My throat ached and burned. I tried to swallow to relieve the dryness though it didn't help at all. I lifted my hand to my throat to rub it but something stopped me. I opened my eyes to see a hand holding my own. I glanced around the room and the last few hours came crashing back to me.
Liam watched me carefully, gauging my reaction.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"It hurts," I croaked.
He handed me a glass filled with blood. I hesitated for a moment but I couldn't resist the smell. It was too tempting. I downed the glass and wanted more but at least my throat wasn't burning like it had been.
"Better?"
I nodded. I was embarrassed to want more and I refused to ask. I wanted to live on as little blood as possible.
"Would you like another glass?" he asked.
I shook my head. "No."
"How about a shower? You might feel better," he offered.
"Yeah," I agreed.
"Try standing."
I did as he said, carefully trying to stand. I felt weak, my body exhausted but I was able to stand for a moment. My knees buckled but Liam caught me before I could fall.
He helped me to the bathroom and leaned me against a wall while he turned on the shower. I watched him carefully as he pulled a towel from the rack and put it closer to the shower. I wasn't sure why I was so comfortable with him but I was completely at ease with Liam. He was calming. Something about his presence comforted me. Everything about him pulled me in and kept me from running even though I knew I was capable of running now.
"Ready?"
"Yeah," I responded weakly.
He wrapped his arm around me and led me to the glass shower.
"Do you want me to help you?"
My head slumped down as I tried to unbutton the shirt. My arms were weak and heavy. I felt disgusting but I didn't have the energy to actually shower.
"Can't I just sleep?"
"You're covered in blood and sweat."
"I'm so tired."
"Try it?"
I nodded in agreement. He had already seen me naked multiple times so what was once more? He unbuttoned the shirt for me and tossed it to the side. The feel of his skin against my own was tempting. I hadn't felt tempted like that in, well, ever. He was careful to keep his hands on my waist and back which made it even harder to resist temptation. Heck, if I had avoided it for eighteen years, I could stay abstinent until marriage.
But I was a servant now. I wouldn't be allowed to marry anyone or have any kind of relationship with anyone.
"Why am I so weak?"
"You just went through an entire DNA swap. It'll take you some time to recover."
"I thought I was supposed to have better senses," I said.
"You will but I'm not going to let them bombard you."
"You're controlling my senses?"
"Dulling them. I'll give them to you slowly."
"Then why do I feel this way," I asked.
"What way?"
"Like I want you," I complained.
He laughed. The sound was musical, like he had thoroughly enjoyed what I said.
"Everything is intensified for a new vampire."
"Stop making me feel this way."
"I'm not doing anything. That's all you, sweetheart."
"No it's not."
"Yes it is. You found me attractive before the change but now you can't control it."
"No I didn't."
"It's not good to lie to your creator, Anna."
I scowled at the ground. I wasn't going to admit it to him.
"Will I ever be able to marry someone?" I asked.
He put me in the shower but didn't close the door. He simply leaned against the wall next to the shower and stared ahead.
"If you want to, why not?"
The warm water rushed over my body, cleaning the dried blood off.
"You keep saying I belong to you."
"You do which will make it difficult for a man to be good enough for you."
"It won't be that hard."
"Yes it will. He will have to have good standing with my family, respect you, care for you," he trailed.
"You don't think I can find my own man?"
"I think you're naive."
"It's not your job to find love for your servants."
"You're not an ordinary servant."
"I'm not?"
"No. You're extremely special."
"Why?"
"Because you're the first I've created."
"I am?"
"Mhm."
I slumped against the tiled wall, unable to hold my weight any longer. Liam caught me before I could fall and shut off the water.
"Good enough for now," he muttered.
He wrapped a towel around me and carried me back to the bedroom. I was thankful that he didn't seem to be interested in me but he did take care of me. He didn't just leave me on my own to figure it out and he hadn't been harsh or cruel in any way. In fact, he had been kind and considerate.
"My hair's going to knot," I complained.
"You can figure that out later. I don't know how to fix your hair."
"But it's going to hurt."
He looked down at me, slightly irritated.
"You'll survive."
He grabbed some powder blue fabric and came back over to me.
"Sit up."
I did and he slipped the blue dress on me. He buttoned the back of it and helped me stand.
"So. We have a flight to catch but I need you to walk yourself downstairs."
"I think I can."
"Good. Let's go."
He offered his hand to me which I took without hesitation. I wasn't going to be able to walk completely on my own but I also didn't want to fall into any sort of routine with Liam. I wasn't stupid. I knew as soon as we got to wherever he lived, our dynamic would change drastically. He was a prince and I was nothing more than a servant. I knew there would be a place for me and I knew this wasn't it.
"Here," he said. He stopped in front of a pair of white flats and waited for me to put them on.
"Liam?"
"Yeah?"
"You never answered my question earlier."
"What question?"
"About what my life will be like now."
"It will probably be easier than your previous life."
"That not cryptic at all."
He tossed a pointed look at me.
"I deserve to know."
"Your duties will mostly consist of tending to me. You will be at my meetings, you'll be in charge of my other servants, things like that."
"So I'm an inglorious assistant?"
"With fewer rights."
"Such as?"
"Unless it's just us, you will refer to me as 'Your Highness.'"
"Okay. So when we're alone I can call you Liam?"
"Of course."
We made our way through the lavish hotel to the lobby. Richard was waiting for us along with the rest of the security team. We left through the grand glass front and onto a sidewalk packed with humans. Each one smelled distinct but all I could focus on was how good they smelled.
