"I am soon going to do all that you and much more. I want to hear your groan and scream when I am wedged inside you."

He brought his forearm over her mouth and she grazed them with her fangs. Her nub was throbbing and he was rubbing and flicking and pressing it, in that sequence. She was trapped between his hands and hips and that rock-hard body. He picked up the pace and she rolled her hips madly. Suddenly she became tense. Brantley pressed his forearm against her mouth. And Bianca—she pierced her fangs in his arm as she chased the onslaught of her orgasm. Brantley threw his head back with pleasure. With his chest heaving, his jaws clenched. "Fuck!" he said and then brought his tongue to her neck and sucked her there while her body jerked with pleasure after pleasure—so intense that she forgot sense of time. Once she settled and her mind came back to present, she realized that her fangs were lodged in his flesh. Immediately she removed herself, feeling bad.

​​

She should have felt sorry but was she? Her eyes were becoming heavy.

His hands came out of her shorts and he pulled her close to him. She licked where she had pierced his arm instinctively. He placed it on her shoulders. Tucked between both his arms and against his body, she closed her eyes.

"Didn't I say I will make you sleep?" he whispered. "And your first orgasm belongs to me."

Bianca smiled.

She slept.

---

She found herself staring in the dark.

It was pitch black and she didn't know how she reached here. She couldn't see anything in the dark and she was having difficulty breathing. It seemed they had gagged her mouth. The place was dark and damp and smelled of vomit and pee. She moved but her hands were shackled.

Where am I? She asked as she whipped her head around. Feeling the bile rise in her mouth, Bianca kicked her legs. But the iron chains only cut in her ankles. She tried to free her hands but she couldn't. Why did her hands become so small? How come her hair was just below her ears? She whimpered. She missed mama and Daddy and Darius. After trying her best and failing at it, she fell on the floor feeling extremely weak. Voices on the outside caught her

"Tomorrow is her seventh birthday," a voice came from the outside. "You have done great, Og'drath," he said. "You have been redeemed for your sins. Next time don't even think of going against me, else I will send you to the gallows."

"Yes, my lord," the woman croaked.

"I will take her to the Queen myself," he said. "Eliminating this girl would remove all our hindrances! And what better gift than killing her on her seventh birthday." He laughed. "I will cut her into seven pieces and send them to her father!" The door closed behind them and the laughter diminished.

Bianca whimpered. She thrashed her head on the stony floor and her face collected dirt.

Leave me!

---

Her eyes shot open, chest panting. She was lying on her side as sweat beaded her eyebrows. What was that? Was it a dream? It was a bad one. Where was she? She tried to move but strong arm had trapped her against a hard chest and a heavy leg was over her thighs. She recognized the weight. Brantley. His face was buried in her hair.

She stared at the light coming from the back walls. It was morning. Yesterday's rains had given way to warm sunshine.

As if sensing her movement, he drew her closer to him and the more he touched her, the more she felt safe. She wanted to turn around and see his breathtakingly beautiful face, but she didn't, afraid that he would wake up. Yesterday night he had given her extreme pleasure. She looked at his arm, which was under her head. It had fallen on the pillow and right there in the middle of it were her marks. She had pierced his flesh brutally and he hadn't even winced in pain. Though the injury had faded a lot, the skin was still rough on the sides of the puncture. Bianca bit her lip and inadvertently brought her fingers to rub over there.

The man stirred and woke up. His arm immediately grabbed her on the shoulders. She gasped. "I— I am sorry."

"You are awake sweetheart," he said in a sleepy voice and removed his limbs from her much to her disappointment. "Did you sleep well?"

She did except for the stupid dream she saw towards the morning. She nodded.

"I am glad." He turned her to his side. After staring into her eyes, he said, "I can't understand the color of your eyes. They are teal I think."

She bit her lip.

His eyes moved to her lips and he kissed them—lightly at first and then deeply. Bianca gave in completely. Suddenly he slapped on her hips.

"Ow!" she said, feeling turned on.

"Get ready. I will take you on a tour of Azelia. There's a lot we have to inspect."

No, stay here—she wanted to shout when she watched him lift the quilt and go to the bathroom. She pouted behind him.

In the next one hour, Bianca had eaten her breakfast, wore black breeches and a purple tunic and was standing in front of six horses, which were mounted by horsemen who looked like royal guards. Arnik was beside a splendid black horse. It was large, perfect and looked powerful. Brantley was standing beside a white horse, which made Arnik's horse seem like a plow puller.

"That's our horse!" said Brantley. "Orion."

Our horse? They were riding together? "I am good at horse riding," she murmured.

"I know, but I would like you to ride with me."

Gods, his puns! Heat flooded her face.

She extended her hand to the horse for him to smell her. He was impressive. The horse nudged her hands and she smiled. In order to acquaint herself with the horse, she patted him. She went further and rubbed his neck and the horse gave himself to her.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Holly rushing towards them. "Your Highness," she breathed as soon as she came to stand near Bianca. She offered her a small lunch box wrapped in a green and blue plaid cloth. On her arms was a white fur-lined cloak.

"Thanks Holly," said Bianca. Brantley took it from her and kept it in the saddlebag. Brantley took the cloak from Holly and draped it over her shoulders. He came in front of her and buttoned it on the neck and halfway to her chest. He leaned in and whispered, "I don't want others to see your breasts." His cheeks grazed her ears.

She flushed again, and her breath hitched when his fingers lightly touched her over there. He left the remaining buttons open. "Thanks," she said in a low breathy voice.

A guard held the reins of Orion.

As soon as she stood in front of the stirrup to mount the horse, Brantley's hands went to her hips. "Go on, I will support you," he said unabashedly.

Feeling ten different kinds of outrageous, Bianca gripped the saddle, lifted her left leg on the stirrup and then swiftly slung her right leg over. Brantley pushed her up gently. As soon as she mounted the horse, Brantley swung up behind her as gracefully as she had. The guard handed over the reins to them.