2 Chapter 1

Jax always enjoyed winter time. He would even go as far as to say it was his favorite season. People that knew him often referred to him as keeping to himself, closed off and intimidating. He stood at exactly 6 feet, no more or no less. His raven colored hair brushed the middle of his back. Pitch black eyes matched his hair. He wore a blank expression on his face, lips pinched closed. Today, he wanted to do something good—something that would surprise his family members and friends.

"Jax Von Thea, what can I do for you? It's a pleasure seeing you." The slave owner stuck his hand out for Jax to shake. Jax declined the offer, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm here to look at what you have to offer." His voice was quiet. Jax felt rather uncomfortable here, out of place. He wouldn't ever be seen at a slave shop like this again. He planned on never coming back.

He didn't even like he had to 'buy' someone. The word was foreign—even the idea of it. Buying another being was just wrong, in his mind. Jax didn't like the custom of it. Never did, and never will.

Slowly, he gulped, walking along the line of cells. "What's a noble like you doing here, sir? Of course, it's not an issue, but—" Jax let the slave owner ramble on in his ear, walking beside him. His boots caused the snow to crunch, leaving heavy footprints behind. "What about her?" Jax spoke, suddenly stopping at a young woman's cell, no older than twenty.

"Her?" The slave owner asked in disbelief. "Yes, her. Did you not hear me?" Jax asked, sternly.

It was clear he was getting fed up with the whole thing. Black hair was tangled down the woman's back; her body hunched down in the corner. She had one leg out. It was purple and swollen, in fact, it looked to be broken. Jax frowned at this detail. At moment, he couldn't see her face.

"Uh, yes—yes! Yes, of course, I did." The slave owner responded, peering into the bars of the cell. "She needs medical attention," Jax mentioned casually, crouching down to get a better view of the female. Slowly, she looked over to him, a frightened look crossing her face. Freckles dotted her skin, face especially. Her black eyes welled with tears. She had a split upper lip and bruise across her chin. Quickly, she looked away from Jax. He frowned.

"Her name is Scarlett." The slave owner spoke, nodding. "She's been returned numerous times," he shook his head, "is there anyone else you want to look at?" Jax sighed, standing up. "No. I want her, please." The slave owner's eyes widened at Jax's answer but didn't question him. "Yes, of course." Quietly, he mentioned the price of the particular female. Jax, a vampire noble, had no trouble paying. Carefully, the owner handed the keys to unlock Scarlett's cell. Jax heard a soft whimper come from her lips. He slowly entered the cell, being cautious, going slow and trying not to scare her any more than she already was.

"Sh, it's okay," he paused, inspecting her injured leg, then he asked, "is it broken?" With another small whimper, she spoke. "I-I don't know.." He could tell she was timid—that she was made that way. "Can you stand?" "I t-think so." She responded, doing her best to stand. Scarlett leaned heavily against the stone wall, only standing on her good leg. He frowned again. "There's no way you can walk on just one leg. Even if you could, I'm not letting you." Jax slowly got closer to her, reaching his hands out to Scarlett. She took them hesitantly, her grasp light. He then wrapped his arms around her, which caused her to flinch. He paused, for a minute, then lifted her up off of her feet. Jax held her in his arms; an arm under her neck and under her legs for support.

"Y-you.." She was surprised, unable to fully get her sentence out. "It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

For a moment, she studied his face, unsure whether she could believe him. Every other person that bought her promised the same thing—yet, it was all but lies. Scarlett gulped, putting an arm around his neck, touching his hair. "It's.. soft." Scarlett smiled weakly. Jax then noticed she was shivering. "Are you cold? You must be freezing." "N-No, I'm fine.." He could tell she was lying to him. With a thoughtful gaze, he set her down gently. He pulled off his long maroon trench coat, handing it to her. He waited for her to take it. Again, hesitant and scared, she pulled it from his hands. Her gaze fell on the trench coat. "A-Are you sure?" Jax smiled at her and nodded.

He wanted her to feel safe with him, maybe even grow comfortable around him. Jax had no intention of hurting her. Even throughout his life as growing up in a noble family, he treated the family slaves as friends, like they were actual beings. Now, with Scarlett, he planned to give her the medical attention she needed, removing the S off her neck, and, finally, giving her freedom. He wanted to free her, allow her to see the world outside her cell.

As Scarlett was putting on the trench coat, he wondered what species she was. "Tell me. What are you?" He asked her, eyes looking her over. Jax checked for other injuries, but only saw bruises. Nothing more serious than her leg injury. "A werewolf and healer." Healers were rather rare, especially a halfling. They have the ability to heal with their hands. At her words, Jax nodded. It explained the price. This time, when Scarlett smiled at him, he noticed her canines. Definitely a werewolf.

"My name is Jax. Let's say we get you outta here, huh?" She nodded back to him. When Jax picked her up again, she was much more comfortable in his arms than the first time around. Now, holding her tightly, Jax walked out of the cell and away from the slave shop.

"Listen here, I want you to understand something. I didn't buy you to be my slave. I brought you to free you. When the mark gets removed, you're a free woman." Scarlett's mouth hung slightly agape when he spoke.

