CHAPTER 23

Vita

A WEEK AFTER THE midnight rendezvous in the courtyard, and Vita had still not seen Renatus once. Sometimes it felt like she was the only person in the palace. Even her last two visits to Verian had been brief, her friend busy with his guard duties and unable to take a break.

Now, it was all for the best as her blood was upon her, the cramping pain keeping her in bed for the past three days.

Livia had been kind enough to bring her food and drink and she tried to leave her room as little as possible. She lay in bed after picking at her dinner, curled in a ball in a poor attempt to assuage the cramps. She was grateful for small mercies; resting was far better than having to suffer through like she did while working for the Praetor .

Suddenly there was a knock, so light she thought she may have imagined it. But no, it was not her mind playing tricks.

As the door creaked open, Renatus entered, casually glancing around the small space.

"You haven't left your room much in the past few days." He was quiet, his gaze lingering on the vase of wilting roses.

"I don't feel well," Vita explained.

"Oh?" He turned to her, red eyes aflame. "Are you ill?"

"No." She pushed herself up to a seated position, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Injured?"

"No."

His mouth quirked into a slight smile, a knowing smile, and her eyes widened.

"How did you know?" she asked, both confused and mortified that the High Consul was aware she was on her blood.

"How do you think, darling?" he chuckled, stepping closer to the bed. "I can make you feel better, clean you up, if you'd like."

Now her heart raced in earnest, a sweat breaking out on her brow. "You consume… that kind of blood?"

He hummed as he sat on the bed, placing a hand on her thigh.

"Fresh from the artery is preferred, of course, but blood is blood ."

Though the blanket and her underclothes separated their skin, Vita could still sense his cold embrace as he ran his hand up and down her leg. She understood his offer, and though it shocked her, it stimulated the burning in her core, overwhelming the aching cramp.

A woman's moon cycle was private, not something to be shared , something to derive pleasure from. And yet…

"You won't bite me , will you?" she asked quietly.

Silly, perhaps, but she did not understand the level of control he—or any vampire—had, thrall or not. And though the thought of his bite intrigued her, she wanted no more pain in this moment, her blood doing that well enough on its own.

Renatus gave her a devilish grin. "Not unless that is your wish."

Well, she supposed she should be relieved to hear that .

Slowly, he pulled the blanket down, revealing her underclothes. He grasped the bottom hem and slid it up, grazing icy fingers along her bare legs as he exposed her.

Vita sighed a deep breath when he pulled her undergarments down, cloth pad and all, planting a kiss on her inner thigh.

He inhaled deeply, his eyes hooding as he settled himself between her splayed thighs. A lick of his lips sent tremors through her body.

"Your scent is intoxicating. It was… difficult to stay away."

"Where have you been? You left me alone again. After the courtyard…" she trailed off, unsure what she was asking.

Unsure that she wanted to know.

"I've been busy, darling. I am the High Consul, which requires work, no matter how much I am loath to do it."

Not the entire truth, not with the way his lips tightened into a line, the way his voice cracked ever so slightly.

All coherent arguments left her mind as he ran the flat of his tongue across her entrance, a spark of tension igniting in her core. He kept his eyes on her with each gentle stroke, and it took everything in her power to hold his gaze, to not look away.

She gripped the sheets as he increased the vigor of his tongue's caresses, jolts of arousal pulsing through her with each brush of firm wetness. Pain subsided as pleasure consumed her, lust replacing discomfort.

His tongue pressed into her and she gritted her teeth, the sensation both arousing and overstimulating in her sensitive state. He worked himself in and out, then grazed her clit, his lips red with the blood between her legs.

Before she could get her bearings, he was lapping at her like a wild animal, his tongue sliding across her and into her as he gripped her thigh.

Renatus skimmed his other hand up her leg, parting her and pressing a finger into her slick entrance. Three slow, sensuous thrusts, and he removed it, shining with red wetness. His pupils dilated, body tensed with control, though he trembled slightly. He licked the blood off his finger, savoring every drop before turning his attention back to her.

A pinch of revulsion mixed with arousal as he pushed the finger back in, pressing his mouth to her clit and sucking hard. Vita yelped, that pinch disappearing in an instant, leaving only erotic rapture in its wake. She squirmed against him, though he held her to the bed with that same strength that always seemed to surprise her.

"You are absolutely delectable," he whispered against her cunt before leaning in for more.

Another finger joined the first one, both curling to hit the perfect spot with each thrust. White dotted her vision, though she couldn't tear her eyes away from the High Consul between her thighs. He wasn't on his knees for her, but this was still better than she had imagined, the slick redness on his tongue and lips both visceral and entrancing.

Renatus moaned, the vibrations sending even more ribbons of desire fluttering through her. He grabbed her hip with his free hand, pulling her closer as he continued to plunge his tongue and fingers into her depths.

All thoughts of pain and impropriety were long gone, replaced with the delicious rush of euphoria as he pleasured her.

Vita teetered on the edge, rolling her hips into his touch. So close, and then she was there, the waves of climax washing over her, relaxing the muscles in her core. She writhed against him, moaning as he continued to stimulate her until the waves turned to ripples.

"Beautiful, beautiful girl," he murmured, licking his fingers as he removed them.

