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Vampire King Apollyon

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"You scared me when you said that, Apollyon." Luna gasped in shock, covering her mouth with a palm.

"Nothing had happened between you, right?" She whispered as she glowered at him in suspicion.

"Of course not!" Apollyon frowned, reaching out for her arm on the table and flipped them over, stroking her wrist with his thumb.

"I told you before, on the first night you arrived." He trailed his fingers against her skin, and he liked that it sent shivers down Luna's spine.

"Rest assured. You are the only one in my heart and soul." Smirking, Apollyon repeated for the millionth time.

"Apollyon." Luna recoiled from him, gawking at him as if she didn't recognize him all of a sudden.

"You weren't pretending that you loved me like how you did with Lilith so that she wouldn't be suspicious of your plans, right?" Apollyon's heart sank when his wife doubted him like this. "I'm afraid, Apollyon. That you are only pretending with me."

Well, he wasn't a good actor like she thought he was.

"I would give you permission to access my memories even if you don't allow me to see yours if you want. If you think I am only pretending with you, why don't you see it for yourself?" He jutted his chin and paired it with an arrogant smirk, "I am an open book when it comes to you."

"I believe in you, Apollyon, just like how you believed in me." Luna also said for the millionth time today.

Did Apollyon believed his wife with all of his heart, or was he lying to himself?

"I did everything Lilith wanted from me—just shallow physical contact—but I told her that I was exhausted every time she enticed me with sex." To prove how attracted he was to Luna and not Lilith, Apollyon inconspicuously removed his shoes with his hand and settled his large foot lightly over her small one.

"It was hard." Apollyon stared at her and winked. —I was hard--" He corrected, "—since she was using your face and your body, but I endured all of it because I love you."

Luna's scowl shifted into one of barely concealed amusement.

Apollyon's lips curved at her expression, trying to hard not to smile.

Pinching his lips together, he turned serious. "I was cautious not to be mated with an Archdemon since we have speculations that she was the High Priestess Lilith. Cederic was one of Lilith's suitors before she became the High Priestess."

"Cederic knew about her habits and the way she acted or speak, claiming he knew her best since he had undergone a strange obsession phase with her," Apollyon explained further. "Cederic also thought that perhaps, he was under her love spell or became a test subject for her love potion she wanted to try on me as the heir of the Vampire King."

Apollyon watched her silver hair whipped her beautiful face due to the soft, spring breeze. "I don't want to build the stacks against me, and neither would I risk losing you if she had established a permanent residence in your body."

"So you didn't drink her blood for your nourishment, and she hadn't drunk yours in return?"

"Never." Apollyon shook his head, and Luna heaved a sigh of relief. "Lilith kept on offering her blood for me to drink. I refused her because I don't want to risk it. I just told her I wasn't hungry, explaining that strong ancient pureblood vampires like me could withstand the bloodlust longer compared to the others."

"Weren't you hungry that you couldn't drink from me?" Luna pressed on as she covered his hand with hers.

He liked that she liked touching him as if she couldn't resist him.

"I was lucky that the High Priest had stored your blood in vials and bottles in advance for travel purposes before Lilith took over," Apollyon replied in a low voice. "Prince Aspen and I were actively hunting for the rest of the cult members, so we transferred all of my food to another location so that Lilith wouldn't find them."

She watched him closely and observed, "I think you would have preferred me asleep rather than be up and about with Lilith controlling my body."

"Lilith possessing you is the worst nightmare of my life." Shaking his head, Apollyon leaned forward and massaged his temples. "Anyway, Prince Aspen also moved Lady Clarence in another estate of his. I drank my blood supply in secret and in certain rations. That was why my vampire strength and magical abilities weren't that strong at that time." He remembered how problematic that time was, hiding and sneaking around with his food away from Lilith. "I also noticed that Lilith never told her she was hungry and needed blood from me as her mate. She was always the one who offered her blood for me to drink."

Luna snapped her finger in realization.

"That's because she didn't need blood, Apollyon."' Luna said wide-eyed. "Blood can satisfy a vampire's thirst, but only a soul could satisfy an Archdemon."

"The Blood Beast had possessed you before, Apollyon." Luna shifted in her seat without pushing Apollyon's foot away from her cute ones. "Ravin had used his deadly touch to take the souls from his victims."

Squeezing his hand, Luna asked, "Have you seen Lilith do that?"

"No." That would be ridiculous. "If she were a smart Archdemon, she wouldn't let me see her eat souls. That would blow her cover." Apollyon's voice was dry with humour as he shrugged with nonchalance. "I wouldn't hesitate to strike her down."

Luna's toes curled under his foot, but she still didn't remove it from under him.

Apollyon applied pressure unto the bridge of her foot in a jest.

He knew Luna could feel how heavy his foot was because she had thrown daggers at him with her eyes. "So, Lilith hadn't sneaked out of Lilac Manor to follow you wherever you go and catch you hunting the demonic faeries?"

"King Zephyr had been careful, shrouding the four of us in shadows, including the rest of the soldiers and sentinels."