Chapter Two: Katerina

Damien's words kept echoing in my head, making me aware of how the state was dangerous. Who drugged me, and how did they do it. All I ate today was breakfast at the dorm and a shot of vodka at the club. I don't remember having any enemies except those ice-blue eyes. And just like that, I closed my eyes and hoped the pain would stop and I'd wake up in my bed and realize it was all just a nightmare.

"I shouldn't have let her go out. I almost lost her!" said a familiar voice. Damien was sitting close to me, talking to someone. I was probably dead, and I began to hallucinate. The thought of this man will haunt me for all eternity.

"Relax, man. At least we're not late. She needed some time to hang out with friends and have fun," said another voice on the other side of the room that I couldn't make out. Wait, this seems so realistic. Memories of concert night with Ray and how Damien had taken me stormed back at me. My head was spinning, and I could feel the heat in my eyes. I tried to open them, but they were too heavy.

After a while, I couldn't tell how long it was after the conversation I'd heard; I opened my eyes. This ceiling wasn't what I was used to seeing when I opened my eyes every morning. The whole room wasn't what I knew as my dorm room. So, it was true. Damien took me back to his mansion. The same place I'd promised myself to run away from, and there I was stuck. A maid entered the room holding some pills in her hands. I panicked at the sight of her. She looked at me in confusion for a second, then hurried out of the room. She didn't close the door behind her, and I could hear her telling someone I'd woken up. She came back with the man I despise the most. The maid rushed to me, put down some pills, and politely asked me to take them. I didn't trust this man as far as I could throw him. When I disobeyed, he explained, "These are for your headache. The other is for a fever. You've been unconscious for three days."

I didn't have the strength to fight back. It didn't seem convincing to me that Damien would try to harm me with medications. If anything, he saved my life regardless of the reason behind it.

Once the hall was clear, I took the opportunity to explore the mansion. I should reach Camila somehow and ask her for help. This villa was so huge that I got lost after only ten minutes. The portraits showed Damien's luxurious taste in art. It looked more like a modern-designed palace than a villa. I found my way to the kitchen. My stomach growled, reminding me to eat something. I couldn't find a refrigerator there. There was a steel door figured it was a walk-in refrigerator. I couldn't take my eyes off the endless shelves. They contained every type of food that could come to mind. As I went deeper, I discovered plastic bags with a red liquid hanging in rows. They were blood bags. I wondered why they would need them. I recoiled in fright, and my body bumped against something hard. I turned to find Damien glaring at me, "What the hell are you doing here?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came to mind. I'd forgotten why I was here. Damien grabbed me by the arm, pulled me out, and tossed me to one of his men. "Samuel, take her back to her room and lock the door," he shouted. "If I catch her walking around here again without asking permission, you'll regret it."

Samuel took me to my room and ordered the maids to bring me something to eat. He was so gentle. There was a hint of concern in his eyes, "Are you okay, little one?"

I pondered whether to consider him an enemy or keep him on my side. I felt helpless and needed someone to talk to them. "Yeah, at least he didn't kill or hurt me."

He chuckled at my words and stepped closer to me, "Damien would not dare hurt you, let alone kill you. I can see he's been an ass to you at times. But trust me, that'll change."

I wasn't sure where all this confidence in Damien Judge came from, but somehow it made me feel safe. I wondered what he wanted to do with me and why he stored those blood bags. "Why would he keep me if he hates me that much?" I asked, looking Samuel in the eyes.

He shook his head and grinned at my question. "He didn't tell you why he waited eighteen years to bring you here, did he?" When I looked at him confused. He continued, "That's up to him to tell you, little one. I can only advise you to enjoy your stay and not break his rules. He'll eventually give you more freedom when he ensures your safety." Sam walked away, leaving me with more questions than he answered. I ate what the maid had brought me and planned to escape.

The balcony in my room was my second escape plan since I woke up. I took all the stiff clothes in the room and bathroom and tied them to a rope. I had to be quick before Sam could come to check on me again. I tied the top of the cord to the fence and threw down the rest of it. I was on the third floor. The cloth cord was long enough to reach the grass of the yard. I pulled it a few times to ensure it was safe before I began to climb down.

Halfway from the ground, one of the maids walked onto the balcony. She saw me hanging by the cloth cord. I expected her to call Damien or Samuel to stop me before I could escape, but what she did was the last thing I expected. She pulled out a pair of scissors, cut off most of the cord to make it look like an accident, and went in. My eyes were hanging on the thin fabric that kept me from falling and breaking my neck. I couldn't move. When I realized that the cloth was tearing more and more, I screamed for help. No one could hear me from there. After all, not many people live in this villa. I saw the last thread of the fabric break off, and my body fell. In those seconds, I saw my whole life flashing in my mind.

A familiar voice screamed my name in fear, "Katerina!" I closed my eyes, and my body bumped against something soft yet tough. I did not dare to open my eyes. I was in shock and scared to death. "Kate, you are safe. Open your eyes." he pleaded. I could not respond. I clung to his vest and shivered.

