Bloodbound (w/WillowVX)

Belle could hardly notice the damp, dank smell of the warehouse. She was so engulfed in James. She paid close attention to each slight movement of his fingers, to the eager way he sucked and bit on her. She was ashamed of herself but it wasn't the time for that - just like James had said. Now it was just time to feel. And she felt everything. Every stimulation he made sent pleasure waves through her hypersensitive body. Belle could feel his ever hardening cock press against her leg as he continued to pleasure her shamelessly. The sound of his moan caused her to moan louder as he bit down onto her nipple. Sensations washed over her and she arched her back, giving him her chest completely.

The way he plunged his fingers in and out of her were becoming too much for her to handle. He pressed up against her sensitive inner walls and her clit became overly receptive. The pleasure took her breath away and she gasped out, her mouth open wide as her body shock. Her moans turned into screams as the pleasure started to become too much for her to bear.

"Don't stop!" Belle screamed. "Oh, God, don't stop!" Her pussy muscles clenched and contracted around his fingers as he brought her closer to orgasm.

"As if," he grunted, "I would!" James pulled his face away from her bosom, allowing her to press herself ever closer to him. Even through his shirt he could feel her hard nipples pressed against him. James sealed her gaping mouth and silenced her screams with his own lips; his tongue snaked in under hers, then began to circle it. With only his hand left to tease her breasts, James became more active, and a little more rough, pinching, kneading and squeezing. Below, as she tightened around his fingers, James spread them, meeting her pressure with greater pressure. The fingers not currently occupied with her inner passage or her clit began to run up and down her labia. He continued to work his other two fingers in and out of her, though never withdrawing them completely, or going so deep as to pierce her last barrier. He carefully pressed his thumbnail into her clitoris.

Belle's pressed her naked body tightly against James. Her breasts were against his chest and her hips practically sat on his fingers. When James brought his lips down onto hers, she moaned into him as his tongue made it's way into her gaping mouth. They kissed passionately and Belle was dripping with ecstasy. The thought that she now completely belonged to James was too much for her to bear. She felt his free hand pull and tease at her breasts, only causing her more pleasure as he pinched and grabbed at them roughly. She knew that if she weren't the slayer that it would hurt a lot more than it did. She could take much more abuse than a normal human could.

She felt his fingers work inside of her pussy. Plunging fast in and out of her sopping hole, spreading her lips apart. She felt everything so intensely as her body continued to shake. She continued to scream and moan against his lips, trying to keep her breath. When he pressed his nail into her clit, it caused her to scream and convulse. Her pussy muscles began to cum all over his fingers and her knees have way beneath her, sending her buckling towards the ground.

As Belle's knees gave way, James slowed her fall, but not by much. He wanted her to feel it when her knees hit the ground. He wanted her acutely aware that she was, in her ecstasy, kneeling before him. Still, a hand on her shoulder steadied her; he didn't want her falling on her face. Or at least, not at the moment. When he was sure she was able to keep her balance, he slid his fingers along her collarbone and up her throat, cupping her chin in his hand and tilting her head up to look at him. "Having fun? We're just getting started you know."

He circled around her, fingers still running along her sweat-slicked skin until he was standing behind her. Then he began to unbuckle his belt. There was no need to hold her now; her legs were too wobbly and her pants were still around her ankles. She wasn't going anywhere, even if she wanted to--which he very much doubted. It wasn't long before he was mostly undressed--his shoes, pants, and undergarments were discarded, and his shirt was unbuttoned. He stepped towards Belle, his eager member pressing lightly against her back as he once again grabbed her silky blond hair. James pulled her head back to look up at him, although more importantly he wanted to see her face. Was there any defiance left smoldering in her eyes, any trace of shame? Or had those feelings been swept away in the pleasure? Not that it made any difference.

Once he was satisfied with her expression, he gave her a shove, hard enough to throw her off balance but he hoped not hard enough to send her sprawling. She should have been able to catch herself, ending up on her hands and knees as he knelt behind her.

