"Dad," he answers him, clearly surprised.

Not as surprised as I was though, when I see who was around the corner. My hearing and vision fade in and out just at the mere sight of him. He was the one who ordered my "introduction." He was the one who kidnapped me. And my recent injuries only caused me to fear him more.

"Tyler, what are you doing with her?"

Somehow, I snap out of it and let my inner rebel out. "He saved me from your last minion."

Tyler, who had so conveniently never told me his name before, turns to me with a thinning lip line, his expression scolding. "Sorry, I was picking up where Zech left off. I had to relieve him... earlier than planned. "

"Than planned? Whatever for? It's not like he had somewhere to be."

"He should have..." I mumble to myself.

Somehow, they both hear me, assuming from the angering look the older man I'd grown to hate was now giving me. "You, young lady, seem to still need a proper introduction."

"Dad-I mean Cecil, Sir. I was just taking her to the medic. Zech never did."

"That's because I didn't want him to," Cecil turns to Tyler, keeping me from seeing his expression.

Now that I had been threatened to be beat up again, or so that was how I took the meaning of "introduction," I take a more defensive stance, however useless it may be. "I already had one of those, and I'd rather not get back to it..."

"I don't care what you want," he says laughing to me, as if it were obvious. He then steps towards me, gauging my reaction. His finger points in the air, aimed towards me, "I know what you need... Some answers, huh?"

I keep my mouth shut, what kind of answers would he give me? Maybe I would just resolve to not responding. I didn't need answers if they would only be from him.

"Is this the other part of your precious introductions?" I say instead.

Annoyingly, his crooked smile remains as he simply stares at me. I feel cold under his studying eye as I attempt to keep eye contact with him. Sighing, I lower my gaze to the ground.

"OK, so it looks like you don't want any answers then, is that it? Was I wrong?" I only blinked. "But oh, I know you want to know why I ripped you away from your family, how I could possibly have caught up to you that night... or how I had chosen such great timing to come in when you were mad at Jeff..."

My eyes darted up to his. The prick was smiling. I wasn't scared now, I was furious. "Your right, I have questions, but you seem to have me at a disadvantage. I don't know your family. But you know mine. And since you already know all the questions that I have, why don't you start answering them?" I began screaming, but was also close to tears. "How do you know Jeff?" I couldn't let on that he was family, whether he knew that or not already.

"Oh your brother?" He did know. He raises his eyebrows at me, his smile had not yet wavered, at all. "Well, at least I've caught your attention now. Well, I guess I might as well tell you. We planted little old Thomas to learn more about you."

I left out a breath I hadn't even known I had been holding. I felt defeated. These people had planned it all, from some unknown beginning, I was a target. Their target. And they'd gotten me, just like they wanted.

"Thomas was... he was a," I stuttered.

"Ahh yes, he was a nice, handsome little gentleman. Not exactly. His mission was recruiting. It was supposed to be a simple intelligence mission, gather information about the locals, any potentials, what have you. But then, he set up a date once you literally bumped into him. That was an ironic touch, I must say."

"Thomas was no gentlemen..." I whisper.

"Of course, you had no idea. I understand, a little information at a time..." He waited all too briefly before he continued on. "Anyways, I'm sure you're wondering why we even settled with choosing you." He seemed to be enjoying himself as he started to calmly pace in front of me. "A lot of the workers here are men. Simple as that."

"Why even bother with me though?"

"Well because we choose a few towns to," he paused as if deciding on an appropriate word, "well, to monitor."

"Monitor for what?"

"For potential." He answered matter-o-factly.

"Like what? Physical potential? Smarts? What?" I was now engrossed in listening to his elaborate scheme on why they had chosen me at all.

He chuckled in response. "No, I'm not going to tell you that," he stopped pacing and looked at me. "Once Thomas, met you, he kept his eye on you and reported back to us on what he had discovered about you."

"And what exactly was that?" I tried not to falter in my line of questioning.

"You ask too many questions. You're wasting my time." He had begun his pacing again and was making me even more anxious.

I only nod, slowly taking in all of this enlightening, yet equally disturbing information. It had been silent for a while. "So, what is it exactly that you need me for?" I continue prying.

