***************

Vampire King

***************

It was the Empress who gave in first as she wrapped her arms around him, leaning into his body, and Apollyon snaked his arms around her waist in turn.

Groaning into her mouth, Apollyon felt his rod twitch again.

He untangled her off his body, or she would not like what he was about to tell her.

'I was horny again at the wrong time.' Apollyon wanted to tell his wife that, but maybe it was better to keep it to himself for the meantime since it sounded like he was a sex-craved maniac.

His love for his beloved wife had turned into an unhealthy obsession, and he had to draw the line somewhere to keep himself in check.

'I was a changed man now.' Apollyon kept on telling himself with conviction.

He was different from his male ancestors.

They couldn't do it again.

There was no time for a quick coupling when the Coronation Event was an hour away.

Apollyon wanted to punch a wall in frustration.

This wasn't the time to think about sex when they had a lot of things to do.

It was time to make himself scarce, or he wouldn't be responsible for his following actions.

++++

Apollyon turned his back on the stairs.

He needed to quit acting like how a predator waited for his prey to come out of the hole it had hidden before it was time to pounce and go in for the kill.

He took a deep breath and exhaled, keeping himself busy by brushing invisible lint out of his aquamarine buttoned-up shirt.

He was abruptly nervous for no reason as he adjusted his velvet white robe with orange and gold edges around his shoulders.

Tapping his foot impatiently, Apollyon adjusted his cuff links as he watched the beams of colored lights coming out from the stained glass windows on his right.

Glaring at the windows, Apollyon had noticed how his outfit that day had blended in with the dark blue velvet curtains.

He could easily blend with the background if he stood near it.

It was unfortunate that it was of the same color.

Apollyon considered changing his clothes because it was an embarrassment for a Vampire King to wear a ceremonial suit for the Coronation with the same color as the curtains.

The other Kings would make a laughingstock out of him.

Anyway, he shouldn't care anymore.

If someone saw him and laughed at his clothing choice, beheading would be his first punishment option.

No one would probably dare, and it was a waste of time to change.

Perhaps, it was the valet's honest mistake.

When his sensitive vampire ears heard the rustle of clothing, he knew that the Empress had arrived.

Apollyon could hear the beat of his heart, slow but loud, in his ears.

Apollyon clutched his chest to relax it, but it didn't stop.

He could also hear the staccato rhythm of Luna's heart synchronizing with his.

Perhaps, it was the mating bond working its magic one again, connecting their heartbeats, turning two people into one.

He held his breath and paused for a few seconds before turning towards the direction of the stairs.

Eyes wide and slack-jawed, the Empress striking beauty had hit Apollyon like a blow to his middle.

Apollyon never thought that his wife could get anymore beguiling.

She was as pretty as one of his mother's paintings of their kind.

The Empress had appeared like a fairy and for a fleeting moment,

Apollyon could see his mother's image overlapping with Luna's elfin features.

Apollyon shook his head in disbelief from his abrupt hallucinations as he clenched his fists.

He refused to compare them together because they were two different people.

The moment felt like it was in slow-motion as his Empress descended the stairs.

He didn't notice that she was almost in front of him since he got lost in his thoughts.

The image of Luna as she glided down the stairs like a rightful Queen of the Vampire Realm deeply bothered him.

It had looked familiar.

He closed his eyes to reminisce.

Where exactly had he seen this before?

Apollyon had experienced a sense of deja vu.

He thought about seeing the same scene's exact painting, but it was a long time ago.

Maybe, it was just an imagination.

The Empress had worn an elaborate white ball gown with heavy, voluminous skirts with many layers of petticoats and hoops.

Precious stones were draped on the outer layers of her clothing.

Before, Apollyon didn't mind what the females in his Harem and his past Empress wore because he would undress them afterward, and that was the highlight and the most important part of his day, nothing else.

Watching his wife wear such luxurious silk and taffeta fabric, Apollyon was suddenly aware of the tight corset that emphasized her ant-like waist.

