Her Heart His Prey

This is it, the chapter that will (hopefully) stop confusing the absolute hell out of everyone! I agree with you all, the last chapter was very confusing, but as it was written in first person, I figured it would be best to feel like you were literally in her shoes (which is not always desirable).

Also, before people start asking, 'ocella' is a Latin derived word meaning 'dear' or 'beloved'.

I hope you all enjoy, but I must admit, not EVERY secret is revealed in this chapter. That would ruin all the fun! I have many tricks up my sleeve (hypothetical sleeves of course because it's summer now), and I can't wait to get the next part out.

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The Breakup

'What the hell?' it seemed to be a common phrase in my vocabulary as of late. I had been asking that in my head for the past six months after my parents were found dead in our suburban home, apparently murdered. I had been asking that to myself after David had proposed. What would an amazing, not to mention inhuman, guy like him want with a mere human such as myself?

And yet there I stood, watching as my sister made out with my fiancée in a back room of our wedding rehearsal dinner. I could feel tears of anger—tears of heartbreak-- begin to form in my eyes. I could feel my heart shattering, slowly, agonizingly. They didn't see me standing there; they were too... consumed by each other. She was all over him, her hands in his short hair as he grabbed her ass, drawing her as close as possible.

Normally I was a very assertive person. As a photographer I had to be to talk to certain people, to get whatever information I needed and to get what people wanted to see on film. But the assertive edge I usually possessed had abandoned me in this moment.

Instead I spun on my heel and raced back down the hall, trying my best to hold in the sobs I knew were coming. I didn't hear the footsteps behind me until someone's arms caught me around the waist, holding me tightly to them while I struggled. "Marlow, stop." David's voice caused me to freeze momentarily.

But only for a second; in the next I was raising my foot to kick him in the shin. As I made contact, he grunted, but otherwise didn't say anything. His hold remained firm. "I guess I deserved that," he muttered.

"Let me go!" I snarled, thrashing against his hold.

"Marlow can we please just talk about this?" The tone of his voice made it seem like he was trying to have a conversation with a five year old. I fought to control my rage.

"No," I replied austerely.

"Marlow, come on."

I struggled free of his grasp, whirling around to face him irately. "What the hell makes you think that I want to talk to you about this?! Just go and find my sister and finish whatever you two were clearly starting back there!"

Glancing around for a second, he grasped my arm and pulled me into another room. As he shut the door, I took a step back, crossing my arms as if to fend myself off from him.

He came forward, grabbing my shoulders with both hands, trying to get me to look at him. I stared at the floor. I knew one look at his face would cause me to lose it. "Marlow please look at me." His voice was earnest, and I struggled to resist.

I succeeded. "Why would you do that to me?" I whispered. I didn't trust my voice.

I felt his hand grip my chin, raising it so that I would look at him. There was no kindness or care in his eyes, only sympathy and pity. There was no love left in them for me. I shoved him away from me. "Get out."

"Marlow, you have to understand-"

"I have to understand what?!" I hissed.

"You can't tell anyone about me, about my kind," he spoke softly. His words finalized that he truly was leaving me. And for my sister! I swallowed tightly, trying to push aside the suffocating feeling.

"Please just get out," I whispered.

"Marlow, I'm so sorry..." he reached for me and I avoided him.

"No, you're not. If it's some freak wolf thing, then I don't want to know. Just get out and leave me the hell alone!" I shouted at him. I noticed him wince as I said the word 'freak'.

"Stop!" he said suddenly as I stormed to the door, desperate to show him out. I whirled on him, furious, but the look in his eyes made me pause. "She's my one," he murmured, stepping forward and fingering a lock of my hair. "You know I cannot help what I feel with her." My chest ached as he continued, and I didn't look at him. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of allowing him to see my face while he tore me up inside.

I bit my lip, closing my eyes tightly for a moment, willing the tears to not come. "Then go to her. Don't worry about me." I hadn't even blinked once and he was already gone. The silence of the room he had just been in mere moments ago was staggering as I caved in on myself, curling up into a ball against the door he had just vacated.

My heart broke for the second time that day at his final proclamation.

And yet I couldn't help but wonder... what could I have possibly done wrong?

