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The Empress Luna

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Luna blinked, and her eyes burned for a moment, taking the time to adjust to the sudden bright colours splashing in front of her.

She uncurled her stiff limbs, noticing the dried tearstains hardening the tender skin of her face.

Her entire body hurt like she had been whipped a thousand times as a punishment.

The burning in her eyes and skin had disappeared, but she didn't want to think about Ravin's tattoos on her body.

Was she completely marked by him when she didn't even agree to his bargain in the first place: being his Queen in Hell in exchange for unlimited access to demonic power?

Did Ravin bind her to him without any consensual agreement?

Luna refused to think about their bargain in exchange for returning her to the Vampire Realm.

She didn't sacrifice anything, nor did she agree to any bindings or contracts with him except what the Archdemon of Envy's witch had done but, Luna was scared that their soul thread had strengthened over her and Apollyon's blood.

That couldn't be.

The Vampire King watched over her with surprised blue eyes, frozen in place as he held the knife in one hand while the other hovered over her face.

The slash in his wrist had healed after a few seconds.

Inhaling the scent of Apollyon's blood as it plopped on her upper lip, she licked the blood slowly--warily--as if one wrong move could make him drive that knife he held into her heart if she did something wrong.

"Luna." The Vampire King said softly, and her tone sounded raspy as if it was a long time since she had used her voice. "Yes, you're Highness?" She spoke softly in response, but he pretended as if he hadn't heard her.

"Luna." He called again, but this time, the timbre of his voice was deeper and had a sense of urgency.

She couldn't read his face because he had kept it blank, but the way his hands trembled when he stroked her hair gently, caressing her hair made her close her eyes shut, feeling drowsy.

"Luna. Luna. Luna." Apollyon chanted her name like it was a prayer, full of fear and longing.

The Vampire King closed his eyes, repeating her name like it was a magic spell, savouring the word like it was his lifeline, his blood.

He made her feel like she mattered with every name uttered in his sensual mouth.

She saw Apollyon's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as if he was swallowing his words.

Luna waited for Apollyon to speak first, wondering what he had done while she was gone.

She wouldn't ask, she wouldn't demand nor should she coax at him to get answers she needed.

Luna will wait until he was ready even if it will take them the next morning for him to finally speak to her.

Apollyon's sleek and royal appearance in the Vampire Courts, when he faced the other Kings and his royal subjects, was completely different the last time she saw her.

Luna didn't know how much time had passed by since she had assumed that the timeline in other dimensions was different.

The Vampire King in front of her was made of rougher material, and his clean-shaven jaw from last time was shadowed with a beard.

Apollyon's eyes became a richer shade of blue since the last time she saw him.

Luna had missed his crushed sapphire eyes, turning into a hundred shaded of turquoise blue and cerulean intertwining witch each other.

She yearned to reach out her hand to run her fingers through his long and silky raven hair which had almost reached his shoulders.

Instead of falling into slumber again, Luna shook her head when her mind flashed her images of the tortured children from the orphanage, driving her mind in disturbing chaos, filling it with the terror of a lifetime.

Luna fought her way through the haze of the trauma she had experienced, witnessing something so brutal.

She widened her eyes open, determined not to sleep or the nightmares would--

"Wife," Apollyon said smoothly that it was so unexpected.

So, her husband had finally decided to say something to her instead of just staring at her like a creep.

Luna could see the anxiety in his jerky movements.

Seeing Apollyon acting like this also made her nervous because she couldn't handle this side of him.

His confidence was unwelcome when he carried on to blurt out the words, "I love you."

Luna was taken aback, but she didn't flinch so that her husband wouldn't treat that as an insult.

Exhaling a breath, she calmed herself and kept a straight face instead of screeching in disbelief.

She didn't expect him to be like this the moment she woke up from her astral travel.

Apollyon wasn't the type of man to say that out of the blue.

He was the Vampire King, and his declaration of love was considered a weakness of his character.

