AN: Hmm, bit of a mixed reaction from some people, but overall, most seemed to be really interested. Just remember to keep an open mind. Several people were concerned that Bella would never forgive Victoria for what she did, but this is a dark story. The idea is to corrupt Bella, not to redeem Victoria. It'll be a slow burn too, so don't expect Bella to change overnight. One reviewer was confused why my version of Victoria calls her Ms Swan, but that's mostly just my own personal twist. Victoria's British and I like to imagine her with sort of a condescending countess vibe.
On a side note, one of my stories, Absence, was nominated for some best fic award on some site. It was the only femmeslash on the list, so I guess that's kind of flattering. Every other story nominated was Bella/Edward.
Anyway, aside from that, I just wanted to mention that this story has apparently been "reported," so if it vanishes at some point, it probably got deleted by mods. Hopefully it's nothing to worry about, just letting you know. Anyway, here's the second chapter. Hope you like it.
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Chapter 2:
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The girl was unconscious for longer than I would've expected and it was dark when she woke. She gave a small moan and I turned to glance at her. Her eyes were still closed and her face was scrunched up, likely from a horrific headache. Her hand moved and rattled the handcuffs. Then her eyes snapped open. She saw me behind the wheel and sat bolt upright, blinking as her brain lagged behind in registering what was going on. She was trying to move her arm but now she realized it was handcuffed to the dashboard. She stared at the chained hand wildly for a moment and started tugging at it. Another small sound came out of her, fear, panic, a little bit of horror.
"Oh god," she said, finally freezing up. She looked out the windows, at the darkened woods that were blurring by outside like a bad dream, and turned to me. "What's going on?"
I smiled at the question and continued driving. "There's no easy way to tell you this, Ms Swan, so I'll just say it," I said. "You've been abducted."
"What?"
"You're coming with me to Seattle."
"No," she said in a strained whimper. She looked at the cuffs and tugged them. Then she tugged them again, harder as the hysteria began to overwhelm her. "No. No." She gave a mighty jerk and cried out at the pain as the steel bit into her wrist and then she gave up and just screamed. "Help! Help, somebody help me!"
I glanced at her in amusement. We were over two hours away from town and the road was completely barren. I hadn't passed a car all night. "I don't think anyone can hear you, my dear," I told her.
She was tugging at the cuffs again. "Oh god."
I shook my head, smiling, and turned back to the windshield where the headlights loomed into the darkness ahead. "Don't worry, you'll be alright," I said. "Just try to relax. It'll be easier once you resign yourself."
She ignored me and gave the cuffs a jerk. Then she lifted her boot and kicked at the dashboard. Then again. She was trying to kick the fixture loose, but it wasn't working.
I frowned at her. "Ms Swan," I said. "Ms Swan, what do you think you are—"
She raised her foot, panicking, and kicked at the windshield. It cracked and she went to kick again. I don't know what she hoped to achieve by this, but obviously it wouldn't be wise to drive around with a broken windshield, so I hit the brake and pulled the truck over by the side of the road and got out.
"Oh god," the girl said, and then I could hear her screaming from inside the truck as I came around to her side. "Help! Help me! Please—no!"
I had opened her door and she cowered away as far as the handcuffs would allow her. But I wasn't angry. In fact, I was cooing for her to calm down.
"Shh," I whispered to her. "It's okay. Come here, I'm not going to hurt you."
I was gesturing at her with my hand from outside the truck, as if she was a frightened animal trapped there. Her eyes landed on mine and she stared at them in fear, not moving. She didn't come, but she didn't balk either when I reached for her.
I took her by her other wrist and pulled her gently back into her seat and then I leaned into the truck and wrapped her into a hug.
"Shh," I whispered. "It's okay. Just calm down."
She whimpered. I could feel her whole body trembling. I loved the feeling and I smiled and stroked her back and held her until the hysteria had passed and all there was left was the cold calm fear. Then I released her. She recoiled slowly and she was looking at me in repulsion with her brown eyes rigid and full of suspicion. I smiled at her.
"You need to relax and try to think clearly," I said. "I can understand that you want to escape, but look at where you are. Do you see any help out there?"
I stepped back and gestured with a broad sweep of my hand at the dark woods and the endless road that stretched both ways. She hardly even glanced. All she could do was glare at me and I could see my logic had no power over her. All she wanted to do was run.
So I sighed and smiled and fished the keys to the handcuffs out of my pocket. "Here, let me uncuff you," I said. "We'll see how far you can get. Then you'll understand."
Her face froze and she watched me slip the key into the lock around her wrist. She didn't seem to be able to believe it. You could see from her expression that she truly believed she would be free if only the handcuffs were gone. The poor thing was in for a harsh lesson.
The metal bracelet loosened and then it came away. She was in shock. She rubbed her wrist and stared at me. The wrist was red and scratched but thankfully unbleeding. I smiled at her and stepped away from the door.
"Go on," I said. "Run. Let's see if I can't catch you."
She came forward very cautiously, as if this was just a trick. Which it basically was. I had just explained it to her. But she didn't seem to be thinking straight and she didn't even glance up or down the road. As soon as her feet touched the asphalt she just turned and bolted.
I watched her go for a minute, smiling, my arms folded. She had a very girlish run, with her wrists and elbows flapping about, and she was already panting from the strain. This was not a girl who played a lot of sports. She didn't try dashing into the woods or anything. She seemed to think she could jog all the way back to town. She glanced over her shoulder wildly, about thirty feet down the road, and the night was entirely silent aside from the slap of her boots on the asphalt. I let her get a few feet further and then I decided it was time to stop her.
