How does one apologize to their victim? How does someone make up for years of their life lost? By all accounts, it should be an impossibility and if Maya could turn back time this instant to prevent herself from hurting Aidan, she would. Or…at least that’s what she hoped to believe. Worry and fear flooded her body to such an extent that she wasn’t entirely sure what she was thinking right now.

She mused about a life with her one and only. A life where she wasn’t so chaotic, so monstrous, so murderous. So her. Could she be happy then? Could she have found peace? At times, Maya wasn’t sure if she could have. She loved Aiden, her dear Six, but could she have spent a life of normalcy? A life of peace and quiet? Even thinking about it now made her bite her tongue at the thought of herself falling into such a dull sense of routine.

She enjoyed the chaos she brought. Maya knew she was hell on earth. Her life was not one to be founded on peace of mind or of sound soul. Every minute of it she hand spent fighting; herself most of all. Whomever she loved, she hurt. Whomever she came to know she eventually killed. That was just who she was. A demon with human skin. A devil who didn’t belong.

But, perhaps if she tried, could she finally have all she hoped for?

“I want to believe that Aiden will forgive me.” Maya thought to herself. “I NEED to believe he’ll forgive me. I’ll give up everything, every vice, every desire if he does so. But if he doesn’t…”

A smile crept up upon the killer’s lip. She stopped walking, not caring for any who might be around her who could hear her slowly rising laughter. The air outside was cold, winter fast approaching now. As Maya’s breathing quickened her breath became visible in the cold air. A chilling exhalation that would send a shiver down the spine of any beta who found themselves caught by it.

Maya wondered how her beloved would feel if he was caught in her breath. Would he be terrified? Weak at the knees and pleading for his life? Would he even care for his life after all that’s happened to him? Or would he feel the same sort of ecstasy Maya did now? Would he finally find some sense of enjoyment in his situation, this new lot of life, of his? Whatever the answer was Maya found herself desiring both outcomes.

She wanted to terrify him until he was little more than a jabbering mess, only so that she can hold him closely. Console the scared beta until he realized that he would want for nothing so long as she was near. Maya wanted to pamper and treat her beloved as though he deserved everything in the world. And didn’t he? After all she had put him through, isn’t that just what he deserved?

After all the humiliation and torment, isn’t that the reprieve he needed?

“My sweet Aiden”

Maya wanted to hold him close. So close that he’d break in half. She wanted to kiss his minuscule body and slather him in her saliva until he was gasping for air. She wanted his longs to fill with her air until they were fit to burst. There were so many horrible things Maya desired to do that were only tempered by her desire to treat her one and only like a king. To trap him underfoot only to tend to his bruised and broken body. She wanted to carve her initials into his back to mark him as hers, and then tend to the still fresh wounds as best as she could.

Maya grit her teeth with such force that she felt one of her tooths would crack under the rising pressure she mounted on them. She felt herself losing control; close to breaking. Thankfully, through Roxanne’s aid, Maya was able to stave off the potential snap.

“Get a hold of yourself, idiot!” Maya mentally berated herself. “You’re supposed to be in control this time, not your fucking desires. I’m not going to hurt him. Aiden won’t have to be afraid. Not again. Never again.”

Were it not for the medication Maya was given then she might have resorted to doing something she would have greatly regretted. Any chances she might have had would be dashed. She’d be lost were that to happen. She loved Aiden. She loved Lyza. She loved both so much that the thought of being without either of them was absolute torture. But whereas she always fought the desire to hurt one she couldn’t help but salivate at the idea of harming the other.

“It’s because Aiden looks so cute when he’s scared.” Maya thought as she felt drool trickle down the corner of her mouth. Her cheeks grew rosy the more she thought on how terrified he’d be in the past when she ‘took things too far’. “It’s his fault for being so adorable when he cried.” She’d pretend to be scared as they watched a movie before throwing herself in his arms. Maya would wrap her arms around his neck so tightly that she was sure he wasn’t able to breathe properly. It was only when he seemed close to passing out did she stop. Though, there were times when he ‘took charge’ despite her hold on him. When sweet little Aiden turned the tables on her and made Maya shake instead. “But even if he acted brave he couldn’t hide those sweet, sweet tears of his. Those puffy red eyes that only came from a man who whimpered in fear. They were the best.”

