The King's Pet

#17

The ding of the bell when we entered the Pet Shop seemed to echo around me like the bang of a churchbell. I stopped suddenly, not wanting to go inside. I felt a trail of cool sweat down the back of my neck as I stared at the place that ruined my life. 

This place, as much I hate to admit it, used to be my hell. The whipping, the degrading comments; they were all traumatizingly horrible.

I usually tried to stay strong for myself but if Seth hadn't bought me that day, I would've reached my breaking point; my rock bottom.

My feet were planted at the entrance, not responding to me as I tried to will them to move. Seth turned to me, his face softening at my no doubt pale face. 

"Hey," he spoke softly. "If you don't want to come in, it's alright. I just need to talk to the store manager."

Nodding, I gulped and took a deep breath before stepping into the shop.

Instantly, memories came flooding back; the first time I was dragged along this floor to the whipping room, the first time the gave me a full wax without my consent (not that I ever wanted it). And those weren't even the worst ones. 

Tears welled up in my eyes as I tried to erase those torturous recollections from my head.

The sound of my screams echoed in my mind and my scars seemed to burn as I remembered the whipping. My throat became dry as I recalled the days on end where I didn't have food or water.

Everything seemed to blur around me as I hastily scanned my surroundings, preparing myself to attack anything threatening.

In my blurred vision, I noticed Seth edging towards me, a concerned expression sprawled across his face. He tried to reach towards me but I flinched back. This hellhole taught me the true nature of vampires and just how cruel they could be. 

What if Seth was the same? What if this was all just one elaborate scheme to get me to trust him so that he could stab me in the back?

Everything around me started to spin as I backed away to the door, cowering away from anything and everything.

I just need to get out of here.

Seth

I stared the utterly traumatized and degraded blonde-haired girl before me. I have never seen her like this; frightened out of her mind. Even if she was scared, she would somehow find a way to conceal it with her false bravado. But now, she evidently couldn't cover up her fear.

And it made me wonder: what on earth did they do to scare my fiery little pet this much?

I slowly approached her, careful not to make any sudden movements. She eyed me warily, like a scared little girl facing the demon in the closet. Fuck. She's scared of me as well. This isn't good. 

"Chloe..." I tried to reach out to her mind with mine but when I did, I had to take a step back. Her mind was dark, like a raging storm, with slashes of lightning and pain cutting through it. 

Fuck it. I walked over to her, ignoring her protests as I pulled her to my chest, crushing her in my arms. Her fragile body stood there, leaning her head onto my chest as she accepted the embrace. Her breathing was ragged as she slowly slid the air in and out of her parted lips. I sighed, staying like that until I heard her heart return to its normal pace. 

I closed my eyes, reaching into the depths of her mind. Her memories flashed before my eyes, and I couldn't help but feel disgusted by them. Vampires are unnecessarily cruel to humans. And I was going to change that, starting with this dickhead.

"Come on Chloe, we're gonna give this guy a taste of his own medicine. Unless you don't want to, that is." 

She shook her head. "No. I want him to pay for all the pain he has inflicted on humans."

I nodded once, jaw clenching at the sight of the vengefulness shining in her eyes. Gently taking her hand, I led her into the shop, moving past vampires who gave us strange looks. Usually, a vampire would use a leash but getting her to wear to the collar itself was a struggle. Moving past the curtains, I finally found him; the owner of the store. When he saw me, his eyes became as wide as saucers. 

"Y-Your Majesty?"

As always, I've been a fan of having a flair of drama. I slowly slid my gaze over to the other vampires and they were out before I could blink. Returning my gaze back to him, I hid my smirk as he trembled slightly. 

"Elliot, is it?" I asked conversationally. 

"Y-Yes, my lord."

"So, Elliot. When I purchased my pet, you failed to mention that she had PTSD from her traumatic past," I spoke, eyeing him as I slowly felt the anger course through my veins.

"Well, Your Majesty, many pets had t-trauma when they were taken away from their families. We can't help it," he replied nervously, watching my every movement. But I had done this before.

Usually, if I looked angry or upset, my target would feel a sense of calm as they knew their life would be over, but if I had a mask of serenity on my face, they suffer more as they don't know what fate holds for them. 

Honestly, it's fun playing with my prey. Messing with their mind. 

Wow, I am thoroughly fucked up. You're realizing this now?  True.

"Ah, yes, of course," I drawled slowly. In seconds, I sped over to him, wrapped my hand around his throat and lifted him up with ease. "But what you failed to mention was that you happened to be the cause of most of the trauma in her life."

"Seth," Chloe spoke from behind me, her voice soothing and velvety. He barely had time to choke before I threw him on the floor, sneering at him in disgust.

But then, she surprised me. She leaped from where she was standing and pounced on him, a sharp wooden stake in her hand. Where did she get that? The stake looked crafted, with a handle with intricate designs carved on it. She straddled his shocked body, glaring at him with so much hatred and pain. 

"Rot in hell, asshole." And with that, she plunged the stake into his chest, barely registering his pained screams as she twisted it. Dark liquid splattered on her face and dress as her lips curled with effort as she pinned him down. I watched as his skin turned red and purple, becoming shiny with sweat as he took in his last breath. Burn marks formed on his skin due to the stake as his eyes closed. Then he lay still. 

Seconds ticked by as I listened to Chloe's ragged breath as she stared down at him in utter disbelief and shock. Then, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes, lower lip quivering. Her eyes reflected the hollowness in her heart and the torment in her mind.

"What have I done?"

A/N-

Hey guys! Sorry for such a late update :(( School has been a pain in the ass, especially since it's online. Also, I can't wait for this annoying virus to pass so I can see my friends and family!

For those of you who are still in school, how are you liking online school?

For those of you who aren't, how are you coping with this?

Leave your answers in the comments, I'd love to know how you guys are doing during these hard times :)

Love, anonymous.