Waking up with a groan from what feels like a restless night, I stretch my arms up with a yawn. I wipe the tear that has formed in the corner of my eyes away. Feeling more relaxed, I let my arms fall back on the bed before wrapping the warm bed covers around me like a cocoon. I am about to fall back asleep, but I my eyes snap open as I start to recall what happened last night. That bastard dared to look into my head! In my fury, I jump off the bed, but my breath is cut short as I ungraciously fall on the floor with a loud thud. I reach for my neck and see that the wall has been repaired and the chain is attached to it.

I sigh as I let my head back down on the floor. Of course, he would chain me again, I did escape from him last time. Slowly sitting back up, I get myself off the floor before crawling back into the bed. I will make sure to give him hell after he searched into my head without my permission. Who the hell goes into someone else's mind to peek into their past? It's basically as if... As if you're looking in someone else's... Porn collection? Like civilized people just don't do that!

"You are awake," states the man who is about to die. "You have been out for a little more than a day."

"And whose fault do you think that was?" I answered back angrily.

"If you were willing to tell me, I may not have done it."

"Yeah, right. You didn't even stop when I said no. So don't you dare play this card. You will have to wait another million years before I accept mating with an asshole like you."

"I don't think any vampires ever lived a million years. So it may be a little too long even for me," he teases making me glare at him. "Putting that matter aside, don't you think you can get away unscattered after that stunt," he growls dangerously growls making my whole body shiver and stiffen by his threat.

"If you have given me blood, I wouldn't need to kill Ania and escape," I grunted back swallowing my fear away.

He sighs loudly, "Do try to escape again and I promise," he uses his fingers to turn my head, so we are facing each other, "I will mate with you by force or maybe you are still hoping that Elizabeth will come back to you?"

My eyes widen, "You bastard!"

"She is only toying with your emotions. She seduced you and turned you into her little pet. She may have said that she loves you, but look, she still discarded you in the end," he squints his eyes at me as my heart breaks into small pieces. Please, don't say anything else. I don't want to acknowledge it.

"H-how dare you talk about her as if you know her," I snarl back, but when he doesn't look away from my glare, I rapidly understood, that he does indeed know her. I don't want to admit it, but a part of me has been giving me red flags for a long time. I have just chosen to ignore them. "When did you two meet?"

"Years ago, she came back from a trip and never did she mention being a progenitor. Yet there were rumours about her becoming one. Usually, a progenitor never abandons their children until they chose to leave by themselves," Nikolas explains making me look at him as if he is talking in a foreign language. I did not know that. "Looking at your restricted pieces of knowledge about our species, she can't even be considered as one. Did you even agree to become a vampire?"

"I-I..." I stutter as I look down, not really remembering what had happened after I introduced her to my parents. I recall that she told me she is a vampire but after that we... We slept together, and that's when I woke up with a sort of amnesia.

"You are not her first child, yet her bond on you acts as if you were. She must have taken a liking to you then. I will have to remedy that if I want you to open to our mating bond," he mumbles with his fist under his chin before walking into the bathroom.

"What are you planning to do?" I ask as I get off the bed to follow his steps.

"You have two choices. You either break your bond with her yourself or I will do it myself, but no matter what your choice is, we need to find Elizabeth first," he continues as he starts to take off his clothes.

"What are you doing?" I find myself to ask while looking away from his naked body.

"I need to take a shower. Care to join me?" he says as if it's the most normal thing to do in our situation.

"As if!" I shout my answer as I stomp away from the bathroom while closing the door behind me.

Once I am out of the bathroom, I realize that it has been a while that I haven't taken a shower because of the recent event. And I do admit that I don't smell good either. I won't say that I stink, but I do smell like sweat and blood. Only if Ania was still here, I would have asked her to change my bedsheets. But that's not possible anymore. I wonder if Nikolas plans to hire another housemaid soon. Ania had basically been brainwashed by Nikolas, so my powers did not influence her. So with a new one, I can maybe sneak in a bite in or two.

