23. A RARE PEACEFUL MOMENT
Chapter twenty-three
A RARE PEACEFUL MOMENT
Aekeira trailed behind him, leaving the bewildered, prying eyes behind. Silence enveloped them as they made their way through the Blackstone's courtyard, where slaves toiled, and into the heart of the fortress, where only Urekai roamed.
She thought back on High Lord Herod’s message this morning, thankful Em was somewhere safe for her full heat. Though surprised the grand king was helping her through it. Still, knowing whose arms Em was in, eased some of her worries... even if it opened the doors to newer, scarier, ones.
They passed through manicured gardens and ornate fountains, surrounded by the sweet scent of blooming jasmine and the gentle chirping of birds.
In a meadow overlooking a lake, Lord Vladya came to a halt, and Aekeira collided with his broad back.
"I was not aware you'd stopped, I..." she trailed off, breath caught in her throat. Aekeira allowed herself to lean against him, burying her nose in the folds of his dark robes, breathing him in.
For a moment, the world ceased to exist. The uncertainties of tomorrow, the worries of the future, vanished.
But she knew she couldn't linger. With a deep, shaky breath, she began to pull away...
Only to have her hands caught in his, holding her in place.
"For a moment...just for one moment." The wind carried his husky voice, brushing against her skin like a caress. "Stay like this, for one moment."
Aekeira's heart quickened its pace once more, racing so much that if she didn't know better, she'd suspect a sudden illness. But she did.
This enigmatic force of a man. This hard, cold, stubborn male with stone walls built all around him to keep the world out, was going to be her undoing.
Her hands slipped from his, rising of their own accord to encircle his waist. She pressed her cheek against the expanse of his back, the smell of him filling her senses, grounding her. "Are you well, My Lord?"
Silence answered, more eloquent than any words could have been. His body was a taut coil, vibrating with tension. Something was going on with him, and Aekeira felt helpless. She glanced around, but his ever-present guard had already granted them privacy.
"My Lord..." Her teeth worried her lower lip. She couldn't address his impending madness, not only might it shatter this fragile connection between them, but the very thought of it filled her with dread. Unbearable, terrifying dread.
"Tell me how I can ease your burden, and I will do it." Why was she voicing it out!? It was supposed to be in her secret thoughts.
But when it came to this grand lord, it seemed her every instinct rebelled against reasoning and common sense.
A bitter laugh escaped him. “First you offer your blood, then your body, and now this boundless compassion. I hurt you, Aekeira. I inflict pain, cause you harm. You find no pleasure in pain, that much I know." His head fixed on the quiet lake ahead. "Why do you not run? Why do you stay, when you should flee from me as far as your legs can carry you?"
"I cannot help myself." She nuzzled closer, eyes fluttering shut as she surrendered to the truth. "I have tried...to run, and yet...I cannot, My Lord. I worry for you. I wish for you to be alright."
She braced herself for his usual rebuke, as silence reigned. The air was alive with the smell of water lilies, their ivory petals decorating the lake like stars fallen from the heavens.
"That day in court, you unclothed to protect Emeriel. To conceal her true identity.”
Aekeira nodded against him. "My feelings for Lord Zaiper are not...as you believe. I do not lust for him."
"No, you lust for me,” he stated. “The first night I took you, your body grew wet for me , not to the discussion of him."
Aekeira gave another nod against the rough fabric of his robe, heat flooding her cheeks.
He drew a sharp breath, a subtle tremor running through his body. "You dance with fire, little princess. You walk a dangerous path for a soulless male, one who hates your kind. One who barely feels anything anymore."
Aekeira knew this, knew it with painful clarity that her foolish heart refused to acknowledge. Her only answer was to tighten her arms around him.
"I apologize, Aekeira," he said, his tone flat and emotionless. "For that night in the woods. For all the nights before."
His words offered no comfort. Only a deeper unease. This male felt too little to truly regret his actions, yet he apologized…as if fulfilling a duty. Tying up loose ends.