My vampire speed was significantly faster than her clumsy jog. I moved in almost a blur and suddenly I was standing in front of her. She saw me appear there as if by magic and gasped and skidded to a halt. I caught her as she stumbled and she burst into tears.
"No," she sobbed, pushing at me feebly. "Please."
I drew her into my arms and held her again, stroking the back of her hair until she quieted. "Do you see what I mean, Ms Swan? There's no escape on the highway in the middle of the night. Nowhere you can run that I cannot catch you. You need to resign yourself. It'll be so much easier once you resign yourself."
She looked up at me with her wet eyes. "Please. Just let me go."
I smiled and shook my head and took hold of her wrist. She struggled limply but she came along as I led her back to the truck.
"Dry your eyes, Ms Swan," I said as we strolled down that dark road. "Our time together will only be as painful as you allow it to be. With a few slight adjustments to your attitude we may even have a lot of fun together. Before I slaughter you, of course. But by the time I'm done with you, perhaps you'll be craving that too. Hm?"
I gave her a smile. She looked like she was going to throw up.
Then she did throw up.
She turned aside and yakked a mouthful of yellow bile onto the side of the road. I winced at the display but maintained a grip on her wrist. Well. I guess I wouldn't be kissing her for the foreseeable future.
I paused a minute while she spat and dry retched, bending over with her hands on her knees. Finally she wiped her mouth and straightened up and turned to me with weeping eyes that had gone angry.
"Fuck you," she said.
I smiled. I was glad she had gotten that out of her system and we continued toward the truck.
She got back into her seat without much fuss and she was glaring at her wrist as I snapped the handcuffs back on. She gave it a tug, as if just to check, and then sat there petulantly.
I buckled her seat belt, smiling, feeling oddly like how I'd imagine a mother would feel taking care of a troublesome child. It was really peculiar how I'd come to adore this strange little girl just from watching her from afar.
"Now, I want you to be a good girl," I was saying to her. "No more kicking the windshield and no more pulling the handcuffs. Okay?"
She glared at me. I had an impulse to kiss her but that might've been unwise after her retching display. So instead I just gave her a wink and closed the door.
By the time I went around and got in behind the wheel, she was tugging at the handcuffs again. But she stopped as soon as she saw me. I gave her a chiding look and started the truck.
We drove for a long time in silence. I thought it was best to give her some time to think and reflect on her situation. I tried to think of it from her perspective as well, to try and anticipate her mood or what she might try next, but it was difficult to imagine. She was just a girl. Just a regular highschool student who had never believed anything like this could ever happen to her. I would've expected her to be far more pliable and defeatist, but so far she had shown me quite a bit of anger and defiance. I liked that but it also worried me at how she might respond to her captivity.
One thing I knew for sure is that human beings are often less deep and complicated then we give them credit for. Traumas that you'd expect to tear someone apart are often brushed off as a matter of course. Perhaps that's what was occurring to her now. Her eyes were dry and she was gazing out the window calmly. I could see her pale reflection in the glass. She looked like a girl who didn't have a whole lot on her mind and maybe she didn't. At some point I suppose a person simply had to shut down and accept what was happening to them.
But maybe I underestimated her because a few minutes later she turned away from the window and looked at me. I would've liked to think she was admiring my lovely red hair and beautiful profile but she wasn't.
"You don't have to do this," she said. "You could just let me go. Even right here. My dad could pick me up and you'd be long gone. I wouldn't even say anything."
I glanced at her, trying not to look too amused. The poor thing not only thought I would let her go but that her father was still alive. I supposed she hadn't put two and two together and wondered what it could mean that her father's car was outside the house while I was inside the house.
"Please," she went on, looking at me imploringly. "I know you don't really want to hurt me. I can tell that you…like me." She almost gagged on that but she continued. "Just because you're a vampire, doesn't mean you have to kill me. So please. Just let me go."
I smiled. Interesting gambit, trying to play on my feelings like that. Too bad I didn't have any, least of all for her. Not the kind of feelings that would incline me to spare her, at least.
"I'm afraid that's out of the question," I said, turning back to the road.
"Why?"
"Because I'm afraid you've misunderstood. I don't like you, Ms Swan. You and your friends killed my mate. For that, you must die."
"I didn't do anything."
"You didn't have to."
Her expression cracked and she fought not to cry. She shook her head. "This isn't fair."
"Perhaps not. But is it fair that I lost my mate?"
"Yes. He tried to kill me."
I glanced at her with a certain sharpness, not smiling anymore. Her face hardened again at my expression but she said nothing. I let my eyes linger on her face for a moment and then I sighed and looked back at the road.
"I suppose you have a point," I said. "The hunt was reckless. I warned him against it but he did it anyway. If he had listened to me, none of this would be happening."
She took some heart from these words. "See, it's his own fault," she said. "There's no reason to kill me."
"Well, there is one."
"What?"
"Your scent," I said, smiling at her. "There's a reason James wouldn't listen to reason when I warned him against you. It's the same reason I'm not listening to you now."
She deflated slightly and sat back in her seat. I smiled and inhaled the air in the dark of the cab, closing my eyes for just a moment.
