Determined to give Vlad a better evening after his fitful sleep, Erinna decided to wake him up in a much more pleasurable manner when the sun finally set.

She removed the sheet that covered them and gently shifted him so that he was no longer lying on his side but rather on his back. The lamps in the room cast a golden glow on his skin, giving it the illusion of being sun kissed.

His torso unlike his back did not bear whip marks. Rather, it had the protection tattoos that had been drawn on him by his tribe as a human. It also had a myriad of battle scars that bore the story of a man who had known one thing and one thing only in his life: fighting.

Erinna moved to straddle his hips, then moved her hands to his defined stomach. She moved her hands over them, luxuriating on the way his muscles instinctively bunched under her gentle touch. She lowered her head and planted a kiss on the lovely trail of hair on under his navel that led to more exciting parts of him.

She kissed her way up to his chest, loving and appreciating this god among man who had chosen her to be the keeper of his heart. She felt the moment he woke up even before he took her hand and put it right where he wanted it.

“Want you here,” he said sleepily.

She laughed, batting his hand away. “Patience.”

She had hardly finished the word before she was pulled up, her lips meeting Vlad’s. One of her hands balancing on the bed beside his head and the other in his hair, she kissed him back with wild abandonment. His lips felt and tasted so good as he plundered her mouth. When his tongue found its way inside her mouth, Erinna’s body almost seized from the flood of desire that washed over her senses.

When Vlad let her breathe, her mouth moved down his jaw, teasing and nipping his pale skin. The way his body shuddered and his pelvis involuntarily jerked up was more reward than she could ever ask.

Vlad was not someone who usually allowed himself to show emotion but he had been honest in his reactions to her from the very beginning. Seeing him lose control and come undone at her touch alone was the most beautiful experience she had ever had. His trust in allowing her to have so much power over him was humbling.

She let him know her appreciation in a kiss that was slow, deep and intense. His hands around her tightened. They moved down her back, kneading the dips and curves of her body until they clenched on her backside. A sweet moan escaped Erinna's lips as he pressed her closer to him, rocking into her.

So good.

But not enough. Never enough when her blasted nightgown was between them.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world, you know that?"

His hands moved to her thighs, under the bunched folds of her dress. He rubbed and teased the flesh there with his hands.

"I think you're biased." She chuckled breathlessly.

"Who would compete? These eyes of yours, looking like an angel when we both know how much I've corrupted you. This delectable mouth. And these wonderful curves, they'll never quit, will they?"

His hands gripped returned to her backside. The attention made Erinna blush and the raw honesty in his words sent a spike of arousal through her. How could she have ever thought he would be repulsed with her changing body?

"And that sweet blush. Tell me, who would ever compete?" He sank his hand into her hair, drawing her down to his lips. The kiss was all liquid heat and hunger.

"But the best thing," Vlad said when he ended the kiss, leaving her lips swollen and tingling.

She looked into his eyes, crimson with desire and a hunger that floored her. As if she could not already feel how much he wanted her through the bond.

"What?" She prompted him.

"The way I'm the only one who gets to taste. The only one you allow to touch. And the only one you'll scream for."

Heat pooled in Erinna's stomach and her thighs tightened around Vlad's hips.

"You're the only one I want."

"No, not want. Tell me the truth angel. All of it."

Talking about feelings with Vlad just for the sake of it was a bit strange and made her feel awkward but Erinna pushed herself, knowing what he wanted and needed to hear.

"You're the only one I love and the only one who makes me feel this way. I- I'll never want anyone else."

Vlad's pupils seemed to swallow his irises, his gaze becoming darker and feral just an instant before he smashed his lips onto hers. He kissed her like he was trying to devour her, to merge their bodies and burrow inside her.

Erinna's moans and cries were swallowed. His passion was so insistent that it left no room for responding. All she could do was take it.

'Vlad, please.' She cried desperation in his mind, aching for fulfillment, aching for something.

'What do you want, mother of my child? Tell me. I'll give you the world. Ask me.'

'I want you. Only you. Can't- ah, Vlad.'

