The Darkest Crown (The Eternal Darkness Duet #2)

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

T he humans Eskel procured for my feeding practice arrived. They were two women from Berlin, accompanied by two male vampires. The vampires planned on petitioning the Strategoi for permission to change the women, and hoped that offering them to me would improve their chances. I remembered Adam telling me that whenever the Strategoi denied these requests, the human was killed. That would be the first law I changed.

I met with the four of them and told them I would require a nightly feeding, alternating between the two women, for no longer than three weeks. During that time, no one but me was to drink from them. When their time was up, they had my permission to be changed.

Upon hearing that, their emotions ran so high, I heard their thoughts without even trying. Relief, joy, love. And a sudden rush of loyalty for me that caught me so off guard, I was still thinking about it hours later when I finally decided to feed.

I was waiting in a small sitting room when Eskel brought one of the women in. It was Petra, the younger of the two women. She had a curvy figure and pastel pink hair. She looked nervous, and without thinking, I listened to her thoughts.

She was nervous, but not about the feeding, only to be in the queen's presence. She wished she could tell me how thankful she and her boyfriend were, but I was the queen, and she wouldn’t speak unless spoken to. She kept her eyes downcast as Eskel led her over to me.

I was probably more nervous than her, but I didn’t tell her that. Instead, I gave her what I hoped was a calm, regal look, and told her to sit on the couch. Her eyes widened when I sat down beside her, and when Eskel moved to stand behind the couch a look of alarm crossed her face before she quickly composed her features. She was wondering why he was there, and why he was standing so close. She feared he was going to bite her too.

I didn’t know how to put her mind at ease without confessing the truth about me needing practice. Her heart started beating frantically, and she looked past me to the door. I felt guilty for frightening her, but her increasing heartbeat was making her blood rush faster, and I couldn’t stop my fangs from coming down. I was astonished, and somewhat ashamed, to discover I found her fear intoxicating. I wanted her to fear me. I wanted her to run from me, so I could hunt her down.

Eskel cleared his throat, startling me from my thoughts, and I glanced at him before offering Petra a reassuring smile.

“Don’t be afraid,” I told her, as I lifted my hand to gently grasp her jaw. I leaned towards her, stopping when my lips were an inch from her skin. I could feel the heat radiating off of her, warming my lips. Her scent was so different, because she was a human or because she was a woman, I didn’t know. But it made me wonder how she’d taste. I opened my mouth and sank my fangs into her neck.

She tensed briefly when my fangs pierced her skin, but then my venom hit her and she relaxed, her body melting against mine. Her blood was delicious, and deeply satisfying, but it didn’t affect me the way Julian or Adam’s did. Instead, my mind was hyper focused on myself. With every swallow I could feel my body strengthening. I could feel my senses becoming sharper, and my magic more powerful.

Petra moaned, pulling me out of my self-awareness, and I pulled my fangs from her neck and sat back. She swayed towards me with a dreamy smile on her face, and I caught her shoulders, steadying her.

“It feels so good,” she murmured, trying to lean towards me again. She was thinking about kissing me. She put her hands on my legs and slid them up my thighs, and my eyes shot to Eskel.

The corner of his mouth twitched. “I’ll escort you back to your room, Petra. I know Sascha will be waiting.”

Petra’s lips parted when she heard her lover’s name, and I imagined the two of them would thoroughly enjoy the rest of their night. I watched Eskel guide her from the room, then I sighed heavily and flopped back on the couch.

I couldn’t stop thinking about my reaction to her blood. I was relieved that I didn’t become aroused, but wondered why. I always did when I drank from Adam or Julian, but maybe it was because they were vampires? Or maybe it was because they had each been my sire?

When I bit the man in the park, I felt energized, but not aroused. Then again, I killed the guy. Kind of hard to get aroused by a dead person. When I bit the camper in the woods, I was incredibly aroused, but that was due to Adam. He’d had me on the verge of an orgasm before I even bit the guy. Just thinking about it made heat curl low in my stomach. I closed my eyes and began to replay it in my mind.

Adam pulled me back tightly against his chest. He pressed his lips to the spot just beneath my ear and growled, and when I gasped, he covered my mouth with his hand. He slid his free hand down my stomach, then he unfastened my jeans and pushed his hand inside.

My nipples tightened with arousal, and I lifted my hands to my breasts, gently squeezing, but it wasn’t enough. Without opening my eyes, I ran my hands down my body and unfastened my pants.

His fingers brushed over my clit, and my body jolted. He moved lower and ran his fingers over my pussy.

I shoved my hand down the front of my pants. They were too tight, so I grabbed the waist with both hands and shimmied them down to my thighs to give me access. I ran my fingers across my pussy to wet them, then I began to rub my clit. Pleasure shot through me, making me gasp, and suddenly, my body was on fire.

