Note: The long awaited chapter is finally here! Thank you for all the overwhelming support and please read the author's note for an important message :)

Chapter 5: An Urge

"There is an instinct that begins to develop once the body is bonded to a mate, that being a link that connects their soul and mind. This link allows the body to feel the emotions from their mate and it tends to radiate from their mark, which sends impulses into the body. Distance is a factor that remains ineffective to reduce the sensations, if anything, it only gets stronger. It is advised for those who are mated to stay close to one another as an unnatural time spent apart could have severe effects on the body." —An extract from Mirajane's Thesis in the Process of Mating.

"Tell me." She breathed against his ear, fingers teasing the hem of his pants. "What do you want?"

They sat on his throne, Lucy was sinfully wrapped around him, her dress ridding up to her waist and her skin glistened with sweat. Releasing a deep growl, he squeezed the softness of her thigh and pulled her closer, relishing in the soft moans she made. She arched back at the sensation of his mouth all over her biting, sucking, marking. His eyes were hooded with dark desire as he watched the woman on top of him release cries of pleasure.

"You." He hissed out, bucking his hips against her weight. "I want you."

"Lucy-"

Natsu snapped open his eyes to find his heart pounding, muscles aching and the heat was unbearable. Sitting up, he ran a hand through his hair and tried to ignore the incredibly vivid image of Lucy that was ingrained in his mind. He inhaled sharply, hoping that he could quickly get rid of the unknown feelings that stirred within his chest, only to be met with the very scent he feared. His head slowly craned to the side to meet Lucy, who was still sleeping soundly with her face turned away from him and her blonde locks shining against the morning light. He held his breath, desperately trying to block the scent that lingered thick in the air.

His thoughts whirled uncontrollably, still trying to control his emotions. His dreams were getting worse— or a part of him thought it was getting better. They had begun to grow more lucid, more life-like and more… pleasurable. But more importantly, his growing attraction towards her had only intensified. He knitted his brows together and thought back to the conversation they had a few nights ago. What was it about her that drew him in? He couldn't figure it out. She was just a timid human who had a silly fascination for little stars.

Well, at least, that was what he tried to convince himself.

Perhaps it was because of his mark or—as most vampires would call it—he was in heat.

Yes. That's it. I'm just going through heat. He thought bitterly.

He snapped his gaze to his arm, his mark was pulsing except this time it sent shocks of pleasure through his body. A groan escaped his lips as he felt an all too familiar feeling beginning to pool at his stomach, his member painfully strained against the fabric of his pants and a patch of dampness began to form. His fingers twitched, desperate to relieve the tension.

Natsu squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make his body calm down, but it only spurred the beast in him further. His plan was failing miserably as it did nothing to quell the pain. Throwing a quick glance at Lucy to make sure she was still asleep, he hurried into the bathroom and locked the door. He knew she was mere moments from waking up but he couldn't hold back his urges. With ease, he stripped out of his attire and his erection was in view, the tip of it already coated with pre-cum.

"Shit." He hissed and turned on the shower tap. Breathing harshly, his hand slowly trailed to his rigid length and palmed it. A sudden rush ran up his spine, causing his mouth to fly open into a stifled moan. His hands continued to pump it as hot water engulfed him, enhancing the pleasure. His free hand held onto the wall, steadying himself.

"What do you want?"

Her words echoed through his mind and his heart hammered against his chest. He could imagine her fingers slowly trailing down his chest, teasing the tip of his shaft before gripping onto it, a playful smile lingering on her lips. The chocolate in her eyes would darken, her lips close enough for him to kiss them till they were swollen. He recalled the way she pressed herself on his arm, her soft flesh melting against his skin. Natsu clenched his jaw tight, his pace quickening as each drag of his hand brought him to his limit.

Then, he heard an all too familiar yawn that sounded from outside. Her voice managing to cause an animalistic growl to rumble from his chest. Vivid images flashed in his mind, her head tipped back as she cried out his name, eyes clouded with lust as she came undone around him.

"Tell me, what do you want?"

Suddenly, his hips jerked, finally climaxing. A strangled moan left his lips as his hand slowed down. His back rested against the shower walls, heaving in harsh pants. It had been long since he last pleasured himself—or even had the time to do it. The tension he felt earlier had thankfully subsided and the glow in his mark had faded, but that feeling was quickly replaced with guilt as he realised that she was still blissfully unaware of what he had done.