"You.. m-mean it?" The stutter she had, he understood now, wasn't because of the cold. It was just because of how she spoke. In truth, Jax didn't really notice or care much about it. It didn't bother him in the slightest. "I do, Scarlett. I'm probably the only vampire in my family that hates the custom of slavery." He frowned deeply. Scarlett slowly began to lean against him more as they went on. She was practically on disbelief and tried her best to not get her hopes up incase he changed his mind. No one had ever offered her something like this.

W-Why me?"

"I don't know."

After that, the pair fell silent for most of the way. The walk back to Jax's home wasn't long. Scarlett still only slightly shivered, but, he knew that the trench coat gave her something warmer to wear for now.

"Here we are." Jax smiled down at her. "Can you flick on the lights? To your left." When Scarlett turned on the lights, she was met with the most beautiful place she's ever seen. "I-It's amazing." She commented, eyes glowing in the light. Scarlett was in pure awe. She went from a small cell to this wonderful place. The home was decorated with red carpet and only the lavish of furniture. "Do you like it?" He tilted his head to the side in question.

"I-I love it. It's b-beautiful!"

He chuckled, carrying her to the upstairs level. "This is where all the bedrooms are. You can have your own room for right now until we get you on your feet." "L-Literally?" "Yes, literally." Jax shook his head lightly, this time, a soft grin on his lips. She was more than he thought she would be.

Jax brought her through one of the many bedrooms. "Y-You.. didn't have to carry me. I could—could have.." "No, no. You're hurt. You can hardly stand for god sakes. You need to rest." He growled lowly. Her eyes widened in fear at his sudden tone. "I-I... I'm sorry.." She apologized to him, pulling away from his arms, landing on the bed. "I didn't mean.." He sighed, taking in a deep breath. Jax knew she was going to need time to adjust.

"You did nothing wrong."

"I.. B-but.."

"Don't apologize."

Scarlett only whimpered, biting her tongue from apologizing again. "You didn't make me angry or upset me. I just want you to understand that you don't have to make yourself do things. You can rest now." He took a step back from her. Her eyes followed his every move. "Y-your coat.." she took it off quickly, holding it out to him. "I d-don't need it anymore. T-take it back.." Her voice was softer than before. It was barely even a whisper. "You barely have anything on. Good riddance, put that back on while I find you something warmer to wear."

Scarlett simply retracted her arm, setting the trench coat beside her as he left the room. She didn't dare put it back on.

Instead, she studied the room. The sheets were white; softer than anything she's ever felt before. A smile crept itself onto her face. When was the last time she was happy? When she felt safe? Scarlett figured it was some years ago when her mother was alive.

Her mother was a slave when she was born, therefore, also making her a slave. She passed away when she was just nine, leaving Scarlett alone for most of her life. The more Scarlett thought about her mother, the sadder she became. "Mom.." A whisper left her lips. Her lip quivered; hand bawling into a fist, the fabric of the sheets in between her fingers.

"Scarlett? Are you okay?" Jax appeared back in the room, standing in front of her, holding clothing in his hand. "I managed to find an old sweater of my sister's and some sweatpants. I thought it would be more comfortable and warmer than the shorts you're wearing." He set the clothes beside her. Scarlett looked up at him, releasing the sheets from her fist. A hand rested on the clothing. "I'll give you a moment to change. I'll be right outside, okay?" She simply nodded to him.

❧

"Feeling better?" He asked. Scarlett smiled, having to roll up the thick sweater sleeves. "My sister is taller than you. I'm sorry, I couldn't find anything smaller." He responded, watching he closely. He frowned, once remembering her leg.

"Does it hurt?"

"M-My leg..?"

"Yes."

"N-No..." Again, it sounded like a whisper. "Are you lying to me? It's okay if it hurts. You can tell me." Scarlett whimpered, "I-I'm not allowed—" Jax pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "You don't have to abide by any rules. Not here. You're not a slave here." Not only the look on his face, but his words caused her to inch away from him in fear.

Scarlett stayed on the other side of the bed as Jax sat down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, I just.." Jax's voice trailed off as he looked to the side, away from her. She frowned, wiggling her bare toes. "S-socks.." She whimpered, after a moment of silence. "What?" "C-Can... I have s-socks?" With a small smile, he got up. He threw her a pair from the dresser in the room.

She immediately covered her head with her hands. The pair of socks hit her arm with a low thump. Scarlett's reflexes were instinct. It didn't matter what it was, if it was going towards her head in particular, her reflexes kicked in.

Her eyes poked through her fingers. Jax chuckled. "It was just the socks," he commented, holding them out to her. Licking her lips, she slowly put her arms down. She snatched the socks from his hand without another word.

"We need to take care of that leg. It doesn't look good at all." She nodded.

"Jax? Are you home?" It was the voice of his mother, followed by footsteps of a second person. Growling lowly, he stayed close to Scarlett. "Up here!" He called down.