Belle could do nothing as she fell to her knees below James. She felt betrayed by herself. She felt disgusting. She felt helpless. James slowed her fall and eased her to the ground. Belle's body was still reeling from pleasure when James traced his fingers along her chest then up towards her face to force her to look into his eyes. Just getting started... Belle didn't know how much of this she could take. But she wanted more of him. She craved more.

Her body was shaking and she swallowed hard as James circled her. She was terrified. More so than she had been all day. She felt the surrender completely as soon as her knees hit the ground. Belle knew that she could fight now, as James' hold on her was released. She could try to run. She wanted to. She felt her body twitch. Something inside of her wouldn't allow her to move. She felt like she was his. She felt like even if she ran now, he would always find her.

Belle was aware of everything James was doing. She stood here on her knees, starting straight ahead, shaking - waiting for what ever James planned to do next. She heard him undressing and her heart sped up again. She shut her eyes tightly and let the tears silently fall. She didn't want this. Not like this. But she couldn't find the strength to leave.

When James finally stepped forward, his naked body was pressed against hers. She lost her breath. It felt like it had in her dream, only much more real. She could feel is hardening cock touching her soft flesh, and despite herself, she felt herself fantasizing about what it would feel like. His fingers snaked through her hair and yanked her head back painfully. She winced but had no choice but to look up at him. Her face was red and tearstained. Her eyes were squinted and fearful. Her mouth was set in an angry line. She was angry with James. Angry at herself. She wanted to hold her desire in. She wanted to fight him. But James seemed to drain away all of her will.

"Don't do this, James." Belle said quietly to him as she looked into his cruel eyes. He responded by shoving her to the ground. He was forceful, rough. Belle felt her hands scraped on the ground as she broke her own fall. Her body was broken down to her hands and knees. She grit her teeth and balled her fists. She had had enough. She was not his toy. He did not own her. She had a moment of weakness but she couldn't afford another. Him breaking her down like this was more than she could take. Belle pushed her weak arms and legs up to stand.

As James began to kneel down behind her, Belle started trying to get up. It wasn't as though she could escape him at this point, but he was surprised that she was still trying to defy him. He took a firm hold of her hips, relishing in the softness of her skin and the curvature of her flesh. "Going somewhere?" he asked as he dug his fingernails in--hard enough to sting, but not to draw blood or even hurt much. "Do you think, after I've worked so hard to give you such pleasure, that you're going to leave before I can have the same satisfaction? How selfish, Belle. How cruel."

Shifting his own hips, he slid his hard length between her legs and rubbed it along her slit, lubricating himself with her juices for the penetration to come. "Besides, it's not as though you're not going to enjoy this just as much as I am. Perhaps more... you do seem to want it so badly. Do you want to tell me, Belle, how much you want it?" With a slight shift in his angle, the head of his member scraped lightly against her clitoris. "Tell me how much you've yearned to have me inside you? Don't pretend you haven't thought about it, Belle, that you're not thinking about it right now..."

Her body was weak when Belle tried to push herself up. She should have known she wouldn't get far. James knelt behind her and gripped her hips hard. She could feel his fingertips, his nails, digging into the soft flesh. She winced as he caused her to go back down into position. It wasn't a particularly painful hold, until she tried to move. If she were to try to get up again, it would fee as if James' hands would break her hips from how strong his hold was. She had no choice but to stand on her hands and knees before him. She presented her glistening sex to his view and she could feel him rub the length of his cock back and forth across the warm slit. Her breathing was rapid again and her body trembled. She had wanted it so bad - but not from him. She wanted it from the James she thought she knew. She couldn't do this.

"No. I don't want it. Not like this..." Belle said through her teeth. "I never wanted it like this." She moaned out softly when the head of his member pressed along her sensitive little clit. She was becoming wetter again. He was right. She had thought about it and she thought about it right now. Her body needed it. Her pussy yearned for the feeling of him stretching her insides. The battle between her body and her mind was tearing her apart. "You might be able to break my body but you can't break my will." Belle said to him, tears silently falling from her face.