“M-maybe I should have t-taken his eyes when I…”

Maya slapped herself with such force that the red of her cheek was replaced with the imprint of her palm. She cursed these thoughts of hers.

“What the hell is wrong with you!?!”

It was thoughts such as that which put her in this position, to begin with. Here she was, trying her best to prove that she wasn’t a danger to one of the two people she actually loved. But rather than think about how she could make it up to Aiden she was instead musing on how his terror was adorable. About how his eyes looked lovely when they were just finished bawling.

Maya regretted not taking an extra tablet before she left her home. Throughout the week she had taken several, possibly far more than Roxanne would have advised. They were, after all, against the idea of Maya taking something not really meant for regular consumption. But the pills worked, at least to an extent. At times, Maya felt herself falling into habits that were meant to be suppressed. She could feel her mind relapsing backing to wanting its wicked desires fulfilled.

One of the side effects Roxanne mentioned was the possibility of developing an apathetic nature, but this felt different. Like it was the opposite. Extreme, unchecked passion for her obsession. That was the best way she could describe it. She felt that her emotions, while still being suppressed to a degree thanks to the medication, were more rampant. Were she to describe her state of mind, it’d be like comparing it to a dam holding back a river, all the while a raging storm threatened to tear it down.

“I’ll need to up the dosage when I get home…” With as much as she took Maya had thought she’d at least get through the week. Instead, she found herself struggling to survive this one day. And here she thought Sundays were meant to be relaxing and simple.

Maya wasn’t sure how long she could keep this up tonight. She needed to work fast before she let something slip. Were that to happen then the whole dam might burst, and then Aiden would truly be in trouble.

She wasn’t exactly sure when she began walking again. Maya only knew that when she looked up she found herself staring at the gates which lead into Lynette’s property. She had become so lost in her thoughts and desires that she hardly had time to consider just what’d she’d say to have Lynette invite her in. Looking back on it now, Maya berated herself once more for not having thought of anything prior to tonight. She was too preoccupied with making sure Aiden would have a comfortable space to come home to.

What could she possibly say that would be of interest to Lynette? It was no secret that they didn’t like Maya all that much. If what Lyza said held any sort of merit, Lynette viewed the killer as strange. Someone to steer clear of even in a crowded space. Then again, such views were very well founded. But they did nothing to help Maya’s situation.

It was then that an idea crossed Maya’s mind. While Lynette likely viewed a great many things beneath her, and by extension not even worth despising, there was one person she couldn’t stand more than any other. While it would be in poor taste to use her girlfriend’s name in vain, it was the only thing Maya could think of that would get this cutthroat CEO’s attention.

Even then, Maya knew she would be walking on thin ice. Despite having the reputation she possessed, the killer was not so daft to think she wasn’t stepping into anything but a lion’s den.

“Take a seat, anywhere you like” Lynette gestured towards her living room. Grand and spacious, seeming large enough to house a party of a dozen. It had its fair share of options in regard to where one sat too. “Do you want me to get us something to drink? Or should we skip the pleasantries and talk about my sister?”

No response was given as Maya’s attention was focused on a single being. There he was, out in the open and with no place to hide. Her dearly beloved. Maya’s one and only.

“Aiden”

Even from where she stood she could tell he was terrified. Rightly so, as what she had done was unforgivable. But still, even with that in mind, she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. Maya truly did find such terror to be absolutely adorable. It was taking her everything she had to not just walk over and place her foot atop his body. Thankfully, Lynette was able to pull herself away from her obsession just long enough for her to remember why she was here.

The CEO noticed though where it was Maya had been looking. Rather than show worry over having one of her ‘servants’ out in the open, she smiled as if nothing was out of the ordinary here.

“Looks like you’ve met the help.” Lynette lied with unnatural ease. “I know it may seem a little unorthodox to hire a beta to help keep my home clean, especially when someone normal-sized can do a much better job, but they need the aid. And I’m more than happy to pay as much as they need to get by.”

