Vengeance is Written in Blood

by xxdarknessxfallsxx

There is a curse set upon the Lockett Royal family; every Lockett male shall die after leaving a successor. For years I've looked for a way to break the curse, what I found was a vampire who lusted for me in ways I'd never dreamed. Complete!

27. Chapter XXV

Note: You all are too kind to me. Thank you x 1047134652. Ah, I remember when 40 reviews was something to party about. 200 is like, epic. -gleeful- I apologize so much for the long wait. Hopefully it's worth it.

Someone in the reviews mentioned that Allison shouldn't stay with Luke, and should aim for Nicolas. At first, I thought about that. In all honesty, this can go two ways: Allison can get with Luke or Allison can get with Nicki. There's not going to be some other random guy to pop out and steal her heart, and Taylor's got a girl, so... Let me know what y'all think about the matter.

My first time to EVER write something this intimate when it comes to taking blood. It ain't no Anne Rice....but hopefully it wasn't badly done.

Chapter 25 – Guilty Kiss

Blessedly, I awoke very early compared to the rest of the palace the next morning. The sun had not even risen yet; but the early rays of it made soft oranges and pinks on the line of the horizon along the mountains.

Without thinking about last nights events or anything else of consequence, I put on a fresh dress and traveled toward my private royal library, as I did every morning to check on Taylor or Julie or whomever was in the room. Sometimes they had an update for me, sometimes they did not. I paused before I opened the old oak door, my thoughts betraying me and thinking of what happened last night between Luke and I and how Taylor Halling had predicted that very barrier to emerge. Would he know already? Would he have anything to say? "I told you so," for one. I decided to take the salt in the wound and enter.

Thankfully, I very soon realized, Taylor was sitting at his place at one of the desks, shutting out every other soul from his attention so he could have complete concentration on whatever he was studying. I came closer as curiosity got the better of me.

Taylor's coal colored orbs looked intently over a map spread over the wooden desk, the corners held by weights shaped as enlarged chess pieces, a task the dark-headed vampire had been occupied with for several days when he was cooped inside this room and was not cleaning up after Courtney's colorful trail of corpses. The titles of all of the local newspapers were covered in the words of her crimes just as heavily as her victims were covered in blood. As a side note, there had also been 'disappearances' in the city, which were the victims Taylor managed to clean up to keep massacre out of the city's vocabulary. My people knew, though, that the people that were missing were truly dead.

Julie was absent from Taylor's presence because she slept when the sun was risen, as Luke did, and Taylor had payed for a cottage for her to dwell within that was close to the castle but outside the city. No one had ever wished to buy the little home because it had no electrical power, simply a fireplace. Again, I was provoked with the mystery that was their relationship.

Curious to what terrain he was studying right now, I glanced over his shoulder as inconspicuously as I could. The map, I quickly realized, was a geographic one of the capital city that the palace rested just outside of.

I couldn't help but lean a little more over to get a better view. "What are you searching for?" I asked before I had a chance to hold my tongue. My stance shifted straight as I expected a harsh reaction from him in response to my blatant desire into business that wasn't exactly mine... who was I kidding, everything he'd been sticking his nose into in my own library was my business. I could wonder what he was up too, and possibly help him. I awaited a reply; my eyes cast over a spot on the map labeled "courtyard." I glanced outside of the window where the sun had not yet risen upon and saw the courtyard that was depicted.

My sight was stirred when Halling's perfect tenor voice spoke in response to my question. "This country... your country," he corrected easily, his eyes never leaving the page. "Acts like a giant cage that we can use to trap Courtney within. The Pyrenees Mountains prove difficult for Courtney to simply escape or retreat over, should she have a reason to be driven away. That in itself is a step, compared to the larger ranges of escape of where we were located in America." There was a certain scoff in his voice. His hand spread over the map. "What I'm looking for is one place; a building, a courtyard, anywhere," he suddenly jerked his head violently toward the window "Somewhere to corner her in and take her for good this time!" His voice had worked up into a shout now. His hand found the desk from the air, where I believe I heard a few splinters of the wood break under his strength, and I was mildly startled with his quick, violent actions.

I waited several moments, staring at his tense backside, waiting for him to calm and relax those square shoulders and resume his proper position he had been in before; hovering over the map, black coal eyes trained to the lines.

