This chapter is dedicated to Tulippen. You always have the most wonderful things to say about this story, and even though you think your reviews may not have such a big impact on me, I'm telling you that they do. This one's for you!

Done All Wrong

I had to be the biggest idiot on the planet.

I stood in the hallway, mentally groaning and massaging my wrist. After falling on it earlier when Christina had shown up, my wrist had been hurting again. Was I the clumsiest, most danger-prone person ever or what?

Then I remembered what had been about to happen just before Christina ruined everything. Ethan was about to kiss me, and I was going to let him. I had wanted him to, and now the thought made my stomach drop.

How could he make me believe he wanted me and then admit to Christina, in my presence, that I was nothing but a servant in his household? That I meant nothing to him? He let me go on and on about how much Christina was wrong, about how little I truly meant to him, and he said nothing. Ethan even watched as Isaac embraced me and didn't look even an ounce jealous, which, judging by his passionate personality, he undoubtedly would have had he felt anything for me.

I shook my head and ran my hand through my damp hair. After Christina had run off, Ethan, Armand, Isaac, and I had returned to the house. I immediately went up to my room and locked myself in my bathroom, afraid to confront Ethan with the tears in my eyes I was desperately trying to keep from falling. Eventually I moved into the shower and sat for a while under the warm water, just trying to wrap my head around all of the events of the night. When I was finished sulking, I dressed into my pajamas and snuck down the stairs, hoping that Isaac or even Armand remained.

Off in the distance I could hear the echo of voices talking. Male voices. As I moved closer I recognized the first as Armand's.

"If she comes back, she won't be as quick to leave as she was tonight. I think tonight was her test; She wanted to see what she was up against."

Isaac's frustrated voice cut through the following silence. "Well she knows now that she'll have to go through the three of us first if she plans on getting to Audra." I listened intently, my back against the wall as I tried to steady my breathing.

Ethan, who had been silent until now, spoke up, his voice rough. "I'm not planning on letting her get that close," without having to peak through the door of Ethan's study, just barely ajar, I knew Ethan had a dangerous expression on his beautiful face, and he was most likely directing it toward Isaac.

"It sounds like you already have a plan," Isaac guessed, sounding suspicious.

"I do," Ethan said. I leaned a little closer, trying to hear what they were saying better. "I'm going to take her out of the country."

My eyes widened in shock and I stared at the crack in the door. Isaac was clearly just as caught off guard as I was. "Where exactly are you taking her?" Isaac sounded angry, an emotion I had never heard from him before. I wanted to step into the room and coincidentally interrupt the whole discussion just so that they wouldn't argue, but I was just as curious as Isaac was as to where I was being taken.

"I haven't decided where yet," Ethan replied, and then with a thoughtful voice, added, "Some place warm."

"If you take her somewhere without telling us, we can't protect her," Isaac argued.

Ethan was quick to fight back, "Yet the more who know our whereabouts, the more likely Christina is to find us."

"So you and Audra are going to spend a relaxing vacation together somewhere in the tropics?" Isaac scoffed. "I don't like it."

"Of course you don't," Ethan muttered, his voice still venomous. "Because it means she'll be somewhere out of your reach."

My breathing stalled for a moment and I began to piece everything together.

Everything Christina had said about the way Ethan felt about me, about how he couldn't stand to be away from me, about how he kept me close to him at all times, that was what Ethan was thinking Isaac felt for me. He thought Isaac wanted me for himself, though mine and Isaac's previous performance for Christina must not have been very helpful in making Ethan think otherwise. When I actually dedicated a thought to it, all of the times Ethan had interrupted a conversation between Isaac and I, it must have looked incriminating. Mine and Isaac's first meeting, the night after they went out to feed, the way we danced at the nightclub before I met Charles, and the way he held me when Ethan flaunted Jessica in front of my face.

What was I supposed to say to Ethan? That I didn't want Isaac, I wanted him? I would make an even bigger fool of myself. Not to mention, I wasn't even entirely sure of what I wanted, and I couldn't bear to hurt Isaac. He had been one of the only people, well, vampires, that had actually been kind to me. I liked Isaac, as a dear friend and someone I knew I could always trust, but nothing more and I could never be with him. Yet maybe that would be better for me rather than pine over someone I knew would never want me the same way.

