[SHADEN] Return To Sender

[*Annabella Remini]

It had been months since the little run in with that little boy. The odd wolf who emerged in the woods before her. Since she was a prisoner of Sevanni Black. She managed to stay in motels. Jumping all over England and Paris. Every night a new location. She didn't want to risk getting caught, not again. She knew that eventually he would change his mind and want her back. Somehow lure more people in to help save her, but little did he know, she had not attempted to see James or contact any of the pack members she knew of. Those names she could remember, others she couldn't.

Many times she stood in the red phone booth and imagined herself dialing numbers just to speak to someone. Anyone. But mainly him. How could she go back now after everything that happened? She didn't want to ruin his life anymore than it already was, and even though he had created her to save her, she knew that eventually he couldn't protect her from the worst.

The nights she spent trapped in her nightmares were unbearable, and it kept her out late at night. Even though she knew it was the worst time to be out in England, with Aubrey lurking around, wanting her head almost as bad as Sevanni, but she needed the air. She needed to feel herself under the full moon that shone so bright.

The amusement park was dead now. Silenced without bodies roaming throughout the space. The rides were shut down, no lights. She hadn't been to one of these places for quite some time. Thoughts of her and her friends hanging out here in her high school years. Not there in that specific park, but an amusement park back home.

Originally she was from the states. New York mainly. She had her own apartment, her job was important, but it had been her job that led her here in this place.

Discovering Sevanni's secrets. Changed by his number one enemy and falling in love with him for some diluted impression that he actually liked her back. Feelings had never been expressed and since her escape after losing her tongue, she had ended up in a glass box like some damn trophy and released again for what what? A possible game?

Hells clicked along the pavement as arms remained crossed over her chest. She should have wore pants and flats, but she had gone out for a drink and decided it was high time that she get laid and get her anger out.

She wasn't really into the man thing, not that she was a lesbian or anything, but she hadn't had a need for a guy because her mind was so worried and focused on whether or not she would be captured and killed. She knew that the next time she was caught, she wasn't going to make it out alive.

The door to the fun house creaked a bit, forcing it open without the assistance of the operating machine that worked it. Legs stretching with pressure before she slipped between and managed to wander in. Taking out her lighter from the coat pocket, flicking the Zippo open and looking for something she could burn for light. Like the fake torch that lay on the wall, workable of course, she lit it and took a look around.

"Some things never change." She said warily as eyes moved around and took note of all the faces on the wall, the mirrors up ahead. No, nothing did change. But she headed in, looking around, knowing that no one would find her in this place. Not in an amusement park. She had kept a watchful eye around her when she was out, even as the gripping feeling that someone was out there looking for her, there was no way they would be here.

[Shaden Grace]

It was easy to forget how crowded London was, but now that he was finally back here after so many months, he remembered why he'd always liked this place so much. The streets, so crowded, so many people, no one would notice if a few people went missing almost every night. As far as Shaden was concerned, the mortals here were even more stupid and naive then those in New York. Though of course the two places could never be called similar. There were so many differences, and Shaden had been back and forth so many times that he knew each difference.

Shaden half wished he was here to enjoy himself, taking a break from Sevanni or something, but that just wasn't the case. No, he was here in strict business. He smiled to himself. This was a new one for him, being someones delivery boy. Which when you took away the whole drama issue out of it, that's just what he was here being, a damn delivery boy. Though, in this case and because it was Sevanni, he didn't mind. He did after all agree to the job when asked.

Shaden had jumped at the chance of a little bit of trouble. Going to England to bring back a stupid little mutt. It was a dream come true. He couldn't have asked for anything better. Shaden wondered though, if he hadn't agreed to do this, would he have made him anyway because he was marked now? Yeah sure he was a free man, but that didn't mean Sevanni had no control over him. And the most disturbing thing was, Shaden didn't really care. The respect he had for him appeared to be growing, that along with some very other interesting emotions.

It was a wonder this little mutt had stayed alive so long. She was here hiding out in the one place another vampire wanted her dead. Though Shaden didn't concern himself with Aubrey, if she hadn't find her here by now, then the chances of her showing up tonight were thin to none.

Sevanni had been oh so helpful and given him a file all dedicated to her, which had been interesting and very helpful, even though his first thought was that it wouldn't help at all and Sevanni was purposely giving him pointless information. And Marcus, just thinking that mans name had put a scowl on his face, had given him her last known location. That man drove him insane, and he loved to get on his bad side. Hell, he was at least trying to be respectful and good for Sevanni, so he simply had to piss someone off. It was in nature to piss people off. It couldn't be helped.

So, with the information he had received, he tracked her down. She jumped around from location to location every night. It was annoying really. He didn't want to come right out and openly attack her. No, that was too easy and rather foolish. So like any good predator he waited. Watching her night after night for the perfect moment.