The Present

"I want you to let me go," I stated as calmly as I could. I began to feel like I was suffocating all over again. David's face swam in my mind, and I shoved it out just like I was shoving Cassian away from me.

"Marlow-" he tried to get me to look at him, but I was having none of that.

"Let me go right now! I don't know who the hell you are, and I don't want to be here, so just let me go before I start freaking out!" I clenched my eyes shut as I spoke through my teeth, my voice sounding desperate as I demanded to be released.

Slowly his arms unwound from me, and I quickly slid off of the side of the bed, standing up warily. Our eyes locked and remained so for an undefinable amount of time. Cassian's gaze was hurt, and I tried to ignore the pang of guilt that swept through me at causing him to feel upset. I crossed my arms, staring at him evenly. "I need to see David."

The change in his composure was immediate. "No," he snarled, his eyes shimmering for a moment. Fear and tension invaded my mind for a second as he did, but he calmed quickly. "Anything you need to speak to him about, you can speak to me about."

"I don't know you," I replied evenly.

"You will," he edged off of the bed, padding over quickly until he stood in front of me, looking down at me as his dark hair fell into his eyes again. "You will remember." The way he said that, so cryptically, sent shivers through me.

"Remember what?" I asked, biting my tongue as I waited for the answer.

"Our past lives."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing at that. Our past lives? This man was the definition of a lunatic—slightly ironic due to his being a creature of the moon, but hey, no one ever accused me of being funny—and I was not going to sit here and listen about how we were freaking soul mates or whatever it was that he was getting at.

Cassian stared at me, irritation evident somewhat in his expression before he composed it again. "Why don't you believe me, ocella?" he asked softly, barging in on my personal space as he took another step closer.

"Stop calling me that," I told him, taking an intentional step back.

"Make me." I glared at him in response, too irritated to form a coherent response. He took my hand then. "Why don't we go talk to my parents about what is going to happen now?"

I snorted. "So they can do what? Tell me I have to stay here now because you're under some delusion that I'm your soul mate?"

He frowned at that. "So they can meet you properly," he amended.

"No," I stated, crossing my arms.

"Why not?" he was getting frustrated and I couldn't help but grin slightly at my being able to rub his fur the wrong way.

"Because I don't want to," I replied with a casual shrug.

He sighed agitatedly, running a hand through his hair. It was almost laughable. He was clearly not used to being refused. "What do I have to do to get you out of this room?" he asked, crossing his own arms. It looked a little ridiculous, my small frame glaring up at his six foot plus tall body. I felt absolutely minute compared to him.

"Let me talk to David," I replied dryly.

"That is out of the question!" he snarled, baring his teeth. His face looked ruggedly handsome, his features feral and terrifying but also beautiful. He really did look like a wolf in human form.

'Bad Marlow, stop it!' I chastised myself.

"Why?! At least I know him!" I shot back.

He unwound his arms and began to walk forward. I moved backwards until my back hit the bedpost. He towered over me, and I began to feel fear creeping back into my mind. "I don't want you interacting with any other males until you accept me! You WILL accept me, and you WILL come with me to talk to my parents!"

I lifted my chin, meeting his furious gaze. His eyes were shifting from dark blue to gold as he spoke. "Why don't YOU stop being such an ass and try actually being nice to me?" I smiled cloyingly. That seemed to get to him as he grabbed the bedpost with a clawed hand. I could hear the wood begin to splinter under his grip.

"I have tried, love, you just have decided to be overly difficult," he murmured indignantly, his face mere inches from mine. Suddenly he made a pained face and turned away from me, taking a few steps. His bare shoulders lifted as he took a deep breath.

"You haven't even bothered telling me your name," I added for good measure as he grabbed a black t-shirt and tugged it over his head.

He turned back slowly. "My name is Cassian." He paused. "Can we go now?"

"Not quite, I-"

Suddenly he surged forward, grabbing me around the waist and lifting me so that I was hanging over his shoulder. I gasped, not having time to cry out in surprise. "What the- Cassian dammit put me DOWN!" I glared at the floor as we exited the room, trying to ignore the fact that the only view I really had was that of his ass. Instead I hung there, the epitome of pissed off female.

