Page 8 of The Shadow & the King
"Yes," Basil said, his voice rough.
Lunette didn't hesitate—she dug her fangs intothe soft flesh of his wrist, and the copper tang of his blood filled her senses. She pulled, drawing more of his blood across her tongue, and her whole world felt right. She'd never tasted anything so perfect. His blood had the same intense, dry spice as her favorite wines. He tasted like every exhilarating, comforting moment of her life.
Basil moaned loudly as she drank. Many felt incredible pleasure when a vampire took from them, and it seemed Basil was no exception. She didn't want to take too much, so she took one last pull and gently licked over the holes her fangs had left behind, letting her quick healing saliva do the trick. Basil looked up at her with what she could only describe as awe.
"How was that? Do you feel alright?" She asked.
"Lunette you are my beginning and my end. I want nothing more than to be so wholly yours every day of my life." He was breathless as he said the words, and Lunette tried hard not to let herself be swept away by the certainty and intensity of his declaration. She wanted that to be true—wanted to be needed by someone—but she told herself he was just caught up in the sensations.
"Would you like to be inside me now, pet?" She asked, all too aware of her own arousal as Basil's blood coursed through her veins.
She didn't wait for an answer. Basil whimpered as she lined up his massive cock at her slick entrance. The tip slipped in, and they both moaned. Lunette began to move her hips, working him further, slowly . Basil's hands fisted the sheets as he fought to stay still.
"Stroke my clit," Lunette commanded breathlessly. She watched as his hand instantly came up to stroke between her legs. He found her hood instantly and began massaging around its sides, brushing the sensitive nub only gently as he circled.
Lunettecried out, throwing her head back as the muscles of her cunt fluttered; she slipped another inch down onto his cock then, until she was fully seated. She felt the silky hair of his hips against the backs of her thighs.
Lunette couldn't hold back the rising tide of her pleasure, and she came undone. Her toes tingled with the power of her orgasm, and Basil cried out as well as she clamped down on him buried deep inside her.
"Lunette, fuck, I…" Basil's chest heaved as he looked into her eyes. She held his gaze and began to move on him, not vertical thrusts, but a slow, deep, rocking motion with her hips. She kept him fully inside her, grinding her clit against his finger where it was pinned between their bodies.
"Use your words, pet. What do you want?" Lunette asked breathlessly—she could barely control herself enough to tease him.
"I'm going to come, please, let me fill you," he begged. His words sent her over the edge again as she nodded, and this time, he followed.
Basil's hands clamped onto her hips, holding her in place as he came apart. She could feel the heat of his release inside her, and it was the most glorious sensation.
They stayed still as they came down from the height of their pleasure, both fighting for breath. They looked at each other, and Lunette could almost feel Basil's emotions. His admiration and want were palpable. But her own feelings terrified her, she yearned to stay here with him. Her old life felt suddenly pointless. She'd never felt such an instant understanding with anyone before, but she was just… comfortable with him.
After what could have been minutes or hours, Lunette shifted off of Basil and rolled onto her back beside him on the bed. He immediately moved, going to the bathing chamber to bring her a towel. When he returned and offered itto her, she paused.
"Basil, do you think I could take a bath before we go to sleep?"
The smile he gave her was so warm and open, she nearly melted.
"Of course. I'll fill the tub."
Lunette was suddenly quite grateful that Delkos had the technology for running hot water, at least here in the castle. They certainly did not have hot water so readily available at the inn she'd been at the past week.
After a few moments, Basil reappeared. "It's ready for you," he said, and she rose. He pulled her into an embrace as she passed him, and pressed a kiss to her temple.
If she hadn't known before, Lunette knew now. She wanted to stay here, and why should she not? She had been alive for three hundred years, and she'd never wanted anything as badly as she wanted Basil.
She made her way into the bathing chamber, and a massive claw-foot tub sat against the far wall, tendrils of steam gently wafting into the air.
She hummed as her body sank down into the hot water, and she savored the way it loosened up her muscles. She stayed there for a long while, thinking through all that had occurred in the past week, all the ways her life would never be the same. She examined her feelings, and noted excitement, joy, and a touch of anxiety. She still needed to tell Basil who his would-be murderer was. She also needed to have a discussion with him about their relationship—she wouldn't hold him to what he'd said in the height of his passion, but not a small part of her hoped he'd meant it.
After she had untangled her thoughts to her satisfaction, she rose from the tub and wrapped herself in a massive, minotaur-sized fluffy towel. She padded back out into the bedroom, and found Basil soundly asleep on the bed. He looked so at peace, and her heart felt so full at the sight of him.
Their talk would have to wait until the morning, she supposed. Vampires didn't need to sleep as much as other beings, so Lunette wasn't exactly ready to lie down yet. Lunette decided to have a look around Basil's chambers; not to be nosey, but just to see the layout of the place. She'd only seen his bedchamber, bathing chamber, and small library, but there were a few other doors. She chose one to try first and gingerly pushed it open, trying to keep quiet so as not to disturb Basil.
The room she found on the other side was not too grand in scale, but more open than the other areas of his chambers. A full wall of windows stood opposite the door she had stepped through. Moonlight filtered in and fell in broken sheets across a dining table and an ornate set of chairs. Lunette was more interested in the windows, though; there was a set of doors at the center that appeared to open onto a balcony.
She stepped quietly across the space and opened the balcony door. The view was out over all of Delkos and the sea beyond. It was breathtaking.
She only had a moment to take it all in before a damp cloth was pressed against her face, and everything went black.
Lunette came to in a small,empty, windowless room. Turios stood before her with a sour look on his face. What little hair he had was snow white, and his teeth were yellowed when he sneered at her.
