The first thing she noticed when she opened her eyes was that it was unusually dim. She blinked a couple of times and shook her head to clear her mind. It was then that she noticed she was in a bedroom, but one that did not look at all familiar. The enormous regal oak bed she was currently lying on was definitely not hers, and the room's ornate crimson theme decorations and motifs were not of her selection. Where the hell was she? Serenity tried to focus and recollect her thoughts, and what had happened today. She went to school, as usual, there was a transfer student…oh! He had…oh, my god, did he…kidnap her? Her eyes widened and she shot up in the bed. Spotting a pair of double doors, she was ready to spring out when-

"Where are you going?" Serenity whipped around to face the source of the voice. Most unfortunate for her, it was that bothersome transfer student.

"Where the fuck am I?!" she shrieked, "What the hell have you done with me?"

"Calm down." he said impassively.

"Calm down? Don't tell me to fucking calm down when you threw a cloth over my mouth to suffocate me! I could get your ass in so much trouble for this!"

"Well, you're still alive and well and screaming your head off at me. So it doesn't look to me like you were suffocated." That wasn't the point here! Her eyes screamed. But of course this dumbass wouldn't get it. It was an insult to her that he just dismissed her mental state as if it didn't even matter.

"You know what? You're not worth my fucking time. Tell me how to get out." There was a momentary silence, and Serenity dreaded that whatever came out of the guy's mouth next would not sit well with her.

"You can't leave here." he finally responded. There was another second of awkward quiet. Then-

"What?! Who the fuck are you to tell me where I can and can't go?" This guy was just managing to piss her off by each passing second.

"It's understandable that you don't know what I'm talking about. After all, humans have a lower comprehensive level than us. But you should stop screaming, because it isn't helping the issue at hand."

What was he talking about? He didn't even make any sense; how did he expect her to understand the words coming out of his mouth? "What do you mean, 'humans have lower levels' than 'us?' Who the hell is us? You're a goddamned human!" So this guy was crazy, now, too? At this, he smirked, as if he knew a little secret that she didn't.

"Who said I was human? I'm a demon." he confirmed for her. What. The. Fuck.

God, I have to get a grip on myself, Serenity thought feverishly. He just admitted he was a demon! What a goddamned weirdo! She eyed him warily, her pretty hazel eyes narrowed now threateningly. Looking around, she recognized nothing, except that she was in some sort of ornately furnished bedroom. Where the hell had he brought her? He seemed to sense her distress, and took a step towards her, but she recoiled, and stepped back.

"You don't believe me." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Damn straight." she answered. She definitely had a gift for eloquence. He merely stared at her, making her squirm uncomfortably under his gaze. "Tell me how to get out of here, and I won't call the cops on you." He must've been off his rocker. He probably got into some kind of accident when he was younger.

"You don't understand," he said simply, "you can't go back. You're going to stay here, by my side." she shivered under his intense gaze. Sure, he was hot, but he was completely nuts! And she made it a policy to not involve herself in nutcases. "You're my mate." he spoke again, as if that explained everything.

"Mate?" she echoed stupidly.

"Yes, mate." he replied mockingly, "I didn't know that your vocabulary was so limited."

"Fuck off, bastard." she muttered, just loud enough for him to hear. How dare he insult her intelligence! No one would ever do that to her before. Who did this guy think he was? "Mate." she repeated again. What the hell was he talking about?

"Well, for someone who thinks I just insulted her, you sure have proven that your intelligence." he ridiculed her sarcastically. She stared up into his eyes, bewildered. How did he know what she had been thinking? She swallowed, genuinely startled. "Yes, you're my mate."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that you belong to me." he said possessively. She raised a perfectly marked eyebrow. Where did this kid grow up? He was goddamned 17, for Christ's sake! How could his mom let him run around on the loose like that? "Don't insult me, mate. And I'm 19, just for the record."

"I didn't even say anything." she protested. 19? Damn, he was old.

"You thought it, and I felt it. I'm not human, remember? My senses are so much more accurate and enhanced than a mere mortal's."

"More like you ate too much candy when you were a kid." she scowled, throwing back the covers and standing up, brushing her clothes off and smoothing back her hair. It was nasty to know that she had been sleeping on this weirdo jerk-off's bed. "Look, I'm not going to press charges, and I'll even help you find your mom if you tell me where the front door is."

"You don't seem to understand," he said softly, although she could not deny that underlying tone chock full of irritation and ire. "Mate means forever."

"Jesus, I'm 17 for Pete's sake! I don't even know what forever means." she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him like there was no tomorrow. "You seriously need to get your head checked. I could recommend you to a fine doctor. Hell, I can even pay for your fees if you let me out."

He was slowly losing patience with her, and she could sense it as well, mate or no mate.

"Look," she finally sighed, "if this is some sort of practical joke, it was really funny. Ha-ha. Now can you let me out?"