Finally, that moment was tonight, such a poor move, going to that amusement park. The dead silence that met him as he followed a ways behind her was a welcome thing. Slightly eerie and filled with the destruction that was to come. As if it knew his purpose there. A perfect night for what was to come. The best part was she had seemed to even sense someone was watching her, but still she risked coming here alone. She really was making this too easy.

He stopped a good distance away from her, hiding in the shadows as she forced open the door to the fun house, and went inside. Shaden was extremely careful as he moved forward, and when he got to the door he paused just outside it, listening in to hear if she was still anywhere near the door. She seemed to have moved farther in, and so as he opened to the door he hoped she didn't hear the light creaking it made in protest. Then again its not as though it mattered whether or not she heard it. Annabella had no idea who he was. He could have been there for any number of reasons. However, with her, she would probably assume the worst and guess that someone had sent him to get her. He made it inside, it was dark, but there was also a soft light. Apparently she hadn't yet moved that far along as he'd hoped.

[*Annabella Remini]

She hadn't realized how ruined she truly had been. Looking in the mirrors surrounding her made it impossible to want to stand there. To any other human around her she would appear to be a happy go lucky kind of girl without troubles. Maybe a bit of depression here and there, but no one would be the wiser to her abstract world.

Her right hand wove the torch to her side, hearing a little scuttle of the door. Her ears picking up the sound she had made moments ago. A small break of moonlight peering in as a shadow moved over the floor just ahead. She was found out. She had a lit torch, obviously someone would know someone else was inside. Maybe just a security guard.

Annabella nodded her head, sure, it had to have been, and so what if he caught her? Her suppressed appetite had kept her obedient with vegetables, random food from takeout places, but there was always a lurch in her stomach that spoke human blood. Though she had never acted upon it, it might come in quite useful in this juncture of the night.

Then she realized it wasn't a human. It was..... she sniffed the air, the scent of vampire flared her nostrils. Now her nerves began to shake. A hard swallow as heels silently took her steps backward, the light moving low to the ground so she could slip away and try to find another way out. She knew heels were a bad choice. What a dumb blond.

Arms rested by her side, tip toeing through the batch of mirrors that held her trapped. Panic ruined her for she began to breath slightly heavier with fear. Someone was there. A vampire was there, which only meant he was there for her. She didn't believe much in coincidences. She could feel her heart beating faster, unable to slow it down. Vampires sensed shit like that, and it only made her rush around the surrounding areas, looking for a way out of the swallow of reflection.

There was only one thing she could do. One thing she could think of, and that was to hide in the shadows away from the torch light.

Dead in the corner, somewhere behind a bend of mirrors, she could see the light, a smidgen of the corner and if a shadow crossed it, she would see which direction they were going.

She could shift, but that wouldn't do much help. She would need to reform back to push the doors open and she didn't need to be naked in the process. Her only hope was that it wasn't a vampire after her and she had over reacted. Letting her worries get the best of her.

She had tried for some time to stay out of the path of all vampires, but it seemed to have proven her lack of efficiency. What a bad night to go out in the darkness. She knew that now. But the question was, would she survive the night?

[Shaden Grace]

Her scent was so clear there in that little fun house that she had chosen for herself to try and hide away in. It really was just too bad he'd been the one to come and get her.. well, too bad for her anyway. Shaden liked to play. It was he was about. Life was a game or death or life, and he rather liked having an advantage over most others. He'd had much more time to practice his skills, learn new tricks to get to his prey. And that's what she was right now, his prey, the only difference was he wouldn't be killing her. Yet.

There was a shift in lighting, as if the source of the light had been lowered. Oh good, she knew he was there. He preferred it that way really. And after a short moment, he could hear panic set in and cause her breathing to become more heavier. He smiled as he waited for the distinct sounds of her heart beating faster... there; he could hear it. It was like music. The feel of panic and the sounds of hard breathing and now a racing heart mixing into the night and the near darkness of the fun house.

He walked toward the mirrors, his feet making only soft sounds, not really caring if she heard him or not. It was a casual walk, as if he were here for the amusement of the park instead of for her. "Oh come on, sweetheart, there's no reason to hide." There was no sense in being coy in this piratical matter. He knew she was here and what she was, and she the same with him. Both would be using there difference, while she would be trying to figure a way past him at this time, Shaden's only concern was not letting her get past him.

He was in front of one of the mirrors, the little torch was close by him but he didn't bother to pick it up. "Come out now or I'll have to force you to. I was hoping we could be civil about this." Yeah right. He wanted her to fight him. Just try to tear his throat out. Anything! He wanted it more then anyone could ever understand.

