Aerilyn climbed onto Keres and Solenne sat behind her and they gently made their way to the settlement. "Are you sure this isn't too soon for you love" the Queen asked, worried for her and about her.

The girl turned her head towards the Queen, breaths very close and hypnotised by each other's eyes. "No, i need to see it for myself, that they are okay"

Queen Solenne completely understood why she wanted to go, she would be the same if it was her in that position. They made their way there which only took around 30 minutes by horse. They strolled into the settlement to find it buzzing with life, Aerilyn looked around taking it all in, she had never seen anything like it, not since she was a child and before any of it. Solenne felt proud that she had been able to do this and to please Aerilyn.

They toured the small village before getting off in the main square, the girl stood close to the Queen as the new villagers watched. Solenne was saying hello to everyone and you could tell they all respected her from the way they behaved, they looked as if they admired her.

However, some had noticed the all too human stood next to her with love bites all over her neck and presumed the worse.

They stood around in a crown, there were guards all around but they were at a safe distance, even Alpha Zenon was there which none of the humans knew about, it felt like for the first time that all species were getting along. "Hello everyone, I hope you have been settling in okay, fear not, this is Aerilyn, I know some of you are thinking that she is a blood bag for me, that is incorrect" there were murmurs in the crowd as she spoke.

Solenne looked around to check nothing was going to happen as they waited for her to carry on intently. "she is the reason you are all stood here today, she gave me the push to make change, to make your lives better and to unite us. To see that there is a way for us to all live in harmony" Solenne looked at her lovingly, smiling brightly.

Once they were off the podium, Aerilyn saw a shop and decided to go and take a look, walking in she was met by the shopkeeper. "Hello" Aerilyn greeted him.

The man held his hand out to her which made Solenne want to snarl, she also was not use to the humans customs. Aerilyn took his hand and shook it. "Its nice to meet you" he spoke.

Aerilyn walked around looking at the food, he even had a bakery, she asked him questions like how long it took him to sort it all out or how he sourced everything to which he replied that Solenne had helped him.

Solenne stood very close to her human and followed her around the shop, they were at the back of the shop when the girl noticed chocolate on the shelf, she got really excited. "You have chocolate" she exclaimed! The man nodded his head. Then realising she had nothing to pay for it with she put it back on the shelf, appearing a bit deflated but still her happy self.

Solenne reached around her and picked the chocolate off the shelf, their eyes met, Solenne froze as she had another vision, this time Aerilyn saw it partially too, she saw that the werewolves were in the village and she knew one of them, the girls eyes went wide frantically as she panicked, she ran out of the shop before Solenne could stop her and explain.

Aerilyn ran outside and shouted to the guards, "there are werewolves here, we must protect ourselves" Alpha Zenon had heard and walked up to her.

"Is everything okay?" she asked the girl as Solenne appeared at her side.

She just shook her head, tears threatening to spill. "Get away from me you sick animal, please Solenne do something, they all deserve to die" she spat. This only angered Zenon as she didn't understand.

It was all coming back to bite Solenne, she should have told her. "Please Aerilyn just listen to me"

"Nothing you will say will make me forgive what they did and were going to do me, why are you protecting them, find them all and kill them, kill her" she shouted at her.

"stop saying that" Zenon gritted her teeth trying to control her anger.

Aerilyn was frantic, "Those wolves deserve to be tortured like I was, get away from me" she shoved Zenon, this caused her to lose control. Solenne grabbed Aerilyn and pulled her away, sweeping her off her feet to protect her. She watched as Zenon turned into a very large wolf that was showing its teeth. "Back off Zenon, go for a run, get out of here, find Nilsa" Solenne argued. The wolf stood its ground but then backed off and ran into the woods.

"How could you, get away from me, never touch me again" Aerilyn hit Solenne, hurt by what the Queen had not done for her, she backed away from her, stepping backwards before turning around and running off into the woods.

Solenne tried to remain calm and followed her, she would never let her out of her sight again.

She followed and watched as Aerilyn ran out of steam about half an hour into the woods, she did not know she was being followed by the Queen, it did not cross her mind nor did she care right now. Solenne watched from a tree above, silent as anything. The girl collapsed to the floor crying and hyperventilating as she struggled to control her breathing, Solenne could not stay back for any longer, her ears were honed in on her rapid heartbeat and the noise killed her inside, so she swooped down and scooped her up. "shh I'm sorry, I've got you, no one will hurt you" she cooed.

