Page 25 of The Slave in A Princess Disguise

She stopped dead in her tracks.

Although distant, his voice barely raised, she heard him clearly, so attuned to him. Devil's bones, this was becoming increasingly scary.

"Your Highness." She turned and greeted, dipping into a slight bow. "I apologize if I disturbed your solitude. I wandered too far."

He turned, walking towards her.

Chapter eight

THE LONER IN THE WOODS

GrandLordVladyasensedthe girl's presence the moment she came.

Her scent invaded his senses, pulling him from the tangled web of his own thoughts. A welcomed intrusion. Being lost in his own mind spelled trouble these days.

His descent into madness was worsening. A spiral that was becoming increasingly difficult not to notice.

Vladya couldn’t tell whether it was the relentless sexlust thrumming under his skin or the unquenchable bloodlust refusing to be sated.

Merrilyn had recently given birth, but complications had nearly claimed her life. For over a week, she fought fiercely to survive, teetering on the brink of death.

Thankfully, both she and her female offspring pulled through, but Merrilyn was far from recovered and unable to perform her duties as a bloodhost.

Not every Urekai had a bloodhost; only males over a thousand years old and females over five thousand. And at his age, thethirst for blood intensified to an insatiable level. He could no longer rely on multiple feeders to quench even the smallest taste. Without a bloodhost, he risked descending into feral or death.

It was ironic, considering Vladya was already hurtling down the path toward madness like a seasoned champion. His grip on sanity grew more tenuous with each passing day.

Despite his and Henry's protests, Merrilyn insisted on bloodfeeding him. Vladya’s hunger had overpowered his restraint, but thankfully he had taken only a small amount, mindful of the stubborn female’s fragile state.

In the weeks since, he had sought sustenance from others, but their blood offered only brief respite. To satiate himself, he would need to drink from over fifty females simultaneously, inevitably killing some in the process.

As long as they were not his bloodhost, they could never truly satisfy his thirst. Not even Aekeira could.

And so, he had refrained.

As a result, his thirst had intensified. His arousal had grown as potent as his bloodlust, and his mind... it was a dark and chaotic place.

That was why he sought refuge outside the fortress walls, hoping to find some semblance of clarity amidst the turmoil. And now, here was the one female he should avoid.

He had made deliberate efforts to stay away, but there she was, testing the limits of his control.

And there was only so much a male could take.

Vladya turned to face her, taking in her beauty. Clad in simple, clean slave garments, she radiated an exquisite allure that defied her humble attire. He began to close the distance between them, his footsteps silent.

Her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her eyes, her fingers nervously clutching the fabric of her clothes.

"You are aware that I can smell you from a considerable distance, aren't you?" Vladya repeated, stopping before her.

“Uhmm… I did not know this. I… uh… apologize once again for interrupting your quiet time. Now, if you would excuse me.” She twirled around and attempted to walk away.

His beast roared within him, surging towards the surface with a ferocity that caught Vladya off guard. But he stilled.

Over the past few months, Vladya and his beast had grown increasingly disconnected. Each step toward feral widened the gap until his beast would eventually force a shift he couldn’t control, trapping him in his beast form forever.

But now, for the first time in weeks, his beast rose.

“Aekeira?” he rasped, his voice strained as he fought to maintain control.

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