Adam dipped a finger inside me, then ran it back up over my clit. He circled my clit a few times, then pushed his finger back inside of me. Mercilessly he teased me, all the while his other hand stayed pressed across my mouth, silencing my moans.

I could feel the heat swirling inside of me. Every nerve ending on my body was crying out for release, and my hips lifted off the couch. Fuck, I was about to come.

“ Sarah. ”

I shrieked, my eyes flying open, as I yanked my hand out of my crotch. Adam was standing in the doorway, watching me, his eyes completely black. He inhaled deeply, causing his chest to swell, then he kicked the door shut and started towards me.

“What are you doing?” I exclaimed, frantically yanking my pants up. In a blur of motion he was in front of me, grabbing the bunched hips of my jeans, stopping me from pulling them up. His eyes fell to my pussy, and his lips parted, exposing his fangs. I yanked on my jeans again, but he wouldn’t let go.

“You called me,” he said, his voice thick.

I shook my head. “I didn’t.”

“You did. I heard your voice in my mind, calling my name.”

I tugged on my jeans again. “Let go.”

He finally tore his eyes away from my pussy, lifting his head to look at me. “You want me here. You want me to touch you.”

God, I did. “I didn’t mean to call you,” I explained, squeezing my legs together in an effort to hide my arousal. “I just fed from a human, and her blood must’ve affected me.” That was a lie, but he didn’t need to know that.

He stilled, a wrinkle appearing between his eyebrows. “You fed from someone. Your desire is for the human.” He let go of my pants and straightened.

I yanked my jeans up and fastened them before jumping up off the couch. “I’m sorry! This is so embarrassing!”

He looked away. “Don’t be embarrassed, it's a natural reaction to feeding.” He ran his hands through his hair, then shook his head. “I’m the one who should be embarrassed. You called my name, and I ran in here like a damn puppy.” He glanced at me, and I saw his eyes were returning to their natural state. “I apologize for my behavior.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I mean, you walked in on me-'' I stopped and cringed. “What else were you supposed to think?”

He slowly turned back towards me. “Your arousal may have been caused by feeding, but you still called me .”

I shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t mean to call you. I was just thinking about you and-”

He tilted his head as he looked at me. “You were thinking about me while you pleasured yourself?”

“I didn’t mean to. I was confused by my reaction to the human’s blood, so I started thinking about the last time I fed, which was the night in the woods, with you. And you know how it is when you feed. You get all worked up, and I was alone, so why not? You know?” And now I was rambling.

Adam stared at me for the longest time before responding. “I understand. Forgive me.” He turned and headed for the door, and I had to resist the urge to call him back. I felt terrible. He was in love with me, and although I did it unintentionally, I’d just called him to me, turned him on, and rejected him. I didn’t have to read his mind to know how miserable he must be feeling.

After he left, I started pacing. I still felt energized from feeding. I wanted to run and fly and hunt. And fuck . I’d been on the brink when Adam interrupted me, and even though I was now emotionally a mess, my body still demanded release. I paced faster, switching direction rapidly in the small room. I tried taking deep breaths to calm myself, but it didn’t help. I needed to get out of there.

Not wanting to run into Adam in the halls, I exited through the door on the opposite side of the room. The castle was a maze of hallways and staircases, and I slunk through them, trying to get out undetected. Every time I heard voices, I changed directions, and I found myself heading upwards.

When I finally stepped out onto the walkway atop the castle, I inhaled the crisp night air and breathed a sigh of relief. I was on the backside of the castle, facing the ocean, and I leaned over the half wall to watch the waves crash against the rocks below. That’s what I felt like inside. Turbulent and wild. And confused.

Why did I send Adam away? I was literally masturbating to a memory of him, but when he was standing in front of me I said no. It didn’t make any sense. Adam was wonderful. I knew he loved me and would do anything for me. He gave Diana his blood, for me . He let me practice my magic on him, and he got William to help me. He risked his life to rescue me from Marius. So why did I turn him away and deny us both the pleasure we obviously desired?

Julian. I turned Adam away because Julian would kill him if he found out. And because deep down, Julian was the only man I wanted inside me. Possessive, controlling, arrogant, Julian.

“Well, fuck.” I placed my hands on the stone half-wall and vaulted over it, letting myself fall for a moment before swooping back up into the sky. I didn’t know how I was flying, I just was. It came as naturally as breathing. And I was fast. Even faster than running at full vampire speed.

I tore through the sky like a bullet, flying for miles over the ocean before turning back. I headed west, reaching land far from the castle. I flew low over the treetops, inhaling the scent of pine, and startling birds into flight. My mind calmed as I flew, and my thoughts became clearer, until I knew exactly what I wanted. My lips curved as I turned back towards the castle.

I returned the way I came, flying out over the water so as not to be seen, but when I approached the castle, I saw Julian standing on the walkway, watching me. I knew I didn’t call him; he arrived there on his own. I landed softly in front of him, my heart beating wildly with anticipation.