The fire inside her veins burned until Erinna thought it would consume her.

"You'll always have me," Vlad said breaking their kiss.

Erinna's breath rushed out of her, making her realise how lightheaded she had become, the dangers of kissing someone who technically didn't need to breathe.

“Remove this,” Vlad said, urging her nightgown off her shoulders.

Erinna obliged him and lifted the piece of clothing up and off her head. Everything was hazy, her vision focused on Vlad and where she wanted him.

A strangled sound left Vlad’s lips the moment the gown was off and the next thing she knew, she was lying flat on her back with a hungry vampire hovering over her. He buried his face in her chest, nuzzling her and tickling her with his hair. The worst time to be ticklish.

“Vlad!” She gasped and chuckled as his hair tickled her.

But the laughter didn’t last long as he quickly turned his lips and fangs on her.

After the tumultuous day they had had, Erinna had never thought they would be able to be together again as they had been before but the strength of their bond proved her wrong. They spent the early hours of the night together, indulging in each other’s bodies and restoring their balance.

Vlad claimed her and marked her until there was no doubt who she belonged to. She did her best to imprint herself on him. She couldn't leave lasting physical marks on him due to his quick healing but she gave him memories that he would never forget. Memories that would always remind him that he was loved and very much desired.

By the end of it, Erinna had no doubts that they would be able to pull through anything. She was also late for breakfast.

They did not speak about their argument, death or curses, an unspoken truce between them. It was like they both sensed how tenuous the peace was and did not want to break it. Instead, they took a long bath that was lovely and fun. Erinna found herself laughing more than she had been lately and she even teased a grin out of Vlad.

“My clothes are most definitely too tight now.” She said looking in the mirror, after Vlad helped her lace her dress.

Her black dresses were mysteriously disappearing from the closet so she had chosen a white dress. It had a low neckline and a rhinestone band under her breasts, giving the dress definition. What she liked about it was that it flowed in loose folds that complemented her growing stomach.

“I love this dress.” He said, wrapping his arms around her from behind her and kissing her jaw.

“Will you also like it when I walk out of this room?” She asked, knowing him too well.

His eyes widened.

“I will have Alexander commission a new seamstress.”

Erinna laughed. “For a man who claims not to be jealous, you have a lot of jealousy tendencies.”

His lips moved up her jaw to tease her earlobe, making her squirm. “It’s my name that you scream at night and it’s my seed that you carry. Who do I have to be jealous of?”

Erinna’s stomach flipped, his crude possessiveness speaking to something primitive inside her that liked to belong to him as much as he wanted to possess her.

“Ginger cookies. Right now I want them more than you.” She teased him, breaking free from his embrace and going to the door so that they could head down for breakfast.

“And you wonder why I hide them.”

“Will you be going away with Lierian today?” Erinna asked as they made their way to the kitchen.

Alexander had asked her to meet so that they could discuss their plan more but she didn’t need an Oracle to let her know things would go south if they did that whilst Vlad was in the castle. She also needed to let him know that she had not been able to go to find the medium. Her plan had been to sneak off during the day whilst Vlad was sleeping but after his nightmare, she couldn’t bring herself to.

Vlad cast her a searching glance that made Erinna feel like he could tell exactly what she was planning but all that he said was, “No, I’m joining training tonight.”

Alexander was the one who was mostly in charge of the Transylvanian soldiers but Vlad pitched in sometimes to assist.

When they arrived in the kitchen, Lierian was already seated. Vlad helped Erinna sit down then had an awkward conversation with Lierian which consisted mostly of grunts and nods. When they agreed on time to go finish up their work with the magical barriers, Vlad leaned down and kissed Erinna goodbye.

Like all their kisses, it lasted a little too long for polite company. By the time Vlad let her go and left them, Erinna was wearing a silly grin and watching his disappearing back with what Alexander called ‘googly eyes’. When he was finally out of sight, she turned back to Lierian to find the girl watching her with a puzzled expression, as if she was trying to figure Erinna out.

“What is it?” Erinna asked.