"In any case," I said, "a fallen mate can never be forgotten nor the killers forgiven. Vampires carry grudges for hundreds of years. It's our nature. A mate, once lost, can never be replaced, and the remaining half can never be made whole. When James died, my life was effectively over. From now on there is only one thing I have left, and do you know what that thing is?"
"What?"
I smiled at her. "You."
She frowned at that and looked away. I heard her heart give an awkward beat with my vampire hearing and I turned back to the road, smiling.
"Life is ironic," I said. "You were very lucky to have the Cullens to protect you from James, but you never know what bad luck your good luck will lead to. Look at where you are now. In the clutches of one of the very fiends they were protecting you from for the very reason of avenging the one that they killed."
She didn't answer. She was staring out the window at the trees as they washed in the headlights and darkened again and blurred by. I smiled at her.
"Do you have any way to contact them?" I asked.
"No," she muttered.
"Pity. I would've dearly loved to revenge myself on that boyfriend of yours as well. Oh well. What were the circumstances of the break up, if you don't mind my asking?"
"What do you care?"
"Oh, I'm just curious. I'm all but positive he could never get tired of a delicious little thing like yourself, so there had to have been some other reason. Did you have a fight?"
"No."
"So what happened?"
She turned away from the window and frowned at me. "He left because he said it was too dangerous for me to be a part of their lives. He blamed himself for exposing me to people like you and your psycho mate."
"Oh my," I said, allowing myself an inappropriate yet lady-like chuckle. "The irony only gets worse, doesn't it?"
She looked down at her lap sullenly. "Yeah."
I glanced at her, smiling. Something about her made me feel very warm inside and I wanted to cheer her up a little, even if just to toy with her. "Well, look on the bright side," I said. "If he left you for your own good, then perhaps he still loves you. Which means he might be keeping tabs on you. Which means…?"
I trailed off, letting the thought occur to her naturally. She looked up slowly with genuine hope in her eyes.
"He'll know I disappeared," she breathed.
I smiled and gave her a nod. "Precisely," I said. "And once he does, he'll most certainly try and track you down. Which means you may have a chance for rescue and I may have a chance for revenge on the man who is truly responsible for the death of my mate. It's lovely when everything works out so perfectly, isn't it?"
She didn't quite share my excitement but you could see the calculations of rescue being made in her big brown eyes. I smiled and turned back to the road.
"So take heart, Ms Swan," I said. "Be a good girl, survive, and perhaps a happy ending may await you after all."
She didn't answer and I decided to give her some time to think about it. Hope for rescue would keep her more manageable, less prone to recklessness. It wouldn't save her from being raped a hundred times over before being butchered like a lamb, of course, but it wouldn't hurt to let her believe.
It was just past 3AM when we entered Port Angeles. I could've continued driving through the night and into the next day but the girl had been through quite an ordeal and I felt she could use some rest, so I kept an eye out for a motel. It would also be a good place to dump the truck and think things over. Perhaps I could even get the girl a toothbrush and we could have some fun as well. I glanced at her as we coasted through the dark and empty streets nearby the harbor. She had been silent for over an hour and now she was sitting up and staring attentively out the windows, as if once again contemplating escape. The fact that we were in an urban area might've tricked her into thinking she had better chances here, but she didn't. It was the middle of the night and the whole town seemed deserted.
Her eyes were scanning the dark buildings and dark houses and as her gaze followed a car outside her eyes happened to land on mine. I smiled at her.
"Don't even think about screaming," I said. "Unless you'd like to die early, that is."
She frowned as if I had read her mind and didn't reply. I turned a corner and continued on under the glare of the streetlamps.
Most of the motels were located near the ferry terminal that connected Port Angeles to Port Victoria. Lovely name for a port, that. I kept driving until I found one that had 24 hour reception and then I pulled into the empty parking lot. It was called the Uptown Inn and it featured a charming array of potted plants outside the doors to all the rooms that sat there quietly in the darkness.
The girl was watching me cautiously. I took the key out of the truck and tucked it into the pocket of my coat. It was the same pocket as the gun.
"Now," I said. "I want you to listen very carefully. I'm going to unlock the handcuffs and let you out of the truck and I want you to stay glued to my side. Do you understand?"
She nodded grudgingly. I watched her for a moment and then I took the gun out.
She tensed up immediately and much of her defiance was replaced by fear. It made me smile. I had a feeling the pistol would be a more effective tool of intimidation than threats of vague vampire strength. She looked at the gun and lifted her frightened eyes to mine. I met her eyes steadily.
"So before you try anything foolish, remember that I have this in my pocket," I told her. "And unlike you, I know to use it."
Smiling, I used my thumb to eject the clip and then I ejected the round from the chamber before flipping off the safety and cocking back the hammer. I then touched the barrel of the unloaded gun to her temple.
"Scream even once and I will blow your pretty brains right out of your pretty head," I said. "Do you understand?"
She nodded and I pulled the trigger.
The dull click made her jump.
I chuckled at her reaction and she glared at me, shaking now from fear. I smiled and lowered the gun and began reloading it, fitting the clip into the butt and breaching another round into the chamber before flipping the safety back on and tucking the pistol back into the pocket of my coat. She had lifted her hands like a robbery victim, the cuffed one only halfway, and I gave her a smirk before getting out of the truck.
She still had her hands up when I opened her door and uncuffed her. She sat there rubbing her wrist and I slipped the cuffs into my pocket and stepped back. Then she got out. I kept my eyes on her, as if to keep her paralysed in my red gaze, and she looked away meekly, still rubbing her wrist. I took her arm gently and led her across the parking lot to the office.