Either Lynette was a natural liar, or she’s been practicing that specific lie for some time. It helped that Aiden was one of the healthier-looking betas under her ‘care’. She’d have a much harder time explaining why so many look so gaunt and expressionless. Despite what he had to endure in a week’s time, Aiden was still relatively new and had yet to be fully broken in. That, at least, gave her something to work with to show that she gave her pets a ‘decent’ life.

“You’ll have to excuse him though” Lynette continued. “This one was just finishing up down here. He was actually just about to head upstairs to help the others clean up. He’ll be out of our hair in a few minutes if you’re willing to wait.”

Still in her robes, Lynette thought it best she change before actually speaking with Maya. It’s not as though she expected any guests tonight. A shame too as, prior to having her night interrupted, she had planned to have a little bit of fun with the beta cowering on the floor.

“Do you mind waiting a bit before we talk? I’d much rather slip into something that isn’t soaking wet.”

“Not at all,” Maya assured her. “Take your time. The night is young and there’s plenty I want to talk with you about.”

Lynette made her way upstairs, stepping over the frightful beta while caring little for his wandering eyes. Had she been paying attention she may have noticed the slight twitch of Maya’s right eye. There wasn’t much to be appreciated in her watching her beloved look up towards another woman’s most intimate of places.

She remained composed thankfully, not allowing such a slight to get the better of her. She couldn’t act out now, not when her goal was so close. Maya took a single step forward, yet that was more than enough to force Aiden to crawl back further. Just as she had expected, he was still terrified of her. Even after a whole year of not seeing one another, she shouldn’t have expected him to be so accepting of her presence. But they’d go nowhere like this. They had a few minutes at best.

“I know how this looks” Maya began. “But if you just hear me out”

“I don’t want to hear anything from you!” Maya wasn’t allowed much in the way of speaking. Already, Aiden was cutting her off. There was a visible amount of effort he needed to exert in order to stand up, and even then it looked as though he was but a light breeze away from being knocked over. He was trying to put on a brave face but clearly showed that he was still terrified. This was perhaps the last place he wanted to be right now, and there was no escape. Nowhere he went would be safe from Maya if she was able to find him here.

“Just leave! Please! For once, can’t you just do that and stay out of my life!?! Haven’t you done enough to ruin it!?!”

Maya took another step closer, ignoring the pleas of the beta. He took a frightful step back only to remember there was no place he could run. If he even tried Maya would catch him before he could make any sort of distance.

“I’m serious Maya, back off!”

There was nothing he could do to stop her. She lowered herself to her knees, and all the while she watched the beta carefully. He was breathing so very hard. It seemed like his little heart would burst out of his chest at any moment. Though he was only an inch tall, she could see so many details about his new appearance. Maya had seen pictures of her beloved’s change but now to see him for herself? Pictures couldn’t do such an experience any sort of justice. She had almost forgotten that, prior to the unfortunate turns in his life, Aiden was quite a handsome individual. Not too buff but not too thin. He was a good-looking man, even now when he was comparable to a bug.

Well-dressed thanks to his position as Lynette’s newest ‘hire’, Maya couldn’t help but bite her lower lip in anticipation. She could so easily snatch him up right now. She was alone with her goal; it’d be so simple. Lynette wouldn’t be able to stop her, Maya would be able to do anything she wanted with him. His trembling only made things worse for her.

Maya could already picture him, tied down or taped to her inner thigh. Kept close to her body at all times as a reminder that he belonged with her; to her. Aiden existed for her. Perhaps, if she was quick, she could rub one out while using his body. That’d certainly be fun for her. She was blushing just thinking about it. Maya needed to swallow any building saliva to keep herself from appearing too desperate, though she was. She wanted desperately to steal Aiden away and keep him all to herself.

For a split second, she even forgot her orders. Roxanne still needed to know what it was he had learned; if anything. But what was really stopping her from forcing Aiden to tell her instead? Maya could relay that information to Roxy and keep her one and only. Nothing would change, they’d still have what they’d need for their plans.