Lierian continued looking at her with a furrowed brow. The girl then leaned over and planted her lips on Erinna’s. Erinna was stunned for a second then she shoved Lierian away, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

“Lierian what are you doing?” She pushed her chair back.

Her heart was racing in shock and even though she had wiped her lips, she still felt dirty and soiled. Her Recognition Mark was burning at her wrist and her mind struggling to come up with an explanation for what had happened.

“What you were doing with him.” Lierian answered with a soft voice. “Is it wrong?”

Before they could blink, Vlad was back in the room and Lierian was dangling off the floor, her fingers clawing at Vlad’s hands to try and get him to release his grip on her throat.

“What is it with you elf idiots and putting your hands on my wife the second I turn my back? I would have rather had you dead, your flesh food for my animals and your bones, toys for my children but she thought you could be saved and opened our home to you. But clearly that was not enough. Do you want her as well now?”

Vlad punctuated each word in his statement by shaking Lierian and tightening his hold on her. Her veins were bulging out and her white eyes looked like twin moons.

I-dgcjtgj," Lierian tried to talk but the words were lost in gargling.

This was going horribly wrong.

“Vlad, let her down,” Erinna managed to say calmly even though she was still reeling from the violation.

Vlad laughed harshly at his request.

“Let her go? She will be lucky if let her live.”

Clearly Lierian had had enough of being helpless because she telekinetic ally pushed Vlad away. He crashed into the table but recovered quickly and sent her up into the air before slamming her hard to the ground.

Erinna frantically reacted, cushioning the girl's fall with air before she broke her skull. They aimed at each other again but Erinna erected a barrier between them.

“Stop it, both of you. Stop it now.”

They tried to go at each other again but the barrier prevented them from ripping into each other. A calculating smile came over Lierian’s face.

“Lierian if you take down that barrier, it’ll be the last thing you do in this castle,” she told the affronted elf, who was breathing heavily.

Ironically, Lierian looked more beautiful when she was wrecking violence. Her face was glowing with an icy fire that lit her up. The anticipation of a fight had also given a silver light to her eyes. It was both chilling and enthralling.

“He attacked me first,” Lierian said.

“Erinna, pull down the damn barrier,” Vlad said.

She knew that the only reason that Vlad was not doing it himself was because magic had a way of ricocheting. When it was disrupted from the focal point, it needed to find somewhere else to go. In this case, it could be transferred to any of the surrounding objects or it could go back to her the source and there was no telling how that sort of blow back could harm the baby.

“Lierian, may you please wait here?” Erinna asked then went to Vlad.

She teleported them to their bedroom.

“She didn’t know what she was doing, Vlad.”

“So she thought experimenting on you was a good idea?”

“No but she had no ill intentions. Remember she hasn’t been around a lot of people.”

“Neither had you when you came here but I didn’t see you going around kissing everyone. She’s a whor-”

Erinna quickly closed her palm over his lips.

“It was a misunderstanding, Vlad. I promise you.”

“Fine, she won’t die. But I will make sure this ‘misunderstanding' never happens again.”

“If you hurt her, she won’t recover. Corrupted beings cannot be healed and they cannot be brought back to life. The safety of the kingdom depends on her, remember?”

He glared but finally his fury subsided enough for them to return to the kitchen. Lierian was sitting at the table with a confused expression on her face. She took a defensive stance when she saw Vlad.

“Chase will be hearing about this and if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll be writing a letter, begging me to transfer him to another province,” Vlad glared at Lierian.

Clearly that fury was not as gone as Erinna had hoped.

At the mention of Chase, Lierian’s eyes darkened and a determined expression came on her face.

“You won't take him away from me,” she said fiercely.

“I made him. I can do anything that I want with him.”

“He’s mine, I love him.”

“Maybe you should have thought of that before touching my wife.”

“I did nothing that you didn't do yourself!” Lierian yelled in an accusatory tone.

Like Erinna had suspected, she truly saw nothing wrong in what she had done.

“Because she's my goddamned wife, not your experimental toy!” Vlad yelled back, making thunder crack outside.

