touching her neck, "be still. This will sting."

A sharp wail sprung from the girl's lips, her body quaking in his dark embrace. He hadn't even touched her yet, his lips had not brushed against her skin; his fangs had definitely not yet pierced her flesh. He couldn't resist curling his lip into a sinful sneer, as he leant his head a little closer.

"Wait! Wait!" the girl pleaded, her body trembling like a lost child caught in the ice rain that came down like biting stones on her porcelain skin.

Harkon's lips stretched into a wider grin, with a low chuckle rumbling in his throat as he pressed his lips against the centre of her pulsating neck. Her skin was hot, like a blazing fire, and her smell! Much more intense, much more delicious; more irresistible, when this close. He could feel his own body trembling slightly as her enthralling perfume blocked his senses. The honeyed scent came at him in perilous waves that made it difficult for him to keep his fangs locked in his jaw. He inhaled her scent, taking a long, deep breath of her - savouring every aspect of the unique, desirable perfume she radiated, as she trembled in his grip.

"Arianna." She gasped, chocking on sobs that were frantic to burst. She continued, swallowing any snuffles that previously tried to escape, "My name is Arianna. Okay? Please..."

A single muted laugh jumped in the vampire's throat as he slowly loosened his grasp, now grasping onto her chin, tapping his nails into her skin and pushing her head to the side as he traced his tongue along her forehead, lapping up any droplets of blood that had clung to her skin from her previous ordeal. A stifled whimpered and growl quietly slipped from Arianna's lips as his tongue slowly ran across her skin. It made her shiver. She abruptly shook her shoulders, rattled her body; jolted her head, but he didn't move – he didn't even seem to be distracted by her movements.

Harkon felt as if his tongue was on fire, his taste buds exploding and juddering on his tongue. He trembled slightly as his blood sizzled in his veins, with his fangs poking out from his curling lip. Never had he experienced a taste such as that! He pulled away, gradually, snapping up any small sweet droplets of warm blood that had hung to his lip, unable to conceal his raised eyebrow and the look of desire painted on his face.

Harkon took Arianna's head in his fingertips, gently but firmly, gripping onto her jaw and shifting her head so that she was looking right at him. "So," he began, still quite taken back by the taste of her, "I believe, that you slain several members of my court. Three vampires was it? Tell me, how does a lone mortal, go about accomplishing such an act? There must be something within that aids you in your moment of need?"

Arianna scrunched up her nose and abruptly jerked her head from his ice grasp. Harkon didn't try to reach for her again, but instead stood studying the mortal, with a deepened curiosity brewing in his glowing sharp eyes.

"I can handle myself in the mist of any battle!" the girl spat, with a few singular spiralled strands of red hair falling to her face, "now let me go!"

"You are certainly in no position to be making any sort of demands, little lamb." Harkon teased, kicking his heel against the hard ground and strolling over to a throne that was a few feet away from them, sitting in front of the sizzling orange glow of the fire that was flickering like a flag in the wind, and spitting out sparks of red flame onto the floor. He twisted the throne with one hand, easily spinning it with the flick of his wrist so that it faced chained Arianna. Arianna snarled, jerking her body in the chains, trying to dash for the table speckled with possible weapons, but the chain yanked her back, making it impossible for her to take a few steps towards it. Harkon gave a chuckle, studying her with an attentive inquisitiveness as he sank into his throne, locking his eyes on Arianna's flustered face, with his arm positioned on the wooden armrest; with his finger resting on his bottom lip.

"Well, you're mistaken if you think I'm going to fall submissively to my knees and ask politely." the girl snorted, wrenching her arms in the chains and furrowing her brows as she snarled, barking at Harkon with ire slithering up her throat, "argh! Let me go! Give me back my amulet! Now!"

"What is so precious about that amulet? Perhaps I shall give it another look. I may even find a use for it."

"No! Give it back to me!"

"Curious, it wasn't an amulet of any divines. I do not care for such amulets, they irritate me greatly. It is such nonsense that someone will put all their derisory devotion and faith into a trinket of deceit. Such things are curious, and awfully ludicrous. Do you not think?"

