The Favorite To Bet On

Dawn went to the bathroom and she was coated in a film of sweat and her shaking was starting to go down. All she knew was that this was twisted and she couldn't believe what these people were doing to them just for a bit of joy. Just so that they could have fun and place some bets.

There were three stalls set up along one side and then two shower heads that stuck out of one wall. She half stumbled over to them and turned on the water. It was cold at first but rushed over her and it felt amazing. It cooled her heated skin and plus she was suddenly sick and it washed that away. Having thrown up she felt a thousand times better all of a sudden.

She was drenched when she heard the sound of others approaching and she quickly darted up the stairs. She paused there to see who was coming in. She saw the woman come in and she cupped her hands wanting some of the water as well.

After a moment another came in and Dawn stood looking over the rail trying to keep out of view. The woman backed up and she was smart to do so, as it was JD who came in. He was looking a little worse for the wear and then Craig walked in. Dawn wanted to hear what they were plotting. It would be important to have the knowledge.

"Calm down, we aren't going to do anything." JD said and reached for some water as well. Dawn couldn't really see Craig but she heard a sink and figured he was rinsing out his mouth and trying to get the sick feel off of them.

"Yeah, I saw you beat that woman to death." The woman said and it was clear that she was looking to flee.

"Yeah, and you'd do the same to us." He said. "We are also unarmed at the moment, and we have a bigger problem." JD looked around and she backed up when he glanced up the stairs. She heard the other shower be turned on. So she stepped forward to look down, her hands touching the rail.

She strained to hear because they had stepped closer, she could barely hear above the showers and the fact that they were near whispering. It was smart of them to do so. Still she managed to hear enough.

"We need to kill that thing. None of us are going to make it if he's still around and it's going to take more than one of us to kill him." JD said to her and Craig gave a nod.

"How would you even go about that? I've seen the way that he moves, what he did to that first guy. He hasn't even done anything since."

"Keep your voice down." JD snapped. "That doesn't mean he isn't going to." Dawn leaned a bit more trying to listen again. What was their plan? How were the going to do it? What if she took this information and used it to gain a favor with Lucian? Dawn realized she was now willing to throw others under the bus a bit more.

"It's smarter to bargain with me, than against." She froze feeling the breath that brushed against her ear. She didn't move, just watched the two hands that landed on either side of hers. He felt extremely close then and she could feel the heat from him. He kept showing up, and she was worried if she asked why she wasn't going to like the answer. But she was starting to feel that he wanted something more from her. Which logically she knew was probably a good thing in here. Still made her heart beat faster.

"I wasn't…" She said, her mouth going dry.

"I'm just pointing out a fact. They will try to recruit you, just to try and kill me. My hearing is far better than they know. A whisper is still a shout to me." One of his hands came up lightly gripping the back of her neck. Then she heard the sound of his inhale near her ear, his face brushed against hers slightly as well. She didn't stop him, or try to move. It wasn't smart to do so, and he was not a normal man. He was something else, so it made her second guess how she read people. Was he more animal or human?

She felt a trickle of fear go down her spine, but at the same time a warmer feeling that started along the sides of her neck and then through her body. An odd reaction to have, but she had it maybe it was just the way that he was touching her or acting. She couldn't really tell, but she became much more aware of him behind her all of a sudden. She let out a slow breath.

"How come you are talking to me when you don't talk to any of the others?" She asked in a shaky voice. He was practically pressed against her back. For a moment her mind slid back to just a short bit ago. It had felt really good what he'd done, she found that she didn't mind it at all. Of course circumstances being what they were… she mentally scolded herself that she could not feel guilty about anything she did here. Feeling guilty would make her break mentally. This was survival and she hadn't killed anyone yet. She didn't want to, she hoped it didn't come to that.

"Because I have a deeper interest in you. You don't attack me the second I come up on you. Which is very different for me. You have this… aura I like."

"I'm not complaining at the preferential treatment." She said with a swallow, "But what for exactly?" She was tired of surprises and she had a couple guesses in her head. She decided she wanted to hear it straight out. Make sure she was picking up on the signals correctly. His mouth was still near her ear and his soft breath brushed across it. She felt a heat race down that part of her body and she shifted slightly.

"Like I said, I get rewards for doing what I'm told and doing a more than a satisfactory job at it. When I won that fight, I was asked what I wanted the reward to be. You were the first thing that came to mind." He told her, his gaze glanced down the stairs where the three others were unaware of the two of them and going to move off now.

"Is that why I'm here?" She asked feeling a kind of ire, she helped him and this was the thanks she got?

"No, random chance. I asked for something else instead. He would have brought you however. I just didn't feel like completing more tasks to enjoy my reward." She got what he was saying even if he hadn't yet said it bluntly. Who was this owner of his? What kind of screwed up life did he have that asking for a woman to be brought to you was totally normal?

"Oh." She said and she tried to move just slightly but he didn't budge. She wasn't going anywhere unless he allowed her too. She felt her heart racing, it wasn't like this was an opportune place at the moment. She understood perfectly what he wanted. It was a lot more than just blood and a kiss. Dawn thought this over in her head, how was she going to handle it? If they were out on the streets she'd have turned and hit him with her weapon. Cried out for help, now… now a small part of her was willing to do what it took in here. A small part that was secretly happy that this living weapon was taking a fancy to her. It still disturbed her, she still wasn't willing but fuck. What really were her options?