His hand slowly reached out and touched one the mirror, his palm flat against the reflecting glass, his fingers slightly spread apart, "Last chance, Annabella." He smirked, "Or should I just call you Bella. Your choice." He still only heard her breath, and heart beating away, but no sound of her coming out to show herself. He appealed the slightest amount of pressure to his hand, pushing against the mirror until he cracked, and then shattered under his hand, and fell in pieces to the ground. "One down, how many more before I find you?" He said, his tone mocking and sinful. He chuckled softly as he went to the next mirror, and repeated the motion. Another one down. This situation stirred a memory in him, but he suppressed it for now. All his sense's were listening for sounds other then her breathing; waiting for her to make any sudden movement.

[*Annabella Remini]

"Oh come on, sweetheart, there's no reason to hide." But there was. Her life was suddenly on the line and all she could think about was how the hell she was going to make it out alive. Her lids closed, his voice tumbling through her mentals as if everything about this was so wrong. She felt someone on her, and how stupid she had been for letting herself wind up there. Then.

"Come out now or I'll have to force you to. I was hoping we could be civil about this." civility wasn't the word. He had an agenda, no doubt a bounty was probably placed on her head and offered up this man. She had managed to outrun Hyde, then word got around that he no longer worked for Sevanni, which had made her life a bit easier.

There was a new man that she had heard through the grapevine, working for Sevanni, and of course the things she had heard about him made her fear him more than Mr. Black.

"Last chance, Annabella." She swallowed hard. He knew her name. Of course he did. What else did he know about her? "Or should I just call you Bella. Your choice." Her eyes closed. The last person who called her Bella had wound up in the same predicament she was now in. Caught in a trap, on their way to a fatality that would forever be burned in her mind. Witnessing actions of blood and gore that led to death and brutality. Now it was her turn.

Her lips parted, shallow breaths winding in and out of her throat as she listened to where it was he had stood. The the crackle of glass and shattering shards visioned in her mind as she heard it break and expel out onto the ground. The pressure of the sound had made her flinch, the sound of her throat clogging a deep inhale of breaths.


"One down, how many more before I find you?" Panic was rising, she had to get the hell out of there. Slowly she heard him move closer, her hands moving toward her uplifting foot, one by one as she slipped her heels off. Leaving them beside her feet as she crouched down to release them. Rising up slowly as he grew closer with each breaking mirror.

Then he was standing near her. She could hear him so damn close and her chest grew tight, gripping her madly with no clue as to what to do next.

At the sound of another breaking glass she had darted. Run out into his eye sight and crossed over to where there had been a wooden bridge, running across it, which had unfortunately wobbled from side to side causing her to slip. Her hands grasping the rope to pull herself up. Naturally her head turned to see how close or far behind he had been, hurrying to pull herself up and get as far away from him as possible. Her leg. Cut on the wood, making her wince and let out a crying groan.

Her mind tried to block out the pain but it was impossible and already her leg was letting blood sear out from under the skin. Her heart raced more, harder, thumping madly as she knew he was growing close to her. Vampires had great speed whereas she did not, which meant she had very little chance to get out of this. But she could bargain with him. Plead to him to let her go. Not have to do his job. Forget about her.

Finally she was able to get up, attempting to run off but she was limping with the pain on hand. She was destined to be caught now.

[Shaden Grace]

One mirror after another he continued to get closer and closer to her little hide place. his feet stepping on the shards of the fallen pieces of mirror, the sounds of them breaking into further smaller pieces had to be unnerving for her as each step took him closer to her. What was she planning. He knew she had to be planning something. Her life was slowly ticking away with each passing second. She would have to run past him, he knew that much, but where would she go from there?

He was getting so close to her now, her scent clung to the stop here. Her hiding spot. A poor spot. Though he had to give her some credit, she was wearing heels, or at least she had been when she came in here, and its not like this place had too many hiding places someone could go to lose a vampire. Another step. Another mirror shattered on the ground. She darted, yes she had been very close, his hand half heartily reached out to grab her, his fingers just barely brushed over her skin as she ran by him.

Feeling a little cocky, he stood there and counted to five in his head, before he ran after her. She'd run for the little wooden bridge. He stopped before walking out on to it, apparently she had slipped, and was now struggling to get herself up. The scent of her blood hit him then, and his eyes shifted to her leg where her cut was. He licked his lips, a small shiver of delight at how well this was turning out. Much better then planned.

Shaden took one step out on the bridge, giving her time to recover a little and stand up. Her leg must have hurt fairly bad, for she now had a limp. Surely she would know at this point he was going to catch up to her. Her chances had been low to begin with, but now there simply was no chance at all. And he so hated wining so easily. He sulked all the way across the bridge, moving quickly, but not needing to run. She was as good as his.

Even if by some miracle she was able to get away from him; her own blood from the cut would betray her and lead him right to her no matter where she went. Well, that and her loudly pounding heart. Calling to him. Finally, though, he grew tired of the slow little chase. Both knew how this would end, so why prolong it any further then this? Now he sped forward, grabbing her by her shoulders, spinning her around to face him. "Where do you think your going, sweetheart?"