Cecil pointed a finger up in the air. "Yes! What do we need you for?" He seemed to be in a better mood before he became serious again. "We need you to learn to fight. We need you to be able to sustain the training we put you through. We need you to survive here. Because we need to use you. For when you are stronger."

Well at least the training aspect I already knew, but... He kept on before I had time to process it. "I'm sure you have noticed what we are, what we can do." He had stopped pacing now, "Alex, I didn't catch up to you last night. I had been letting you run away because, well, because I liked the chase." He was full on smiling now, an evil smile that was hiding so much. "Alex, I had just picked my normal pace back up again. Because of what I am, of what I can do."

He was now leaning towards me, as he opened his mouth slowly. What I had seen the other night was no imagination. Fangs protruded from his mouth. Horrified, I looked back up into his now black eyes. "I am a vampire." A sharp intake of breath sounds from where Tyler was on my left.

I am a vampire. That's what he had just told me, and that explained what I had just seen... but what? How? It's not possible.

"You hadn't told her before," Tyler says. It wasn't a question, or even an accusation, more of a damning statement.

My chest was heaving as I tried to comprehend everything. The information he had just shared with me and what he just showed me now pushed me to my breaking point. "But, how can you... what – what does that even mean?" I managed.

The fangs had retracted. He was smiling knowingly down at me. "Simple. You humans know nothing of what's around you. You all like to pretend we don't exist, and that makes you weak." He was backing away now, "'Know thine enemy'. Wise words."

"I still don't, I don't... I mean if you think this is helping me to understand better... I just, what does this all have to do with me? You're vampires. How would I help, no matter how strong I get?"

He was facing his son, as I studied Tyler's reddening face and furious expression, I shifted my weight to back up. I didn't want any of this, I wanted out.

"Well that's just it," he turns around, stopping me. "We are only so strong. Our enemies, they know our weaknesses. We need humans to be able to take down and defeat them."

"Enemies?" What possible enemy of a vampire would I be able to help defeat?

"The werewolves."

Great. Unbelievable. There's werewolves too. How much more ridiculous can this get? I shook my head in disbelief, still trying to process through everything. So they want to make me stronger. I am here against my will. And they'll put me up against their enemies. Right.

"So, you expect to take me. Train me. All against my will, by the way. And then, somehow when I'm strong enough to learn to defeat werewolves, that's what I'm going to do? I'm going to protect you?" I had spat the last question out. "You actually think I'm going to risk my life against your enemies?"

Cecil's lips pulled at the corners, "Of course, not everyone agrees with our ways. But you're naiveté hinders your own judgement of us. Once you gain the strength and the knowledge, I'm certain your opinion will change."

Tyler speaks up from behind his father now, "we will train you to learn to fight. You will learn more and more about us. And eventually, you might actually want to help us." He was now standing next to Cecil. Did that mean that he was like his father too? I shiver.

"Ahh no," Cecil then condescendingly places his hand on his son's shoulder. "He phrases that last part like you have an option. And you don't. Simple fact of the matter is, yes, you are useful to us. And you will go through the necessary training."

I felt like I was in an out of body experience, or dreaming. My hands rubbed my arms, as I held myself, quite literally, together. None of this actually exists. But it wasn't a dream. It was real. And even though I was shaken to the core, I had to keep going, somehow. But I was terrified.

"We are going to help each other Alexis."

I kept my head down, while my eyes glared at Cecil, displaying every form of disgust and abhorrence I could muster.

*

Tyler had taken me to the infirmary, only to see that they were closed for the night. I knew he was upset, but he hid it well, instead giving me some Advil and intending to lead me back to my room. The walk back was quiet, as I follow his stomping, angry form; still strikingly different than my last walk tied in rope.

I had stopped to look at him now squinting my eyes at him, "Hey, why did you save me, earlier?"

My question caught him off guard as he took his time for a response. He was saved from one though when someone says my name behind me.

"Alexis?"

I stop short. Tyler's expression changes in front of me as he leans to look around me. I turn around myself to get a look. It's Thomas.