I found myself hovering as well. There was a place perfect for the location Taylor wanted... I wondered momentarily if he had the same plan Luke had mentioned to me before. My fingers traveled along the lines on the left side of the map until they came to a part labeled "Cemetery."

"How about this?" I suggested. His head shifted toward the tips of my fingers. "The Prince's Cemetery has only two exits. The land there is enclosed with nearly impenetrable stone walls and metal fencing since the area was first designed as a fortress. In history, more royals died than lived within, so it became the resting grounds for all of the royal family after the palace was built. It isn't a public place and far enough away from any residence it should be suitable for whatever you wish.

He was silent, with his head bent over the place on the map for several seconds. "Yes." he said finally, in a whisper. "That will work perfectly, I believe..." He sounded as if he doubted himself; he stared at the markings on the map for awhile longer. "Yes." he repeated more soundly, definitely. "Thank you." he added now. His thanks was genuine, and genuine replies from Taylor were a foreign sound to my ears and he surprised me.

I moved from his way as he rose and drew a few more books from the shelves for research. I was erased from his attention again, as when I'd walked into the room, when those coal eyes found the words within those books.

I blinked, taking in every detail that I did not understand about Taylor Halling, before exiting.

The palace was seemingly empty as I traveled through it, and I watched the rising sun paint each room and bring life to the palace that was cast over in the darkness of the unkind night. Pinks and oranges and yellows and purples and blues, all soft and soothing with the warmth of dawn in spring; each made masterpieces on every surface the window panes allowed. I portrait I saw before me was a scene and mood completely reciprocal to the weather forecast posted that stated a heavy storm was on its way to consume the capital city in wind, rain and sound. But I would take the inevitable storm to come any night above this one; I wanted this night to end above all others. I couldn't take my mind off of the confounding events that had taken my lover and I, as I walked through the empty halls in the early morn.

Lucas was the man who was not human yet was more mortal and meaningful to me than any breathing creature on this earth. But in not being human, within himself he housed a cruel and insolent being. It was the vampire that is the darkness of him. This part of him possessed and took without remorse and claimed blood with all the lust of the conquistadors to the new world. Along with his kind, flattering, mortal heart, this darkness was just as much a part of him as the mortality still was. And since I'd accepted Lucas for who and what he was for quite some time now, I couldn't take back my emotions toward him that were wrapped around every inch of his body in a tight binding of something I could only imagine to be love. He was a vampire, with a lust for more than my body and heart alone. His mortal part of him could love me with every ounce of strength but still the vampire would be craving more. Since I knew what his vampire craved, and retained what the vampire lusted after, there was really only one choice that I had when the sun fell behind the horizon tonight.

The scary part was, my stomach fluttered with not only nervousness and anticipation for this notion, I found myself reacting somewhat... excited. Like I was willing and wanted to bend my neck and offer myself to Luke. For a moment I wished that I could speed up time for the day and watch the sunset swiftly so I could have Luke in my darkened chambers and pull back the collar to the expensive silk dress and let him ravish me in every sense of the word.

This violent shiver passed down my spine, and I decided that tonight, Luke would have what his vampire desired.

After I decided this, for sure, a decision I didn't make surely last night when he was ready and I wasn't, I traveled to the throne room within the palace. It was a quiet and empty room with high ceilings and large windows; it was a place I could go to take my mind off of things, or contemplate the more significant of them.

The doors to this awesome room were golden and designed by an Italian some two-hundred years ago or so... When I opened them and walked within, a long red carpet led straight to two throne seats in which my blood, by contract, allowed me to sit upon. A place for a queen was before me. The throne seats rested higher than the rest of the room, and I walked closer to those seats and eased myself down upon the stairs that countless subjects and servants had knelt upon to the monarchs that had ruled there, my family and the families before my family (when the monarchy was more than just a simple figurehead as it's been reduced to in all of the great kingdoms today).

In this very moment, I should be sitting in the seat of the queen. My pedigree says that I should, no questions asked. Instead, I'm trying to give my chairmen a reason why I'm worthy of that seat, because my pedigree isn't enough anymore. The "kiss-ass"ing I'd been doing for the passed few weeks was criminal and injurious, all because Cynthia Coffin wanted my seat and Nicolas was romantically available. Why was the seat of the queen so important to have, anyway? Politicians had more power than I really would if I were crowned the queen right now. The most the monarch could really do anymore, if they were not actively involved in politics as I planned on being, is veto a law that in its stages of being passed, maybe pardon a serial killer from the death penalty (though I don't see why one would want to do that). I sighed and stretched myself upon the stairs with my chin on my hand.

