A Demons Mate

What am I to you

Serena had been wandering the halls of the upper floor for a while when she found the portrait gallery. It was only a single hallway, lined on both sides with portraits in various sizes, but she was fascinated by the people swirling around her. Maybe she shouldn't have asked for the wine before Mei-Rin left for the night.

Or at least, she should have stopped after the first bottle.

She stopped at the end of the hallway, a large window letting in moonlight to illuminate the portraits. There wasn't one of Ciel. The last portrait at the beginning of the hallway was of Vincent and Rachel. She could tell the pieces of each that had contributed to their son. Moving through, she thought she could see a resemblance between all the Earls, maybe in the slim build or dark hair, maybe the lines that made up their faces. The last one by the window gave her the chills. It was as though it was staring at it.

Turning away from the portraits, Serena looked out the window over the gardens. There wasn't much to see with the light dusting of snow covering all the bushes. A large expanse of flat ground ran between the edge of the garden and the woods beyond. Woods that formed around the entire property.

Which way had she come from? She hadn't been able to see at the time and then she had woken up in the manor. This wasn't right. Why was she here? Did anyone notice that she was missing? Her roommate probably thought she hadn't shown at the theater and then would have stayed at her boyfriend's while she was mad. Her mom wouldn't know something was wrong until she didn't come home.

Maybe not even then.

Was staying here so bad? So what if she was really some vegetable on life-support and this was just her brain's last neurons firing before she died? Was it really that bad? The food was great, the room was awesome and her favorite characters were just like she imagined. She could stay here for a while.

Maybe that was what the reapers had been talking about today. That she had made her choice for now. Maybe they were talking about the fact that she just wasn't ready to die yet. And the whole 'mate' thing, what fan wouldn't want to be with that demon? Maybe she should just coast on through.

But, she didn't want to die.

She was about to graduate. She had family and a life and a whole lot of student debt to pay for. What if her brain throwing up being with a demon meant that she was going to hell?

What if it was real? What if she just accepted this craziness and that she had found some rip in reality? Could she stay here?

"There you are."

She jerked back from the window pane at Sebastian's voice and realized how really cold it was next to it. Sebastian moved gracefully down the hallway toward her, the intermittent light casting most of his face in shadow.

"My master was worried about your absence at dinner tonight."

"So he sent you to find me?" She wavered a little as she tried to stand. "Good doggie."

"Have you been drinking?" He stopped close to her and made a production of smelling the air near her. "I wanted to speak to you, preferably sober, about what had happened today."

"You should have been here a while ago," Serena knew that her words slurred a little as she waved the almost empty bottle.

"Come. I will get you back to your room." He offered her a hand, watching her carefully.

The red head brushed past him to walk on her own. She knew he was behind her the entire time, especially when the world shifted sideways and she tripped on the plush carpet that lined the hallway. Sebastian scooped her up and kept going without breaking his stride. She started to push him away but her ribs protested.

Wasn't that a sign that this whole thing was real?

The minute he set her down in her room, Serena shoved away and had to grab the chair from the small set next to the window to keep from falling over.

"Where did you get the wine?" He demanded as he helped her sit.

"Mei-Rin brought it to me. Evidently after my little breakdown earlier, she was more than willing to bring me anything I wanted."

Sebastian took the empty bottle from the table and it disappeared. In its place, he held out a glass of water.

"I will inform Mei-Rin that she is not to serve you alcohol in the future."

"Of course you will."

"At least you are a calm drunk."

"Actually I'm normally a happy drunk. But right now, I'm just numb." She fell back against the chair, using the back to hold her head up. "I'm finally numb."

"What is the problem?" He built up the fire in the hearth.

She watched the flames dance over his face, reflecting in his eyes and shivered. "Is this real? Any of this?"

"Of course. I do not feel like a figment of your imagination."

"Would you, if I was dreaming?"

The demon turned back to the flames, appearing to think about it. "I don't feel like a puppet, if that's what you are asking. All my thoughts appear to be my own. No different than they normally are."

"Then what do you want with me?" She asked as her voice broke. "Couldn't you just find a nice demoness to play house with?"

"A nice demoness? I don't believe such a thing exists. Demons don't become what we are because we're nice." He said the word like it was something funny. "And I want you because you are my mate."

"Will you stop saying that?"

"I say it because it's true."

"No, it's not!" Serena threw the glass at him, way off the mark. "I don't know you and you don't know me. You can't just decide something like that. I don't even know what being your mate means."

"A demon's mate is along the same vein as being their wife, but it goes deeper. Your life

will be tied to mine so that you share my lifespan. Your healing rate will increase and you will stop aging after you are marked. We will be able to feel each others emotions. And I will always

know right where you are."

"That's a little creepy. So, what do you get out of this?"

Sebastian knelt at her side. "A companion. Demons...they are not big on trust. Probably

because none of us were the most upstanding beings when we were human, or else we would

never have been made demons in the first place. We gather together in families, however even

that is at a price for each member. It's...transient. Members are joining to be taught and have

protection while they grow stronger. Elders teach to keep the demons from destroying

themselves and to have those who serve. Humans believe that demons do not feel any emotion

but that's not true. We've been conditioned to hide it. We've learned to bury them. But there is

one that always seems to dig itself out. Loneliness. The longer a demon is alive, the stronger this

feeling gets. A mate is an end to that."

He lifted a hand to her cheek, but Serena pulled away. "Don't."

"Very well." The demon stood and slipped back into the role of butler fluidly. "You

should get some rest, my lady."

Sebastian walked to the bed and turned down the sheets. He blew out all the candles

around the room except the one next to the bed. Coming back to Serena, the demon lifted her

gently and without the fight he had been expecting. As soon as he put her down, Serena turned to

face the other side of the room.

"Good night, my mate."

The red flinched but gave no more acknowledgment of his statement. He pulled the

blankets over her body before taking the candle from the table and leaving the room.