Chapter 11

Chapter

Eleven

Alexandru

" S ecure the eastern flank, and make sure the archers are in position before dawn," I command, my voice echoing through the stone walls of my war room.

Nicolai nods as he traces routes on the weathered map spread across the oak table. Marianne stands beside him, her eyes fierce as she scans the terrain.

"An ambush here could cut off Catarina's retreat," she says, tapping a dense forest marked with shadows.

I lean over the table, studying the topography. "Agreed. But it's risky. We expose ourselves to counterattack."

"A risk we must take," Nicolai interjects, his tone grave. "Catarina's forces outnumber us. Surprise is our ally."

"Then it's settled." I clench my fist. "We strike at first light. Prepare your squads. This battle could alter the outcome of this damned war—or drown us in its wake."

The tension hangs in the air like the chill of winter frost. My thoughts drift to Eleanna, the fiery-haired goddess who has become both my ally and my torment. Once, she whittled what I felt for her to seeing her as nothing but a cruel queen, merciless in her rule. Back when she showed her true colors. But adversity has stripped away our pretenses, leaving something raw and undeniable between us. Something at once old and new.

I walk toward the frosted window, the cold glass offering no comfort to my heated skin. With each encounter this time round, Eleanna challenges me, her spirit as untamed as the blizzard winds outside. There's an admiration now, a burning respect that wars with my instincts. She's formidable, yet beneath her icy veneer lies a passion that calls to my own.

"Damn," I curse under my breath.

It's a dangerous game we play, this seduction of power and desire. Duty binds me to my people, to this fight for survival, but there's a pull within my chest—a yearning—that gravitates toward her with all the force of destiny.

The ironclad grip I have on my emotions slips, just for a moment, and I'm left wondering if what I feel for Eleanna will be the very thing that saves me or destroys me utterly.

Through the window, Eleanna trains. Her form's a whirlwind of lethal poise in the courtyard below. She moves like a true warrior. Her long red hair is pulled back into a tight braid that whips around as she pivots and strikes, a scarlet streak against the harsh white backdrop of snow. Her clothing, dark red and formfitting, seems almost part of her, accentuating each fluid movement of her body.

The sight stirs something primal within me. I follow the line of her thighs, visible beneath the slits in her skirt, up to the curve of her waist. There's an undeniable power to her, a ferocity that resonates in the air itself. The raven tattoo on her leg, a symbol of her lineage, seems to pulse with life as she moves, a reminder of the blood that courses through her veins—blood she's spilled and would spill again for her people.

"General?" Nicolai's voice intrudes, but I'm already turning away from the scene, excusing myself with a curt nod.

"Carry on," I say, as I leave the war room behind, descending the stone stairs with a purpose that masks my inner turmoil. The cold bites at my skin as I step outside, but it's nothing compared to the heat that Eleanna ignites within me—a fire that refuses to be put out.

"Eleanna." Our eyes meet, the word a soft command that acknowledges both her status and the undercurrents that thrum between us.

"Alexandru," she says, her voice cool yet carrying the weight of shared trials.

We begin walking side by side, our arms brushing occasionally. The simple contact sends jolts of awareness down my spine. It's a dangerous intimacy, one we tread carefully, but it's there, simmering beneath the surface like the threat of a storm.

"You're relentless in your training," I say, watching her reaction closely.

"Strength is all I've ever known," she confesses, her blue eyes holding mine. "From childhood, my father taught me to rule with an iron fist—to show no weakness."

"Your father was…a formidable man," I say. She knows my feelings about that monster. And even though I don't agree, I'm aware she insists on carrying the legacy on her shoulders.

"When he died, I was thrust into power, my birthright, surrounded by those who questioned my ability to lead." Pain flickers in her gaze, a vulnerability she rarely shows. "Catarina's attack was just the culmination of years of strife."

"Yet you stand here, stronger than ever," I say softly, admiring her resilience even as I feel the pull of her pain.

"Because I must," she whispers, her hand reaching out to touch my arm, a fleeting moment of connection that speaks volumes.

Our walk slows as we reach the heart of the courtyard. Here, amid my troops and snow, the world around us vanishes.

"Eleanna, tell me more about yourself in the years we spent apart," I say as we stroll through the courtyard.