"Voted" into my own crown. What are we, a damn democracy now? This is not America. I thought with an angrier sigh. That would sure be a story to tell the grandchildren, given I ever produced children to produce grandchildren. With my current lover, I was told that was impossible. I opened my sapphire eyes sadly and thought of Lucas again. When it came time for me to marry, hopefully when I was decided for the crown and needed to make heirs with my country's new king, what would I do then? Lucas couldn't be exposed, he could never be my husband, my king, and I could never produce children with him anyway, even if my country did somehow except a vampire king and a half-ling child. (What a kid that would be).

If I was decided for the throne, which is the reason why I came back to my country and the reason why I was born, how could he and I be together? I wasn't about to take him as a secret lover and marry a mortal man I didn't love. I wouldn't undermine Luke like that and I wouldn't cheat on any man I was married too.

There was always that option of running away again, just as my mother had before me. Running away into the night with a secret lover didn't sound too bad compared to being voted into a crown and cheating on my make-believe mortal husband with a vampire.

I laughed at the terribly dry humor my mind was concocting on the stairs to the throne seats. Why on earth would I be worrying about marriage and lovers when my city was currently on its knees to Courtney's wicked wicked ways? Allison, you are unbelievable, I thought to myself. I stood and wiped the silly feminine thoughts of lovers and marriage away until a time would come when they were more important than the havoc Courtney was wrecking on my country.

I had already done all that I could have during the weeks to warn my people of the danger, without actually warning them of Courtney herself, and keep my people as safe as I could. I suggested everyone stay indoors during the nights, giving the excuse that some sort of pack of wolves or bears or mountain lions were afoot in the rocky mountains (The country's scientists couldn't figure out what had sunken their teeth into the victims... I knew better). I had sent out search parties for the missing persons periodically to try and perhaps scare Courtney away from city limits for an evening.

The public grew restless and was unsure of the entire situation and my response to it. People were disappearing and turning up dead by the week, and secretly, everyone in my city knew something supernatural was behind it, and they knew I knew something about it.... But I was forbidden to tell a soul the truth, and it killed me a little bit each time I went public and lied to my people while attempting to warn the capital city of "whatever was behind these despicable and murderous crimes." I could only imagine what the Chairmen were thinking of me and the entire situation; I probably looked like an overprotective mother, telling my people to stay in at night ("People have jobs to go to during the night! Tell them not to attend and the economy will be in an economic rut faster than you can say 'America.'" Chairman Daine had said). The entire city was consumed in bad omens and superstitions; some people said these murders were happening because I wasn't back on the throne yet, others tried to say it was because the Chairmen were considering me for the crown. Bullshit, all of it.

The door creaked as someone entered the room. I was caught off guard from my thoughts, but did not move or turn around to see who had entered. However, I could recognize the voice.

"You shouldn't worry too much. The legislative is practically dancing in your hand, apart from Coffin."

"I know, Luis... It's just-"

"Luis?" The voice questioned. I turned to see not Luis, but his son. Nicolas smiled at the shock apparent on my face.

I let my head hang slightly for a moment. "My apologies. You sound just like your father when the room echoes your voice like that." I admitted, blushing slightly from the mistake. He smiled and walked nearer to me, his hands clasped behind his back. We both gazed upon the throne seats; one for the queen and one for the king. The sun that now casted into the room from the windows overhead settled on the thrones, with their fine gold finish and red velvet seats, they were truly "fit for a king." I faintly remembered sitting on my father's lap when he'd brought me to this grand, bright room for the first time. A memory from long, long ago.

"I so hoped one day I would be the one on the throne." Nicolas admitted softly.

My insides stirred slightly. What did I feel as he said this? A little wave of guilt, because it was because of me he was not going to become king. I gazed upon his stark face; his dark eyes trained to the throne seat with a certain ambition. I felt admiration then; toward him for being so ready to take the throne if I had never come back or if something had happened to me. I glanced away as soon as he turned to look at me.

"Don't mind me. You'll never have to worry about me plotting against you, my reina. I am merely your most trusted royal guard." His stance shifted; in his black slacks and white dress shirt he bent his torso into a complete bow toward myself. I wanted to tell him to stop, not to show me such submission and respect; but he bent his head down too so he could ignore my protest. "Your majesty, I am completely at your service." Nicolas told me with his signature smooth voice. He stood straight and cracked a smile; it almost glittered with the entire image he had going for him in the light he stood in.

