That was her second mistake, the moan. The first was when she had thought she had saw Jareth and had went into the hedge Labyrinth.

As soon as that noise had escaped Sarah, the woman had screamed—no, shrilled because the man beneath her had bitten down—but that man was no man but another guest like the Duke.

This vampire had heard both the shrill and behind him the moan and in one smooth movement had rose, covered the woman's mouth and stared straight into Sarah's terrified eyes. She hadn't expected the man to move so quickly, but that unnaturally quick movement sent her nervous screaming to run, especially once she saw the blood on his chin, nose and lips. Sarah choked, stumbled backwards and ran.

She ran flat out as quickly as she could in heels and started to not realize what way she was turning as long as she did.

The vampire smirked when he saw the girl, and as soon as she had fled he dropped the woman who was almost dead from the venom seeping into her, stopping the congealing of her blood. It was a magnificent site really, he thought as he lowered her skirts and saw that the blood was spilling from under her was beginning to soak into the hemming.

The woman crumpled onto the bench and fell off of it. The vampire removed a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned his face. He then sniffed it, and returned it to his pocket before he started to trot after the girl. His nostrils flared and he had no problem following after.

Sarah's heart was pounding and thudding and her throat was dry and she started to dry heave and tire quickly. Her mind was swearing over and over at her—she was tired of run ins with this other world which seemed life-threatening—

No being would ever do what she saw—that poor woman—blood—what was happening? Her mind reeled—

Her mind told her that it was like the Duke, it had to be—blood—vampire—that had to be what he was going to do to her—had to be.

Run. Turn. Turn. Run.

Sarah's hands were cut open leaving blood on the hedges—she didn't realize it—she was concentrating on finding another opening. But she didn't realize that she was leading him straight to her.

He started to pick up the pace as the scent he was following was rare in this region—human. He was feral, carnal—aroused all around and ran faster—

And then he had her cornered.

Sarah was about to back up as she had turned into a dead end and her back tapped against something solid and she thought the walls had changed and she had walked into one, until the wall grabbed her arms and pinned her.

"Let me go!" She screamed, flailing about.

He chuckled. "You must be that human girl the King has eyes only for. Shhh…."He leaned down and sniffed Sarah who was not strong enough to fight back.

When Sarah felt him sniffing her, and then licked her neck, Sarah's anger boiled over and she had a burst of strength that erupted from her and the vampire suddenly was thrown several feet away and Sarah too in the opposite direction.

Sarah hit a stone wall and fell through it. She could see the wall and the vampire was already up and about to reach through and grab her when he was repealed back like he was burned or something. Sarah scooted back and onto her feet and kept running.

That's when she noticed as she was running that her hand was throbbing-the hand with the ring on it. She glanced down and saw that the signet was actually pulsating rather fast and in rhythm with her heart.

"Jareth!" she exclaimed thinking of him at sight of the ring.

That's when she turned around a corner and was grabbed by someone else and pulled into another entryway. Sarah screamed again.

"Sarah! Quiet! It's only me!" Sarah opened her screwed shut eyes and looked into the mismatched ones of the Goblin King.

"How? Vampire! Running! You?" So many questions were running through her mind that they all were battling for dominance over Sarah's tongue.

"Were you bitten? Are you alright?" He asked, worried—not again so soon, he thought and his thoughts were back on the Duke who he had kept his eye on that evening.

Sarah shook her head and gasped for some air. Jareth looked at her hand and saw she had the ring on so she shouldn't have been attacked. It was hot to the touch, so she must have been close to some danger to activate it and have the ring summon him.

He had felt the ring call out to him and he had appeared to find Sarah in a mess, again, but under different circumstances.

"Sarah, I'm taking you back with me. Enough of these silly games that you aren't ready to play. I'm tired of the farce." Sarah had her face buried into his coat and she blinked and saw that they were now in a very manly, kingly, room.

"Come, sit" he motioned to his wing backed chairs and had her sit down in them.

"Where are we?"

"My quarters." He simple stated as he made two crystals and giving one to Sarah which turned to some type of liquor. "We are going to end this charade, tomorrow and send the guests home. I don't care about the tradition anymore. I didn't to begin with. I choose you, Sarah, which is why I invited you to start with. Is that alright with you?"

"Me? Choose me? Like, for your wife?"

"Yes."

"Yes, I guess—I mean—so soon? Of course, but will I be able to go home—" Jareth held up his hand to quite her.

"There will be enough time for questions later. Stay in my room, do not leave. I have to issue out the order to have everyone leave. Then we have to visit my parents. They will need to know and approve. I am a member of the Higher Order but not a leader. There'll be a vote. I know it. I must get to them and have the majorities favor….Oh, there is so much to do, and so little time," Jareth sighed and fell back into his chair. Sarah tried to take in as much as he said as she was still recovering.

"Half of the leadership consists of vampires and you had to attract their attentions…no, that's wrong of me. You couldn't help it, they are just heighted to your smell…smell…I am so exhausted…forgive me, but I'm going to just close my eyes for a few…"

"Jareth?" Sarah repeated a few times but to no answer. He had fallen asleep and was lightly snoring. It was after all, evening and he had spent it worrying, and entertaining.

He had hoped that he wouldn't find Sarah by way of the ring calling. The little goblin had found him again and told him that she was in bed, getting changed and about to join them, but she had wandered off into a pleasure game.

A game which all the woman must run and hide in the Labyrinth and have till the morning to get back out. During the course of the dark hours, anything goes—men are allowed to pursue any woman and ask or do anything of or to her. Granted, the women were given only one pardon, and the men must acknowledge it and move on, but once used, it was used…and they didn't work for a King.

As this was Jareth's second time in hosting a potential marriage ball, he had already engaged in one of those games, but this time, he rather walked, occasionally flying around, cheating (he was allowed to after all) in search of a special person. He never dreamed that she would find herself in this maze of patriarchal sensuous pleasures. It was designed for men, by men, dating thousands of years back—but the one rule was that the woman had to be willing—and that clause was only added during Jareth's reign.

Author note:

It has been a long time since I've posted. I apologize for that, and am debating as to closing this ffnet account considering my prior one included many more stories that have since been erased. A few years ago my favourite adult Labyrinth forum also shut down disbanding friendships that help spur the inspirations to these stories. During the time I've been missing, I've finished my B.A. degree, working and have started a M.A. program as a broke student. No matter how many hours I work, it would seem that I never get ahead. The financial stress on students is enough to make someone go crazy or completely retreat into their imagination (both of which over the years I struggled with it seems) I've also taken up writing children stories and separately erotica and self publishing on Smashwords. I am starting my own series soon to be based on the sidhe. I encourage all of you if you're interested to search take a trip over to their website and look me up, C. F. Williams. My latest erotica work involves a Selkie. More stories and chapters to come. Thank you