Saving Faith...

Prologue

 

Faith

 

Faith Anderson had gone back to her boyfriend’s house. Fine he was her ex-boyfriend but that title only labeled him as such for about a day. She had been on her way home from her best friend’s house when she thought she would take the long way home. Walking by Owen’s house she initially didn’t want to go in. She didn’t really want to face what he had done to her but something pulled her into the building straight to his apartment. As she stood in the living room of the three thousand square foot condo she realized why she really wanted to be with him. It wasn’t because of him or because of how she felt about him. It was because she just wanted to live comfortably. She didn't want to have to work so hard to go nowhere with her life. Faith had so many things she wanted to do but she felt like every day was a struggle just to make enough to pay bills and feed herself. She didn't want to live paycheck to paycheck anymore. 

“I knew it was a waste of time coming here. There was no point in reasoning with you, was there Owen? These last two years have been a waste of our time hasn’t it? Did you ever really care about me or us?” Faith asked. She knew there was no reasoning with a man who had never really loved anyone, not even his family, but she felt like she owed it to herself to at least try. Why did I expect more from him? Why did I think he actually loved me? Why couldn’t I see what was wrong? I really thought we were in love. Oh wait that’s right...he’s been cheating on me for months from what I found out. I wonder how soon after we started dating that he started cheating. She thought to herself about the whole relationship they had. He’s been brainwashing me this whole time.

Faith still had hope that things would get better. That Owen would grow to love her. She had spent the last two years in what she thought was a relationship but she just realized it was all a lie. She had this fairy tale dream that they would get engaged in the next six months, and get married by time their third year anniversary had come up. She had spent so much time dreaming about where she would be in the next five years. Her life plan for herself had just gone up in flames and this was her last ditch effort in trying to save it, even if what he did was horrible. It was so tiring to think about her days before she met Owen, but he was brainwashing her the whole time. He never really loved me. He only wanted people to believe I was his one and only because of how it would end up looking to the world. Noone could know who he really was or what he really was. What the hell am I doing here? He is a manipulative, abusive, egotistical, arrogant little man.

“I don’t know why you came but just sit down on the sofa. I need to go shower. I do have things I need to do and you came at a bad time. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. Then we can talk if you’d like as I get ready.” Owen explained. After he said what he needed to say he turned his back on her and went to his bedroom. Inside he was pissed beyond reason. He knew all females were whores. Even his own mother was a whore. She stepped out on her family, left her child behind, to follow as some man to the other side of the world and have another family never to look back. This time he planned to take out his anger on someone. If he hadn’t just gotten off the phone with his mother before his doorbell rang he probably would have just turned Faith away. That damn whore tried to call him and apologize for the last twenty years of his life. Tried to blame his father for her leaving him behind. Tried to tell him that she was going to take him but that his father tried to threaten her life if she attempted to take him. Of course he wouldn’t have gone with his mother. He was his father's sole heir. Why would he have left his life in comfort for a hovel in who knows where with a man he didn't know and children he would hate? It would have left him feeling different towards the woman if he had at least knew she wanted him when he was young.

Faith. He would not tolerate her disobedience. It was long enough now that she should know not to talk back to him. I groomed her enough by now that she should know her place with him. She should know he wouldn’t let her go far. He knew she was planning to leave and he was going to let her. He would have let her get away but he would have kept tabs on her. He would wait until he knew she thought she was free and he would bring her back. Who was she to talk down to him about being with other women when he knew perfectly well she was seeing other men. He may not love her but he decided she was his a long time ago and no one was going to take her, not even Faith herself.

Faith sat down on the sofa feeling awkward when she has never felt that way in this particular condo. It always seemed like home to her but now she felt odd. She decided to ignore it, thinking all she needed was to talk to Owen and fix their relationship. She hoped they could talk and maybe her time in a different city would defuse some of the tension. All those hours praying and dreaming of more and it never really involved Owen. She really was just wasting her time because the man she knew was meant to be by her side in those images was not Owen. She needed to leave now. Why am I even waiting for him to finish. I need to leave and I need to get out fast. Why am I sitting here waiting for a man who mentally and emotionally abuses me. Holy crap I’m being abused.

It’s a good thing after she had confronted him about his cheating she had told him she needed to go away for a couple months. In reality she was planning on moving which now with her new realizations was actually perfect timing. Faith would be moving in two weeks. Luckily she had a few friends Owen knew nothing about and they had helped her get a new job and found her an apartment. They were such good friends they even paid the first months rent for her. Faith didn’t understand why but she just had the realization that her friends probably saw her being abused and didn't say anything because they knew she wouldn’t listen. That’s why they were so willing to help her. Why they were so eager to help her. How could I have not seen any of this?

After having everything go through her mind and coming to so many realizations she started to panic. She needed to leave now. She needed to go home, pack, and leave as soon as possible. No waiting for two weeks. She needed to leave this city tonight. “Owen, I’m sorry I came. I thought we were going to be able to talk but I need to go now. Maybe we can talk another time?” She turned around to leave. Faith was so caught up in her thoughts that the next thing she knew there was a wet towel pushed up against her mouth and nose. She started to see black within a couple seconds.

Owen

 

Owen smiled down at the helpless little 23 year old. Since he had met Faith over a two years ago all he wanted was for her to do as he said and satisfy his needs. She was a lot harder to break than he thought. She was the first person who ever told him no. In his entire life no one had ever rejected him when he said he wanted something. He found that he did not like rejection at all. Owen thought himself as a man of superiority. No one had the right to say no to him. Knowing that she would not sleep with him, knowing that she told him repeatedly that she would not give herself to him at all made him angrier every time he heard her reject him. He knew she was giving herself to other men. There were times she would lie to him. He didn’t know why he allowed it but he did. He knew she would be good for his image when he finally took over his part in his father's company. He just needed to get her to be what he needed. Just a simple mouse of a wife who never spoke unless spoken to and who did everything he told her. He almost had her right where he wanted her. What had gotten into her that she all of a sudden left him? Why was she so shocked that he had been sleeping with other women. If she didn't give herself to him what was he supposed to do? He needed to get his pleasure from someone. He was a man after all. She would have been perfect but she just didn't want to follow his directions. She wouldn't have wanted for anything ever again if she had just done as he said. 

She had left him the day before when she saw that he had gotten phone calls from one of the women who was willing to satisfy him. He was sick of her rejection. He was better than anyone she would ever meet. He was the best a person like her could ever even hope for. Did she really think she would find someone better than him? Owen knew she was leaving soon but now he was unwilling to allow her to leave. So far he was already late but he couldn't pass up this opportunity. The way he saw this situation was if Faith wanted to come back here then she will suffer the consequences now. A nice little stay in the panic room will soften her up. If not he will have to look for other accommodations. If someone reports her missing they will send the police straight to his door. He would need to find somewhere else to keep her until he grew tired of her. Then he would have to decide to either keep her or get rid of her. The idea of getting rid of her was pretty tempting. Everyone will sympathize for him. She had no family so the only people who would really miss her are the people he knew and they would all worry about how he was holding up. Those other people she thought were her friends would all end up forgetting about her. He would make sure of it.

While trying to figure out what he would need for the next few days he picked up Faith and brought her to his closet. Owen took out everything she might find to escape the room. The only thing he left in there was the small built in cot he had to lower from the wall. He hated the damn thing but it was necessary if he ever had to use the room himself for an extended period of time. He then went to his walk in closet and headed straight to his hidden safe. He took out his handcuffs his father had brought him. The only reason his father thought it was a good idea to get them in the first place was if Owen was able to overpower an intruder and he needed to restrain them. Owen personally was never in a fight so why his father thought he would baffled him but he had kept them anyway and now he was thankful.

Walking to the panic room he attached the handcuffs to the cot. Making sure everything was to his liking he went back into his room, grabbed Faith by the hair, and dragged her into the panic room by her hair and dropped her at the foot of the cot. He didn't spare the time to be gentle. After Owen finally got Faith on the cot he went into his closet and got out an outfit he had hidden in a box on the top shelf. He had brought it for Faith over a year ago so she would dress up for him. He had the fantasy of ripping it off of her after overpowering her. The outfit consisted of a skin tight pencil skirt with a slit in the back that cut up all the way to just under her ass. He had seen her wear similar outfits for work except for the slit. Hers never had a slit. He had also brought a sheer white button down blouse. There was another box with a bra and panty set but he decided to forgo that part. For what he had in mind she wouldn’t need them. Maybe next time she will agree to put them on. At the moment he didn't want to waste more time than he already was.

Owen ripped the clothes she was wearing off of her. She wouldn’t ever need them again. She will only wear what he wanted her to wear from now until he got tired of her. Besides for what he had in mind she wouldn’t really need clothes anyway. He took out the outfit and he very carefully put it on Faith. Making sure every detail was perfect with her clothing he laid her on the cot and handcuffed her to it then strapped down her hips and spread her legs so she wouldn’t be able to move her body an inch. He thought about putting a blanket on her but decided against it. He put the air conditioner for the whole apartment on sixty five degrees and made sure Faith was secure on the cot before he closed the door making sure it too was locked. He wouldn’t be back home until one in the morning. He knew she would be cold but he had a lot of good fun plans for her. He finished getting himself ready for his business dinner and left the apartment. The anticipation he felt was beyond any he had experienced in his life.

Faith

 

Faith woke up three hours later with a migraine. Not wanting to make it worse she decided not to open her eyes right away. “What happened?” she said out loud hoping someone else would tell her. Just thinking hurt too much so instead she tried to figure out where she was first. She tried to raise her hand to rub her eyes but she found she couldn’t move it. In fact she couldn’t move her body at all. With that realization she opened her eyes immediately. Faith saw she was in a small room with grey walls. The only light in the room was a dull light coming from under the cot she was laying on. Why can’t I move? What is going on? It was then that she remembered talking to Owen, him leaving, her finally realizing what he had been doing to her, the feeling of panic, then nothing. What the hell did he do to me? Oh God where am I? How am I going to get out of this? I knew I shouldn’t have come to see him. This was a horrible idea and now I’m stuck who knows where. Why is it so cold and what am I wearing? “Oh, God I’m not making it out of here. He is so much further gone than I had even thought. He might kill me. Please God, help me get out of here. Please get me to safety.”

Chapter 1

 

Two weeks later

 

Sebastian

Sebastian James was walking out of his favorite bar when an unfamiliar scent saturated the air around him. It smelled of roses and rain. His mouth watered and his mind became obsessed, but he found himself more confused than anything. He looked down at both ends of the street he was standing on and saw no one. The longer Sebastian smelled the scent the more curious he grew to figure out exactly where that smell was coming from. What baffled him the most was that the scent wasn’t strong at all but was so appealing to him anyway. It wasn’t a usual thing for a scent to catch his attention so much that he forgot everything else around him. He forgot he was supposed to be on his way home. The most I have to lose is a night of looking for something I know I can’t find. It’s better than sitting at home doing absolutely nothing. Besides I already ate so why not entertain myself. I only have time to kill before I really have to go home anyway. Sebastian thought to himself as he started to follow the trail of the scent. 

Soon he found himself outside of a high rise apartment building. The scent seemed to drift through a balcony door up at the top of the building. Sebastian was starting to go crazy with finding the source of the smell. The only time he ever went crazy over a scent was when he hadn’t eaten in weeks and he was on the brink of going mad. Sebastian was so lost in thought that a man coming out of the building bumped right into him as he was turning. “Watch where you're-” the man said annoyingly but when he looked up and saw how big Sebastian was he stopped mid sentence. Sebastain knew the look of fear in a person’s eyes and usually didn't like the feeling of people looking at him in fear but for some reason it gave him satisfaction now to see it.

Sebastian just looked at the man. He was about 5 feet 6 inches tall, kind of on the lanky side, with eyes so pale blue they reminded Sebastian of ice, and skin was so pale he looked down right evil. If Sebastian wasn’t so bent on finding the source of the entrancing scent he would read this person like a book. He would be able to find out every dark secret, nightmare, fantasy, and anything else he could ever want. At the moment he just wanted the source of the scent so he gave the man a snarl which had him turning and running. Sebastian turned back toward the building and followed the scent. The only problem he had now with being so close to the source was that it was now laced with the sweet metallic smell of blood. Never before had the scent of blood actually bothered him but somewhere deep in his chest he felt a pain at what was at the end of the trail. He knew whatever he found was not going to be right. For some reason the man who bumped into him popped into his mind and he became enraged. He knew at that moment that whatever it was at the end of this trail had to do with this little man. I should have read him. Why didn't I read him?

The trail seemed to end at a door that the balcony should lead into. For the first time in over 300 years the smell of blood actually made Sebastian feel sick. Sebastian hadn’t smelled blood so repulsive in hundreds of years. It’s the only thing that kept him from moving. Sebastian opened the door because he just needed to find out where the blood came from. It was just like many of the locks he opened before. He grew anxious trying to figure out why the scent that was so appealing to him was mixed with the horrible smell of blood. When he finally walked into the apartment he didn’t find anything. Everything was pristine, but he had a dreadful feeling. The scent still lingered which meant whatever was bleeding was either hiding or had been moved.

Forgetting the apartment he followed where the scent seemed to be the strongest. It was a heavy metal door that seemed to have a hand print lock. Sebastian knew he would not be able to open it without at least a hand. The thought was very tempting but the problem was he didn’t know whose hand he would need. He decided to hide in the apartment until whoever lived there came back. Then he would finally be able to find out what was driving him crazy. And possibly punish whoever it was who mixed the blood with the scent of roses and rain because he truly believed the smells came from the same source.

One week before

 

Owen

 

“Ple….please let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone. I promise I will leave and you will never see me again. Just let me go. Owen please just let me go. I’m sorry if I hurt you or disrespected you. I’m sorry for any wrong I have done towards you. I just want to go home. ” Faith pleaded.

“You should have just listened when I told you what I was doing. I told you about it when you first said no to me but you probably paid no attention to me. You decided I wasn’t good enough for you to be with. Then when you see me with another woman I keep on the side you break up with me. You ever think I only had them because you refused to have sex with me? I could have forced you but I never did. I did one even better. After you told me you wanted to wait I told you I was going to find someone else to fill that part. I told you I was going to wait but that I needed physical pleasures. You begged me to understand that all you could do was kiss me. I told you I did so instead of forcing you I kept other women for that pleasure, and then you condemn me. You’re the one who wanted to hold out on me but I'm the one in the wrong. I’ve been taking care of you in every way possible. I helped you make your life better and you want to leave me? That’s not happening. I put too much time into making you better for you to leave now.” Owen explained.

Owen had kept Faith tied up in the panic room of his apartment until the next morning. He never checked on her when he got home. He decided to make her wait so instead he had showered and gone to bed. He found that having her waiting in the panic room gave him a kind of pleasure he had never experienced before, and he loved the feeling. He imagined her waiting for him to come in but actually seeing her in the morning was so much better than his imagination could have ever been. She was crying which he loved to see. She was eager to talk to him which he found amusing. The only problem he had was she wanted to leave now. He wasn’t going to let her go. He wanted her to promise to be a good little girl and do everything he asks. Why wouldn’t she be more submissive? She will learn soon enough.

Owen had ended their conversation and left her alone for a few more minutes. He cleared his schedule for the next two weeks. He wouldn’t work or leave his apartment. The only person who entered would be his house cleaner and that was only two days a week. He beat and raped Faith every day for the first five days. Her first time he was gentle. He wanted her to remember it for the rest of her life, but after he became so brutal he wasn’t satisfied until every inch of the small panic room was covered with her blood. He fed her very little and never allowed her to bathe. He thought of her bruised and battered body as his work of art. Faith didn’t know how someone could be so cruel. To think I thought he loved me. Boy was I wrong about that. Please, God, just let me get out of here. Let me go home. Let someone come save me please. Faith prayed in her mind and begged every minute she was awake to be allowed to leave. 

The day Owen decided to move Faith to a new location he kept her tied but cleaned her up, and moved her when he knew no one would see them. He used the staff elevator that was never used at night and snuck her out the back of the building to a waiting truck. He moved her to an empty abandoned house far away from the city. It took him about an hour to drive there but it was worth it. Noone would know what was going on in the building. He decided to torture her worse now that there was no chance in hell that anyone could possibly hear her screams. He used items to cause pain. Knives to cut or carve skin, whips to hurt, clubs to hit. Eventually he realized that he would have to get rid of her. Keeping her now became impossible. That didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun first, and he knew who could help him with that.

“You really thought you could leave without me knowing?” Owen asked Faith.

Confused Faith looked at Owen. She was terrified of him now but she refused to show him her fear. “What are you talking about Owen? You know I cared about you…”

At that moment Owen decided to punch Faith in her jaw. Finally she shut up. I’m going to make her pay.

Owen turned to her with a knife and cut off all Faith’s clothes, along with some more of her skin. “Finally I have you where I want you. I’ve been patient with you. All I wanted was for you to be submissive and allow me to mold you into the perfect wife. I just wanted you to follow my orders blindly but no. You had to go and decide you wanted to be your own person. You didn't want to give yourself to me so you forced me to take others and they would have loved to be in your shoes. To be a kept woman and all you had to do was listen to what I tell you. YOU had the nerve to get mad when you finally saw me with another woman!” Owen screamed.

Owen continued to beat and rape Faith everyday for another week. He had arranged for a group of his lesser known “friends” to stay with Faith and watch her. He knew they would also rap her but he didn't care. As long as she was cleaned for him he didn't care. On the last day of that week he bumped into the scariest man he had ever seen. The man had been well over  feet tall, and built like a tank. At first he hadn’t noticed the man because he was so immersed in his phone but the second he looked up he couldn’t speak. He was terrified and just wanted to run away which is exactly what he did when the man snarled at him like a wild animal.