The clerk looked up from a magazine as we came in and raised his eyebrows at how hot I was. I was used to it. He was young guy, kind of thin, and there was a TV mounted in a corner that was muted. I smiled at him, as if I wasn't holding this girl beside me hostage at all, and Ms Swan only frowned sullenly.
"Hi, we'd like a room, please," I said pleasantly.
He nodded and turned to the computer on the counter. "Sure thing, will that be a double?"
"I don't suppose you have any suites?"
"No, ma'am, closest we have is a double."
"Well, I suppose we'll have to take it."
"And how many nights will that be?"
"Just the one to start with."
I let go of Ms Swan's arm to reach for the money in my pocket.
Ms Swan turned and bolted for the door.
I didn't know who was more surprised, me or the clerk. Could she honestly be this stupid? We were both watching calmly as she ripped open the glass door and charged outside and we continued watching through the broad windows as she sprinted out into the road. The clerk looked at me oddly and I gave an awkward chuckle.
"Excuse me a moment," I said, and then I turned and hurried outside.
She had gotten across the road and she was pounding down the sidewalk under the yellow streetlamps. I could hear her screaming for help, but lucky for me, the streets were completely empty and this wasn't a residential district.
I came up behind her and pushed her sideways into an alley she was passing. She stumbled into a trashcan and slipped in a puddle of dirty rainwater and staggered to her feet again. I grabbed her before she could run again and threw her into the brick wall. She grunted and then cupped her mouth like a megaphone.
"Help!" she screamed. "Somebody please help!"
I took the gun out of my pocket and pressed the barrel into her head. She went quiet instantly and closed her eyes and cringed away.
I sighed at her antics and shook my head.
"Oh, Ms Swan," I said. "Did you think I wouldn't shoot you in public? Hm?"
She opened her eyes a crack. "Please don't," she whimpered. "I'm sorry."
I looked at her. I should've been angrier at such disobedience, but there was no harm done, and it really was kind of cute. I looked back down the alley. Her screams seemed to have had no effect on anything at all. I turned back to the girl, the gun still at her head, and I watched the fear in those beautiful brown eyes. Then I lowered the gun.
"It would be a shame to kill you over something so stupid and inconsequential," I said. "I'll administer a less lethal punishment when we are alone.
She sagged in relief. Such a silly girl. I put the gun in my pocket and took her hand.
"Come," I said.
I led her out of the alley and back across the road toward the motel. She came along with her head down, sniffing occasionally. I glanced her over. She had a long wet streak of dirt on the outside leg of her jeans and her hair was disarrayed. I shook my head and said:
"Wipe your eyes, for god's sake."
She did but she didn't do much to wipe away the sullenness as we went back into the office. The clerk was still standing there behind the counter and he looked at us as if to inquire if something was wrong. I smiled and chuckled breezily.
"I'm so sorry about that, she thought she heard her phone ringing in the car," I said. "Do you have the key?"
He nodded and put the key on the counter. The key was made from brass and it was attached to an old fashioned keyfob with the motel's logo on it.
"Just sign here," he said, placing a pen on top of a registration form.
I took the pen and discreetly watched him glance at Ms Swan. He seemed to realize she was distressed about something but he didn't seem to assume that she had been abducted against her will. I signed the form in a scrawl and set down the pen again.
He took the form and typed at the computer. I looked at the girl, as if to silently congratulate her on keeping still, and she stood there with her arms tightly folded, hurt, upset, desperate with helplessness.
Once the clerk was finished typing, I asked him how much for the room, and paid with very nearly the last of my funds. Although it could've been worse. At least they accepted cash. He handed me my change, glancing again at the girl, and then nodded as I scooped up the key from the counter.
"Thank you very much," he said. "Please enjoy your stay."
I smiled and took Ms Swan's arm gingerly. "Oh, we will."
I took her outside and we proceeded down the row of rooms until we found our own. There was a potted lavender bush beside the door and a hanging hydrangea from the awning. Nice place. I opened the door and stepped back for Ms Swan to enter. She hesitated, glancing out across the parking lot, and then she went in.
I flipped on the light and closed the door behind us. The room was quite lovely, albeit very small. The bed occupied almost a whole half of the living space. It had a floral bedspread of pink and purple blooms and it looked very comfy. Against the opposite wall was a largescreen TV and a polished oak dresser. Beyond that was a small kitchen area and a separate smaller room which was probably the bathroom. Above the bed was a framed watercolor of a lighthouse and seascape and overall the room was very quaint indeed.
Ms Swan didn't seem too impressed, however. She still had her arms tightly folded and she was standing there like she didn't know what to do. I sighed at her and took off my coat, tossing it onto a nearby couch.
"That was a very foolish stunt you pulled out there," I said. "Now I'm forced to punish you."
"I'm sorry," she said unconvincingly.
"What did you think you were doing?"
She didn't answer. I raised my eyebrows at her.
"Hm? Did you think if you screamed loud enough someone will come save you? Did it not occur to you that any would-be rescuer would be just as helpless against me as you are? Hm?"
She wouldn't look at me. Her eyes had gotten wet. I sighed one more time and put my hands on her shoulders so that she would look at me.
"You need to understand, Ms Swan," I said. "There's nowhere you can run that I can't track you and no one that can protect you. You belong to me now. You need to accept it."