For the past few days he had avoided Lucy at all costs, even acting coldly towards her to replace whatever feeling that was brewing in his heart. He became aware of his strange desires towards her and quite honestly, it terrified him. To be even somewhat remotely attracted to a human had never crossed his mind, and here he was, bounded to one. But now was not the time to be having such trivial thoughts over matters such as this, there was a war going on for goodness sake! To show any slight of weakness would change everything, and so he sought to avoid the very person that made him feel. Besides, they were different in every way. Once the border was safe enough to cross he would bring her back to her village, and that would be it. She would never be seen again.

Desperately, Natsu tried to tell himself that she wasn't the cause of all this, that he didn't just imagine her deliciously wrapped around him, that it was all due to the pent up aggression built up over the few weeks and this was simply… something to help him relax. She had nothing to do with it, she was merely a human who happened to have an incredibly alluring scent.

Yeah right.

He released a sigh, cleaning himself up before he stepped out of the shower and came face to face with the door that acted as a barrier between him and his mate.

Lucy's gaze was fixed on the only window in Natsu's room, which had a good view of the soldiers at the battlements. Her eyes narrowed when she saw that the men had begun to spar, making her fingers twitch in annoyance at the sides of her hips. She felt it, the emptiness of her belt, the yearning for her whip. Admittedly, she felt insecure without the weapon that she used to carry around wherever she went, only to have it taken away by some complete stranger.

It irked her, and it irked her badly.

The sounds of the men's swords clashing against one another echoed and the sensation of an adrenaline rush swirled through her veins, it was as though she could imagine the grip of the whip as she swung it at an enemy, the pull of the rope, the utter satisfaction of victory. Her fingers twitched again at the thought, a smile forming at her lips, her mind taking her back to the intensive practices that her father taught.

Back in her village it wasn't a custom for women to be trained in combat since for some reason it was never deemed necessary. They strictly believed that it was up to the men to fight and for the women to take care of the agriculture and household. Of course, they never took into the possibility if clans such as Sabertooth would ever attack, and how defenceless it would leave them.

Before the brutal raid took place, life at her village was much simpler, so there was never a real worry. Her father, being the second in command of the village, thought otherwise. He was always prepared for an imminent attack and constantly attempted to persuade the village leaders to listen to his advice, but it was futile.

Since there wasn't anyone who was willing to do it, he decided to train his own daughter in the art of self defence. Because she didn't have much strength, he opted Lucy to have a light yet convenient weapon: a whip. It had taken years, brutal hours of training and hard work for her to master it. Although she was lacking in strength, but she was skilled and smart, usually quick to figure out the flaws in an enemy's attack and always looking for an opening to strike swiftly. Lucy prided herself immensely in being able to handle such a weapon and treasured it deeply.

But now, it was gone.

It was then, her anxiety increased tenfold when a thought creeped into her mind. What was she going to do if a vampire attacked her? Being the only human in a place full of blood sucking creatures and weaponless was definitely not an ideal situation, and a dangerous one at that. Her fingers tightened around the material of her nightgown, her mind suddenly clouded with unwelcomed thoughts. It was then she came to a realisation that she still didn't fully trust Natsu despite his seemingly unthreatening nature, but there was something about him lately that was incredibly off, and it disturbed her.

"Someone's up early today."

Lucy blinked at the sound of an all too familiar voice. She turned her head to Natsu, who had just left the bathroom with his hair more disheveled than usual. She eyed him warily but didn't think much of it.

"Good morning Natsu." She greeted with a smile, "Slept well?"

He suddenly coughed, a tint of red beginning to rise up his cheeks. "Oh, uh yes, I slept fine. What are you looking at?"

"The soldiers," She gestured to the window, "they're sparring at the battlements."

"It's a routine, they do this everyday without fail." He remarked making his way towards her and followed her gaze, "Both men and women are required to undergo this training regardless of their position in the army, it's an essential part in building their skills." He paused, his brow arched, "Why the sudden interest?"

She flinched at the intensity of his stare. He was observing her too closely for her liking and his unwavering demeanour was unsettling. It was as though he was challenging her, like he knew just exactly what she was going to say next.

"I want to train, Natsu." She blurted out, louder than she had intended it to be, even Natsu was slightly taken back.

His stare hardened and his mood seemed to have dropped.

"What?"

"You heard me, I want to train." She said firmly and took a tentative step towards him, he remained still. "If you're planning to keep me here at least give me back my whip and let me train with it."

He scoffed and laughed slightly. "Training? Are you serious?"

"Does it look like I'm kidding?"

She was met with stone cold silence and a tension that wouldn't leave. Still, Lucy was unyielding, this was the only chance she could get a weapon and learn it. Be it a sword or a whip, she needed at least something to protect herself and she figured that this was probably the best way to attain it.