 Over three hours later and a new set of clothes Owen finally arrived back at his apartment. He had planned on taking a shower and eating some dinner, but someone had other plans. One thought that stayed with him for hours was the look of that man he had bumped into before heading out to see Faith. He also decided on his way home that Faith would have to go soon. He called the guy he left in charge, Pete, and told him that Faith must not be beaten anymore. He explained his plan of having her with no marks so when her body is found nothing can be traced. He figured in another month or so he could get rid of her and everything will go back to normal.

After he hung up the phone he walked into his room so he could finally take his shower. As he opened his dresser to get out his boxers his closet door opened and someone attacked him. Being a man who up until two weeks ago wasn’t a violent man he didn’t know how to defend himself well. Instead he just screamed. After his mouth was covered he remembered he had let go of his security team and forgot to tell them to go back to their usual spots around his apartment. He was now completely alone.

 

Sebastian

Sebastian thought this little human who lived so luxurious was pathetic. He knew it was the little man who bumped into him earlier and he reeked of the putrid smell of blood. He thought the man would at least try to defend himself but the guy started squealing like a pig. Sebastian just had to laugh at him, and he did until he had a sniff of that peculiar scent that had entranced him earlier on the man himself. “Where have you been tonight?” Sebastian asked.

Owen didn't know what to say. All he could think was he was going to die and he had no way of getting help. He was frozen in fear and could even speak.

Sebastian pushed the man toward the metal door and said “You will open this door or I will cut off your hand and do it myself.” He was just so focused on opening the door and figuring out what the hell was driving him crazy.

“I…pl…please just don’t hurt m…me.” Owen stumbled. Once he was up close to the man he regretted the way he had treated him as he walked out his building earlier. He thought maybe if he had been nicer this wouldn’t be happening. “I..if you’re looking for money it’s not in there. I have a safe in my office. I will happily open it for you if that is what you want. I’m sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to come off so rude.” Desperate Owen rushed out. He didn't want to open the door and he didn't want the man to see the panic room. He hadn’t taken the time to clean the room yet. He knew a housekeeper wouldn’t clean it and not tell the police.

Sebastian looked at the man and waited. Owen knew he had no choice so he reluctantly put his hand on the scanner. As Sebastian looked into the tiny room he became enraged. Every inch was covered in blood. The scent was strongest in this room but it was empty. When he turned back to the clean cut man he asked “Who or what was in this room last?”

Since Owen was so scared he answered truthfully hoping his life would be spared. “I kidnapped my girlfriend.”

“Then why the fuck is this room covered in blood?” Sebastian asked as his stomach turned at the thought of a female being in this room at all.

“It’s her blood. I kept her in here. Sh...she hurt me sss...so I hurt her worse.” Owen said.

“Where the fuck is she? I know you were just with her. I can smell her on your skin. What else did you do to her?!” Sebastian screamed as he threw and held Owen against the wall by his throat.

“She...she’s in the old Miller house outside of town. She is still alive if that’s what you want to know.” Owen answered as Sebastian got closer to him.

Sebastian changed the hand print on the scanner so it would only open to his touch and he destroyed every way out of the room. He shoved the pathetic man into the room before he locked the bastard in. All he heard was the little man screaming to open the door and please let him out.

Ha, let him out. He is lucky if I even come back to kill him. If I don’t find her soon I will make him take me to her then I will kill him in front of her just so she knew completely that the bastard was dead.

Chapter 2

 

Sebastian left the building like his life depended on it. He used his super speed to find the house the little bastard had told him about. It appeared to be a dilapidated farmhouse. One might look at it and think it was abandoned. At least it would be if not for the group of thugs that looked ready for war surrounding the little building. He walked around the perimeter of the house looking for any sign of life inside. Sebastian heard all the heart beats of everyone outside but he couldn’t really hear anything from inside. Closing his eyes he concentrated on trying to block out all sounds except for the ones that might be coming from inside. He heard the guards talking.

“What do you think we should do with her now?” one man asked.

“Well, Owen definitely isn’t coming back for a couple hours. Hell, he might come back tomorrow. I think he had something else to do tonight. Let’s see…” he trailed off as Sebastian heard him start to walk a circle around something. “We washed her up for the next time he decides to beat her and she’s still unconscious. Why don’t we have a go at her some more, Tony? We can always just wash her up again.” the man offered.

“You read my mind, Rodney.” Sebastian heard the smile in Tony's voice and the monster he was struggling so hard to control broke loose.

Sebastian ran and started ripping out throats, hearts, and eyes. He saw only red and thought only of the helpless girl he knew to be inside. He heard guns going off all around him but he felt nothing. How terrified she must be whenever men were around her. How long had she endured this torture before he finally started looking for only a scent that drove him crazy?

By the time he got to the door the two men from inside had come out with their guns raised ready for a fight. Sebastian caught both of them by the throat and started to squeeze their necks. He didn’t stop until he felt nothing left to crush. When he let go he saw that he clawed through their necks. It looked as if an animal had taken a clean bite straight out of their necks.

Sebastian closed his eyes as he tried to calm down. He didn’t want to run into the house while he was angry. He took deep slow breaths as he also tried to concentrate on the one very faint heartbeat that he could finally hear. He ran to the basement and found a tiny naked girl on the floor. He thought it was a child because she was just so frail and small. As Sebastian approached the small body the scent that had been driving him crazy these past couple hours got stronger. As the scent got stronger so did his monstrous need to protect and to claim what was his. When Sebastian picked up the woman his heart moved up to his throat. He didn’t bother looking at her face because he knew if he did he wouldn’t make it back to his house. He felt the tingle he usually got an hour before the sun rose. If he didn’t make it back she would be helpless again and he refused to leave her unprotected again.

Sebastian used his super speed to get her to his castle. He knew he wouldn’t make it home in time so he ended up having to use the hidden underground way in. Half an hour later he was walking into his bedroom and laying the woman on his bed. When he finally covered up the woman he looked at her face and for a couple minutes he just stared at her in shock. The woman he was just holding had been starved, tortured, and used in more ways than he knew. She looked like she had been beaten for weeks, and her heartbeat was becoming weaker by the minute. He vowed right then that he would seek out his vengeance on that man locked in the closet. He would find out exactly how long she had been held hostage, what had been done to her, and he would make sure she would be protected for as long as she lived. He cut open his wrist and held it up to her open mouth. After a few minutes of his blood dripping into her mouth her heartbeat became stronger and her skin bloomed with color. It was time to let her rest and wake up on her own. It was his turn to watch over her and he swore to himself that she would never have to live in fear again.

Sebastian left the woman to sleep on his bed and walked to the kitchen to find his housekeeper. Constantine, an elderly woman, has been in his service since he saved her in the forest over 30 years ago. She was 35 when he saved her from a mob of men who sought out to harm her. He had captured and imprisoned every one of those men. For months he tortured them all until he grew tired of keeping them alive. He just drank them all dry as the others watched.

From that day forward Constantine had lived in his house under his protection. 

After five years of being in his castle and realizing he never aged she asked why. He first tried to dismiss her and send her back to her family. After being employed with him for so long Sebastian finally started to get to know Constantine. She explained that she had no family and therefore no one to go back to. She expressed how badly she wished to stay living in the castle as it was the only place she felt truly safe. After many more years he finally confided in her what his true nature was. Even though she knew the truth about him she never thought to leave him. He had saved her life and she owed him everything.

As she aged she requested help in the castle, and he had no problem to grant her that wish. He would find women who needed the work. He made sure they knew they were to work for him for only five years. During that time he would send the money to their families and make sure everyone was taken care of. They were to live at the castle and tend to the animals in the small farm he had created for Constantine. After their time at the castle was up they were sent back to their families and they would never have to work again. At the moment he employed two women to help Constantine. Sebastian found her sitting at the table with the other two women. At the age of 65 Constantine had grey hair in which she kept in a very long braid and piercing dark grey eyes that never missed a detail. Emily at age 30 had radiant red hair that fell past her shoulders with eyes as green as the sea. Cara, the youngest, at age 17 with eyes that reminded him of the sky, hair mixed with dark brown, platinum blond, and honey colored hair.

As he looked at them all sitting, Sebastian knew he would soon have to let Emily go back to her family soon. He didn’t know what would come of Cara in the years to come. He found Cara on the edge of the lake that lined the east side of his land. He knew she had to be an orphan when he found her. She was 5 years old and terrified when he found her. After he brought her to Constantine and they began to care for her. Weeks passed when they finally found out that she had been left in the woods by her father. Alone and left for dead just because she looked just like her mother, who had left him for another man. Cara was the only other person who knew his secret, but she learned early on how to keep it to herself very well. He saw her as the daughter he never had the chance to have. He didn’t want her to leave but he also wanted her to have the chance at a family of her own. Sebastian would do anything to keep her safe and happy but he knew she would never be completely happy living in the castle tending to him her entire life. He knew she craved freedom and a family of her own even though she would never admit it.

Sebastian mentally shook the thought aside and cleared his throat to get the attention he required. When they all turned to look at him he began giving his orders. “Constantine, I will need you to go to my room when you are finished and I will need you to stay there all day.” He looked at Cara lovingly and said “Before you get back to work please get Constantine all the medical supplies and leave them outside my door. Knock to let her know you have left the supplies and get back to what you had planned for the rest of the day. Emily, prepare to go into town for some clothes shopping. I would like for you to get several days worth of sweatpants, t-shirts, and underwear. Constantine will give you the sizes for it all later in the day.” Sebastian instructed Emily. 

Then to both Emily and Cara he said “Do not go into my room, either of you. If you need Constantine throughout the day use the intercom, but do not scream if you do please. I need peace and quiet in this place for the next day or so. I have a special guest and I want everyone to be prepared because I might require you to stop whatever it is you are doing to see to the needs of my guest. If my guest requests anything at all I want you to get to it quickly. You will all get rewarded greatly if you follow my instructions.” He then thanked them all and walked back to his library to open the hidden cellar door.

Sebastian never had a need for that room for over 30 years. The last time he used it was the day he told Constantine that he was a vampire. He knew she would never turn on him so he let himself be comfortable in a regular bedroom. He had saved her life and she protected him with her own since that day no matter the situation. He walked into the cellar and took off the white sheet from the small bed. He then went back to his room to get ready for his slumber. It was already an hour past sunrise and he was slowly getting tired. He felt the weight of the sun rising pushing his body closer to sleep. He decided to get a large t-shirt he rarely used and put it on the woman he saved. He didn’t want her to feel too vulnerable when she woke.

As he stepped into his sweatpants he heard a knock at the door. Constantine was waiting outside his door with her yarn and needles and a book all inside her favorite tote, the one he gave her for her 36th birthday.

“How did you know?” Sebastian asked Constantine with a smile on his face.

“Whatever do you mean, my lord?” She asked innocently as she walked over to the large plump oversized chair and put her bag down.

“You know what I mean. How did you know I would ask you to stay here until I woke?”

“Sebastian I’ve lived here for thirty-five years and not once have you had a guest. And when you said you would need peace and quiet I assumed your guest was probably in bad shape. And from what I can tell she is.” Constantine explained as she walked over to the bed to look at the woman sleeping there. “Is she the one, my lord?”

“Yes, I believe she is. I caught her scent as I left a bar early tonight. I was looking for a meal but instead I smelled her. I followed her scent until I found a house in the country that was surrounded by a small army of men. I found her in the basement where she had been kept for weeks being repeatedly beaten and raped.” He explained. Sebastian decided to keep some details of the story from Constantine. She didn't need to know exactly how crazy he had become. 

“That’s all I need to know Sebastian. I understand now why you want me here all day. Would it be any good to ask you if they fed her at all?” At the look he gave her she assumed that was a no. “Go to bed Sebastian. I will look over her until you rise again. She will be cleaned and bandaged at the very least. I will also do my best to make sure she eats, even just a little.” She finally said as she pushed him toward the door.

Once she knew Sebastian was asleep Constantine called for Cara to bring her two very large bowls, a handful of hand towels, a bottle of Sebastian’s body wash, and the large first aid kit. She spent the next hour carefully cleaning the injured woman of any dirt. She took even more care to clean the countless injuries that she carried. After all was done she left everything outside of the room and used the intercom to call Cara to take care of everything left in the hall quickly. She then sat down in the chair to watch over the fragile woman for the rest of the day.

Faith awoke to a room filled with candles, and the scent of cedar and leather, and something else she couldn’t quite describe. One thing she knew for certain was she wasn’t back in the basement of Owens abandoned building. As Faith lifted her head to look around everything began to spin. She felt like she was in a merry-go-round. She immediately pushed herself towards the side of the bed so she could be sick. After her stomach finally settled she lay back on the bed, heard a woman talking and passed out.

As Constantine watched the young woman become violently ill she ran to the intercom and called for Cara to bring a bucket and cleaning supplies. Constantine took everything from Cara and gave her a reassuring smile. Constantine cleaned everything up and left the bucket next to the bed in case of another accident.

After a couple hours passed by Constantine called for Emily to make broth and bread. When it was finally delivered to Sebastian’s bedroom she also received the clothes Sebastian requested. She finally decided to wake up the young woman so she could get something into her stomach. Though she knew the young woman needed desperately to eat something she could do would wake her. She did the best she could under the circumstances. She lifted the woman as best she could and piled pillows behind her. Next she opened the woman’s mouth and spooned in tiny amounts of broth. It seemed to work so after the broth got cold Constantine put the bowl in the hall and called for one of the women to pick it up.

As the day passed Constantine sat looking at the young woman, hoping that she would be able to recover. She finally concluded it was the longest day of her life after hours of worrying for this young woman who she didn’t know. She had looked after numerous young women that had been ill but never had she been so genuinely concerned. Nore had it ever truly mattered for a woman to recover so much. She did not want to disappoint Sebastian and she did not want to tell him that the woman wouldn’t ever recover. Constantine vowed she would do everything possible to make sure the woman recovered. At that moment she remembered what Sebastian had done to her many years ago.

Decades ago Constantines doctor had informed them that she had cancer and her time in this world was limited. Not willing to give up his closest friend Sebastian gave Constantine a couple vials of his own blood. She didn't know what she was supposed to do with it for a long time but eventually Sebastian told her she would need to drink some of it in order to get better. After she did the cancer had disappeared. Maybe the same could help this woman too.

About an hour before sunset Sebastian finally walked through the bedroom door. Constantine didn’t feel as reassured as she usually was when he woke up. It broke her heart at the look on his face to realize that the young woman was still asleep.

“Sebastian, I need to talk to you. Can you please follow me into the hallway?” Constantine asked tenderly.

Sebastian looked lovingly at Faith before he followed Constantine. He wanted so badly to spend his night with her but he knew Constantine. She sounded very concerned and it worried him.

“Constantine, what happened while I was asleep? Did she eat?” Sebastian rushed out.

“No, she didn’t wake up enough to eat. Hours after you went to bed she woke and became violently ill. After that she fell back asleep and I left her for a couple hours. I tried to wake her so she could have broth and bread but she never even stirred. I’ve tried everything to wake her but nothing will wake her. She has a fever and I’m very worried about her. I even got so desperate that I took out that extra vial you gave me all those years ago, the one we keep hidden in the freezer, and gave her a few drops of that.”

“It’s alright Constantine. I thank you with all of my heart that you watched over her, and cared for her throughout the day. Do you think the vial helped her at all? Did Emily get some clothes?"

"Yes, she did. They are in the bottom of your dresser. I am concerned about having given her the vial though. Since waking enough to get sick she hasn’t sturred. I have no idea how she is doing since I can’t talk to her enough to get a feel of what’s going on."

"Thank you, Constantine. Go take the rest of the night off along with the other women. I’ll take it from here.” Sebastian offered. He gave Constantine a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he turned her and nudged her to do as he said.

He returned to his room and looked at the woman in his bed. After a few minutes he finally left to take his shower and get dressed. When he returned the woman was still as he left her. He decided then that he needed to feed. He could hear her blood pumping weakly through her veins and he knew she was too tempting if he was too hungry.

Sebastian left quickly to the nearest town. As was his way he sealed his bite and erased his memory from the people he fed off of. By the time he was back in his room only half an hour had passed. The whole time he was gone he was anxious. He tried to get his feedings done quickly so he could get back to the room but he knew he needed to have his full. He didn't want to take the chance of killing her.

When he finally walked back into his room he just stood looking at the woman. She looked so frail and he felt a fierce protectiveness over her. Sebastian blinked himself back to what he knew he had to do. As Sebastian sat at the edge of the bed he thought it best if he gave her some more of his blood. If she was experiencing the after effects of anything she would need to heal physically. The only way he knew to have that happen fast was to feed her some of his blood and let that heal her. Every other way he thought of would take too long to truly help her and she would probably end up in the hospital. 

He picked up her head and slid in under her so it would make the process easier. He cut his wrist and put it to her opened mouth. The minute the blood touched her tongue her body reacted. He knew she was asleep but her mouth closed over the cut he made and she started to drink like she hadnt had water in weeks. For him the feeling was extremly erotic. He had shared his blood with only one other person ever and it had never made him feel the way he felt in that moment with Faith. Once he felt they both had enough he carefully pulled her off his wrist and closed the wound. He grabbed a washcloth Constantine had left in the water basin by the bed and he cleaned up Faith so there would be no evidence of what he had just done. He knew she would wake up soon so he moved out from under her and situated her on the bed once more. He sat on the edge of the bed to wait for her to awake. As the woman woke up Sebastian decided to stay as still as possible. He watched her very intently making sure he was ready to get anything she would need if she was to be sick again.

Faith

 

Where the hell am I? Faith thought to herself as she finally woke up. She remembered trying to sit up the last time she woke up and decided against it just yet. She hurt physically so much but she felt safe for the first time in so long. She knew she wasn’t with Owen and his people from the last time she awoke. She slowly moved her head to take in the rest of the room as much as she could given that it was now very dark except for a fire in the fireplace. At least my head wasn’t spinning like it was the last time I woke up. She thought to herself. That’s when she noticed a silhouette of a man sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Who are you? Where am I?” Faith asked, trying to hide her fear but knowing it could be heard in her voice. To her own ears her voice was hoarse and weak. Given all the torture she went through she knew she would be in pain for a while. When she got no answer she sat up slowly and asked timidly “If you’re not going to hurt me can I please have some water?”

