When I came home from work one day about four weeks after my second visit to Fangtasia, Master was sitting on the couch in the living room reading the paper just as He always did. But just when I was about to ask how His day was, I noticed a suitcase by His feet. "Slave, sit down," He ordered.

My heart pounded in my chest. I had no idea what was going on. I'd been extra obedient and had stayed out of trouble. Was He going somewhere? I sat down in my rocking chair across from Him, wringing my hands in my lap nervously.

After several minutes He finally put the newspaper down and inched up to the edge of the couch cushion. "I am done with you."

I had never been more shocked in my life, not to mention being completed blindsided by Master. "May I sp—"

"No, you may not," He said firmly. "We have been as one for three years. I have taken you as far as I possibly can." The expression on His face was blank.

"That's not true," I said quietly. "I ... there is so much ... this is bullshit!"

"You are not to talk to me in that manner!"

"If I am no longer yours then I can speak as I wish!" I spat as I stood. "How can you just throw me out like I'm nothing but garbage?" I was pissed then, more than I've ever been in my entire life.

He avoided my eyes as He stood, grabbed the suitcase—apparently it was mine—and walked to the front door. I watched Him but didn't budge from my spot. "Daniel!" He didn't like that, but as He said, He was no longer my Master. "We had ... have a life together. Where the hell am I supposed to go?" My face was burning red with anger.

"I have no doubt you will find some place. Call me when you're—"

"NO!" I screamed as I met Him in the foyer. "You have treated me like a fucking hooker the past few months with Eric and Pam and I am NOT—"

"Call me when you've gotten settled in your new place. I'll bring the rest of your things." He opened the door wide and waited for me to walk through.

I didn't. I couldn't. "Daniel," I said, my voice cracking, "What have I done to make you go this far? What did I do?"

"You've done nothing." He finally looked at me, and for a split second I noticed pain in His eyes. "Leave."

"No, no," I said completely deflated and rejected. "I ... can't." I closed my eyes to stop the sting, but it only produced a single tear to fall.

He grabbed my elbow and practically tossed me out of the door, followed by my suitcase then He closed the front door. "Daniel! Don't do this, please! Let's talk about this!" My pleas were answered by the front porch light being turned off that turned my tears on. I slammed my fists on the door hard, screaming and cursing and begging Him to let me in.

Ten minutes later, when my fists were killing me and I had no more tears left, I crawled down the front steps back to my car. Heading out of the housing development, I had no idea where I was going to go.

From the living room window, Daniel watched His former slave, His love, drive down the street until she was out of sight. He was just as devastated as Connee was. He only hoped she could forgive Him, though seriously doubted it.

I drove blindly for the past three hours—circles upon circles, intersections I crossed more than once. I drove down the same streets with the same houses and the same cars. Same everything. The same morbid thoughts ran through my head over and over. And why not? The big old oak tree I'd passed four times already seemed like a good one to smash into. It even had a cross of flowers with my name on it. I was perfectly fine with that.

A sign up ahead read Shreveport – 10 miles. Shreveport? When had I gotten on the main road? What the hell was in Shreveport? Oh. That's right. Fangtasia was in Shreveport. Why was I heading there? Oh, that's right, because I'm a complete and utter fool!

"You're brave coming out here alone."

"Pam, drop it and let me in." Was that me that just said that? Standing at the entrance of Fangtasia and I was bitching at a vampire? I was asking for major trouble.

"Aw, you been crying?" she asked with little feeling in her voice. I didn't answer. "Eric's been waiting for you."

"I didn't come here for Eric," I told her then tried to slip past her. She stepped just enough in my way to piss me off. I looked her right up into her face. "I'm not in the mood for this. I'm only having one drink and then I'm leaving."

"We'll see about that," she said as she stepped aside. "And be careful who you're talking to."

After being in a relationship with a master that dropped me like a sack of hot potatoes and I'm brazen enough to try to piss off a vampire? Oh, yeah. I'll be dead by morning.

That time when I walked in the club—heading straight for the bar—I didn't pay attention to the stupid tourists wearing the stupid fangs or the stupid vampires looking at every human neck and the stupid ... stupid ... stupid. Being there was a stupid mistake.