Then, by impulse alone, he pushed her back; hard, forcing her to the ground. He was there, a second later, his body on hers pinning her to the ground underneath him. His left hand secured both her hands above her head. "Your not going anywhere." His voice, soft and yet menacing, was said close to her ear. One leg lay between hers, gently pressing against her sex. A smirk played across his lips. His right hand slowly moved down her body, and to her leg, the one with the cut, bending it a little at the knee so he could then reach that cut, running fingers over it, and then bringing them back up to his lips. And, still smiling, he put his blooded fingers to his mouth to lick clean. His sea glass orbs, normally calm, now seemed to hold a storm on them, just laying under the surface waiting for her to set it into motion by either actions or words.

[*Annabella Remini]

It was hard enough to understand and take in the fact that he had barely touched her. Feeling the slight chill rise from his body and creep over her, goosebumps rising over soft skin, now ruined below with the cut. When she stood and turned it had only taken a second or two to hear the bridge move as he moved across it. A rushing flash hit her as she felt him so close behind her and then another second passed and his hands were moving over partly bare shoulders.

By force she turned, only able to face him for a moment before he spoke. "Where do you think your going, sweetheart?" He pushed her back, her body falling behind and as if it had happened so fast or perhaps too slow, she found herself falling against the concrete rather hard.

Her hands barely managed to stop the crash, her back hitting the ground causing her to wince. Her head managed to stay up slightly until she felt him on top of her where it finally fell back and hit the floor, only it wasn't as hard as she had expected.

It felt as if she had been winded. Her lids closing as she noticed the pain surging through her body. Legs closed and wanting to bring her knees up. Not wanting to feel the pain in her leg or in her back and now her head. She felt the cold underneath the curve of her buttocks, waking lids to open and view the face that had stalked her and caught her. Hands binding over her own and pinning them against the ground above her head.

Pouting lips wanted to let loose more sighs and wincing moans rather than speak out what she wanted to say to him. As if she had forgotten all words in the known English language. "Your not going anywhere."

She was thinking, but it wasn't enough. She should have raised her leg directly up so she could knee him in his trouser monkey, but it didn't hit her. Not yet. She could feel his weight as he remained on her. Her chest shallowly rising and falling with each breath she made. Feeling one of his hands move over her skin, making her skin crawl and wishing he would not touch her at all.

In times like those, you never really had a sexual inkling, even if he was sexy, he was a threat and threats had to be eliminated. Unfortunately she hadn't been able to learn much from James because she had ran out of the pack house without a mention of leaving. He hadn't shown her how to fight, or protect herself. She knew how to shift and punch and kick, but to defend herself against a vampire in a time of need, that she hadn't been able to learn.

"Please...." She began. Feeling his fingers lace over the cut ofher leg, it had been rather long, just above the knee to her outer upper thigh, no more fingers to feel, and after her head moved from side to side she brought her free hand up over her chest and then her stomach as she opened lids to see him take her blood into his mouth.

Her hand hadn't stopped just there. She pressed her palm against his abdomen, wanting to push him off and keep him off of her. Pray to God that he would let her go. "Please don't kill me......" Spoken low through faint breaths, tired, in pain, unbearable bound underneath the weight of this guy. Fuck! She didn't even know his name.

A tear started to form in the ducts of her eyes. Welling glossy hues as she looked through the water. It rolled on the side of her face, leaking down toward her ear but rounding away and fading onto the ground. Her leg rose, the ruined one, painfully bending as fingers grasped the fabric of her shirt, attempting to push him off, but all she had managed to do was keep him partially at bay. Or so she thought it was her.

"Just let me go.......He set me free." Sobs were starting to come and she felt her chest start to pause as if she had hiccupped. "He let me go." Was all she could say as more tears strummed down the sides of her face. "He let me go." Once more, faded words.

[Shaden Grace]

She wasn't much of a fighter, there were several things she could have done to him, but she nothing but show her fear as if he would back out of his job simply because she was scared. There was a zero percent chance that he'd back out. He always finished what he started. And killing mutts like her was nothing knew to him. So she would receive no sympathy from him. Her hand was moving, slowly, but he hardly paid much attention to it, not even as she pressed her palm against his abdomen in an attempt to move him. "Please don't kill me......" He smiled, almost sweetly, "Shh.. its okay, sweetheart." He index finger from his right hand was gently placed over her lips.

She was rather pretty, he could even dare to say beautiful, but of course nothing compared to his Helena. Still, for a mutt she was nice to look at. A tear was forming in her eye, he watched it spill over and roll down the side of her face. It had been a long time sense he'd seen a tear that was not tainted with blood. He almost missed it. He needed a human of his own. Sevanni had plenty of them. Shaden had to, in the past, but he'd grown tired of it, but now laying here on this mutt, her tear spilling onto the ground, he decided he would have to get a new one.

