I couldn't tear my gaze from the mirror, my reflection almost haunting. My skin was more pale than usual and I looked sickly, my usually bright eyes taking on an air of dullness. My eyes followed my hand as it slowly reached up to grasp the zipper. I never tore my gaze away as I allowed for the large jacket to slip from my shoulders. Kai's scent lingered on my skin, seeping into each and every cell until it slowly engulfed my own. But it was intoxicating me. 

Taking in a shaky breath, I peeled the remnants of my shirt from my body, the torn fabric hanging off of me as a daunting reminder of what had happened. I tore my gaze from the shirt, discarding it into the trash. My eyes then flitted up to view the carnage. They lingered on my marred skin, the bite mark red and angry looking. Purple bruises littered my neck from the vampire's cruel grasp. My thoughts tortured me. This was now a part of me; these ugly marks that would scar over, leaving the memory of the night imprinted into my mind. The scars would be with me forever. Just like the ones that Kai had left behind. 

I couldn't look at myself any longer, turning away to peel the rest of my clothes off before stepping into the shower. The water beat down on me and seared my skin, turning it a shade of pink. But I couldn't focus on the heat or the pain, Kai and the encounter with the other two vampires plaguing my mind. But one certain instance replayed over and over, on repeat. 

They had called him a prince.

The dark ceiling loomed over me as I stared up at it. Sleep would not come for me tonight. Before, the pain from the bite was only a small throbbing that was easily ignored. But it had began to grow and had morphed itself into a sharp pain that demanded my attention. 

I curled into my side, bringing the blankets with me. When I had left the bathroom earlier, I had picked up Kai's fleece jacket from the cold tile floor without a thought. And now I grasped it tightly in my hands, his scent forcing me to focus on something other than the pain emanating from my collarbone. 

I had initially thought that I would fall asleep easily; but that was not the case, the entire idea of sleep eluded me. 

Growling, I pushed myself from the bed, my shoulder throbbing as I made my way to the kitchen. The darkness shrouded me, covering me like a mask. I filled a glass with water, my thoughts escaping me as I mindlessly drank the crystalline liquid. My thoughts wandered elsewhere. 

Suddenly, I was pressed up against the counter. Our lower bodies were smashed together and Kai's hands were braced on either side of my hips, trapping me in.

"Um, Kai?"

"Hm?"

"What are you doing?" I was in shock, almost frozen there as he was just inches from me, his breath fanning across