I turned to walk out when I ran into a brick wall—kinda sorta. "Whoah, easy there, little one."

"I'm sorry," I muttered as I looked up into the face of ... stupid Eric. His hands had me firmly by my shoulders, and I couldn't move. "Eric, let me go."

He grinned evilly but damn, what an awesome evil grin. "Can't do that."

I got it then. Master had given me to Eric. No, no. NO!

The next thing I know, I had been slammed against the wall with Eric pinning me so tightly I couldn't breathe. I looked into his face again and he was amused, completely thrilled. "Do you feel better?" he asked.

"Huh, wha'?"

"You just beat the crap out of me, or tried your damnedest. I'm impressed."

Then the pain in my hands sunk in, and I realized they were still in fists on his chest. "Ow, ow, fuck," I whined then pulled my hands to me, trying to get the kink and cramp out.

"Let me," he said as he slowly took my hands and kissed them. It didn't help the pain but the gesture was sweet. No, Eric wanted something.

"What do you want, Eric?" I looked around wondering who asked that before it dawned on me that I said it.

"I want you, sub," he said, his eyes peering up at me while he continued to kiss my hand.

"I am not your sub." My eyes narrowed at him.

"Hmm, you dare to speak to me like that without your Master?"

"I have no Master now. He ended it. Now let me go."

"Afraid I can't do that," he told me as he peeled himself off of me. "You came here for a drink, I assume?"

"Yeah, I, uh, well ..." It appeared I had forgotten why I went there in the first place.

He took my hand and led me to the bar, and the odd thing was I didn't stop myself from going with him. "What would you like?"

A cubby hole to crawl into and die? I wanted to answer. "Something that will get me really, really drunk in five minutes."

He chuckled. "Tequila," he told the barman—bar-pire? "Make it a double."

Within a second, the shot glass was in Eric's hand and he offered it to me. I took the glass and downed it fast. It burned. I gasped trying to catch my breath, pounding on my chest. It didn't help.

"Here, have another," he said, and I held a full shot glass in my hand. I downed that, too. "Come," he said as he directed his hand to his throne.

I took a few steps behind him, my head beginning to spin. "Eric, I—"

Before I could even blink he had his arm around my waist and led me to the chair beside his. "You're a lightweight, I see," he chortled.

"I've got a reason to get drunk."

"And what might that be?"

"Don't play me like you don't know." He laughed that time. "He kicked me out. There! Are you happy now?" I had to stop talking because my voice cracked.

"Oh, I had no idea. Yeah, that's a good reason to get drunk."

Was he serious? He didn't know? He had to have known. "Eric, why did Pam say you were waiting for me?"

"Right to the point, I see. Seems your Master didn't control you well enough."

"This has nothing to do with—" I had to stop myself from growing angry.

"Hmm, you're a feisty little thing. I like that."

"Knock off the bullshit."

"When you took my blood the first night we met ... and you gave me yours ... I knew you were coming." He leaned forward in his chair towards me. "I felt you."

Daniel never told me that. I hadn't heard all Eric said but I understood enough. "Did Ma—Daniel break it off so that you—" I couldn't say it.

"Broke it off? He really ended it?" I nodded. "What a fucking fool."

I didn't believe it, didn't believe a single word of him playing all innocently naïve.

"Oh, I see. Are you interested in another Master?" he asked wickedly.

I don't know whether it was the Tequila or coming down from my emotional high, but I stood up and confronted Eric full on. I put both of my hands on the arm rests of his chair and stared him down. "You will never have me!"

A low, rumbling cackle filled the small space between us, his breath was so ... sweet. I wanted nothing more than to dig my tongue down his throat. "You're drunk," he said matter of fact.

"No, shit, you think?" I spat as I stood up ... and fell back on my ass. God, two shots of Tequila and I was out of my mind.

Eric laughed. He was enjoying himself. He came to me and helped me to my feet. "Let's get you to bed."

"No, I've got to go home."

"You have no home, remember?" I made the stupidest mistake I could have made and looked into his eyes. "Connee, I will take you home, and you will sleep."

"Okay."

And that's all I remember of that night.