His eyes moved over me, taking in every detail of my windswept appearance. When his eyes met mine, the corner of his mouth lifted. “Flying suits you.”

I smiled. “It does. I couldn’t begin to describe how it makes me feel.”

He stepped closer. “Try.”

I shrugged, searching for the right words. “It makes me feel alive . Excited but calm at the same time. Strong. Fearless. It clears my mind, erasing all doubt and confusion, until I’m able to see exactly who I am, and what I want.”

“And what do you want?”

I stepped closer, closing the distance between us. “You.”

Julian’s eyes darkened, but he remained still as I stretched up on my toes to kiss him. The second my lips touched his, his arms went around me, lifting me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and his hands went to my ass, holding me. My nipples hardened, and I pressed my chest against him, whimpering. Julian broke our kiss, raising his head to look at me. I tried to kiss him again, but he lowered me, releasing me when my feet touched the ground.

He looked into my eyes as grabbed the hem of my shirt and slowly lifted it over my head. My nipples hardened further in the cool night air, my thin lace bra doing little to shield them. Julian lifted his hands to cup my breasts, softly rubbing his thumbs over my nipples. Then his hands fell to the waist of my jeans.

He unfastened them and slid them down my legs. I lifted one foot, then the other, stepping out of them. He straightened and hooked his fingers in the sides of my underwear and slid them down as well. I stepped out of them and he placed his hands on my hips and guided me backwards until my ass was against the stone half wall. He lifted me, setting me on the wall, then fell to his knees.

He spread my legs, lifting one to dangle over his shoulder as he leaned in and ran his tongue over me. I groaned and let my head fall back. I looked up at the stars, barely noticing their beauty, as Julian swirled his tongue around my clit. He ran his tongue down my center, delving inside to taste me, before moving back to my clit, then he slid two fingers inside of me.

I arched my back, moaning loudly, as he fucked me with his fingers and teased my clit with his tongue. I grabbed the edge of the wall, the stone rough beneath me, but I hardly noticed. I began to gasp and whimper as I neared the edge, and Julian growled with satisfaction. His growl vibrated my clit, and I gasped as my pussy clenched tightly around his fingers.

“Fuck, yes.” I breathed. My head and shoulders hung out over the wall, and the wind blew up the side of the castle, tousling my hair. “Don’t stop. Don’t stop.”

My thighs trembled as tension grew inside of me, like a wave building higher and higher before crashing down. I cried out his name as I shattered into a thousand pieces. My pussy throbbed, clenching his fingers as he flicked my clit with tongue again and again, drawing my orgasm out. He didn’t stop until my legs went slack, then he lifted his head and looked up at me.

His eyes were black, and his lips were wet. He licked them as he stood and unfastened his pants, freeing his erection. My eyes went to it, and I spread my legs wider. He grabbed his cock with one hand and positioned it at my entrance, sliding it across my wetness before slowly pushing into me. His lips parted, and he tipped his head back as he sank into me, and I hissed with satisfaction.

He lowered his head to look at me as he began to move, and I knew my eyes must be as black as his. He took his time, sliding his cock almost all the way out before pushing back in. My pussy was so sensitive, I whimpered with every slow thrust. His eyes bore into mine as he lifted his thumb to his mouth and licked it.

“Yes.” I gasped, knowing what he was about to do. He lowered his hand and my body jerked at the first touch of his thumb to my clit. He made slow circles, and I rocked into his touch, oblivious to the stone digging into my ass. “Don’t stop, Julian.”

He kept the movements of his thumb slow as he gradually increased the pace of his hips. He looked down, watching his cock slide in and out of me. “God, Sarah, you feel so good.” He thrust harder, making me cry out.

He applied more pressure with his thumb and sent me tumbling over the edge. I shouted his name as I came, and he pounded into me as he sought his own release. The friction of his cock sliding into my throbbing pussy was sweet torture, and I was delirious with ecstasy when he finally came. He groaned, burying his cock deep inside of me and I hooked my ankles behind his ass, holding him to me. I gripped the edge of the wall and pulled myself up into a sitting position, and he lowered his head to kiss me.

“You’re incredible,” he murmured against my lips.

“I was just thinking the same thing about you.” I was surprised by how husky my voice sounded, but after two powerful orgasms, it was a miracle I could talk at all.

I unwrapped my legs from around him and he slowly pulled out of me. He helped me down from the wall, steadying me as I stood on wobbly legs. He tucked his cock back into his pants, and retrieved my jeans and underwear from the ground. He stood silently, watching me get dressed. I slid into my jeans, smiling as I realized how incredibly happy I was.

“What is it?” he asked, seeing my expression.

I zipped my jeans and grinned at him. “Not a bad way to end my evening.”

He chuckled. “I couldn’t agree more.”