"Oh that's ok, because I don't think you're very good at that either." I mocked laughing but I was soon shut up by the slap I received to my backside. I screeched out "AHH!"

"Hey!" I said looking up to see his evil grin and c.o.c.ky eyes. It hadn't really hurt but just shocked me. If truth be told it actually felt quite nice, in a s.e.xual way. Not too hard but firm enough to be told.

"You were saying?" He said like he had won a round and was back in the control he was used to having.

"Haven't you ever heard about Karma?"

"Yes and I believe you just received it, although my guess is that you enjoyed it so maybe it doesn't count, or maybe you just need an increased dose." He replied dropping his hand by his side and pulling it back as if ready to do it again. I pushed my b.u.m against the wall and held it with both hands saying "Don't you dare!" At this he roared with laughter, throwing his head back as it came thick and fast. Then like lightening he had both my back cheeks in two hands and raised me up so I slid up the wall to his level.

"I will have my way with you!" He said, his voice guttural and thick with l.u.s.t.

"Not now you won't." I said being smug, although I wished that he could. My want was burning a hole inside me the size of Texas!

"And why is that my Vixen?" He said, spoken like a true lover.

"Because Karma has come round to bite you in the a.r.s.e." I put my hands on either side of his face and turned it to whisper the last part in his ear...

"Karma, because you have guests."

Chapter 54.

New People Bring New Hate.

He groaned unhappily and I laughed in his locked embrace. His hands still had their firm hold on my undercarriage and his need to have me was pressing deep.

"You think being King would mean I could do what I want, when I WANT!" He shouted this last part towards the door and it was one of my first glimpses seeing Draven being spoilt. I couldn't help it...I laughed again.

"And may I enquire what it is you find so amusing?" He sounded p.i.s.sed off but one look at my smiley face, it was hard for him to stay that way.

"You're acting like someone is about to take your favourite toy away and send you to your room," I said through half bursts of giggles. He gave me a grumble and a dark look before easing into a half smile.

"You are my favourite toy, my doll, and I do not ever want to let you go."

"But you must." I said in a sigh.

"Must I?" He raised an eyebrow, one of Draven's regular expressions that made my toes curl.

"Well, like I said, you do have guests." His hands inadvertently held on to me tighter, making me groan.

"Make more noises like that and I never will." He warned in my ear and then began kissing my neck to prove his point. I loved how Draven never wanted to leave me. I loved the hold I had over him. This was my power and although compared to Draven's, it was at the lower end of the scale, it was still there and it was still mighty. Or so his growing erection told me!

He worked his way round from my neck and kissed me deep and intense. As if he was on an expedition to discover every last bit of my mouth. He didn't have his hands free as they were still holding me up from behind but I could tell where they wanted to be. I, on the other hand, wrapped my arms up and around his neck, this being easier, as now we were at the same height. I ran my fingers through his hair, which I knew made him crazy. I grabbed handfuls and tugged slightly at my impatience to have more of him, h.e.l.l, I wanted every last bit of him. All there was to give. He moaned in my mouth as he fought with himself to keep control. What was I doing? I knew we needed to be back inside but this game was just too d.a.m.n good to give up playing. It was a bit like taunting a wild beast through the bars of a cage, any minute now they would rip through the steel like hot claws through b.u.t.ter and I wouldn't be able to hold him back. Most of me didn't want to. I would have given anything to shut down that part of me that was screaming reason. I knew I was keeping Draven from something important and I knew I would have loved to have continued to be selfish but that wasn't who I was. So I, very reluctantly, let go of his soft, midnight hair and tried to put an end to his raging desires and mine. No surprises he released a low growl.

"What it is you do to me! You burn my soul and set alight my veins, only to dowse them out in the seas of your reason. If only I had your will, I would be the strongest being alive." This last bit of his declaration sounded bitter. He let me slide down the length of him and the strain in his suit pants looked almost painful. If only he knew how painful it was for me to see it and to know it would be hours before I could embrace it with my own body of want.

"Well, if you think for one second this is easy for me, then you don't know me at all!" I said in a hoa.r.s.e whisper.

"Good to know." He replied with a grin before adding, "Very well then, if I must, then I must."

"I'll be waiting." I said raising my eyes as though I was some helpless little puppy he was about to leave. Ok so I wasn't making this very easy on him. He looked down at me and traced the line of my jaw with a feather light touch.