"Give me back my amulet leech!"

"You know what else is quite curious, and oddly fascinating? The fact that you stand there, and persist on making a fool's demands, and you stand there…"

"Give me back my amulet."

"Acting as if not one ounce of fear flows through your body. It is nonsensical and quite pathetic, because I can actually sense, even taste, the horror that infests you, and I can smell it seeping out of your skin…"

"Give me it back."

"Yet you act, as if it is a sensation that does not corrupt you; does not make you shudder and sweat."

"Stop."

"Do you want to know when that horrid sentiment, the feeling of terror and horrid hopelessness, was the most pungent?"

"Stop."

Raising up from his throne, Harkon slowly strolled back to Arianna. She glared at the floor, twisting her cold wrists and gnawing onto her inner cheek. Harkon grinned, as he watched her body tremble slightly. He could see a droplet of sweat trickle down her back, sliding down her shoulder and sinking behind her clothes from her neck.

He continued, with Arianna refusing to look up, "It was when I came towards you. Reaching out my hand…" He did the actions he spoke, grasping onto Arianna's body as she jerked away from him with her erratic bursts of breath rasping in her throat, "with my body close to yours, so that I could hear your heart, your breath. Smell your scent, the spice of fear and frustration, and the intoxicating smell of your blood that I can feel now, flowing deep and fast in your veins." His body was close to her, with one strong hand locking onto her back, with his fingers shaping around her spine, and with the other hand clasped around her neck, seizing a few hair strands in the process, and yet again, wrenching back her head so that her porcelain neck was, again, on display for him. "I believe it was the anticipation, wasn't it? The endless torturous wait for it to be over. Awaiting the moment when my lips would touch your neck…" He did this as he spoke, leaning his head to her flesh, with his lip brushing against her skin; with his breath making her quake, and triggering a small whine to slip from her lips. "Waiting for the sting of my bite."

"P…please…" the trembling girl stuttered, stifled from the terrified whines that gathered in her throat.

"I know you don't fear death," Harkon began, pulling away and instead drawing circles the girls stretched neck with the tip of his finger, "I'm sure you would greet your death with ease. It is a great fear for some. You simply mention death, lock the word in a threat or warning, and they will submit, due to their piteous fear of passing. They cling so much onto life. It is probably what makes us so alarming. I have defeated life's greatest enemy, you see. I have conquered mortality; death cannot snatch me away in the forms of illness or old age. My very being spits in the face of death. It is something that will never come for me. But that is not what you fear, is it? There is something else you fear. Perhaps it's our kind? Your persistence in delivering these threats to vampires; your tendency to antagonize us, masks your fear… well, masks it for some. Although, you felt the sickly sensation of fear as soon as you laid your eyes on us didn't you? You act so brave and courageous here, in my castle, but I heard that you actually ran away when the group snatched you at the inn. Was it our speed, our strength; our eyes? Perhaps you're more fearful in my presence? Your body quakes in my embrace."

His grasp on Arianna became suddenly more firm, and a muted squawk erupted in her mouth when Harkon gruffly drew her body closer to his. "Does my bite scare you?" he teased.

The manner of which he spoke annoyed her. He was mocking her, purposely changing the nature and pitch of his voice just to provoke her. She jerked her arms again, she could barely move them. Breathing slowly, concentrating a lot on her breath, she bit down onto her tongue and snapped her head back to its normal position. "What do you want?" she mumbled, grinding her teeth to hold back the growl.

A chuckle rumbled in his throat, as he took hold of her chin and lifted her head. "Is that not obvious?" he goaded with a low snicker. "What are you?"

A wave of confusion swooped over Arianna, as she glared at the fascination in the vampire's eyes. "What am I?" she repeated, cocking an eyebrow and squinting her eyes, "what I am, is annoyed."

"Fearful don't you mean?" Harkon interrupted with a snigger. The look of irritation bubbling in Arianna's face amused him.

