Hell. That’s what it feels like. Hell.

In an attempt to get in my good graces, Nikolai has agreed to let me go to school but one of his vampire minions follows me wherever I go. Honestly, it feels like I’m being smothered. I’m never alone. The looks I get from my schoolmates at the strange men and women constantly following me around grate on my nerves.

Even when I’m trying to listen to the dry-as-hell lecture about business ethics and its importance in the world of research, I can’t ignore the burning glare in the back of my head of whoever’s assigned to be my babysitter for the day.

Unfortunately, the first stop each day is the labs where I have to undergo tests to see how far along I am in the change. The closer I get to full on joining the fang club, the more frequent the tests become. I hate getting poked and prodded like a pin cushion, so my mood is somewhere between pissy and downright dangerous. Let’s just say I’m underwhelmed about the destination my self-proclaimed ‘master’ is sending me to.

“Sasha!”

I stop walking when I hear the familiar and comforting voice of my best friend. Jackson jogs up to me with his hand raised in a wave. We hug each other after having been apart for so long. God, a familiar face is a welcome respite from the endless glares at Niko’s compound.

“Hey!”

“Where have you been? Are you, all right?” he asks.

“I’m sorry, I took a break for a few days like you suggested.”

“Wow, that’s the first time you’ve ever done something I said to,” He elbows my arm. “Are you sure you’re recovering okay? You don’t have lasting brain damage?”

“I’m doing just fine, asshole,” I swat at him, laughing before brushing a strand of hair away from my face.

Jackson scratches the back of his head. The same funny, crooked grin from my childhood curling its way across his lips. “Yeah. I’ve been worried.” He eyes the vampire trying to hide his presence behind a nearby tree.

“I promise, I’m okay.”

“Look, I don’t know how to say this, Sasha. But we need to talk.”

“About?”

“I’ve been looking more into Arsen. And I’m not liking what I’ve found.”

I glance back over my shoulder. It’d take a miracle but somehow, I need to ditch my tail and find someplace Jackson and I can talk without being disturbed or overheard. Without thinking, I take Jackson’s hand and power-walk as fast as I can toward the library.

From my previous excursions, I knew it would be easy to buy some time since the whole building was a labyrinth of books and winding rows and halls.

“What the hell are we doing, Sasha?” Jackson asks, both confused and clearly amused.

“Just trust me.”

We run up the stairs and through the security scanners at the opening of the library, giggling like maniacs. Once I’m sure we have some time and my tail is long gone, I pull Jackson into one of the isolated meeting rooms the clubs often use to talk about what their next events would be.

I lean over, trying to catch my breath so I can speak coherently. “I don’t have a lot of time. What did you want to talk to me about?”

“I’ll leave my question about why we just ran from that guy for later. Arsen’s bad news. According to what I’ve been able to find out, he’s some kind of big street boss or something in a war with a rival gang. I don’t think you should get mixed up with him.” Jackson keeps his voice low like we’re sharing state secrets or something.

He’s not telling me anything I don’t already know. Nikolai spent a lot of time trash talking Arsen and telling me how bad he is. Problem is, the jackass clearly hadn’t looked in a mirror in a while. Pot meet kettle.

“Thanks for letting me know, Jackson. I promise I’ll be careful but I think I can take care of myself.” I’m trying to appease him and back off a bit on the big brother act. Despite my annoyance at his actions, my initial instinct is to trust Arsen.

Jackson grips my shoulders, his eyes locked on mine. “I don’t think you get it, Sasha. These are some dangerous men you’ve gotten mixed up with. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

I shove him away, my frustrations from the past few days coming out. “I know they’re dangerous, okay! I get it! Not like I can do anything if they decide to do something against me. Stop thinking you have to be my damn dad!”

Jackson’s eyes widen at my sudden outburst. He looks angry but I don’t care. He has no idea what I have to go through every single time I go back to Niko’s compound. I feel like a fucking lab rat returning to my maze in search of that piece of cheese at the end.

“I’m just trying to help.” He shoves his hands into his pockets and looks away from me. “You don’t have to be such a bitch.”

“So I’m a bitch because I’m not doing what you want and leaving Arsen alone? That’s who this is about, right? Arsen?” I raise a brow, waiting for his response.

Jackson grits his teeth. Yeah, I’d hit that nail on the head. “It’s not only about him. You’ve been acting strange lately. Disappearing for long periods of time and not answering anyone’s calls. That’s never been like you.”

I think back to the photos I’d looked through after Nikolai dragged me out of Arsen’s compound. About the time before I was bitten by a jackass of a vampire. Of course, Jackson would think I’m insane if I try to explain it all and I don’t want Jackson to be put in danger simply because I want to go back to the way things used to be.

“I just needed space for a while. I mean God, you’ve been overbearing since the end of high school. I told you Jackson, as sweet as you are, we’ll only ever be friends.” It’s a shitty thing to say, and I know it, but he’ll forgive me. Hopefully. And it will keep him away from me for a while and safe.

