8. THE LONER IN THE WOODS
Chapter eight
THE LONER IN THE WOODS
Grand Lord Vladya sensed the girl's presence the moment she came.
Her scent invaded his senses, pulling him from the tangled web of his own thoughts. A welcomed intrusion. Being lost in his own mind spelled trouble these days.
His descent into madness was worsening. A spiral that was becoming increasingly difficult not to notice.
Vladya couldn’t tell whether it was the relentless sexlust thrumming under his skin or the unquenchable bloodlust refusing to be sated.
Merrilyn had recently given birth, but complications had nearly claimed her life. For over a week, she fought fiercely to survive, teetering on the brink of death.
Thankfully, both she and her female offspring pulled through, but Merrilyn was far from recovered and unable to perform her duties as a bloodhost.
Not every Urekai had a bloodhost; only males over a thousand years old and females over five thousand. And at his age, the thirst for blood intensified to an insatiable level. He could no longer rely on multiple feeders to quench even the smallest taste. Without a bloodhost, he risked descending into feral or death.
It was ironic, considering Vladya was already hurtling down the path toward madness like a seasoned champion. His grip on sanity grew more tenuous with each passing day.
Despite his and Henry's protests, Merrilyn insisted on bloodfeeding him. Vladya’s hunger had overpowered his restraint, but thankfully he had taken only a small amount, mindful of the stubborn female’s fragile state.
In the weeks since, he had sought sustenance from others, but their blood offered only brief respite. To satiate himself, he would need to drink from over fifty females simultaneously, inevitably killing some in the process.
As long as they were not his bloodhost, they could never truly satisfy his thirst. Not even Aekeira could.
And so, he had refrained.
As a result, his thirst had intensified. His arousal had grown as potent as his bloodlust, and his mind... it was a dark and chaotic place.
That was why he sought refuge outside the fortress walls, hoping to find some semblance of clarity amidst the turmoil. And now, here was the one female he should avoid.
He had made deliberate efforts to stay away, but there she was, testing the limits of his control.
And there was only so much a male could take.
Vladya turned to face her, taking in her beauty. Clad in simple, clean slave garments, she radiated an exquisite allure that defied her humble attire. He began to close the distance between them, his footsteps silent.
Her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her eyes, her fingers nervously clutching the fabric of her clothes.
"You are aware that I can smell you from a considerable distance, aren't you?" Vladya repeated, stopping before her.
“Uhmm… I did not know this. I… uh… apologize once again for interrupting your quiet time. Now, if you would excuse me.” She twirled around and attempted to walk away.
His beast roared within him, surging towards the surface with a ferocity that caught Vladya off guard. But he stilled.
Over the past few months, Vladya and his beast had grown increasingly disconnected. Each step toward feral widened the gap until his beast would eventually force a shift he couldn’t control, trapping him in his beast form forever.
But now, for the first time in weeks, his beast rose.
“Aekeira?” he rasped, his voice strained as he fought to maintain control.
Something in his tone must have alarmed her, she stopped dead in her tracks. “Lord Vladya?”
“Do. Not. Move.” His breath sounded ragged in his own ears.
She gave a nod, still keeping her back to him.
His senses, already heightened, became even sharper. He could hear the rapid thumping of her heart, the quickening of her breath, and the scent of her fear. Even the faintest hint of musk.
His dick was hard. His gums fucking ached.
"Are you h-hungry?" Her sultry voice reached him, a tremor of fear underlying her words. "Is it the bloodlust?"
Amongst other things.
"I will be fine," he managed, his voice rough. "Just give it some time, I'll regain control."
"You could... you could drink from me," she offered hesitantly.
Vladya's beast perked up at the suggestion. He shuddered, his breath escaping in a ragged gasp.
"Bloody hell,” he growled. "You should not make such offers lightly, Aekeira. I could easily drain you dry."
The girl turned, her lips parting as she nervously licked them. "I would never make such an offer to anyone else. But you saved my brother's life, and I would like to—"
"Are we going to keep milking that cow?" Vladya added with a sardonic edge.
Aekeira flushed scarlet but met his gaze. "Also, you look like you're in pain."
"Why does it matter to you? I inflict pain upon you at every turn. Why would you wish to alleviate mine?" Vladya cocked his head to the side in thought. Was this a trick? A ploy to manipulate him? What was her motive?
"Not everyone is intent on causing pain, Your Highness," she replied, her voice soft yet firm. "Some of us are not wired that way."