A glimmer of defiance came into her wet eyes. "Edward will come for me," she said. "He'll kill you exactly the same as he killed James."
That was very impudent of her.
I loved it.
"Well," I said, cupping her cheek with my palm and gazing at her beautiful, angry, helpless face. "I guess we'll have to see about that. But for now, you must be punished. You were a very naughty girl out there and how do we punish naughty girls?"
I paused for an answer but she only glared. I grinned.
"We spank them," I said.
Then I stepped past her and sat on the bed. She turned to watch me and I patted my lap with a sultry smile. I was very curious at how she'd handle this kind of humiliation.
"Come," I said. "Lay down on my lap."
She hesitated, her folded arms finally loosening. She looked at the window but the curtains were drawn. She looked at me and her glare was pleading for me not to make her do it. I smiled and patted my lap again.
"Now, Ms Swan," I said with gentle insistence.
Her shoulders slumped and she came a little closer.
"And drop your pants," I added.
She froze and glared at me. Then she started unbuttoning her jeans.
I watched her, pleasantly surprised. Maybe she thought if she did this she could avoid anything worse. She let the jeans down to her knees and then she sat beside me on the bed and then, with much loathing and hesitation, she laid herself down across my lap.
I smiled and patted her bottom. Her panties were white boyleg briefs with blue polka dots and her buttocks underneath the thin cotton were just as soft and warm and wonderful as I remembered them from this afternoon.
"Good girl," I said, feeling excitement course through me. "Now, how many spanks do you think will teach you a lesson? Hm?"
She didn't answer. I was caressing her bottom and I was content to wait a while. I let my hand slip between her thighs and I stroked that really soft place between them and then I smiled and looked at the back of her head.
"Give me a number, Ms Swan," I urged her gently. "Whatever you deem fair."
Perhaps I shouldn't toy with her so much but it was just so fun. I waited for her to speak and when she did it sounded like her teeth were gritted.
"Five," she said.
I smirked and lifted my hand.
"Let's go for ten then," I said.
Then I spanked her.
Not too hard, but hard enough to really hurt. An adorable yelp came out of her and her buttcheek gave the most fetching jiggle. She sucked in a breath and I pulled down her panties to expose the bare skin. The whiteness there had already gone slightly red and I gave it a gentle caress.
"Count for me, Ms Swan," I said. "Begin with one."
"One," she muttered meekly.
I smiled at how she didn't need to be told twice and then I lifted my hand again and—whack!
Right across those perky buttocks. She gasped at the pain and I giggled at how her whole ass jiggled like a jello mould.
"Two," she said weakly.
"Mmm, good girl," I said, and then—
Spank!
This time on the other cheek. She shivered and gasped.
"Three," she whispered.
I grinned and noticed her buttocks clench to brace for the pain. I spanked her again and felt a flash of excitement at how she flinched and whimpered.
"Four," she wheezed.
"Louder, Ms Swan," I said, and then I gave her a very vicious slap across her rear that caused her whole body to jolt on my lap.
"Five!" she cried. "Five!"
I grinned and kept spanking her, delivering the last five in relentless rhythm, one after the other, spanking down on her beautiful ass and relishing the gasps and wobbles and bucks of pain as she cried out the numbers.
"Six! Seven! Eight! Nine!"
Then I paused, smirking, letting her wait, and—
"Ahh—!"
The last one made her scream, partly from the surprise and partly from the force of it. It had almost spanked her right off my lap. The scream was very short and it trailed off into a whimper. I smiled and petted the pain away. Her whole ass was red and there was a lovely heat coming off it. As if she were blushing there. I stroked it like a cat in my lap and waited for her to count the final spank and then very softly her voice said:
"Ten…"
I chuckled and patted her butt. "Good girl," I said. "You may stand."
She struggled off my lap, refusing to look at me, and pulled up her panties before zipping up her jeans. I watched her, smiling. Her face was as red as her ass had been but beyond the pain and humiliation she was also very angry.
She turned to me and glared.
"I'm thirsty," she said.
I almost laughed. "Oh yes, you're human. I'd almost forgotten. I suppose I'll have to be more conscious of those things. Like keeping a pet, hm? Come."
I rose and we crossed the small room to the kitchen area. It was just a small corner closed off by kitchen counters of polished oak. There was a coffeemaker, a small stove, and a stainless steel sink. Beside the coffeemaker was a stack of papercups and I took one from the top and filled it at the tap before handing it to the girl. She took it grudgingly and drank.
I watched her. She drank the whole thing, frowning at me over the rim of the cup, and handed it back.
"Would you like another?" I asked her.
"Yes," she said.
I filled it again and again she drank. I watched her throat move and I was fascinated for a moment by the slenderness of her neck and the pale skin and the blood that pumped in the arteries at either side of her swallowing throat.
"You know," I said. "I'm very thirsty as well."
She stopped drinking, the cup still at her lips. She lowered it, still with some water in the bottom. I took the cup from her with one hand and took her hand with the other. I lifted it, gazing at her milky forearm and the soft flesh there.
"Maybe just a bite," I said. "Hm?"
She glared silently. I lifted her arm to my mouth.
"James used to have tremendous control," I murmured softly into her warm skin. "He could bite a victim and suck out the venom without killing them. I'm not sure if I have that same restraint. I've always been a tad more indulgent."