Queen Solenne carried Aerilyn for what seemed like forever until she reached the place that was meant to be their date, but there was no harm in taking her there now to calm her down. "Breathe love, I've got you" Aerilyn took in a few deep breaths before looking around at the scenery.

There lay a majestic lake with clear waters and greenery, there was a canopy surrounding it and you could hear the bird song in the distance, it was a place buzzing with life, far from the ruins of buildings that they so frequented. "what are we doing here?" she asked, it was very peaceful even more so that they were alone together. No one could truly hear them here.

Solenne took that moment to also look around, at the far end of the small lake, there was a running waterfall, she wrapped her arm around the girl and wiped her cheeks. "I cannot bare to see you cry, but I could not harm a mate of our friend nor an alpha at that. She is not our enemy. Zenon was not involved and those who were have been dealt with" she admitted.

"The wolves you encountered were a far cry from the actual pack, I know it is hard to believe but please trust me, this was where I wanted to take you for our date, it is one of my favourite places in this world" The Queen rubbed Aerilyn's arm.

They stood still as if time around them had stopped itself. "You were serious about that?" Aerilyn pondered.

"Very" Solenne was scared with how she would react.

She was overcompensating and rambling on. "Aerilyn, I know things never started right between us and that was my fault, I was scared, ashamed, but I do not want you to be afraid, not of me or anyone else, I want things to work between us" she carried on.

"is this just until your mate comes along or till you find someone new once you get bored with me?" those words hurt Solenne to her core, Aerilyn was striking out at her out of being hurt herself. Solenne stayed silent.

Tears welled up in the Queen's eyes as she turned to face Aerilyn, taking her hands in hers. She reached Aerilyn's hand and placed it on her chest.

"Oh Aerilyn, Es, eras, semper eris, amor meus in aeternum"

You are, you were, you will always be, my love eternally.

Solenne dropped to one knee, a deep and meaningful gesture that no one would ever get to witness again. It was her way of showing that Aerilyn meant everything to her, that she would sacrifice all she had for the girl, that she was serious with what she had said. It was the only way she could show her how she felt.

A Queen should never bow or bend the knee, but here she was.

Aerilyn understood what had just been said to her, her body had stilled under Solenne's touch. Solenne looked up at Aerilyn. "Do you know why I crave your blood? Why I crave you? Why I will always find you and come for you? Why I cannot leave you alone? Why I wanted you so badly and took you from your family and made you be my pet? I may not have a heart but if I did it would beat for you, I may not be the best version of myself, but I am working on that for you, the thought of losing you would kill me, you are the most precious thing in my life, there is no one else, there will only ever be you...my mate" Aerilyn wanted to faint there and then.

Solenne stood only a breath away, encompassing her senses, sending her into over drive. It was like all the tension left her body at once and as it did she threw her arms around the vampire who had just called her, her mate.

She too was now on her knees and because of this she could feel like she was an equal to the Queen and never fear otherwise. "How long have you known?" Aerilyn whispered, she was unsure if she wanted to even know but curiosity got the better of her.

Solenne smiled and pecked her cheek. "Since the day I first laid my eyes on you"

They both got back to their feet, gazing at each other like time had stopped. "I thought if you knew you would reject me and it was also too dangerous" Solenne stroked the girls face tenderly.

It was like the jigsaw finally fell into place, for so long she had been in denial even though the Queen treated her differently and protected her, killing other vampires in the process. "You know, I couldn't let myself believe it because it would have killed me if it wasn't true" she admitted.

Solenne nodded her head knowingly, "that is the mate bond, something so strong, if anything were to happen to you I too would fall into despair" it was like the penny dropped for the girl, it was all falling into place.

They both stood up, still holding each other, Aerilyn bent forward and caught the Queen's mouth with her own. "I do not know much about the mate bond, but I do know that I want you and only you" this caused the once cold Queen to smile warmly.

Solenne kissed Aerilyn's lips again, she could never get enough. "I am yours for all of eternity and beyond. As long as we are together everything will be okay" she confirmed. A powerful Queen now knew that a mere human held her life in her hands, but she was never just any human.

They took a stroll along the lake, the sun was shining and Solenne gave Aerilyn some of her blood so that she wasn't so exhausted after the day they had. They dipped their toes in the crystal clear waters but something enticed Aerilyn in, she began to strip her clothes off which the Queen wanted to stop out of fear someone would see her or to protect her. "what are you doing?" The Queen asked.

Aerilyn carried on stripping quickly, Solenne was becomming distracted by the rather naked form of her mate. "Catch me if you can" Aerilyn winked and ran into the water. Who was Solenne to turn her down, the vampire Queen took her clothes off in vampire speed and chased her in the water, catching up with her rather fast. "you cheated" Aerilyn pouted.