Shaden smiled, showing perfect white teeth, and pair of nicely sharpened fangs, ready to strike, when he felt her leg rise up, and he knew without even looking that it was her injured leg with the cut. Just another attempt to move him off. He let up a little, supporting his weight with his arms, allowing her to breath more freely with him crushing her and shortening her breathing. He didn't want her to die of suffocation. That was too easy.

"Just let me go.......He set me free." Was she for real? Shedding tears and begging with a vampire for her life. It didn't help her at all. There was no respect to be had for someone who could only cry and beg for their life. Although, he wasn't a completely monster, he did feel the beginnings of something close to sympathy, but it was no where close enough to allow her to live. This was a job. Given to him by Sevanni, and he'd been happy to do this for him. There was no better suited job for someone like Shaden.

"He let me go." His hand lightly cupped the side of her face, his thumb stroking away the tears as they came rolling down the side of her face. He shook his head slowly. "I can't let you go." Not cruelly spoken, but not kind either, it was close to be emotionless. "He let me go." There was a spark of anger. Why couldn't she just shut up? "You poor, foolish, little mutt," His anger started to slightly show up in his tone, "Do you really think, Sevanni lets anything go?" It was so stupid to believe he had let her go, without the chance of coming after her again when it best suited him. "The people he no longer wants don't just get to leave. They die." The menacing tone was working its way back into his voice, "They're killed. Which, of course, leads us to my purpose here tonight."

He stood, pulling her up with him, forcing her to stand. "Now, lets get one thing very clear right now. Your going to die." Said in a heartless tone, he truly didn't care, "Now, how you die can be up to you." He smirked, and reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pocket knife, the blade being pulled out and brought close to her face. His other hand keep a firm hold on her, his hand at her throat. The blade itself was nice. Tiger-stripped. Very cool. He'd taken it off when his many meals sense being here. It had been very convenient. "I can kill you slowly, or I can kill you quickly." The blade lightly touched her cheek, "Although I'd much prefer to kill you slowly." He pulled her close to him, his head moved in close to ear to once more whisper words to her, "I want to hear you scream for me." He chuckled, an unsettling sound as he moved his head away from hers to look into her eyes.

[*Annabella Remini]

"Shh.. its okay, sweetheart." As if he cared. It wasn't okay. especially when he had his finger over her lips, her head turned rather swiftly to take them away. Looking away from him before more words of pleas let through. She could tell that she really needed to make sure this didn't happen. Now more than anything. He had that hungry look in his eyes that gave her the chills. Chills she hadn't experienced since that night she lost her tongue on Aubrey's command. "I can't let you go." The trail of his flesh touching hers and wiping the tears away made her shiver a little in her breathing. Think bitch! Think!

"You poor, foolish, little mutt," He was heartless, just like the other bloodsuckers that made it a point to please those they worked for. He was just another Hyde trying to make a point. Some statement that he was good enough to serve his master. He was a fool just like the rest of the other leeches out there. "Do you really think, Sevanni lets anything go?" Lips parted to answer but she'd be a dummy for even saying yes. At one point in time she had felt like he actually cared about her. And when he took her in again, she didn't even get a chance to explain.

Why she was a werewolf now. Why she ran. It wasn't by choice, she would have swore it to him, but he must not have fully cared for her the way she had one time hoped. Not since he became apart of the coven. "The people he no longer wants don't just get to leave. They die." She swallowed hard, wishing he would just shut up and make his move. Not only was he freaking her out with his mysterious glimmer of hope to shed her blood, but he was really creeping her out while letting her know that he wouldn't give up on taking her life. They never did.

Hands were placed over her neck and lifting her form as he stood, her own hands wrapping around his wrist, a tight grip over him as he held her. Maybe he would grab tighter, maybe she would be able to loosen the grip. "Now, lets get one thing very clear right now. Your going to die." A few strands of blond locks fell over her right eye, lids closed at the tension of his hold and opened lowly just enough to view his forearm. She felt like everything was going to collapse down on her all at once.

There was nothing around to grab and even if their had been she wouldn't have been close enough to grab anything. "Now, how you die can be up to you." She looked up after eyeing the blade. Feeling her breath pause for a moment as her heart nearly stopped beating. "I can kill you slowly, or I can kill you quickly." The knife pulled from his pocket now visible. His directive aiming it at her cheek and feeling the tip of it against flesh alerted a massive gong to go off. "Although I'd much prefer to kill you slowly." A hollow sigh with pushes against the weight of his hand.

Suddenly the cut to her leg didn't seem like such a big deal anymore. The vampire pulled her close to him, his head moving beside hers and she wanted to fight to lean away from him. "I want to hear you scream for me." Without thought she shot her hands up for fingers to press against his eyes, wanting to rip them out of their sockets. Thumbs pressing as hard as she could and sweeping fingers down his face while pushing him off of her and away. Kneeing him in the groin and nearly falling over. But she caught herself just in time, pushing against him to push him down to the ground so she could make a break for it.