"No." He answered coldly, his eyes darkened. "What makes you think I'm going to let you?"

He took a step forward causing Lucy to unconsciously step back.

"Do you really think you'll be any safer than you are in here? You'll be in a court full of vampires who are armed and skilled."

"I can fight for myself." Lucy swallowed thickly as he took another step.

"You heard what my father said, didn't you? That we drink animal blood? You must think we aren't the monsters you thought we were, that in some ways we're just like you." He spoke lowly, his figure now towering over her presence and backed her against the wall. His hands caged her in while her eyes struggled to maintain the same intensity as before, the urge to look away heightened. "There will always be a craving, a sick desire that you wouldn't want to know and animal blood won't just make it go away. It's just a matter of time before one of them reaches their limit."

She shuddered involuntarily as she felt him lean in, his breath ghosting against her cheek. It felt hot, too hot.

"You're a human. Don't forget your place." The last word left his lips almost like a growl. He stood back up and looked down at her small yet unshaken form. He turned around and made his way to the door of his room.

Lucy released a breath she didn't know she had been holding and held onto the wall when the warmth of his body left. For a moment, she felt her legs wobble, threatening to collapse and hoping for him to catch her just so she could wrap herself in his embrace. Immediately, she slapped herself, disgusted that she could even think of him in such a way.

How dare he? The nerve of that guy…! Her thoughts echoed angrily in her head as she glared at him when he met her gaze, somewhat satisfied when he flinched. At least she got a reaction out from him.

"What do you take us humans for? That we're incapable of fighting? That our limbs are made of sticks? Or that we'll never be half as strong as vampires?" Lucy spoke, trying to mask her anger and causing Natsu to stop in his tracks. "In case you haven't noticed but I've been doing just fine during my stay here, no one has attacked me."

He gritted his teeth. "Like I said, it's only a matter of time-"

"And when that time comes I'll be ready." She interrupted him, his anger was rolling off his form and she could feel it. "It's as you said, someone is bound to attack me. In that case shouldn't I need something to defend myself with?"

"That would never happen if you obey my orders." He shot back, his body stiffening in irritation. "That is to stay at my side when I tell you to and to follow my every step."

The mark on her hand began to pulse in a quickening pace, almost mimicking his heartbeat.

It burned.

His fury, his frustrations, in that moment she felt it all. Her own annoyance only made the sensations worse. What irritated her the most was the sudden change in his character. She didn't understand why he was being so defensive. Throughout the past few days he had regarded her with cold indifference, keeping their conversations to a minimal and limited her freedom to only Mirajane and Levy. She had kept quiet, not wanting to cause any trouble with the prince but she had reached her breaking point.

Lucy whimpered slightly, for some reason a part of her wanted to give in, wanted to submit to his demands. But she wouldn't give in, no, not now not ever.

"What am I to you?" Lucy dared to ask with a slight tone of demand, "A prisoner? An unwanted responsibility?" Her eyes narrowed, "You keep asking whether I trust you, but the real question is do you trust me?"

Natsu turned around, his rigid back faced towards her. He breathed in deeply as he held onto the handle of the door, not even giving Lucy a single glance.

"I don't know." His reply was hesitant, as though not quite believing his own words. "I don't know." He said again, quieter this time.

He slammed the door shut and left Lucy to her own. She stared at the door, eyes burning into them as though hoping it would burn Natsu as well. Lucy was angry, furious and she refused to let him get away with it. Despite the fact he was indeed a prince, she was still her own person and she would never let anyone control her. The argument they had frustrated her to no end, there was no way that she was just going to leave it at that.

As she sat on the bed and pondered, a devious plan slowly formulated into her mind.

Author's Note: Hello once again! It's been almost 3 years since I updated this story I think? And I would first like to say how incredibly sorry I am for ignoring this story for that long. I admit, I was a bit burned out and I lost my passion for writing, so I thought about abandoning this story. It was only until a few weeks ago when I thought about picking up writing again, especially this story, and I was so afraid that no one was following it anymore. I was so surprised to find out the amount of followers have tripled since the last time I updated and I am so so incredibly grateful for all the reviews, favourites and follows! Thank you so much!

But since it's been many years since I updated, I decided to release a shorter chapter this time to see how many people are still interested. Sorry if this sounds incredibly vain, but please leave a review if you would like the next chapter which I plan to release it next week if there are enough people interested :) Once again thank you so much for the continuous support and I hope you have a wonderful day!

/also this was a pretty steamy chapter eh? ;)