I flickered my red eyes at her. To her credit, she didn't look scared. Well, not too much. My throat was burning and my lips were brushing along the slender limb of her forearm like a flute. I could feel the warmth of her skin and the very fine hairs there.
Then I released the breath I was holding and let go.
She snatched the arm back to her side, relieved. She ought to be. For now, she had nothing to worry about. I didn't quite trust myself to break her skin and I didn't want to damage her just yet. The sooner the damage began to pile up, the sooner her days were numbered.
"Would you like more water?" I asked.
"No," she muttered, holding her arm protectively.
I smiled and turned to the bathroom. "Then perhaps you'd like to use the bathroom, hm? I'm sure by now you have human business to conduct."
I opened the bathroom door and she went in. The interior was limegreen tile with a pink toilet and two pink sinks that were side by side in wooden cabinets. The bath was pink as well and there was a shower curtain that converted it into a shower.
"Hmm," I said thoughtfully, looking about.
"What?"
"I'm just wondering if I can trust you enough to give you privacy. You're not silly enough to try escaping again, are you? Or have you learnt your lesson?"
She didn't answer, she just glared at me with her arms folded, waiting for me to leave. I gave the room a quick examination. There didn't seem to be any visible means of escape even if she was stupid enough to try it. There was only one window, but it was very high in the wall and it didn't open. The glass was thick and pebbled and I gave it a tap with my fingernails to make sure it couldn't be broken. The gap was probably too small for her to fit through anyway, as slim as she was.
I turned back to the girl. Gosh, she was so cute, with that long dark hair and sullen glare. I smiled at her and moved past her.
"It seems secure enough," I said. "I'll give you half an hour to do whatever you need to. I want you to shower as well. Give me your clothes."
"What?"
"Your clothes. They're dirty and we'll have to get you new ones."
Her glared deepened even further but she did as she was told. Shrugging off her jacket, handing it over. Then her top, leaving her torso covered by only a bra. Next she unbuttoned her grime-streaked jeans and pushed them down her long legs and gave them to me. Then she just stood there. I smirked and waited. She got the hint and glared even more furiously as she reached behind her back for her bra catch. She took it off and laid the undergarment on the pile of clothes I was holding, covering her breasts with her other arm. I only got a peek at them but that was okay. She kept them covered as she took off her panties with one hand, pushing them down until she could step out of them, and then scooping them up and handing them over before quickly using that same hand to cover her crotch.
I was pleased at her obedience, truculent as it was, and I gave her body a lingering stare. So soft and warm and beautiful.
And all mine.
The thought gave me a rush of excitement that made me smile. But I had to remember to restrain myself. It was a delicate situation and I didn't want to push her too hard too fast. The idea was to savor her.
Ms Swan had finally squirmed under my eyes and looked away. The brown orbs of them floated over the bath and back to me.
"How do you know I won't just drown myself in the bath?" she asked sullenly.
I smirked and turned to the door. "Because I believe your suicidal hysteria has passed and you are now committed to escape or rescue," I said. "Half an hour, Ms Swan. It's already getting late."
Then I closed the door and left her to her business.
According to the alarm clock, it was already past 4AM. I took her clothes over to the dresser and began folding them for no particular reason. Perhaps I should've packed some extra outfits before leaving her house but I preferred the idea of starting fresh. I'd rather buy some things for her personally. Sexy things. Her clothes were all rather drab. I had very little money left, of course, but I could always acquire more. It was just too bad I hadn't planned this out ahead of time. I could've already had a location prepared. But how could I have predicted she would affect me so? From a distance she had been more desirable than any human I had known, but up close, in my arms…she was incredible.
The toilet flushed in the bathroom and I glanced at the sound. Silly humans and their bodily functions. It was a shame the girl wasn't a vampire like me, then we could've…
Could've what?
Good heavens, Victoria, what a bizarre thought. If she was a vampire, what? Then we could've simply hooked up without the messy business of rape and abduction? But isn't her very humanity and breakability the chief reasons you're attracted to her? Well, yes. But over these last couple months, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't become somewhat attached to her. Without James, she was really all I have left. Her and the desire to…
Kill her?
Or keep her?
The shower turned on in the bathroom and I shook my thoughts away. There'll be plenty of time to figure all that out once I get her settled somewhere.
My coat was draped over the couch and I fetched the gun and the handcuffs from the pockets and bought them over to the dresser. I placed the handcuffs by the pile of folded clothes and then I ejected the clip from the pistol and counted the rounds. Ten, including the one in the chamber. Not many. I sighed and reloaded it and set it down by the handcuffs. It was probably safer to ditch the gun entirely. If I was ever forced to use it, the ballistics would match it to the dead police chief's stolen sidearm. I wonder if his corpse had been discovered yet? Probably not. It had only been half a day. Even the girl's disappearance wouldn't be noticed till tomorrow, or even later.
I went over to the window and pulled back the curtain to look out. The parking lot was dark, the sky black and starless, and I could see the girl's big red pickup truck there. I'd have to ditch that too. They won't be looking for it outside Forks, not for a few days at least, but better safe than sorry. I sighed and let the curtain fall. So much work to do. It would've been much simpler if I had simply killed her. Yet even as that thought occurred to me, I knew it was hollow and no substance to it. Because if I had killed her, what then? What would I have left? Nothing. It wouldn't bring James back. It wouldn't erase this loneliness in my heart. Keeping her alive, on the other hand, would at least give me a reason to get through the days to come.