Eleanna takes a deep breath, her eyes wandering over the snow-dusted courtyard as she gathers her thoughts. "After my father's passing, I was consumed by the need to prove myself. To show that I was worthy of the Sagori throne, that I could lead our people to greatness…" She pauses, her gaze returning to mine. "But it was a lonely path, Alexandru. I had to be ruthless, uncompromising. I could trust no one."

I nod, understanding all too well the weight of leadership.

"I, too, have walked that path," I say, my voice low. "When my parents were killed in the power struggles, I was left adrift. But I knew I had to carry on their legacy, to protect our kind."

Her hand brushes against mine as we walk, sending a spark of electricity through my body. "We aren't so different, you and I. Both shaped by loss, driven by duty."

"And haunted by the past."

In this moment, I feel a connection to her that goes beyond mere alliance or attraction. It's a shared understanding, a recognition of the scars we both carry.

"Can't you see, Alexandru," she says softly, "that our burdens and legacies shaped us. To be the leader I am, I had to be cold and hard and make difficult decisions. You rose to become the general you are today under similar conditions. And yet you tell me I'm draconian and I must change?"

I take a moment to gather my thoughts, the memories rushing back. "I rose through blood and sacrifice. I threw myself into training, into battle. I became the fiercest warrior, the most cunning strategist. I did whatever it took to secure my position, to protect our people. But I did it fairly, with an eye on the future. And, I admit to mistakes."

"Noble." Eleanna's eyes shine with admiration and something else, something deeper. "You've achieved so much…But at what cost?"

I meet her gaze unflinchingly, the weight of my choices heavy on my shoulders. Because she's refusing to hear what I'm saying. "We are different, Eleanna. I'm trying to forge new ways, to protect, yes, but build something better. You sacrifice to cling to old ways."

"Perhaps, perhaps not, Alexandru. Sacrifce," she says. "At what cost to you?"

"The cost of my soul, perhaps," I confess, the words raw and honest. "And for the sake of our kind, for the sake of those I love, I would pay it a thousand times over. I would try, if I were monarch, to find a better future, at my own personal sacrifice. What of you?"

Eleanna's expression softens, a hint of understanding in her eyes as she listens. "But I do try to do the best, you must know that. Sometimes the burden of leadership can be a heavy one to bear. Yet it's the choices we make along the way that define who we are."

I nod. "Yes, every decision we make shapes our path, for better or for worse."

We resume our stroll through the courtyard, snow falling gently around us.

"And what about love, Alexandru? Have you ever allowed yourself to be vulnerable in matters of the heart?"

Her question catches me off guard, stirring emotions I had long buried beneath layers of duty and responsibility. The word you comes to mind. I pause, considering her words carefully before responding.

"Love has always been a luxury I couldn't afford. The battlefield's my home, my purpose. But I don't see love as a weakness, my fallen Queen. It's a strength that can give courage to face even the darkest of days."

Eleanna's gaze softens, and a gentle smile appears on her lips.

Longing sluices through me, mingling with the weight of the responsibilities that have defined my existence.

Eleanna reaches out and touches my hand, the contact warm and comforting. "But vulnerability is a weakness. And your family? I never… Where are they now?"

I take a deep breath, grappling with the emotions flooding me. Opening up about my family is something I've avoided for so long, but something in her beautiful gaze makes me want to share.

"My family... they're all gone," I say slowly, the weight of my words heavy in the air. "Lost in the conflicts that have defined our kind for generations. I was just a boy when I watched as they were taken from me, their lives sacrificed for a cause I couldn't fully understand at the time."

Eleanna's eyes fill with compassion as she listens intently, her presence offering solace among the turmoil of my memories. "I'm so sorry, Alexandru. To endure such loss at a young age...it must have shaped you in ways I'm only now beginning to comprehend."

Does she? Truth is, it hangs over me, but I was a boy centuries ago. And time has a way, usually, of smoothing things down. But I give her what she wants. "Their absence has always been a shadow, a reminder of the price we pay for our loyalty and dedication to our kind."

"The sacrifices we make in service to our people can be overwhelming," she says, sounding every part of someone of her royal station.

It's not lost she never asked me these things years ago when she was hellbent on being the queen she is before me, the one shaped by her father and her inherited ambitions. That's what hurts, not old memories, the fact she's full ambition, and strong, perhaps too strong, but inherited ambitions aren't her own. She never got the choice to form those.

But winning this war is not unlike the battlefield. Right now, she needs me to be vulnerable so she can let her own feelings safely out. She has potential and I thought when I ordered her to my bed and my role as her king would be one of pure strategy with perks. Instead, I'm finding I want to play out the battle with end results that are real, pure of heart. Her and me together in every way.