"Can't I? Haven't I already? Weren't you begging me just minutes ago not to stop?" James bent forward, pressing his chest against the soft skin of her bare back. His breath washed over her ear as he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Mind and body are not so separate as you seem to believe. Your feelings for me make your body more eager; the pleasures of the flesh reinforce those feelings. One feeds into the other, in a cycle you can no longer escape. Your struggle will slow your descent, and entertain me greatly, but you are already broken. Mind..."

He sat upright again, towering over her prone form as he drew his hips back. "And..." He carefully aligned the tip of his member with her dripping opening. "Body." James pushed into her, ever so slowly, savoring the sensation. He drove his cock inch by inch into her pussy, piercing her hymen without slowing down. Only when his length had completely filled her pussy, and the head pressed against her cervix, did he come to halt.

Belle knew that James was right. He might be evil, he might be manipulative - but he was right. She was begging him to continue. Her feelings for him are clouding her judgement. She didn't know how to turn them off. She wanted desperately to forget about how hard she'd fallen for him but she didn't know how. She didn't want to cry anymore. If she was going to have to endure this, she would do it honorably.

"Maybe you're right..." She said through her teeth. She felt his smooth, hard chest against the warm flesh of her back. His breath washing over her ear and neck, sending chills through her body. She was getting ready to say more but she was never given the chance. He straightened himself out and gave her no warning as he pulled his hips back and slowly pushed himself into her wet, warm opening.

Belle gasped loudly. Her mouth hung open and she could feel as his wide length stretched the walls of her tight, virgin pussy. She felt the sharp pinch as he broke through her hymen. She found that she enjoyed the pain and she relished in the feeling. Inch by inch, he drove himself slowly into her until his entire length was engulfed by her warm hole. She kept her head up the entire time. She was overwhelmed with feelings and sensations. She wanted to scream and cry and throw him off but at the same time she wanted to moan and fuck and feel him slam inside of her. She refused to cry but she refused to moan. She stayed here in position and grit her teeth tightly. She forced herself to endure this. She didn't want to give him satisfaction by enjoying it nor did she want to give him satisfaction by fighting. Defiance was her only tool. She needed to be strong. She felt his thick, pulsating cock deep inside of her and it was hard not to react.

"Of course I'm right," James murmured. "You will learn that I usually am; it comes with the centuries of experience." He paused; she was being oddly quiet. He took one hand off her hip to tangle his fingers in her hair, once again jerking her head back to look at her expression, though his other hand stopped her from sitting back up. Her jaw was clenched, her entire face was tense; clearly she was trying to avoid making any noise. Her body, he noted, was similarly rigid. It was amusing, but also a little annoying. And it would continue to get more annoying, the longer she held it. James was determined to elicit some reaction from her now; he didn't much care what it was.

James began to draw back his hips, pulling his member almost all the way out. He released her hair and smacked her rear, leaving a stinging red impression of his hand on her buttock as he thrust into her again, this time filling her pussy in an instant. He put his free hand back on her hip to hold her steady as he continued to pump into her. "Nothing to say, Belle? Are you afraid of what might come out of your mouth if you open it?"

James was so arrogant that it made Belle sick to her stomach. She couldn't wait until this was over. Slowly, bit by bit, James was crushing any feeling she ever had for him. Even though this broke her heart, she was grateful. The more she hated him, the easier it would be when she finally killed him.

Belle's muscles strained as James grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back to look at him. She made sure to keep her face a mask of indifference. She refused to give him pleasure. She could sense the frustration in his eyes. It made her lips tilt up into a half smile. The smile faltered as James pulled his hips back and slammed himself back inside of her, hard. She hissed through her teeth as his hand came down hard on her bare ass. She could feel the sting shoot up her back. He held her steady and pumped into her hard and fast. Her eyes were shut tightly and muffled moans escaped from her throat. She opened her mouth for a breath and they came flooding out. The pleasure his weapon caused her was just too great and she couldn't hold it back.