"What did I ever do to deserve such beauty in my life, I will never know but I will be thankful of it for the rest of my days." He said with closed eyes and I looked down at the complement, flushed and embarra.s.sed.

"You will get used to it one day and see the beauty in yourself, as I do but for now, I will content myself with the delectable rose blush that blooms in place of its pride." He was smiling and I was turning from rose to a less poetic beetroot. Now he was laughing at the changes in colour, obviously enjoying my responses with a little too much enthusiasm. I pushed him lightly and in a playful manner then giving him a coy smile.

"Draven, I do believe you are stalling."

"Guilty as charged but given the inducement, do you blame me?" He winked and I giggled like a school girl. He was such a flirt, no flirt wasn't the right word, it wasn't a strong enough word, more like s.e.xually dangerous and downright sinful.

"Right, time to go and play host, Draven."

"Are you not coming? I could escort you back to our chamber." He said innocently enough that anyone who didn't know him would have thought these words from a choir boy.

"Oh no, I'm not failing for that one! Put me and you in the same room as a bed and we're bound to fail into it." I remarked confidently.

"Or be pushed," he teased.

"Besides, I think I'll stay out here a little longer, I need the air." He knew my full meaning behind it and laughed heartily.

"Me and you both. Very well, I will go but do not stay out her for too much longer, it is cold." I nodded and started to remove his jacket but he shook his head.

"No please, keep it, I want to know at least part of me is wrapped around you." He leaned down, placing the tips of his fingers under my chin and kissed me lightly on the lips as if not daring to go any deeper in case he lost all control.

"When you have finished here, please go straight to our room, many of my new guests do not know of you yet and need to be warned. Will you wait for me?" I nodded making him drop his hold under my chin.

"Good girl. Till later then." One more quick kiss and he was gone.

I stood on the balcony trying to catch my breath in the cold night. It was so peaceful despite the evening's events. I tried to process everything that had happened and although it was easier to deal with guilt and regret, I found it hard to fully feel those emotions freely. I am glad that I was strong enough not to care for once in my life. I was glad that I had stood up for what I believed in, no matter what the consequences. Well at least one thing was for sure, Jack was no longer fooled and I had a feeling he would make those feelings known to me soon enough. I could almost see the sorrow pouring out of his eyes as he stood holding my limp cousin in his arms. It also looked like he would have liked to have swapped places with Vincent and be the one holding me. Of course all of this meant was that sooner or later I was going to have to have it out with my cousin and when it happened I would just have to pray for control. I couldn't let myself get like that again.

I took a deep breath and felt better when the icy air shocked my body. The night was so crisp and clear, my breath looked like smoke. I shuddered and pulled Draven's jacket closer round my body breathing in his scent. I could have pa.s.sed out taking it so much. It was like nothing I have ever encountered before. So distinct, so manly, I could have bathed in it and found release.

I wasn't sure how long I stood out there, going over and over in my mind the different possibilities tonight had caused. But when I'd had too much of persecuting myself to the point of purgatory, I decided enough was enough. I turned on my heels and made my way back inside.

The doors opened to a buzzing nightlife of such an array of characters that my eyes were like saucers taking everything in. Some so normal looking they could have been people waiting at the bus stop to get home from work. Others looked like they had just walked off a monster movie set! Although I wasn't allowing myself to see their true nature, (as I think I would have been scared s.h.i.tless) they were still frightening in their own right. Mostly down to the eyes and the clothes they wore.

On one table, they were all wearing long black jackets, like highway robbers from the Wild West. Although they were without the cowboy hats they still managed to keep hold of the pointed, leather toed boots that were tipped with silver. All five of them had beards only in different styles. Some plaited, others twisted into two points. One had it so long that it rested on the table next to his drink. It was quite ironic seeing as none of them had even one single hair on their smooth, bald heads.

Another table was made up of all women, which up until now, had been unusual for the VIP. They were utterly and stomach wrenchingly beautiful. They all wore very dressy evening gowns that made the VIP seem as though it had turned into a cruise liner for the evening. Almost every female had their best dress on, I was sure. Suddenly I felt like running back onto the balcony and dealing with the cold for the night. It would have been easier than standing here feeling like the pauper amongst kings and queens. I looked down at myself and almost felt so plain that I would disappear at any moment. Thankfully, I had taken Draven's jacket off before walking in here or I would have looked like I had stolen it from someone. Despite being ma.s.sive on me, it was obviously something I would have never been able to afford. After all I was still just a waitress. Draven's fortune didn't affect me in the slightest. I wasn't with him for money and the fact that I wouldn't let him buy me anything, was more fun because I got to see his aggravated expression.