I could nothing but curtsy in return and accept his allegiance.

"Very well." I nodded to him. "My first request... tell me what's been on your mind; what you've been holding back from me."

His smile faded, his tanned face almost drained of color. "No." He told me quickly, like a reflex. My eyes grew in shock as he disobeyed an order from the person he had just sworn allegiance to. "I mean, I can't suggest such a selfish proposition, Allison..."

"You know you can tell me anything, Nicki." I replied sweetly. There was a certain coo in my voice I only used on Luke when he would not reveal something to me. Nicolas gave in more easily than Lucas normally did, signaled as he bit his lip and looked at his feet.

"Alright. Follow me to our "room" in our outside mansion." He told me with a small, almost shy, smile. I grinned in return and followed as I knew what he was talking about; the imaginary mansion made with the maze of hedges out in the Grand Courtyard.

The day was bright and sunny by now. The spring time blossoms were in full bloom, with only a tiny bit of dew left from the dawn on the fresh, green leaves of the trees. I took time to admire the gardening as I followed Nicki passed servants, through the hedge maze and into the square 'room' where the angel statue found home. He showed me a seat on the bench next to the statue and cleared his throat before sitting next to me. He seemed quite nervous.

"Now, please, let me finish before you judge me. In all honesty, it was my fathers idea all along, I was just a puppet too-"

I set a single finger to his lips and quieted him. "Nicolas, disclose this diabolical plan to me, please." I more ordered than suggested. He nodded and swallowed an apprehensive lump in his throat. His finger pulled at his clean white collar to loosen it; he grew more nervous by the moment.

"There is one way that you can become queen...and I could still become king, Allison." he began very, very carefully. Instantly my mind jumped to conclusions. How could I not?

He was speaking of marriage. Irony, was it not? Since I'd been thinking of the very same this morning.

I did as I was told and let the man finish, but the shock was evident in my sapphire blue eyes. "If we were to marry... It's just a silly idea my father has, of course... If you don't want to, you don't have to... The other man you're in love with can be your husband..."

Instant alarm came to my face. I stood immediately. "Other man? How are you so sure there's some other man, Nicki?" I inquired hotly. He smirked a bit and pointed at my reaction.

"It wasn't as obvious as I make it sound. I just... knew, that there was someone else. I'm guessing since he hasn't been introduced or mentioned to anybody in the palace, he's not adequate or appropriate for the throne."

I let a short paused pass over us and I very slowly sat back down. "The other man isn't adequate for the throne, Nicki. You're right about that. So it wouldn't be right just to marry someone else who is, even if it's yourself. If I were to marry anybody else, it wouldn't be for love."

"And when have royal marriages actually consisted of love at first? Apart from your mother and father. They were the first in a few centuries of Locketts to not be arranged marriages."

"Thanks for the history review." I told him flatly, sarcastically loving how he totally missed my point.

"Most royal couples grow to love each other, because their marriage was arranged for political and inheritance reasons. Ours would be no different."

"'Ours?' Nicolas Luis Salvador, have you and your father been planning this all along?"

"Hey now, Al. No need to use my full name. I am completely willing to give you a choice. My father, on the other hand, had a full-proof plan to ensure I become the next king, by your side if you returned, on my own if you never showed. He assumed you and I would hit it off the moment you returned and he wouldn't have to force us to marry. I see now, that there's another man and the fact you've been immune from my charm since childhood, marriage is not happening."

"Wonderful." I nearly growled. "How could I trust you, trust your father?"

"We're not pointing a gun at your head, Allison! Hell, I haven't even had a chance to finish." I eased and let him continue. "To solve our current dilemma, you succeeding to the throne or not, just announcing that we're engaged would mean instant decision. The Chairmen would see, either way, we're both going to become the monarchs, so they'll just crown you because you are the rightful heir. Also, if we announced we were engaged, it would stop all of the marriage proposals, and it would get little miss Cynthia Coffin off of my back, and desecrate her father's plot to have her marry me. Therein, he'll stop hating you because it's useless for him to continue his plan of marrying his daughter to me if I'm already getting married."

I remained silent and simply let all of the pieces fall into place about the possibilities of his proposal.