"You had better kill me when this is over." Belle spoke through her moans. She lifted her head back and looked hard into James' cruel eyes. "Because if you don't - I will kill you. I promise." With that, she let it go. Her eyes lit up with pleasure and she screamed as James continued to pound her innocent, slayer pussy. She could take a lot more abuse than a normal human. The strength in which his hands gripped her and the velocity in which he mercilessly thrust his hips - it would have no doubt tore a human apart.

James couldn't help it; he had to laugh. Part of it was that such a defiant statement immediately gave way to unrestrained screams of pleasure. But perhaps more amusing was her determination, and how he intended to use it against her. As long as she was fixated on killing him, she couldn't run away--not that it was really an option for her anymore. The bond between them was strong enough that he could always track her down. But not only was Belle sure not to skip town, she wouldn't be able to avoid his company. Whether she was studying his habits and trying to find a weakness, or sticking close and waiting for an opening, Belle would have to keep coming back to him. And since she posed little threat anymore, at least by James' estimation, it would be more an opportunity for him than for Belle.

So he laughed, cold and cruel, as he continued to thrust his member into her. He rarely got to enjoy himself this much, as he always held so much back. Of course, the last time had been just a few days ago with Fred. The difference, of course, was that Belle could take it. While a human would have been split apart by the force, the slayer's passage still gripped him as tightly as when he started. You're doing so well, Belle, I think you're ready for a little more...

At the peak of one thrust, when his member filled her entire pussy and its tip pressed against the narrowing of her cervix, he paused. Rather than withdrawing, or even thrusting in deeper, James tightened his grip on Belle's hips and dragged her back to him, his shaft penetrating deeper and deeper into her body, until the entire massive length was sheathed in her and the head of his cock was buried in her womb. He wiggled his hips a little, causing his rock-hard penis to shudder inside of her.

The sound of James' cruel laughter as he continued to slam into her hit Belle's spine like an ice pick. He really believed that she couldn't kill him. She didn't want to feel like he was right. She couldn't afford to doubt herself. She counted on it. Hundreds, if not thousands, of innocents counted on it. She hated feeling like she belonged to James. Like he owned her. He could do or say anything and get away with it completely. Belle had made a terrible mistake by trusting him. She should have trusted her instincts. Belle has fought some bad vampires but she has never faced an enemy like James before. She wasn't quite sure how this was going to end.

It was difficult for Belle to form many coherent thoughts as pleasure continued to ripple through her body. When her mouth opened and let the first moan escape, the rest came out like a flash flood. She wasn't able to hold it back, as hard as she tried. Belle hated herself for enjoying it. It wasn't only her body that enjoyed it but it was every part of her. James stimulated her mind more than she was willing to admit. A part of her enjoyed the fact that he was smart enough to beat her. No matter how terrified - she was impressed. She loved the way he unleashed his strength. She loved the raw pain and pleasure.

Belle's mouth gaped open and she drew in a deep breath. She felt the long, thick intruder push all the way into her, as deep as was possible. Even when he was as deep as he could go, he wiggled his hips and somehow push in deeper. She moved her hips to help him bury it even further into her. She felt his fingertips grab her hips harder and she winced in pain as his grip cut into her soft flesh. That was definitely leave bruises. He pulled her pussy so far onto him that she could feel his cock push itself so far into her, that it nestled itself deep into her womb. She didn't know it could even go that far. Just the thought alone drove Belle crazy. She was connected with him completely. His cock shuddered and flexed inside of her. Her mouth remained open and she made sounds she didn't even know she was capable of making.

