There was nothing more boring than waiting around. They had drawn more blood and I was laying on the bed in the small room, waiting for Silas.

I don’t even know why I had to wait for so long. Surely I didn’t have to wait for the results.

The room reminded me of the white clinical living quarters of the Sires. It brought back memories of pain and suffering. It also refreshed the cruelty Silas had shown me when he had punished me. I swallowed.

I stood, feeling agitated. I remembered Silas’ instruction to keep calm but I struggled to do it. Slowly, I inhaled before releasing it while I paced.

The door opened and before I could even react Thane stood in the room, the door locked behind him.

“Avery.” His eyes gleamed and his mouth spread into a slow smile.

I backed away from him. My instinct screamed danger.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to keep the panic from my voice.

But nothing good would come from this unexpected encounter with this man. I felt it in my bones.

“You think you got away,” he said. He sounded far too calm. “But you are mine Avery.”

There was only one way out of the room and he was blocking it. I had no way out. I fought the urge to scream for help. Surely someone nearby would hear it but I dared not escalate the situation just yet.

If I kept him calm then maybe I had a chance.

“Silas won’t appreciate how special you are. But I do. The moment I first saw you I knew how important you were.”

He sounded like a crazy person, that increased my fear. I had to get out of here. There would be no way to talk sense into him, he was way passed a reality check.

“Why doesn’t Silas know?” I asked, trying to sound interested so I could keep him distracted while I figured a way out of the room and away from him.

I was truly afraid of Thane. And the thought of him laying a finger on me scared the hell out of me.

“You are mine Avery. You were never meant to be his.”

I swallowed slowly, taking in his intense gaze on me.

“I watched you from the first time I saw you and knew I was the only one who could own you.”

What was with these male vampires and ownerships? Resentment rose up in me but I had to suppress it. Antagonizing him up would only make the situation worse.

He took a step closer, moving me back against the wall. This room was too small to be able to move around him.

“Our children will be strong. The strongest ever born.”

This time he took my hand and I let him. I wanted to play along until I had a chance to get free.

Where was the doctor? Surely someone would come back to check on me. Panic took hold and I held my breath.

“You’re not pregnant because you are not meant to have his children. You will only bear mine.”

I couldn’t play along any longer. Maybe it was my out of control hormones messing with my emotions but I couldn’t stand there for a minute longer and pretend anything he was saying was true.

I yanked my hand out of his. “No Thane. Silas owns me.” I hated using that word but I wanted to make it clear to him that I wasn’t his. This could not be allowed to continue. He had to get the message that he had lost me to Silas, there was no undoing it. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him I didn’t want him but I stopped myself.

He shrugged. “Silas overstepped his authority. They had no right to change your ownership. But I will rectify the mistake.”

The way he was talking made me nervous. Why couldn’t he just accept he couldn’t have me? This seemed to go way past a dented ego and more to crazy stalker.

“You are beautiful Avery. The most beautiful Sire I have ever seen.” His eyes glittered. “You will be mine. Once you are pregnant with my child, I will gain ownership of you.”

It took a few seconds for his meaning to sink in.

I shook my head. “You can’t do that Thane.” I shifted to the side but the bed blocked my way to the exit.

“I can Avery, I will.” He reached for me and I yelped when his hands closed around my arms.

I struggled as he lifted me off my feet. I couldn’t allow him to take me against my will. This was the moment I screamed for help, hoping someone would hear me.

His smile only widened at my attempt to save myself. “You can scream all you want Avery. No one will come.”

I screamed again, not wanting to believe him.

“I like screamers Avery,” he whispered against my ear, horrifying me more. I went wild, trying to get free but I was no match to the strength of a male vampire.

He was far too strong for me.

“Please don’t,” I pleaded when he inhaled my hair.

This was going to be bad and I couldn’t stop him. I trembled.

“Once you have me you wont want anyone else Avery,” he assured me as he crushed his mouth to mine. I moved my head to the side, break the kiss.

“You need to learn your place Avery.” He backhanded me. The pain was like hitting a brick wall, something snapped. I was stunned and disorientated. My face throbbed. “You will learn to submit.”

I tasted blood in my mouth.

He shoved my front against the bed. When I realized what he was trying to do, I struggled but he pulled up my skirt and yanked my underwear with such force it, the material tore.

Physically I was no match and if I wanted to stop him I had to think of another way to stop him. There was only one other way to halt him.

“A real man doesn’t have to take a woman by force,” I said, looking back over my shoulder at him.

He stilled. “I’m a vampire Avery. We take what is ours. You will learn this lesson.”

His hand shoved me down as he lifted my skirt up and I felt his hands on my hips.

“A real man has already taken me and I enjoyed every moment of it.”

He halted. He grabbed me at the back of the neck and threw me against the wall. I hit with the side of my body. Pain exploded down my side and I crumpled to the floor.

“I need to teach you some manners Avery. You have no rights here. The only thing that matters is what I want and will have.”

My face throbbed, I was in so much pain I blinked and saw dark spots in my vision. None of my training had prepared me to go head to head with a vampire.

His next blow caught me on the chin and I fell back, holding onto my face. “Ahhh….”

My entire face throbbed and I felt a cut, my blood gushed from the wound.

“A real man made me scream in ecstasy and I loved every moment of it.” I continued, afraid if I stopped he would take what didn’t belong to him.

He picked me up by the neck and I held onto his grip trying to prepare myself for the next blow. All I could smell was my fear and blood.

“You will scream when I take you Avery,” he promised before backhanding me again.

He caught me before I dropped. His next blow landed in my stomach, winding me. I fell to my knees.

“You know your place Avery. On your knees.”

I shook my head, trying to keep myself from blacking out. If I lost consciousness, he would win and I couldn’t allow that to happen.

The vampires had taken nearly everything from me and I wouldn’t allow him to take me.

My head throbbed, blood dripped from my chin as I stared up at Thane. My vision blurred and I squeezed my eyes closed for a second before I looked up.

The door exploded, splintering. There was a roar, animalistic.

In the doorway stood Silas. His eyes ablaze. He growled, showing his sharp extended teeth.

I swayed on my knees before I slumped to the floor.