I had it folded over my arm and decided to leave it at the bar in case he needed it for any reason. Karmun seemed to have his hands full and I was in two minds whether or not to give him a hand. He had multiple trays all lined up ready to be picked up by the constant stream of waitresses coming to collect. There seemed to be a few more additions for tonight and I felt left out. I mean, I understood that Draven wanted me to be safe, but what would happen? Another Layla incident? I didn't think so.

"Hey honey, I didn't know you were still here?" I don't know why but he sounded both shocked and strained when he said this. It was odd coming from him. I put it down to the extra stress of the night. It wasn't usually this busy up here, which made me realise, downstairs was very quiet compared, which was usually the other way around. I turned round briefly and noticed the lights downstairs were out and there wasn't a body in sight. At that moment an unwelcome shudder crept up my spine like spiders crawling under my skin and skipping along my spine. I shook my head but the fear didn't leave me as realisation hit....I was now the only human in here.

"Yeah, still here but hey you look like you could use a hand, let me..."

"NO...Umm sorry, sorry...but you know what my Lord said, you were not to work up here tonight and I would not like to make him unhappy. Besides it's calming now, you go...." He looked around nervously and he seemed very twitchy, like Draven was watching him or something. I shrugged and decided to give up, at least he knew I had offered.

"Ok, well could you get his jacket back to him, I think I'm going to call it a night." At this mundane news he seemed to relax more and he even managed a smile at me.

"Yeah, sure, no problem. Have a good sleep won't you?" He said, like he wasn't only talking to me...weird. Again I put it down to his stressful situation.

"Umm...yeah....will do, see ya." I replied warily.

I turned around and lost my footing which brought me screaming back to the first time I had ever set foot in the VIP and like that night I fell into a Demon. My foot kind of crumpled underneath my ankle forcing all my body weight to one side. Unfortunately for me that was the side of one of Draven's guests that was walking past. I crashed into him and put my hands out to stop myself from falling further only in doing so they gripped onto a body I had never seen before. I was just righting myself when my body was violently flung backwards by the swift movement of an arm blocking out and catching me in the ribcage. It momentarily knocked the wind from me and left me gasping. I had ungracefully landed on my b.u.t.t and was wondering if it would leave a nasty bruise when a booming voice came from above me.

"How dare you touch me, you vile human b.i.t.c.h! Someone should teach you manners you disgusting parasite...GO and f.u.c.k off!" A man in a pin-striped suit was now dusting himself off like I had infected him with my human girly germs!

I couldn't believe he had just spoken to me like that! How dare he, the audacity of the man. I didn't give a s.h.i.t whether he was a Demon or not, I wanted to claw at his shiny, expensive blue suit and rip it to shreds with my bare hands. Everyone was now staring and I was scowling so hard it was hurting my face. I had, had just about enough of this night and being put down! I got up, despite all the warning glares I received but then I stopped and really looked around...those glares weren't directed at me. They were directed at him. And soon, I knew why....

I turned to see the scariest sight any human eyes could take in. Draven stood by his chair and had witnessed everything. Then without any warning an almighty roar ripped out from him in a bloodcurdling way that made my knees shake. Silence rode like a plague infested wave among every person there. As the end of the most horrific sound ever known to man, one that was enough to make your ears want to bleed, started to end, Draven crashed his fists down onto the table and split it clean in two. Bottles, gla.s.ses and anything that was using the surface, went cascading down into the middle to meet the rest of the destruction. I didn't really have time to take in the fear that no doubt was held in every eye, because in the seconds all this happened, it only took a second more before the suited man was being held up in the air by his throat, Draven's hand firmly enclosed around it.

Draven stood so tall before me, it was like he had grown even bigger in the height of his rage. The suited man was left dangling and gasping for air as Draven's hand grew tighter to cut off the noise. For a second I thought he had killed him without another thought.

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER!!!!!" He screamed and then erupted into his full Demon side. There was no purple glow, only burning, red hot flames of raw hate powered energy. I had only seen this side of him once before and that was when Morgan had me firmly in his grasp, of course I remembered how that ended, would he really go that far again?

"Mmmyyyy.....L...L...Lord" He was trying desperately to speak but Draven's hand was acting like it had a mind of its own. It was enjoying causing the pain and it squeezed again only this time it caused the dangling man's eyes to haemorrhage. I thought I was going to be sick at the sight. Blood was actually dripping down his face.