"Oh, James..." She moaned. Belle began to rock her hips slightly. Up and down, side to side. She relished in the feeling of him moving around inside of her. She wanted him to fuck her. Hard. Fast. Deep. She didn't want him to hold back. "Give it to me..." She encouraged him. "Give me everything, please." She begged. "Grab me, ravish me, fuck me, break me." Belle moaned, her voice drowned in pleasure. At that moment, she never wanted anything more in her life.

James laughed again when she began to beg. "As you wish, my pet." He pulled his hips back and slammed into her again, resuming his thrusts harder and deeper than before. But more than that, he began to swing his own pelvis in circles as he fucked her; his manhood bored into her wanting cavity like a drill. But she could take it. Belle was tough, and more than that, she seemed to like it rough. He couldn't have asked for more. So he would give her everything she desired and more. As he continued to hammer his cock into her, James released his hips to settle his hands over her rear, roughly squeezing her buttocks and sliding the ample mounds under his palms.

By this point James' breathing was becoming heavy and uneven, not from exertion but from excitement. He was so ready to cum, to fill her womb with his lifeless seed, but he willed himself to hold back. Just a little longer... Belle had already lost her mind to the pleasure, surely her body was ready...

James' voice drove Belle deeper into pleasure as he called her his pet.

"Yes..." She moaned out as he fucked her mercilessly. She felt his hips working in circles, slamming into her at inhuman speed and strength. She relished in the feeling. "Oh, yes!" She screamed louder as she felt the searing pain from his hard cock impaling her pussy. Belle could feel his large, strong hands grab and massage her soft ass as he drilled into her with nearly all his strength. For a moment, a spark of fear ran through Belle. She was afraid that he might accidentally kill her. She was ashamed to admit how much that thought turned her on. How much she enjoyed being so close to death.

Another thought came to Belle's pleasured mind as she felt her orgasm beginning to build. The feeling of his cock slamming against the fragile depths of her pussy were too much for her to handle. She wasn't sure if James caused the image or if she desired it on her own. She remembered the orgasm James gave her in her dream. The way, just as they both came, he bit down and buried his fangs in her throat. The feeling of him draining her lifeblood as he pumped his seed deep into her womb. She wanted it so badly. She screamed out as she felt her pussy muscles start to clench. The feeling was too much and her hands and knees gave way. Her chest fell against the cold floor and James held her up by her hips. Belle's body started to shake as her orgasm began to erupt around his invading cock.

Belle's climax pushed James over the edge; he couldn't hold back anymore if he wanted to. But that was no problem--this was the reason he had bothered to contain himself at all. With a mighty shudder and a satisfied groan, he came inside her, filling her womb with his hot discharge. Once he had emptied himself, he sat there for a few seconds, breathing heavily, before releasing her hips and instead grabbing her limp arms. James pulled Belle upright, his still-hard member sliding around inside her as he did, and leaned forward slightly to press his chest against her back. "Now," he panted, "wasn't that fun?" He let his head fall forward against her shoulder, savoring the heat of her skin and the smell of her sweat, before biting down into her flesh and beginning to rock his hips again, this time thrusting up into her.

For hours he ravished her, sometimes letting her body fall against the floor, others pulling her upright by her arms or reaching around to tease her breasts while he held her against him. Sometimes he bent down over her body, and at one point he pressed her face against the cold floor as he fucked her savagely. Every time Belle came, he bit her--never deep, never drinking much, and never on the throat. That would be too hard to hide, too hard to explain. But her shoulders, her back, and her collarbone were branded with the mark of his teeth again and again.

Eventually, even James' ravenous lust was satisfied. He came for what he knew would be the last time tonight, then looked down at Belle with contentment. He had lost track of how many times he had come inside her, but with his manhood filling her tight passage very little of his seed had escaped. Her womb must have been on the verge of bursting. With a sigh, he put one hand on her rear and shoved her roughly off his member and onto the concrete. He glanced around the building. Night had fallen, and the other vampires had fled. Slowly, James got to his feet; he was a little unsteady after all that.

