NIGHTS OF HALLOW

”Your Majesty?” Perdita breathed shocked to see Sthena standing outside her door looking so handsome to be devoured.

Perdita shook her head at her thought. Was the thirst for blood getting into her senses that she was having those thoughts about the king?

Sthena tilted his head to the side with a displeased look on his face, and Perdita got what he was implying through his expression and corrected herself.

”Uhm...I mean, Sthena.” Perdita said.

”Yes, Perdita?” The teasing smile from earlier returned to his face.

”What are you doing here, Sthena?” Perdita questioned, unable to think properly.

”Won’t you let me in to know why I am here?” Sthena questioned back, his piercing gaze unwavering from her unsteady one.

By this time of the night? Perdita questioned herself, but then she remembered that they had once shared a room all thanks to Sthena.

”Please come in,” She said and stepped back. Sthena walked into the room and Perdita closed the door behind her.

Sthena didn’t stop walking until he reached the table on which Emily had placed the jug of water that Perdita had gulped the last drop of water in it.

”I smell a hungry vampiress here,” Sthena drawled and turned his head to the side, enough to look at Perdita who fidgeted with her dress. Her breath came in short pants and her eyes now fully turning red.

”My my, Perdita.” Sthena said in a sing-song tone and shook his head, ”Are you planning to drink me dry again? You could at least have mercy on my poor neck and let my body also regenerate the lost blood. Seems like I am too sweet.”

Perdita’s face flushed redder than they were already as the mortified feeling of Sthena’s vague words slapped and warmed her body at the same time.

What was wrong with this red-haired King? She internally asked and averted her gaze. She spoke, ”Who do you think is going to drink from you?”

”No?” Sthena questioned and turned his body to fully face Perdita. ”Do you deny that you haven’t imagined having my thick, warm, and delicious blood gliding down your throat as you suck on my neck?”

Perdita again felt the words of Sthena caress her body, sending tingling feeling down each part of her body and at the same time making her crave the blood more than ever as she imagined doing exactly what Sthena had described.

”I don’t know what His Majesty came to do in my room so late this night.” Perdita tried to change the topic but her words came out having a different meaning that made Sthena’s lips pull into a wide smile.

Sthena took advantage of the indirect meaning of Perdita’s speech to his advantage. He took a step forward and proceeded to sit on the couch in the room with his leg crossed over the other. He quizzed,

”What do you think I came here for, My Lady?”

Perdita closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath while trying hard to hold on to the last shred of self-resilience in her.

With hands clenched by her sides, Perdita opened her now red eyes and stared back at Sthena. She stated in the firm voice she could muster,

”I don’t know why you came here, but I apologize in advance if I sound rude, I was going to bed before you came. If you could give a lady some space, I’ll truly appreciate it.”

Sthena waited for Perdita to finish moving her mouth as she did her small rattling. He patted the space next to him on the couch and spoke the two words that broke the last resolve Perdita had.

”Come here,” He said with his finger doing the come hither move.

”No,” Perdita refused almost immediately. Going there was like giving herself freely to this sly man whose brain could twist at any moment.

”Come here, Perdita,” He repeated, this time with a serious tone that sent suggestive images in Perdita’s head.

Before Perdita knew it, her feet took a first step, and then the second, and before she knew and could stop herself, she found herself standing an inch away from Sthena.

Sthena looked at Perdita from where he sat, his red eyes barely showing any emotion in them. He stretched his hand and grabbed the clenched one of Perdita. He pulled her towards him and made her sit beside him.

A gasp escaped Perdita’s lips at the sudden movement. She glanced at Sthena with a question of what he was doing in her eyes as she was unable to form any intelligent sentence.

Sthena did not let go of Perdita’s hand, instead, he took the other one and placed it on his lap while he massaged the first one.

”A beautiful Lady as you are shouldn’t hurt herself so much with her nails.” He said while Perdita stared at him as though she was trying to understand the man beside her.

”You shouldn’t also hold back from telling me what is bothering you, Perdita. Didn’t you say we were friends? What are friends for if you don’t share your burden?” Sthena took the other hand of Perdita as he spoke and began to massage it too. His deep voice was gentle and a warm caress on Perdita’s already inflamed heart.

Sthena continued, ”I noticed how you were trying to hold back in the dining room. What did I say about accepting who you are?” He chided with a small glare that made Perdita feel like a child being scolded. And strangely, she liked this type of scolding.

Perdita internally sighed at her line of thought again. For a moment, she forgot she had been so bloodthirsty, and now with the way Sthena was speaking, it made the hunger resurface ten folds than before.

Sthena dropped Perdita’s hand and shifted in his sitting position so that he could face her. He stretched his hand towards her and said, ”Here, drink as much as you want.”

”W...what?” Perdita stuttered with a blink of her eyelids, unsure of what Sthena meant.

”I didn’t call a maid or bring you another blood since we don’t know how your body system is at the moment. Since nothing happened to you after you drank mine, I guess it is alright if I offer mine to you, seeing how hungry you are.” Sthena explained, but Perdita did not attempt to take his outstretched hand.

Sthena frowned before it was replaced with a smile, ”Are you not hungry? Or do you want to drink from my neck? I won’t lie, it would be enjoyable for the both of us.”

This could be a moment Perdita for the first time felt utterly speechless, unable to form any word to counter Sthena’s.

Without wasting another second, Perdita took Sthena’s hand and sank her fangs into it, and then came the rushing of the warm sweet blood she had been craving into her mouth that moved smoothly down her throat just like she had imagined and also like how Sthena had described it happening.

Her soft lips moved on the tender skin of his hand, as they sucked and nibbed on it to draw more blood with her eyes closed as she savored each drop of blood in her mouth.

While Perdita sucked on Sthena’s hand, he stared at her without blinking or averting his gaze for once. His always emotionless eyes swirled with a triggered emotion he didn’t hide like he always did.

He found his hand taking Perdita’s smooth and luscious hair in his free hand, letting the strands slowly slip from his fingers.

Some good amount of minutes passed before Perdita released Sthena’s hand from the pressure of her lips. She raised her head, and her hair fell over her face. Before she could raise her hand to remove the strands, Sthena’s hand had already done the job, his hand leaving a warm touch on the side of her face and ear.

”Are you satisfied?” He asked, his voice showing concern in them.

”Yes,” Perdita answered in a small voice.

”Come,” Sthena took Perdita’s hand and stood up. He led her towards the bed and Perdita’s heart skipped a beat.

”Lay down. You’ve had a long day.” Sthena said and gently tugged on her hand.

Once she settled down inside the bed, Sthena leaned in and covered her with the sheets, and used his thumb to clean the traces of his blood on her lips.

This action of Sthena caused the heart of Perdita to quiver in her chest. She just lay on the bed still processing this side of Sthena she had never seen before.

She knew he was always gentle with her, but tonight, this was on a whole level of gentleness she had never seen in him.

”Sleep now. Don’t stay mute if you ever want blood. Just let me know.” Sthena added and stood straight.

Does that mean, he would always give his hand for her to drink from? She was definitely going to have a good dream tonight.

A small smile stretched her lips wide as she watched Sthena head towards the door.

”Good night, Sthena.” She wished in a whisper.

Sthena stopped at the door and turned to look at Perdita. ”Good night, Perdita.” He wished back, a warm genuine smile on his face before he closed the door behind him.