It made her breasts plumper--larger than it should be-- in which he had no problem with because it tempted him to strip his wife naked.

It was an aphrodisiac.

But what of the other men on the Coronation?

Showing the Empress to the Kings from the other Realms in these clothes was a huge problem.

Apollyon had wondered if he made the right decision.

He had approved of her puffy sleeves, but her décolletage was too low for his liking.

Apollyon glowered at them in disapproval, but he didn't say anything.

The other Kings might glance at the exposed upper mounds of her breasts every time they conversed with her.

Apollyon's eyes narrowed as he unconsciously crossed his arms in suspicion when he didn't find the family heirloom he had gifted around her slender neck.

It was replaced with a thick choker instead.

As soon as his Empress stepped on the landing, she twisted her ankles and yelped.

She had maintained her balance because of her quick vampire reflexes, but she didn't anticipate stepping on the trimmings of her gown.

Her arms--covered in white silk gloves--were flailing in the air.

Apollyon caught her just in time as she fell into his embrace.

He clutched her waist and didn't let her go until she had regained her balance.

The Empress righted herself as her face had that natural blush on her pale cheeks.

Luna was cute when she gets embarrassed like this.

It was a peculiar sight as rare as a white raven in the snow-covered branches of the Vampire Realm.

"Thank you, Apollyon." The Empress muttered in chagrin and cleared her throat. "These high heels would be the death of me."

"You are so clumsy, beloved wife." Apollyon chuckled at Luna's statement before he swooped into her open mouth, stealing precious kisses.

God's blood!

Apollyon losing his Empress had made him act like an uncouth young virgin boy who hadn't had sex in his life.

He couldn't get enough of her, and that's a bad habit he would like to replace.

Apollyon needed to tone down this obsession, or Luna wouldn't like it, making her angry at him for being such a clingy husband.

Luna had tiptoed to reach his height, her mouth chasing after his lips.

He had withdrawn from the kiss earlier than what he would have liked, then straightened up his spine.

She pouted as if she was kissing the air.

Apollyon grinned widely when their gazes met the moment she opened her eyes.

Luna had probably wondered why their lips weren't touching anymore.

When she narrowed her eyes at him, Apollyon caressed her neck to soothe her ruffled feathers.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world for me, wife," Apollyon murmured without removing that stupid smile on his face.

He couldn't help it.

Apollyon wrapped his arms around her again, hugging her tightly. "No other girl can ever compare to you."

Oh, how much Apollyon wanted to be in her presence, wrapping his body with her natural scent.

"I know you are lying, but alright," Luna whispered in nonchalance.

Brows furrowing, Apollyon was about to argue because he was incredibly insulted by Luna's statement, but he relaxed when he saw his wife rolling her eyes at him playfully.

He sighed in relief, knowing that the Empress had accepted her compliment wholeheartedly.

His jovial mood was suddenly ruined when he observed how the ink-black markings of her skin had spread into intricate vines of runes, spells, and symbols he couldn't figure out, reaching into the back of her ears when he tucked her silver hair backward.

Luna didn't have these marks before exploring the Dream Realms, so it was probable that her wife had contracted this from the Archdemon of Gluttony when they met.

What had the Archdemon done to Luna that he was able to imprint these marks on her despite the distance of the different realms, making her milky skin smeared with his wickedness and impurities?

Apollyon was desperate to ask his wife right now if she did have tantric sex with him in the Dream Realms, but he already knew the answer.

The Empress wouldn't do that to him, no matter what.

Not even for the sake of revenge.

Luna wasn't the type of woman to cheat on him, and she had very well-proven her loyalty.

Nobody had touched her body as he did.

His wife would crave his touch alone.

He had made sure that he was the best at it to keep her satisfied.

Luna wouldn't find other males like him when it comes to sexual congress.

Apollyon must do the only thing to ensure that she would stay beside her without messing it up and acting like a fucking barbarian.