"I expect to see you at school tomorrow. If it helps, you can tell yourself that being near me will give you the best chance to kill me. That is true, though your best chance is hardly a chance at all anymore. Or you can tell yourself that if you don't show, I will come to your house and your foster parents will be in danger. That is most certainly true. But whatever excuse you make for yourself, we both know that you will come because you want to be with me again." James pulled up his pants, then tossed his white, button-down shirt over her back. He had completely ruined Belle's, after all, as well as her undergarments; he should make some compensation. Plus, it would be a nice memento for the girl of their first night together. "Here," he said, "for your modesty. See you tomorrow, my pet..."

And with that, he walked away into the night, humming a cheerful tune.

Belle's orgasm was increased by the feeling of James exploding inside of her. She was coming down from her euphoric high but her mind still was clouded by thoughts of James. He was amazing. He was sexy. He was strong. He was fast. He made her feel so good. And she loved him. She felt James pull her body up so that she was sitting on his lap. His still hard cock was still wedged tightly in her wet folds. His chest was pressed against her back and she felt his breath wash over her neck as he spoke into her ear. His face was against her shoulder, she could feel him panting and inhaling her. She knew it was coming as she felt him bury his fangs into her shoulder. Belle moaned out loud at the pain. He bit down and drank from her as he began to fuck her again. That's what she wanted. That's what she'd been waiting for. Her dream didn't do him justice. Belle was in complete ecstasy.

James continued to take her for what seemed like forever to Belle. But she didn't mind. It seemed they both had incredible stamina. She relished in the way he grabbed her and shoved her to the ground - the way he held her against him and bit down into various places of her body. She knew that she would be ashamed of herself but none of that mattered now. All that mattered was James.

By the end of their dance, Belle's body was numb. As was her mind. She couldn't feel anything. She couldn't move. She couldn't think. The last thing she felt was James pulling out of her abused pussy and pushing her hard to the floor - discarding her after he was finished having his fun. A part of her wished he would kill her now and just get it over with, so she wouldn't have to live with herself for what she did. But she knew he wouldn't. He couldn't kill her as much as she couldn't kill him. Belle knew, logically, that James did not love her. None the less, he had an obsession. Which was probably the vampire equivalent of love.

She heard James' words but she was too weak to respond. Not only that - she didn't know what to say. She started slowly coming to her senses and she finally felt the pain in her body, coming down from her lustful high. She also felt the shame. James had won. He was right. All of the times he'd said it. She was his. And he proved that tonight. Tomorrow would be a different story. This is the first and last time she would hesitate. This is the first and last time she would let him win.

Belle was vaguely aware of James draping his shirt over her naked bloody, dirty, shaking body. "See you tomorrow, my pet..." Were the last words she heard as Belle slipped into unconsciousness on the warehouse floor.

James was walking up the front steps of his manor when one of his phones began to ring; he found it useful to maintain several. He pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID; it was one of his pawns on the police force. The man had no idea who or what he truly was, but he knew that 'Daniel' paid well. "This had better be extremely important," James said, putting on a slightly deeper and more adult voice than he usually used. No matter how much money you had, it was hard to get a cop to answer to a teenager.

"I'm taking care of that thing you mentioned--"

"Then you had better get on with it."

"No, listen to me. There's a girl here."

James froze. Belle was still there? He reached out with his mind; he could still feel her, she wasn't dead, but there was nothing. She was passed out--not even asleep, or he would have been able to sense her subconscious, her dreams. He gave a sigh of relief before an arrogant smile settled on his lips. Belle had been a good sport, after all, but she still couldn't keep pace with him. He'd just have to train her...

