"I can't leave the High Priestess with you, Your Highness." The High Priest's voice boomed as it echoed in the room. It was filled with disappointment and disdain towards the Vampire King.

"I'm the King, Fei. Even if you used to be my mentor I could do whatever I want." The Vampire King said, his voice hardening a little. "Nobody in this goddamn castle had a right to deny me."

By the Law of the Vampyr Realm, the High Priest could be convicted with treason with Luna as the witness. Luna prayed that Fei would just shut up and let her handle him.

"You're Highness, you are not thinking this through clearly. As your High Priest, the High Priestess is under my wing." Fei laughed bitterly as Delphi's staff appeared on his left hand. "I can't leave her to a scoundrel like you."

"Then, we'll just have to battle it out, shall we?" The Vampire King said, devoid of emotion. One of his blue eyes had shifted to gold and Luna knew half of the Blood Beast's consciousness was out to play.

"Obice praesidium." Luna muttered and a protective shield covered them.

There was a pause, a hardening on the Vampire King's stance as he touched her invisible barrier in one hand and it shattered into tiny fragments in the air.

"I didn't tell you to interfere, High Priestess. You are testing my patience." Luna could sense the atmosphere changing subtly as the Vampire King's voice dropped down an octave.

It was the Blood Beast.

The Vampire King's gaze zoomed into Fei's gnarly hand on Luna's elbow when he dragged her behind him to block him from the Vampire King's view.

With flaring nostrils, both of his eyes had completely turned to gold. There was no doubt that the Blood Beast was angry and in full control of the Vampire King's consciousness.

He went straight to Fei, wrapped one hand around his throat, and raised him towards the ceiling. The Blood Beast had no magic but he had incredible strength.

"Stop it. You are killing your Host's High Priest." Luna said in a calm tone as she moved near him, staring into his cold amber eyes. She didn't need to offend the Blood Beast. One wrong move and he would destroy Fei's windpipe in a flash.

"He wouldn't let me get to you." The Blood Beast replied as unfeeling as he was supposed to be, his voice always flat and devoid of emotion. "I will kill him."

"Please, don't. I will come with you." Luna promised, swallowing hard. "Just don't kill him."

Luna wanted to rush to him, put her hands all over his body, lick him, and kiss him the way a concubine would. Luna was ashamed to admit that she was aching with the need to be filled, silently begging for contact from the Blood Beast. Any contact.

It was tormenting beyond comprehension to feel the effects of being the Blood Beast's mate as she tried to control her overriding lust.

"I'm hungry." The Blood Beast said, watching her through narrowed eyes. "I want you now."

Luna's stomach rumbled but she promised herself not to drink blood. She will control her thirst with magic. She can't show them that she was a full vampire just yet, or so she thought. She still kept her human scent so that they wouldn't recognize that her scent had changed.

If they knew that a pureblood vampire had turned her into one, they might kill her. She was already an anomaly in the Vampire Realm. Nobody should ever know.

"Stop choking Fei's throat, and I will let you drink my blood. "

That earned her a nod of approval. She looked into her eyes as if she had finally gotten through him for the first time. He was determined to kill the High Priest and Luna shouldn't let him.

The Blood Beast, with his eyes still glowing in amber, stopped choking him and let him go. The High Priest dropped and scrambled to stand up from the floor but he couldn't. He coughed as he clutched his throat with his hands to soothe his pain.

The Blood Beast's frown increased until it owned his handsome face. "Why didn't the High Priest understand that you are my--"

"Shh. Don't. " Luna lowered his gaze and closed her eyes, praying to all the goddesses that he never mentioned the blood bond and that she was his mate. "I will explain it to him."

"Next time, Fei, do not interrupt the Blood Beast. " Luna told Fei and there was skin bunching around his eyes as he gave her a pained stare. It was heartbreaking that she couldn't tell him the whole truth. "He needs to feed on me because he was hungry."

"But you'll die by the Blood Beast's touch long enough for him to feed on you and he will take your soul while he's at it." There was audible stress in Fei's tone and Luna can't help but be frustrated too.

"She wouldn't because she is mine." He growled as he grabbed her waist and brought her closer to his body. "I want to kill you right now."

Luna had learned to hold her breath so that she wouldn't smell the Blood Beast's sweet scent. She inched away from him so that she couldn't even brush his shoulder with his delicious warmth.

"Spare him his life, Blood Beast. The High Priest didn't know about this." About them.

The High Priest was about to unleash a stronger spell but his skin had turned to black and blue, decaying in her own eyes. She can't let the High Priest die so she attempted to heal him.

"Don't touch me or you'll die, too." The High Priest warned her as he recoiled from her touch. He didn't want her to die along with him.

"It's fine I can heal from it."

"What do you mean you will heal?" Fei said harshly as he pushed her hand away.

"Fei, just— "Luna trailed off and sighed heavily. Luna knew it was better than to say anything else. "It's a long story."

The High Priest screamed when she reached and wrapped her hand around his neck. She absorbed the Blood Beast's curse and put them into her body with intense concentration.

Since she had the Archdemon's blood in her own body, it didn't affect her. She got rid of Fei's illness before it could damage his system.

"I have all the time in the world," Fei said as he panted heavily from the fear of looking death in the eye and surviving it. As he recovered from the curse, he laid on the floor as he drew his knees tighter to his chest. "Tell me, High Priestess. What the fuck is happening?"

"You should get out of here, Fei," Luna said with a sigh. "I will be fine."

By the determined glint of Fei's gaze, she knew he still wanted to defend her. Luna didn't want another blood on her hands so she jumped in front of the Blood Beast, wrapped her arms around his neck, and teleported somewhere private.

They were in one of the castle's long dark corridors.

She slid her hands away from his broad shoulders and the Blood Beast seized his chance. He trapped her with both of his arms outstretched on each side of her head, her back against the wall. Luna tilted her head, gathered her long silver hair to the side, and exposed her neck. "Now, hurry up and drink."