Chapter 52: .•21•.

The slow and romantic tune continued to play, echoing into the manor's darkened and somber chambers and hallways.

Diana let her feet carry her closer to the wide-open entryway of the living room, her gait so timid and unsteady. So fearful and hesitant. She hated this. She hated it so much. The fact that she had no other options left. No other ways to go around this. She just wanted out of this. Out of this haunted manor. Out of Nicholas' clutches. This chaotic mess that she'd found herself trapped within.

She paused by the threshold, peering at the side of his painted face. His monstrously painted and frighteningly attractive face. This wasn't going to be easy. And she knew it very well. It was going to change her forever. This rash and rather desperate decision of hers. But she was tired. Weary of this, and she just wanted her life back. Her dull, tedious and monotone life. She wanted to see her mother again. Make sure that she was safe and sound. She wanted to spend her afternoons scrubbing desks and toilets again, only to return to her small and cluttered bedroom late at night and tired as hell. She just wanted to feel safe and normal again. And if this was what it was going to take then so be it. Romantic dreams be damned.

She took a deep breath, hands balling into tight fists at her sides. And finally, she stepped further into the room.

Nicholas' long and elegant fingers expertly touched the keys of the piano, playing that soft tune he already knew by heart. One of the many tunes Adelaide used to love and enjoy listening to him play.

His sweet Adelaide. The love of his long and never-ending life. The one currently suffering at the hands of that loathsome and greedy bastard. And now he wanted Diana too. Just to show him that he could take however much he pleased from him. That he was still in charge, no matter how much time had passed or how many sacrifices Nicholas had made in his name.

He almost did it today. He'd been so close to taking another life, just to please the insatiable motherfucker. Keep him happy, for Addie's sake.

He'd thankfully stopped just in time. Came back to his senses before committing that dumb mistake.

He needed to make him suffer somehow. Make him pay, for once. He thought about ruining the human at first. Before killing her and sending her into his awaiting arms. Rendering her useless to him, seeing as he was actually so desperate to receive her as she was, pure and untouched. But then he'd found himself so inexplicably greedy. So unwanting to let go of her. That sweet nectar that flowed through her veins. Those honey lips. Her soft and breakable skin. Her lovely body. Those plump and full tits. He wanted her all to himself and he couldn't help but feel so guilty for it. Sure, he did fuck so many others in the past. Many times with Addie there, participating at the act. Jealousy was not an existing factor in their relationship. Neither the notion of monogamy. He was a god after all. Before his transformation. Before all this. And gods didn't mate. They didn't bind themselves for eternity to a single being like other creatures did. They fucked whomever they pleased, whenever they pleased to. There were no boundaries in their world. No stigma. Only pleasure. Pleasure to offer, and receive. But with this little human in his home, this beautiful human that happened to smell so incredibly delicious, he'd found himself feeling so uncharacteristically jealous, and equally gluttonous. He wanted to be the only one to touch her, to have her. Even at Addie's expense. And the thought bothered him so much. It gnawed at him from the inside.

He needed to do something. Take that bastard down somehow, and stop him for once. And that whilst still getting to keep her. His newest addiction.

He could already feel her heady scent, even though she had barely stepped over the threshold. He could hear those rapid heartbeats. Those timid footsteps. He remained exactly where he was though. Focused on stroking those keys. Calm and unconcerned. Playing to his undead heart's content.

"I want you to have sex with me, Nicholas,"

His finger abruptly pressed on the wrong key at the sound of that sentence, effectively ruining that soulful tune.

Diana's limbs trembled a little, with every step that she took. Closer to where Nicholas was sitting. In front of the piano. He was not playing anymore, his fingers frozen by the keys.

"You said that you despise my presence, and that you curse the very moment that I set foot into your household," her voice sounded so meek and defeated. Exactly how she felt.

"I just want you to take my virginity and be over with this," she quietly said.

"I want out of this, Nicholas. I just want to go back to my life. Just take what you please and then let me be, because I just can't take this anymore," her chin wobbled by the end of that sentence. She swallowed, fighting not to cry.

Few beats of silence followed. The vampire had yet to turn and face her. Or even move for that matter.

"Very well," he conceded, his tone calm and unaffected.

Diana's knees softened. Part of her had hoped that he would refuse. That he wouldn't agree so easily. That he would have a least an ounce of decency left in his body. She'd been wrong. So horribly wrong. He was exactly every bit of that monster she feared that he was.

"Come here," the command startled her. Making her blink and stare at the side of his painted face for a moment. And with few more timid steps she did as told, approaching his side.

"Closer," he firmly added. Hands resting on his thighs as he sat on that leathered stool. Having yet to look at her.

Her brows furrowed a little, only then noticing that she had not moved close enough for him to be able to reach her. An evident attempt of her subconscious to try and keep her away from him. Away from danger.

She took that last step closer to his side, escaping a single frightened little whimper as soon as she found herself caught by the wrist and dragged to stand there, right in between his knees.