The familiar driving the dark SUV went past the nearest small town and directly to the large city forty miles away from the manor. It's been years since I've been this far from the hellhole of a house. New buildings that nearly pricked the sky were everywhere. Houses skirted the outer circle of the city and a freeway led to other states and towns. People briskly walked on the sidewalk and on crosswalks as we drove by. Humans going about their daily lives and not worrying about things that go bump in the night.

The city. I thought. I haven't seen the city since I was a little girl.

The driver finally parked the car in front of a very expensive looking clothes store. Drake opened his door and went around the back to open mine. The driver remained where he was, so that meant we were going to be here a while. I got out and Drake stood just behind me. I noticed three other black Escalades like ours across the street. Familiars sat inside, looking over at us.

"Bodyguards?" I ask curiously. "It's the middle of the day. I doubt anyone's going to attack you now."

"We still have Blade and your Aunt Abbey to worry about," he answered.

I shivered at the names. He noticed, but ignored it. He led me to the store, his arm creeping around my waist. I grabbed his hand and pushed it away. I had an act to keep up with those pathetic familiars watching us.

When we entered, immediately, we were flocked by a circle of women in their mid-thirties and forties, asking if we were interested in something particular or wanted to try something on. I wasn't there for a minute before I was ushered around to different racks of clothing. I glanced at Drake hopefully. He just smiled and sat down. He waved over one of the employees and whispered in her ears.

The woman left for the back room and returned a moment later with a woman younger than the rest. She was very beautiful and from the tattoo on the inside of her visible arm, she was a familiar. Drake motioned to me and woman shooed away all the others throwing clothes into my arms at random.

"Hello, my dear. My name's Melissa. I'm a friend of your master over there."

She barely got to finish the sentence before I snapped, "He's not my master."

Melissa smiled. "Of course not."

She glanced at the pile of clothes in my hands and gingerly took them from me. She nodded her head toward the dressing rooms. "Let's try these on, shall we?"

I shrugged. "I guess that's why I'm here."

Clothes were given to me and the curtain closed. I tried on a navy blue off the shoulder sweater and gasped. I guess Melissa took that as a sign to enter because she threw open the curtain. As I checked myself out in the mirror, Melissa left to fetch something. It was gorgeous. I glanced at the tag—$250?

Melissa came back and in her hand was a thick white belt. She wrapped it around my waist loosely so it felt down to my hips.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"It's amazing, but I can't afford it."

She laughed at me. "My dear, Drake is paying for anything you want in this store."

My mouth dropped. The bastard fucks me then decides to take me shopping? This is just too weird, but I decided to take advantage of it. Hell, maybe I'll make the bastard broke, if I'm lucky.

Closed the curtain and tried on several more outfits. Melissa came in once in a while to hand me more clothing. When she came in for the last time before I finished, she had lingerie of all different colors.

"What's this?" I asked harshly. "I'm not trying this on."

"Drake wants you to," she said gently.

I threw the clothes back at her with more force than needed. "You tell Drake that I said fuck no."

Melissa just nodded and scurried off. I grunted. What a dick!

She came back with a slinky black dress. "He says try this on or he'll come in here and make you try it on."

I let out a frustrated grunt he was sure to hear and took the dress from her hands. I closed the curtain and slipped out of the previous pink halter I absolutely adored and put on the little black dress. Once on I turned to face the mirror. I let out a huff of angered breath. The dress barely covered my ass and had slits on my sides, exposing my skin. Another slutty factor was how exposed my breasts were. The neck line wasn't even there, practically. The straps were very thin on my shoulders and had rhinestones on the cups that barely covered my boobs.

All in all, only a slut would wear this on the corner of 4th Street. But, before I started stripping off the dress, I noticed the way it hugged my curves and pronounced the size of my breasts. It did look good on me, but I wasn't going to let Drake know that.

I took off the dress and put on my clothes that I wore in here. I took the clothes I wanted to the counter and left the ones I didn't inside the dressing room, the black dress among them.

Melissa rang up the clothes and Drake joined me at the counter, a card in his hand. After we paid and left the store, I began to make my way to the car, but Drake's hand wrapped around my waist and hugged me to him as he turned to the right and into the next store. I huffed as his hand smacked my ass to urge me toward the ladies who began throwing stuff at me once more.

This was going to be a long day.

. . . .

When my feet hurt like hell and I had twelve bags from eleven different stores hanging from the familiars' arms, we returned to the Escalade, loaded it up with my things and drove back to the manor. I sighed as I watched the city fly by. Once I began to see the houses grow fewer and fewer, I turned to Drake.

"Thank you," I said, and turned back to the window.

My hand was taken from my lap and I felt shivers race up my fingertips and up my arms and straight to my heart, which fluttered violently.

I turned to Drake and watched him watching me.

"You're welcome, Zoey."

He let go of my hand and I turned back to the window, still feeling the caress of his fingers on mine.

. . . .