Before she could even finish her request the silhouette already had a glass of cold water in her hand. Faith had so many thoughts running through her mind as she drank the water. How did he know I was going to ask for water? How did I get here? Who is this man? Where am I? Why am I here? What happened to Owen and his men? Am I safe now? What if they find her? Why am I not more scared? Why does this man make me feel safe? I should probably be terrified right now, so why aren’t I?

After she finished the glass of water she just held it in her hands on her lap and watched the man. She tried her best to make out any facial features but nothing she tried would work. The fireplace was behind him so no light hit him on the face. After a moment of silence she broke it by asking "Where am I? Who are you?"

"My name is Sebastian James. I'm the man who saved you from that devil and his minions." Sebastian began to explain. "Please do not be frightened of me. I have an idea of what you have been through while in their care. I heard those evil creatures talk about what they had planned to do and I saw how they kept you. I'm under the impression that they have kept you quite a while torturing you in many ways. All I can say is that I will never be able to apologize enough for not having saved you sooner. It hurt me in ways I never knew existed to see the shape you were in when I saved you. I-"

"Now hold on a minute." Faith interrupted so she could digest what he had said. Her mind was swimming with memories and emotions that brought tears to her eyes. She knew this man sitting on the bed couldn’t have done what he just said. She started to think it was another one of Owens sick twisted games he loved to play with her. But after a few moments of thinking she knew it wasn't a game. She felt too safe with a stranger sitting at the edge of the bed in complete darkness.

She took the first calming breath she had taken since being knocked out by Owen that night she went to see him and thought to herself I'm saved. I'm safe. Finally. "How did you know where I was? How did you save me? I know I was in a house in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by heavily armed men. I tried countless times to escape. I always ended up caught and beaten until I was so weak I would end up unconscious."

“You wouldn’t believe me if I tried to explain it all to you.”

“Try me.” She challenged.

"Maybe one day when you have more faith in me I'll tell you. How are you feeling? Do you need a doctor or do you think home remedies will do the trick of fixing you up?"

"I feel like my body was beaten which I have felt for so long I expect it by now. I also feel oddly cold but I don't want to see a doctor. I feel alot better than I did this morning. At the moment I would just like to shower...alone."

“Why did you say it like that?” Sebastian asked.

“I haven’t had a proper shower in days and the last time I did....” Faith trailed off reluctant to explain any further. Regardless of having been tortured for so long by so many different men the voice of a strange man a few feet away from her in almost complete darkness made her blood actually heat up a few degrees. She thought that since being kidnapped she would ultimately die in that place at the hand of the one person who at one time claimed to loved her. She realized soon after she woke in his panic room tied to the cot that she had been wrong.

Sebastian could see her as if the lamps were on and knew if he turned them on just yet that she wouldn’t talk about what had happened. He knew that with the darkness she could let herself be a little vulnerable. He waited a couple minutes, watching her face closely in the dark. He saw a look of pain come to her face and saw a tear fall down her cheek. "What happened the last time?"

With a voice full of hurt she said "I wasn’t allowed to shower alone. Hell I wasn’t even allowed to wash myself. The men who were left in the house with me would usually keep me drugged and wash me." She put her head down and whispered the last part in a trembling voice.

"What’s your name?"

"Faith," She sighed tiredly. "Faith Anderson."

"Faith..." He chuckled a little as he repeated her name. Her name fit her. Just when he started to lose his faith in ever finding his one true love he found his Faith. He continued to speak with love in his voice "It’s an hour past sunset so I guess that would make it around 7pm. Are you hungry for anything at all?"

"Yes I am. What do you have?"

"I can get you anything you desire. Just say the word and I shall get it. While I get whatever it is you want you will be alone in this room and bathroom. There are clothes for you in the bottom drawer of the dresser."

"Can I get a chocolate milkshake, bacon cheeseburger with extra bacon, and cheese fries?" Faith asked hopefully.

"Whatever you want, Faith. Would you like help into the bathroom? I promise to only help you walk and put the shower or bathtub on for you. The shower is very large with many different shower heads and handles for everything. If you want I can put labels on them so you won’t need my help as much. The tub should be self explanatory. After I have that running I shall leave to get anything you want. If there is anything you would like please do not hesitate to ask. I’m here to serve you my dear Faith."

No matter how much she wanted to refuse the offer she knew she would need the help. Very timidly she agreed. As the light turned on it was a very dim glow, even the light in the bathroom became the same glow. She didn’t want to look at this stranger for fear of what she would see but he came near her slowly. She tensed as he came up near the side of the bed again.

Sebastian walked very slowly to Faith with his hand outstretched. Once he was within her reach he stopped walking and waited patiently for her to take his hand. He watched her very intently. He looked at her face and watched as she reluctantly took his hand. As he felt Faith place her small delicate hand into his larger rougher hand he felt a strange heat he had never felt before.

Faith felt the coolness of his skin but once he held her hand so he could help her off the bed she began to feel an odd heat tingle up her arm. She tried to pull away and instead was pulled to her feet. Her legs almost gave out under her weight but a strong arm slipped around her waist to keep her from falling. He held her up as she began to carry her own weight. Even after she was standing he kept his arm around her. It had been a long time since she had been able to walk and she was reluctant to shower. She was worried about her legs giving out again, falling in the shower, and possibly hurting herself worse. And she really didn’t want Sebastian to undress her again. As she finally stood with her legs holding her weight she looked up slowly into the face of the man holding her. She saw a strong chiseled jaw, full kissable lips, a perfect nose, and eyes the color of the midnight sky. He was gorgeous and she felt faint looking at him properly.

Sebatian felt her legs start to give out again so he held her more firmly against his body. His arm tightened its hold around her waist. He wondered if he had given her enough blood or if he should have given her more. He was worried about her but he didn't want to say anything in case she became frightened.

She couldn’t stop looking at him. She felt as if she had seen him before even though she knew for a fact she had never seen a man quite like him before. All she wanted was to have his arms around her. She felt safe in his arms even when she had never felt safe anywhere.

Sebastian watched Faith closely making sure she wasn’t in pain as she stood on her own. He began to worry more after he held her up and her legs almost gave out twice. “Are you sure you want to shower Faith?” He asked cautiously.

“I…I don’t know.” Faith said softly. “I don’t want to fall, and I might if I can’t seem to stand on my own.”

“Don’t worry about it. I will sit you on the edge of the bathtub and help you fill it. I’ll be back very quick so by the time you get in the tub I will be back. If you need I’ll be in the next room so you can call me.” Sebastian explained as he walked Faith into the bathroom slowly. He knew she wouldn’t be able to hold herself up too long.

Once he had her in the bathroom he led her to the edge of the large square bathtub. It had two steps leading up to the ledge of the top of the bathtub and Sebastian sat her on the ledge. He walked to a cabinet built into the wall and grabbed a big lush towel and one of his thick robes. He placed them on the first step down neatly so all Faith would need to do is reach over and cover herself.

As Faith sat watching Sebastian getting what she would need for a bath she was able to take in how large he was. He looked to be around 6’3 and he had wide strong shoulders. Along with his good looks came rich dark silky black hair. She was very happy she was sitting because she started to feel weak again from just looking at him.

“Do you have a preference of scent that you would like to use for a bath?” Sebastian asked Faith.

She was so distracted by looking him over that when he spoke she jumped slightly. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Sebastian didn’t miss her slight jump when he spoke to her. He kept his distance from her because he thought he had scared her. “For bubble baths, what do you prefer to use? Which is your favorite? It doesn’t matter if you have never used it, have rarely used it, or use it all the time. What is it you want and I shall get it for you. I’ll be back before the tub is a quarter of the way filled.”

“Can’t I just use something you have here?” Faith asked.

“Sadly since I have been without a spouse I have nothing for a bubble bath or any other type of bath at all.” He confessed. “All I use is a bar of soap.”

“Oh okay. Are you sure you want to go out and get stuff for me? I'm sure using a regular bar of soap will do.” At the shake of his head she continued to talk to him about what her preferences were. “Anything with a lavender scent will be great. Any drug store should have it. Bubbles are not necessary, but epsom salts would be greatly appreciated. They should definitely help with the pains. And some pain relievers would be nice. My stomach feels better but my body still hurts a lot.” Faith informed him.

“Do not get into the bathtub just yet. I will be right back to help with your bath. You can start undressing, and put on the robe though. I’ll get everything you need right now and help you get everything set. If you're comfortable with it I would like to help you get in too. I worry you might fall trying to get in.” Sebastian explained right before he walked out. Rarely had he actually tended to someone else's needs and wants. He can remember when Cara was a child and he had to tend to her at night when Constantine was asleep. This was all so new to him but it felt so right to cater to Faith.

Faith was reluctant to undress because she didn't know if it was a trick, like so many times before, but she did feel this inexplicable trust she had for this man. A virtual stranger but he seemed like she had known him for so long. Even though she had just gone through the worst thing she could have ever imagined she knew that everything was meant to happen. She was meant to go through all that pain just so she could end up here with this man who had somehow saved her against more than ten heavily armed men. He had found a way to get her away from Owen and for that alone she would be forever grateful. Faith knew that she owed this man her life so in return she felt the best thing to do was to truly put her trust in him and not question anything he said to her. Faith changed into the rob as she waited for Sebastian to come back. The whole time thinking about how he looked so strong and reliable. She hoped that putting her trust in a stranger wasn’t going to come back to haunt her. As she was putting on the robe she started to feel a little lightheaded. She took a few minutes to sit down before trying to get up to brush her teeth. She couldn’t remember the last time she was allowed to brush her teeth. She counted to one hundred really slowly before trying to get up and tend to her basic needs she had been refused.

Sebastian

 

Sebastian left the house quickly out of his bedroom window and used his supernatural speed to get to the closest store where he could pick up the requested items. He hadn’t gone to retrieve items for any female since Cara was a young girl and Constantine requested help. When he started hiring women to help Constantine they were the ones to be sent to the town to get what was needed. What do they have in the stores now? How much has medicine changed? Sebastian thought to himself.

He arrived at a store that had the word pharmacy on the outside. Sebastian went in and froze. There was no one around but it was open. He had no idea where anything was so he started looking at every item slowly. After he went through three isles a woman came up behind him and said “ Excuse me? Can I help you with something, sir?”

Sebastian turned around and smiled. He usually didn't talk to many people, but for Faith he would do anything. “Good evening. Yes, I need help.” He gave the woman the list of items he had come to get. It took longer than he thought because he didn't know there were so many different brands or reasons to get certain things. With the help of the woman Sebatian got everything he thought Faith would need. His problem was that the woman was taking too long to scan everything. She wouldn't stop asking questions and apparently flirting with him. Sebastian had finally gotten fed up with this woman and told her “I need you to hurry up. My wife is at home with our newborn, and I need to get back as quickly as possible.” He saw the disappointment in her eyes before he saw determination.

“Oh, I’m sorry if this is taking so long. How long have you been with her? With a baby at home you must need a bit of a break from all that stress. How about you come to my house after you bring all this home. I get off in about an hour and I'm sure your wife will be so wrapped up in the baby that if you told her you were going out for a drink she wouldn't even hear you.” The woman offered, trying to sound seductive.

“I don't drink and I would rather be home with my wife.” He said sternly. “Now if you do not hurry I will report you to the owners and tell them you are being deliberately inappropriate with customers who are clearly not interested in your sexual advances. I will also call the police and tell them you are sexually harassing male customers. I’m pretty sure I am not the first man you have seen today.  They will believe me. I am a private investor for the city and they have ALL known me for a LONG time.” Sebastian didn't like to threaten anyone but he did do it occasionally when necessary. For the women in his life that he vowed to love and protect he would do anything. This moment he felt like Faith was being disrespected and he didn't want to deal with this woman anymore. “Are you done or do I have to make a few phone calls and go to another establishment?”

The woman’s eyes grew more with every sentence he spoke, and looked terrified by the time he finished his question. She didn't speak another word but she finished her job quickly and without any eye contact. She looked shaken but he didn't care. He just wanted to hurry up and get home before Faith attempted to do anything. He wanted to be able to get there and help her. Once he got everything that was on his list he left and walked down the street into an alley so no one would be able to see him. He left quickly and with thoughts of how to have her fall in love with him Sebastian went home...to Faith. Thinking that felt right to him and he found himself happy for the first time in a long time. 

Faith

 

Faith sat on the edge of the tub and started wondering exactly what she was going to do. She knew she was too weak to leave but she didn’t know if she wanted to stay in this particular house with that man. She didn't know anything about him. All she knew was she felt safe with him around. That alone was an important deciding factor for Faith. She didn't want to go home. She didn't want Owen to find her. Faith knew that she wouldn't be able to go through his torture again. She was already trying to figure out a way to kill herself before she was saved. She had run away a few times, but they always caught her and punished her worse for it. As she sat on the edge of the tub thinking everything over she realized that Sebastian had saved her life in more ways than one.

She was so caught up in thinking about how her current situation had started that she didn’t notice anything around her. She had gone into her own world in her mind, a coping mechanism she hadn’t realized she had started to do since being held captive by Owen. It was as if the world faded as she thought back to the day she had gone to see Owen. She knew she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach but she had ignored it. She desperately wanted a home. All Faith had ever wanted was a place that belonged to her, one where she belonged. She had been planning on moving away but she didn’t know where she was going to go. She still had no idea. She knew that the city she lived in was too much for her. Too many people, too many buildings, too expensive, too big. 

So if I do leave, whenever that may be, where will I go? I’m sure my things were put into storage already. Everyone  knew I was leaving, except Owen, and probably wouldn’t hear from me until I had everything set up. How long have I been “gone”? Oh, God no one knew or even thought Owen would do anything to me. I have to find a way to contact someone and tell them what happened. Faith thought to herself. With that thought Faith stood to try to look for a phone to call her best friend, but instead of walking she took two steps and collapsed to the floor. She hadn’t realized she was so dizzy and nauseous. 

Sebastian got back to the bathroom and found Faith sitting up on the floor. His heart jumped in his chest and he ran to her. He put his bag on the floor and gently touched her shoulders. He didn’t want to scare or hurt her. He noticed she looked as if she was in some far off land inside of her mind. Even though he wanted to do anything except leave Faith he picked her up and placed her back on the edge of the tub. She still had no reaction to him touching her. He thought it better to give her some space since she hadn’t had any in weeks. Instead he went about getting her bath ready. As he added some of the bubble bath he decided to add in some witch hazel extract. Sebastian took a quick trip to the pantry and grabbed as much witch hazel extract as he could hold. He knew he would need a lot.

He turned to leave the room and found his sweet Cara standing in the door way. “What in the world are you doing awake at this hour?” Sebastian asked surprised to see her.

“I couldn’t sleep so I decided to take a walk in the garden when I saw the light on. Sebastian, what are you doing with that?” Cara was puzzled by the way he was acting. She never knew him to walk into any pantry so this night seemed so out of character for him.

Sebastian felt like he had just been caught stealing. “Oh...I was just grabbing these for our guest.”

“And who exactly is our guest? When can I meet them?”

“i cannot answer you right now. We will have this discussion tomorrow. Right now I am needed. You go for your walk and get some rest when you get back. I’m sorry but I need to go.” Sebastian looked at Cara’s angelic face and felt guilt for not being able to cater to her like he always has.

Getting frustrated at not having Sebastian’s full attention she finally decides to speak the words she has been thinking about for so long.“Bastan, whats going on? I have so many questions for you and when I ask them you never answer them or you are extremely vague about it. I’m almost an adult. In another month I will be 18 and I want to experience the world. Going into town isn’t enough for me. You know I love you but I will not be treated like a child anymore.”

With that said she walked out of the kitchen door and straight int the gardens. Sebastian finally realized she was right. She had been badgering him over the last year or so with questions about him and what could be waiting for her in the world. He spent so long trying to be a good father figure to her that he became over protective and would barely let her go into town by herself. He knew she had no friends her own age and what ever schooling she had was provided by tutors.

As Sebastian walked back to his room he knew what he must do. He had to either tell Cara the truth about himself or let her go. By the time he reached the bathroom he knew when would have to talk to her but he didn’t know what to say. He decided to put Cara off for the next day. For now he would concentrate on the woman he had in his bathroom. He looked up and Faith was still in some type of trans.

Sebastian went to the side of the tub and saw that it was filled nicely. He turned off the water and poured a few of the larger bottles into the water. He also turned on the jets to be as soft as possible.

Sebastian finally decided to get Faith into the bathtub so he kept his distance and decided to call her name instead of touching her. “Faith…..Faith, dearest?”

Faith heard someone call her from a far away place but she just couldn’t leave her thoughts. What am I going to do? I just feel so lost. I have nowhere to go because I absolutely cant go back to the city. Wait where am I? In her mind she just kept going in circles. She just had no idea of anything. At this point all she wants to do is find safe place and stay there for a while. This place would be perfect if no one was here and she could be left alone.

Finally she felt something brush her cheek ad call her name. She focused her sight on where she was and what was going on. Faith thought she would look around the room and get her bearings but instead she found herself staring into midnight blue eyes and she forgot to breath for a moment.

“Faith?” Sebastian continued to urge Faith into responding. He was beginning to worry about her. “Are you okay?”

Faith finally mentally shook herself to concentrate on what was going on around her. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I was asking if you were okay? It’s time to get you in the bath but you have just been sitting there staring into nothing.”

“Oh yes, yes I’m ready. I’m sorry my mind just made me wander” Faith replied blushing.

Sebastian finally walked up to Faith and put out his hand for her to grab. As she did they both experienced something similar to an electric shock up from their conjoined hands and straight to their hearts. From that moment they both knew something was changing. Sebastian picked up faith and set her in the water fully clothed. Before she could even realize what his intentions were she was already in the water.