"Let me out of these fucking chains, Harkon."

"Is that a demand? I hope not, little lamb, for I will remind you that you are in no position, at all, to make demands in my presence."

"And when not in your presence?"

Harkon's red eyes widened, with his eyebrows lifting above them. They relaxed again when a soundless chuckle juddered in his throat. Did she really just say that? He was surprised that the fiery girl was so calm, possessing not just captivating looks or bravery, but wits and charisma too. How extraordinary.

"Perhaps if you behave," he began, gripping tightly onto Arianna's chin, in which a low growl slipped from her lips, "I will consider, loosening those chains."

"I don't want them loosened, I want them off!"

"Want, want! I'm afraid the only one who gets what they desire in this castle, he is me my dear. If you wish to acquire what you want, so desperately, you will have to persuade me to alter my conviction."

His eyes flashed to her neck, as he brushed back a strand of red hair behind the girl's ear, triggering shivers to rush up her body. A heavy gulp of air crawled down the girl's throat as she glared at the vampire in front of her. There was an unnerving hunger in his red eyes. A hunger that made her fidget. It took her breath away, and made the small hairs on her arms and neck stand up straight. A gasp sprung from her lips as the vampire leant his head to her neck. The prick of his facial hair on her neck, and the tickle of his head hair on her skin made her arms shudder. She found herself yanking her arms again, twisting her wrists and roughly wrenching her hands. The ice prick of the chain was making her skin burn, but still she hauled at them as Harkon took a heavy breath of her scent.

A predatory growl grumbled in the vampire's throat, making Arianna's vivid eyes dart to his direction. Harkon rolled back his eyes and pulled away, casting his cold eyes on the startled girl with a look of disdain to his guise. "You know," he growled, clicking his tongue and snapping his teeth together. With the shot of his hand he was at the girl neck. She squealed as his fingers coiled around her flesh, with a look of horror swelling in her distinctive bright eyes. He tugged her head closer to his, with his eyes burning into her own. "That constant rattle of your chains," he hissed, "is really…aggravating. Stop it!"

With the stretch of his fingers, Harkon dropped Arianna to the floor, and she crashed onto the ground with a thud, with the clashing of chains rattling in the room with a shrill chime that sprung off the ice walls. She could not prevent the bursts of dry coughs that exploded from her mouth, as she bowed her head to the floor, resting on her knees with her fingertips stroking her neck.

"What I want, Arianna," he began, with a growing impatience shuddering in his voice, as he toyed with the sharp tools on the table, "is your blood. Your smell is unique, alluring; extremely luscious smelling. It is something that is new to me. Something I desire to have; crave to taste…"

Arianna shuffled backwards on the floor, crashing her back into the wooden bench beside her, tugging furiously at the chains with her breath shaking in her throat. Her eyes filled up with fear; her heart thumping chaotically in her chest, as Harkon slowly swivelled round to face her.

"Don't come near me!" she screeched, shuffling backwards, still wrenching her arms in the chains.

"Ah," Harkon chuckled, swaying on his heels with an unsettling predacious manner as he slowly moved towards her. "That there, is fear. I can smell it. Crisp, enthralling and ever so sweet. But don't worry yourself little lamb, I'm not going to kill you."

Arianna let out a sharp scream as Harkon rushed towards her, zooming at her at the speed of light, and lifting her to her feet with one tug of her hair. She screamed, tears making her eyes glassy and streaming down her face. With a squeal she thrust her leg and booted the vampire in between his legs, quickly scurrying away as the stunned vampire growled and bent his body forward. She rushed around the bench, heaving furiously at the chains with panicked blasts of air bursting from her lips.

The low chuckle ringing through the air made Arianna cease her actions, in which she peered up, Goosebumps forming on her chilled skin and the hairs on her body becoming erect. The ghastly lump crawling sluggishly down her throat made her gag and tremble. But when her eyes scanned around her, her body began to quake, and a droplet of warm clammy fluid trickled down her skin. She couldn't see Harkon anywhere! Where was he? By the eight! Where did he go?