I pushed away from the wall and walked quickly to my room. I wanted to pretend I had never heard anything they were saying. I wanted to go back to only having to worry about Christina, a thought that seemed absurd. I ripped back the covers the fell into my bed, squeezing my eyes shut tightly.

If Ethan thought that I was only a servant at his mansion, then that's what I would be. I would prove to Christina how exactly right Ethan was.

Ethan heard Audra's heartbeat just outside the door, but thought it better to play dumb. Not to mention, he thought she deserved to hear that she was causing animosity amongst century old friends. Ethan's blood boiled at the thought of Audra with someone else, and right now, it seemed that someone was Isaac.

But a moment later, Audra's heartbeat disappeared and Ethan realized she must have gone. For a fleeting moment, he missed the sound.

"What are you insinuating?" Isaac asked incredulously. He looked to Armand for an answer, but he only shrugged, knowing his brother's temper was among the shortest.

"Why would you not tell me?" Ethan tried, ignoring Isaac's question. "I've trusted you in the past, but it seems I cannot trust you with our whereabouts while we're gone."

"Ethan, you can't keep me from her," Isaac argued fiercely. "She means something to me."

"That may be," Ethan turned to face him, "but she means a great deal more to me, and I won't lose her to you."

"If you weren't so God-damned selfish, you might-"

"This isn't up for negotiation!" Ethan growled, finally reaching his breaking point. "I would rather not be forced to fight you for her, but I will."

"Listen to me!" Isaac shouted, his voice so loud it shook the door. "You are letting your insane jealousy cloud your mind," he reasoned. "I am no competition against your feelings for Audra," Ethan narrowed his eyes at him, "I am not even in the same game."

"What are you trying to say?" Ethan asked after a moment.

Isaac exhaled in exhaustion. "I am not in love with her." He looked relieved to finally get through to Ethan. "Though, I do care for her. Very much so."

Ethan stared at Isaac for a long time. His eyes remained on him as if he were trying to peer into Isaac's soul and determine whether or not he was telling the truth. "You have no romantic feelings for her?"

Isaac shook his head, "None."

Ethan sighed and fell down into the chair at his desk. He ran his hands over his face in exhaustion and felt, for the first time in a very long time, regret.

Both Isaac and Armand, knowing Ethan for such long periods of time, could see this. Armand was the first to speak. "Ethan, I have never seen you get so jealous over a human before."

"I have no idea what I'm doing," Ethan admitted in a small, tired voice. "I haven't fed in days. Maybe even over a week."

"It's obvious that she's more to you than just another servant," Isaac tried. "And if I know anything about human women, and I do, it's that they have tempers just as short as yours." Ethan shook his head but a small smirk began to grow across his lips. His Audra had been playing a game! She hoped to confuse Christina, and instead, confused him! She would undoubtedly be furious at him for saying those degrading things about her, but in order to get Christina to leave her alone, he had to make her believe he didn't love Audra.

Well, he didn't.

It was all so much like a Shakespearean play it made Ethan want to laugh out loud, but that would only worry his friend and brother even further. Never had he ever shown such strong emotions since Audra had come bounding into the dark alley of his life. But to think of her, with someone else, well it was almost unthinkable.

Charles had better hope he never runs into her again.

But to think that she truly believed he wanted nothing to do with her stung the place in his chest he had thought was empty. After everything that had happened between them, how could she think she was nothing? Wasn't it obvious that he couldn't even keep his hands off of her? Just watching her around the mansion; the little slip of skin on her lower back when she stretched, the girlish twinkle of her laugh when she talked to Hanna, the sound of the water running while she was in the shower and he wanted to just burst through the bathroom door. These were all things that drove him crazy. It had been a long time since he had ever felt anything for anyone, but Audra relit a flame inside him that had burned out many years ago. Maybe a little time together could be helpful, especially now that he had a lot to make up for.

"I think it's a good idea," Armand was saying, and Ethan looked up, startled as if he thought Armand was reading his mind. "I think you should get out of the area. Christina will most likely be keeping an eye on you if you stay."

"If Audra leaves with Ethan, she'll only be more suspicious," Isaac interjected, and Ethan realized dejectedly that he was right.