“I’m sorry.” Maya finally said. She composed herself as best as she could. Maya could feel herself trembling all over, though for reasons far different from beloved. “Aiden, I’m so, so sorry. For everything. For ruining your life.”

There were no tears. Any sign of weakness and Maya might break. Still, she was sincere in what she said, and that was perhaps what struck Aiden the most. Despite his thoughts over her, he knew Maya better than most. They were close once after all. Perhaps even closer than she and Lyza were. He didn’t need to see her cry like he did a year prior to understand that what he saw was regret.

Though lust was still behind those horrific blue eyes of hers, Maya held regret for what she had done. Not to the countless lives she had ruined, or the dozens upon dozens of people she had killed. Her one regret, her only regret, was trying to kill someone she loved so much.

“You…you don’t get to apologize.” Aiden tried to reason, with himself more than with Maya. “You…are the last person who gets to believe that’ll solve anything!”

“It won’t” Maya admitted. “I understand that. Really, I do. But…regardless of what you think of me, I want to believe that we have a chance. That there’s some iota of affection between the two of us that can still save whatever we had in the past.”

Aiden couldn’t believe his ears. He laughed at the absurdity of such a notion. “You’ve got to be joking…if you think there’s any way we can-”

Before he could speak further Maya seized the beta in between her fingers. He was still small. Not as small as when she last saw him, but still enough to where she needed to exercise caution. Aiden was unbreakable anymore. If she was too rough then she could potentially break him, or worse. He struggled uselessly, only stopping when Maya brought her lips close to his body.

He could feel her breath wash over him, warming his body yet also bringing to his mind a vision of consumption. If she wanted to get rid of him she could easily swallow him whole. There’d be no way he’d survive that now. Or maybe she was planning to bite off his head, make his end nice and bloody?

“You think I’m going to hurt you, right?” Maya didn’t need an answer. If anything, the lack of one was more than enough to confirm what she already knew. “I know you’re scared but listen to me. We don’t have time to argue.”

Up above, on another floor of Lynette’s home, a door closed shut and signaled the coming return of the mansion’s owner.

There was no room for pleasantries.

“You’re probably going to hate this. Actually no, you’re REALLY going to hate this, but I need to get you home safely. And the only way to do that is to make sure Lynette doesn’t suspect you’re with me. So…”

Maya licked her lips slowly, her tongue gliding across the bottom of her incisors as Aiden became aware of just what she had planned. His struggles resumed but that would do little in preventing what was bound to happen.

“I really am sorry…”

Despite her words, her salivating maw showed that she had been looking forward to this.

“Sorry for the wait,” Lynette called out as she made her way down the stairs. She cursed the betas under her employ. They knew she only wore satin, how hard was it for them to get that straight? A few among them would need a lesson once Maya was out of her house, but none more than the new arrival who still had much to learn.

At least it helped that they were rather pleasant to look at. Small, well-built, and cowardly. Her favorite qualities in any man; which did remind her that when all was said and done she’d have to give her ‘pet’ a nighttime call before heading off to sleep.

Lynette found Maya waiting patiently on her couch, looking through her phone and simply keeping to herself. They seemed almost picturesque with how they sat, one leg over the other and resting her head on her palm. For a brief second, Lynette felt jealous of her older sister. Their red hair didn’t help to do away with such emotions either. In their eyes, red fit Maya much better than blue ever could.

Upon further inspection, and making sure she hadn’t accidentally stepped on him, Lynette found that her lone beta servant was gone, likely off to join the rest upstairs. At least that was one issue she didn’t have to deal with at the moment.

“So…” Lynette took a seat beside her visitor, sneaking a quick peak of what she was looking at on her phone. “Mind showing me what you’re looking at?”

A wide arrange of beauty products and dresses, all well outside the price range of someone of Maya’s background.  Were it not for Lyza then someone like Maya would never dream of looking at something so extravagant let alone actually wearing it. How fortunate they must be to actually be dating money.

At least, for now anyway.

Maya smiled as she looked up from her phone. She was now solely focused on the dresses, completely ignoring the makeup products. Most notably, those of Rosen Accessories.