I watched other feet pass us by, some of them stopping or slowing down so that they could say something to or acknowledge the arrogant ass of a man who was parading me around the halls, slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "If I'm going to be here long, can I at least ask a few questions?" I asked sardonically as he turned down another hallway.

"Ask away," he replied casually, as if he did this every day. I scowled.

"Why do you think that we are meant to be together?" I began.

"How much do you really know about werewolves?" he asked, answering my question with a question. "Since you apparently have consorted with supernaturals before."

"Well I dated one long enough..." I mumbled irritably, thinking back on how David had pretty much given me the down-low on weres, even though I had already known some from my parents.

"What?" he asked, apparently having heard my mutterings.

"I know enough," I told him, cutting off his own interruption. I could tell that he wanted to continue on about the were I had dated, but he seemed to have other things to discuss with me on his agenda as well.

"So you know about mates and everything?" he asked, almost seeming hopeful.

I snorted. "I've heard about it. Doesn't mean I believe in all of that."

He sighed in response to my blunt confession. "I had to get a difficult one." I narrowed my eyes at his comment. How dare he complain about me! It's not like I was the one running around kidnapping innocent humans so that I could freaking BITE them and then hold them captive.

"I'm so sorry that this isn't going your way, if you would like to trade places I will gladly swap with you." I countered. My stomach was digging painfully into his shoulder. "So what exactly led you to the highly enlightened conclusion that we," I emphasized the word we, "are mates?" his grip around my waist tightened and I grumbled to myself.

"Your scent," he replied simply, his voice gravelly.

"Okay, hold up, we're mates because of the way I SMELL?!" I griped. "I'll just change my perfume and then we can be on our merry ways." If I could have put my hands on my hips I would've.

He snorted. "You're funny, Marlow, but that won't do anything."

I humphed, and suddenly he came to a door. I heard him open it and after a few moments I was being dumped onto a black, leather sofa in another profligate room. This one was an office, however, and a huge fireplace made of uncut rock took up about eighty percent of the far wall. Everything in the room was made of dark wood and leather, giving it an upscale cabin kind of feel. In between the fireplace and myself was a large desk, behind which stood Cassian's parents.

I began to feel panic swell within me. They both stared at me with critical, calculating eyes. I could feel Cassian's presence by my side and I held back the desire to hide behind him. Instead I lifted my chin, returning their loutish stares. Cassian's mother was the first to break, offering me a small smile as she moved out from behind the desk. Standing in front of me, she took one of my hands in hers. I tried not to gawk at how warm it was. "Thank you," she whispered, "for helping my son."

I opened my mouth to reply, but found my urge to be polite to my elders was conflicting with the fact that they kidnapped me and I had no choice in the matter. Instead of giving an answer, I just nodded. She smiled again, her warm, caramel eyes trying to reassure me as she patted my hand and moved back to her husband's side.

"We are in your debt," Cassian's father added. I looked up to see him looking infinitely less severe than before. He even offered me a smile. "But I'm afraid that the circumstances of our arrangement have been... altered."

"You can't force me to stay here," I replied coldly. His face tightened and the tension in the room was almost tangible.

"I'm afraid that the matter is out of our hands," he disclosed. His dark blue eyes were identical to Cassian's, and I could easily picture Cassian as almost an exact replica of his father when he grew older. Not that I would be sticking around for that...

"Then whose hands is it in?" I retorted angrily.

"Marlow-" Cassian went to intervene, but his father held up a hand.

"It's alright, son, she has every right to be upset about this." I put my head in my hands. "Marlow, we can't risk anyone finding out about our kind."

"I've known about werewolves and vampires and witches since I was four and I've never told a soul. It's not like anyone would believe me anyway!" I countered. They all gave me surprised looks. I shifted uncomfortably. "I don't see why I have to stay here?" I finished lamely.

"We can't risk exposure, it's a pack rule that anyone with knowledge about our kind either stays here and becomes one of us or..." I heard a low growl emanate from Cassian as his father trailed off.

"Or what?" I asked carefully.