Tears pricked at Aekeira's eyes, but she blinked them back fiercely. "Tell me again," she choked out. "When you truly feel it."
"I may wake a different male tomorrow, Aekeira. For now, it's as if the rage, the anger, the hate...they slumber.” A sigh escaped him, heavy with resignation. “But these days, I cannot predict who I will be at the dawn of a new day. Today, I want you here, your arms around me as we watch the sundown and the moon rise. Tomorrow, I may be consumed by the darkness, the need to hurt you. To lay you down and mount you within an inch of your life until you beg for mercy. And that is not the darkest of my desires, Aekeira. If you knew the depths of them, you would flee in terror."
Aekeira's breath hitched.
He turned to face her. "I want to whip you and make it hurt,” he stated bluntly. "I wish to lay you out naked and design your pretty little skin with the marks of my whip. I want to tie you up and wreck you with my phallus all day long, until you are all raw, bruised, and unable to walk for days. Bedridden from being stuffed full of my big, Urekai cock. Your skin red from the design of my whips."
He paused, his stare piercing into her very soul. "Those are barely my instincts on a bad day. Do not take my hands, Aekeira. Run for the hills. Run, and never look back."
A blush spread as he spewed more crude, blatant words until her entire face scorched . He really wanted to do all that to her, the truth lay stark in his eyes.
For the first time, real fear prickled Aekeira’s skin. Dread bloomed in her chest. The things he spoke of, were...downright terrifying to say the least.
Aekeira had never been one to embrace pain, never sought it out. He was right; she should be running as fast and far as she could. Run, Aekeira. Run and never look back!
"Those instincts are dormant for now, are they not?” she heard herself ask. “When they awaken, I will flee, My Lord. But that day is not today."
His brows furrowed in a manner that clearly questioned her sanity.
"King Daemonikai...His feral madness...it wasn't like this, was it?" Aekeira asked tentatively.
Lord Vladya shook his head. "For Daemonikai, there was no warning, no gradual descent. He had a fulfilling martial bond, a loving mate, children…an heir to his throne. The sudden loss of everything, and the manner in which it was taken, shattered his mind.” He sighed.
“He also exhausted himself protecting his people that night, pushing his beast beyond its limits under an eclipse moon. There was no strength left to heal, no energy to resist the encroaching darkness. The cost was his sanity."
There was a flicker of sorrow in his cold eyes. “Mine has been brewing for centuries. A lifetime of anger, unhappiness, bitterness. Rage. Every failed bonding ritual, every new child born to another...Watching the Fates play their cruel game.” A muscle twitched in his jaw. “And when they finally granted my wish, they took it all away, three short nights later. This madness has been festering for a damn long time. It’s inevitable."
Fight it! Aekeira wanted to scream, but the words died in her throat. What good would it do?
He resumed walking, and Aekeira followed, with a heavy heart. They crossed the meadows, then the sun-dappled trails winding through ancient woods, and finally, the vineyards heavy with ripening grapes. They walked into the courtyard, where Yaz and the other soldiers awaited them beside a carriage.
Lord Vladya stepped inside, leaving Aekeira in a quandary. Slaves did not ride in carriages, especially not alongside their masters.
Would she be expected to trudge behind the carriage on foot? The thought made her shudder.
"Get in." Lord Vladya closed his eyes, his voice carrying a hint of weariness.
"Inside, wi-with you?"
"Get in, Aekeira." There was an uncharacteristic subtle softening in his tone.
Trying to mask her surprise—and the thrill shooting through her—Aekeira climbed into the carriage, settling beside him. The space was intimate, their bodies pressed close together.
"May I ask where we’re going?"
"Don't worry. I'm not abducting you to bury your corpse in some unmarked grave."
That startled a laugh from her. And the grand lord’s eyes opened, swiveling his head to stare at her face for a moment too long, her smile fading under his intense gaze. "Did you just make a joke?"
A frown creased his brows before he closed his eyes once more. "We're going to Merrilyn's. If I want to maintain a semblance of normalcy, I need to feed properly from my bloodhost."