The platform was only a few feet away, and it led into another dark place. Her chest rushing once more with worried breaths, her head spinning as she moved as fast as she could. Her leg dragging behind only a bit but she forced herself to make a run for it. She had to go back. She had to get to the door she had came in and go out of it.

Hands grabbed a rail as she moved into it on accident. It was too dark to see, and even as she thought it, her eyes had glown to an ember like color, as if everything had adjusted to her vision. It must have been the wolf inside of her, helping her along and guiding her through the darkness. Why hadn't she done that earlier? Why now?

The pause had caused her less time than she knew. The shock of it all overpowering her to realize the situation she was in. Her head swung around to view behind her, running toward the right and she found herself surrounded by various dummies. Creatures, beasts, humans. She knew they were fake, and her legs took her to stash herself behind one. Only he would find her yet again. Rather than hide, she may as well fight it out until the end.

She looked around, trying to find something she could use as a weapon. Even if he was fast, shouldn't she be able to catch him with some sort of weapon? Anything. "Come on asshole!" She shouted out in mock rage. "You want me......Come and get me!" How brave. The little girl who showed fear and no mercy. She wouldn't let them have the satisfaction. Not now.....if she got away once, she could get away again.

[Shaden Grace]

Shaden should have been prepared for it, for her to do something, fight back and try to save her pathetic excuse of a life, and had been early, but when she seemed so damn helpless, not at all a fighter, he had foolishly dropped his guard. Bad move on his part. A mistake he wouldn't be making again. Her hands shot up toward his face, it was such a quick out of the blue attack that not even his quick vampire speeds could stop her before her hands were on his face, on his eyes pressing fingers into them as if trying to rip them from their sockets.

His hands moved to take her wrists, and his head turned slightly to the left, but still her fingers, her nails, scratched down his face. The smell of his blood filled the air, it was slow coming because the scratches weren't deep, but she'd put enough force behind it that they did bleed. And he was going to grab her when her knee shot up and kneed him in the groin. Why did women have to do that? It was such a low blow. He was bent over just slightly, his hands on his knees, and shaking his head. "Stupid mutt." He said just before she pushed him, suddenly their positions reversed, and he was now falling to the ground. Though he was sure the fall hurt him much less then it had hurt her.

She ran, like the little bitch she was. A shame she didn't have the fighting abilities needed to really fight him. All she could do was try and defend herself, it seemed. He sat up on the ground, and put a hand to his face, feeling a small amount of liquid that was his blood. Shaden sighed and put his fingers to his mouth, quickly removing the blood. The blade, which had fallen out of his hand when she'd caught him off guard, was picked up and placed back in his pocket. She wanted to play this little game then so be it, but now he wasn't going to nice and use the blade. It would have been quicker had he used it, but now he was going to give her more then she could image. The last person who had ever done that to him was Phoenix, and he'd nearly torn her apart for it. But of course someone had come along and saved her.

No one was coming to save her though. No one was going to come and stop Shaden this time. He followed after her, not quickly nor slowly, more like he was simply taking a calming walk. Where would she go? No matter where she went he would find her. She had to know that. No one, not even a mutt, could be stupid enough to think they could really hide from a vampire.

The area they were in now was dark, though that didn't much matter to him. Hell, if he wanted to, he could find her with his eyes closed. He hadn't even taken another step before her voice yelled out "Come on asshole!" Oh? Did he detect the sounds of anger? Mocking; perhaps, trying to seem braver then what she was. Trying to not seem so scared and helpless. He feet cared him forward soundlessly moving closer to her. "You want me......Come and get me!" How cute. "As you wish." He whispered softly, he took one step forward, and then was gone, moving faster then he had all night, moving toward her voice, stopping right in front of her, not even giving in inch between them.

The small little scratches had already closed, he was little pissed of that they would leave pale scare marks for a short time. She was lucky it wouldn't be permanent otherwise she would already be dead. He grabbed her by her throat again, only now, he lifted her up so her feet were no longer touching the ground. "I really hate mutts." He threw her back, making her land into some of the various dummies that were scattered across the room.

Shaden was there already when she'd landed on the ground, standing over her. "Now.. are you finished with your pointless running? I honestly don't see why you would want to stall this any longer then needed." His head titled to the side a little as he spoke. Such foolish creatures, these mutts. It was a shame she hadn't been turned into a vampire. She would have been even more fun to play with. A greater challenge for him. His foot stepped on her throat, ever so lightly applying a little more pressure, cutting off her air flow. "How long can you hold your breath, sweetheart?" It was, clearly, a rhetorical question see as how she couldn't answer at the moment. And as soon as it looked like she was going to pass out, he would let his foot up just a little so she could breath for moment and then once more apply pressure until she was close to passing out.

