Darkness Chapter 10: New Day

**Nelly**

The following morning, I awaken to the feeling of his strong arms enveloping me, and a not-so-subtle surprise pressing against my back. It becomes apparent that his rather large package is making its presence known. Awkward, to say the least. "Planning on leaving, pet?" he inquires.

I retort, "Yes, to find sustenance. Unlike you, my food source isn't lying next to me."

He chuckles, "Touché. Get changed and I'll escort you to the kitchen."

"Thank you," I reply as I head to my room. After a quick shower, I slip into a blue and white sundress. Upon exiting the room, I find him waiting for me.

"You look nice," he compliments.

"Thank you. Can we see Tara before heading downstairs?" I inquire.

"Uhh...sure." We walk in silence to Tara's room. "I have some matters to attend to, but you are free to explore the grounds. Just don't try anything," he warns.

"Like attempting to escape?" I jest.

Vincent sighs, "Please refrain from any foolish actions, or I will have to take disciplinary measures. Later, I will need you to accompany me."

"....okay." He seems to treat me differently. Why?

We arrive at a door that I assume belongs to Tara. I knock, but there is no response. "Tara?" I open the door to find her missing. Her room is nice but smaller than mine. "Why is my room larger?"

Vincent smirks, "Because you are my pet. You are granted a bigger room and a bit more freedom than the others. Let's go get you something to eat; she might be in the kitchen."

"Okay," I respond. As we enter the kitchen, I see Tara and Brandon seated at the table.

Tara looks up and lets out a squeal, "Nelly! OMG, are you okay?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I reply with a soft smile. She bears a bruise under her eye and a split lip from the wolf's attack, but otherwise, she appears well.

Vincent gazes at me and says, "I'll be back at 4 pm. Be ready."

"Do I need to wear anything specific?" I inquire.

Vincent nods, "Yes. Whenever we go out, you have to dress to impress. Here, you can be comfortable unless I tell you otherwise. The purpose of you is to show that you are my little plaything."

I blink in confusion, not understanding why having a woman by your side should matter. "Oh... ummm... okay."

He leans in close and whispers in my ear, "Wear something that shows off those legs of yours." I glance down and feel my cheeks flush. He chuckles and exits the kitchen.

Tara inquires, "What was that all about?"

"I have to go somewhere with him later, but he won't tell me where," I explain.

Tara gestures discreetly, "Notice the looks you're getting?"

"Yep," I sigh.

Carrie approaches and greets me, "Miss, nice to see you again."

"Hey Carrie. These are my friends, Tara and her brother Brandon."

Carrie says, “Hi.” I can see her looking over Brandon, and I won't lie kinda made me jealous. It's not like we are or were exclusive just...oh who the hell knows what we were. He seems to be interested too. Well fuck!

I gaze down at the delicious meal in front of me and eagerly begin to eat. "Mmmm....wow. When was the last time we had a meal this good?"

Tara agrees, saying, "I know, right?"

Brandon nods in agreement, adding, "And the comfortable bed was a nice change too." I chuckle and say, "Oh, absolutely. It felt like I was floating on air."

Brandon then asks me, blushing, "So Nel, did you...you know...?" 

I shake my head and reply, "No, we just talked instead."

Tara chimes in, saying, "Same here. Alec is actually very nice. I was pleasantly surprised." 

Brandon warns us, growling, "Don't let your guard down, you two."

As we near the end of our meal, Alec enters the room and calls over a worker to feed him. We all return to our plates, continuing to eat in silence. Alec then addresses Brandon, saying, "You, soldier boy. Come with me." Tara protests, but Alec reassures her, saying, "You are safe under this roof. No one will harm you."

Brandon tells Tara to be safe, and she hugs him. I catch Alec's eye, silently warning me to be cautious. "Be safe," I tell Brandon. I look at Tara. "We can explore the house if you want."

Carrie excitedly exclaims, "There's a pool out back and the weather is perfect. Some of the others will be there."

Tara nonchalantly responds, "Umm...sure." We make our way back to our rooms to change. I met Tara in her room after I put on a stunning red bikini. I had never worn one before. "Damn. You have a nice bod, babes," Tara compliments.

"Well, so do you. It helps that we fight beings 100 times stronger than us," I reply. Tara blushes, and we both share a laugh. As we walk out to the pool, I gasp in amazement. The pool is absolutely stunning, resembling something you would find at a luxurious five-star resort. We grab a couple of loungers and bask in the sun when we hear the voices of a few other girls approaching.

“You are new. I'm Ann. This is Sasha,” she says.

“Hi. So who do you belong to?” Sasha asks.

I can already tell that there will be drama. Tara and looked at each other and scowled. “Belong to?” I ask.

Ann asks, “Whose pet are you?”

Tara shrugs, “I guess...Alec.”

I look at them. “Vincent.”

Sasha gasps, “Wow. You both have your hands full. We hear they are really hard to please. They go through girls quickly.”

I stifle a laugh because I am not like any of the others. I am a dangerous woman. “That's what we were told.”

“So...how is he?” Ann asks.

“Just got here so we haven't yet done the dead,” I reply.

Sasha gaps, “Wow. What are the scars on your stomach from?”

I look down and see the marks from an attack a couple of years ago and laugh. “A werewolf, though, l'd make a good meal. He got a nice chunk, but I put a knife to his head,” I reply with a grin.

Ann exclaimed, "Hold on! Are you rebels, part of the Resistance?"

Sasha gasped in response, "We haven't encountered any rebels. We were all forcibly taken from our homes."

Tara nonchalantly added, "Yeah, we were, until recently."

Suddenly, a harsh voice interrupted, "And what do we have here?" The girls immediately lowered their heads in fear.