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Vampire King Apollyon

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"This was one of the few times where I had no choice but to be in her presence after weeks of hunting the cult members of the demonic faeries." Apollyon carefully circled his hands around her waist. "It was a well-deserved break from our responsibilities after our investigations."

Luna tilted her head as she perused her with her sharp predatory gaze, sending a rush of adrenaline in his blood, "What did that little princess had to do with this?"

"I have kept Lilith at arm's length, avoiding situations where only the two of us were together like the plague. Lilith was clingy who wished to be joined at the hip with me every damn time, so I needed a buffer to distract Lilith from seducing me. I might not know you very well, but I know for a fact that you are anything but that. She isn't you, and it's obvious."

Apollyon mirrored back her gaze and bit his lip before grabbing her hips towards his to erase the distance between them.

Luna gasped in shock, but she didn't stumble in his arms.

Both of her hands were still on the wall, supporting her.

Hesitant, Luna tucked her silver hair behind her ear and glanced up at him.

Her palms returned on each side of Apollyon's shoulder as she gave him a death stare, "So what Princess Alisabethe said at the docks was true?!"

"Not all of them. I was afraid that I wouldn't be strong enough to resist Lilith when she wore your face and your irresistible form, so I used Princess Allisabethe as a buffer so that Lilith's wrath would be aimed at her rather than me for my disinterest," Apollyon explained.

Still, he was having too much fun watching his wife's expression. "You know how jealous females are."

He shrugged, smirking, "They rarely blame the man they are with and blame the other lady, instead."

Apollyon tugged her body against his as he encircled his arms around her waist, locking her in his embrace.

His brows knitted in concentration.

Apollyon was dead set on having her tonight.

He wouldn't let her arouse him and then give him blue balls afterward.

"I missed your beautiful face when you come and the scent of your sweat, breathless from exertion while we made love."

"Apollyon!" Eyes widening, Luna's voice rose in disbelief, "That didn't change the fact that you led her on by seeking her company in every Spring Gala and brought her over to your table with Lilith, talking to her about random shit—"

"Not random shit." Apollyon bent his neck and playfully hit her forehead with his, "I asked her about the History of the Fair Folk if they had recorded about Fae summoning spirits before, but I didn't specify the existence of Archdemons."

"I need to gather more information at that time." Apollyon shifted to press his lips to the tip of Luna's ears. "She told me there were no records about it except for some dark Faeries had deviated from the Courts they belonged to, acquiring strange magic that nobody had seen before."

"It is similar with Lilith's conjurer and her cult members' situation."

"It also made me suspicious of King Zephyr and his Shadow Kingdom." Apollyon's voice lowered between a groan and growl, "The Shadow Court's emergence is a model for the far future Kingdom of Lilith' conjurer and her cult members if all of them were handled well, trained with organization, discipline and had a set of rules for the new batch of Faerie Courts to thrive."

Luna drew back and recoiled from him when he started nibbling the shell of her ears. "I found it suspicious that King Zephyr can somehow neutralize a little of Lilith's Archdemon Magic."

"Shadow Magic might be of a different breed compared to Archdemon Magic, but they were similar."

Luna narrowed her eyes at him, "Do you think King Zephyr had a bargain with an Archdemon to create a Kingdom of his own?"

"We were reluctant to ask for his help, but everything came out alright," Apollyon said as he stroked her silver hair away from her face, fascinated by her unique beauty. "As a King of the Vampire Realm, I can see that he is an honest and dependable ally, Archdemon conjurer or not. He might be silent and brooding, but his heart is in a good place, for he had saved a lot of innocent faeries from the demonic ones during the hunt. I trust him with my life after helping me rescue you, Luna."

"Do you consider him as your friend along with Prince Aspen?"

"Calling them friends would be taking too far."

"But you trusted them with your life after proving their loyalty to you." Wonder filled his wife's voice, and he wasn't sure why. "I'm happy, Apollyon, that you are capable of trusting other people, and you have others to depend on aside from the rest of the Vampire Realm and me."

Luna's green eyes danced along with her gorgeous smile. "You have changed for the better. I wouldn't regret loving you because you always try your best to be a good person despite your past."

"I am not my past, wife, and neither will that determine the person I want to become." Apollyon's face scrunched up in a scowl. It was a contrast to the deep warmth filling his heart, knowing that his wife had learned to love him after learning his lessons. "I strived to be the only person you would ever want, and I tried my best to prove every day that I am deserving of your love."

"Thank you for being considerate, husband."

It was the least he could do.

He took great pride in his abilities to keep his mate happy.

Smiling, Apollyon gripped her hands pressed on the wall and moved them to rest on his broad shoulders. "Princess Alisabethe didn't lie when she announced to everyone that she was a bookworm. The young lady is intelligent, if not a little delusional. I never showed any indication that I wanted to leave my wife and marry her when we only talked about the Fae's History. Nothing else."

"I understand that she would get the wrong idea--"

"Yes." Apollyon lifted a hand and stroked her neck up and down in a gentle caress that sent goosebumps popping on her arms and back, "In her eyes, I preferred talking to her instead of my wife. I didn't love her, but the princess assumed everything on her own. Men aren't difficult to understand, Luna. If we truly want something, we don't beat around the bush. We are straightforward, and we will let you know through our words and actions."

Apollyon kissed her with a slow thoroughness that would make her forget about where she was and what she wanted to say as his body warmed with slow anticipation.

When he drew his head back, Luna's lips chased him as if she was an addict craving for him like a drug.

"Women are pretty much the same, Apollyon. If we like someone, we will make sure you know." Luna's voice was a husky whisper—full of hunger and sexual promise. "—therefore, I should remind you of your place."

Apollyon watched her with hooded eyes. "What place?"

Your mouth on my quim." Luna lifted a finger to touch his lower lip, spreading the moisture of their shared saliva. "Right. Now."