He’d done so much for me when my parents had died and I’d landed in foster care, alone in the world and shaken to my core.

“That was low, Sasha. Don’t you think I know that? I’m okay with it, really. I just don’t like the way Arsen looks at you. Like he’s planning to take a bite out of you or something. The look in his eye is almost inhuman.”

You have no idea. Of course, it isn’t Arsen who bit me and turned me into something else. Arsen was kind to me. He treated me like a real woman. In a way, I felt loyal to him.

“Sasha, stay away from him. I’m begging you. Don’t be so damn stubborn and fight me on this!”

That’s it! He doesn’t understand and there’s no way I can explain it without putting him in danger. To avoid saying something that would hurt him further, I walk out of the room, waving over my shoulder, leaving him calling out my name and getting shushed by the librarian.

Once outside, I find myself in front of a very angry vampire. I didn’t really feel like dealing with another confrontation so I just followed him to the waiting black car to take me back to Nikolai’s coven.

The whole ride, I did nothing but stare out of the window at the passing scenery. My mind drifted to back to Jackson. Try as I might to explain it away, I was a complete bitch to him. He was only trying to look out for me like he always does but he was stubborn and hard to get along with sometimes, too.

Guess I can’t blame him. I lean against the heel of my hand. My thoughts switch back to Arsen and the way he looked when Nikolai took me away. I sigh.

Sheesh, how I miss the days when things like vampires were nothing but a myth.

The car pulls up to Niko’s coven where the vampire of the hour stands at the door smoking a vapor cigarette and waiting for me. He’s wearing leather bands around his wrists and a low-cut V-neck revealing the details of his chest under the tight material. Seems to be his go-to outfit of choice.

When I get out of the car, cotton candy meets the fresh smell of rainfall from the night before.

“Have a nice day at school, babe?” Niko blows out another billow of the sweet-smelling vapor.

“Really? Babe?” I wave my hand in my face to get the sickening cloud out of my face. My senses had begun getting more heightened lately so the smoke made me sick.

Nikolai chuckles, taking it out of his mouth and putting it back in his pocket. I adjust the backpack on my shoulder and push past him, our bodies brushing briefly. It was enough to make my skin crawl at the same time it brought me comfort. The opposing feelings only angered me off more.

“Rough day? You look pissed.”

“Yeah well, getting treated like your personal pet project will do that to someone. Not to mention I’m constantly being follow around by a looming shadow. Doesn’t exactly earn me any friends. Here by the way,” I push a piece of paper in his chest, forcing him to back up a foot.

He looks at it carefully then hands it to the bodyguard he’d assigned for the day. “Still no indication as to why you were able to cure me. The change is coming along nicely though. You were actually able to push me back.”

A growl rumbles in the back of my throat. Like what he said was just a compliment? I hate him for what he did to me. What he’s still was doing to me. Instead of fighting, I storm off to my own room Nikolai had given me and slam the door.

It wasn’t until later in the evening Nikolai knocked on the door. Honestly, I didn’t want to entertain his company but didn’t have much of a choice. His coven; his rules. Anyone who dared challenge him met the business end of his fist.

“Come in.”

Nikolai struts inside, shirtless, a wide grin on his face.

“Could you be any more obvious in your advances? I mean, really. What do you want, Niko? I have an exam and a research paper to plan for.”

“Just wanted to make sure my girl was okay,” He closes the door and sits down on the bed. “Of course, there’s the little matter of your running off today and leaving the guard I put on you in the dust.”

There it was. That famous ulterior motive. “I wanted some personal space to chat with a friend without prying ears. Besides, I went right back to my babysitter and I’m here aren’t I?”

Nikolai sighs. “This is true but what you did is unacceptable. I’m debating on what to do to make sure you don’t do it again. How would it look if Arsen or one of those loyal to him found you? Odds are you would’ve gone with them willingly.”

Ugh. I don’t answer him. He’s so jealous. Yeah, Nikolai was good looking. Yeah, Nikolai is smooth but he’s dangerous and possessive. And not in a cute playful way. There’s something more to Arsen though. I could imagine myself with him. Maybe even falling in love with him.

Nikolai spins my chair so I face him. “Don’t do it again, Sasha. I mean it. I’ve warned you before. You’re mine and I’ll kill anyone who dares touch what’s mine. Human, vampire, shifter, I don’t care who they are.”

My heart pounds in my chest as he leans in close to my face. The smell of his breath is a mix of dangerous musk combined with the sweetness of his vaporizer. His gaze fixed on me, studying my reaction.

A soft smile rolls across his lips. “Besides,” He caresses my face with his fingers. “How am I going to make sure my girl is safe if she runs away from me?”

It takes every ounce of control I have to force myself not to slap him.

Arsen, think of Arsen. I force my mind to focus on Arsen’s words. His promise to protect me. No matter what, I wouldn’t give in to Nikolai.

I can’t.

And the next chance I get, I’m hauling ass out of here.