But these kind of battles take strategy, and she's her own personal army. I need to be clever. Push and kneel when I'm maneuvering her where I need her to be.

I sigh softly for her. I'm not lying, just tweaking my truth in ways she'll understand. She's growing, a tender yet hardy sapling, and I can't tread her into the snow.

"I've always carried their memory with me, a guiding light in the darkness," I say. "But it's also a burden that weighs heavily on my soul, a constant reminder of what I have lost and what I fight to protect."

Eleanna slants her head, meeting my gaze. I don't think she knows I mean her.

"Your strength is evident in your resilience. To carry such a burden and endure to fight for the future of our kind... it speaks volumes about the depth of your character."

"Thank you, my Queen. I am honored to serve by your side."

"I would have it no other way, Alexandru," she says, her voice firm but laced with a tenderness I've never heard before. "Your loyalty is unwavering, your dedication unmatched. You are the general this realm needs."

For a moment, I glimpse the woman behind the ruler, and the ruler she could also be. The glow of her irises illuminates the chambers of my heart kept in the dark for so long.

"My fallen Queen, I..."

Her gaze softens. "What is it, Alexandru?"

It feels like we're suspended in time, the weight of the moment hanging in the air between us, as a conquest between vampire and quarry, general and queen, blurs into something more primal, something... more.

"I'll let you continue your practice." My gaze moves over her. "Unless you'd like some help?"

"Out here or in the bedchamber?"

I laugh. "I don't think you need help with the latter."

As I turn to leave since she doesn't reply, I'm surprised when she darts in front of me. She lifts her face to me. "Perhaps I disagree. Perhaps I'd like a lesson in your rooms."

Moving closer to her, I breathe in her intoxicating scent, revel in the heat of her, that special heat that only she makes. It doesn't matter it's just above freezing out here, a fire flares when we're close enough to touch.

"Is that so? I did not realize my fallen Queen was so... lusting."

Desire pools within me, a dark, delicious ache. "I've wanted to fuck you since I saw you this morning," she says.

A slow, voracious smile spreads. "Is that so?"

She fingers the collar of my shirt, her nails tracing the column of my neck, making me hard. "It seems, General Amanar, you turn me into a violent, wanting creature."

I move my mouth over her throat and to her ear. "Violent?"

My cock throbs under her touch, demanding release. My need for her is a wildfire, entrancing and all-consuming. "Yes, General, I fear I'll destroy anyone who comes between you and me and your bedchamber."

"Then perhaps I should save the innocent souls." I grab her wrist and drag her inside, straight to my bedchamber. After slamming the door shut behind us, I crush her to my chest. Our mouths collide in a fevered kiss that sets fire to my skin. Her lips are soft yet demanding, her touch hot, frantic. Her lips are like an elixir I've been dying to taste, and I kiss her like a starving man.

I unbutton her form fitting gown and push it down her shoulders. The fabric pools around her feet, the creamy expanse of her alabaster skin on display, adorned only by the torchlight. The scent of her arousal intoxicates me, a rich musk that clouds my senses, rivaling the scent of fresh blood. I rip off my own garments and drop them to the ground.

"Let me," she says, pushing me back on the chaise, "have you."

In one fluid motion, she straddles my hips rubbing and teasing my cock with her pussy. I let her, she's an ethereal vision of beauty and fierce desire. She pushes her fingers into my hair, angling back my head and she takes my mouth with a darkly violent and sexual kiss.

She bites my lip, sucking at the drops of blood. With a hungry growl, she arches back, breasts in my face, her head raised to the ceiling. "Yesss…" Her hiss is fuel to my senses.

Eleanna slides down my body to the floor, her tongue dipping into the hollow of my chest, her fangs skimming my pulse points as she does so. My groan echoes off the walls as she reaches my straining cock, tracing an infernal line up my shaft with her tongue.

"Fuck, Eleanna," I groan, arching my back. "Don't tease me."

She looks up through heavy-lidded eyes ablaze with lust and power. "Oh, but where would the fun be without a little teasing, a little payback, General?"

She wraps her lips around me, and I'm lost to the sensations she evokes with every flick of her talented tongue, every suck of her lush mouth. She sucks me down, deep until her swirling tongue's flattened and my cockhead hits the back of her throat, sliding a little further in with each bock of her head.