The shower turned off behind me and I leaned a hip on the dresser to wait. According to the alarm clock, her half hour was almost up. I sighed again, beginning to become impatient. She was naked in there. And wet. Even just the visual turned me on. In five hundred years I don't think I'd ever been this attracted to another woman before. I'd always had somewhat of a preference for feminine companionship, I suppose, but I was raised rather more traditional. In any case, James was all I had ever needed. A protector, a lover. It was peculiar how I now found myself attracted to someone who was essentially his complete opposite. And it was even more peculiar how this attraction was more intense than anything I had ever felt before, James or otherwise. With James, the feelings had been mild and rational. Built on a foundation of survival and partnership. With Ms Swan, the feelings were simply wild. With no logic at all beyond just the fact of the feelings themselves.
I stood up from the dresser and tapped my foot. How much longer was she going to be? She still had five minutes left but I didn't like being alone out here, so I went over and opened the bathroom door.
I found her sitting on the lid of the toilet, dressed in nothing but a towel. She jumped when I came in. She had a handful of damp toilet paper in her hands and she looked like she had been crying. Glaring at me, she stood up quickly and lifted the lid and flushed the paper. Then she dropped the lid and wiped her eyes with her fingers.
"You said I had half an hour," she said.
I snorted at her silliness. "Half an hour to shower," I said. "Not sit around and mope."
She didn't answer. There was water all over the floor and I couldn't help but notice how the puddles made a trail from the shower to the window. I went over and examined the window. There were pock marks and little chips taken out of the glass and on the counter there was a bent steel rod that had held rolls of toilet paper.
I chuckled at her ingenuity. She had used the noise of the shower to mask the sounds of trying to break the glass. What a marvellous young woman. She was glaring at me defiantly with her arms folded over her breasts and I gave her a fond smile.
"So you did try and escape, even after I warned you," I said. "Good lord, you are a silly thing. Do I need to spank you again?"
"I didn't do anything," she denied.
I chuckled again at that and shook my head. She was going to be a handful, this one.
Then I started to get undressed.
She recoiled slightly as I pulled off my top. I tossed it onto the counter and started unbuttoning my jeans. I had no bra underneath the top and she gaped at my large and luscious breasts.
"W-what are you doing?" she stuttered.
I smiled and slipped off my jeans. "I have to shower as well," I said. "But don't worry, I'm not as sensitive about privacy as you are. I want you to stay right there where I can keep an eye on you."
She frowned and watched me in disgust until I was completely naked. I smiled at her and then I turned and reached into the shower to turn it on. I hoped she was getting a nice look at my ass.
I left the curtain open, so she could watch, and I took my time washing myself. She had sat on the toilet again and she was trying not to look, although her eyes did seem to have trouble keeping away. Maybe it was just morbid curiosity. She had probably never been confronted with another woman's nakedness like this before. It was a little different than in a locker room. I was practically parading myself for her, making sure my back was nicely arched and my breasts were sexily preened, massaging the shampoo into my scalp and then rinsing it out with the suds flowing off my marble body. When I opened my eyes, she looked away sharply. There was a faint blush on her cheeks and I could tell she was just a little excited, against her will or not.
Finally I turned the shower off and stepped out. Water dripped from my nipples. She rose from the toilet lid, as if she thought she could go now. I was blocking the door and I smiled at her as I gathered my hair in my hands and wrung it out like a rag. The water spattered on the tiles and she glared at me with her faintly pink face. I smiled and gestured with my chin at the towel she was wearing.
"Give me your towel," I said.
She frowned and looked at the chrome bar on the wall where three different towels were hanging. "There's towels over there," she said, pointing.
"I know," I said, smiling. "But I want yours."
She hesitated for a long and angry moment and then she took it off and handed it over. I took it and dabbed my face. She stood there, glaring, not bothering to cover herself anymore.
I took my time drying myself, the same as I had taken my time in the shower, and when I was done I let the towel drop to the wet floor. She was leaning against the counter, looking away. Her face had gone blank and a certain amount of resignation seemed to have finally creeped into her. As if she knew exactly what was coming next and she almost didn't care anymore. She looked up as the towel dropped and I smiled and brushed my wet hair with a cheap plastic hairbrush. She looked at my breasts. She looked away again. I put down the brush and took her hand.
"Come," I said.
I led her back into the bedroom and then I turned her to face me and cupped her face. She looked at me sullenly. I brushed my thumb over her lips.
"Do you know what's going to happen now?" I asked her softly.
She didn't answer. I stroked her damp hair back and smiled and kissed her lips. I did it very tenderly, as if to let her know there was nothing to be afraid of. She endured the kiss for a few seconds and then she turned away and wouldn't look at me.
On the surface the gesture seemed like defiance but in reality it was submission—to anything other than a kiss. A kiss seemed to be just a little too intimate for her, a little too uncomfortable. I could understand that. So instead I gave her a gentle push that caused her to plop down onto the bed behind her. Then I smiled and lowered myself and knelt at her feet.