"I WILL KILL YOU!" Draven had lost so much of the man I loved I didn't know who it was I was looking at. Was he really in there somewhere? Somewhere deep down, like he was being held captive there until the beast was finished. His wings were now just feathered flames, that fanned out and licked at the air around them.

"I...I...I...di..didn't....k..k..kkknnnoooww" He screamed out in pain using the last shred of breath he had left.

"THEN YOU WILL BE PUNISHED FOR YOUR IGNORANCE!" His Demon voice took over and made it near impossible to detect anything I knew from memory. That's when the man started to die and this is when I couldn't take any more.

"NO!" I screamed causing everyone in the club to inhale air at the same time. Draven's head turned around without even giving an inch to allow the man some breath. I mean yeah, I had hated him only minutes ago but n.o.body deserved to die because of the incident and I most certainly didn't want it on my head!

Draven's look made me want to literally cry with fear. It was so lost in the pit of d.a.m.nation that I couldn't tell if he could actually see me! I don't know how I managed to carry on but somewhere I found a bravery that even I was shocked at finding.

"Draven please...I am begging you, please...please just let him go." I had an old kind of aching in my voice that took me back to the first time I had heard it. It was my pleading and that was something I vowed I would never use again to another being...this was unforgiveable but obviously necessary.

"Did you hear that, DOG! The girl is begging for your life! The very girl you shoved to the ground like nothing but s.h.i.t beneath your shoe. And here she stands, at the mouth of h.e.l.l, begging me to save your pathetic soul when you have done NOTHING to earn such pity! WHAT HAVE YOU TO SAY!" He lost it again and I had to raise my trembling hands to cover my ears that couldn't take it anymore.

The man was just gargling and spurting to try and form words but with Draven's unwavering strength there wasn't a chance. Just how much could he take? I knew one thing for sure, if he'd been human he would have been dead the second his feet lifted from the ground. It had already looked like Draven had broken his neck in several places. Bone was jutting out at two different angles and every time he tried to speak, it bobbed up and down painfully.

"SPEAK!" Draven barked out the order as his last thread of patience had snapped...I knew it wouldn't be long until it would be too late and I would never look at Draven the same way ever again.

"Draven stop this! He can't speak for G.o.d's sake!" I yelled at him with floods of tears streaming down my face. At the mention of G.o.d everyone gasped and Draven's eyes flashed round to seek mine once more. They looked like the pits of h.e.l.l lived there, like a portal straight to the gates were right past those eyes.

"I AM G.o.d'S RULING HERE!" He said first to me and then to the rest of the room that were witnessing this side of their master. I held my head in my hands and let out sobs mixed with words like "Please" and "Let go" making something in my actions enough to get through to my Draven. I heard a thud before me and when I lifted my head, I was now faced with the broken man in a pile at my feet. I couldn't help but flinch back.

"BEG!" One command came past his lips that I could not imagine kissing again. Would I ever make it past this point... far past the point of no return? I responded by shaking my head but the words wouldn't surface through my shaky tears.

"BEG the 'Chosen one' for your life!" Draven's voice cut through me like I was being split in two. I didn't think I would ever be pieced back together after this. At the name 'Chosen one' everyone took a step back from me like I held some horrible disease. They all sucked in air that wasn't needed and their eyes all turned Demonic like someone had just flipped a switch...of course that someone was Draven. Most looked terrified of me, one girl even dropped the gla.s.s she had been holding. I jumped at the sound of it smashing into tiny pieces on this cold stone floor that I just wanted to swallow me whole. Demonic and Angelic eyes all burned into me, bright and unwavering. I thought about them in the night, in this darkness my mind was swimming in and their eyes were all I could see.

"No...no, no, no," I repeated over and over but it was like no one was hearing me, I wondered if I was even saying the words or just screaming them in my head.

"Pl...please...for..for...forgive mmme." The man was crawling towards me, hands out stretched as though trying to touch me, to hang on to me like his last shred of hope at survival. I cried for him and stepped back. Then he yelped in pain as Draven placed his foot on his back to stop him moving. I could hear the sickening sound of bones cracking as he applied greater pressure.

"Don't touch her!" He warned and instantly the man's hands retracted to cradle his body.

"Please STOP THIS!" I shouted at him, wondering if my words could penetrate such a Demonic soul that consumed him.