"Or they are... how do you say it? Put down?" My breath caught in my chest. So it was either stay here and turn into a were, or die? Neither were highly desirable options to me personally. Cassian inhaled sharply.

"That won't happen," he replied sharply. His father stared at him evenly.

"You are right Cassian." He turned his gaze back to me and I stiffened. "You have probably been told by my son already that you are his mate." I nodded slightly albeit unwillingly. "I'm sure at this point in time and under the circumstances you are unwilling, but-"

I held up a hand. "Please, just stop, I can't deal with this right now," I ground out. It was probably not the best idea to interrupt an alpha and completely disregard what he was saying, but I couldn't help it anymore. "I had a life before this. It may not have been an ideal life, but you took that away from me. I don't want any of this!" I gestured around. "I hate your kind for what they've done to me!" I could feel tears welling up in my eyes and I rose shakily to my feet. "I'm sorry, but I need time to think." I walked around the sofa, brushing past Cassian who had a strained look in his eyes.

As I walked out the door, I could hear remnants of conversation from the room. "You boys really need to stop being to blunt with this girl, can't you see that her entire life has been turned upside down because of us?!" I tried not to smile to myself at Cassian's mother's words, but failed, allowing the corner of my mouth to quirk up.

I had barely made it halfway down the dark corridor when a hand clamped down on my shoulder. I turned, and, unsurprisingly, found Cassian standing behind me. "Come with me," he said, motioning back to the way we had come.

I gave him a confused look, but consented, following behind him as we went down another unfamiliar hallway. "Where are we going exactly?" I questioned him as we rounded corner after corner, passing various doors and hallways. Every once in a while we would see another werewolf and I would look away shyly.

"I'm taking you to talk to David." His reply was short, and I could tell that he didn't want to take me to David by the set of his brow. They were pulled tightly together, making him look like my father after I had gotten sent to the principal's office one time for getting into fight with another girl at my school.

She had totally started it, though. "Thank you," I responded quietly. His shoulders relaxed, the fabric on the black t-shirt stretching less tightly about his torso.

"Just don't do anything that will make me want to rip his head off, okay?" I gave him a bewildered look at his request. At my expression he burst out laughing, his eyes lighting up. I rolled my eyes, poking him in the stomach.

"You're hilarious," I told him sarcastically.

"So I've been told." We stopped outside of a slightly larger door than the rest in the hallway and he opened the door without knocking. Inside the room was another office space, this one containing a desk that was piled high with paperwork. David wasn't in here either. I looked at him suspiciously. "I've called him, he'll be up soon." I nodded without saying a word.

Moving away from him, I walked over to the cluttered desk. "What is all this?" I asked Cassian.

"David is in charge of security both inside and outside of pack territory. This is nothing compared to what his office usually looks like." I gave him an incredulous look before turning back to the files. I fingered a few of them, noticing they had names on the tabs.

"Do you mind?" I asked Cassian, gesturing to the files.

He shook his head. "Be my guest." His voice was low and seductive, and the look he gave me made my face redden. I felt a tingle run through me and I berated myself for it. I couldn't, no I wouldn't, let another David into my life.

I looked at the files, the names, even opening a few. They were mostly dull, boring articles on how a vampire had partially cut into pack territory while hunting or something along those lines. There were so many files on his desk I wondered how David kept them all in check. I was starting to get bored and was about to ask Cassian when David was to arrive when something caught my attention.

One of the files had my last name on it. I reached for it slowly, picking it up while ignoring Cassian's concerned scrutiny. Opening it, a picture of my mother and father fell out, landing unceremoniously on the floor.

Tears began to form in my eyes as I started to read the report. Not much stuck in my mind except for the words 'vampire', 'donors', and maybe the worst...

'Terminated'.

"Terminated?" I looked up to see Cassian striding towards me with a confused expression on his face, his eyes on the file in my hand. In that moment, the door was also flung open to reveal a disgruntled David. His face immediately lost all color when he saw what I was holding.

Cassian took my hand, taking the file out of my grasp slowly, and leading me over to the sofa in front of the desk. I sat down languorously, staring blankly in front of me as David walked cautiously into the room. Cassian rested one hand on my knee as he sat beside me, and David came to stand in front of us. He looked like he was on trial.