Then, under her breath, she added, "But then again, I suppose a male like you wouldn't understand."
Vladya did not take offense. He truly did not understand.
A captive should be aiming to stab her captor in the chest, not pull out the sword already embedded and attempt to apply healing balm to the wound.
She sighed, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "Nevermind," she murmured, turning away once more.
Vladya watched her retreating figure, war raging within him. What was he doing? Why was he chasing away the one person he longed to drink from again?
To have her blood coat his tongue, to savor the taste for days to come.
But I can resist. I am not a slave to my baser instincts.
The girl took a step away from him.
Vladya moved with lightning speed, pinning her against a tree, his body pressed against hers.
He hadn't even consciously registered moving, only the need to stop Aekeira from leaving.
"Lord Vladya," she gasped, her breath catching in her throat.
Up close, her scent hit him full force, wrecking whatever little chance he had of maintaining control. His gums hurt, his fangs—already extended—throbbed with a burning intensity.
"Drink from me," she whispered, her eyelids fluttering closed as she offered her neck to him.
His fangs pierced her skin and she cried out, arching into him. Vladya moaned, the first taste of her sweet, addictive blood lighting a fire within him.
Need raged through his veins. His dick filled with blood.
"Ohhhh," she moaned, her body writhing in his arms, her fingers digging into his robe.
Vladya was in the clouds. Lost in a whirlwind of pleasure and sensation. For the first time in months, the restlessness beneath his skin ebbed away, the turmoil in his blood subsided, and the darkness threatening to consume him retreated into the shadows.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he felt... good. Really, really good.
Vladya forced himself to slow, to sip, instead of gulping her blood like the crazed, hungry male he was. He did not want this to end.
He pumped out pheromones like crazy, so out of control he couldn't make himself stop. Coupled with the natural arousal of feeding, the girl stood no chance.
She trembled, squeezing her breasts desperately, pinching her nipples, her moans escaping like a melody of ecstasy.
"It's good. Oh gods…" Her words turned incomprehensible, slurring into senseless sounds of pleasure.
The girl's musk would drive him insane. The scent intensified with every pull from her vein, flooding his senses with intoxicating desire.
His hand wandered, cupping her weeping core. He rubbed her firmly, thoroughly, each movement deliberate and unrelenting.
Her breath caught in her throat, then released in a hiss. "Yesssss." Her body writhed in response.
She was close, Vladya could tell. Aekeira was so aroused that her musk grew so thick, it was almost choking, even in the open space of the woods.
For someone who had reservations for males, she wanted him too much. Responding to his every slight touch. A heady, possessive feeling clawed him.
His elegant, little whore. Mine .
Vladya circled her swollen clit through her garment and pinched—just enough to send waves of sensation rocking through her core.
She came with a sob, gasping and panting. Her body melted, but Vladya's body pressed against hers, stopped her from sliding to the ground.
So wired now, Vladya thought he would die if he didn't come soon. Pulling his dick out, he took her hand and pressed it against him.
Her hand jerked away as if burned. Was this her first time actually touching a dick?
The thought filled him with pleasure. A fucking primal nature.
But her hands came back on their own. Her touch was shy and hesitant. Tentative.
Yet even such skittish touches had him on the brink of orgasm. Was he really about to come like a novice young lad getting his first handjob?
She held him, her fingers wrapping around his girth, moving her hand in jerky, clumsy motions. With every stroke, her touch grew firmer, more confident.
Vladya growled, a deep, rumbling sound that echoed around them. Even his savage, half-mad beast within was calm, pleasured by her hesitant caresses.
He wanted to push her to her knees and bury his manhood down her throat. To feel the warmth and wetness of her mouth, to wreck her throat until her voice turned hoarse for days.
The mere thought of it ripped his orgasm from him with a ferocity that left him breathless. His fangs tore from her throat, and he licked the wound closed, savoring the taste of her blood.
"Fuck." His release was so hard and intense, he threw his head back, swallowing his groan as his vision whited out, stars exploding behind his eyes.
Moments later, he tucked himself in and pulled away from her. She slid to the ground in a heap, her body limp and sated, a dreamy smile spread across her flushed face.
Her movements were sluggish, her limbs heavy with the afterglow of pleasure.
"I enjoy touching you," she slurred, her voice thick with satisfaction.
Vladya's mind was beginning to clear, the bloodlust and arousal no longer clouding his thoughts.
