A/N: yeah as you probably guessed, the rest of that is on my Patreon lolllolol

-Kira-

An unfamiliar sight greeted me in the morning when my eyes began to open.

A wall, lacking the streaks of sunlight I was somewhat accustomed to.

Next, I noticed I was rather close to the edge of the bed, and the colors of the sheets weren't-

This wasn't my bed.

That realization had me awake within the next blink, sucking in a gasp and attempting to rise from my side laying position.

The two arms crossed around me under my chest allowed no such thing, and instead awakened an annoyed groan from the man lying behind me.

Lucien.

My stomach sank, the chill of his naked body against mine adding extra effect.

No. No no no no absolutely fucking not.

I agreed to fucking him I did not agree to anything else.

Though... he did keep me going until I literally couldn't continue. Which was...a while.

Christ.

I forced myself to ignore the notion of him still being at my side the morning after. I had to get away from this.

I tried to wriggle myself free from his grasp, but it only ended up with these damned arms around me tightening and constraining me further.

"God stop moving," His groggy voice croaked with that same annoyed undertone.

I turned to look at him as best I could, holding myself up on my elbow.

"Let go of me," I don't know why I kept my command hushed, but I did.

"No," his answer was simple," We're both naked and I'm cold."

"Okay? I don't see how that's my problem."

He pulled himself closer, and I tensed at the feeling of his nose against my back.

"Consider it payback for fucking you," The words themselves were harsh, but he spoke them more like a tired sigh against my back.

I glared at him despite the fact that he hadn't opened his eyes yet this whole time for him to see it.

"You didn't have to," I deadpanned.

I wasn't the one who suggested it in the first place.

"I'm glad you see my point." He relaxed a little after saying that like he decided that right there and then was where this conversation ended so he could go back to sleep or something.

No, it wasn't. I wasn't going to give up that quickly.

Though... he looked too tired to match my angry energy like he usually did, which oddly had my next words coming out a lot calmer.

"I have to pee, moron. I'm not getting a UTI because of you."

That was typically the first thing I did after sex, but I barely even recall laying down on this bed last night.

"You're a liar. And if A UTI is what you're worried about, you're a little late in trying to stop it now."

Dammit, he was right.

I oddly found myself about to give up and just submit this time. Blame it on my exhaustion and weirdly sore core muscles this morning.

I mean, at least let me get up and grab a shirt or something.

Lying naked next to this guy was not something I saw in my countless scenarios, and I had no idea how to even begin to approach this.

I was kind of blindsided by the fact that I didn't completely hate it like I thought I should.

Biting my tongue, I just laid back down with a huff.

After last night... I don't think I had that much fight left. At least for now.

So instead I just laid there, feeling him press against my back with deep, rhythmic breaths.

I couldn't tell you how long it was until I could feel myself begin to doze off again, just for him to speak right before I could.

"Do you want to see him?"

My brows furrowed.

"Who?"

He pulled a hand back to rub over his eyes, "Your boyfriend."

"What?" I questioned, shooting up again successfully since he actually let me, "What do you mean?"

He rolled onto his back with a groan, obviously not completely awake.

His arm crossed over to cover his eyes before finally giving me an answer.

"I mean do you want me to take you into town to see him? You only mentioned his fifteen times last night."

My brain couldn't comprehend this.

Multiple attempts at trying to reach him and now the vampire is the one offering to just take me to him?

"You're joking, right? This is a cruel joke?"

"No. I'm curious," He gave a slow, nonchalant yawn, "I've just heard so many great things about him that now I'm curious to see how a man like this actually exists and functions."

Okay, there were a few points that irked me there, but I needed to get to a point.

"And then what? I just come back here with you afterward?!" I questioned, covering my chest with one of my arms now.

"Mhm."

Of course. Of course he'd do that. He had absolutely no intention of freeing me, just dangling what little bits of my past life in front of me.

My head was racing. I didn't see this as an option. I'd given up trying to contact Gabe for a while.

I...I lost hope on him. It was hurting me more to keep any hope. Had I not then last night, I wouldn't have-

"After I just fucked you!? What the hell is wrong with you?!" My frustration showed, but he didn't react in the slightest.

I just... This was cheating, what I just did with him of all people.

Dammit dammit dammit!

"We didn't kiss it didn't count." He drawled, sounding like he completely believed in what he was saying.

"That's not at all how that works!" I bit back.

He finally lifted his arm, that golden glare meeting me and telling me that he was already bored of this conversation.

"Is that a no then?" He asked, and i had to force my teeth together to bite back any kind of reactive answer.

Shit...

A pool of guilt and shame began to weigh down in my chest next to where my heart now raced.

Why? Why now? Why after this?

I bit into the inside of my lip, turning my eyes onto anything else except him.

Maybe this was my chance... to do something. I didn't know what yet, all I knew was that I had to see him. I had to at least just get off this floor and out of this castle.

Had Lucien maybe let his guard down? No. I needed to stop underestimating these vampires.

"It's a yes," I began, straightening myself, "Very much a yes. In fact, we should go as soon as possible."

I needed to figure out a way how to explain this all to Gabe.

Why I disappeared for so long, how I ended up with this... guy.

I couldn't tell him the truth, obviously, but...

"You take the first shower then," He offered, beginning to roll over onto his stomach instead with his arms under the pillow, "I'm not awake yet."

I was ready to follow what he said with an insane swiftness, but my attention caught on to something.

An interest that got sparked but never solved last night.

He did have a tattoo. One that spanned most of his back from what I could tell.

Half of it was still hidden under blankets.

It was a snake- a two-headed snake coiled wildly around itself from what I could see of his back.

I couldn't make out any finer details, only that one of the snakes was biting into the neck of the other right between his shoulder blades.

"You do have a tattoo," Again, the words just left me in a breath.

He didn't say anything, just another one of those dull, low noises while he slowly turned his head to glare at me.

I saw it as a warning and hurriedly scurried from the bed, not wanting to anger him too badly after what he'd just offered me.

I needed a plan. I needed a plan, and to somehow think of every possible way this could go so that I was prepared for anything.

Probably a good idea to be on my 'best behavior' for prince Lucien over here until then. Let him think that I've put my guard down because of what he's offered me.

Within this castle- on this floor specifically I was at a major disadvantage. Outside of it however...

There had to be something, and whatever that something was, I'd find it.