“You get yourself clean. I left a towel right here.” He touched the towel he left at the side of the tub. “I also have clean robs behind the door. I will close it when I leave so you should see it then. There are also clothes for you in the wardrobe in the bedroom. I will be back in an hour. That should give you enough time to finish. Be in bed when I get back. I will have your food in my hands so I hope you will still be hungry.”

With that Sebastian walked out the bathroom, closing the bathroom, and leaving the house to walk around the city. Faith sat in the tub staring at the door Sebastian walked out of. She didn’t know what to think about that strange feeling she just experienced. Instead she decided to just get her bath finished.

Sebastian left the castle and went in search of Cara. He decided it was finally time to talk to her but first he wanted to get her back home so they can talk in a safe place. He searched every inch of the gardens and he just couldn’t find her. Sebastian thought he could make this conversation quick and he can finally answer some of the questions she had but he just couldn’t find her. He had to got get Faiths food soon. Just ten more minutes then I will leave. Sebastian thought to himself.

Half hour into her bath Faith decided it was time to get dressed. Wrapping herself in the towel she got up and brushed out her hair and her teeth. Walking back into the bedroom she felt so much better being able to clean herself alone. Going into the wardrobe Faith found sweats and a t-shirt suitable for her to be able to sleep in. She had the feeling once she had some food in her she would fall asleep. Faith knew she was exhausted but she was just so hungry.

As she was getting back into bed Sebastian finally walked into the bedroom. She became extremely confused because the moment she laid her eyes on him she became happy and was able to relax fully. She also became extremely hungry since she was able to smell the fries. Sebastian walked in with a big bag full of fast food.

Sebastian placed the bag on the side table and handed her the milkshake. “I will be right back.” and with that he walked right back out of the room. Faith placed her milkshake on the side table and grabbed the bag instead. When she opened it she found 2 large fries and 2 double cheeseburgers. She decided to start eating the fries.

Sebastian caught Faith as she was starting onto the first burger. “I’m sorry. I should have brought this with me as I came into the room. You must be starving. How are you feeling now?” he walked up to the side of her bed and place the lap tablet over her legs so she could eat without worry of getting the bed messed up.

“I’m actually quite shocked that I can even eat anything greasy right now. I kinda feel like I’m recovering from a hangover and I just need a lot of food. Did you get double of the burgers and fries because you were going to eat too?”

“No, love. Its all for you. Io have already eaten for the night. I got ever to make sure you were able to eat everything you could want. I didn’t want you to still feel like you were starving. I’m glad to see you with such a hearty appetite though. This is a good sign. You are healing quickly.” Sebastian noticed Faiths face was starting to heal. The little bit of blood her fed her was definitely working on her. Her heartbeat was stronger, her coloring was pinker, and the smaller scraps and cuts were already healed. Sebastian wondered how long until she noticed this unnatural healing of her body.

“Well thank you so much. This food is amazing. I feel like I can’t get enough of it.” Faith told Sebastian after she finally finished her first cheese burger.

Faith and Sebastian both fell into a comfortable silence as Faith finished her food. After she finally ate and drank everything she could Sebastian collected everything so he could throw it all out. When he left the room Faith went to the bathroom to clean up. When she looked in the mirror she noticed the cuts she had on her lip and cheeks were gone. They were there just an hour ago but now nothing.

As she walked back into the room she saw Sebastian was already in the chair next to the bed. Faith climbed into bed and as Sebastian watched her he desperately wanted to get in with her and just hold her. He was looking for something to say to her but he was becoming increasingly nervous around her.

“Sebastian? Where are we?” Faith asked sounding fearful. Why did I just sound like that? She thought to herself.

“Are you scared?” Sebastian asked.

“Well, no, not really. Its just that one minute I was in Boston, then in an abandoned house, now it seems like I might be in a castle but I have no idea where it is in the world.”

When Faith finally started to feel more like herself she decided to venture our of Sebastian’s room. She asked Constantine to show her the way to the garden she looks at from out the window.

“Wouldn’t you like to wait for Sebastian to accompany you?” Constantine asked.

“No, I’d like to be alone for a while. I need some space and time out of that bed. I feel like I’ve been in prison. I know he means well, but Sebastian has been a bit suffocating.” Faith explained.

“Oh dear. If you would have said something before I could have remedied it for you. That man doesn’t know how to do certain things. He’s a bit, what would be the word? Antisocial? Yes, antisocial. He doesn’t have family. The only people he truly cares about are Cara and I. His way to show that he cares is to hover and sometimes suffocate. He really does mean well. Anyway you go for your walk and I will go get dinner started. Don’t go into the woods. I beg you to avoid them at all cost while you are staying here. They are not safe, especially at night.” Constantine explained. She knew how dangerous it was. Constantine knew just what awaited in those woods.

“Okay. I just wanted to sit among the flowers for a little while. Just send Sebastian out when he has the time.” Faith requested.

“yes ma’am.” With that reply Constantine left Faith at the door that led to the gardens.

As Faith walked out the door she wondered what was so dangerous about he woods. Must be dangerous animals. Maybe, it’s just dangerous to walk in there. Either way she would find out. She just needed to get back her strength. Faith knew she must be crazy. With what happened to her just a few weeks ago she should be terrified of everything but she wasn’t. Instead she felt more alive. Faith Knew no matter what Sebastian would always find her. It was an odd feeling knowing she put so much trust in a man she barely knew..

No matter what, Faith was determined to be a stronger person than she was before. She just didn’t know where she would go when it was time to leave. Faith decided to distract herself from those thoughts. After all she had desperately wanted to visit the gardens since the third day she was there. No one would allow her out of the bed except to allow her to use the bathroom.

Faith met the other two women who lived in the castle. The castle itself seemed huge, but she was sure it was probably smaller than most mansions but the architecture was more of what old castles were made like. Cara was a kind soul who had lived here for as long as she could remember. She was so excited to meet Faith but Faith could see beyond the happiness. Cara was both sad and determined to change something. Faith knew that the girl wanted out of this place so she could explore the world. I need to talk to Sebastian about taking that girl with me tomorrow. Faith knew that he thought of Cara as a daughter so of course he would be overly protective of her. Emily was different though. She cared about Sebastian but she treated everything she did in this place as a job. Faith heard the story that Emily needed to help provide for her family. She had left her husband and children to work this job. Emily regretted having to leave but loved the payout. As long as she finished her five years of service Sebastian would continue to support her and her family. She could see her family every weekend, but never speak of her job or Sebastian to anyone. In the long run though her job sounded like a dream to faith.

Faith found a gazebo to sit at and enjoy the garden. She was oblivious to the fact that this particular gazebo was right on the borderline of the forest. She sat for a while trying not to think of what her life had become. In a month she went from being happy. To having everything taken away from he by the person she foolishly thought she loved, to having a knight in not so shinning armor but feeling deliriously happy. Faith was starting to feel like she didn’t know which way she was going emotionally. Her usually focused mind was now so chaotic that she couldn’t seem to focus on any one thing. Except when Sebastian was there with her. In his presence she was relaxed and calm. Right now sitting in the gazebo, in the middle of a beautiful lush garden, all alone all of a sudden didn’t feel so safe. She didn’t want to leave so she stayed where she was. Faith was uneasy. She knew something was wrong but she couldn’t point it out. She kept looking around her trying to find something out of the ordinary. Faith noticed the trees behind her so she figured she was probably right next to the forest.

She thought nothing of it though. Constantine had said not to go into the forest, but she wasn’t in the forest.

I wonder who that is… She’s not the one I’ve been looking for. She’s new. Where is my Cara? What has he done with her? I will get her. You can’t hide her forever Sebastian.

Faith thought she heard a voice. A menacing, grisly voice. Who was hiding her? And for that matter who is she? She started to get scared. As Faith got up to start walking back she looked up and found Sebastian standing at the bottom of the steps looking concerned. Faith didn’t even notice just how dark it was starting to get. Lucky for her Sebastian kept lights in the garden so she wasn’t too scared to be out after dark.

“What are you doing her?’ Sebastian asked.

“I’m not in the forest, technically I’m in a gazebo next to the forest.” Faith explained with a sly smile.

Sebastian grabbed Faiths hand and led her out of that corner of the garden. As they walked away he looked back and saw the silhouette of a man. A man he never thought he would ever set eyes on again. Sebastian continued walking with Faith as if he had not a care in the world when inside he knew a fight was coming.

Chapter 7

 

Once in the house Sebastian finally let go of Faith. He let out a deep breath he didn’t even know he had been holding in. it was only the second time in his long life that he could ever remember being so terrified. For someone else besides himself. His mind was reeling with all the reasons that monster could be lurking around his property. When he finally looked up he found faith watching him.

“What’s wrong, Sebastian?” Faith asked concerned with the look on his face. She knew something was wrong and couldn’t understand why. There was no danger out there that she could see but still she thought she saw fear in Sebastian’s eyes as he grabbed her and rushed towards the house.

“I don’t want you to ever go that close to the forest again. Its not safe for anyone, especially you. There is something out there that is extremely evil and it wouldn’t hesitate to kill you.” He didn’t want to frighten Faith but he needed her to understand completely just how serious he was.

Looking into the eyes of this rather large man who should instill fear into many people all she could feel was sympathy. Anyone looking at him would think he had nothing to fear but looking at him started to make her fear the unknown. Ever since Sebastian had rescued Faith she had felt safe, but looking at him now made her think she was living with a false sense of security. She didn’t want to fear anything anymore. Fear of being alone with no one to love, or love in return, is the reason she went back to Owen and that was the worst decision she could have ever made. Remembering what he did to her, then what he allowed to happen to her in leaving her with those men. Faith couldn’t bare it anymore. She needed to start over her life without fear and if she was going to be in fear staying here she would have to leave. It was fun to toy with the idea of her staying in this wonderful place but she knew it would have to end. Faith knew she would have to restart from nothing. Not the first time but it was still hard and tiring. She just wanted a home, somewhere to belong. She didn’t know if she still had the job offer waiting for her. Her dream job and it could all be gone just because Owen had kidnapped her for who knows how long.

Faith knew she would have to tell him something because he was still looking at her with what she thought was pleading in his eyes. “Constantine told me not to go into the forest already. I told you that when you found me. And in case you didn’t notice I wasn’t in the forest. Besides I knew you would end up finding me no matter where I was. I was going to sit out there for a little while. I need to be outside every now and then.”

Sebastian just looked at her. He knew she was thinking about more than just being out near the forest and how much it scared him. “I just need you to understand my need to keep you safe. I’m sorry if I upset you.”

“Okay, I get it. I wont go there again. Ill try to stay closer to the house. How does that sound? In my defense I was just trying to stretch my legs and explore your garden. Its so beautiful so I honestly thought it wouldn’t be that big a deal to be out there.”

“I know and again I am sorry but I need you to heed my warning. If not the next time something happens it could be worse than what you just endured. Trust me when I say there is an evil out there worse than that pitiful little man. Trust me what he did will look like child’s play compared to the evil lurking outside of my property lines. And if you should see anyone, ever, while you are out on the grounds do not talk to them. Unless its the women who live here you are to stay away from everyone. I cant be with you every minute, no matter how much I would love to, but you need to trust me. Its not safe.” Sebastian needed her to understand his concern when it comes to her safety.

It wasn’t until he this moment that his own heart slowed down and his fear started to subside that he started smelling Faiths blood. Hearing her heartbeat was like hearing a sirens call. His mouth started to water and he felt his teeth lengthen. He had rushed out of the house in search of her once her had learned she was out on the grounds while the sun was setting. He didn’t even think to go feed for his fear had become so overwhelming he had thought of only Faith. Now he started to regret that decision. Sebastian knew he needed to get away from her quickly.

“Now that I know you are safe you should go into the kitchen and eat dinner with the women. I believe they are waiting for you.” His hunger was growing with every beat of her heart and he needed to get away from her before he couldn’t stop himself. “I have to go see to some business but I will be back as soon as I can. Please don’t go outside again until I am back.” with that he left out the door and disappeared into the darkness before Faith could even think to say anything in return.

Sebastian’s absence made her feel vulnerable. Faith knew even more now that when she healed enough she would have to leave. She didn’t know when that would be but she knew it had to be soon because being around Sebastian wasn’t going to be safe. The danger was either going to be physical with the way he feared her leaving the grounds, or towards her heart. She already started to feel for Sebastian and she knew it wasn’t a good thing.

Seriously Faith, she thought to herself, who starts falling for someone after everything that just happened to you? I think I need some professional help. I cant seem to pick the right people to love. What is wrong with me.

Faith followed the scents into the kitchen where the last of the dishes were being set. She just couldn’t stop thinking about Sebastian. Why would he have such fear of her exploring though? If she stayed on the grounds what could it hurt to walk along the property line and just have a little look? Sure his fear was scary but what if she did it in the morning when the sun was up? Would that still make him scared for her?

There was a variety of dishes that all looked so delicious. Faith heard her stomach start to grumble. Realizing she hadn’t eaten much during the entire day she was suddenly starving.

“Hey, Cara. What have you been up to today?” She asked as she walked up to the pantry door. Inside was Cara standing looking extremely distracted. Faith had only met Cara couple of weeks ago so she didn’t know her too well, but Faith felt sympathy towards her. She often wondered how Cara felt about being locked up in this place for practically her whole life. Sebastian had told Faith that Cara had come to this home after being orphaned as a child and that her raised her as his own daughter but that he didn’t let her leave often. She had even been home schooled by Constantine because he didn’t want the world to ruin her.

“Oh!” Cara exclaimed. She didn’t know anyone was at the door. She had been in her own mind thinking about her plan that she hadn’t heard Faith speak to her, or walk up to the door. “Would you like to help me set the table?” even though she hadn’t heard Faith she figured that asking for help would be enough of a distraction that Faith wouldn’t think anything of Cara just standing and staring at nothing at all. In the amount of time that Cara had spent with Faith she felt like she knew her a lot better than Emily, who had been in the home for almost 5 years now. The more they talked the more Cara felt like she could relate to Faith and she loved that because it had been an extremely long time since she felt like she could really talk to someone. Finally someone who didn’t treat her like a child or a delicate vase. She just hoped if she decided to tell Faith of her plan that she wouldn’t tell Sebastian.

“Sure Cara, anything you need just ask. I love to help.” Faith replied with a smile. She really waned to befriend Cara. Cara seemed like she needed a friend desperately.

The two women worked together ti get the table ready for dinner. Only the four women would be eating the great feast that had been prepared by Constantine and Cara. Faith asked Constantine if she could help the first day she was able to actually stand without getting dizzy. She used that opportunity to ask Constantine as well if Sebastian would be joining them for dinner. She had been told that Sebastian would usually go outside of the house for practically everything. He would never be around for dinner because he kept late hours working everyday so he would eat while he was out. She also learned that he worked only at night so he slept throughout the day. Faith often wondered what Sebastian did for a living that he would need to work at night.

Once they had finished getting everything set on the table Constantine and Emily had finally sat down to join them. Faith hadn’t spent so much time at the castle yet but she started to look at Constantine as the mother figure of the household. She tried not to get too close to her or Cara but it was difficult not to. They were both so kind and it was easy to imagine having lived her whole life in the castle with them. It was going to be tough when she had to leave and it hurt to think about. Faith tried to stay distant but it was challenging when the people you are trying to keep a distance with are so nice and loving.

Emily, on the other hand, was odd. Faith didn’t know what it was but she tried to avoid being around her too much. She seemed kind of robotic at times. There was something off about her but she didn’t want to bring it up. Everyone claimed that Emily was the kind of woman who treated her life in the castle as a job and never really let anyone into her personal life. All they knew was she was had a family far away, and the money she was making working with them was put into an account that her family had access to.

Faith decided to try to forget everything that was bothering her. She felt fairly safe in the house with the women right now but she wished Sebastian was at least in the house with them. She didn’t know what it was but she had a bad feeling about the night.

Sebastian left the castle and rushed to the nearest city he could find. He didn’t want to hunt in the small towns around the castle because he had the feeling he would need multiple people to fulfill his hunger on this night. Not only to tame his hunger for Faith but also for the fight he knew was coming. It was still so early that the sky was still darkening but Sebastian knew people would be going for their night out soon. There would be plenty of blood for him tonight, he hoped.

As he started walking down a side street towards the busier streets he started thinking about what happened to him all those years ago. He desperately wanted to be the man who could spend his days out by Faith’s side. He never thought of his past after he hit one hundred. It wasn’t until he started to see Faith grow stronger after he rescued her that he started to wonder what his life could be like if she decided to stay with him. He had been robbed of the chance to live his life as a human. He had been so stupid to not see the signs when he was young. He thought he was in love but now he knew better. He had been used while he was too young and naive to know any better.

Sebastian spent a while looking for and feeding on his prey. He knew he had been gone from the castle long enough that all the women should be asleep. He just needed to take some time and think about everything. He found a large enough park that had some benches far from any lights and he sat down one one of them. It was such a quiet and calm night that Sebastian let his mind wander to the past again. This time he allowed all the details that lead up to his transformation play out in his mind.

It was a night very much like this one. Everyone in the village of Rose Hallow had either gone home to spend the rest of their night at home with their families or they were at the pub eating their dinner and talking about their days. Sebastian had been sent to the pub by his mother to find his father. On the way there he walked by the trail that led into the forest and he heard a crash in the bushes to the side.

“Hello?” Sebastian called out. He hoped it wasn’t a bear. Lately the whole village had to be on the lookout for bears. Too many bears staring to come close to town could be a huge problem. Maybe I should mention this to the mayor. Maybe he will set up a hunting party to lower the population of bears close by. He thought to himself. He knew the mayor would be in the pub tonight so it could be beneficial to at least mention it to the mayor.

Sebastian heard it again and for a second thought about running. He was about to when he saw a woman come out of the forest appearing very frazzled. He clothing was shredded and full of grim and blood. She looked like she had been running through nature for weeks.