[*Annabella Remini]

Annabella heard him whisper. It was the faintest thing she had heard in a long time. Her eyes, frantically moving around but mainly towards where she had previously been after escaping the vampires clutches. Her breathing silenced but she didn't let it stop. "I really hate mutts." She sucked in air as his voice was directly in front of her, attempting to swing her arm up to hit him but he was too quick and he had already snatched her up by the throat, lifting her off the ground.

Feet swam to tender weight on his arm but it did no good. She found herself seconds later tossed into a few dummies. Crashing to the ground and hitting plastic and cement. A few pieces had cracked and tore off, one piece slicing a scratch to her right arm and another at the left side of her waist. Elbows hit concrete and then her head back and legs after she felt the sharp pain in her tail bone.

She was winded, wondering how the hell that had happened. She swore she was prepared for him, almost as if she was sure she could try to survive one more night. She was wrong.

The vampire was already on top of her, hovering in the air with no shadow to view. "Now.. are you finished with your pointless running? I honestly don't see why you would want to stall this any longer then needed." A cough arose from her throat, breathing in and out, trying to calm it to a nice slow point. "Fuck you." She pushed out through gritted teeth, and then soon after, as if by reflex, he had stepped on her throat, applying pressure to her larynx. Hands went up to his foot, the ankle she had tried for and slammed fists down against his calf.

"How long can you hold your breath, sweetheart?" He kept calling her that like some sort of pet name. She hated it, and she wanted to spit in his face if he did it one more time.

Occasionally her eyes tightly closed, trying to push his foot away before she realized she was running out of air. Gasping, nearly fighting for it before it finally started to subside. Stretching her neck, attempting to turn her head. "Breathe....just breathe Annabella."A small voice in her head tried to whisper out but was blocked by the same thing she was facing. Suffocation.

When she felt like she was beginning to fade he had released pressure. Airy coughs pushing out with a tight strain, trying to take in as much air as possible. One thing she didn't want to go through had been losing her breath. She didn't swim for fear of drowning. She never stuck her head out of a moving vehicle, and she never went on fast rides.

Consider it a fear maybe, sure, and he was only pushing her closer and closer to a panic attack. Her legs fell from heavily moving all over the place. No way to kick him, he wasn't standing in that position to strike him. Her hand went to move to her throat, managing to twist her body on it's side and holding it. Hoping that she had more time to breathe. More time to prepare.

She grunted out so loud with frustration and anguish that she wanted to suck in all the energy in that room and drain him dry. Maybe turning into a wolf was better than going through this. She could at least leap at him and bite him. Rip his throat out somehow.

[Shaden Grace]

Shaden tried to picture Sevanni's face when he brought him her head. He actually hadn't seen much of him because he'd been spending so much time with Helena. That, and he wasn't use to living the way Sevanni did. So he silently promised himself that when this was done and over with and he returned to New York, he'd spend more time there with him. He wondered what Sevanni would do if he didn't kill her, and he stayed in England. Aubrey wouldn't mind. She wouldn't even notice he was here. He laughed inwardly. Sevanni would be pissed. But as amusing as that was, he would never stay here. His place was in New York. Thus far it was the closest place to having a home as he'd ever had.

He looked down at the small little mutt on the ground at his feet. He needed to focus. She was still alive, which meant his job wasn't over. And even then it wasn't over. He had to cut her head off. Pleasant. He smirked, "Did you know, sweetheart, that I'll be taking your head back to Sevanni? Its just too bad he didn't insist upon having me take you to New York. You might have had a better chance of getting away." He shrugged, "Oh well, I guess, its not my life."

Her body was facing away from him, her hand on her throat. That annoyed him. He bent down and snatched her hand up by the wrist. A twisted grin was placed on his lips, and with the smallest flick of his own hand there was a crack from her wrist. Broken. So easily. It was the first of many. He dropped her arm like it was a decease. "He'll be pleased to know you suffered." He muttered, though the words sounded like they were said more for his benefit then hers. Though there was no doubt she could hear them too.

She was still facing away from him, his hand was on his waist, keeping her in place, and because she was facing away from him her neck was perfectly exposed. His head lowered, and then his fangs were there against her skin, and then they were in her skin, and her blood poured into his mouth. He didn't take much, and soon lifted his head, licking his lips.

He moved quickly after that, turning her so she was once more on her back, and he was on the ground on his knees there beside her. "Tell me if this hurts." He asked mockingly and his hand moved in a blur to her shoulder. Pressure being made, and then a popping. A dislocated shoulder. He could keep going. Bone after bone. And he did. When that became boring he took out the blade, and small quick slashes to her arms and legs. The only place he avoided was the face. Leaving that in near perfect condition. He kept one hand on her throat, not wanting her to get any bright ideas about getting away again.

