Entertaining the Vampire King

Savior

Fear practically paralyzed me to the wood beneath me. I didn't move my head. I didn't turn to face him. I felt his hand gently rub my bare leg just above the knee.

"You know what I like about you, Ayla?" He said calmly. I tried to stop my lip from quivering.

"You can't be compelled. So that makes you unpredictable. I am a big fan of games myself, and trying to read you is the best game I could play."

He moved his hand towards the hem of my dress, and I smacked it away. He pulled it back, laughing loudly.

"I'll give you a head start." He said. I turned to face him, blinking.

"W-what?"

"Run. I'll give you a head start. There is a river down the hill just a ways into the woods. If you make the river, I'll let you live."

"And if I don't?" I had no idea why I even asked.

"Then I win." His tone was dark.

"You've got to be joking." I mused. He laughed again, and I tensed.

"Simple enough. Thaddeus is out of the castle on a stag hunt with Suffolk and he isn't due back till tomorrow. You'll either be free, or dead." My heart sank, and pounded like horse hooves in my chest.

I stood and backed up slowly away from him. He sat perfectly still while his eyes tracked my movements.

"Run." He said softly, and I did.

I ran as fast as I could move my legs. My feet burned from the rough ground. I had nearly ran myself through on a sharp branch. My legs and arms were bleeding from the thick brush, but I couldn't feel anything except the pain in my chest from running. It worsened with every breath.

I could hear the distant sound of water. I must be getting close. I sprinted faster down a hill, losing my footing. My body fell and hit the ground hard. Somewhere inside of me I heard a snap. My arm went limp and it was all I could do to push myself off of the ground.

I was walking now, and the pain was slowly setting in where my right arm was starting to turn purple. I stared at it in awe as the colors seeped over my skin.

Suddenly my body hit some sort of tree. I stumbled back and felt a hand brace me from behind. Nathaniel must have found me. I cringed as I waited for his hands to travel to my neck, or his teeth. But they didn't come.

I opened my eyes and saw a body in front of me. I trailed my gaze upward, meeting a pair of hazel eyes.

"Thaddeus." I whispered. Relief plagued me in an instant.

"You look awful." He said. He seemed to be holding back a smile. I tried to smack him, forgetting about my injury for a moment. I winced and almost collapsed. He held onto my waist and put his arm around me.

I tilted my head, bringing my lips next to his. The pain shot through my body more heavily now. I nestled my head in the crook of his neck. Thaddeus scooped me up into his arms with no effort.

"Where did you come from? You're off with Suffolk. You're not supposed to be here." I yawned.

"How do you know that?" He kept walking.

"Nathaniel told me, he- Nathaniel. Where is he?" The panic hit me in a surge through my body. Thaddeus hissed.

"You're safe." His hand under my leg stroked my thigh smoothly. I relaxed, draping my arms around his neck.

He carried me through the doors. I closed my eyes before we even got inside. My arm stung, and I bit back my screams with each step.

I felt myself go down, and hit a soft padding. Thaddeus gently pulled his arms from beneath me.

"Ayla, please let go of my neck." I released my hands and opened my eyes. We were in a different room. It had a bed with white drapes between the canopy posts. The room was much larger than the one before. It had a window taller than the door. It looked familiar.

"My dream?" I asked. Thaddeus looked at me with a confused expression.

"Excuse me?" He said as he removed his shirt. I looked at his clothes. They were dirty, like he had been outside before he came to my rescue.

I locked onto his body. It rippled with toned muscle. I hadn't seen such a handsome face that accompanied a perfect body. It made me tremble.

"How is your arm?"

"It's fine." I lied through my teeth. The pain had been growing, and soon it would become unbearable.

"You're a horrible liar, Ayla." he said. I blushed.

He bared his sharp teeth, and I shuddered. He bit his wrist, and offered it to me.

"Drink." He said calmly. I took his writ and put it to my lips, drinking him deeply.

I remembered what Mary said. Vampires only offer their blood for sickness and bonding. But he had given it to me before, for my neck. It was simply to heal. A part of me wanted it to mean so much more.

The first few seconds I could feel the bones inside of my arm. The pain subsided and was instantly masked by the overwhelming pleasure of the blood. Every gulp sent me spiraling. I bucked my hips as I drank from him. I looked up at him. His eyes were red. He stared down at me and smiled.

I cried out with a wave of pleasure before I released his wrist. I rolled onto my stomach, arching my back with my face buried into the bed. The wave subsided, and I relaxed. My thighs were tired from being pushed together so hard during my release.

"Feeling better?" He asked with an amused tone. I sat up and looked at my arm. It was completely fine, and my legs were free of the scratches from earlier. I had never felt so good in my life.

"Why did you give me your blood before?" I nearly wanted to slap myself as soon as the words left my lips.

"You were hurt."

"Barely."

"Are you complaining?"

"No." I pouted. "Can I eat? I'm starving." I said. Just as soon as the words left my lips, my stomach growled fiercely. Thaddeus laughed hard, booming across the room.

"I apologize, I've forgotten to feed you. It's been a long time since I've cared for a human. Let me see what I can do."