But there were more important issues at the moment. James shook his head and spoke into the phone again. "Here's what I want you to do..."

~~~

The next morning, Belle's foster mother sat by her bed. She had been watching the sleeping girl since the police had brought her home the night before; her eyes were red from tears and lack of sleep, but she managed to remain alert and watch for any sign of Belle stirring, or waking up.

Belle was in a dreamless sleep. When consciousness finally began to creep back into her mind, she was dazed and disoriented. The faint sound of a sniffle reached her ears. She was fully aware of her heart pounding in her chest and the feeling of the cool air on her skin. With much effort, her eyes slowly began to flutter open. She turned her head and saw her foster mother. Oh, crap... Belle thought to herself. Belle opened her eyes and sighed, putting her hand on top of the crying woman's. A pang of sympathy hit Belle's chest. She had clearly been up all night. It wasn't fair. They shouldn't have to endure this. Belle remember what happened instantly.

"What happened?" Belle asked, feigning her loss of memory. It would be better for everyone if she claimed to have no recollection of the events that led her to her bed. How did she get home? She remembered... she remembered James. Ice rain through her veins. James. This was all his fault. He left her. In the warehouse. She passed out. Somebody had to have brought her home. Belle knew whoever found her, found Aaron's corpse. Belle's stomach tightened at the memory.

"It's okay, mom." It was the first time Belle had ever called her mom. Belle coughed a little bit, holding her head, trying to sit up. "It's okay. I'm okay."

The woman nearly jumped out of her chair, although whether this was because of Belle's movement or the fact that she had been called mom was not clear. "It's... it's not okay. I know you're still upset about Fred. I'm not asking you to just get over it. But wandering off without telling us where you're going is not okay. Neither is sneaking onto a crime scene. We were so worried. And it's not safe! What if something had happened to you? That wouldn't solve anything, Belle. I just... please tell me you won't do that again. Disappear for hours without letting us know where you're going. And please tell me you won't wander around downtown, alone, at night. Please."

Belle looked at her foster mother and sighed. She couldn't promise that. She never really realized until last night how much she really cared for the young couple who took her in. The last thing she wanted to do was lie to them.

"I promise." She gave her a half smile. Belle looked over at the alarm clock beside her bed. She'd missed half a day at school. It was already the afternoon. She remembered James' words. If she didn't come to school, her foster parents would be in danger.

"Hey, listen." Belle started, pushing herself up, already feeling much better. Slayers heal fast, after all. "I'm fine. Look." She pulled the blanket off and spread her arms. "I'm perfectly okay. Go to work. Please." Belle looked at her seriously. Please, go. Belle thought.

She wondered who brought her home. How much they knew of what happened. The most important thing right now was getting her foster parents away and trying to figure out a way to get rid of James. Belle started to form a plan. She'd saved up a couple thousand dollars over the years. She was going to use it to get out of California and start a new life. Now she had a much better use for it. She needed her foster parents gone for a few days. She couldn't risk keeping them in danger. Everyone else Belle had was gone. She was alone. That was good. The less people Belle loved, the less people would die. As soon as her step mother leaves, Belle planned to do everything she can to keep James out of the house. He was already invited in. Belle would never be safe. She had to figure out a way to keep him out.

Belle's foster mother looked at her for a long while before finally lowering her eyes and sighing. "Alright. Alright, I'll go. Listen, I've already called the school, so you don't have to go in today. There's food in the fridge, so please eat something." She got up and began getting ready for work.

~~~

At school, James drummed his fingers impatiently on his desk at lunch. Really, Belle, still at home? Are you even awake? He had so been looking forward to spending more time with his new pet. It was somehow both frustrating and very boring. He wanted to see her, hold her, hear her gasp with pain and moan with pleasure. Did she think he was joking about coming to her house? Surely she took him seriously, after what he had done to Fred...

Well, no matter. He'd stop by after school, and if her parents got in his way, they'd be removed.

Belle moved slowly throughout the afternoon. At least until her step mother left for work. Her brain was working through all the possibilities. Things she could do to protect herself. Moves she could make against James. Belle wasn't going after him. Not tonight. Tonight was going to be a massacre. She was going to track every single one of the vampires that was in the warehouse last night and she was going to kill them all. Belle realized that she couldn't take someone like James head on. First, she would have to strip him of his minions. Then strip him of his resources. But to do that... she would need to learn more about him. If that meant having to spend time with him, she was willing to sacrifice that. What James did last night killed all feeling she'd ever had for him - or so she made herself believe. This was war now. He had plans much bigger than she realized and she knew they were bad. Very, very bad.

