“My bite is practically gone.” She hummed over the point her fangs had sunk into me only five days previous. “You heal fast,” she concluded.
“It’s the shifter and vampire in me, Ma’am. I’ve always been blessed with quicker healing than most, well not compared to a pureblood of course, but still, I don’t stay sick for long,” I explained, extending my neck for her and entwining my fingers with her hand that rested on my stomach.
“Does your blood replenish quicker also?” she asked softly, and I stilled, worry creeping into my hazy mind until she brushed it away with a lick of her tongue, and I was humming in pleasure at her ministrations as she marked me.
“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “You’re the only vampire to feed from me.”
“I’m the only one who will ever feed from you,” she said possessively against my jaw, before flipping me over onto my back and pressing her lips against mine, only briefly. And when my breath hitched and I tried to lean up into her, she was gone, already out of bed, by the time I opened my eyes in disappointment.
“We have business to attend to,” she said as she pulled clothes from the closet.
The Princess decided upon a long ankle-length maxi dress, short sleeves, deep plunging V-neckline, and a split up to her thigh. Its print was browns and reds, with a dash of blue and she paired it with a brown belt around her waist and a pair of gladiator sandals that tied just above the ankle. The look would be simultaneously perfect for the warm spring, feminine and powerful.
I got up, made the bed, and walked over to the wardrobe. “I’ll be choosing what you wear today,” she said simply. I stepped back as she pulled out a pair of dark navy-blue shorts that would be loose-fitting and stop above my knee and a cotton purple top just as dark, almost blue itself, with a feather-type print of rust red and a lighter blue. “You’ll wear the white sneakers,” she added as she handed me the chosen clothes plus undergarments.
The Princess looked fierce when she was fully dressed. She was like an amazon goddess, all tall and thick in the right places, and her leg visible with her thigh flexing as she walked made me want to fall to my knees and worship her legs. The sight was beyond distracting.
“You’re beautiful,” I told her softly as she stood in front of me. She smiled, gracefully flipping black waves over her shoulder.
“Thank you, pet,” she replied and looped her fingers through my shorts’ empty belt loops, pulling me forward and half tucking my top into the shorts. Pulling back, she looked over me appreciatively, her hands on my hips.
“Where are we going?” I asked her. She released my hips and bent down to press a kiss against my forehead.
“I’m going to visit my cousin, Lady Amelia Borealis, my dearest friend. She owns a beautiful property surrounded by gardens, and I’m sure you’ll find them enjoyable,” she told me.
Gardens that I could hopefully explore sounded wonderful, and I smiled at the prospect.
When we left the building, two cars were waiting for us. “One car, we will travel in with two guards, the other will follow with four more guards,” the Princess explained at my curious look.
A guard in a midnight-blue uniform, with a gun at his hip bowed towards the Princess and held open the car door. The Princess gestured for me to go in first, and I slid along the seat, the Princess entering after me.
“Don’t sit so far away from me, pet,” she said as the guard closed the door behind her, and I scooted back over, her arm coming up to rest lazily over my shoulder. “That’s better,” she purred beside me, a soft rumble in her chest.
The day was sunny, and we drove for some time, it seemed further and further into the expanding countryside. Fields held ewes with small lambs, and wild daffodils lined the roadsides. The sun flashed by in bright reds and oranges behind trees as we drove, sometimes blinding in its brightness. At some point, I had rested my head against the Princess, but I only noticed when I felt her chin rest atop my head.
“We are arriving,” she announced, as I saw large brick columns and steel gates open to allow us access to a long roadleading to a circular driveway with a fountain in the middle. A large manor house greeted us.
We pulled up, and a woman with dark hair like the Princess —but that was where the similarity ended—was standing at the open doors of the manor.
“Is that Lady Amelia?” I asked before the guard could open our door.
“Yes,” The Princess answered, smiling down at me, her arm moving from around my shoulders to squeeze my knee before the door was opened and she exited. I followed closely behind her, up the steps.
“Selene, I’m so happy for your visit.” The woman, slightly shorter than the Princess and a little plump, greeted the Princess with a warm hug and kiss on each cheek.
“Amelia,” The Princess said, breathing as if the presence of the other woman was a relief to her. “It’s been too long, and there is much to discuss,” the Princess said in greeting. Amelia’s face became solemn, and she nodded in agreement before turning her gaze to me.
“There is much to discuss, cousin. Perhaps we can start with lighter topics, such as the girl in your company,” Lady Amelia said, her head nodding in my direction.
The Princess glanced back, reaching out to me and pulling me forward a step, her hand at the nape of my neck. “This is Percy, my pet,” the Princess introduced me.
“A pet?” Lady Amelia hummed with a grin and a knowing look in her eye. “How very interesting.” She turned her attention back to me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Percy. I am Lady of the manor, Amelia Borealis,” she introduced herself, looking at the Princess and back to me.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Lady Amelia,” I spoke quietly, unsure how I was meant to interact, as all other purebloods had ignored me and addressed only the Princess. I felt my cheeks grow hot at my lack of social understanding in the situation.
“Oh my, I bet she tastes splendid,” Lady Amelia commented to the Princess.
The Princess pulled me into her side, her hand gripping my shoulder, and growled at her cousin. I was shocked by the reaction, but Lady Amelia simply waved her hand and laughed. “I’m not asking for a taste, Selene, no need to be so territorial.”