The blade was moved slowly, moved just under her shirt and lifted up, ripping the fabric, and his hand moved the now torn shirt away from skin. It wasn't a sexual thing. He felt no desire or attraction to her. This was all apart of her slow death. And maybe a little bit of humiliation; having her shirt torn and laying on the ground. Shaden found it amusing, like most things. The cold metal of the blade was dragged across her newly reveled skin. Finally it stopped, and the tip was pressed into her skin, lightly at first, and then with more force, drawing blood, the blade slowly sinking inside her, he stopped when half the blade was hidden from view. Then he slashed the blade upward, through her midsection, making a deep cut. The blood flow was strong, it was pouring out of her quickly.

Shaden dropped the blade and looked up into her face, "Sorry Annabella, it was just a job." And he almost did sound sorry, of course this was simply relief that it was almost over. She would bleed to death with a wound this size. Already the flow of blood was starting to slow. He was anxious to return to New York, to see Sevanni, and more impotently, to see Helena. Shaden watched with a sick amusement as her life slowly slipped away.

[*Annabella Remini]

"Did you know, sweetheart, that I'll be taking your head back to Sevanni? Its just too bad he didn't insist upon having me take you to New York. You might have had a better chance of getting away." He shrugged, "Oh well, I guess, its not my life." She wasn't entirely sure what he had meant by that. New York had been the last place she would want to be. Closer to him, but now it didn't seem like such a big deal. She was caught anyway. She was there, lying in pain and fighting for breaths.

He was right about one thing. It wasn't his life. It was hers and she was losing it slowly but surely. Sweat was already rising over her forehead, feeling her hair slightly wet just near the roots. It had felt so hot in there from all the movement, but that slight chill went through her body like a feverish ice cube.

Her wrist; snatched up and the next thing she felt was pain. Annabella cried out at the top of her lungs. Screaming in agony as she felt each bone in her wrist break and heard the crackle. She had pulled down with her weight as he dropped her arm free. Curling it under her stomach and holding on tight for dear life. Her cries becoming more gruelling and deep. Throaty through clenched teeth.

Then it hit her. All silence drove out of her mouth with an empty scream. Her mouth opening but nothing came out but a blurred screech. Tight eyes and dots. All she saw were photographic dots and blush lines. He sunk fangs into her neck, she could feel his fang, one of them at least, snip a vein. Then that's when she saw everything she was flash before her.

Tears strummed out of those closed eyes as she let the black screen settle into picture. Memories of her parents. The first time she met Sevanni. The plane ride to england. Aubrey's commanding voice and a heartbreaking look from the monster who sent this man after her. James. She saw James and for the first time in a long time she had felt solemn. Tillie's smiling face. Ella in the garden. The howling moon and traces of paw prints in a trail of dirt.

She felt like her entire world was crashing down in a whirlwind, and all she could feel was life whispering to her goodbye. "Tell me if this hurts." She heard him after his release, laying there on her back and feeling him touch her. It seemed as if she didn't care anymore. As if she had been drained of so much energy that she just wanted to give up.

Tears fell harder and harder with more screams as bones were heard breaking within. The physical pain he bore unto her had ben tremendous. The torturous part was the worst of it. So far anyway. Feeling her bones breaking and not being able t do anything about it. She screamed out in agonizing pain some more.

She felt like her neck had been clamped down to the ground as his hand weighed against her, and she didn't want to move to get up. She wanted to move and apply some sort of relieving pressure to where he had managed to break bone.

It didn't stop there. She could feel metal slash away at skin. That damn blade of his. She should have grabbed it when she kneed him in the groin and made sure he couldn't get it back.

The blade broke fabric, tearing away her top after shredding through the coat. She could see it on the news. Headless body found inside Amusement Park Fun House. Fun house not so fun anymore.

Then it hit her. She could feel her blood leaking down the sides of her body. Spilling out as eyes finally opened and looked up into his as he bent over and looked into her own eyes. "Sorry Annabella, it was just a job." She choked up blood. Letting it fall from the left side of her mouth. Hitting the concrete like poured water.

She felt so cold. Shivering almost as she strained breaths. Choking once over and having blood spurt from her mouth. Her left hand rested on her stomach, fingers sticky with her own blood, sliding down her side along with the small bloodfall to let that hand touch the ground, resting in a puddle of her own blood.

He was a coward for not coming to kill her himself. Sevanni. He had to send others to do his dirty work. He was going to hell. They were all going to hell.

Her hair was now red, stained dark along with other portions of her body. No need to worry about what she looked like anymore. No misery to wallow in. Maybe he was doing her a favor. Maybe she needed to die in order to feel something other than pain and heartbreak. Now, Annabella didn't have to see the vampire as a threat. A heartless killer, but a Godsend. He had set her free, and everyone else could go on without her.

The tears subsided, along with her breathing. Eyes staring blankly up at him with her soul vanishing from her form. No more worries. No more sadness. She could see everything below her. His actions as he knelt there. Her form laying against the ground in the thin darkness. Blood. Blood everywhere. Then nothing. Everything was gone. Annabella was gone.