"Relax," Liam whispered in my ear. His closeness still stirred something in me which was unsettling. I didn't want to find him attractive. I wanted to hate him despite how nice he had been to me.
He opened the door to the limo and let me slide in first. He followed closely and Richard got in the front seat with one of the other guards.
"So you're the prince," I said.
"Yes."
"That means your parents are the king and queen, right?"
"Right."
"Are they good?"
"They've been ruling for eight hundred years. I would say they're pretty good."
"I meant good people."
"Of course they are."
"How many people have you turned?"
"One."
"Only one other?"
"No," he said as he met my eyes. "One."
"Just me?"
"Didn't we just cover this in the bathroom? Was that confusing?"
"No," I grumbled. I sat back on the leather and closed my eyes.
"What are your parents gonna think of that?"
"I suppose we'll find out."
"Why did you turn me?"
"I don't know. Impulse decision."
"Liar."
I could practically feel his irritation with me. I slipped my shoes off and pulled my legs up, careful to drape the dress appropriately. Even though it was shorter than I was used to, it wasn't obscene in any way.
"So tell me why. I think you owe me that much."
"Like I said. It was an impulse decision."
"Maybe but you don't strike me as the impulse type."
"And you're such an expert on character?"
"I'm a pretty good judge."
"Well your great judge of character got you kidnapped by an auction house."
My eyes flew open at his absent statement. I couldn't believe he had actually said that to me. I was utterly speechless.
"Anna-"
"Don't."
"I shouldn't have said that," he tried.
I closed my eyes and settled back into my comfortable position. I wasn't going to speak to him. It had only been a matter of hours since I had been kidnapped and he was already making fun of my misery.
"Anna," he said.
I kept my eyes closed. I couldn't fight my exhaustion anymore anyway. Escaping from him, from reality seemed like the best option.
I woke to the sound of roaring jets all around me. I had never been where the planes land and to be honest, it scared me a bit. I was never a fan of flying and being in the landing area couldn't have been safe.
"Come on," Liam said. He offered his hand to me but I ignored him completely. I wasn't going to just forgive and forget. He claimed I was different and even if I was a servant I was sure being different meant something better.
"Are we really going to do this, Anna?"
I glanced at him but held my hands at my sides. With one last look, he led the way to a giant white jet. There wasn't an airline company plastered on the side so I assumed this was a private jet. Of course it was. Like he would fly anything less.
We climbed the short stairs into the plane. The inside was luxurious and meticulously clean. Tan leather chairs and white carpet spread through the plane.
"Are you still tired?" Liam asked.
I nodded.
"There's a bed in the back."
He started towards the back of the plane to a door. He opened it to reveal a small bedroom mostly made up of a large bed and two nightstands.
I climbed on the bed and kept my back to Liam. With a light sigh, he closed the door, leaving me in complete darkness. I welcomed the dark. I wanted to sleep for days, weeks, anything to keep my reality at bay.
I couldn't tell if it had been minutes or hours but I woke still exhausted but unable to sleep. I realized I hadn't been alone since being kidnapped and I didn't even know where I was. I had been so overwhelmed by everything that I forgot about Zeus. What had they done to my dog? He never hurt anyone and the thought of someone hurting him killed me. He was my best friend. He was always there when I needed someone.
And my family. What would my parents think? Would they be searching for me yet? How long had I even been gone? Time was so skewed for me. I had lost large chunks of it and I realized I didn't actually know how long I had been in captivity.
A few tears found their way down my cheeks. Before I could stop it, more spilled and I sniffled. My chest felt heavy with all the people I missed but especially Zeus. He couldn't take care of himself if he was alive. What if someone found him and put him in a shelter?
"Anna?" A light knock on the door pulled my attention to Liam.
I was still angry with him and I didn't want to talk to him but I didn't have it in me to tell him to go away. I could feel my heartbreaking with every tear and I wasn't strong enough to tell him off right then.
He didn't say anything. He knew exactly what I needed. He laid down next to me in the pitch black and pulled me as close as possible. While I hated that it was him that I felt so comfortable with, I wasn't going to deny that comfort.
"Is this because of what I said?" he asked. His arm had snaked over my waist to hold my balled fists. I pushed my back closer to his chest, needing to feel him there.
"No."
"What's wrong?"
"I miss..." I couldn't help it. I curled my knees closer to my chest and cried.
"Sh," he tried. "I know you miss your family."
I shook my head.
"Not them...I miss Zeus."
"Zeus?" he asked.
"My dog."
"Your dog," he trailed. "You miss your dog?"
"Do you know what they did to him? When they took me, I mean."
"Uh, no. I have no idea what happened to your dog."
"But I was all he had. If they put him in a shelter, he'll be euthanized."
"If I find out what happened to your dog, will you forgive my comment earlier?"
"That's extortion," I mumbled.
"Told you I was doomed from conception."
"You don't know anything about me."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I forgave you the second you said it. I'm still angry but I forgave you."
"Fair enough. I'll find out what happened to your dog."
He started to get up but I gripped his hand.
"Don't leave me. I-I don't want to be alone."
"I won't leave you. I'm just going to tell Richard to find your dog."
I nodded a little and let go of his hand. I turned part of my myself to see him stick his head out the door and tell Richard to find my dog. I was glad that he didn't think the task was ridiculous. Even if he did think that, he didn't show it. He laid back on the bed and pulled me even closer than before. I relished in his hold but didn't let myself enjoy it too much. I knew it would be over in a few hours and I wasn't going to let myself get attached.