This was getting out of hand and over something that was an honest mistake.

“Vlad, can I talk to her for a while?”

“No.”

Erinna leaned up and kissed his jaw, “Please? It’ll just take a minute.”

Vlad regarded her for a moment then he attacked her. Because that's the only word that could be used to describe the kiss. It wasn't about love or affection but about claiming and ownership. At that rate, he might as well have peed on her leg.

"I'll be outside. Five minutes. If she tries anything funny, I'll string her mother's intestines on our balcony."

"He's not going to transfer Chase is he? Because I'll just follow," Lierian said in her usual oblivious way after Vlad had left. Well, not left since she could feel his presence in the hallway. Nothing unexpected there.

"That is what stalkers do," Erinna mumbled.

"What?"

"Never mind," she shook her head.

"What happened there Lierian?"

"He put his mouth on yours and you seemed to like it. I wanted to know what it feels like."

Erinna sighed. Running her hands down her face.

She tried to look back at her own past but she didn't think she had ever been that clueless. Even before she'd met Vlad, she had the general idea about intimacy. She had known about kissing and had had some idea no matter how warped, of sex.

"Did Melissa attend to you?" She decided to ask.

Melissa's version of intimacy was much much different than what she had come to experience in her own marriage bed but it had prepared her and let her know what to expect.

"Who is Melissa?" Lierian asked in confusion.

Maybe she had been attended to by someone else.

"Didn't you have a governess?"

"If anyone knew about my existence, they would have killed me," Lierian said dryly.

Right.

Her father had tried to hide her too but at least she'd had the privilege of Melissa's company.

"What you saw Vlad and me doing is called kissing and you don't do it with random people. Not that you are random, but it's intimate. It's something you should be doing with Chase only or someone you love. In a non-platonic way," she decided to add the last part to avoid future confusion.

"So that's why the creature was angry," Lierian said, realization dawning on her face.

"Don't call him that."

Vlad was still on edge and didn't need a push over it.

"So I should kiss Chase then?"

"Only if he wants it."

"You liked it when he did it to you," Lierian accused, as if Erinna was concocting some plan to deprive her of the joy of swapping saliva with Chase.

"Because I love Vlad. It needs to be voluntary not forced."

"Fine," Lierian sighed, her face showing that she did not like this idea of free will.

"You'll need to apologize to Vlad."

"Okay, okay," she said in a bored tone.

"How did he know anyway?"

"Our Recognition Mark," Erinna held up her marked hand which was still red and swollen on the area of her Recognition Mark, from the uninvited contact. "Didn't you feel your mark burning?"

Lierian looked at her hand.

"It felt a bit warm."

"It will grow more intolerant to touch from other people the more your bond with Chase grows."

This seemed to lift Lierian's spirits.

"So I'll know if someone else touches him?"

"Yes," Erinna nodded.

"Fantastic!" The girl grinned then sobered. "I'm sorry for touching you with my lips."

"Kissing." Erinna corrected.

"What?"

"It's called kissing," she explained patiently.

"Okay."

Erinna knew she probably had to go into more details about intimacy but she was not sure how to go about it without embarrassing herself fifty miles to hell. Maybe she'd get Lierian some books or better yet, tell Angelica to put more effort into the mother-daughter talks.

"I'm going now, if there's anything you want to ask, you can use our telepathic link."

"Do you want me to walk you to your chambers?" Lierian asked, coming to Erinna's side to help her up.

She didn't need the help but it was sweet of Lierian to offer.

"No I'm fine. Vlad is outside anyway."

Lierian apologized to Vlad and he gave a grudging grunt that was neither a yes or a no.

😘🤚😘🤚😘🤚🤚🤚🤚

After escorting his wife to the library where she wanted to spend her evening, Vlad walked downstairs where he could hear Alexander so that they could go meet the army. Whilst he preferred to have his own exercise in private, he had a feeling he would be joining his men that night.

His blood was still boiling from Lierian’s shenanigans. The most infuriating thing was her cluelessness. It made her a worthless target of his anger.

The sight that met him downstairs only served to irritate him more.