“Oh, thank the good Lord. Please, kind sir, can you help me?” The woman ran up to Sebastian falling just a few paces from where he was standing. “I’ve been running for days and I haven’t found anyone kind on my journey. Can you help me find a place to stay and a kind person who will feed me? I haven’t eaten anything but berries and the last ones I had left me feeling odd.”

For a few moments he was frozen. When do strangers appear out of nowhere looking the way she did. Then as he looked at her face he realized she was extremely young and innocent looking. He bent down and helped her stand. “My name is Sebastian. Come with me and I will take you to the pub. We will go through the kitchen so that Miriam can get you proper clothing. Miriam is the pub cook and baker for the whole village. She has taken many people in need so she knows what to do.” Sebastian held out his arm so this mysterious woman could hold on if she needed his assistance walking, which she did.

“Thank you. My name is Vivian.” She said softly as he allowed him to help her stand. He noticed how light she was, and how cold she felt. She could feel her shaking and could feel through his own shirt that her skin was cold as ice. When they finally arrived at the entrance to the kitchen of the pub he sat her down at the seat just inside the door nearest to the fire as Miriam was walking back into the kitchen.

Miriam noticed Sebastian placing an extremely young looking woman down on the seat just inside the door and she knew it was going to be a long night. “Sebastian, your father is in the dinning room making sure your uncle doesn’t get drunk again. I knew your mother was going to worry about him. I made her a loaf and roast for you to take back to her. How is her hand doing?”

“Better, thank you for asking and thank you for the meals you sent over. She was so worried about how we were all going to eat if she wasn’t able to cook. She has used the herb balm Harriet gave her and they are helping tremendously. If you see her in the pub tonight please tell her how thankful I am for her help. I didn’t know what to do after seeing her hand.” Sebastian started to share the story of how his mother got hurt with Miriam. Of everyone in the village she was probably the most concerned about her mother. This woman was like a grandmother to him and his siblings and they would absolutely anything for her. “You know how she’s getting along with that leg of hers. Sometimes her balance isn’t as good as it used to be. Alex was supposed to watch Joshua but he didn’t notice the mess Joshua made with the wood pile near the back door. Mother went to get more firewood so she could start dinner early and she tripped. Her hand looked so bad that it was turning green within a few hours. That balm Harriet created is amazing. Just a few days and it looks almost completely healed. Her only problem is the tightness in her hand. She will have to start stretching it, which will take a few days to help it get back to normal but we are all hopefully and helping out as much as we can.”

“Thank you for telling me. I’ve been trying to get the story but no one knew anything, and you know Harriet wont talk about the how something happened just the what she did to fix it.” Miriam exclaimed letting out a deep breath. “I’m so glad your mother is getting better. Now tell me the story of this young woman so I can send you on your way and your mother doesn’t start to worry about you as well.” Miriam knew just how Sebastian’s mothers mind worked. The woman had been her barmaid in the pub for years until she met Henry. Henry was a good man but Ruby had seen so many horrors herself that she would worry for the rest of her life, and with good reason too.

“I love how I never have to say a word but you always know what we need. As for this woman here,” he put his hand on her shoulder “her name is Vivian. I found her coming out of the bushes on the trail into the forest. She has been running in the forest and she hasn’t eaten. I also think she might have eaten something rotten.” Sebastian explained. He wanted to stay around to help but he knew Miriam was right. If he didn’t get back home soon then his mother will start sending out his older brothers to come looking for him. He hated to make his mother worry about him.

“Okay, so first I need your help. Can you get the tub in from the side room and bring it in front of the fireplace in the parlor of my living quarters? Then can you build a nice big fire for us? After that you will be free to go home. I will go talk to your father while you do all that.” Miriam pushed Sebastian out of the kitchen door leading to the side door so he could hurry with her requests.

Sebastian hurried with the tasks he was given and by the time he walked back into the kitchen Vivian had a cup of tea in her hands and Miriam was serving her a bowl of stew. He knew that stew was the cure all remedy. Some people often said it made them feel like they will live longer. He knew it worked healing from first hand experience. He had been sick and he never thought he would get better but eating the stew for just three days for lunch and dinner brought him back to feeling like himself. It had been one of his favorite meals ever since he had been sick.

“Sebastian, I talked to your father and he wants to bring your uncle home soon. You should probably head on home with the food now.” Miriam told Sebastian. “It will be okay. You can come back in the morning for breakfast to check up on Vivian. I’m going to make sure she gets cleaned up and has her belly filled. I will also let her sleep in the extra bedroom in my quarters so shes not alone in a strange village.” She smiled at Vivian as she explained her plans for the night to Sebastian.

“Yes ma’am. Will you need me to return to help empty the tub later?” He asked as Miriam handed him all the food she was sending him home with and started pushing him towards the back door. He really wanted to come back to help and to see Vivian all cleaned up and taken care of.

“Now Sebastian you know good and well how capable I am with taking care of people. Why would you even ask that. Also I empty that tub on my own every time I bathe. I only need help bringing it to and from my parlor and I always have people who want to help me. Plus with the bears coming close I want you home to watch over your mother. Who knows when your father will really be home.”

“Yes ma’am.” Sebastian finally conceded. He turned towards Vivian before he left and said “Don’t worry. Miriam will take very good care of you. I will be back to check on you in the morning.” With that he turned out the door and disappeared into the night. He really didn’t want to leave Vivian. He couldn’t understand the pull she had on him but he really didn’t want her out of his sight. He wanted to stay with her and be the one to take care of her, but he knew she would probably prefer a woman to care for her while she is in such a vulnerable state.

As he walked home he started to play with the idea his mother had put into his mind when he was young. Love at first sight. The feeling of wanting to spend the rest of your life with someone, of not wanting to be away from them for even a second. That was his mothers definition. She had told all of her children that is how she felt the moment she saw their father. The main reason she was always so worried when he was gone from her. The second reason being all the hardships she had gone through being an orphan and living on the streets as a child in a city that was not kind to the poor.

Sebastian never wanted his mother to feel so helpless again so he had dedicated his life to being the best son he could be. Reminding himself of that promise he rushed home with the food so he could start warming it all up a bit for everyone. Tomorrow will be another day and he can do what he would like after he made sure his family was okay.

The next day he hurried through his morning chores and anything extra his mother needed help with. His father had already left before the sun was up to go fishing for the village. Rose Hallow only had 2 boats and they both needed to be out on the water early to be able to stock up on all the fish they could. The winter months were difficult to fish on the lake and hunting became harder with the animals becoming scarce.

Sebastian left the home and hurried off to the pub to check on Vivian and start his job of helping Miriam make the many types of bread for the village. He hadn't told anyone of Vivian yet. He thought it best if no one started poking about just yet. He didn't know if she was in danger and he wanted to try to keep her safe. He knocked on the kitchen door when he arrived.

He entered at Miriam’s call and was immediately set to work. “Good morning Miriam. How did it go last night?”

“It was all perfectly fine. Vivian didn’t talk much but I mostly stayed out of it. If she decides to stay in Rose Hallow she will eventually talk to you or I, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. She seemed extremely scared so I wouldn’t be surprised if she runs in a few days. Now if you don’t mind I have a lot to do today and I would really like to finish the loafs so I can still make my meals for the pub in a timely manner. Don’t worry you will see her again soon. She’s still sleeping.” Miriam said with a smile. “Go on my boy, get to work. We have a scheduled to keep.”

Sebastian was put to work mixing the dough's quickly. For hours he did all the hard labor of mixing the dough by hand for Miriam to bake. He lost count after the first few dozen. After all the loafs were finished he rushed out the door with the orders for delivery. He rushed around as quickly as he could to get all the deliveries done. Some places took longer to leave because the women usual wanted to talk to him about his mother and how she was doing, or they wanted to see what he would say if they offered their daughters to him for marriage. He was never interested in any of the young women in Rose Hallow. He always thought he would have to leave the village to find a woman he felt he would want to marry. Now he didn't have to leave. The moment he laid his eyes on Vivian, no matter what horrors she had been through, he knew she was the one. Even covered in dirt and having her clothes in shreds.

 

It had been centuries since he thought of that time, let alone allow himself to miss his life with his family. Sebastian didn't know how long he had sat there but when he finally pushed aside his memories he had a bad feeling. He couldn't describe it but he knew he was being watched and he needed to get back home as soon as he could. As he got up from his seat he turned towards his home and saw a woman standing across the park. She was just out of the spotlight of a street lamp near a large group of shrubbery. Even though his eyesight had been enhanced when he became a vampire he still couldn't make out her face. It was as if she was behind a cloudy veil but he felt like he should know who she was. He was about to walk over and see who it was but he got that feeling of something being wrong and needing to be home so he turned towards the directions of his home for a second. When he turned back the woman was gone and he knew he didn't hear her move so it was very off putting.

Sebastian decided to put the other woman in the back of his mind and rushed home as fast as he could. His only thought was making sure his family was safe. For the first time in centuries it hit him hard exactly what the women he had kept in his home for these last few decades meant to him. He was still trying to figure out what he truly felt for Faith, but Constantine and Cara were his family and he needed to make sure all three women were safe.

Every since Faith came into the castle he had noticed Emily had been acting rather strangely. He noticed the usually quiet woman who would keep to herself most of the time had now become more talkative to him. She would randomly show up in rooms or hallways with him and seemed to flirt. It made him extremely suspicious. He knew he would have to send her home sooner than expected, but that didn't bother him really. The only problem he had with that was that he knew Cara wanted to leave and explore the world and Constantine was getting further along in age that she wouldn't be able to keep the house in the state that it needs to be in. Maybe he should build her her own residence for her to live out the rest of her life in peace and not have to work anymore. Those were thoughts for another time. Right now he needed to just get home and make sure the women were all safe.

When he approached the boarder line of his property he noticed something that seemed extremely odd. Never before had he ever seen this but Emily was walking the perimeter of the property. It seemed like she had been looking for something but the minute he got close she turned towards him and rushed at him. Not knowing what to do he caught her and brought her back into the garden.

“Emily, what is going on? Is everything okay?” Sebastian asked concerned for the safety of everyone in the home.

“Oh, everything is fine. I was looking for you.” Emily replied running her hands over Sebastian's arms and chest. She took the moments Sebastian wasn't looking at her to look at the windows on the second floor to see if Faith was looking out the window. She continued to touch Sebastian seductively until she spotted Faith watching them. That was the perfect time to make her move. “Sebastian!” She exclaimed in urgency running her hands over his body, trying to show a sense of need. “I know I'm supposed to leave in these coming months but I just cant hide my feeling towards you anymore. I need you to touch me, take me, make me yours.” she begged making sure Faith could hear her. Emily threw herself at Sebastian in a way he would have to catch and grab hold if not it would cause them to fall to the ground. When he did grab her and she was close enough to his face she kissed Sebastian with everything she had. She wrapped her legs around his body and held on strongly. He knew something was wrong but he didn't want to hurt the woman. Her strength was extremely strong, stronger than what should be humanly possible.

Sebastian knew at that moment he needed to get rid of her because she was not what she seemed. He pushed Emily off of him and forced her to stand on her own. He looked at her through new eyes and what he saw there he recognized. How did he miss it all this time? He knew he needed to get rid of her as soon as he could manage. “You need to leave tonight. I don't care where you go but you need to get out of my house. As of midnight you are no longer welcome in my home, on my property or near any of my women. I know who you are and you will not do it to me again. You tell your true master that I will kill him if he tries this trick again. Now get your things and leave.”

With that said Sebastian walked into the house without looking back at the so called woman. He was furious that he allowed that thing into his home. How did he not know what she was when he hired her? Had she been one all along? Did he just recently find him? Is that why he felt like someone was watching him? Who was that woman he had seen earlier tonight. He went straight to Constantine to confide in her. She was the only person in the world who truly knew him. She also was the only person in the world who had a natural sense of protection even he was never able to break.

Chapter 8

Constantine was already in her bedroom but he knew she was awake. He felt bad for disturbing her but he needed to talk to someone. He knocked on the door and waited until she opened for him. When she opened the door he saw that sh was already dressed for bed and her hair was slightly messed uo as if she was already laying down in bed when he knocked. He didn't speak until he was in the room and she had closed the door. “Emily is leaving. She was one of them. Do you remember the soulless? The creatures I once told you about?”

“Well hello there Sebastian. How are you doing tonight? No, I'm not about to go to sleep, come on in.” Constantine commented laughingly.

“Dammit this isn't a game Connie.” He called her by the nickname she had told him to call her all those years ago. The none he called her in private because he demanded the others that worked for him treat her with the utmost respect. “HE sent her. I know he did. He has been watching us for who knows how long. Have you ever felt like you were in danger or like someone is watching you?” Sebastian made his point by using his stern commanding voice. He didn't want to make jokes at a time like this. He needed her to know the real danger he felt over the castle and everyone in it. He needed her to understand how worried he truly was. He started to pace the room trying to think. 

“Sebastian, I thought you said he was dead. You said you killed him yourself centuries ago. What happened tonight that makes you think otherwise?” Constantine asked. She was starting to feel true fear, something that she hadn't felt since she met Sebastian. Ever since he saved her she had felt safe, except for now.

“I thought I did.” Sebastian exclaimed as he ran his fingers through his hair. It took him a few moments to realize was making gestures he only made when he was human and scared, which had been centuries ago. He knew what it mean and he didn't like it but he couldn't stop. Now that he had three women in his life who meant everything to him he couldn't help but feel fearful for them. Could I protect them better than I had my own flesh and blood? That had been useless against him last time. What am I supposed to do this time? I know I’m stronger and I know new tricks but would he foresee what I plan? Sebastian couldn't even think to speak his name. “I had seen his body start to burn but I had to get out of there myself or else I would have burned too. Emily is one of those things. I know she is. She tried to throw herself at me. I dont know if she was one all along but she definetly is one now and I know who sent her. HE is the only one I’ve ever seen do something like that. Its cruel to take so much from someone to just leave a shell.”

“What are we going to do Sebastian? By what you had told me decades ago this thing is one to be feared and everyone alive would be smart to stay away from him.” Constantine recalled. She tried to remember everything Sebastian had told her but it had been so long ago and so much has happened that she couldn't remember everything he told her.

“Well for now Emily is leaving tonight. No one is to leave the house after dark except for me. There will be a temporary curfew. No one is to leave or be out of the house an hour before sunset and everyone is to stay inside an hour after the sun rises. I feel danger is coming and I know with him around it will be even more easy for any of you to be harmed. The only times I will leave will be to feed but I wont be long unless we can find a way for me to feed every few days and not have to leave. Don't open the doors to anyone, even Emily.” Sebastian was rambling but he couldn’t help it. He needed to speak to Constantine and he needed her to help him figure things out. Even though he was older he could always go to her for advice. 

“Things don't feel right anymore. What am I to do about Faith? I want her to stay, she will probably want to leave, but I know for a fact it’s too dangerous now. Remember when I brought her back in the house after she had gone for that walk before you all ate dinner? I felt danger and I think it was him. I think he was watching the house and he knows everyone here is human besides me. Emily probably told him about how protective I am of everyone here. Dammit, I don't know what to do. I feel like I need to take you all away and hide you, but that would be a waste of time. I know he can smell everyone of you. Once he gets a scent he will never stop until he gets the person he wants. The problem is I don’t know what or who he wants now.” Sebastian was panicking because he didn't know what to do. He hadn't talked to any vampires in decades. 

“Sebastian, I need you to sit down because you are going to think too much and I need you to listen.” Constantine put her hands on his shoulders to make him snap out of his panic. Once she knew he was with her again and listening she led him to the seat next to her bed. She sat on the edge of the bed facing him making sure he looked at her and didn’t retreat into his mind. If that happened her would be useless. She never saw this panic in him and she knew this person was really bad if even Sebastian was acting this way. “First off I need you to stop doing exactly what you are doing. This wont help anyone. You need to try to contact any friends you have. You need them to come here and help you take him out. If you all take him out then none of you will be threatened by him. You need them to agree to help you.”

Sebastian finally calmed down enough to listen and process what Constantine was saying. He took a minute to think about it and finally came to the conclusion that she was right. He needed help for this. This wasn’t just some human he could easily take out by himself. “You’re right, Connie. Thank you for listening to me. I’m sorry I delayed your sleep. I’ll be in the basement. Don't let anyone leave or bother me. I need to make a few calls and figure this out. Good night.” With that he got up, kissed Constantine on the cheek and left her room. 

What the hell is going on around this place? Sebastian hadn't come into contact with another vampire in probably half a century. It seemed like they all wanted nothing to do with him. They all avoided his city and her never left. He went to the basement and pulled out his little black book he had hidden on the top book shelf behind the heaviest books he ever owned. The weight was nothing for him but the women could never move them. Those were the best investments he had ever gotten. Since no one else but him could move them none of the women had ever found any of his treasures he had hidden in the wall behind he books. Once he found the book he sat down a his desk, and started looking through it. Trying to remember the last time he had seen each person as he came across the names was not too difficult. What was difficult was finding someone willing to help him.

Addams, Francis...nope. I hadn't known his wife was still human because she was newly pregnant and I drank her dry. That was a mistake I will regret for the rest of my life. I'm sorry old friend. I didn't even know you were married. Sebastian hopped to one day say those words out loud and he hopped his friend would forgive him. Come to think of it Cara actually looked a lot like Francis’ wife. Sebastian couldn’t remember her name but he definitely remembered what she looked like. How did I not realize that before?

Bates, Nicolas...I tricked him into staying out in the sun too long and permanently scared his face. I wounder if he’s still angry about that.

Capelli, Bethany...She fancied herself in love with me and when I rejected her she went into a killing spree so bad I had to lock her in a cave. I wonder if she ever got out. I bet if she did she would have come for my head by now. 

Dane, Bartholomew...He thought I was trying to take his wife. I wonder if he ever figured out who she was cheating on him with.