She sat there on the edge of the bed and watched me grudgingly, half-confused, her dark brows puckered. I put my hands on her knees and opened them. She didn't resist. Not with her body, at least. Only with her eyes. I smiled up at her and used my hands to massage her thighs. They were so warm and soft. I was being very gentle and by kneeling at her feet I hoped to appear less menacing. I was eyelevel with her breasts and I smirked to see that her nipples were hard. Perhaps from the cold but perhaps from a little bit of excitement too. I leaned to lick one of them, keeping my red eyes raised to hers. She shivered, half in pleasure, half from revulsion. I licked it again, still gazing up at her in a subtle sort of domination. Kneeling at her feet and yet entirely in control of her. She bit her lip and tried to supress any enjoyment. But I smiled and licked it some more and then I took it between my lips and sucked at it and she let out a small whimper.
It was the first time I had used my mouth on her body and her nipples were simply delicious. I used my hands as well, to cup those gorgeous mounds and squeeze them, all very gently, all without speaking. She was in a very fragile state and the purpose of this was to reassure her and show her that a good captive gets treated better than a bad captive and as distasteful as all this might be to her it was certainly better than a more violent alternative.
By now she had begun to breathe heavily and I could smell her scent wafting up from between her thighs. It was driving me crazy and soon I abandoned her breasts. She had been watching me the whole time, her face flushed and upset, and now I smiled and flickered my eyes at her lap. She understood the hint and she leaned back slightly to allow better access to her pussy. The fact that she did it without being asked or even spoken too gave me a tremendous rush of excitement. It was nice to see that she was capable of being reasonable. I smiled at her and then I lowered my eyes to her vagina. It was swollen and slightly moist. I hadn't gotten a chance to taste it this afternoon and I was almost salivating with venom from the anticipation. It was an adorable little thing with a fine furring of delicate black hair and I leaned and pressed my lips to it.
Just a kiss. Her body shuddered and my mind spun from her scent and her amazing taste. I lifted my eyes to hers with my mouth still pressed to her lowerlips and maintained the eye contact as I kissed again, letting that faint moisture coat my lips. She didn't look away from my eyes and beyond the fear and disgust there also seemed to be just a hint of something else. I lowered my eyes and gave it a lick. She shuddered again and a moan came out of her and I smiled and licked my lips and then I closed my eyes and pressed my mouth to it more lavishly and gave it a generous kiss.
It took a long time and I was in no great rush. I savoured her like a fine dessert, licking at her slowly and methodically, making her gasp and whimper. She was getting wetter and wetter and her wetness was delicious. Her folds were slick and silky and I lapped at them eagerly, devouring her moisture as if it was as delicious as her blood. Her breathing had become high and breathless and she gave a cry when I finally wrapped my lips around her clit. I didn't know if she was trying to resist the orgasm or not but she failed if she was. Her legs tensed up on her toes and there was a gush of wetness along with a loud groan. Then her breathing stopped for a moment before it was released in a gasp as her body went slack.
I smiled into her folds as I continued to lick it all up, looking up at her with just my eyes as I did so. She looked down, her naked chest heaving, and there was little expression on her bland and defeated face to indicate anything at all other than that she was waiting for me to stop.
Finally I did. I sat back on my heels, kneeling there like a servant girl, and smiled up at her. She drew her legs closed, frowning again, and I gave her a kiss on each kneecap and rose to my feet.
By now my own pussy had gotten terribly horny as well but I suppose I would just have to put up with it. She had gone guarded again and I could tell she was afraid that I would force her to do something similar to me as well. I had half a mind to make her go down on me quickly but for now I was quite satisfied. Mostly I had only wanted to taste her and show her that she belonged to me and that she was mine to do with what I wished.
So instead of making any demands I simply reached for the floral bedcovers and spoke to her softly.
"Lay down," I whispered. "Time for bed."
She shuffled back to the pillow and tucked her legs under the covers, looking at me fearfully. "What are you going to do?"
I smiled and lifted the covers to her chin, once again feeling strangely like a mother taking care of her child. Her brown eyes were confused that I wasn't getting into the bed with her—suspicious as well—but all I did was smile and stroke her face.
"Nothing at all," I said. "For now."
Then I leaned down and placed a kiss on those beautiful lips.
After that I went to turn off the light. The room went dark but you could still see faintly from the lamps in the parking lot. She was raised up slightly in the bed and watching me and she continued to watch me as I came over and sat on the couch that faced the bed. She settled back onto the pillow, laying on her side and looking at me, and I crossed my legs to get comfortable.
"Get some sleep, Ms Swan," I told her. "You must be very exhausted."
"You're just going to sit there?"
"For now. I need some time to figure out what to do next. I hadn't planned on any of this. I had originally intended to simply kill you."
"You could just let me go."
I hid a smile by looking aside. The poor thing. She really was determined to somehow survive all this. "Go to sleep, Ms Swan," I said softly. "You'll be alright. Perhaps you'll wake up in the morning and realize this was all just a nightmare."
She lay there, blinking at me in the dark. Then she rolled over and faced the other way.
—
AN: I think this chapter turned out pretty good. I wanted Bella to be spunky, but not to the point of ridiculous. Just enough to add a bit of light comedy and take the edge off the horror of her situation. Vicky might be a little OOC, but that's sort of unavoidable. In the books she was a lot more shallow and bitchy, and that's okay for a bit villain, but that's not gonna work for a main character. It's actually really odd when you think about how crappy and unrealized she was in the books. I think it's only the idea of her character that's so awesome. Red hair, sexy, passionately driven to kill Bella. Lot of potential there. Hopefully my little interpretation of her character is okay. I mean, if I kept her purely canon, she wouldn't even be into girls, much less get over James. Anyway, let me know what you thought. Any feedback, always welcome.