Solenne threw her head back and laughed, "I've always told you I'd catch you no matter what" their bodies were entwined as they came closer together, breast touching breast, skin to skin.

They felt a sense of calm being there and quickly knew it would become their place. Aerilyn was dragging her hands all over Solenne's body, feeling her every where she could, taking in her body. "you are so effortlessly beautiful" Aerilyn's eyes became hooded as she spoke.

The Queen too began to pinch at Aerilyn's nipples and trailed wet kisses along her neck. "are you trying to seduce me" Solenne joked.

Aerilyn started to suck on Solenne's neck mumbling "would you like to be seduced?"

Solenne smirked at the girl and placed her hand between the girls legs boldly eliciting a loud moan from her. "I'm in charge here pet" that name caused Aerilyn to near finish there and then, the dominance turning her on even more as Solenne kept her grip on her.

They both kissed each other roughly, Aerilyn was fighting for dominance but it was no match for the vampire Queen and they both secretly liked it, the girl pushing the Queen and then giving into her. Solenne moved her hands in a circular motion, before dipping two fingers in, her fangs elongated so she had to stop kissing the girl in fear she may actually bite her.

Aerilyn opened her eyes to see her fangs and deep red eyes. "Why do your fangs come out like that?" she asked.

Solenne's hand still for a moment, slowing her pace right down. "it's the bond, I have the urge to mark you as mine, claim you as only mine for all to see" this only made Aerilyn wetter.

"then mark me" she stated. Solenne would not mark her until she had a few days to come to terms with things, she would most likely do anything for the Queen in the state she was in but it was better for her to have a few days to think about it, or as long as she needed.

The Queen shook her head. "I will not mark you, there are implications from doing so, and you need to know them first" this gave her a chance to calm down and her fangs disappeared again allowing them to kiss once more.

The Queen's hand sped up in and out of her, Aerilyn moaned her name "oh Sol" she shuddered, her legs nearly going dead. Her other hand was placed around the girls neck, with just enough pressure applied, she knew Aerilyn liked it.

"harder " she cried. As she reached her climax she was calling out Solenne's name over and over. Solenne sucked Aerilyn's nipples, marking her body with purple and blue love bites. "that's it pet, cum for me" Solenne pumped a few mores times in and out harder as she felt the girl climax around her fingers, her walls contracted against her hands.

Aerilyn let Solenne hold her up as she had come down from her climax, "that was...wow" she was speechless, their first time together was out of this world and this was even better some how. The girl started running her hands through Solenne's slick wet folds, this was only making their bond even stronger and cementing their feelings for one another. The Queen watched Aerilyn the whole time, not breaking eye contact, this turned the girl on, seeing the Queen's face moaning at what she was doing to her.

Back and forth her hand went, flicking her hardened bud, rubbing and playing between her fingers, after about 5 minutes or so, Solenne let a wave of moans out and orgasmed on Aerilyn's hand, her wet juices flowing as she rubbed against the girls fingers, her hands were on Aerilyn's shoulders gripping them tightly and still she never closed her eyes, she wanted her to see what she was doing to her. "I can't get enough of you" Solenne admitted.

They kissed back and forth, bobbing around in the water, flirting and splashing each other. The guards had located their Queen but they stayed back and did not look. If anyone had been caught looking at Aerilyn they would have had their eyes taken out. "Come love, we must head back" Aerilyn's eyes filled with worry at the thought, she did not want this magical moment to end and she didn't want to see the wolves or Zenon after the commotion she caused.

She halted in the water, keeping the Queen there with her. "I don't want to go" she said worriedly.

Solenne lifted Aerilyn's chin up with her hand, "I will be with you, you have nothing to worry about, they will be at the pack house and you can stay with me in my room" Solenne saw Aerilyn's face at the thought of her staying in her room, she could practically read her mind now.

"That's if you wish too" she added although she already knew the answer.

Aerilyn followed her out of the water where they began to dry off quickly because of how warm it was there. "you already know the answer don't you, you should drop that barrier in your mind, its not fair you feel everything I do, yet I cannot" she argued. Sighing the Queen dropped that barrier without a thought, the girl was right, it wasn't fair.

Aerilyn could feel Solenne's excitement at having her in her room, her love for her and also her worry at the fragile state of the human. They both got dressed and met the guards in the woods, who had Keres with them. Both mates got onto the war horse and proceeded home.