Chapter 11

Tears stream down my cheeks as he slowly stands, making his way around the bed, “We are going to have to bandage it and put some cream on it, we don’t want it to get infected.” His voice is so soft, so gentle that if it weren’t for the burning in my hand anyone would think he was ok, for a vampire.

He was so hot and cold, angry and then calm. He is a sociopath.

He's trying to break me down, get me to submit to him, but i will not, even with this brand i will find a way to get out of here, even if i die trying.

Death would be much better than this.

“Come here.” He says, stopping a few feet from me.

He's testing me, he wants to see if I'll obey him, i won’t.

I stay where i am, staring at him with as much hatred as i can muster, though i am certain i am close to passing out.

He heaves a heavy sigh, “There are much worse places i could have branded you, Mae.” he says, “The cream will help with the pain.”

I want to believe him, I'd do almost anything to stop the intense throbbing in my hand, but i cannot, i don’t believe that he won't hurt me again.

He takes a step forward, and i take a step back, my heart racing, pounding in my chest as though i may explode from the pressure.

“Mae.” He warns, eyes narrowing, “This is your last warning, come to me, or i will brand the bottom of your stomach too.”

He's sick, insane.

He's a fucking lunatic.

But i know he isn’t bluffing, i know that if i don’t move my ass and obey him, he will follow through on his threat, and i do not think my body could handle anything more. Not today.

“You won’t hurt me?” i ask, hating how weak my own voice sounds.

When did i become a coward?

He shakes his head, kneeling down on the floor, “I will not hurt you if you come to me, now.”

I shuffle my feet a few times before i nervously walk towards him, my head down, i cannot stop the tears from falling from my eyes, it hurts so fucking much that i can barely breathe.

“Sit.” He orders when i am standing in front of him, and i lower myself down and sit on my ass on the floor. “That’s good.” He says with a smile, “Now let me see your hand.”

I lift my hand, turning my head to the side when i catch a glimpse of how bad it looks, my skin broken and forever scarred.

He takes out the tube of ointment and squeezes some onto my hand, gently rubbing it into the burn.

I want to disappear, i want to crawl up inside of a hole and stay there until my father finds me and rescues me.

“There you go, the ointment will help it to heal.” he says, allowing me to have my hand back, “You did so well, little hunter, don’t worry, you’ll be rewarded later.”

I don’t know what he means by that, but i know for sure that i really do not want to find out.

“Here, wipe away those tears.” He says, handing me a cloth, “There is no need to cry, I'm not going to hurt you again, not unless you make me.”

I stare at him, biting the inside of my cheek so hard that i can taste blood, i want to snap at him, punch him and tell him what an asshole he is. But i can’t. I don’t ever want to feel the pain of being branded again.

He stands, pulling me to my feet with him by the top of my arm and leading me towards the bed, grabbing the box of pills as he does.

He hands me a glass of water, “Take two of these, it’ll help you get some rest so that you are ready to meet the others later.”

“I’ll never be ready to meet the others.” I say, but i take the pills anyway, knowing that they’ll numb the pain a little.

Mihai helps me onto the bed and covers me with the blanket, his eyes on my hand that he mutilated.

“Get as much sleep as you can.” He says, his eyes softer now, “Dinner will go past midnight, and you’ll be expected to stay for the entire meal.”

I nod, but i don’t say a word to him, i just roll over onto the opposite side of the bed and close my eyes, praying that he’ll just leave.

I cannot stand the sight of him, i fucking hate that thing.

Thats what he is, a thing, a undead monster, a creature of the dead, he belongs in hell with all the rest, not here tormenting me.

I wish i was dead, at least then my father would have a body to mourn.