"You shouldn't have done that little lamb," was the chilling whisper that she trembled to. She felt the horrid sensation of breath hitting her neck from behind her, causing her teeth to clamp down onto her quivering lip. She wanted to speak but couldn't. Wanted to move but could not feel her limbs. She shuddered to the ice tear that rolled down her cheek. Maybe she shouldn't have done that.

With the flick of his hand lord Harkon spun Arianna's frozen body around to face him. Her chest and arms knocked into his torso, crashing against the shining steel of his armour, with her legs knocking into his. He took tight hold of her with his calloused hands locking onto her arms, but there was no need to hold her still. He could sense the fear on her, the saccharine fragrance of it simmered up his nostrils. But the one smell that really enticed him, was the smell of her. The honeyed spice of her blood. Inhaling her scent sent a wave of ecstasy over him, and made his throat burn like a roaring blaze with his mouth growing moist. But he grew curious when the scent of fear began to diminish. It was still there, he could sense it, but it suddenly became less overpowering. Perhaps there really was more to this girl than meets the eye. Shouldn't she, at this moment, be crumbling into despair, flooded with fear that would make her body tremble until she could barely stand? She wasn't. Why?

Arianna's eyes flashed madly in different directions, as if a troubled thought was racing through her mind - on loop, never to turn off. Harkon couldn't help but admire them. The hypnotic colour of rich, sapphire blue in one eye, and a vibrant, glimmering emerald in the other. Never had he witnessed eyes as bright or as vivid as hers, and the beautiful contrast between her glowing orbs, her vivacious fiery red hair and her porcelain cream skin, really did highlight her splendour and exquisiteness. He then found his eyes trailing to her scarlet lips, beautifully shaped and deliciously enticing. It was unsurprising that his eyes ended up locked on her neck, studying the shape of her collarbone, and of course, watching her heavenly vein pulsate softly beneath her polished skin.

At last Arianna snapped her head up to look upon him, with a strong assertion glowing in her vivid eyes. Harkon was taken back; actually stumbled backwards and froze with confusion, when the girl rammed her lips against his. Her lips brushed against his with a force and viciousness that was bittersweet to him, and the taste of her lips against his was erotic!

Arianna could feel a chuckle shuddering in Harkon's throat as she thrown her lips onto his, craning her neck and balancing on her tip toes - not until now did she realise how tall this vampire was. She initially expected his touch to be cold, like gluing your lips onto a block of steaming ice, but it was hardly the case. It was warm, captivating and gripping, and when she felt his firm grip against her back it triggered shivers to tremor up her spine, and scatter across the back of her neck. She found her mind swivelling with chaos when the vampire began to slowly pilot her body backwards, so that she stumbled on her toes, nearly tripping over his feet and her own with unrest.

Harkon hugged the girl to his body, brushing his hand up her back and gripping firmly onto her waist, tugging her body further into his so that he could feel her shape against his torso. As soon as the girl parted her lips, snatching a breath of air, he took the advantage, rushing his tongue into her mouth and wrapping it sensually around her tongue. It was electrifying to hear the girl gasp into his mouth; only arousing him more. The smell of her was so overpowering now, like a dangerous, roaring bright flame that could never be extinguished. The enticing spice of her sweet smelling blood was making his blood simmer. It created an otherworldly sting to lance at his throat. And the taste of her tongue; her luscious lips, was only enticing him more.

A sharp gasp erupted from the girl mouth, with her lips pulling away from Harkon's as the vampire swiftly broke the chains from her wrists with the flick of his hand, zooming his body and her body to a wall, slamming her back against it with a force that almost knocked the wind out of her. She barely at time to catch her breath before the vampire was back at her, shoving his lips into hers, with a much more frenzied sensual ferocity, so fierce and forceful that it made the girl's heart nearly burst from her chest.

