I turned on my side and began to drift away, feeling comfortable and relaxed. Nothing would make me move. I could float in this moment forever with him beside me. But just as I closed my eyes, the sheets wrinkled underneath me.

"It seems I have lost control of myself," he said as he moved off the bed and stood.

"Shall I leave?"

I lifted my head as biting cold swept over my skin and I went numb.*

58.

"No. Don't leave."

My tongue must have been frozen as well.

Dante plopped down on the bed next to me. I curled around him, feeling unusually drained. I needed him to soothe me-needed his warmth, his caresses, his affection. Those things I'd tried to deny I missed.

His red eyes were now teal green orbs that stared solemnly at me. He ran his fingers through my hair, down to my cheek. "I hate to kill the mood, but you do know that Aurora will need to punish you for your mishap, Malachi," he warned.

d.a.m.n. I'd forgotten all about that.*

59.

Chapter Eight.

The Monster of Mayhem Twisting under the warmth of the sheets, I splayed my fingers out on the opposite side of the bed, searching for Dante's soft skin. Instead, I was met with hard, cold mattress underneath my hand.

What the f.u.c.k? Did he leave?

I had slept the day away with him beside me as my own personal heater. The urgent silence stilled me. I lay on the hard bed, looking past where he should be to the brick wall. A bitter sense of loneliness crept through to my core. Why had he left?

"Malachi," Aurora's drone echoed through the door.

I'd been expecting it. At least I'd been able to sleep before my punishment. Now, if only I was able to feed again.

She barged through the door. "I hear your job last night was almost a bust," she said in a sour tone.

I sprung up off my pillow. "I am so sorry, ma'am. If I had known of my needs, I would have-"

"It's not a problem, my boy." A grin spread across her ruby-red lips. "But I will have to a.s.sign you to another department."

Was this like working in a grocery store? "Ma'am?"

She chuckled. "You see, there are seekers, scientists and runners in this organisation.

Malachi, what you did last night was you sought out a donor. Since that didn't turn out so well, I think I'll be making you a runner. So get your a.s.s out of bed and follow me downstairs."

I sleepily slid to the edge of the bed and stretched my arms up high. "Is that where Dante is?" A yawn escaped my lips.

"Yes. And it's thanks to Dante that I'm not going to punish you severely for your mishap. I could just throw you in chains, lock you in the dungeon and whip you until you're b.l.o.o.d.y from head to toe." I caught a whisper of sarcasm in her tone.*

60.

Thank you, Dante. He must still be trying to protect me. With another yawn, I jumped off the bed. The cold air hit my bare a.s.s, and I quickly realised Aurora's eyes were set on me like stone.

"You don't have a dungeon, do you?"

"Of course I do." The clack of her high heels on the tiled floor made my head ache. "But I don't use it for such purposes."

I let out an amused chuckle. Sure she hadn't used it for punishment-it was probably full of bondage gear like whips, chains, paddles and ball gags.

My eyebrow twitched. "I'd love to see the dungeon sometime."

"Is that a fact?"

Her black whip cracked in the air. Before I could pull up my jeans, the leather stung my a.s.s. Her dark laugh filtered through the room, and I covered myself, praying she wouldn't do that again.

"You sure are a feisty b.a.s.t.a.r.d," she said. "Get your a.s.s in gear."

After that smack, I'd know never to let my sarcasm come out around her.

I slipped my shirt over my head and turned to face her. My master? I suppose I could get used to calling her that.

She started out of the door and I followed closely behind her. Pablo joined us on our route immediately. He maintained his usual composure, but I could sense something was not quite right.

"Ma'am, Xavier is requesting your services," he said.

"Tell him to wait. I have important matters here." She continued to walk the corridors without a swerve.

"Yes. I understand, but he says it's of dire necessity."

He held out a handwritten paper and she stopped. A brief moment of silence followed before she turned away. "It can wait, Pablo. Call Xavier and tell him I will be there in an hour."

"Yes, ma'am." With that, Pablo scurried away and we continued on our path.

We turned past the main entrance to another door. It looked like a coat closet, small and out of the way. When she opened the door, we were met with a darkened staircase leading down into what appeared to be the bas.e.m.e.nt. Or dungeon.*

61.

