Page 15 of The Princess's Pet

There were flower beds everywhere and I bent as I walked to run my hands over the petals and encourage their bloom. I looked up, not realising that I had fallen so far behind the Princess. She stood further up the path, watching me curiously.

I walked towards her sheepishly. “Sorry, I got distracted, Ma’am,” I apologised as I approached.

“Flowers seem to do that to you,” she commented softly, not unkindly. She reached out, grasping my hand. “To stop you wandering off distracted by pretty flowers,” she said, a slight smile on her lips as she began to pull me along.

No flower was as distracting as her larger hand holding mine securely.

I followed her, oddly calmed by my hand in hers. She led me off the paved paths and onto a trail through a grove. It was darker amidst the trees, but there was splattering of bright light falling on the path as we walked.

“This grove is always tranquil, I find. Most students don’t choose to walk back, and it’s the only path that leads to the royal residence halls,” the Princess explained.

“It’s peaceful,” I agreed, but I was too busy watching the Princess to really appreciate my surroundings.

We reached the royal residence halls quicker than I expected.

“Why do we take a car when it can be walked this fast?” I questioned as the mansion came into view.

The Princess laughed. “Safety, mainly. Wouldn’t want to make a habit of walking through a rarely used grove. I am heir to the throne,” she reminded me.

“But isn’t the Academy safe?” I asked. She paused, her hand still holding mine, and pulled me to a stop in front of her.

“No place is safe, Percy. Don’t ever forget that,” she said seriously and for a moment I would swear that I saw grief pass over her features. I’d seen grief in my father enough to recognise the pain of it.

“What happened?” I found myself asking, my free hand reaching out towards her.

She released my hand and stepped out of my reach.

“Remember your place,” she said angrily, walking past me towards the mansion.

The rejection stung. Every time I felt like I might be making some progress, like we might be connecting, my soul match reminded me that I was nothing of any real importance to her.

“Ma’am,” I spoke softly when we were back safely behind the heavy and guarded door of her rooms. I wanted to talk, I wanted to wipe away whatever hurt I had seen on her face.

She didn’t answer me, simply walked towards the kitchen area and pulled open the fridge, retrieving a bloodbag.

She tore into the bag with her teeth, sitting on the couch and facing me.

I grimaced at the sight.

“Does my feeding offend you?” she asked with a sneer.

“No, Ma’am,” I answered. “It’s just I’m not used to seeing vampires drink blood,” I explained. Her eyes began to slowly glow brighter as she drank.

“It’s disgusting compared to you,” she said with a grimaced. “But while I wait for you to replenish what I took the night before last, this is the most convenient meal,” she said, holding up the bag before bringing it back to her lips.

I watched almost captivated as she drank the remainder of the bloodbag. Her lips closed over the edge of the bag, drawing my eyes' attention. Her glowing eyes met mine as she sat the empty bag down on the table.

“Come here,” she commanded, and my legs carried me mindlessly to her, even though I knew it was probably a bad idea.

She stood as I reached her, her hands coming up to brush my hair from my face and staying there, holding my head.

“I want to kiss you,” she stated. “I’m not asking for your permission, but this is your only chance to pull away.” She paused, looking down at me.

And I felt like I could have pulled away, that her hands didn’t hold me truly captive, and yet I didn’t move. I knew it was her bloodlust from feeding. I knew it didn’t mean anything to her. But as her hands moved slowly from my face to grip my hips roughly, and her glowing molten-silver eyes glanced at my lips, I don’t think I could have moved away—even if I wanted to.

Her lips were soft, but her kiss was fierce and hard. Her mouth dominated mine, I stood no chance of leading. She tasted sweet and slightly metallic and, while it should have been off-putting, it was a dangerously heady mix.

My hands found her shoulders and she pulled my hips closer to her. She kissed me until I was breathless. Until my head was swam with her taste and I felt like I could drown in her and never get enough.

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