Chapter 128

It had been futile to fight against Valerick and soon enough, the dress had been gotten rid of.

No, ripped.

He had ripped it off her, then led her to the sofa when she complained breathlessly that the table was too hard a surface to lay upon.

His tongue collided against her skin, and electricity sizzled in her veins, as he pressed her into the sofa to steal her pain away, replacing it with something more demanding.

The need that coursed through her veins wasn't just hers and the way it consumed her stole her words away. She couldn't tell if Valerick was intentionally leaving the bond between them open or if control was just slipping from him too.

She wondered if he had been feeding, wondered if he had been getting enough rest, he didn't look much like himself, so she wondered if---

"Ah," a sound vibrated through her chest, and slipped past her lips, when she felt his tongue flicked over her nipple.

With an involuntary shiver, she realized that she had no cuts there.

By the Moon, he was losing it. Just as she was.

All her cuts were sealed up by now, but still, his tongue wouldn't leave her body.

She didn't want it to.

How pathetic.

Where were the words she wanted to say to him?

Had she easily just forgotten about the fact that he was turning her kind and killing them?

Had she stupidly forgotten all that?!

No, she hadn't, still, she molded against his touch, when he pressed her name into the pores of her skin. Her fingers found their way into his hair, and held a fistful as she threw her head

backwards and moaned his name.

His groans were sinful temptations, and her eyes welled up with tears of conflict.

The need to complete the bond surged within her, the knowledge of what she had done ripping her apart with frustration and confusion, her body raging with a need she couldn't suppress.

Her hands fisted his shirt and she pulled his face over hers, pressing her lips against his, as he trapped her beneath him with his body.

"Zezi," it was a hoarse whisper. He pulled away from her, his eyes an abyss of darkness as the lines she was now very familiar with designed his face, down to the unbuttoned part of his shirt and disappearing from her sight. "You wanted us to talk."

Her hand reached up to pull the fabric away from him.

She wanted to see.

But his hand caught her wrists, holding them captive over her head.

She looked dazed, her eyes only slightly opened, flashing from blue to black. Her sight was fogged with lust and the look she was giving him did nothing but heighten his need that he was already finding it hard to fight.

It didn't help that she was naked, didn't help that he was achingly erect in his pants, it didn't help that she wasn't blocking her side of the bond and all her desire flowed straight through his veins.

Nothing was helping.

"I don't want us to talk." He said against the crook of her neck, his fang scratching lightly against his mark on her. She shivered, a moan slipped past her lips, her shaky hands pulling on his hair so tight that he whimpered.

By the Moon, that sound.

Her lips collided against his, their action rough and fast afterward.

There was no thinking, just a lot of acting on instincts till there was a loud banging at the door.

At first, they were determined to ignore the intruder but when the banging persisted, Valerick had been forced to pull away.

It was a piece of news about the Dens, but this time, it was something different.

Something more awful than Valerick had expected.

Valerick had given her his shirt, pressed a kiss to her lips, and promised to be back as soon as he could.

Lady Irysi, the bringer of the terrible news, had gone with him.

Once Valerick was gone and Zezi had shut the door, blood trickled down her nose, reminding her of the poison and the kisses they had shared.

Valerick had licked it off her and she had tasted it on his tongue.

Quickly, before the effect of it would kick in, she rushed into her room and gulped down the antidote.

Slipping to the floor and hugging Valerick's shirt tightly to her, she wept.

She wept because despite knowing that she was doing what she had to do for her kind, it still hurt her that she was hurting him.

It was stupid, it was conflicting.

On one hand, she hoped the poison would have no effect on him, and on the other, she hoped it would be swiftly effective.

Oh by Moon, oh the pain of being so torn.

____

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It had been three days and Valerick wasn't back.

She was worried, for more reasons than one.

Had the poison worked?

We as he dead?!

It was hard to breathe, and extremely difficult to do anything. She had forced Lady Delice to take her out of the Castle, convincing her that it was time to pay a visit to her son.

The Princess had been busy with Oliver and that was good. It was such a relief to not see her around, besides Zezi wasn't in the mood for their little games, and talking to her would have been really draining.

There had been no message from the White Circle either.

Everything had been quiet except for Zezi's mind. The bond between her and Valerick felt like it had been shut down. It made her crazy. If the mating process had been completed, she would be able to communicate with him. Just like she had heard that most fated mates did.

But she couldn't.

Not hearing from him was driving her insane.

Get a grip of yourself, Zezi! You need this vampire dead in a month!

A futile reminder, to the feeling that kept growing stronger in her heart and gaining roots.

Gwen had assured her that the King would be fine.

She had cheered her up on the first day, and did the same on the second and even the third, which was some minutes ago.

"The King is alright, Milady. You worry too much," she had said, placing her lunch before her, and trying to talk her into how wonderful being pregnant was.

There was something different about today's cheering up though and Zezi had sensed it.  She didn't rest until she had forced the answer out of Gwen's mouth.

"Well, Milady. There is a rumour that the former King's creations have been spotted." Gwen paused, and she leaned in, her voice a low whisper. "The Volakys," she had ended, hands trembling slightly, before her lips stretched out in a smile and she chuckled. "But it is just a rumour, I think it is being spread around because of the coming Scare Season. You have nothing to worry about it."