A sharp cry of pain shuddered in Arianna's throat, with a warm liquid falling from her lips, and dripping down her skin. Blood! Had he… had he just bit her? She grunted with a pain that quickly lanced at her tongue, but the vampire didn't notice. She tried to pull away, anxious of what was to come, but his lips latched onto her. The tremor of his groan made her squirm, as he indulged on the hot fiery blood that was bursting from her tongue. She felt her body crumbling into him, with his arms crushing her further into his body. The sting of tears was making her wince – the blood seemed to stream down her skin with more thickness, and warmth, with red droplets trickling down her neck.

Harkon pulled away, droplets of blood dripping from his exposed teeth, and dribbling down his lip. Arianna snapped her head away but the vampire snatched it back, lapping up the droplets of blood from her lips and chin with a hissing sneer. With the tip of his finger, resting it below her chin, he slowly lifted up Arianna's head, glaring into her eyes with a smirk, as she gazed back, scowling with her lips screwed up into a snarl.

With still that fierce, fiery expression of hostility brewing in her eyes and distorting the shape of her lips, Arianna threw her now free hands to Harkon's head, grasping roughly onto the back of his skull and neck, thrusting her body closer to him with her mouth lunging to his lips. Harkon shoved his body into her, clasping onto her back and stroking the leg that brushed up his waist with the tips of his fingers.

Arianna danced on her toes, cautiously rotating their bodies away from the wall, and instead treading to the direction of the door. Her breath snatched away from her when she felt the slam of stone against the back of her legs, with stone knocking into her bottom and back. She managed to tug her lips away from Harkon's, snapping her head to the side, with her quick eyes scanning the table she was now pinned onto.

The stone table was cold against her back, and the dampness of it sent shivers to rush up her spine. She hoped that she wasn't sitting on any droplets of blood. She shuddered to the thought. Her body flinched to the chill of the vampire's touch, sweeping his hand up her bare skin, brushing up the shirt she wore, with his fingers trailing along her waist. The bitter air nipped at her exposed stomach, and made a blanket of shivers mask her skin. Arianna gritted her teeth when Harkon threw his lips from her jaw, to her neck. The echo of his deep inhales made her shoulders twitch, and triggered her arm to stretch across the table.

She could just about feel the wet, chilling sensation of his tongue lavish her skin before she managed to wrap her stretching fingers around a weapon. She had no time to check what it was. A grunt left her lips, with a fierce growl erupting from Harkon's as she quickly plunged the weapon into his waist, giving her enough time to scramble off the table, snatching a weapon and holding it to her chest as she darted for the door. She looked to down to her hands, snarling when she realised that she had picked up a pair of blood-stained scissors. Out of all the things, she picked up that! Her hand clutched around the ice door handle, in which she tugged it chaotically, heaving and gasping. Why wasn't it budging?

"I should have guessed that you would do something like that," Harkon chuckled – Arianna quickly spun round, terror inflicting her as she watched the vampire beside the table, clutching onto her scissors as tightly as she could. Harkon looked down to his waist, gritting his teeth as he tugged the heavy wood-axe that had gouged his flesh. A low grunt seeped from his lips when he yanked the thing out, tossing it the floor with the flick of his hand.

His piercing eyes flashed up to look upon Arianna, and he chuckled with the wave of his finger, "that was clever. Very clever, well done. Though I must ask…" His tone suddenly became more serious, the click of his shoes making Arianna shudder as he slowly came nearer to her, "what are you going to do now, little lamb? The door is locked, and only I have the key. Also, do you really think, that you are going to do any harm, to me, with that? I use that, and that axe, on people like you. I make them squeal and beg with such simple tools. My victims, beg for death long before I am done with them. They do not know pain, they do not know fear or treachery, until I show it to them. And when I show them the true meaning of pain, and fear and regret, they beg for an end, beg for an end that never comes soon enough. I show them, what it is like to know true fear."

Arianna stroked the cold stone wall with her fingertips, and holding her weapon securely in her grasp, as she trailed along the wall – keeping her petrified eyes locked on Harkon who swayed towards her. She raised her arm and pointed her tool at him when he got closer to her. She trembled in his presence, chocked on the erratic beating of her heart that was throttling in her throat.