Devin, Ethan…He was definitely my best friend. We got run out of town when we were spotted feeding one night. We had to split up to stay safe but that was decades ago. I wonder if he still has this number.

On and on Sebastian went for over 40 minutes reading through his entire book at the names he had written over the years. By the time he finished with his book he had only four people he knew he could rely on. He was going to take a chance on calling Francis though. Hopefully if he comes here and see’s Cara he will be willing to help. If I have to I’d be willing to had Cara into his care, as long as she agrees. it’s going to be hard to do but he knew exactly what he had to do. 

Sebastian started to call everyone he knew would come. He knew Constantine was right. He needed help to deal with this problem as soon as possible. If not he might lose Faith before he even really got to know her. 

His first call was to Francis. Sebastian had never been nervous about calling someone on the phone before but given the past he was this time. The phone rang three times before he heard a familiar voice.

“Hello?” Francis said.

Sebastian didn’t know what to say at first. The only thing that came to mind, and the first thing that came out of his mouth, was “I’m sorry.”

“Sebastian? What are you doing calling me?” Francis asked. Oddly enough though he didnt sound as angry as Sebastian had thought he would be. He sounded more tired than anything.

“Hey Francis. I have a problem and I need help. I was going through my book looking for help and your name was the first one in there. I started to remember what happened and all I could thinka bout was how badly I have wronged you and how badly I wanted to apologize. I really am sorry for what happened. I didnt know you had married and I didnt know she was pregnant until I finished drinking. At the end I tasted...her. After it was over her memories hit me and I just knew. I wronged you in the worst way and I wish everyday that it hadnt happened. I also just realized that I had taken in a girl since she was young. I raised her as my own and didnt see it until today that my Cara looks just like Kristen. If I had paid attention sooner I would say she was reincarnated.” Sebastian was so desperate to get everything out before Francis decided to hang up. All that greeted him was quiet. He got a little scared that Francis did in fact hang up.

For a few minutes he sat there waiting to hear something. After what seemed like forever he heard a soft breath. “And what does that mean for me? You’re going to give her to me?” Francis asked.

“Well, kinda… Cara has been asking to go explore and I just can’t go with her. I wish I could but I can’t, and I don’t like the idea of her going out on her own. If you agree my plan is to talk her into going with you, which I know wouldn’t be too hard because of her eagerness. I trust you even though I wronged you. You were one of my best friends and I hurt you unintentionally. We had lost touch for so long that I didn’t know anything about you. After I ran into you I never thought to ask about what you were up to. I was selfish and hungry and I figured we could catch up after we both ate. Once I realized what I had done it was too late and I regretted it.”

“So let me get this straight Sebastian. You essentially want to give me your daughter in order to protect her, but you want me to take her around the world.” Francis said shocked. “The last time we saw each other I was holding my dead pregnant wife, the woman you killed, and now you want me to take a girl you love around the world for a vacation?”

Sebastian sat with his head down in shame. “Yes, essentially. Look I only have your number because one morning my housekeeper found it in the mail and then I looked it up the only information I was able to get was your name. I knew I needed to keep it. I don’t know how it ended up in my mail but it did and I thought it would be smart to keep it. I’ve been trying to atone for my past mistake with you. I have saved countless women from men and monsters all because of what I did to you. I have three women in my home that I have saved. They are the only ones I have allowed myself to care for. I need someone to take my daughter away. Please. I need someone to take her away from the danger that has come to my door.”

“What danger? Sebastian I have forgiven you a long time ago. I have accepted my responsibility in the mistake you made. It wasn’t just your fault. I understand what happened. If you hadn’t run off I would have explained it to you. It wasn’t either of our faults for what you did to my wife. I thought I loved her, I genuinely did, but it was all wrong. She wasn’t pregnant with my baby. She wasn’t even a true person. She was one of HIS, I didn’t even know. When HE drained her she was already pregnant. I don’t know how he did it but he concealed the pregnancy from me for months as I fell in love with her. She was his pawn and He played me the whole time. I didn’t know what happened until after you killed her. I couldn’t recognize what she was.”

Sebastian sat there processing what he was hearing. The words went through his mind and started washing away the guilt he had felt for centuries. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He decided to think about it later and deal with what was going on at the present time. “So will you take Cara away from here, please?”

“I'm sorry but no. I will come and help you but I will not take her. After it is finished if you still wish for her to 

Prologue

 

Faith

 

Faith Anderson had gone back to her boyfriend’s house. Fine he was her ex-boyfriend but that title only labeled him as such for about a day. She had been on her way home from her best friend’s house when she thought she would take the long way home. Walking by Owen’s house she initially didn’t want to go in. She didn’t really want to face what he had done to her but something pulled her into the building straight to his apartment. As she stood in the living room of the three thousand square foot condo she realized why she really wanted to be with him. It wasn’t because of him or because of how she felt about him. It was because she just wanted to live comfortably. She didn't want to have to work so hard to go nowhere with her life. Faith had so many things she wanted to do but she felt like every day was a struggle just to make enough to pay bills and feed herself. She didn't want to live paycheck to paycheck anymore. 

“I knew it was a waste of time coming here. There was no point in reasoning with you, was there Owen? These last two years have been a waste of our time hasn’t it? Did you ever really care about me or us?” Faith asked. She knew there was no reasoning with a man who had never really loved anyone, not even his family, but she felt like she owed it to herself to at least try. Why did I expect more from him? Why did I think he actually loved me? Why couldn’t I see what was wrong? I really thought we were in love. Oh wait that’s right...he’s been cheating on me for months from what I found out. I wonder how soon after we started dating that he started cheating. She thought to herself about the whole relationship they had. He’s been brainwashing me this whole time.

Faith still had hope that things would get better. That Owen would grow to love her. She had spent the last two years in what she thought was a relationship but she just realized it was all a lie. She had this fairy tale dream that they would get engaged in the next six months, and get married by time their third year anniversary had come up. She had spent so much time dreaming about where she would be in the next five years. Her life plan for herself had just gone up in flames and this was her last ditch effort in trying to save it, even if what he did was horrible. It was so tiring to think about her days before she met Owen, but he was brainwashing her the whole time. He never really loved me. He only wanted people to believe I was his one and only because of how it would end up looking to the world. Noone could know who he really was or what he really was. What the hell am I doing here? He is a manipulative, abusive, egotistical, arrogant little man.

“I don’t know why you came but just sit down on the sofa. I need to go shower. I do have things I need to do and you came at a bad time. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. Then we can talk if you’d like as I get ready.” Owen explained. After he said what he needed to say he turned his back on her and went to his bedroom. Inside he was pissed beyond reason. He knew all females were whores. Even his own mother was a whore. She stepped out on her family, left her child behind, to follow as some man to the other side of the world and have another family never to look back. This time he planned to take out his anger on someone. If he hadn’t just gotten off the phone with his mother before his doorbell rang he probably would have just turned Faith away. That damn whore tried to call him and apologize for the last twenty years of his life. Tried to blame his father for her leaving him behind. Tried to tell him that she was going to take him but that his father tried to threaten her life if she attempted to take him. Of course he wouldn’t have gone with his mother. He was his father's sole heir. Why would he have left his life in comfort for a hovel in who knows where with a man he didn't know and children he would hate? It would have left him feeling different towards the woman if he had at least knew she wanted him when he was young.

Faith. He would not tolerate her disobedience. It was long enough now that she should know not to talk back to him. I groomed her enough by now that she should know her place with him. She should know he wouldn’t let her go far. He knew she was planning to leave and he was going to let her. He would have let her get away but he would have kept tabs on her. He would wait until he knew she thought she was free and he would bring her back. Who was she to talk down to him about being with other women when he knew perfectly well she was seeing other men. He may not love her but he decided she was his a long time ago and no one was going to take her, not even Faith herself.

Faith sat down on the sofa feeling awkward when she has never felt that way in this particular condo. It always seemed like home to her but now she felt odd. She decided to ignore it, thinking all she needed was to talk to Owen and fix their relationship. She hoped they could talk and maybe her time in a different city would defuse some of the tension. All those hours praying and dreaming of more and it never really involved Owen. She really was just wasting her time because the man she knew was meant to be by her side in those images was not Owen. She needed to leave now. Why am I even waiting for him to finish. I need to leave and I need to get out fast. Why am I sitting here waiting for a man who mentally and emotionally abuses me. Holy crap I’m being abused.

It’s a good thing after she had confronted him about his cheating she had told him she needed to go away for a couple months. In reality she was planning on moving which now with her new realizations was actually perfect timing. Faith would be moving in two weeks. Luckily she had a few friends Owen knew nothing about and they had helped her get a new job and found her an apartment. They were such good friends they even paid the first months rent for her. Faith didn’t understand why but she just had the realization that her friends probably saw her being abused and didn't say anything because they knew she wouldn’t listen. That’s why they were so willing to help her. Why they were so eager to help her. How could I have not seen any of this?

After having everything go through her mind and coming to so many realizations she started to panic. She needed to leave now. She needed to go home, pack, and leave as soon as possible. No waiting for two weeks. She needed to leave this city tonight. “Owen, I’m sorry I came. I thought we were going to be able to talk but I need to go now. Maybe we can talk another time?” She turned around to leave. Faith was so caught up in her thoughts that the next thing she knew there was a wet towel pushed up against her mouth and nose. She started to see black within a couple seconds.

Owen

 

Owen smiled down at the helpless little 23 year old. Since he had met Faith over a two years ago all he wanted was for her to do as he said and satisfy his needs. She was a lot harder to break than he thought. She was the first person who ever told him no. In his entire life no one had ever rejected him when he said he wanted something. He found that he did not like rejection at all. Owen thought himself as a man of superiority. No one had the right to say no to him. Knowing that she would not sleep with him, knowing that she told him repeatedly that she would not give herself to him at all made him angrier every time he heard her reject him. He knew she was giving herself to other men. There were times she would lie to him. He didn’t know why he allowed it but he did. He knew she would be good for his image when he finally took over his part in his father's company. He just needed to get her to be what he needed. Just a simple mouse of a wife who never spoke unless spoken to and who did everything he told her. He almost had her right where he wanted her. What had gotten into her that she all of a sudden left him? Why was she so shocked that he had been sleeping with other women. If she didn't give herself to him what was he supposed to do? He needed to get his pleasure from someone. He was a man after all. She would have been perfect but she just didn't want to follow his directions. She wouldn't have wanted for anything ever again if she had just done as he said. 

She had left him the day before when she saw that he had gotten phone calls from one of the women who was willing to satisfy him. He was sick of her rejection. He was better than anyone she would ever meet. He was the best a person like her could ever even hope for. Did she really think she would find someone better than him? Owen knew she was leaving soon but now he was unwilling to allow her to leave. So far he was already late but he couldn't pass up this opportunity. The way he saw this situation was if Faith wanted to come back here then she will suffer the consequences now. A nice little stay in the panic room will soften her up. If not he will have to look for other accommodations. If someone reports her missing they will send the police straight to his door. He would need to find somewhere else to keep her until he grew tired of her. Then he would have to decide to either keep her or get rid of her. The idea of getting rid of her was pretty tempting. Everyone will sympathize for him. She had no family so the only people who would really miss her are the people he knew and they would all worry about how he was holding up. Those other people she thought were her friends would all end up forgetting about her. He would make sure of it.

While trying to figure out what he would need for the next few days he picked up Faith and brought her to his closet. Owen took out everything she might find to escape the room. The only thing he left in there was the small built in cot he had to lower from the wall. He hated the damn thing but it was necessary if he ever had to use the room himself for an extended period of time. He then went to his walk in closet and headed straight to his hidden safe. He took out his handcuffs his father had brought him. The only reason his father thought it was a good idea to get them in the first place was if Owen was able to overpower an intruder and he needed to restrain them. Owen personally was never in a fight so why his father thought he would baffled him but he had kept them anyway and now he was thankful.

Walking to the panic room he attached the handcuffs to the cot. Making sure everything was to his liking he went back into his room, grabbed Faith by the hair, and dragged her into the panic room by her hair and dropped her at the foot of the cot. He didn't spare the time to be gentle. After Owen finally got Faith on the cot he went into his closet and got out an outfit he had hidden in a box on the top shelf. He had brought it for Faith over a year ago so she would dress up for him. He had the fantasy of ripping it off of her after overpowering her. The outfit consisted of a skin tight pencil skirt with a slit in the back that cut up all the way to just under her ass. He had seen her wear similar outfits for work except for the slit. Hers never had a slit. He had also brought a sheer white button down blouse. There was another box with a bra and panty set but he decided to forgo that part. For what he had in mind she wouldn’t need them. Maybe next time she will agree to put them on. At the moment he didn't want to waste more time than he already was.

Owen ripped the clothes she was wearing off of her. She wouldn’t ever need them again. She will only wear what he wanted her to wear from now until he got tired of her. Besides for what he had in mind she wouldn’t really need clothes anyway. He took out the outfit and he very carefully put it on Faith. Making sure every detail was perfect with her clothing he laid her on the cot and handcuffed her to it then strapped down her hips and spread her legs so she wouldn’t be able to move her body an inch. He thought about putting a blanket on her but decided against it. He put the air conditioner for the whole apartment on sixty five degrees and made sure Faith was secure on the cot before he closed the door making sure it too was locked. He wouldn’t be back home until one in the morning. He knew she would be cold but he had a lot of good fun plans for her. He finished getting himself ready for his business dinner and left the apartment. The anticipation he felt was beyond any he had experienced in his life.

Faith

 

Faith woke up three hours later with a migraine. Not wanting to make it worse she decided not to open her eyes right away. “What happened?” she said out loud hoping someone else would tell her. Just thinking hurt too much so instead she tried to figure out where she was first. She tried to raise her hand to rub her eyes but she found she couldn’t move it. In fact she couldn’t move her body at all. With that realization she opened her eyes immediately. Faith saw she was in a small room with grey walls. The only light in the room was a dull light coming from under the cot she was laying on. Why can’t I move? What is going on? It was then that she remembered talking to Owen, him leaving, her finally realizing what he had been doing to her, the feeling of panic, then nothing. What the hell did he do to me? Oh God where am I? How am I going to get out of this? I knew I shouldn’t have come to see him. This was a horrible idea and now I’m stuck who knows where. Why is it so cold and what am I wearing? “Oh, God I’m not making it out of here. He is so much further gone than I had even thought. He might kill me. Please God, help me get out of here. Please get me to safety.”

Chapter 1

 

Two weeks later

 

Sebastian

Sebastian James was walking out of his favorite bar when an unfamiliar scent saturated the air around him. It smelled of roses and rain. His mouth watered and his mind became obsessed, but he found himself more confused than anything. He looked down at both ends of the street he was standing on and saw no one. The longer Sebastian smelled the scent the more curious he grew to figure out exactly where that smell was coming from. What baffled him the most was that the scent wasn’t strong at all but was so appealing to him anyway. It wasn’t a usual thing for a scent to catch his attention so much that he forgot everything else around him. He forgot he was supposed to be on his way home. The most I have to lose is a night of looking for something I know I can’t find. It’s better than sitting at home doing absolutely nothing. Besides I already ate so why not entertain myself. I only have time to kill before I really have to go home anyway. Sebastian thought to himself as he started to follow the trail of the scent. 

Soon he found himself outside of a high rise apartment building. The scent seemed to drift through a balcony door up at the top of the building. Sebastian was starting to go crazy with finding the source of the smell. The only time he ever went crazy over a scent was when he hadn’t eaten in weeks and he was on the brink of going mad. Sebastian was so lost in thought that a man coming out of the building bumped right into him as he was turning. “Watch where you're-” the man said annoyingly but when he looked up and saw how big Sebastian was he stopped mid sentence. Sebastain knew the look of fear in a person’s eyes and usually didn't like the feeling of people looking at him in fear but for some reason it gave him satisfaction now to see it.

Sebastian just looked at the man. He was about 5 feet 6 inches tall, kind of on the lanky side, with eyes so pale blue they reminded Sebastian of ice, and skin was so pale he looked down right evil. If Sebastian wasn’t so bent on finding the source of the entrancing scent he would read this person like a book. He would be able to find out every dark secret, nightmare, fantasy, and anything else he could ever want. At the moment he just wanted the source of the scent so he gave the man a snarl which had him turning and running. Sebastian turned back toward the building and followed the scent. The only problem he had now with being so close to the source was that it was now laced with the sweet metallic smell of blood. Never before had the scent of blood actually bothered him but somewhere deep in his chest he felt a pain at what was at the end of the trail. He knew whatever he found was not going to be right. For some reason the man who bumped into him popped into his mind and he became enraged. He knew at that moment that whatever it was at the end of this trail had to do with this little man. I should have read him. Why didn't I read him?

The trail seemed to end at a door that the balcony should lead into. For the first time in over 300 years the smell of blood actually made Sebastian feel sick. Sebastian hadn’t smelled blood so repulsive in hundreds of years. It’s the only thing that kept him from moving. Sebastian opened the door because he just needed to find out where the blood came from. It was just like many of the locks he opened before. He grew anxious trying to figure out why the scent that was so appealing to him was mixed with the horrible smell of blood. When he finally walked into the apartment he didn’t find anything. Everything was pristine, but he had a dreadful feeling. The scent still lingered which meant whatever was bleeding was either hiding or had been moved.

Forgetting the apartment he followed where the scent seemed to be the strongest. It was a heavy metal door that seemed to have a hand print lock. Sebastian knew he would not be able to open it without at least a hand. The thought was very tempting but the problem was he didn’t know whose hand he would need. He decided to hide in the apartment until whoever lived there came back. Then he would finally be able to find out what was driving him crazy. And possibly punish whoever it was who mixed the blood with the scent of roses and rain because he truly believed the smells came from the same source.

One week before

 

Owen

 

“Ple….please let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone. I promise I will leave and you will never see me again. Just let me go. Owen please just let me go. I’m sorry if I hurt you or disrespected you. I’m sorry for any wrong I have done towards you. I just want to go home. ” Faith pleaded.