"Don't you just look hot as ever," Thomas said as his eyes slid up and down my body. He returns his gaze back to my face, "sure is nice to see you again. Think we can ever continue our date?"

"You," I breathe. I storm towards him, "you were playing me all along! Oh you thought you were so good but oh Thomas you--" I'm cut off.

"No, actually the names Ross. Thomas was just some BS cover," he shrugs his shoulders. "Sorry love."

"Ross?! Seriously?" Everything was a lie. Not that I liked him anyways, "And don't you call me love. You and I both know the reason you couldn't catch me is because of your lack of social skills. And whatever you call that flirting."

Tyler snorted behind me. Ross looked pissed. "Remember when I said that people respect my opinion? They do here, because I'm the best recruit there is. Why do you think I was sent for you?"

It still did scare me that anyone was 'sent for me' in the first place. But I wasn't about to back down. I shook my head at him, "I don't really know Ross. Because clearly you aren't the best if ya couldn't get me." I confidently stepped toward him, determined to undermine him. "But I already know you weren't even sent for me anyways. They told me it was a simple monitoring mission, but if you really think so..." I was directly in his face now, "Tell me, why did they chose you, huh?"

His jaw tightened as he stared me down. If he thought he was the best, I was determined to be better. I had to beat him. "They did send me. I was outside of these walls, in the field. And that's because I have the most potential. Face it. You weren't about to say no to my date. At least I got ya that far. And, oh boy, you were so close honey."

I laughed in his face, "If you think that was close, clearly you haven't been on that many dates. Honey."

No answer, he simply squinted his eyes at me. "And while we're on the subject," I folded my arms. "Let's talk about your potential. You do realize they sent you for me because they also know that I have potential too, right? So until I'm done working up to my full potential, you can just continue on with your little monitoring missions." I cocked my head to the side. I had him.

"Hmm," he lifted his chin up. "I underestimated you. Sure, let's see how good you can get." He spoke around me to Tyler, "come find me when she uh, 'reaches that full potential' where she thinks she's good enough to beat me."

I kept my arms folded and my head high in the air as I watched him turn and walk away. I hated him. A tap on my shoulder. Tyler wanted me to continue following him.

Walking beside Tyler again, he chuckled, "Don't let him get to you, he is one of the most promising recruits. But that doesn't make him the best.... And since when did you wanna be the best anyways?"

"Since I learned that he called himself the best."

"Right. Well, you have a lot of work to do then."

"Excuse me? What makes you say that? Do I look weak to you? Like I can't handle this training you guys all talk about?" I was determined, and Tyler was not about to stop me now.

"No," he held his hands up in an attempt to calm me down. "I just say that because he is very good. Best of the guys. And you're a girl."

"And?"

"And, you just have a lot of work to do." He started to walk again, motioning for me to follow.

We had gone down so many corridors and taken so many different turns and up so many stairs I could barely keep up. He then explained the way the building had been converted for them, that the rooms were actually built into a part of the wall. I was just unlucky mine would be so far from the common area. We finally stopped in front of a door that had looked exactly as the others had that we passed on the way here.

"Here it is," he points towards the door. "Training starts tomorrow."

I watched him walk away before taking a deep breath and turning to open the door. I step inside and look around at the most likely centuries old castle room i was to live in. The walls were the same stone, creating an old musty smell, the same smell I'd woken up to here. I shivered.

"It's not that cold here," came a female voice from the corner. "And you'll get used to everything else."

I turned toward her. She was a pretty, curvaceous woman with curly brown hair, although it was half tied back. Her green eyes gave me a guarded, almost mean look.

"Oh hi," I tried to be nice. "I'm Alexis."

"Jasha."

"Well, nice to meet you." I turned to the other bed that looked like it had just been made. I sat down and scanned the rest of the room. There were two nightstands in between our beds, which were stuffed into opposite corners of the room. We had a small TV atop a desk in the corner opposite my bed, or was it a computer? There was a small window on the wall our beds were against. I got up to get a closer look, immediately making me relax. The stars were bright tonight and it was a full moon. I had to remember that being my first night here. Climbing into bed, I tried to keep myself from crying. I rolled the other way facing the wall and let the tears come before sleep finally took over.