Damien put a hand on my head and gently stroked my hair. My frantic heartbeat calmed down. The adrenaline in my body receded, and I slowly opened my eyes to look into his icy gaze. He stared at me with a blank expression. It was hard to read what was in his mind. He took me inside and passed me like some box to Samuel. "I'm sick of her behavior. Throw her in one of the cells in the basement and keep an eye on her. If she kills herself, you'll be the first one I'll rip his head off, Sam."

I've never seen him so angry as at this moment. He made his way out, leaving me with Sam. "What did you do this time? He doesn't look this angry every day."

I rolled my eyes at him and shrugged, "Someone pissed in his cereal this morning. What does that have to do with me?"

Sam stared at me worriedly for a moment, "Cut the crap, little one. Tell me what happened so I can help you. I told you not to upset him." He sighed.

It might be helpful to tell him what happened from my point of view before Damien does. The face of the maid who almost killed me stuck in my head. Someone sent her to kill me. I wasn't sure I could trust Sam with that information.

He walked me to the cellar, where we met another of Damien's men, Zayn. He opened one of the cells so Sam could place me on a bed, then handed him the key. I deduced that I had nothing to lose, so I decided to tell Sam what had happened. He listened to me intently and tried to relate it to what he knew. "I could never imagine there is a traitor between us. Damien will hideously end her life," Sam said, amused.

I gulped at the thought. Damien may have saved me today, but that does not make him any less the cruel monster he is. I had to play my cards right to find a way out. I shoot Sam with my puppy eyes and ask him to help me out of this nasty dark prison cell. He couldn't promise anything, but he gave me his word that he would try to talk Damien into it. I had to behave if I wanted him to agree.

The cries of pain from the cell next to mine woke me up. It was already midnight past, and the fear of being next frightened me. I sat down on the bed, hugged my legs to my chest, and buried my face between them. A couple of men ran past my cell carrying cleaning tools. Damien walked toward the basement door from the other side of the cell. If one look from him could kill, I'd be dead by now. He gave me a look as if he had just noticed me. He muttered a curse under his breath and continued on his way out. Sam showed up a few seconds later and opened the cell to let me out. I was grateful and yet confused again, and Sam read my expression like an open book.

"I'll take you to your room upstairs." He pulled me into his embrace, trying to comfort me. I wrapped my arms around him and let my tears flow. I was horrified. I cannot explain how traumatic it was to wake up to the screams of someone tortured. The cruel, brutal true face of the man I despised the most had come out tonight.

The sense of what I had gotten myself into hit me very hard. I was trapped. There was no way to escape this place. If I failed again and Damien caught me, he wouldn't treat me as nicely as he'd been the last time. I wouldn't be safe if I stayed either. He needs me for a purpose, and he might get rid of me when it's over.

A loud knock at my door interrupted my trail of thought. I wasn't in the mood for another conversation with Sam. He saw how startled I was, so I ignored it and slid under the covers. I heard the door opening. I didn't bother to turn around and look at him. "Go away. I'm not in the mood for another conversation, Sam."

"Would you want to listen if it wasn't Sam?" said a deep voice I could make out through millions. I gathered my courage to turn around and face Damien. He was standing at the corner of my bed. As he usually does, he stared at me with a blank expression on his face. At least he doesn't look furious and about to murder me. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

I got up and stood on the bed so that we were at the same level, "I won't wait two months to listen to your bullshit of an explanation. Why am I here? What happened to Ray, and what did you do to him?" I yelled, grabbing him by his collar.

His face remained relaxed as he spoke, "He's dead." I let go of him and backed away. My legs gave up, and my body fell onto the pillows at the head of the bed. "He drugged you and tried to take advantage of you. What else do you expect me to do?"

Wait, Ray was the one who had drugged me! My mind could not process what he was saying, "How did you know?"

"The club you went to is mine," he grinned, amused at my expression. He's indeed a rich man, that's obvious, but how much wealth he possesses I couldn't imagine.

Talking about death was easy for him. He didn't even flinch when he brought up Ray's death, let alone the fact that it was he who'd murdered him. "I'm sure you're not here to talk about Ray's death. What do you want, Damien?"

"You're such a feisty kitten, aren't you?" he chuckled, and in a blink of an eye, he was on top of me, looking me in the eye. "Don't push your luck too much with me, kitten. You're messing with the devil," he whispered in my ear and pushed himself back to his feet. I gasped and stared at him with sheer hatred. He didn't mind. If anything, it amused him. "Samuel convinced me into letting you leave your room. I agreed, as long as it's not out of the house. He'll be with you wherever you go." His expressionless look was back, "And don't you dare go anywhere near the basement." With these words said, he left the room.

I live to break your rules, Mr. Judge. He captured this man for a reason. I needed to know if it had something to do with me. After putting on something comfortable, I met Sam at my door and asked him to give me a tour. What caught my eye was the library with a piano and a beautiful view of the rose garden. My fingers reached for the keyboard, and I began to play my favorite music note. Sam sat down on a bench and seemed to enjoy the music. I heard footsteps coming toward me. Sam gestured for them to be quiet. By the time I finished, they were out of sight. "I see that you like roses. Do you want to go to the garden?" said Sam grinning at my gaze.