In all honesty, just announcing a fake engagement, staging a false marriage (but with all of the legal paperwork) would mean wonderful things on both my and Nicolas' part, as he had explained. Also, if I were to marry anybody, it would be a citizen of Aldorra. Any other noble from a foreign country would just be looking for gaining the small territory for themselves. My point, Nicolas was a citizen of the land. Marrying him would basically lock myself into a very comfortable place within my government. It all made perfect sense, when one looked at it logically, not rationally.

But I recalled the nature of holy matrimony, and how important it was not to use marriage as another political trick. Marriage was worth more than that. Marriage was worth love.

"Nicolas, I'm not going to marry you for political reasons." I decided.

"Allison, would you be willing to at least announce that we're engaged, so then you can exceed to the throne by the end of the week? The country grows tired of waiting for the Chairmen to make a decision, we'll force them to make one if you announce it today, we'll make a public announcement. We can remain engaged for as long as it suits you and then we can break it off at any time."

When he put it like that... No, was this a trick? Wasn't there a law against a queen calling off an engagement? Or was it that women couldn't do that? No, there was never such a law, and Nicolas wouldn't trick me. I glanced up into his dark brown eyes. No deceit, not lies, no ulterior motives. How I knew there were no ulterior motives? His eyes were not glazed over with dark thought and a foreboding essence as Taylor Halling's were most of the time. They were somewhat wide, held in suspense with a sparkling hopefulness as I took so long to reply.

"Alright." I said finally. He looked as if a heavy weight had been lifted off of him. He let out a long breath and finally smiled, his charm coming to his dark brown eyes in glints.

"We'll be engaged by lunch! So to speak." He stood and brought me with him, then he spun me around in a waltz. I attempted to laugh but my smile didn't reach my eyes when I was set back on the ground.

What was the seriousness of the position I just agreed to put myself within? Aside from me, Nicolas thought of this entire situation as... well, as a game. And marrying a queen was far from a game.

I decided for now, as I walked out of the hedge maze with Nicolas, my hand in his, that I would take the consequences of this action later; for now, I would see where it took me.

---

Lunchtime brought my and Nicolas' little agreement public to the palace. Nicolas announced we were engaged with his grandmother's ring, which Luis pulled out of his pocket for him when he asked beforehand, (because he'd been carrying it around, apparently). He announced "us" at the lunch table before a toast, and I looked overall pleased and played the part of the happy, shiny and somewhat flattered fiancé. This announcement to my maids and lunch guests, several Chairmen included, brought Lucy's attention to me by tenfold, and it also caused Cynthia Coffin to storm out of the room with very colorful French language.

Lucy knew something was up right away and wanted to know immediately, given that cute but accusing look on her face over at another part of the lunch table. After lunch, the two of us managed to get away from the excited maids and palace gossipers and escape to her room to discuss why Nicolas and I had staged that act.

She sat on the bed and I leaned against a chair as I explained. I couldn't tell by her facial expression if she approved for not. "Interesting." She finally replied after I was done. "You're going to call it off, you say?"

"Yeah, Nicki and I aren't really in love."

"Not like you and Luke are. That's real, babe. But I think Nicolas might have a childhood crush on you!"

I bit my finger a little bit. "I know..." I admitted quietly. "That's why I feel so guilty and don't want to play with his emotions like this. We can't get married legitimately. It wouldn't work with the current conditions."

"Yeah..." she agreed solemnly. "But hey, if I were Nicolas and I had a chance for someone as beautiful as you..." I rolled my eyes as her attempt at flattery, "I wouldn't care if you loved me or not."

"Wonderful, you give in to the "trophy wife" idea too." I complained, crossing my arms. A short pause between us brought on a chance to turn the tables around on her. "So... How are you and Henry, aka the Prime Minister?"

"We're good." she replied simply, touching her toes and rearranging herself around the pillows on her bed. She gaze traveled up to the ceiling, her hand rested on her stomach. I missed no details for the subject that was on my mind.

"I notice you've been eating a lot of different things lately. Having a variety of odd cravings, that is." Nothing changed in her stance. Her blue eyes glanced to another area of the ceiling. Fine, I would just blurt it out. "And you're holding your petite stomach like it were your own baby within the whom."

The blonde's body stiffened completely as these words came from me. Shock and hurt and fear all mixed into her expression.

"Oh, Ally!" she cried in anguish.