“You should have just listened when I told you what I was doing. I told you about it when you first said no to me but you probably paid no attention to me. You decided I wasn’t good enough for you to be with. Then when you see me with another woman I keep on the side you break up with me. You ever think I only had them because you refused to have sex with me? I could have forced you but I never did. I did one even better. After you told me you wanted to wait I told you I was going to find someone else to fill that part. I told you I was going to wait but that I needed physical pleasures. You begged me to understand that all you could do was kiss me. I told you I did so instead of forcing you I kept other women for that pleasure, and then you condemn me. You’re the one who wanted to hold out on me but I'm the one in the wrong. I’ve been taking care of you in every way possible. I helped you make your life better and you want to leave me? That’s not happening. I put too much time into making you better for you to leave now.” Owen explained.

Owen had kept Faith tied up in the panic room of his apartment until the next morning. He never checked on her when he got home. He decided to make her wait so instead he had showered and gone to bed. He found that having her waiting in the panic room gave him a kind of pleasure he had never experienced before, and he loved the feeling. He imagined her waiting for him to come in but actually seeing her in the morning was so much better than his imagination could have ever been. She was crying which he loved to see. She was eager to talk to him which he found amusing. The only problem he had was she wanted to leave now. He wasn’t going to let her go. He wanted her to promise to be a good little girl and do everything he asks. Why wouldn’t she be more submissive? She will learn soon enough.

Owen had ended their conversation and left her alone for a few more minutes. He cleared his schedule for the next two weeks. He wouldn’t work or leave his apartment. The only person who entered would be his house cleaner and that was only two days a week. He beat and raped Faith every day for the first five days. Her first time he was gentle. He wanted her to remember it for the rest of her life, but after he became so brutal he wasn’t satisfied until every inch of the small panic room was covered with her blood. He fed her very little and never allowed her to bathe. He thought of her bruised and battered body as his work of art. Faith didn’t know how someone could be so cruel. To think I thought he loved me. Boy was I wrong about that. Please, God, just let me get out of here. Let me go home. Let someone come save me please. Faith prayed in her mind and begged every minute she was awake to be allowed to leave. 

The day Owen decided to move Faith to a new location he kept her tied but cleaned her up, and moved her when he knew no one would see them. He used the staff elevator that was never used at night and snuck her out the back of the building to a waiting truck. He moved her to an empty abandoned house far away from the city. It took him about an hour to drive there but it was worth it. Noone would know what was going on in the building. He decided to torture her worse now that there was no chance in hell that anyone could possibly hear her screams. He used items to cause pain. Knives to cut or carve skin, whips to hurt, clubs to hit. Eventually he realized that he would have to get rid of her. Keeping her now became impossible. That didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun first, and he knew who could help him with that.

“You really thought you could leave without me knowing?” Owen asked Faith.

Confused Faith looked at Owen. She was terrified of him now but she refused to show him her fear. “What are you talking about Owen? You know I cared about you…”

At that moment Owen decided to punch Faith in her jaw. Finally she shut up. I’m going to make her pay.

Owen turned to her with a knife and cut off all Faith’s clothes, along with some more of her skin. “Finally I have you where I want you. I’ve been patient with you. All I wanted was for you to be submissive and allow me to mold you into the perfect wife. I just wanted you to follow my orders blindly but no. You had to go and decide you wanted to be your own person. You didn't want to give yourself to me so you forced me to take others and they would have loved to be in your shoes. To be a kept woman and all you had to do was listen to what I tell you. YOU had the nerve to get mad when you finally saw me with another woman!” Owen screamed.

Owen continued to beat and rape Faith everyday for another week. He had arranged for a group of his lesser known “friends” to stay with Faith and watch her. He knew they would also rap her but he didn't care. As long as she was cleaned for him he didn't care. On the last day of that week he bumped into the scariest man he had ever seen. The man had been well over  feet tall, and built like a tank. At first he hadn’t noticed the man because he was so immersed in his phone but the second he looked up he couldn’t speak. He was terrified and just wanted to run away which is exactly what he did when the man snarled at him like a wild animal.

 Over three hours later and a new set of clothes Owen finally arrived back at his apartment. He had planned on taking a shower and eating some dinner, but someone had other plans. One thought that stayed with him for hours was the look of that man he had bumped into before heading out to see Faith. He also decided on his way home that Faith would have to go soon. He called the guy he left in charge, Pete, and told him that Faith must not be beaten anymore. He explained his plan of having her with no marks so when her body is found nothing can be traced. He figured in another month or so he could get rid of her and everything will go back to normal.

After he hung up the phone he walked into his room so he could finally take his shower. As he opened his dresser to get out his boxers his closet door opened and someone attacked him. Being a man who up until two weeks ago wasn’t a violent man he didn’t know how to defend himself well. Instead he just screamed. After his mouth was covered he remembered he had let go of his security team and forgot to tell them to go back to their usual spots around his apartment. He was now completely alone.

 

Sebastian

Sebastian thought this little human who lived so luxurious was pathetic. He knew it was the little man who bumped into him earlier and he reeked of the putrid smell of blood. He thought the man would at least try to defend himself but the guy started squealing like a pig. Sebastian just had to laugh at him, and he did until he had a sniff of that peculiar scent that had entranced him earlier on the man himself. “Where have you been tonight?” Sebastian asked.

Owen didn't know what to say. All he could think was he was going to die and he had no way of getting help. He was frozen in fear and could even speak.

Sebastian pushed the man toward the metal door and said “You will open this door or I will cut off your hand and do it myself.” He was just so focused on opening the door and figuring out what the hell was driving him crazy.

“I…pl…please just don’t hurt m…me.” Owen stumbled. Once he was up close to the man he regretted the way he had treated him as he walked out his building earlier. He thought maybe if he had been nicer this wouldn’t be happening. “I..if you’re looking for money it’s not in there. I have a safe in my office. I will happily open it for you if that is what you want. I’m sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to come off so rude.” Desperate Owen rushed out. He didn't want to open the door and he didn't want the man to see the panic room. He hadn’t taken the time to clean the room yet. He knew a housekeeper wouldn’t clean it and not tell the police.

Sebastian looked at the man and waited. Owen knew he had no choice so he reluctantly put his hand on the scanner. As Sebastian looked into the tiny room he became enraged. Every inch was covered in blood. The scent was strongest in this room but it was empty. When he turned back to the clean cut man he asked “Who or what was in this room last?”

Since Owen was so scared he answered truthfully hoping his life would be spared. “I kidnapped my girlfriend.”

“Then why the fuck is this room covered in blood?” Sebastian asked as his stomach turned at the thought of a female being in this room at all.

“It’s her blood. I kept her in here. Sh...she hurt me sss...so I hurt her worse.” Owen said.

“Where the fuck is she? I know you were just with her. I can smell her on your skin. What else did you do to her?!” Sebastian screamed as he threw and held Owen against the wall by his throat.

“She...she’s in the old Miller house outside of town. She is still alive if that’s what you want to know.” Owen answered as Sebastian got closer to him.

Sebastian changed the hand print on the scanner so it would only open to his touch and he destroyed every way out of the room. He shoved the pathetic man into the room before he locked the bastard in. All he heard was the little man screaming to open the door and please let him out.

Ha, let him out. He is lucky if I even come back to kill him. If I don’t find her soon I will make him take me to her then I will kill him in front of her just so she knew completely that the bastard was dead.

Chapter 2

 

Sebastian left the building like his life depended on it. He used his super speed to find the house the little bastard had told him about. It appeared to be a dilapidated farmhouse. One might look at it and think it was abandoned. At least it would be if not for the group of thugs that looked ready for war surrounding the little building. He walked around the perimeter of the house looking for any sign of life inside. Sebastian heard all the heart beats of everyone outside but he couldn’t really hear anything from inside. Closing his eyes he concentrated on trying to block out all sounds except for the ones that might be coming from inside. He heard the guards talking.

“What do you think we should do with her now?” one man asked.

“Well, Owen definitely isn’t coming back for a couple hours. Hell, he might come back tomorrow. I think he had something else to do tonight. Let’s see…” he trailed off as Sebastian heard him start to walk a circle around something. “We washed her up for the next time he decides to beat her and she’s still unconscious. Why don’t we have a go at her some more, Tony? We can always just wash her up again.” the man offered.

“You read my mind, Rodney.” Sebastian heard the smile in Tony's voice and the monster he was struggling so hard to control broke loose.

Sebastian ran and started ripping out throats, hearts, and eyes. He saw only red and thought only of the helpless girl he knew to be inside. He heard guns going off all around him but he felt nothing. How terrified she must be whenever men were around her. How long had she endured this torture before he finally started looking for only a scent that drove him crazy?

By the time he got to the door the two men from inside had come out with their guns raised ready for a fight. Sebastian caught both of them by the throat and started to squeeze their necks. He didn’t stop until he felt nothing left to crush. When he let go he saw that he clawed through their necks. It looked as if an animal had taken a clean bite straight out of their necks.

Sebastian closed his eyes as he tried to calm down. He didn’t want to run into the house while he was angry. He took deep slow breaths as he also tried to concentrate on the one very faint heartbeat that he could finally hear. He ran to the basement and found a tiny naked girl on the floor. He thought it was a child because she was just so frail and small. As Sebastian approached the small body the scent that had been driving him crazy these past couple hours got stronger. As the scent got stronger so did his monstrous need to protect and to claim what was his. When Sebastian picked up the woman his heart moved up to his throat. He didn’t bother looking at her face because he knew if he did he wouldn’t make it back to his house. He felt the tingle he usually got an hour before the sun rose. If he didn’t make it back she would be helpless again and he refused to leave her unprotected again.

Sebastian used his super speed to get her to his castle. He knew he wouldn’t make it home in time so he ended up having to use the hidden underground way in. Half an hour later he was walking into his bedroom and laying the woman on his bed. When he finally covered up the woman he looked at her face and for a couple minutes he just stared at her in shock. The woman he was just holding had been starved, tortured, and used in more ways than he knew. She looked like she had been beaten for weeks, and her heartbeat was becoming weaker by the minute. He vowed right then that he would seek out his vengeance on that man locked in the closet. He would find out exactly how long she had been held hostage, what had been done to her, and he would make sure she would be protected for as long as she lived. He cut open his wrist and held it up to her open mouth. After a few minutes of his blood dripping into her mouth her heartbeat became stronger and her skin bloomed with color. It was time to let her rest and wake up on her own. It was his turn to watch over her and he swore to himself that she would never have to live in fear again.

Sebastian left the woman to sleep on his bed and walked to the kitchen to find his housekeeper. Constantine, an elderly woman, has been in his service since he saved her in the forest over 30 years ago. She was 35 when he saved her from a mob of men who sought out to harm her. He had captured and imprisoned every one of those men. For months he tortured them all until he grew tired of keeping them alive. He just drank them all dry as the others watched.

From that day forward Constantine had lived in his house under his protection. 

After five years of being in his castle and realizing he never aged she asked why. He first tried to dismiss her and send her back to her family. After being employed with him for so long Sebastian finally started to get to know Constantine. She explained that she had no family and therefore no one to go back to. She expressed how badly she wished to stay living in the castle as it was the only place she felt truly safe. After many more years he finally confided in her what his true nature was. Even though she knew the truth about him she never thought to leave him. He had saved her life and she owed him everything.

As she aged she requested help in the castle, and he had no problem to grant her that wish. He would find women who needed the work. He made sure they knew they were to work for him for only five years. During that time he would send the money to their families and make sure everyone was taken care of. They were to live at the castle and tend to the animals in the small farm he had created for Constantine. After their time at the castle was up they were sent back to their families and they would never have to work again. At the moment he employed two women to help Constantine. Sebastian found her sitting at the table with the other two women. At the age of 65 Constantine had grey hair in which she kept in a very long braid and piercing dark grey eyes that never missed a detail. Emily at age 30 had radiant red hair that fell past her shoulders with eyes as green as the sea. Cara, the youngest, at age 17 with eyes that reminded him of the sky, hair mixed with dark brown, platinum blond, and honey colored hair.

As he looked at them all sitting, Sebastian knew he would soon have to let Emily go back to her family soon. He didn’t know what would come of Cara in the years to come. He found Cara on the edge of the lake that lined the east side of his land. He knew she had to be an orphan when he found her. She was 5 years old and terrified when he found her. After he brought her to Constantine and they began to care for her. Weeks passed when they finally found out that she had been left in the woods by her father. Alone and left for dead just because she looked just like her mother, who had left him for another man. Cara was the only other person who knew his secret, but she learned early on how to keep it to herself very well. He saw her as the daughter he never had the chance to have. He didn’t want her to leave but he also wanted her to have the chance at a family of her own. Sebastian would do anything to keep her safe and happy but he knew she would never be completely happy living in the castle tending to him her entire life. He knew she craved freedom and a family of her own even though she would never admit it.

Sebastian mentally shook the thought aside and cleared his throat to get the attention he required. When they all turned to look at him he began giving his orders. “Constantine, I will need you to go to my room when you are finished and I will need you to stay there all day.” He looked at Cara lovingly and said “Before you get back to work please get Constantine all the medical supplies and leave them outside my door. Knock to let her know you have left the supplies and get back to what you had planned for the rest of the day. Emily, prepare to go into town for some clothes shopping. I would like for you to get several days worth of sweatpants, t-shirts, and underwear. Constantine will give you the sizes for it all later in the day.” Sebastian instructed Emily. 

Then to both Emily and Cara he said “Do not go into my room, either of you. If you need Constantine throughout the day use the intercom, but do not scream if you do please. I need peace and quiet in this place for the next day or so. I have a special guest and I want everyone to be prepared because I might require you to stop whatever it is you are doing to see to the needs of my guest. If my guest requests anything at all I want you to get to it quickly. You will all get rewarded greatly if you follow my instructions.” He then thanked them all and walked back to his library to open the hidden cellar door.

Sebastian never had a need for that room for over 30 years. The last time he used it was the day he told Constantine that he was a vampire. He knew she would never turn on him so he let himself be comfortable in a regular bedroom. He had saved her life and she protected him with her own since that day no matter the situation. He walked into the cellar and took off the white sheet from the small bed. He then went back to his room to get ready for his slumber. It was already an hour past sunrise and he was slowly getting tired. He felt the weight of the sun rising pushing his body closer to sleep. He decided to get a large t-shirt he rarely used and put it on the woman he saved. He didn’t want her to feel too vulnerable when she woke.

As he stepped into his sweatpants he heard a knock at the door. Constantine was waiting outside his door with her yarn and needles and a book all inside her favorite tote, the one he gave her for her 36th birthday.

“How did you know?” Sebastian asked Constantine with a smile on his face.

“Whatever do you mean, my lord?” She asked innocently as she walked over to the large plump oversized chair and put her bag down.

“You know what I mean. How did you know I would ask you to stay here until I woke?”

“Sebastian I’ve lived here for thirty-five years and not once have you had a guest. And when you said you would need peace and quiet I assumed your guest was probably in bad shape. And from what I can tell she is.” Constantine explained as she walked over to the bed to look at the woman sleeping there. “Is she the one, my lord?”

“Yes, I believe she is. I caught her scent as I left a bar early tonight. I was looking for a meal but instead I smelled her. I followed her scent until I found a house in the country that was surrounded by a small army of men. I found her in the basement where she had been kept for weeks being repeatedly beaten and raped.” He explained. Sebastian decided to keep some details of the story from Constantine. She didn't need to know exactly how crazy he had become. 

“That’s all I need to know Sebastian. I understand now why you want me here all day. Would it be any good to ask you if they fed her at all?” At the look he gave her she assumed that was a no. “Go to bed Sebastian. I will look over her until you rise again. She will be cleaned and bandaged at the very least. I will also do my best to make sure she eats, even just a little.” She finally said as she pushed him toward the door.

Once she knew Sebastian was asleep Constantine called for Cara to bring her two very large bowls, a handful of hand towels, a bottle of Sebastian’s body wash, and the large first aid kit. She spent the next hour carefully cleaning the injured woman of any dirt. She took even more care to clean the countless injuries that she carried. After all was done she left everything outside of the room and used the intercom to call Cara to take care of everything left in the hall quickly. She then sat down in the chair to watch over the fragile woman for the rest of the day.

Faith awoke to a room filled with candles, and the scent of cedar and leather, and something else she couldn’t quite describe. One thing she knew for certain was she wasn’t back in the basement of Owens abandoned building. As Faith lifted her head to look around everything began to spin. She felt like she was in a merry-go-round. She immediately pushed herself towards the side of the bed so she could be sick. After her stomach finally settled she lay back on the bed, heard a woman talking and passed out.

As Constantine watched the young woman become violently ill she ran to the intercom and called for Cara to bring a bucket and cleaning supplies. Constantine took everything from Cara and gave her a reassuring smile. Constantine cleaned everything up and left the bucket next to the bed in case of another accident.

After a couple hours passed by Constantine called for Emily to make broth and bread. When it was finally delivered to Sebastian’s bedroom she also received the clothes Sebastian requested. She finally decided to wake up the young woman so she could get something into her stomach. Though she knew the young woman needed desperately to eat something she could do would wake her. She did the best she could under the circumstances. She lifted the woman as best she could and piled pillows behind her. Next she opened the woman’s mouth and spooned in tiny amounts of broth. It seemed to work so after the broth got cold Constantine put the bowl in the hall and called for one of the women to pick it up.

As the day passed Constantine sat looking at the young woman, hoping that she would be able to recover. She finally concluded it was the longest day of her life after hours of worrying for this young woman who she didn’t know. She had looked after numerous young women that had been ill but never had she been so genuinely concerned. Nore had it ever truly mattered for a woman to recover so much. She did not want to disappoint Sebastian and she did not want to tell him that the woman wouldn’t ever recover. Constantine vowed she would do everything possible to make sure the woman recovered. At that moment she remembered what Sebastian had done to her many years ago.

