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THE VAMPIRE KING

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It was bad enough that he had pissed off one female.

The first High Priestess, who loved him, cursed him when she didn't get what she wanted.

Now, if he didn't let the Blood Beast loose regularly, he would turn deadly again.

The Vampire King reclined one elbow against the mound of cushions behind him.

A casual observer would have sworn that there wasn't an ounce of tension in his body.

The ruse had been honed through thousands of years of both practice and experience.

Even as he gave one of the dancing girls a lazy smile, his eyes were warily scanning the room, noting every potential threat while also making every effort to tempt his vampire and non-vampire guest's palates with all of the exotic delicacies at their disposal.

After he had fed the ever-craving blood beast, he felt like himself again.

It felt good to be back.

He could control his faculties fully without the blood lust ruling over him.

The Vampire King could finally touch someone without killing them.

He had already fed that demanding beast inside of him with just enough blood and wretched souls to sustain himself in the Underworld.

At least, the Vampire King hoped it was enough.

Exotic and tempting beauties shimmied and twirled to the throbbing beat of the drums.

'Women are considered to be little more than pretty playthings to be used then discarded when a man's attention wanders to a more enticing pleasure,' The Vampire King thought wryly as he took another sip of his wine.

None of the delicacies on display this evening were more exotic or tempting than the white-haired beauty with the silver eyes dancing to the flute's soaring melodies.

'This is the first time I have seen this kind of female face and form.' the Vampire King thought. 'Maybe she is a recruit. So mysterious and ethereal.'

The vampire king absently brought his goblet to his lips as he studied the sensual sway of her hips as if hypnotized by the suggestive motion.

Her skirt hung on the exquisite curve of her hip bones as she danced.

She was close to dropping it to the floor with one intense movement.

A high slit in the fabric exposed a flash of a long pale leg every time she twirled.

She donned a fitted bodice with sparkling jewels and flowing skirts in vibrant shades of green similar to the color of her beautiful eyes.

Her attire was more modest than the strips of silk the other females wore, yet the sense of forbidden shrouding her aura only added to her allure.

The small circlet of gold adorned her brow as she let her long, silver hair loose behind her back.

A teardrop-shaped ruby dangling from a gold chain nestled between her breasts.

Her skin seemed to sparkle due to numerous hands stroking her to increase its golden color, making her appear more attractive to the male gaze.

Women of luxurious caliber.

The Vampire King found it all too easy to imagine his own hands gliding over her pale silky skin, stroking oil of rose and cedarwood over every enticing inch of her.

Unfortunately, fighting and sex were the two things that brought him to oblivion while still giving him a sense of control, but they didn't always solve his problem.

Sometimes, those things were not enough to satisfy the Blood Beast.

Instead, he had to pacify it by becoming blood-drunk and sucking out evil souls to maintain his life force so that he would not be taken over.

Two powerful beings inside one immortal body.

The Vampire King was tired of being stuck inside his body with the Blood Beast, managing its demands while trying not to fall into darkness.

He couldn't even remember who he was.

Slowly, he began to die on the inside and now, over a hundred years later, he was mostly numb.

He had given up trying to pretend he was anything but a plague. No one was safe when he was around, and it destroyed him even more than the things he had to go through dealing with his curse. The Vampire King's lips curved upward.

All of that guilt was stuck in the past.

He might not look the part, but he lived in fear of hurting his loyal subjects as the Vampire King.

The Vampire King's thoughts were brought back to reality when the female accidentally danced closer to him, bringing herself within arm's reach, and his body reacted, humming in a carnal madness.

The Vampire King stretched, trying to buy himself some time to alleviate his prickling skin and twitching muscles. He wasn't surprised when it made no difference.

His curse was making itself known again, taking him into perilous territory.

If he didn't get some sexual release soon after all that bloodsucking and soul-snatching, he was going to have a severe problem.

The Vampire King spun around and yanked the female closer, grabbing her by the throat and forcing her body into his throne.

The slender neck under his palm was warm and smooth, and he could feel the blood rushing through her veins made her pulse overwrought.

He leaned down, covered her with his large physique, and drew in her sweet scent.

Her throat wobbled under his palm as she swallowed, "Your Highness—"

The Vampire King shivered as goosebumps broke all over his skin from the breathless melodic tone of her voice.

The sound of her words reverberated through his mind calming him and binding her sweetly.

His lower body sank unto her, and his muscled thighs pinning her into place.

She stiffened from his bold initiative to claim her right in front of the guests, but he didn't care.

He was too engrossed, marveling at the delicious feel of her breasts as her nipples caressed against his chest.

She smelled good too.

Like flowers.

Clean. Fresh. Fruity scents.

She pushed against him, and he lowered his full weight even more so that her hips cushioned his groin.

Her breath came out in a rush, and her soft form wiggled against him in protest.

"Let go of me."

She fought him once more while he fought back a groan from the exquisite friction between them.

He smelled her sweet, sweet arousal in the air, and it only meant one thing.

Her anxiety and irritation had turned to something hot.

Masculine pride puffed up her chest, knowing that she was the cause of her unconscious response.

The realization hit, and he got hard as a diamond.

"Lie still," he commanded in a low, seductive growl, needing to feel more of her, if not all.

"Get off, Your Highness," she seethed, the scent of her fear replaced by a sharp spice.

He made a steady circle with his hips.

From her soft gasps, the Vampire King knew her core bloomed from the heat.

The erotic knowledge increased his ache like a fever.

When the skittish consort got used to his presence, the tension began to ease out of her as if her bones had turned into jelly as he continued his seductive motion against her lower stomach.

Her hands flew to his waist and slid around to the small of his back.

Her eyes widened at her sudden behavior as if she caught herself in the middle of vampire hypnosis.

The Vampire King didn't let her ponder for too long about her response as he brought her hips to arch against her, showing his approval and encouraging her to touch more of him.

The effect she had on him was like a drug.

It was like nothing he had ever felt before.

He expressed his uncontrollable lust for her and it was effective.

Her palms moved up his spine, and it made him growl in delight.

The Vampire king dropped his head down, so her ear was closer to his mouth.

"I want you."