I acted fast and came to her rescue as she rolled from the bed and attempted to walk, but her legs simply gave out and she fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands. Several sobs came from her as I held her and didn't let the girl throw herself at the floor. "Shh, it's alright... Tell me what's wrong, Lucy."

"Oh Ally," I'd never heard her sound as defeated and desperate as she had. "I am, I am! I am carrying a baby in my whom..."

My suspicions were proven correct. I felt deeply for her emotionally... I rubbed her back, for her breaths were too rapid for her to speak for several moments, and she continued on.

"What if it's a boy, Allison, who looks the same as he did?" Lucy cried. "What if the child has the exact same eyes as him? I'll have to remember his death every day for the rest of my life! Unless..." her sentence trailed off with an almost menacing attribute.

"No, Lucy! Not...not an abortion." I whispered with wide, almost fearful eyes. The thought of a mother killing the life inside herself... The thought of someone else taking that life from her. It disgusted and horrified me. My nightmare from the night before repeated itself over to me in a quick flash.

"I know." she replied; her voice now cracked and broken. "How could I ever think of such an idea? It'd be worse than killing Danny myself." She let her head fall into her warm, petite hands. Tears splashed off her beautiful lashes and ran down her flushed cheeks. Little strands of blonde hair stuck to her face as her gorgeous but desolate blue eyes overflowed with the sorrow within her. Tears I had seen before.

"Let me show you something." I told her, moving over to her bedside table. Within the drawer was the camera I'd given to Lucy, and all of the memory cards with the pictures of our life in New York. I sifted through the memory cards until I found the one with the three of us, she Daniel and I, on a Friday night in the city. I put the card into the camera and sat next to her on the bed and showed her the images. Most of them had a picture of Daniel, smiling as wide as reality would allow. Him, having such a wonderful time with the two of us.

Lucy was smiling and crying at the same time as she remembered those pictures and the wonderful events they depicted. "And this was when he spilled the beer all over the body builder and thought he was going to get the shit beat out of him, but the guy was cool with it because he had a change of pants in his car..." she gushed out in a watery tone. I laughed at her bittersweet smile.

"My point, Lucy, is that you don't have to remember his death. Remember how he lived, with us. Remember the fun times, the laughter, the goodness of him. Remember the romance."

She gasped a little at the last part and cradled her stomach again. "This is all your fault... you and your damn French wine..." she half-laughed half-cried now.

I nodded my head and took her into my arms. "You can certainly blame it all on me if you promise me you'll be strong... I'll help you through every step of the way."

"Thank you, Ally." she smiled, wiping her tears away. She turned the camera off and set it down in a place that suggested she'd look at it again later. "I've never raised a baby before, Allison... Do you think I'll make a good mother?"

"I think you'll make the best mother." I replied, completely serious. Who wouldn't want an angel for a mother?

"Oh no... what do you think Henry will think?" she asked now, with a totally terrified expression on her face and in her voice. "Maybe he won't like me anymore, think I'm a whore..."

"Lucy! He would never think that. He knows enough about you by now, doesn't he?" She nodded her head. "He'll probably he thrilled, after the initial shock. He looks like the good father-type."

"You think so?" She blushed deeply. "Oh my, now you've got me thinking about marriage..."

I laughed and she escaped to the bathroom to clean her face of tears. I glanced at the clock.

"Oh! Nicolas and I have a public announcement to make. I have to run."

"Have fun." she bid with a slight tease. "Are you going to tell Luke?" She asked before I could escape. I paused for a moment, looking to the floor. I decided not to give her a straight answer since I, myself, did not know. I had a different mission to complete with Luke tonight... I blew her a playful kiss on my way out of the door and she received it with a very cute, pink-flushed smile.

---

Since Nicolas told Luis of our 'engagement,' his father couldn't have been more pleased to hear it. He was still beaming as he had at lunch when Nicki told him the good news. The public announcement began with Luis introducing us and how proud he was of each of us; this gave Nicolas and I time to discuss what we were going to say or do for the announcement. I glanced out over the crowd; we were set up on the cathedral steps with a podium and a microphone; every citizen who was in their home nearby or gathering in the busy street that ran along the cathedral's location would see us.

For the first time in public speaking, I was nervous.

Nicolas rubbed my hand when he saw this emotion on my face and in my eyes. He, on the other hand, was calm, cool and collected in his dark eyes and under the auburn hair.

"I can't bear to lie directly to their faces, Nicki." I admitted.