Soon, the older man walks in with only a towel around his waist as he uses another one to dry his hair. He doesn't spare me a glance as he walks past me to grab his phone. I watch him play with it as I push myself off the bed and walk into the bathroom. I close the door behind me, but the chain prevents me to close it completely. Which means I can't lock it which is really great. I can't even close the door to prevent my ass to be taken by... Him.

Taking off my clothes, I quickly step into the shower. Once my skin touches the warm water, I sigh in relief. I wash the dirt off my skin as the steam quickly rise in the room. After washing my hair, I comb them back to get them out of my eyes. The only time when I can feel warmth is when I take an incredibly hot shower. My skin always so cold and my preys don't stop to remind me of it. But there is a perk to it. Since I am always so cold, I can't freeze to death. Well, it's not like I will ever be homeless. The banks have to go bankrupt for that.

Finally getting out of the shower, I start to dry myself out when the door opens. Ignoring his staring, I continue to dry my hair.

"That's a nice ass," he comments making me roll my eyes.

"Staring and complimenting are the only things you'll ever do to it," I simply answer as I put a clean pair of pants on.

"That's so mean, Micah. My heart may not be beating, but I can still feel pain," he puts a hand on his heart, but I just walk past him, so I am back into the room.

If he thinks I am suddenly going to open my heart to him, he is wrong. I have not changed my mind. I will not mate with him. In fact, my anger toward him has deepened. I can't let him find Elizabeth. I don't know why I am worrying since I have never succeeded in twenty years. But somehow, I can't stop worrying.

What Nikolas said about me knowing anything about my own species is true. I only know the basics, when the humans searched to hunt us down. Elizabeth has never really talked about anything. She brought us blood and taught us how to use and control or abilities. Sometimes, she and I walk in the forest under the moonlight. Now that I think back about it, Nikolas may be right. We were some kind of experimentation for her. Why do I doubt her just because Nikolas said a few things about her? Don't doubt her. Don't doubt her, but she was out of your life for more than twenty years. She just left us to starve. Who says that she will not leave me behind again?

I shake my head to chase those thoughts away. Elizabeth has abandoned me and so what? We had a deal. I can't doubt what I know or I will fall straight into his traps. No matter what, I can't mate with Nikolas. I won't become his bitch. I will stay free and live however I want without anyone saying what I can or can't do.

(｡ì _ í｡)

Two days have come and gone, and Nikolas doesn't seem like in a hurry to find Elizabeth. All he does is stay in his bedroom with me. But somehow, he still manages to do all his work, attends his meetings and he even hires a new housekeeper. He won't present her to me yet, saying that she is still in training. But I know that he is using his scent to control her thoughts and at the same time protect her from me. To put it simply, he's making that poor human into his slave without her knowledge. One word and she will do anything for the man and if she happens to quit, she will forget everything. That's how the Pures handle the humans.

"How do you even plan to find her?" I ask when it seems like Nikolas doesn't seem to leave as I am looking at a magazine and encircling the items I want. It has been a while since I have gone shopping and I am really missing it. I can barely contain myself to not beg the man to let me go shopping.

"You know, I can buy you the things you want. You don't need to only stare at it," he answers instead, making me huff in annoyance.

"I can buy them myself," I start sulking knowing full well that I can't even shop online since I don't have access to a phone or a computer. "Are you sending your minions all over the world to search for a woman? People are going to wonder."

He chuckles, "I don't have any minions."

"Really?" I ask skeptically as I turn my head to look at him. He is a Pure, and a Pure without vampires working for him is unheard of even for me.

Nikolas sits up after putting his book away. He walks toward me and sits back down at the end of the bed. "If you want to know more," he smirks, "Give me a kiss," he taps his index finger on his lips.

"In your dreams," I grumble back before looking down on the magazine.

