A Slave to Love

Chapter 36: Slave For You

Blade POV

I spent the whole night and morning running. I hunted until the sun came up, trying hard to turn my brain into something more animal for a while in order to keep my mind off Mona, Kiana, and Aidan. Those three were driving me insane. The thought of going back home to them filled me with dread. One thing that kept circling my brain, besides those three pains in my ass, was Saturday night. I had picked up the scent of the vampire attackers, there had been two, but I didn't recognize their scent at all and it nagged at me.

It wasn't surprising given whoever targeted Kiana probably did it because of me. They knew we were bonded, why else go after a random human like that, try to scare her when you could just bite and kill her? I had to admit it though, the vampire behind this was smart. He or she had made sure to send in vampires that I didn't know so I couldn't trace this back to them and get them into major trouble.

I hated how much it threw me off when Kiana mentioned Ace going to see her. He hadn't mentioned it to me, though what I told Kiana had been true. Aros often made Ace run around doing pointless errands as a way to both punish him as well as 'train' him to take over his job one day. A day that Ace viciously hoped never came.

Ace was not the type of person to hurt anyone and his scent hadn't be anywhere near Jill or the dorm room, and I trusted him not to be a part of this. Aros' errands for Ace were usually harmless; trying to set up contacts, get information, send warnings, sniff out potential deals with useful contacts. So whatever reason Ace was there, it hadn't been with the intent to harm Kiana.

Someone higher up the food chain on the other hand? That was entirely possible. There were a lot of hands in the day to day operation Aros was running and a good chunk of them were monsters hiding behind pleasant smiles. I'd seen plenty of them when I used to work for Aros, a long time ago. Someone corrupt or who hated me from Aros' operation was entirely likely. I wasn't exactly known for my sunny disposition or friend-making ability; that was all Ace.

By the time late afternoon came I decided I'd been gone long enough and headed back. Leo wasn't the least bit surprised when I came back as he was used to me disappearing for long periods of time without a word. I told him not to tell Mona I was here, and that if she asked just to say he didn't know, before I shot up to my room. I had other priorities than trying to calm her down from a tantrum. As I passed by Kiana's room I heard music blasting. Curious, I stopped outside her door.

Kiana POV

"I know I may be young...but I've got feelings too...and I need to do...what I feel like doing...so let me go...and just listen," I sang along with Britney Spears playing from my loud iPod speakers as I unclipped my hair, letting my long hair fall down my back.

"All you people look at me like I'm a little girl, well did you ever think it'd be okay for me to step into this world?" I picked up my hairbrush and sang into it before I started running it through my thick brown hair, "Always saying little girl don't step into the club. Well I'm just trying to find out why this dancin's what I love."

I shook my hips as I brushed my hair and sang along, not feeling the least bit goofy standing there in a tank top and underwear post-shower. The joys of having a room to myself. I loved living with Katie, but I had to admit it was great to have some privacy. I hadn't had any of that since living at home with my mom and being able to bop to some early 2000s hits without an audience was a small perk to being stuck in this house with Blade.

"Get it, get it, get it, oh. I know I may come off quiet, may come off shy. But I feel like talking, feel like dancing when I see this guy," I sang, shaking my hips some more as I tossed my hairbrush onto the counter with a fancy flick of my wrist. "What's practical is logical, what the hell who cares? All I know is I'm so happy when you're dancin' here."