He observed this female who had once again become blood-drunk from his feeding. Her cheeks were rosy, her lips slightly parted, a look of bliss etched across her features.
"Always scowling like a bulldog guarding its bone. Do you ever smile? Huh?" She hiccuped, her eyes glazed with inebriation.
Vladya could not figure this female out, and it baffled him. What sort of woman was Aekeira?
He kept thinking he had her pinned, yet she continually surprised him. How could she care enough to feed him when she should be praying for his insanity or death to draw even closer?
He'd thought she surely liked Zaiper; to strip for him and entice him that way. But, that was not the case. Vladya wouldn't have believed it if not for Emeriel.
And now it kind of made sense; the way she always got wet, aroused for him. The girl was sexually attracted to him, not Zaiper.
Although he'd never been kind to her body, it responded to him anyway, opening and easing for him. He was the first male Aekeira had ever wanted in a sexual way.
Vladya did not know what to make of that, but deep inside, in a part of his deteriorating mind he would never let come to light, it pleased him. Immensely.
"Try smiling." Her voice was punctuated by another hiccup. "If you keep frowning like that, you will look ancient in no time.
Vladya could not resist. "We do not age. I cannot look any older than this."
She glared at him, her eyes sparkling. " Try it. Like this." Her lips stretched into a wide, beautiful smile that lit up her face.
He was utterly captivated, unable to look away. Her beauty was mesmerizing and unsettling.
Dangerous territory. Retreat.
"You are as high as a giant's toenail," Vladya murmured, scooping her up into his arms. Her body felt pliant and warm against him. "You need to sleep this off."
Holding her in his arms, felt incredibly right. This was not good. Not good at all.
With steady strides, Lord Vladya carried her out of the woods. The cool night air mingled with the warmth radiating from her, creating a peculiar sense of calmness within him.
His bloodlust was not sated, but he was surprised how just drinking from her had been enough to quell the harshest of his hunger. Usually, it took at least five to achieve such an effect. Who exactly was this brave princess in his arms?
He glanced down, her eyes heavy-lidded and fixed on him. Her lashes fluttered like raven wings, a rosy flush still coloring her cheeks. Who was this female who had so effortlessly invaded his life and taken up residence in his thoughts?
"You are very handsome," she mumbled, her voice thick with sleepiness. "The handsomest in this kingdom."
"If the bloodfeeding has impaired your vision, it is further proof you need to sleep this off."
"My vision is perfectly fine," she protested, slurring every word. "Why are you always so cross with me? I was not even born five hundred years ago."
A muscle twitched in his jaw. He continued moving without saying a word, refusing to acknowledge the statement. Because in the end, the girl was right. She was not alive at that time.
Soon, he reached the clearing where Yaz and the rest of his men stood waiting, their forms shadowy against the moonlit backdrop. Yaz ran forward. "I will take her, Your Highness."
"I will do it." Vladya kept walking, cradling Akeira closer.
She had offered herself for him to feed from. Freely, willingly. Twice. It was only courteous on his part to take her to her bed.
It had nothing to do with her feeling so good in his arms or his reluctance to let go. And it certainly was not because her scent so close like this was... comforting.
The girl was sound asleep by the time they reached the gates of Ravenshadow. Her breathing was slow and even, her body completely relaxed in his hold.
He did not want to give the people something new to gossip about, nor did he want to give Zaiper more ideas. So he forced himself to reluctantly give her to Yaz.
In the girl's chambers, he stood at the foot of her bed, watching her sleep, his men standing guard outside the door. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest was hypnotic.
She looked even younger. Peaceful. So disgustingly beautiful.
Her hair fanned out on the pillow like a dark halo, and her lips were slightly parted, a portrait of peaceful innocence.
"I am madder at you than the rest of your kind, Aekeira. I was perfectly okay until you came along. I should have never ventured to Navia with Ottai. We should have gone to another human kingdom," he sighed, his voice a low murmur in the quiet room.
Are you sure? His mind asked.
The girl distracted him, made him feel things he never wanted to feel again, got under his skin, and made him so out of control, and he hated all of it.
But the truth was, he wanted the girl here anyway. Here in Urai, in Ravenshadow. Here in Blackstone.
He had no idea why. He was not even sure he liked the girl, and yet, the thought of never seeing her again was simply... unacceptable.
He took a deep breath, her scent lingering in the air, sweet and intoxicating. "What have you done to me, you sexy little witch?