"When I saw them bring your group in, actually made me excited to participate this time. Though the ones that want to take my head make it difficult." Well at least he hadn't named her so she couldn't really be pissed at him. What would be the point anyways? She was where she was. She wasn't stupid, she knew he was right, being nice to him would get her more. So she let him do what he was. After all she got in this situation because she hadn't stood her ground enough with Craig. So maybe being a placater, someone willing to submit to another was in her favor. He sounded tired of constant struggle and fighting. She weighed her option in her head carefully.

__Lucian__

God she smelled good. He lusted so bad right then, just enjoy a few moments. Even with the fact he was telling her pretty much what he wanted and planned. She wasn't fighting him, nor shouting and screaming. Which would just piss him off. She was going to let him it would seem, not fight him. He could tell by the way that she was acting, even if she hadn't made her mind up or wasn't keen on the idea. She wasn't stupid, and she'd never win against him. Though you always had to be careful. People could be very inventive.

"Yeah they would make it difficult." She commented about the group that was going to now aim to kill him. He could hear her heart racing, it was beating fast but her scent wasn't unfavorable. Had spiked slightly since he'd stepped up behind her. He really contemplated how much time he'd have before one of them came this way. Not too much, they were actively moving around at the moment. He decided that if she was willing, then perhaps she might stay that way with a choice.

"You realize I get to choose who lives? Assuming some random act doesn't happen to them." He told her and he dropped his hand from the back of her neck down and around her side to rest over her hip and part of her stomach. His touch felt hotter than it should and that unnerved her a bit.

"Are you propositioning me?" She asked swallowing a bit. She felt his laughter more than heard it, and that was probably a first. Something that he didn't normally do. However she knew that if he was their control it was best not to piss him off and give him what he wanted.

"People do things better when they think they have the choice." He felt the humor for the first time in a while, it felt good. A different release of tension but just built more of the sexual need. He talked more to her than to any other. She spoke to him, didn't shout and he liked that. Liked that she could be civil, added points in her favor. Just because most thought him an animal didn't mean he was one completely. He most definitely would enjoy a civil conversation, he just never got them.

"Yeah? The one that lives, doesn't really get to leave I'm guessing." She said to him.

"Not normally no, always the slight chance." She doubted that very much, but she could face that slim chance if she was given it. She felt every muscle in her body tense and go on alert when his mouth skimmed past her ear and jaw line. His teeth scrapped across her skin for a second and she could feel that they were sharper than normal. Why wasn't she more upset and worried? She knew what he was and what he could do, but that point came back to her. She was a realist and she would do what it took to survive by her own means.

What she wasn't really prepared for was the reaction of her own body. Completely no control whatsoever. Obviously somewhere in the primitive part of her brain she'd decided that she liked that feeling, because there was an instant strong rush through her body. A slight twist in her stomach. He made a soft sound, kind of like a growl and bit down with more force. Though it didn't break skin, the hand on her hip dug in slightly and the one on the rail gripped a bit harder. He pressed more against her.

Lucian felt this sudden spike of aggression. It was different than normal and one he'd never actually experienced before. It was caused by the rush of scent from her, her normal scent mixed with the faint scent of arousal. That was new to him, at least before he actually did something to them physically. Before he himself was completely aroused. Never had someone that was aroused by him, that was new and he really liked the scent of it. It made his reaction feel better, rather sharp in a way. Which gave him the spike in aggression for whatever reason.

His grip on her got tighter, and he felt his senses grow extremely sharp all of a sudden. That was saying something because they were normally very sharp. But his ears caught the slight sound of others moving close by. His gaze moved toward the entryways for a second gauging for others but none showed. He realized exactly what his reaction was, it was the animal part responding going alert.

After all he was mostly what he was made. That dictated a lot of his responses, the second that she responded to him, whether she wanted to or not it caused aggression. That was new because it wasn't anger or annoyance, it was almost territorial. What else could you call it when a female responded to a male. The others were a sudden threat in his mind in far different way. They were al really just animals pretending to play at morals. Pretending that they didn't have primal instincts and desires. He didn't deny his, and she was getting a taste of what being your animal half meant.

However his rational part kind of felt annoyingly defeated, right now he couldn't. It would be an extremely stupid move. It could make him vulnerable to the others if he wasn't thinking. But it made him more deadly beforehand if it sharpened his senses as it did. Nature was like that, made males react that way violently.

"Lucian." She said her tone shaky again. "Will you let go of me?" She asked it tentatively and he felt the tips of his nails were starting to dig into her skin. He stopped that, moving his head to brush along the wet strands of hair. He was right against her, and her wet clothes had now got him wet as well.

"Now yes, but not later." He told her. He now felt the need to take care of the others, they were standing in his way. A simple lesson needed to be taught, which meant no reprimand for him. If they were going to plan against him, then he could take them out. He slowly let go of her and took a step back. She turned around and he looked at her, his gaze taking her in.

"Are you going to do something to them?" She asked, because his gaze was darker all of a sudden.

"Of course I am, this is the part most hope that I lose. The odds are in my favor, not in theirs, one of the highlights they look forward to." She had a slightly confused look.

"When they try to kill me, those that bet I will lose hope like hell. But it won't happen." He clarified to her and then turned away. He didn't care if they all came against him, he'd dealt with it before. To kill him you had to really do damage. Besides this time he had something to actually look forward to afterward. She better not do something stupid. Either by angering him or getting in the way, not that it would stop him from getting what he wanted. He left her there to see what the others were planning. See if he'd just attack first or not.