Prologue

I don't know why I even tried to resist him. His eyes fixed on mine as they burned with a bright golden color. It was as if he had a mental grip on me like my physical grip that he had on me.

His eyes scanned over me but mine stayed down on the wooden porch. We were in the middle of no where with field stretching out over miles. No way to make a run for it even if I tried, but I knew better not to try. Whatever he wanted to do to me, he could and that's why he was powerful.

We used to be fine. We were great friends with a friend group no one could break and we had gotten along since we were little. I couldn't move on when he decided that we all should move away from the city and give up on the schools we were at. I didn't want to quit school though. I wanted to graduate and make a fresh start in college so that I could get a good education and job. A normal life that everyone wanted.

When I declined it though, he didn't take it easily. He was quick to force my mind into thinking that I couldn't live without him. That he was everything to me. And, believing it, I followed him everywhere.

Derek put his hand on my face making me no longer able to ignore his touch. It was warm, but not the soft warmth of something I wanted. It was a dangerous burning warm that left my skin in a mental reminder he had been on me.

I was forced to look at his eyes. The way he looked at me with a praising look. That's right, he loved me. He didn't mean to make me lose everything back in the city. He just wanted me to be with him because he loved seeing me. He couldn't think of a life without me. And I couldn't think of a life without him.

He leaned closer, his eyes burning into mine and he gave a smirk before putting his hands on mine and slowly pulling my from the porch chair that I had been sitting in the past two hours.

I was free, technically. I could go outside and inside as I please. If I wanted something, we'd talk about it and he'd give it to me. He went to work and paid the bills while I stayed home and read books for my education. This year would have been my senior year at a school.

Derek pulled me into the protection of the log house and we plopped on the couch together. He pulled me closer and my face tucked into his chest peacefully.

"You know I love you." He whispered, bringing his fingers into my hair and softly massaging my hair. "I do anything and everything that you need and make sure you have everything. I know what's best, you know I do, right?" he continued.

Yes, I was alive and well. He knew about me and everything I needed and provided me with it. He was right. He knew best.

"I love you too." I smiled, "You are the smarter one. You know everything I needed."

He smirked again. His hand left my hair and traveled down to my neck.

"Good, so you'll stay where you belong, right?" I felt his grip against my throat.

I gulped and nodded. This was normal. He was just putting the rules down and he was a little bipolar but it wasn't a bad thing. He was great in every way.

"Yes Derek, stay where I belong." I answered.

"Good," He cooed, bringing his hand away from my throat.

He was all I had. The old friends I had were fun but Derek had told me they only wanted me because they were trying to use me for my magic so I never talked to them again. And my family were back in the city and since Derek had moved us here I never did say goodbye to them. I just left them a note and followed Derek.

Derek didn't want me to use the phone. He said that it takes up to much to pay the phone bill so he put the phone where I could get it.

A few times I would go to the small market a mile or two away and when I would look at the newspaper, I would see my missing face. I never got 'caught' as you could say, but it wasn't like I didn't choose to go with Derek. And I felt the note so they knew I was safe so why were they still looking.

"Derek." I muttered, watching his eyes snap down at me and I gulped. "Could I maybe leave the area once? I just want to go see the local stores and how they changed."

I watched as his eyes clouded and he stood up suddenly, making me tumble to the ground in surprise. I fell face first into the ground and let out a grunt of surprise. Quickly, I twisted my body and looked up just in time to see his angered eyes glaring at me. I started backing away, trying to get myself to stand up before he did anything.

"Why do you want to do that, Vane? It's perfectly fine here in this house and out in the field. You don't need to go anywhere and that's exactly what will happen." He paused, bringing his foot to step on my stomach and I groaned in pain. "What, is my company not enough?"

"N-no of course it is! I just wanted to go see what type of clothes and arts they are selling now a days. S-since you have wo-work and all." I added, hoping he would understand what I meant.

I shouldn't have brought it up or asked. He was right, it was very selfish of me to ask for more than what I had.

"You stay in the house for the next week. No going on the porch, in the field, nothing. No going outside." He growled, bringing his foot away from my stomach.

Standing up, I let out a ragged breath. Fear still consuming my body and I looked at Derek with wide shaky eyes.

"I'm sorry, Derek." I apologized, looking down at my feet in shame. How could I be so selfish?

Derek gave me a soft smile, bringing me closer in a hug and gently stroked my hair. I didn't say anything as he just silently soothed me. He was so generous. So selfless. I wish I could be more like him and do something special for him. I would do anything for him to pay him back.