“Your sister and I have been dating for some time now, right? Well, she’s given me so much over the two years we’ve been dating that I thought I’d treat her to something nice for once. Lyza loves dresses and seeing as you’re her sister I thought you’d be interested in helping me out.”

Lynette stared blankly at Maya, as though what she was saying was some foreign language she had no hope of understanding. Before long, she found herself snickering before eventually devolving into full-blown laughter. The thought of herself doing anything even remotely beneficial for her sister was humorous at best.

“Me? Help you decide on a dress for my sister? Hah! That’s golden!” Comically, Lynette wiped a tear away from her eye before taking Maya’s phone. She quickly searched up what she thought would best fit someone like her older sister before smugly handing back their phone. What was now displayed was a catalog of what Maya could only describe as being complete fashion disasters.

The very bottom of the barrel in terms of fashion, many of which have actually ruined their designer’s careers. From the ugly to the simply ridiculous, not a single one was worth a thing. That’s what Lynette ultimately thought of her sister. Worthless, hardly worthy of the clothing she sold as part of her business. Only really able to succeed because she had taken their mother’s place as head of Vermont’s Garments.

But if Lynette had anything to say about it, that would change very, very soon.

To her surprise, however, Maya never frowned, nor did she grow angry. Instead, her smile grew wider. Her eyes even seemed to grow brighter as she scrolled through each new set. Horrible, all of them, but there was a type of pride that could be seen in their designer’s faces. The type that could only be found in the face of those who actually made something. Despite their mistakes and flaws, they keep on moving forward in the hopes that, eventually, their choices would matter. Even if it cost them everything they just kept on going.

Maya placed a hand on her stomach. In some ways, she could relate to that.  

“I believe she might actually like these,” Maya confessed. “Sure, she can be a bit picky at times, but Lyza has something special. Something I see in all of these designers.”

“And what would that be?”

Maya’s smile softened slightly. Her eyes narrowed as they met Lynette’s.  “They all worked to get where they are now. It took time, effort, and a whole lot of sleepless nights for them to make something of themselves. Something we can’t really relate to, can we?”

A clear cut into the CEO’s pride. “Don’t you dare lump me in with someone like-”

“I mean, neither of us had to really work to get where we are now. I started dating your sister, and by extension got a first-class ticket into the high life you all enjoy. Trashy, I know, but still nothing compared to you~.”

Maya caught Lynette’s wrist just as her hand came inches from slapping her across the face. A predictable course of action that any with half a brain would have been able to see it coming. When those like Lynette were insulted they lashed out in the most transparent of ways.

Maya’s killed many people who thought themselves untouchable. They all shared the same look Lynette currently had. Disbelief that anyone would stand up against them. What made this even sweeter was the fact that Lynette could easily get rid of Maya, if what Roxanne said was to be believed. But as she stared into the CEO’s eyes, Maya knew that she was safe.

Killing betas was one thing. These days they were a dime a dozen. But to kill a normal human. Someone whom you’d likely see walking down the street on a daily basis? That required a certain spirit Lynette lacked.

“I’ll cut to the chase, seeing as I’ve overstayed my welcome.” Maya continued, all the while her grip on Lynette’s wrist grew tighter. “I love your sister a great, great deal. Enough that I’m able to mostly endure the bile you throw her way. I hold my tongue because she asks me to but seeing as she’s not here right now I have a few things on my mind that I want to say.”

 “You are nothing like your mother, and I think you know that. Lyza’s told me plenty of things about her, and if I’m being honest she sounds like a right bitch. But from what I know, she worked really hard to make two companies, both of which are now run by her daughters. But here’s the thing. You didn’t really earn your place in the limelight. Not like your sister.”

Lynette felt a chill run her spine. She wanted to look away but found herself unable to do so. With each passing moment, it felt as though she were getting smaller and smaller as if Maya’s words were shrinking her down. As it was now when Lynette looked up all she could see were the eyes of some vengeful goddess.

Or rather, the cold eyes of a devil.

She felt minuscule. Weak. As if she were in very real danger. These words cut deep and harmed far more than Lynette’s pride. They wounded something she could scarcely describe. Right now, this once prideful woman was no different from a mouse being toyed with by a tiger.