With the flat of his tongue, he cleaned her inner thighs, her entrance, any bit of blood he could find. His gaze was glassy, pupils still dilated with apparent blood lust.

And another type of lust?

Renatus massaged her thighs, kneading in firm circles, then moved his attention to her lower stomach.

Her chest heaved as she watched him, coming down from her blissful high. Would he leave her again? Like the night in the astronomy tower? She knew she should have no expectations. She was just his perfect little statue , one he enjoyed watching as she writhed with pleasure.

She should be happy with whatever intimacy she got.

Renatus grabbed her undergarments, pulling them up her legs before tugging her underclothes back into place. There was a strange look on his face as he wiped his mouth clean with a delicate kerchief. She tensed, waiting for him to leave without another word, but he crawled up the bed, sliding under the covers before throwing them over her.

Vita said nothing as he tilted her on her side and pulled her flush to his chest. A smile broke out on her face, the dim candlelight mirroring the warm flush of contentment smoldering within her.

Her eyes were just beginning to close when a whisper in her ear jolted her back to awareness.

"Do you know of the blood bond, darling?"

She took in a gulp of air, staring at the wall in front of her as Renatus brushed her hair with his fingers.

"N-No," she replied, her voice trembling slightly.

"I've tasted you twice now, but the bond is not complete unless you do the same for me."

A shiver raced up her spine, so many questions dancing around her head that she didn't know where to begin.

"Oh?" was all she could manage, her mouth suddenly dry.

"Would you like to taste me?"

She tried to catch her breath, her heart thudding in her chest at what he was asking.

Before she could lose her nerve, she squirmed around, his fingers slipping from her locks of hair as she turned to face him.

He placed his hand on her hip, an oddly stoic look on his face.

"What does a blood bond entail?"

As erotic as his words had been in the astronomy tower, she had no intention of becoming his thrall .

He chuckled. "Don't worry, Vita dear, it's nothing permanent. An exchange of blood can bond two beings for a short time when one is a vampire."

Renatus slid his hand up the side of her body until he cupped her cheek. "Taste me and we will always know where the other is, will experience each other's emotions while we are together, at least until the bond wears off. It is similar to how I sense my progeny, but not a permanent union."

Butterflies settled in her stomach, no longer from the arousal that had just coursed through her, but from the solemnity of his words. He was asking her to transcend a boundary with him, one he had set in stone since the moment she came to the palace. As much as she hated being so desperate, Vita knew how badly she wanted it, how badly she craved any sort of intimacy from this man who seemed intent on pushing and pulling her in every direction.

"Why?" Her voice quivered, the graveness of this crossroads not lost on her.

His eyes widened for just a moment before returning to normal. Did he even know his answer? Was he just toying with her again?

Renatus brushed his fingers into her hair, cupping the back of her head as he pressed his lips to hers in lieu of a response.

The kiss was gentle, tender, a hint of her scent still on him as he slid closer. Her mind swirled, dizzy with the lightness she always felt in his arms, their bodies connected as one.

When he pulled away, his voice was so low she almost didn't hear him. "You're a dream I can't quite shake off."

Her throat tightened, emotion welling in her chest. Enigmatic as always, but there was no jest in his words, nor in the way he gazed at her.

"Yes," she said. "I want to taste you."

He nodded, running his thumb across her cheek before bringing his wrist to his mouth. With a flick, his fangs extended, seeing them up close sending a jolt through her body.

With a slight smile, he tore into the flesh and brought it to her lips .

"Drink, darling," he whispered, a bloom of red staining his mouth.

Vita paused a moment, the iron scent stinging her nose, but pressed her lips to his wrist before she could stop herself. She took a tentative swallow, the blood thin and slightly cool. Salty and metallic, it coated her mouth at once, warmth filling her as it slid down her throat. She kept her eyes on Renatus as he did the same to her.

After another long drink, she furrowed her brows in question and he nodded, pulling his arm away from her mouth.

He pressed the flat of his tongue to the wound, lapping at his own blood until all that remained were two neat puncture wounds. Vita licked her lips, trying to savor every last bit of him, not at all disturbed by what she'd just done.

Somehow, it felt right.

There was a sudden presence, something within her that wasn't there a moment ago. Her own emotions retreated, blending with another's, writhing together like twin snakes.

She sensed something there, something beyond the detachment he'd shown her so far. Not love, of course not, but some sense of affection. Care. Need. Want.

All of it marred by pain.

It clawed at her chest like a demon from the Hells, her eyes wide at the mirrored torment inflicted on her and Renatus. And just like that, it was gone, extinguished like a snuffed candle. He buried it so deep within himself that even Vita couldn't find it. A pain she didn't understand, though it had already made a mark on her.

The strange look returned to his face, his brows furrowed, as if he were unsure of his decision. Still, his words calmed her.

"And now… we are bonded. Sleep, my dear. It's time to rest."

She licked her lips, tasting the final remnants of Renatus as her eyelids grew heavy.

Weariness took hold, her body relaxing to his touch, his fingers brushing through her hair, the soft hum of his soothing words .

She wouldn't forget that pain, but for now Vita wanted to cherish this moment as long as she could, unsure what the next day would bring.