"We aren't lying, technically." he whispered under his breath to me.

"It's a false engagement, Nicolas. Of course it's a lie." I replied just as quietly.

"Alright. Then I'll do all of the lying for you. All you have to do is nod your head." I raised a brow toward what he had just said. 'Nod your head' like I was some sort empty-headed-puppet-trophy-wife... He instantly caught the insult in his words and bowed his head a tiny bit. "My apologies."

"I'm not like every other woman you've encountered, Nicolas. I actually bite back." He laughed a tiny bit at that. "I don't think you know what you're getting into when you propose marriage with me." I told him, an obvious unsureness in my eyes about the subject.

"It's the perfect pairing, politically and royally. Everyone wins." He sounded sure about that, but I'm not sure if he believed himself with the last part.

I sighed, inwardly defeated. Nicolas was much brighter in attitude than I was about this arrangement. We then stood and came to the podium Luis left open for us. After a few words and the initial statement "We're getting married!" from Nicolas, he wrapped his arm around my back and came unnaturally close. Instantly I knew what was happening.

The only other difference between him and I was that he didn't have something to be guilty about like I did when I leaned in and allowed him to kiss my very own lips, lips that belonged to one man and one man alone. It was a single, guilty kiss.

My stomach felt sick on the way back to the palace. When would this day end?

---

Nicolas had managed to disappear from my radar when we arrived back at the palace. I searched for him now to discuss my discontent about the arrangement we'd agreed to earlier this morning, and acted on throughout the day. I wasn't going to call it off just yet, but Nicolas was acting without issue like this delicate plot was smooth sailing, while I was having a hard time being an actress and convincing my audience of our engagement. I just needed to speak with him, since he had pressed the idea upon me that we could tell each other anything, just as we had when we were younger.

Surprisingly, the hallways that I walked within were seemingly empty. Where were the servants and house guests? Dinner had been served and finished, but there should have been more people in one area of the palace than this! I traveled to the common room on the third floor, following what I thought was the sound of voices. When I came closer to the room, I found my ears to be accurate. I opened the door to a hall that led into the common room with a maroon and golden design of mighty lions. I had every intent to simply walk in on the conversation that was taking place within the room, what was, until I heard a familiar voice mention my name. The conversation's subject was about me.

"It's a fake, of course! Allison and Nicolas are faking, so that she can get what she wants!" That blistering voice in an obvious rage... That was Chairman Coffin's.

"I have no objections. They did kiss in a public forum, so it really only matters what the people think. And the public thinks it real, therefore so do I." The recipient was Luis or Nicolas, they did sound similar, from the context clues however, Coffin was speaking to Regent Luis.

I remained hidden around the corner of the archway into the sitting room, I dared not let them see me by peeking around the corner to get a glimpse.

"My daughter is heart-broken to a point she won't summon herself to dinner, and I blame your son, Luis!" Coffin argued now.

"Your family issues are none of my concern, Markus. With their engagement, the Royal Code states that when the heir marries or is to become married, she is more eligible to take to throne than if she and her competition were single. That law was made centuries ago so that siblings found brides faster in order to inherit the crown from the king, you know that. Now that Her Majesty and my son have announced their engagement, the legislative can only hand over her rightful title as "Queen" of this country."

"Rightful?" Coffin spat in pure disgust. "Her majesty is staking unnecessary fear into her people for the sheer joy of it! She leads search teams around every other night on a wild goose chase filled with folklore and faeries. The public grows more terrified of her empty actions toward a non-existent threat."

Luis sighed aggressively; I could only imagine him pinching the bridge of his nose together. "I know you think that, but Allison would not draw out such measures unless she had a good reason."

"A reason she will not clearly reveal!" Coffin countered quickly. "I will not blindly follow any leader and dig my own grave in the process."

"What do you want me to propose?" Luis begged now, frustration seething from his voice. "You cannot ignore that there are several disappearances taking place in this city... and being found again in a river again somewhere further off." Luis' voice was more grave now, like he was disturbed by the murders.

"Yes... Disappearances and murders that had only begun after your precious heir returned." Coffin fed in a mocking tone to the regent now. I clenched my fists together and bit my tongue from going out and cursing at him right now.

"Watch your mouth." Luis snapped back at him in the same intensity and anger that I was feeling. "Your crazy insinuations will only result in a restraint from the queen." He warned in a deeper, almost menacing voice.