I want to take her, control her, have my way. The beast within me claws to get out, but I keep it locked tight. This is her idea and if I'm ever going to get her to fulfil her promise of the shared throne, then I need to be able to indulge in give and take. I'll give her this and take what she dishes out, even if it almost kills me.

The beat in my blood and my cock are at near levels of insanity. It's pain-soaked pleasure from holding myself back. And her administrations are so time consuming, so focused on bringing me to the brick before she backs down that my control almost snaps.

But it doesn't. She lifts her mouth from my cock, and she blows, her breath a welcome relief on my heated length.

It gives me enough time to get some semblance of control.

With a growl, I flip us over on the chaise so she's beneath me, her long, limbs entwined with mine. I know her body as well as my own now, having charted every inch of her in our numerous encounters.

"Enough," I say, plunging two fingers inside her sopping wet pussy. "Time to make you suffer…my way."

"God, yes." She moans, arching her back, the action driving my fingers deeper inside her. I curl them to hit the little nubby area inside her that drives her mad. "Take me, Alexandru."

With a primal roar, I flip her onto all fours, her luscious ass in the air. Last time I had her this way, I took her ass, this time I crave her sweet, tight pussy. I enter her from behind, slow at first, savoring the heat of her tight sheath enveloping me.

"Mine," I hiss in her ear, punctuating each thrust with a bite on her delicate neck.

"Yes, yours," she says. "Harder, harder!"

Grunting, I oblige her, slamming my hips slamming into her with a fervor that echoes through the caverns, as we find that hard, fast, deep rhythm, that symphony of lust. I work my way up to a punishing pace, each brutal thrust driving her deeper into the chaise. Her nails dig into the upholstery, her knuckles white against the dark silk, and I know she's close.

"Come for me, Eleanna," I say. "I want to feel your cunt clenching my cock."

"Fuck." She curses, her entire body tensing and arching and bucking.

That's all it takes. With a scream that's both pleasure and surrender, she splinters apart in my arms, her pussy clenching around me like a vise. Her orgasm sets off my own, and I empty myself deep inside her, marking her as mine once more, our combined essences mingling as one.

Breathing ragged, I pull out, scoop her up and carry her to the bed, tossing her onto the mattress. Then I come down atop her, holding her, our breaths mingling in the cold air. In this fleeting moment, we're just two creatures caught in the throes of passion, not the fearsome rulers of warring factions. However, I know it's only a matter of time before duty comes crashing down on us once more. For now, though, I'll savor this moment of fleeting solace with the woman who has captivated me like no other.

Fangs grazing her neck, I tenderly brush a strand of hair from her face. "Ah, yes. I so enjoyed that."

Eleanna silences me with a kiss. "Goes without saying."

As our breathing eases, and my cock hardens, ready for another round. I'm a vampire, after all, and can go on for hours, but I also want to savor this moment.

"That was..." she begins, her eyes still hazy with lust.

"Incredible."

"Yes, I know," she says sleepily.

I smirk at that.

With a sigh, I pull her close to me, her back nestled against my chest. "I know you're not used to submitting, but it's worth it."

She stiffens at the words, a tension that speaks volumes, yet she doesn't pull away from my touch. "Maybe," she whispers.

Being with her, feeling her heartbeat against mine, I feel alive in a way that's been foreign to me for far too long.

"What now?" she asks.

"Now," I say, tracing my fingers lightly up and down her spine, eliciting a shiver that travels through her body, "we get some rest. Tomorrow, we gather our forces and attack Catarina's garrison."

She makes a hum of agreement.

"Are you sure you're ready for this battle, Eleanna?"

She turns her head to look at me, her eyes shining in the dim light. "I've never been more ready for anything, Alexandru. I want nothing more than to reclaim my kingdom, my throne."

Her heartbeat quickens at the mention of the battle ahead, but there's something else there too—a rush of excitement, of anticipation. I, too, share it, and it's intoxicating.

"We'll be as one in this, my fallen Queen. We'll fight side by side, and we'll emerge victorious."

She nods, her lips forming a small smile. We lie there for a few more moments, lost in our own thoughts, before I break the silence.

"Eleanna?" I say, my voice low and soft.

"Yes?" she murmurs.

"I like you in my bed."

Her smile grows wider, and she reaches up to touch my face. "I like it too, Alexandru," she whispers.

We drift off to sleep, entwined with each other, and I wonder what the future holds for us and if we shall live to see another sunset.