I followed closely, trying to scan for the next step in front of us. We walked past what appeared to be an old torch hanging on the wall. Aurora lifted a second torch from its holder and struck a lighter at the tip. A crackling sounded and pure orange light illuminated our surroundings.

"What is this?" I drew in a breath at the sight of the old wooden walls splattered in red on either side of us.

There were carvings in the beams. Maybe the words were names and places, but I wasn't sure. On the walls, drawings of people and odd symbols were etched into the longer pieces of oak. I traced the lines of a circle with my finger, the wood rough and uneven. Then, I caught the bitter scent embedded in the old wood. Blood.

"The inner workings of sanctuary, my boy." Aurora answered. "These are the last remains of the old world."

"Sanctuary?"

She stopped for a moment and stared at an intricate design of a snake slithering around what appeared to be a man. "In the old world, vampires had to seek shelter from those who sought to destroy us. These are the last memories of an underground temple founded by the Order before the war."

I swallowed hard. Shivers ran down my legs. I wondered just how much blood had been shed on these walls. Aurora proceeded down the stairs and I hopped a step to catch up.

"So where are you taking me?"

"Into our lab," Aurora answered. "We test all of our donors down here and prepare them for transportation to their new lives."

I remembered Raphael explaining that all donors needed to be tested. Once down the stairs, I stopped and stared at the makeshift evil scientist lab that encompa.s.sed the entire bas.e.m.e.nt.

My eyes widened at the sight of test tubes filled to the brim with blood. The smell was a deathly mix of familiar metallic blood and musty vintage goods. If I couldn't perform right during hunts, what the h.e.l.l made her think I could do this?

Four computer desks sat in a circle in the middle of the floor. Bright screens glowed in the darkness. The sound of steaming bubbles echoed through the room. I made out faint voices as we drew closer.*

62.

"Felix," Aurora greeted one of the vampires who sat in front of a computer. "What's the word?"

The man nodded and his gla.s.ses slid down his nose. "We have five approved for transport and another three that need further scanning."

"Good work." She patted him on his shoulder and turned swiftly to catch my wandering eyes. "What do you think? Quite a piece of work, isn't it?"

"This is insane!" I stared in awe at five donors kneeling in a row on the concrete floor, their heads lowered as if they were frozen in prayer.

"No. This is survival in the modern world, Malachi." Dante's voice made me turn swiftly.

He stood in the doorway with his jet black hair loose over his shoulders, dressed in a sharp shirt with two b.u.t.tons undone, revealing his toned chest. I trembled as I looked him over twice, from his polished shoes to his loose, black jeans and the gold chain hanging around his neck. His old world sophistication was still there, but somehow, he'd changed since last time. I swallowed, nearly breathless.

I opened my mouth to speak, but a familiar face peered over his shoulder. A pair of hands slithered around his waist.

"Evening, Malachi." His friend smiled cunningly.

My awe turned to disappointment. Why the h.e.l.l was he still hanging around that guy?

"h.e.l.lo," I replied then turned back towards Aurora.

"He doesn't like you," said Dante.

I stayed stock-still, desperate to pretend this wasn't happening.

"That's a shame," the other vampire said.

"Anyway," I spoke loudly over the two voices prattling behind me. "Aurora. This is quite interesting. What's going on here?" I pointed at several graph lines on the screen.

She waved her hand. "That is the white blood count listing... Never mind that, Malachi.

Let me show you our focus of the night."

Aurora stepped away from the computer. I was more than happy to follow her away from Dante and his...partner. We approached the five donors who knelt serenely on the floor. Each one wore red or white robes over their bodies. Now that I was closer, I recognised one of them.

"You remember Marco, right?"*

63.

I nodded.

"He has pa.s.sed all of his tests with flying colours. Now, your job tonight will be to escort him to his new home." Aurora laid her hand upon Marco's head, and he didn't move a bit.

"What is wrong with him?" I narrowed my eyes.

"They're paralysed," she answered. Apparently, she saw the concern in my face. "Don't worry. It's not what it sounds. Basically, we inject them with a chemical that freezes their senses. It doesn't last long, only long enough for us to test them and transport them."

"Was that the dart Terrell stuck him with last night?"

She nodded. "Partly. It helps to freeze them if there are problems in their detainment.

Most of the time, we like to take them conscious. That way they have a choice in the matter."

"So Marco never had a choice?"

"Why are you so d.a.m.ned worried, Malachi? This is what he wanted."