For a week, I tried to keep things flowing nicely. I didn't try to run away. I was glad that Damien stopped threatening me. I didn't see him at all. Sam let me wander around on my own, convinced that I'd found new hobbies here, like playing the piano and reading, and I'd use this chance to find out who the man was locked in the basement. My only obstacle was Zayn and two other guards who never left the door. Lately, they always took a thirty-minute break to eat. I took the opportunity to sneak in there. As soon as I opened the door, I felt cool air hit my body.

The light was yellowish and dim, giving you goosebumps. My feet shook as I took hesitant steps toward the cells. They were all empty except for one. The man was lying on his bed, covering his face with the palms of his hands. As I came closer, he took his hands away and turned in my direction. His long greasy hair fell to his shoulders. His long beard looked as hadn't been trimmed in months. Scars were all over his body and face. I found a flashlight on a desk in the corner of the hallway. I lit it and pointed it at his face for a closer look. I wasn't sure if he was even alive or if it was me imagining that he was moving. I was stunned to see his golden eyes staring at me. My feet shook and gave out, causing my body to hit the ground. "Are you okay, little girl? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Said the man with bright golden eyes. His tone was deep yet kind and welcoming.

I got up again and brushed off my dress. "Who're you?" I said, backing away until my back hit the cold wall.

He sat down on the bed, "I'm Alejandro Mendez. I haven't seen you here before, Bonita." He gave me a gentle smile.

I stared at him for a while, wondering if it was a good idea to talk to him. "Why did they lock you in here?" I stammered as I asked.

He heaved a long sigh and weighed his words, "Let's just say; Damien and I do not share the best history." His eyes fixed on the ground, and his expression showed I had hit a nerve. I stared at him curiously, waiting for him to explain more. "I was a hunter of immortals tasked with killing Damien and his sister Melanie Judge after finding out they were vampires." He broke off when he saw me shaking and sobbing in silence. It couldn't be true. Now everything I'd seen made sense. His youthful appearance hadn't aged over the years, his expressionless face, and the bags of blood in the refrigerator. That's why I saw the pool of blood under Ray's body in the alley. He's a bloodsucking monster.

I wiped away my tears, "I'm sorry you had to go through that while trying to save people from him." I whispered through my gasps. "He's been holding me captive here for two weeks now."

I sank into my fears. Damien was probably planning on keeping me as a food source. I hugged myself and tried to wake up from this nightmare. "If he attempts to hurt you, just run to me. You got me now, Bonita," Alejandro said to comfort me.

After regaining my composure, I changed the subject and got to know him better. The rest of the conversation went smoothly. "I should go now before the guards come back. I'll bring you something to clean yourself up next time." I said, smiling at him.

The next day I sneaked back to Alejandro. I brought him a razor blade and other things for hygiene. I also happened to find the laundry room and stole some clean clothes for him. He greeted me at the bars of his cell and flashed me a genuine smile. "Please, go to the very back of the cell. I'll put your clothes behind bars and leave." He nodded and did as I said. I waited twenty minutes until I could retrieve the things. When I went to his cell, Alejandro stood there looking at his trimmed beard in the mirror. His brown hair combed neatly to the side, and his tall, muscular figure was in the shirt and pants I'd brought him. He looked stunning as Damien.

"Like what you see, Bonita?" He winked at me. Oh my God, he caught me gawking. I blushed and averted my eyes as I said, "Um, can you go in the back so I can pick them up." I pointed to the hygiene kit I had brought earlier and the dirty clothes.

Meeting Al had become a daily habit. I tried to act normal in front of Sam, although I couldn't hide the disgust inside me. He was probably a vampire, too. I planned to steal the key to Ale's cell to escape from this place together. After all, he's a human, and I was probably starting to like him. I told him what I'd seen in the refrigerator. He seemed deep in thought before asking, "Could you bring me a bag of these as evidence to show my team members?"

I nodded, "Tomorrow is the day we will leave this place together. I can't wait to be back with Camila. She must be worried sick."

I averted my gaze and smiled slightly. Alejandro reached out a hand to cup my face. His thumb gently caressed my cheek, "It's going to be okay. I'll be there to protect you," he whispered.

I woke up late at night and crept into the kitchen. I found my way to the blood bag and hurried to the basement without getting caught. Zayn leaned against the door, huffing impatiently, then left. It was time for the shift change. I rushed inside and handed Al the bag. His eyes widened as he held the bag in my hand. He took it, or rather say he almost snatched it out of my hand. "Get away from him!" yelled Damien behind me. I turned and looked at him. Fear rose in my throat. I gulped as he glared at me in rage.

The sound of dissolving iron behind me startled me, but I didn't dare turn around. Within a second, Alejandro was in front of Damien and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. He walked behind me and grabbed me by the neck, "If you want your little mate to stay alive, tell your men to clear a path to the entrance. If any of them get in my way, I promise I'll rip her pretty little head off."

He tightened his grip around my neck, "Alejandro, please." I pleaded in pain. He loosened his grip a little at my words. Damien gestured to Sam, who nodded to Alejandro to follow him. He left me in his arms and ran at a tremendous speed. I couldn't see my surroundings. He took me with him into the unknown.