"Okay, now I am internally freaking out. Why am I REALLY here?", I had borne their non sense long enough and I needed to know why I was being held, against my will, I might add, in a lonely huge castle, without being allowed to put a foot out of the door. I wasn't even allowed to make pone calls to Rane in case he was worried. Not even to Stephanie and Dex, not that they would worry.

But I still wanted them not to worry and to enjoy the bonding program. I also wanted to ask the whereabouts of Talon. I wasn't even allowed to ask about him.

The sisters kept me like a prisoner. But one or the other of them always stayed with me. Like they were told to keep an eye on me. I tried to act like it didn't bother me but it did. It troubled me that they had spoken to Talon even during my stay and they wouldn't tell me what it was about.

I learned to enjoy Nadine and Nadia's company. They were open, friendly and loving. I was wary and irritated when I was made to sit with Nandee. That girl cared about no one but herself. She in fact, walked around with a mirror in her hand al the time.

When Nandee came to spend 'quality time' with me, she was always herself. She never put on a fake attitude or show just for my sake. Now, don't think that's a good thing; she was being her usual, nosy, rude, snobby, high air, 'full of myself', queen of everything girl. How very endearing.

NOT!

I tried to speak as little as possible to Nandee, only if courtesy absolutely demanded it, I would ask her a polite question. I would, of course, receive a snappy, one word answer. Not that I honestly cared.

But with Nadelay, oops, I mean Katie, it was a weird situation. She was always so engrossed in her books and her work that she barely acknowledged my presence, even when we spent 'quality time' together. I would just sit at the corner of her room and tried to put on a very nonchalant attitude.

But the question was eating my insides up.

Why was I here?

I often tried to ask Nadine about it. She would immediately compel me to think about something else. No matter how hard I tried, Nadia never answered me. Asking Katie was out of the question. I speak from experience; I had once asked her and she just sent a wave of her infamous white hot pain through my skull.

What an effective distraction strategy!

After I had recovered, she justified her actions by giving me a simple smile and getting back to her work. Nice save!

I had no choice but to drop the subject altogether and get back to my idle thoughts. Asking Nandee was my only go.

I know this because she wasn't supposed to tell me that the girls were Talon's sister's but she had blurted it out. So I was betting that she couldn't hold her mud when she was provoked. And provoke her, I was going to do. Some way or another, I would find out.

Knowing that provoking Nandee wasn't rocket science. All I had to do was pester her for a few seconds. She had a fuse shorter than Stephanie's.

Thinking about Stephanie made me so unhappy that I locked myself in my room and thought, worried and cried for Dex and her. They were never far from my thoughts and I knew I would never admit it; but I missed them. I almost wished I hadn't left them, feeling angry. I wanted them to remember me happy, smiling and loving them; not angry, irritated and hateful.

But those things wouldn't be their LAST memories of me, right?

I would see them again, right?

Huh?

I had no answer.

If I knew why I was being kept here, I would know the answer to everything. Seeing no easy way to find out, I was left alone to brood and ponder. To cry and remember. To laugh and miss my old life.

I'll be honest, my old life, the one I had before Eleanor was nothing to me. I had no attachment to it. But after coming to Eleanor and meeting Talon, my life lit up. He's the reason I was alive and I could never forget that. I wanted to ask him if…..he felt….uh…that way about me too.

I told him that I did. But we never spoke about it. He sorta showed me how he felt but not that he loved me. I still dreamt about him. I missed him. I missed his beautiful eyes that seemed to see right through your soul, his soft dark hair, firm, lithe build, playful smile and angel voice.

One morning, I woke up and got dressed and went to Katie's room. Oh joy! It was 'quality time' again. I scowled at her door and knocked my pale fingers onto the dark wood. The door flew open and Katie ushered me in. I was momentarily paralyzed. It all happened in vampire speed. I looked around her room, trying to get my bearings.

"Damien, I need your help", Katie cried. Her blue eyes were blood shot behind her smart glasses. Her usually organized room was in a huge mess. Katie's hair was much shorter and straighter compared to the others. It fell in billows around her face. Unbrushed.

"What's wrong, Katie?", I asked worriedly.

I knew Katie never panicked unless it was something beyond her. And now, she looked lost in a wild haze of fear and panic. She was close to hyperventilating.

Katie breathed deeply before looking into my eyes. There was a lot of pain in her eyes, like she was carrying the weight of the world on her slim shoulders.

"Katie?", I touched her shoulder, now feeling anxious. She feebly sighed and sat down on a chair. I knelt down beside her and put my hands into hers. Her hands were cold and soothing to my human senses. I would have felt relaxed when I held her hands but at the moment, she was so upset that it was rubbing off on me too. The worst part was that she wasn't telling me what was wrong.

"Oh Damien, the worst thing ever has happened. A calamity. A tragedy", she cried, her eyes filling with tears.

"Katie?", I was shouting now. But I couldn't help it. I was just so scared.

"The enemies who wanted to hurt Talon, they've found our castle. They're coming here", she sobbed.

"But why?", I had no clue. And if I was to be turned, I had to know about the vampire history, right? Especially if it concerned Talon and the twins. Especially if it would put Stephanie and Dex's life in danger.

"Well, I think Nadine could tell you better. I wasn't really very interested in these things when they were happening", Katie shrugged.

"Nadine?", I called, only a little louder. She was there in moments. So were Nadia and Nandee. So I suppose this was important. It had to be, for Miss Royalty to take the time to come here.

Suddenly, my curiosity and annoyance got the better of me.

"Look, I don't know how the Westwood family comes into this, but I've been told that we have had vampire ties in our family. That's the reason we're being turned. I just want to know something; why me? Why am I being turned by the Prince himself? Why not regular vampire citizens for me, like Stephanie and Dex have? Is there some significance of me being chosen? And why am I being kept here and being tested or whatever it is that you're doing to me? And what's all this about Talon being hunted and us being found here?", I burst out. I am sure I had their attention.

Again, Katie, Nadine, Nadia and Nandee sighed at the same time. I had to admit it was getting creepy. But I was too focused on my outburst to tease them about it. I could sense their grave seriousness about the whole issue and I was feeling more and more lost in their world.

"Okay", Nadine finally sighed. "Back story time", she whispered.

I nodded.

I was about to listen to the story of my life. I mean, really this story would make a world of difference to my life. It would change everything for me.

Was that change good or bad?