Chapter 1 Come out little mouse!

“Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock, the clock struck one , the mouse came running down.” A man sang as I hid in the cupboards.

Oh God. I was going to die today.

“Come out little mouse” The stranger said in a sing song tune. His footsteps could be heard at every corner of the house. I couldn’t, for the life of me, tell where they were coming from.

“On the count of three” He sounded angry now. I stilled my heartbeat. Anything to stop him from hearing me.

If he found out my little hiding spot. I was as good as dead. He already killed master George, all his thirteen mistresses and all the workers.

If he found me here, I was sure to be next.

“One” The footsteps echoed louder now. From the store house, from the music room, the rooms- the ones on the upper floors and the ones on the lower floors.

This man was everywhere at the same time.

A tear slipped down my eye down to my cheek. I clutched my hands tightly, all the while ensuring I refrained from touching anything. I had to be conscious of the chains, so they wouldn’t make any sound.

“Two!” a loud bang accompanied the statement. Followed by several other loud banging noises. The stench of smoke and soot covered the air. Oh my God. He was blowing up the house.

My stomach chose that moment to let out grumbling noises. I guess you could still be hungry even as your life flashed before you.

The noises halted, altogether with the footsteps. The silence was pin drop, a sneeze rose up my throat which I forced back down.

I counted to fifteen seconds. Then thirty. Then forty. Then five minutes. He must have concluded there was no one  here and decided to leave.

I steadied my breathing. First I would crack the cupboard door open slightly. Take a sneak peek and decide if the coast was clear. Then I would lea-

“Three” The cupboard door was thrown ajar. Time stopped. My heart dropped. “Found you”

Outside my makeshift cage stood the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on.

From the Crown of his head to the sole of his feet. Perfection. His hair was as black as midnight and he wore it in a back swoop. He was tall and lean. His coat was long and pristine without a single wrinkle on it.

His hands were enveloped in white leather gloves. They were spotless and complimented his outfit.

I knew who he was. Everyone knew who he was. One of the founding vampires-whatever that meant.

Lukas Morningstar. The name alone was enough to make grown men weep.

Looking at him now, his appearance didn’t paint him as someone to be scared of.

Instead it was his aura. The lazy smirk on his face, the glint in his eyes. It all seemed to scream one thing. Run.

My lips chattered and my knees bobbed from where I struggled to sit still. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as everything in me wanted to bolt.

I knew I wouldn’t make it very far.

Lukas pulled out a dagger from his back pocket and traced the edge, all the while holding my gaze.

He eyes dropped to the cufflinks around my wrists.  His smile dropped instantly, a scowl replacing it. “If you’re done with your hide and seek. You can come out now”

I willed my shaking legs to cooperate. It was difficult to maneuver out of the uncomfortable position but I did it.

My joints screamed after sitting for so long. I could hear the sounds of my erratic heart beating as it threatened to rip out my sternum.

Lukas traced the knife down my cheekbones to my ear before he placed it below my jaw and lifted my face to look at his.

I gulped slowly. Not a single blemish on his skin. He dragged the tip of the dagger and settled it on my sternum this time.

I fell to my knees when he applied pressure on it. Please. Please. I tried to plead but the words was lodged in my throat.

I saw the shin of his pants before he knocked me to the side with his foot. The kick wasn’t sent with so much power but it was enough to send me to the floor.

He placed his foot to my chest and pressed. Why hasn’t he killed me already. He was toying with me. Like a predator playing with its food first.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you” He asked, pressing his foot harder, cutting off my air. My chest squeezed. Droplets of sweat dribbled down my face. My vision waned as I struggled to stay awake.

I thought of the cookies I destroyed before I was sent into the cupboard as solitary confinement. I thought of the grape fruits I would steal when I thought no one was watching.

I thought of Michael. Sweet Michael who would hold me as nightmares threatened to consume me on the days I couldn’t sleep.

He had stolen tickets for the local premiere this Friday. He would have to go alone.

“Fuck this”  Lukas cursed “ Dimitri!” On cue, a man twice my size walked in. He was bald and looked like he beat people up for fun.

“Deal with the girl instead, I’m done here” Dimitri cracked his knuckles as a malicious smile etched upon his lips.

It all happened then. I had been too busy reminiscing about my last moments that I let my guard down.

Lukas tossed the knife at me and I put my hands out to shield my face from being hit. The weapon barely grazed my hand then-

I heard their gasps. I saw their eyes widened. I saw my own death as the weapon disintegrated into thin air leaving only a pile of ashes at its wake.

Maniacal laughter ensued. It was Lucas. The look in his eyes was one I was familiar with. Madness. And something else- hunger.

He crouched to my level and pulled my jaw harshly forcing me to look at him.

“Never mind Dimitri “ he spoke to the towering mass behind him but he never looked away from me once. “This one is coming home with me”