"Let me show you." he said after a moment's awkward silence, "Maybe then you will understand." Serenity bit back a retort. If it were the only way to get herself out of this place, she was willing to comply. She followed him as he led her out of the bedroom into a large, and quite uninviting-looking corridor, despite its dozens of large, tapered candles glittering brightly against the otherwise gloomy atmosphere. It seemed like an ancient castle right out of a history textbook with banners, flags, and endless carpets giving the inside a medieval look.

It felt like they were traveling between hidden staircases and weird doors that seemed to lead to nowhere before he finally halted before one grandly decorated door, bordered by glittering gold decorations swirling and intertwining in a most intricate and complicated puzzle.

Wordlessly, he pushed open the two doors, and stepped aside, allowing her full view of what was ahead. She gasped involuntarily, once her eyes landed past the balcony that was there, and to the rolling, majestic mountains afterward, closely bordering what seemed to be a vast city and an endless purple sky. There was no doubt about it; she was definitely not in New York anymore. She stared, shocked, as the city and its inhabitants before her rustled about hurriedly, totally unperturbed about their daily routine. People...or whatever these things were, demons, traveled in groups or as individuals, each doing their own thing, whether it be buying weird house wares or just lurking about and looking shady while others were standing in the middle of the roads and chatting away. The loud, bickering noises rising from the crowds seemed so far away and so foreign to her, and she knew that this was a place that she did not belong to.

"What...what is this?" she murmured, the awe not mistaken in her voice.

"This is the city. Our home." he replied, watching her reaction in fascination. She flinched at the word, although it seemed as though she did not realize it. "You won't be able to go back anymore. We're not even in the United States." he continued, "It is far too difficult to arrange a return, and brings unnecessary trouble and attention." he allowed the words to sink in.

Serenity just gaped at him for a moment, and when he did not make any move to continue, she turned back to stare out past the balcony. The city was…just too real to have been a set-up. She could see the actual people walking about and doing whatever it was that they were doing. And the vivid colors of the sky and waters and mountains stretched out for an eternity. There was no way that he could've made a replica of this. It was amazing in a way, that she was here to witness such a beauty that New York just did not possess, yet that did not belie the fact that this was not her home, and not her world. She had to live here? In a foreign country, in a foreign home, with a foreign family? A sudden wave of nostalgia hit her.

"I-I want to go back to the bedroom." she answered quietly, unable to accept the reality of her situation. He nodded briefly, and once again, the two set out on the trek back to the bedroom. She did not say a single word throughout the walk, and he could sense her distress beneath her calm and composed demeanor, but he was never one to comfort, and did not know what to say. She was 17, he thought contemptuously instead, it was time she grew up and not expect every single person that came by to bow down to her whims. It was high time that she realize that things wouldn't always go her way.

When they finally returned to the bedroom, Serenity told him that she wanted to be alone for a while. Not knowing what else he could say, he agreed to come back when his work was done, telling her to stay in the room, and then left without another word.

Plopping herself down in a most un-ladylike manner, the strange reality of her situation hit her. This was crazy! She did not want to stay in some weird city where she was the only human. Why was she chosen for this whole 'mate' thing? Every other girl's reaction would probably be to bawl her eyes out, but Serenity was different. Now that the initial shock wore off, all she wanted to do was to vent off her anger at the goddamned demon, hot or not. In fact, she was rather indignant. It was his fault that she was stuck here! She wanted a normal boyfriend, not one that probably could shape shift or do whatever demons did! Furious, she looked for something fragile and easily breakable, and finding none, she had to resist the urge to punch the wall, afraid that it would leave a scar. Yep, she was far from the 'Serenity' that she was named.

So instead, she chose to scream at no one in particular, the long string of profanity still ringing in the servants' ears every time they passed her room. A lot of the maids laughed good-naturedly, for it had been this way with almost every human that had been wed to this particular family, and it was always amusing to watch a demon 'break' and tame their mate. Besides, this newest one certainly had landfill of spirit, and would not be easily taken. Yes, it was like front row seats to a new show.

This was fucking ridiculous, Serenity thought, after realizing that cursing loudly didn't really help, and that her throat was getting sore. Wouldn't someone notice her disappearance? She knew for certain that her parents wouldn't; half the time, she didn't know where they were. All they ever did was go on business trips and they were rarely present in the house. Serenity wondered often if they even knew the address of their sprawling mansion out in the suburbs, or how it looked like. But Melody for sure would. They met every single morning on the way to school. Her hopes were lifted a little, but not too much. She couldn't sleep; she refused to sleep. Maybe there would be some loophole in the demon's plan, and she would manage an escape. There was still a part of her that denied he even was a demon, that he was just a fugitive from a mental hospital spouting nonsense. She sure hoped so. Forever sounded way too long.

Serenity wondered vaguely if she was allowed out of the room, for the demon had left instructions…then scolded herself. Of course she could go anywhere she wanted to! She had her own legs, right? All this shit was getting to her head. She stood up and went over to a pair of ludicrously tall doors and pushed them open. She had expected that she would need to use a lot of energy to manage to open those doors, but in fact, they were quite light and easy to push. Once she stepped out, two maids standing guard in front of the doors immediately bowed to her. Startled by the bowing, Serenity ignored them and looked down both corridors. They both looked relatively the same and the whole goddamned place seemed too big for her comfort. Despite her family's wealth, she had always preferred smaller rooms and houses. Why live in a fucking mansion if only three people were going to be present?