We got back to the manor just as dark was falling and vampires were waking. The familiars took my bags to my room for me to sort out and hang in my closet later. I began to follow them, but Drake's hand on my shoulder stopped me.

I turned to him. "What?"

"You need to train," he said simply and began to walk away.

I followed him. "No, I don't."

He turned back to me, amusement on his face. "I will see you in the training room in five minutes."

"I'm not going to be there." I crossed my arms and put on a determined face.

"Then I'll come and get you." His eyes shined with something I couldn't put my finger on. He turned and walked away.

Bastard! That wasn't the only thing I considered calling him. I had at least five choice words that I'd rather not say aloud and to no one. I huffed my way to my room, ignored the bags and changed into a sports bra, tank, and sweats.

I puffed my way downstairs and into the training room. No one was there. Not even a surprise attack by the four vampires. What the hell? I come here a minute late and he's not here! I took the time waiting to stretch on the mat.

"Coldhearted, blood-sucking, bastard," I mumbled to myself.

Thump.

Suddenly, I was on my back on the mat. Two pale, cold hands held down my wrist by my head. My lips were attacked by very familiar ones. Drake.

My mind came to its senses. I pulled my knee up and rolled him, breaking the kiss and sending a punch to his cheek, which he took without swinging his head from the blow.

He rolled me and I was on my back again. He lifted me and pushed me back down—hard. His tongue shot out and licked the line of my jaw. I shivered.

"That's it."

I rolled him and pulled my knee to his jewels and threw my elbow into his neck. I jumped back and stood three feet away from him. I blinked and he was gone. I threw a roundhouse kick behind me and caught him in the gut. I lifted my leg for another kick and caught him in the chin. My third kick was blocked and his hand wrapped around my ankle. He pulled me in painfully and slapped my ass. I pushed against him and jumped back a few more feet to put distance in between us. He took a step then was gone again.

I ducked and twirled just as his fist flew over my head. I tripped him and straddled his hips as he went down. I began throwing punches into his nose. His hand went to my hips and tried to lift me up and down. What an asshole! I altered my hands: left, right, left, elbow, right, elbow, repeat.

I only got to repeat twice before I was thrown off of him. His nose healed within seconds and he wiped away the blood. The door was behind me and I slowly started to step backwards toward it. I tried not to blink because when I did, he was gone again. I turned and he wasn't there.

I made a break for it out of the room and across the hall and out the—thankfully—open slider. I ran past the patio and past the garden until I reached the grape vines. I turned around and saw what I feared. Drake stood in the open slider and smiled at me. I smiled back wickedly and ran into the maze of the fully grown vines. These stretched for at least two miles. I ran and turned several times trying to get lost so he'd never find me. But then again, I'd never find a way out. I just had to remember that behind me was the manor and to turn around if he didn't find me in half an hour.

I was getting farther and farther into the vines before I heard him. His laugh echoed all around me. I stopped and crouched down to listen.

"Zoey," he purred from my right. I turned left and ran like the Flash.

"You can run, but you can't hide."

I urged my legs to go faster, harder through the loose soil. My adrenaline was on its climax and I almost let out a whoop.

"I'm coming for you."

Dammit! He was closing in on me. I turned right and then left again.

"I've got you."

I went down when a hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me toward the ground. Only, I didn't land on soil; I landed on a chest. My ear strained for a heartbeat but got none. I sighed and lifted my head.

"Congratulations," I said mockingly. I began to stand, but was caught by the waist and rolled over onto my back, pinning arms to my side. How many times will we play this game, dammit?

Drake's lips came down on mine once more. I couldn't turn away with the passion that was dragged out of me. His grip loosened on my wrists and began to roam my body. Under my shirt was where they ended up. His nails clawed at my sports bra. His body pressed tightly against mine. I could feel his excitement against my thighs.

His hands grabbed at the edges of my sports bra and tore at it until his hands covered my bare chest underneath my shirt. My arms had found their way to the waist of his pants. Thank God he didn't have a belt on because it would have been much more difficult if he had.

Once his pants and boxers were removed, he slid off my sweats and panties. He entered me without hesitation but with pure hunger that drove hard in and out of me. I began panting hard and he cried out something incoherent as his seed spilled inside of me.

He landed beside me and pulled me to his side. I slid my hand over his chest and intertwined our legs. My breathing slowed and we both lied there, naked, and watching the moon rise.

"It's later, Zoey. Tell me."

I sighed and buried my face into his neck. I placed a gentle kiss there and rest my head against his shoulder. "I don't know if I can."

"Please," he begged.

I hesitated. "They said, 'No wonder no one came for her.' I beat her before she could say more."

Drake's grip tightened against me. "Ignore her, Zoey. She's just jealous."

"Of what?" I asked, looking up at him.

"You and how you are higher ranked than her and how you have my full attention."

Who in their right mind would want this kind of attention from a vampire king?

Oh, um, me.

. . . .

A | N : Review!