"How about a deal?" he adds to make me look back at him. "You give me a kiss, and I will take you shopping for a whole day. What do you think?"

I get to go shopping all day? How can I not refuse that? Plus, it isn't like it will be my first kiss. What is more important, a kiss or a shopping day? Well, it isn't like I need new clothes since I don't get to go out of this room, but I can't believe I am missing on the new trends!

"You will take me wherever I want?"

"Of course, I will even pay for all your expenses if you'll like."

I squint my eyes at him. It isn't like I need his money, I have plenty on my own. Plus, having him pay for my clothes is like I am dependent on him and I hate that.

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"You're so stubborn," he sighs as I feel him getting closer. "Yet how can you be so cute? It's as if you're begging to be eaten alive," he whispers next to my ear as his beard prickle my skin making me seriously wish that he just does it. That tone is so dangerously sexy. I seriously can't take it. It's too much for me to resist. I don't know why since I hate it when someone tells me what to do, but with Nikolas, it is as if something inside me clicked. I don't like it. "So? Will you accept or will you decline?"

"G-get off of me first," I grumble as I try to push myself up to get in a sitting position and get the man off my back, but he refuses to move. Instead, he put more weight on me.

"I am still waiting."

"Fine, I accept! So get off!"

This time, Nikolas does get off of me. He sits next to me with a satisfied smile on his lips. I sigh relieved that we have some distance between us, but I know that it is only a short relief. I still have to kiss Nikolas. I don't want to, but I do want to go shopping. It's only a small kiss devoid of meaning. I had done that a thousand times.

"I am still waiting for my kiss," Nikolas urges making me glare at him. Then his gaze softened for a few seconds, "Nervous?"

"Shut up."

He sighed, "I don't want to stay here all day, so relax. I will handle it."

Handle it? I am not a woman. I don't need him to handle it. I will not submit to anyone. I will be the one on top, so go fuck yourself.

"I don't need someone like you to handle it. I am not a damn fucking woman!" I answer back, but as soon as I said it, I had hoped I didn't.

"Now, you are just being disrespectful," he says dangerously as a hint of red starts to appear in his eyes. "I can understand you are nervous, but being rude is another matter. Actually, you should be grateful that I don't take you by force. Remember you are and will be my mate, but I won't tolerate any rudeness toward anyone including you."

I watch the man with wide eyes, but I really don't know what to say. Should I just apologize? No, it seems like something serious for him. A simple apology won't do. Should I kiss him and then apologize? That may be better, but I don't know what that man is thinking, so it's risky. Well, it's my only option so I may try it.

"Sorry?"

"That doesn't sound very convincing to me. Try again."

"I'm sorry, and I will let you kiss me?"

"What will I do with you?" Nikolas sighs more to himself as he seems to calm down.

During the whole time, I carefully watch his movements. I know the deal is just a kiss, but I still don't know if he wants something more which I do not want.

"If you want it, you better do it before I change my mind," I mumble while looking down.

I hear the man move and soon, a hand appears in my line of vision, but I don't move. I will let him do as he wishes. He slowly lifts my head up by my chin, but the only thing I can see is his clothed chest.

"Look at me, Micah," he gently says making me want to refuse since I hate how my heart throbs when he says it.

Slowly, I look up. Everything around is all blurry, the only thing I can see is Nikolas. When he starts to lean forward, I close my eyes. After what feels like an eternity, I finally feel his lips on mine. They are incredibly soft and warm compared to his hand. At first, we stayed like that unmoving, but then I feel his tongue give me a gentle lick on my lips inviting me to open my mouth. I know I should have refused, but at this point, I don't care. I want to know how he tastes. So, I let him in.

This moment is almost the same as when I have swallowed his blood. It is the best feeling ever. Only Nikolas can taste this sumptuous. No food, no alcohol or drugs have the same effect on me than him.

This is truly my safe haven. A small secluded area, where I can leave peacefully. It is truly like the garden of Eden.