"Drop that," Harkon warned slowly, with a horrid sternness to his voice, "and I'll consider being more lenient with you."

Arianna shook her head, gnawing on her lip with tears brimming her eyelashes and stinging her eyes.

"Can you not speak now?" Harkon teased, now not far from shaking Arianna, "it's your own fault. Didn't your mother ever tell you, to think before you act? I must admit, your tactics were outrageously cunning. But, now that I have had a taste of your blood, I'm burning for more, and since that you were so disrespectful… "

Arianna squealed as she ran past him, tears ready to roll down her cheeks from the toxic douse of horror that plagued her. Why was she so scared? What was it about him which made her shudder with dread? She didn't want to be like this!

A sharp screeched broke from Arianna's lips when Harkon snatched her arm, yanking her body backwards, so that her back knocked against his chest. Before she could twist her wrist Harkon took hold of it, squeezing her bone in his fingertips, prying away the weapon that she clutched onto and chucking it into the blazing red fire. She whimpered when she felt the sensation of his skin draw closer to her neck. "I think I'll avoid being gentle," he hissed into her ear, gripping onto her arms with his head rushing to her neck.

A piercing scream shattered in the air, breaking from Arianna's lips as the pain from Harkon's callous bite flushed across her body. The torturous prick of his razor fangs were too much to endure, making it impossible to prevent the rain of tears that cascaded down her face. She found herself counting the seconds, minutes… even hours, it felt like. The groans tremoring off from his body made his stinging bite even more excruciating. She desperately wanted to flinch away, lash out and rocket through the air every time his hand grasped onto her, squeezing her body deeper into his chest, with his hand even stroking her red hair at one point, as she wept in his embrace. It was more torturous knowing that it was impossible to break free from his cold embrace.

His groans of pleasure continued as he consumed her life fluids, but she only became weak, falling limp in his arms, only able to project a few gasps from her parted lips. She felt as if she was slipping away from reality, collapsing into the dark, and the only thing that was keeping her awake was the prick of Harkon's fangs digging into her skin…

Harkon noticed that the girl was getting heavy in his arms. Her breath was now softer, and slower with the inhales and exhales. He could feel her beating heart reducing in speed, now only tapping softly against her chest. He had to stop! Stop now or he would surely kill the girl! But how could he? The rich exotic taste that flushed across his tongue was so sensual, so delicious and pure. There was nothing as exquisite, or unique, or as blissful as the taste of spiced blood that flooded in his mouth. He couldn't bring himself to draw his lips away from those veins. Couldn't bare the mental strength to tug his fangs out from the girl's soft skin. He didn't want to, so why should he have to? He couldn't let go of the taste. Didn't want to cut off the honeyed silk that flowed down his throat. Her riveting blood didn't appease his hunger or ravenous thirst, but only made his craving more intense, more fiery and unbearable! He had to stop! If he didn't, her heart would stop first and she would no longer dance amongst the living. But her taste was so addictive! The enslaving spice made his head swoon, and his body tremble. It made him feel alive, gifted him a sensation that he had abandoned centuries ago. It was like feeling the gentle golden kiss of sunlight on his lips. He didn't want to let go of it. It was too valuable to give up! But her slowing heart was an urgent problem. He had to stop! He had to stop!

When he finally hauled his jaws away from her neck she collapsed to the floor like a sack of meat, crumbling onto the floor beside Harkon's feet. Harkon stood motionless, thick strings of blood dripping from his lips and teeth, one or two red droplets even splashing onto Arianna's skin as she lay on the floor, as limp as corpse. For the first time his breath was deep, bursting from his blood-stained lips in heavy gasps.

The vampire stood there for a while. Breathing, dazed but alive. The only thing that moved was his eyes that, after a while, flashed down to the girl on the floor.

So, what did you all think of this chapter? Happy that Harkon has finally stumbled into my little bloodlust story? Please leave a review telling me your thoughts so far, I would love to know if i'm doing okay, and if you guys are enjoying it. Thank you for reading xxx