"He does not deserve to live after such an insult to his Master. However I will let him breath but be warned, this is through the mercy of MY Chosen One not through my rule and wrath. You owe your life to this human Gastian but you have my word, you will not go unpunished!" I closed my eyes at the sound of his judgement and another overflow of salty tears followed their brothers and sisters.

The man had now collapsed, a new stream of blood flowing freely from his mouth, that was the only indication he gave that he was still alive...you don't pump blood when you die, I told myself.

"Take him away! As I have been his judge, I will be his punishment, it will be by my hands only." He was addressing the room now and turning around so that every eye was in his view, making many flinch back and I didn't blame them.

"Let this be a warning to you all and let it travel to unattended ears. If anyone is to touch this girl, to look at her wrong or even breathe too hard in her direction, they will stand before me and be judged. An injunction with my law, your judge will be your executioner! Heed my words, the girl belongs to ME!" He had his arms straight out at his sides at 90 degree angles, as if he was challenging anyone to step forward and test his authority as their King. This was all I could bear. I felt like a ghost of myself looking in on the craziness of my life and shaking my head at how this had happened. How had I grown to accept this? When did I learn how to live half a life?!

I let out one last cry and while Draven's back was to me, as he addressed his people...

I turned and ran.

I somehow made my legs work, even though they didn't want to, I made them. I used every ounce of mental strength I had left and poured it all into moving. Moving as far away from Draven as I could get. I managed to push past the people in my way and thanks to Draven's new law no one dared to try and stop me. I reached the staircase and launched down it with a speed that shocked me. It was like running in a dream, one moment you don't think you're even moving but the next you feel as though flying, bending time to your will.

As soon as I was sure that my feet were at the bottom I ran for the only exit I was sure wouldn't stop me. Getting through the empty club was like running on an empty playing field. In my crazed state I could even smell wet, dew covered gra.s.s.

I cornered the bar, taking in briefly its cold dark state now that it wasn't infested with warm bodies...warm human bodies! That was why I was running, it was such a need to be with my own kind it felt like I would self combust if I didn't breathe Afterlife free air and speak to another human soul. I felt like I was drowning in there and all I needed was to be free and breathe. Like that man being held by Draven's hand, had also been squeezing the life out of me. The me out of me.

I almost jumped over the bar just to make it all happen quicker. The door was in view and the exit sign glowed above me and in my state of mind I was reading it as something different...It said 'Home'. I pushed on the bar that would release me from this supernatural torment. For the first time since stepping foot in Afterlife, I couldn't help but cry as I said goodbye. For now I knew that I never wanted to set foot in there ever again. But would I? Would I, if the man I loved came back. The first thought that entered my mind about my Draven made my legs want to cave. I was outside by this time and the fresh snow covered the ground like a comforting blanket had been laid to protect the earth from the harsh elements. Of course, sensibly the snow was cla.s.sed as one of those harsh elements but right now, I just wanted to fall and let it cover me too.

So that is what I did. One minute I was running, the next I was falling blissfully to my knees that impacted with soft and fuzzy snow. It sprayed upwards around me and I let out an almighty cry as I had reached my limit. I lowered my head and sobbed uncontrollably until I was gasping for air to fill my lungs. The cold sharp pains of the icy air actually helped soothe the pain in my heart. The dull ache of when my heart beat so feverous only an hour ago for my Draven. Was this it...was this the end of all my happiness? The answer came behind me...

"No, it isn't!"

Draven's voice broke into the night like some thief that could steal the stars.

Chapter 55.

Cold Hard Fear.

"Keira, please get up." His voice was back to the way I remembered it which seemed an age since I had last heard it. It wasn't a command, it was him pleading. I started to shake my head. I still couldn't speak yet, as I knew one word and the dam would crack, opening the floodgates for me to drown in my misery. I had my back to him, hunched over in the snow with my head still cradled in my arms. My hair was still loose and hanging past my waist, the ends getting wet in the snow and curling up like they hated the cold.

"Why not? Please, it's cold, you'll freeze!" He sounded desperate, hurting and in pain. I looked down at my hands and saw how white they were. My skin was almost translucent, reflecting off the white sheet beneath me. I felt like part of it, like it was sucking me in to become captured. G.o.d knows at that point I wanted too. At least freezing was better than feeling!

"I can't," I whispered but I knew he would hear me. Then I felt him, like the sun rising behind me. It almost burned.