Ethan shook his head, "That's true, but I have to go with her." He ran a hand through his hair, "I'm not letting her out of my sight."

Isaac went to argue again, but Armand put a hand on his shoulder. They exchanged a glance and Isaac stayed quiet. "When will you leave?" Armand asked.

"As soon as possible," Ethan stood from his chair and placed his palms flat on his desk. "It will probably take me a day to get everything in order."

Armand nodded. "I'll watch the perimeter," he said, to which Ethan nodded, and he walked out of the door.

Isaac stood for a moment, watching his friend lean against the weak bureau as if he could barely hold himself up. His head was hanging limp, but Isaac could still see his face was contorted in exhaustion. "Ethan," he spoke gently, "I have never seen you this way before."

"I have been alive for twenty-six years, and dead for one hundred and eighteen, and in all of that time I have never felt this."

Isaac pitied his friend. This was the hardest part of being immortal. Audra would continue to grow older until she got sick and died. Well, unless of course she went and got herself killed, which, knowing Audra, seemed pretty likely. "Do you love her?"

Ethan sighed and Isaac watched as his shoulders slumped. "No. This goes beyond any human emotion." When he finally lifted his head, Isaac saw in his eyes, past his hunger and fatigue, desperation. "If I'm not near her, I'm physically being pulled to her. I get a feeling under my skin, in my veins, and the only way to make it stop is to seek out Audra and hold her in my arms." Ethan stared into Isaac's eyes for a moment before he sighed, "Sometimes the feeling can get so bad that just being in the same room with her alleviates it."

"Is it painful?" Isaac prodded, trying for answers.

Ethan shook his head, "No. Never."

Isaac felt a little lost. It was troubling to see his friend so out of sorts. He had never heard of anything like what Ethan described, but he guessed he knew a few people who did. "I'll find out anything I can. I just hope I return with answers that will ease your situation."

"I doubt that is possible," Ethan chuckled grimly. "But I do appreciate the help." Isaac nodded as if to say it was not a problem, but when he went to turn and leave, Ethan called his name. "I'm sorry for doubting you, I should never have done it," Ethan said.

"No, you should not have. I have never betrayed you in the past." Isaac stayed calm, despite how surprised he was by Ethan's apology.

"And that is why I regret it. I know that you care for Audra and would do nothing to hurt her," Ethan moved away from his desk to stand in front of Isaac. "I will call you with details about the trip as soon as I know what I'm doing."

Isaac nodded, "And I will call you if I learn of anything about your 'condition'." Without saying a goodbye, Isaac left the room soundlessly to leave Ethan to his thoughts, which at this point were wandering wildly.

As Ethan watched Isaac go, he clenched his jaw in rare and momentary self-hatred. How could he have treated his dear friend so horribly? He had treated him as if he was an enemy, an opponent, and why? Because he thought that Audra may prefer Isaac over himself, and there was still a chance she may. Though, to know any feelings she might have had for Isaac were not mutual was a relief. He could not remember another time in his life that he let his judgment be swayed by another person. Audra was affecting his mind and body in multiple ways and it made Ethan want to rip his hair out.

For one thing, there was the lust, and not just the blood lust, though that too was obviously a factor. There was an actual sexual tension between them and Ethan wasn't immune. Sure, he'd been with countless vampires, even humans from time to time when he needed to feed or just wanted to feel the warmth of life. He was no stranger to the feeling of desire and release, but the feeling around Audra was lust intensified. His body hardened just thinking about her creamy skin and pouty lips begging for attention. It had been a long time since his body raged with this much fire for someone else.

Then there were the tiny things that made his heart swell, like the flutter of her eyelashes or her ridiculous clumsiness. Her strong sense of pride and the way she valued equal rights for every living creature. She was sneaky and demanding, yet easily embarrassed. And above almost all, she was independent (other than the fact that he housed her and bought her clothes, which were things he forced on her without consideration). To take away her freedom, he knew, was the worst thing he could and did do.

Not to mention, she was incredibly confusing at times. There were still things about her he had yet to decipher. Her temper was quick, and half of the time he had no idea what he'd done to upset her.

It seemed that his body, mind, and soul were all wrapped in everything Audra and he guessed it was too late to turn back. His original plan, to allow her to leave the mansion and live a life free of him, now had a few snags.