Aekira’s stomach twisted in a knot, and an ugly feeling rose within her that she forcefully pushed aside. If feeding from his bloodhost helped keep the madness at bay, Aekeira would support it.
The carriage rolled to a stop before a magnificent manor house nestled inside a luxurious estate. Servants lined the entrance, bowing deeply as Lord Vladya got out. They ushered him inside, Aekeira trailing behind.
"Master Henry is away, Your Highness," the steward informed him, "but Madame Merrilyn is in her chambers. Shall I inform her of your arrival?"
"I know she’s indisposed, Bazo. I will go to her."
They followed the steward to a closed door, and she announced their presence, then stepped aside. Lord Vladya opened the door, and Aekeira walked behind him.
Lady Merrilyn sat propped up in bed, a warm smile gracing her lips. "My Lord."
"How are you feeling, Merry?"
"Well enough." Lady Merrilyn’s gaze shifted to Aekeira with a flicker of curiosity. "I see you've brought company."
Aekeira inclined her head.
"How is the little one?" Lord Vladya asked.
The lady’s face softened with a radiant joy. "She's perfect." She raised her voice slightly. "Kadiri, bring my child."
The door opened, and a Urekai female, presumably the nursemaid, entered carrying a swaddled bundle. Only the infant's head was visible, a wisp of dark hair peeking out from the folds of linen.
Aekeira's heart swelled with pure love. She had always adored babies. It took every ounce of restraint not to reach out and beg to hold the child, even for a fleeting moment.
She used to fantasize about a child of her own, but that dream was impossible. Especially with her current situation. Aekeira would rather not birth a child than condemn her offspring to a life of slavery.
The nursemaid placed the child in Lord Vladya's outstretched hands, who stared down at the bundle with an intense expression. Then, as if by magic, his eyes softened, and the harsh lines of his face smoothed into a longing so raw and unguarded Aekeira had to stifle a gasp.
"She's beautiful," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. "She looks like her mother. You've done well, Merry."
Lady Merrilyn beamed, a blush rising to her cheeks. "Thank you, Vlad. It means so much that you...that you're holding her. I know you normally avoid newborns."
"She's yours," he said, his voice coated with a sadness so heavy Aekeira could almost taste it. “Of course, I would hold her."
Aekeira reached out to touch his shoulder, but her fingers hovered in the air, before quickly withdrawing her wayward hand.
Lady Merrilyn’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Aekeira as if she were peering into her very soul.
"Such a precious little one," Lord Vladya whispered in utter misery.
The lady swallowed, sadness crossing her features. "Here, let me take her."
Aekeira ached deeply for this ancient male. Over three millennia of life, yet he had never experienced siring his own offspring—a desire that clearly burned in every fiber of his being. It was heart-wrenching to witness his profound longing.
Mistress Sinai couldn't shake her restlessness.
Rising from beside her lover, she reached for her clothes. Her Daemon had been away for days, word was he was helping a female through her heat. Sinai could understand; It wasn’t unusual. Yet, the uneasy feeling, the sense that something was wrong, refused to leave her.
"Are you alright, darling?" Daryl's voice broke through her thoughts.
"I'm not sure," she admitted. Sinai needed Daemonikai to be wholly hers, yet every day, it felt as if he was slipping further away from her.
"You can always come back to bed..." Daryl suggested, a hint of seduction in his tone.
Sinai dressed quickly and stepped outside for some evening air. The nagging feeling persisted—something was wrong; she could feel it.
Urekai imprinted very deeply, which was why their anguish knew no bounds when they lost a loved one. The pain was excruciating. And Daemonikai was still grieving, and as long as the pain persisted, he wouldn't consider a future with her.
She needed to give him time—years, perhaps even centuries. But ultimately, he would be hers alone. There was no one else for him. Eventually, this male would belong to her, all she had to do was patiently wait for him to mourn, heal, and finally open his arms to her.
Yet impatience gnawed at Sinai. Is waiting truly the answer? Why did it feel like her male was slipping through her fingers once more?