Decades ago Constantines doctor had informed them that she had cancer and her time in this world was limited. Not willing to give up his closest friend Sebastian gave Constantine a couple vials of his own blood. She didn't know what she was supposed to do with it for a long time but eventually Sebastian told her she would need to drink some of it in order to get better. After she did the cancer had disappeared. Maybe the same could help this woman too.

About an hour before sunset Sebastian finally walked through the bedroom door. Constantine didn’t feel as reassured as she usually was when he woke up. It broke her heart at the look on his face to realize that the young woman was still asleep.

“Sebastian, I need to talk to you. Can you please follow me into the hallway?” Constantine asked tenderly.

Sebastian looked lovingly at Faith before he followed Constantine. He wanted so badly to spend his night with her but he knew Constantine. She sounded very concerned and it worried him.

“Constantine, what happened while I was asleep? Did she eat?” Sebastian rushed out.

“No, she didn’t wake up enough to eat. Hours after you went to bed she woke and became violently ill. After that she fell back asleep and I left her for a couple hours. I tried to wake her so she could have broth and bread but she never even stirred. I’ve tried everything to wake her but nothing will wake her. She has a fever and I’m very worried about her. I even got so desperate that I took out that extra vial you gave me all those years ago, the one we keep hidden in the freezer, and gave her a few drops of that.”

“It’s alright Constantine. I thank you with all of my heart that you watched over her, and cared for her throughout the day. Do you think the vial helped her at all? Did Emily get some clothes?"

"Yes, she did. They are in the bottom of your dresser. I am concerned about having given her the vial though. Since waking enough to get sick she hasn’t sturred. I have no idea how she is doing since I can’t talk to her enough to get a feel of what’s going on."

"Thank you, Constantine. Go take the rest of the night off along with the other women. I’ll take it from here.” Sebastian offered. He gave Constantine a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he turned her and nudged her to do as he said.

He returned to his room and looked at the woman in his bed. After a few minutes he finally left to take his shower and get dressed. When he returned the woman was still as he left her. He decided then that he needed to feed. He could hear her blood pumping weakly through her veins and he knew she was too tempting if he was too hungry.

Sebastian left quickly to the nearest town. As was his way he sealed his bite and erased his memory from the people he fed off of. By the time he was back in his room only half an hour had passed. The whole time he was gone he was anxious. He tried to get his feedings done quickly so he could get back to the room but he knew he needed to have his full. He didn't want to take the chance of killing her.

When he finally walked back into his room he just stood looking at the woman. She looked so frail and he felt a fierce protectiveness over her. Sebastian blinked himself back to what he knew he had to do. As Sebastian sat at the edge of the bed he thought it best if he gave her some more of his blood. If she was experiencing the after effects of anything she would need to heal physically. The only way he knew to have that happen fast was to feed her some of his blood and let that heal her. Every other way he thought of would take too long to truly help her and she would probably end up in the hospital. 

He picked up her head and slid in under her so it would make the process easier. He cut his wrist and put it to her opened mouth. The minute the blood touched her tongue her body reacted. He knew she was asleep but her mouth closed over the cut he made and she started to drink like she hadnt had water in weeks. For him the feeling was extremly erotic. He had shared his blood with only one other person ever and it had never made him feel the way he felt in that moment with Faith. Once he felt they both had enough he carefully pulled her off his wrist and closed the wound. He grabbed a washcloth Constantine had left in the water basin by the bed and he cleaned up Faith so there would be no evidence of what he had just done. He knew she would wake up soon so he moved out from under her and situated her on the bed once more. He sat on the edge of the bed to wait for her to awake. As the woman woke up Sebastian decided to stay as still as possible. He watched her very intently making sure he was ready to get anything she would need if she was to be sick again.

Faith

 

Where the hell am I? Faith thought to herself as she finally woke up. She remembered trying to sit up the last time she woke up and decided against it just yet. She hurt physically so much but she felt safe for the first time in so long. She knew she wasn’t with Owen and his people from the last time she awoke. She slowly moved her head to take in the rest of the room as much as she could given that it was now very dark except for a fire in the fireplace. At least my head wasn’t spinning like it was the last time I woke up. She thought to herself. That’s when she noticed a silhouette of a man sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Who are you? Where am I?” Faith asked, trying to hide her fear but knowing it could be heard in her voice. To her own ears her voice was hoarse and weak. Given all the torture she went through she knew she would be in pain for a while. When she got no answer she sat up slowly and asked timidly “If you’re not going to hurt me can I please have some water?”

Before she could even finish her request the silhouette already had a glass of cold water in her hand. Faith had so many thoughts running through her mind as she drank the water. How did he know I was going to ask for water? How did I get here? Who is this man? Where am I? Why am I here? What happened to Owen and his men? Am I safe now? What if they find her? Why am I not more scared? Why does this man make me feel safe? I should probably be terrified right now, so why aren’t I?

After she finished the glass of water she just held it in her hands on her lap and watched the man. She tried her best to make out any facial features but nothing she tried would work. The fireplace was behind him so no light hit him on the face. After a moment of silence she broke it by asking "Where am I? Who are you?"

"My name is Sebastian James. I'm the man who saved you from that devil and his minions." Sebastian began to explain. "Please do not be frightened of me. I have an idea of what you have been through while in their care. I heard those evil creatures talk about what they had planned to do and I saw how they kept you. I'm under the impression that they have kept you quite a while torturing you in many ways. All I can say is that I will never be able to apologize enough for not having saved you sooner. It hurt me in ways I never knew existed to see the shape you were in when I saved you. I-"

"Now hold on a minute." Faith interrupted so she could digest what he had said. Her mind was swimming with memories and emotions that brought tears to her eyes. She knew this man sitting on the bed couldn’t have done what he just said. She started to think it was another one of Owens sick twisted games he loved to play with her. But after a few moments of thinking she knew it wasn't a game. She felt too safe with a stranger sitting at the edge of the bed in complete darkness.

She took the first calming breath she had taken since being knocked out by Owen that night she went to see him and thought to herself I'm saved. I'm safe. Finally. "How did you know where I was? How did you save me? I know I was in a house in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by heavily armed men. I tried countless times to escape. I always ended up caught and beaten until I was so weak I would end up unconscious."

“You wouldn’t believe me if I tried to explain it all to you.”

“Try me.” She challenged.

"Maybe one day when you have more faith in me I'll tell you. How are you feeling? Do you need a doctor or do you think home remedies will do the trick of fixing you up?"

"I feel like my body was beaten which I have felt for so long I expect it by now. I also feel oddly cold but I don't want to see a doctor. I feel alot better than I did this morning. At the moment I would just like to shower...alone."

“Why did you say it like that?” Sebastian asked.

“I haven’t had a proper shower in days and the last time I did....” Faith trailed off reluctant to explain any further. Regardless of having been tortured for so long by so many different men the voice of a strange man a few feet away from her in almost complete darkness made her blood actually heat up a few degrees. She thought that since being kidnapped she would ultimately die in that place at the hand of the one person who at one time claimed to loved her. She realized soon after she woke in his panic room tied to the cot that she had been wrong.

Sebastian could see her as if the lamps were on and knew if he turned them on just yet that she wouldn’t talk about what had happened. He knew that with the darkness she could let herself be a little vulnerable. He waited a couple minutes, watching her face closely in the dark. He saw a look of pain come to her face and saw a tear fall down her cheek. "What happened the last time?"

With a voice full of hurt she said "I wasn’t allowed to shower alone. Hell I wasn’t even allowed to wash myself. The men who were left in the house with me would usually keep me drugged and wash me." She put her head down and whispered the last part in a trembling voice.

"What’s your name?"

"Faith," She sighed tiredly. "Faith Anderson."

"Faith..." He chuckled a little as he repeated her name. Her name fit her. Just when he started to lose his faith in ever finding his one true love he found his Faith. He continued to speak with love in his voice "It’s an hour past sunset so I guess that would make it around 7pm. Are you hungry for anything at all?"

"Yes I am. What do you have?"

"I can get you anything you desire. Just say the word and I shall get it. While I get whatever it is you want you will be alone in this room and bathroom. There are clothes for you in the bottom drawer of the dresser."

"Can I get a chocolate milkshake, bacon cheeseburger with extra bacon, and cheese fries?" Faith asked hopefully.

"Whatever you want, Faith. Would you like help into the bathroom? I promise to only help you walk and put the shower or bathtub on for you. The shower is very large with many different shower heads and handles for everything. If you want I can put labels on them so you won’t need my help as much. The tub should be self explanatory. After I have that running I shall leave to get anything you want. If there is anything you would like please do not hesitate to ask. I’m here to serve you my dear Faith."

No matter how much she wanted to refuse the offer she knew she would need the help. Very timidly she agreed. As the light turned on it was a very dim glow, even the light in the bathroom became the same glow. She didn’t want to look at this stranger for fear of what she would see but he came near her slowly. She tensed as he came up near the side of the bed again.

Sebastian walked very slowly to Faith with his hand outstretched. Once he was within her reach he stopped walking and waited patiently for her to take his hand. He watched her very intently. He looked at her face and watched as she reluctantly took his hand. As he felt Faith place her small delicate hand into his larger rougher hand he felt a strange heat he had never felt before.

Faith felt the coolness of his skin but once he held her hand so he could help her off the bed she began to feel an odd heat tingle up her arm. She tried to pull away and instead was pulled to her feet. Her legs almost gave out under her weight but a strong arm slipped around her waist to keep her from falling. He held her up as she began to carry her own weight. Even after she was standing he kept his arm around her. It had been a long time since she had been able to walk and she was reluctant to shower. She was worried about her legs giving out again, falling in the shower, and possibly hurting herself worse. And she really didn’t want Sebastian to undress her again. As she finally stood with her legs holding her weight she looked up slowly into the face of the man holding her. She saw a strong chiseled jaw, full kissable lips, a perfect nose, and eyes the color of the midnight sky. He was gorgeous and she felt faint looking at him properly.

Sebatian felt her legs start to give out again so he held her more firmly against his body. His arm tightened its hold around her waist. He wondered if he had given her enough blood or if he should have given her more. He was worried about her but he didn't want to say anything in case she became frightened.

She couldn’t stop looking at him. She felt as if she had seen him before even though she knew for a fact she had never seen a man quite like him before. All she wanted was to have his arms around her. She felt safe in his arms even when she had never felt safe anywhere.

Sebastian watched Faith closely making sure she wasn’t in pain as she stood on her own. He began to worry more after he held her up and her legs almost gave out twice. “Are you sure you want to shower Faith?” He asked cautiously.

“I…I don’t know.” Faith said softly. “I don’t want to fall, and I might if I can’t seem to stand on my own.”

“Don’t worry about it. I will sit you on the edge of the bathtub and help you fill it. I’ll be back very quick so by the time you get in the tub I will be back. If you need I’ll be in the next room so you can call me.” Sebastian explained as he walked Faith into the bathroom slowly. He knew she wouldn’t be able to hold herself up too long.

Once he had her in the bathroom he led her to the edge of the large square bathtub. It had two steps leading up to the ledge of the top of the bathtub and Sebastian sat her on the ledge. He walked to a cabinet built into the wall and grabbed a big lush towel and one of his thick robes. He placed them on the first step down neatly so all Faith would need to do is reach over and cover herself.

As Faith sat watching Sebastian getting what she would need for a bath she was able to take in how large he was. He looked to be around 6’3 and he had wide strong shoulders. Along with his good looks came rich dark silky black hair. She was very happy she was sitting because she started to feel weak again from just looking at him.

“Do you have a preference of scent that you would like to use for a bath?” Sebastian asked Faith.

She was so distracted by looking him over that when he spoke she jumped slightly. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Sebastian didn’t miss her slight jump when he spoke to her. He kept his distance from her because he thought he had scared her. “For bubble baths, what do you prefer to use? Which is your favorite? It doesn’t matter if you have never used it, have rarely used it, or use it all the time. What is it you want and I shall get it for you. I’ll be back before the tub is a quarter of the way filled.”

“Can’t I just use something you have here?” Faith asked.

“Sadly since I have been without a spouse I have nothing for a bubble bath or any other type of bath at all.” He confessed. “All I use is a bar of soap.”

“Oh okay. Are you sure you want to go out and get stuff for me? I'm sure using a regular bar of soap will do.” At the shake of his head she continued to talk to him about what her preferences were. “Anything with a lavender scent will be great. Any drug store should have it. Bubbles are not necessary, but epsom salts would be greatly appreciated. They should definitely help with the pains. And some pain relievers would be nice. My stomach feels better but my body still hurts a lot.” Faith informed him.

“Do not get into the bathtub just yet. I will be right back to help with your bath. You can start undressing, and put on the robe though. I’ll get everything you need right now and help you get everything set. If you're comfortable with it I would like to help you get in too. I worry you might fall trying to get in.” Sebastian explained right before he walked out. Rarely had he actually tended to someone else's needs and wants. He can remember when Cara was a child and he had to tend to her at night when Constantine was asleep. This was all so new to him but it felt so right to cater to Faith.

Faith was reluctant to undress because she didn't know if it was a trick, like so many times before, but she did feel this inexplicable trust she had for this man. A virtual stranger but he seemed like she had known him for so long. Even though she had just gone through the worst thing she could have ever imagined she knew that everything was meant to happen. She was meant to go through all that pain just so she could end up here with this man who had somehow saved her against more than ten heavily armed men. He had found a way to get her away from Owen and for that alone she would be forever grateful. Faith knew that she owed this man her life so in return she felt the best thing to do was to truly put her trust in him and not question anything he said to her. Faith changed into the rob as she waited for Sebastian to come back. The whole time thinking about how he looked so strong and reliable. She hoped that putting her trust in a stranger wasn’t going to come back to haunt her. As she was putting on the robe she started to feel a little lightheaded. She took a few minutes to sit down before trying to get up to brush her teeth. She couldn’t remember the last time she was allowed to brush her teeth. She counted to one hundred really slowly before trying to get up and tend to her basic needs she had been refused.

Sebastian

 

Sebastian left the house quickly out of his bedroom window and used his supernatural speed to get to the closest store where he could pick up the requested items. He hadn’t gone to retrieve items for any female since Cara was a young girl and Constantine requested help. When he started hiring women to help Constantine they were the ones to be sent to the town to get what was needed. What do they have in the stores now? How much has medicine changed? Sebastian thought to himself.

He arrived at a store that had the word pharmacy on the outside. Sebastian went in and froze. There was no one around but it was open. He had no idea where anything was so he started looking at every item slowly. After he went through three isles a woman came up behind him and said “ Excuse me? Can I help you with something, sir?”

Sebastian turned around and smiled. He usually didn't talk to many people, but for Faith he would do anything. “Good evening. Yes, I need help.” He gave the woman the list of items he had come to get. It took longer than he thought because he didn't know there were so many different brands or reasons to get certain things. With the help of the woman Sebatian got everything he thought Faith would need. His problem was that the woman was taking too long to scan everything. She wouldn't stop asking questions and apparently flirting with him. Sebastian had finally gotten fed up with this woman and told her “I need you to hurry up. My wife is at home with our newborn, and I need to get back as quickly as possible.” He saw the disappointment in her eyes before he saw determination.

“Oh, I’m sorry if this is taking so long. How long have you been with her? With a baby at home you must need a bit of a break from all that stress. How about you come to my house after you bring all this home. I get off in about an hour and I'm sure your wife will be so wrapped up in the baby that if you told her you were going out for a drink she wouldn't even hear you.” The woman offered, trying to sound seductive.

“I don't drink and I would rather be home with my wife.” He said sternly. “Now if you do not hurry I will report you to the owners and tell them you are being deliberately inappropriate with customers who are clearly not interested in your sexual advances. I will also call the police and tell them you are sexually harassing male customers. I’m pretty sure I am not the first man you have seen today.  They will believe me. I am a private investor for the city and they have ALL known me for a LONG time.” Sebastian didn't like to threaten anyone but he did do it occasionally when necessary. For the women in his life that he vowed to love and protect he would do anything. This moment he felt like Faith was being disrespected and he didn't want to deal with this woman anymore. “Are you done or do I have to make a few phone calls and go to another establishment?”

The woman’s eyes grew more with every sentence he spoke, and looked terrified by the time he finished his question. She didn't speak another word but she finished her job quickly and without any eye contact. She looked shaken but he didn't care. He just wanted to hurry up and get home before Faith attempted to do anything. He wanted to be able to get there and help her. Once he got everything that was on his list he left and walked down the street into an alley so no one would be able to see him. He left quickly and with thoughts of how to have her fall in love with him Sebastian went home...to Faith. Thinking that felt right to him and he found himself happy for the first time in a long time. 

Faith

 

Faith sat on the edge of the tub and started wondering exactly what she was going to do. She knew she was too weak to leave but she didn’t know if she wanted to stay in this particular house with that man. She didn't know anything about him. All she knew was she felt safe with him around. That alone was an important deciding factor for Faith. She didn't want to go home. She didn't want Owen to find her. Faith knew that she wouldn't be able to go through his torture again. She was already trying to figure out a way to kill herself before she was saved. She had run away a few times, but they always caught her and punished her worse for it. As she sat on the edge of the tub thinking everything over she realized that Sebastian had saved her life in more ways than one.

She was so caught up in thinking about how her current situation had started that she didn’t notice anything around her. She had gone into her own world in her mind, a coping mechanism she hadn’t realized she had started to do since being held captive by Owen. It was as if the world faded as she thought back to the day she had gone to see Owen. She knew she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach but she had ignored it. She desperately wanted a home. All Faith had ever wanted was a place that belonged to her, one where she belonged. She had been planning on moving away but she didn’t know where she was going to go. She still had no idea. She knew that the city she lived in was too much for her. Too many people, too many buildings, too expensive, too big. 

 

 

 

Still under construction...working on it and hoping to self publish. when i do i will put the linnk for the whole boook. Thank you for all your support

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Images: pictures from Google and the site Google got it from
Publication Date: 03-01-2012

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