Luna cleared her throat, trying to find the right words to such a sudden confession from the Vampire King.

"Cat got your tongue?" She didn't have the chance to speak her mind when she heard his deep voice, holding nothing but laughter.

It sent the butterflies in her stomach wild, the sensual heat shifting to her core.

"Why can't you speak, wife?" Apollyon's smile became sharp as he placed the knife into the back to the bedside table. "As a woman, I thought you wanted to hear those words come out of my mouth with conviction and reassurance."

"Before your soul went away, you kept on insisting that I promise you these things and here I am telling you." He looked down at her and muttered, "But you did not react?"

One moment, Luna was trapped into a haze of pain and shock.

Now she was smiling at her indignant husband.

"Thank you for loving me, husband," Luna said, her voice gaining strength.

That was the first step.

Luna thought this was the most appropriate response to a love confession from a seemingly psychopathic husband, but she still had to observe his behaviour.

One wrong thing she would disapprove of, she had one foot set out the door.

Luna would pack her necessities and escape immediately at the first breaking dawn even if she would have to leave her blood mate behind.

She would never make the same mistakes again after learning the lesson.

She knew her worth as the Empress.

Luna knew what to do now, choosing herself above anyone else, but her heart was still open for Apollyon's love.

Luna knew what to tolerate and what not to.

"I missed you, my wife." The Vampire King's stroking hand had moved from her forehead to her neck, turning her excitement into fear. "I thought I already lost you."

Luna glanced up at him, astonished at his vulnerability to admit that. "I'm here now, Husband."

Apollyon had wrapped his large hand around her slender neck and whispered, "You're mine."

She flinched, but it was for naught.

"Don't hurt me."

The Vampire King's hand was big, gentle and patient.

"Of course not." Apollyon's blue eyes flashed hurt as if offended by her statement. "I was checking if you were still cold because I swear your soul had left your body before this. You felt like a corpse to me."

Luna closed her eyes and relaxed into his warmth after long minutes, reassured by the calluses which spoke of a man accustomed to using heavy swords and weapons.

How could such a man so utterly ruthless provide the safety Luna needed?

He cupped her cheek and asked, "Where did you go?"

She blinked.

That was a question she wasn't prepared to answer.

Apollyon's brows furrowed. "Both of your eyes are golden."

That was an implacable statement.

The Vampire King knew where she went.

Well, Luna didn't really have to answer now.

When she looked into the Vampire King's blue eyes, she saw that there was a cold, hard rage flickering in them which made her want to escape out of his sight but then she discerned it was Ravin he was angry about.

The Archdemon of Gluttony had taken hold of her in her dreams, but Apollyon couldn't do anything about it, nor did they speak regarding this situation.

"I wouldn't pressure you to do anything you don't want to tell me." The Vampire King's gaze lingered into her body, especially on her cleavage, which was exposed by her thin chemise.

"You don't have to block your mind from me anymore because I wouldn't be reading them for your privacy now would I tap into your emotions because you fear I might take advantage of you." He tucked her thick blankets gently--which felt good and soft sliding unto her skin—up to her neck to cover her upper body properly.

The Vampire King didn't pry her for more details.

"I will sleep with you now, wife."

He turned to the left side of the bed and climbed towards her.

Lifting the blankets, Apollyon settled on the empty spot beside her and faced her, opening his arms.

Luna squinted at him for a few seconds before moving towards his embrace.

The Vampire King slid one muscular arm around her waist, which curved around her back while the other one cradled her head just below her shoulders.

"I can make you stay without forcing you, my Empress, just watch me." A soothing murmur before Luna shifted deeper into his warm body. "It's a bet."

She would have argued, but she was tired and achy.

Luna breathed deeply, resting her head against his heart in his arms.

Her body sighed at the scent of him.

She missed how Apollyon how wonderful he smelled: all hot and male musk mixed with the smell of fresh pine trees and snow.

His jaw rasped against her hair as he tucked her under his chin.

"You're mine, Luna." He said quietly. "Remember that."