His gaze turned towards Scarlett. "You need to stay by me, okay? They.. won't like that you're here.. on the bed.." At that point, Scarlett didn't hear his voice. Instead, she just felt fear. She held her breath, staying incredibly still and quiet. She didn't utter a sound.

"Scarlett?" Jax called to her, but she didn't answer. Her eyes were locked onto Jax's parents. They were well-liked nobles; their reputation preceding them. They stood in the doorway. Jax's father had his arm around the woman next to him. They stared straight back at her, eyes narrowed. She gulped in fright, hiding behind Jax's back.

"Whose this?" His mother asked. Jax drew in a breath, reaching a hand back for Scarlett to take if she wished. "Is that the slave you picked up? She looks tasty," his father sneered, a smug expression crossing his lips. "She's not to drink from." Jax bared his fangs, prepared to defend Scarlett.

"Oh? Then you've brought her for something else..?" His father raised an eyebrow. "No. If you would let me explain—" His mother suddenly appeared in front of Jax, growling angrily. "Don't use that tone with your father. That slave," she pointed to Scarlett, "belongs to this family now."

"She's not a slave. I wanted to free her. This.. slavery thing we participate in-" "Preposterous! Where's this coming from?" His father exclaimed, snatching Scarlett from his son's back, pinning her to the wall. He brushed black strands of hair from her face, tears pricking her eyes as she whimpered. "Ah, ah. Sh.." He pulled down the sweater from her neck, revealing multiple teeth marks from other vampires. "She should be used to this."

"Get off of her! I want you both gone, immediately. Leave!" Jax gritted his teeth as he spoke, shoving his mother out of the way, so, he can reach his father. Scarlett tore herself away from Alexander, hobbling on one leg, but, Elizabeth caught her by the arms. Suddenly, Scarlett cried out in pain from Elizabeth's fangs digging into her neck. Elizabeth drew blood from Scarlett, her grip tightened on the smaller female.

Jax managed to push back his father, pulling Scarlett, by the arm, over towards him. He pushed her, more harshly then he meant, to the bed. "Stay there." He ordered her, fighting his family back to the doorway. Scarlett, taking no chances, hid under the bed. Her hand covered the fresh wound on her neck. She curled herself into a ball, her injured leg stretched out, only listening to the thuds of the family fighting. She squeezed her eyes shut, afraid to look at what lay before her.

Minutes passed as she kept herself tucked away under the bed, fearful. Only once it was quiet again, did she open her eyes. "J-Jax..?" She called, seeing hands reach under the bed. "It's only.. me," he wheezed, "they're gone."

Releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding, she grabbed his hands. They were rough, yet, still smooth. Scarlett didn't understand how that was possible, but she presumed it was from how long he's been alive. She swallowed nervously, helping Jax pull her from underneath the bed. She was still clearly freighted, shaking. Her neck was covered in dry blood; now orange in color.

"It's okay." Scarlett immediately noticed injuries on Jax. She leaned slightly into him, not weight bearing on her injured leg. "L-Let.. me," she gulped, "heal y-you.. please." Jax frowned, shaking his head. "No, No. Are you alright? She didn't..?"

"I.. w-will live."

"But... I didn't... I'm sorry. I didn't know they would go that far with you being here." He apologized to her. Still realizing he was holding her hands, he pulled away, unsure. At first, Scarlett said nothing. She sat on the bed, feeling her neck pulse with the injury. The silence was awkward, both of them unsure of one another. Scarlett finally looked up at him, touching his arm. She gripped it tightly, healing it.

Jax jerked his arm away. "I said you don't need to heal me."

"I-I was just.."

"I'm fine."

"P-please... let me."

Scarlett didn't know if it was because she felt obligated to heal him or if she was trying to return the favor. Jax's gaze wavered from her to his feet. "Fine."

Within a moment, Scarlett's hands touched his body, healing his injuries. "Um.." "What?" She blushed, stuttering over her words even more, as she tried to explain it would be easier to heal him with his chest bare. He laughed at her, grinning. "Why didn't you say anything before?" She gulped, nervous. "I'm only teasing." Jax gave her a cheeky smile before taking off his shirt. He tossed it on the bed, running a hand through his hair.

Jax was more muscular than he looked. Scarlett tried her hardest to only focus on his wounds, her hands only lightly touching his torso and arms.

It took a short half hour for her to heal most of his wounds. Some would need to finish healing naturally. He touched her neck, causing her to flinch. "I'm sorry," he apologized again throughout the half hour. She said nothing. It wasn't his fault, they both knew that.

With Jax now taken care of, he focused on giving her the medical attention she needed earlier. Although the dry blood was driving Jax mad, he refused to drink from her, as long as he was in her presence. Carefully, he wrapped her leg and splinted it. It was the best he could do for her at this time. He cleaned her neck and pressed gauze to the wound, covering it. "There, you should be all good."

"T-thank you.."

It was late now, much darker than either of them anticipated. They said their good nights to each other, Jax sleeping across the hall in his own bedroom. Scarlett wanted him to stay with her, but she didn't dare ask.

She couldn't bring herself to do it, knowing that not only would she not sleep, but that the sleep she would get haunted her with nightmares.