Lynette fell to her back yet still Maya rose over her, even more towering than before. it seemed as though they could crush the life out of her if she so chose to. Perhaps with nothing more than the use of her pinky finger.

Maya’s smile cut through all other senses, becoming the only thing Lynette could focus on. Her teeth, her canines, they seemed more fitting for some mythical monster. An eater of men that was ready for their next feast. Most notable were her canines. They were larger than average, sharper too. No doubt they could easily break skin.

“You’re just a parasite. You know that right?” it was Maya’s voice that snapped Lynette back to reality. She was on her back still but found her arms held down by the frightful woman on top of her. Maya’s eyes glazed over. She could hear a ringing in her ears and tasted iron on her tongue. She felt close to breaking but managed to hold herself back.

“Your company, your wealth, your seat of power~. None of it is yours, not really. We both know Lyza would do a much better job than you ever could. That’s why you hate her you know. Because at the end of the day she’s more than you’ll ever manage to be. You know it, I’m certain your mother knew it. And if I had to guess, any contacts you have to know it too. You’re nothing.”

Maya released her hold on Lynette and slumped back into her seat. There was absolutely no reason she had to say any of that. Yet the jab toward Lyza had sent Maya off the edge so to speak. Far more than she let off initially. She may have snapped a bit back there but still managed to keep her cool.

To a degree anyway.

Even if she was only meant to retrieve Aiden without causing any sort of trouble she just couldn’t help herself. If there was one woman who needed to be cut down to size it was Lynette; who for her part was still having issue processing what had just happened. Besides, a little bit of fun never hurt anyone. At least no one who mattered. And Lynette most certainly didn’t matter to Maya.

They just remained motionless, unable to come to terms with the torture they had to endure. Maya was no woman; she was a devil in disguise. Whenever Lynette dared to look in her direction a cold sweat formed on her brow. They never had a real interaction until now, which only served to teach the prideful woman just what sort of terror her sister was dating. What sort of monster did Lyza share her bed with? It was too much for someone like Lynette to think about.

What was worse than the monster she shared her couch with though was the fact that their words rung out some semblance of truth. Lynette hated her sister for a great many reasons. From childhood, it was always Lyza who excelled at all other fields while they in turn found themselves lagging behind others. Lynette had to earn her mother’s favor early on to ensure she had a place in the future of her company. All while Lyza steered clear of any familial business, working on her own jobs, her own ambitions.

Lynette had to worship her mother to get where she was now. Lyza proved herself capable of growth long before she took over Vermont’s Garments.

She was better than Lynette. That fact was as clear as day. But they’d be damned if that’s how she’d be recognized.

“Hey. Weren’t you going to offer me a drink?” Maya asked with a condescending grin. They knew Lynette couldn’t touch them and even now when she talked the CEO only regarded the question with a frightful whimper.

“Actually, on second thought, I’ve had my fill of fun. I’ve cleeearly overstayed my welcome. So, how about I just get out of your hair? Leave you to mule over a few things? That sounds good?”

No answer was given nor was there one to be expected. Lynette never got up from her position as Maya made her way out. With Lynette’s mind elsewhere she was able to give her stomach a few playful pats. There was a slight tickling sensation a few moments after, a sign that her small ‘passenger’ was still alive and well. It was good that she chose not to eat today, though she’d still need to extract him before the night was done.

All in all, things went far better than Maya could have hoped. She got her beloved back and managed to terrify the life out of her girlfriend’s sister. “What a wonderful night this turned out to be.”

Maya turned one final time before leaving. “Oh, and one more thing Lyn.” Lynette wasn’t even looking at Maya though she cared little if they did either way. All they needed was to be heard.

“Enjoy all you have while you still have it. Because, eventually, everyone’s going to realize the only one worthy of anything is your sister. And when they do you’ll lose everything. And I’ll be there waiting.” The thought of Lynette, small and defenseless was one Maya found herself very much looking forward to one day. Now everything else rested in Roxanne’s and Lyza’s hands after tonight.  

“When that day comes you’ll make a far better gift for your sister than any dress ever could.”