"Miss, do you need help?" one of the maids timidly asked her. Serenity glanced at the mere slip of a girl. She seemed to be her age, but somehow she doubted it.

"Yeah, where the hell is the way out?"

The maid stared at her in surprise. It didn't seem like she was used to profanity. Well, Serenity thought, she had better get used to it. It was all that would be coming out of her mouth for the next couple of days. "Uh, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you." Jesus, then why'd you ask me if I needed help? She snarled to herself.

"Why not?" she snapped.

"Because uh, you're the mate of the prince." What prince? She almost asked aloud. But then she realized that she must've been referring to the nefarious demon.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything." Serenity said, irked that she was once again referred to as 'mate,' especially to that creepy guy. She couldn't even fathom him as a normal being, let alone a prince.

"Well, he would be most displeased if you chose to leave."

"Who told you I was leaving?" she inquired, glaring down at the poor maid for all she was worth. "Maybe I just wanted to take a goddamned walk. Why doesn't anyone here actually listen to what I have to fucking say?" she ranted.

"Because you're obviously not trustworthy." Serenity whipped around to see who had been so rude, but her heart sank when she saw it was the demon. Damn, he had to appear now. She was sure that a little more pressure applied on the maid would've been her one-way ticket out. Now she had to deal with him, too.

"Prince!" the two maids squealed, the one that had been questioned obviously happy now that Serenity was out of her hair.

Serenity growled when the demon took a step towards her. "I thought you said that you had work."

"And I also thought that I specifically told you not to leave the room."

"Well, you can't keep a normal person trapped in a room forever."

"I wasn't going to trap you in there forever. Besides, I told you precisely not to leave because I knew that you would try to escape." he retorted.

"Oh, now you can read me like a book?" Serenity snapped.

"I thought that with your family background you would be more behaved." he said mildly.

"Excuse me for not being born and brought up to cater to your every whim! And excuse me for not knowing that I'd be kidnapped to be brought to a city in who-knows-where and having to abide to your every single fucking rule." Serenity rambled in anger.

"Well you should have been," he muttered darkly, while her jaw dropped at the pure ridiculousness of his attitude, "humans are quite inept."

"Oh. My. Fucking. God." Serenity breathed. "You have got to be kidding me. Can your ego get any bigger, you asshole?" His eyes narrowed at her dangerously.

"Are you insulting me in front of the maids?"

"What?" the two maids had been forgotten in the heat of their argument, and now, Serenity turned to face the two girls, who were stifling their smiles. It was always amusing to see a human stand up to her or his demon mate. It wasn't just that they were ignorant, it was also because they were unintentionally ignorant that made demons laugh. And from the looks of it, this one was certainly wild and unruly. "Who the freak cares anyway?" Serenity yelled at him. "I'd insult you at any place and in front of anyone!"

"Come with me." and with that, he grabbed her arm and dragged her back into the bedroom, despite her protests and violent outbursts, and flung off her arm none too nicely when the two of them were alone in the room. "You are never to insult me in front of other people." he growled, his violet-tinted eyes flashing. She couldn't tell if he was angry or just upset.

"Why do you care whether or not you get insulted?" she chose to yell back instead. "You're the fucking prince of the house anyway, aren't you? It's not like they'll dare to talk behind your back. Me, on the other hand, I fucking came from a different world! And now I'm stuck here? Shouldn't I be the one angry?" he ignored her completely, and Serenity got the sinking feeling that he would be doing this a lot in the future.

"If you weren't my fucking mate, I wouldn't have brought you here at all! You're too brash and loud and annoying." It was the first time that he actually admonished her without that calm demeanor and Serenity was surprised. But she was also annoyed at herself for being foolish enough deep down to believe that he wouldn't have shouted at her eventually. It was just that he seemed to have tolerated her for the while that she was here.

"What the fuck!" she suddenly yelled, breaking the silence. "Of course you should've goddamned tolerated me. You kidnapped me, for God's sake! It should be my fucking right!" he seemed a bit taken back by her sudden outburst, and a slight hint of confusion showed on his face. What the hell was she talking about?

"I don't give a damn about tolerating you. I'd tape your lips shut if I could. But insulting me, that's something you should never try." He left her alone then, leaving with almost no noise. God, he was so cold. He didn't even express his anger in a violent way, like slamming the door. It made her feel like she had been in the wrong, even when she wasn't.

If this was how he was going to make her feel for the rest of her days here…oh, fuck.

Author's Note: Alright, not gonna lie. It's been a year or so, and obviously I had given up fictionpress and started college. But I was cleaning out my harddrive the other day, and I saw these extra chapters for this story that I decided I might as well try to give you guys some more to read while it's still here. I apologize for the hideous amount of time that my original readers had to wait, but I hope you guys are still out there and I'm gonna give this another try and hopefully get around to accomplishing something for once.

Love you all,

Mel.