The bed was soft beneath her sore bottom as Belle sat on the bed and sighed. She let small images flash through her head. She knew they were her own. It was the way she had seen James through her eyes. Sweet. Protective. Innocent. Fun. Dark all the same. She felt so angry with herself. How could she be fooled like that? How could he do something like that! Rage and sadness started to explode within Belle. She screamed out loud and punched a hole in the wall above her bed. It wasn't enough. She through her dresser across the room, sending her alarm clock and other small nick nacks flying. She ran into the bathroom and got scissors. She was so angry with herself. So angry with James. She wanted to disappear but she never could. He would always find her. He would kill everyone around her if he had to. Belle punched her mirror, sending shards of glass spraying over her carpeted floor. Her knuckle was bleeding but she didn't notice. A sharp shard of glass still hung onto the closet mirror. She grabbed her long hair hard in her hands and use her hand with the bleeding knuckle to cut viciously at the golden locks. Tears were flowing from her eyes and her teeth were clenched. She hacked away until her long beautiful yellow hair was choppy and resting on her shoulders. In her mind, Belle knew she would have to fix it later. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered right now.

Belle went into her foster parents' room and found their phone book. They both worked in the small realty agency in town. She found the number for their boss and dialed it into the receiver. She explained that she wanted to do something special for them. She wanted to help them get away for a while and she was paying for a full vacation - since they both had vacation time they didn't want to use because they were worried to leave Belle alone. Her foster parents, although young, were highly respected. Good people. It didn't take much convincing for their boss to agree. Belle then made reservations for a flight and hotel in Cancun. She knew they had passports, so she didn't worry about that. Belle used all of the money she had saved for this trip. A trip that, more than likely, will save their lives. Belle can't have them in the crossfire. Things were going to get bad with James and she knew it. She thought of Fred and even Aaron. She didn't want anyone else to die because of her. All she had to do was prove that she was okay. She would tell them she's doing this to thank them for everything they've done for her. Their flight left the next morning. All Belle had to do was play James' game and keep them safe until then.

After the preparations for her foster parents were taken care of, Belle went into her foster fathers toolbox and found a hammer and several long nails. She went to every window in the house and pounded the nails through the window into the window sill. She was going to do everything she could to make sure James couldn't get in. That wasn't all she did. School was still in session so she knew James would still be there. Waiting for her, probably. She walked three blocks to the tall white church where she filled several containers with holy water. She poured all of the water into glasses from her kitchen. She placed four glasses of holy water below each window. Even if he got in through the window, the holy water would sting. She hung crosses on each side of the window and she hid stakes in several places of the house. So no matter where she was, there would be a weapon. Belle wasn't playing anymore. James was dangerous. She had a moment of weakness and it would never happen again.

She's not coming. James sighed as he finally accepted this. He had hoped, so dearly hoped, that she would come. He wanted her around, of course, but more than that what he wanted was for her to obey him--even if it was under duress, it was a start. But apparently she didn't even take his threats seriously. I'm going to have to fix this... He ignored the rest of his classes, abandoning even the pretense of being a good student, as he pondered what he was going to do to Belle. The first thing, of course, would be to go to her house. When school got out, he was the first out of the building and first out of the parking lot. As he drove, it was easy to keep a part of his mind focused on Belle and their link. The hard part was paying attention to anything but Belle. He knew this level of obsession was risky, but it was also fun, so much fun. Even when it was frustrating, at least he was engaged. Belle was rarely boring.

Through their bond, James kept close watch on Belle's position. He didn't want to go to her house only to find that she'd just left. If she fled or if she hunted, James would know where she was and he would go to her.