"She is not the queen yet, Luis." Chairman Coffin's voice had poison on it, like a stealthy snake and its venom. "And if the other Chairman agree with me, that she is out of her mind, then she will never wear the crown. You will continue to rule until you wish to pass the crown to your son and the Locketts that had plagued this country with their curses and blasphemy will no longer be the basis of ridicule for our prestigious Aldorra." His voice was more like a vow, a dark oath rather than a suggestion.

"Remove yourself from my sight before I do something very rash, Markus Coffin." Luis' voice echoed very harshly now. He sounded on the very edge of noble gentleman and violent politician.

Coffin scoffed at Luis' threat before his steps trailed away from where I was. I heard Luis move as well, after Coffin seemed to be gone. A door closed from another exit of the room; I peeked around the corner when the angry, awkward silence left after the heated conversation found its end and the room seemed empty.

With a sigh, since my heart was beating furiously in my ears from Coffin's repugnant comments, I walked into the room and over to the withering fireplace.

"Insolent man..." I muttered under my breath, speaking toward the dying flames.

"What was that?"

I was shocked when an unfriendly tone demanded the question; I assumed I was alone, and I was horribly wrong. I spun around to see the vile expression on Chairman Coffin's face. He appeared from the hallway on another side of the room and walked over to the center of the room where I stood my ground.

After the initial shock had passed, I narrowed my eyes and was not as intimidated by him as I had been in my first week of being back home. There was no point in lying to the man, either. We so rarely had pleasant one-on-one conversations, after all.

"I said that you were an insolent man, Chairman Coffin." I repeated, directly into those cold, slate eyes. Was there any signs of life in those eyes? Only the slight fire of disgust and hatred. "You dare walk through my halls, indulge in my food, and still spit on my family name in conversation and plot against me in my very own home! What the hell sort of respect is that to give to the royal family, and the only heir to the throne of your country, sir." I preached to him, the anger from his comments to Luis still fresh on my emotional palate. Those words were things I'd been wanting to say to the man for quite a while, too...

What happened next I had not expected.

There was a slap! And a scream, which I figured out was my own after the pain set in of Coffin's thick, disgusting hand as it found my right cheek with such a force I was knocked down on the floor, next to a maroon arm chair.

"What an arrogant mouth! I guess it's only expected for a whore such as yourself. Tell me, did you sleep with young Salvador before or after you convinced him to marry you?" He spat at me.

Anger and hatred pulsed through me as this man, if you could even call him that, continued to insult and belittle me! In my territory, in the safety of my home!

I didn't have time to get to my feet again and give Coffin a more physical bit of my emotion before the man's grimy hand found the metal poker from the fireplace and he raised it high into the air above where I was perched so helplessly on the floor.

I shrieked and put my arms out in front of me as he shouted "Insolent whore!" and made the move to strike me down.

...

But the blow never came. I opened my eyes, which I didn't realize I had closed, and saw Luis pinning down my attacker on the floor near me. One punch. Two punches. Three. Four. Five. Coffin wasn't making much of any movements or noises any longer. Luis held the man tightly by the collar when his beating of my attacker was through and began shouting into his face. I didn't really understand what he said; it was very angry Catalan that I didn't have the memory to translate. His expression was pure rage and protectiveness, however.

A moment later, a couple servants and Nicolas found the commotion and entered the room in a hurry to see what had happened.

The blood that was pulsing in my veins and behind my cheek began to make the pain there more apparent. It grew stronger with every second, every voice, every movement.

"Luis!" "What's happened?" "Are you alright, Allison?"

I responded to my name, Nicolas had asked that question. I glanced up toward him from the floor. My expression must have been pure shock or fear, because Nicolas seemed to grow the same expression Luis had; anger and the need to protect loved ones from danger. "Did Coffin do this?" Nicolas demanded, now on his knees beside me on the floor, his hand near the cheek with had a pain in it. I nodded, and then attempted to get to my feet. Nicolas felt the need to help me, but I shooed his touch away and gathered myself up.

I'd received enough assistance tonight.

---

"Don't worry, Coffin will be discharged from the legislative tomorrow morning. He won't enter these grounds again without your personal permission." Nicolas assured me after all of the drama from Coffin's attack was said and done.

Luis had dragged the beaten Coffin all the way to the entrance on the first floor, where the police had been waiting. Afterward, he'd been on the phone with every other chairman, not in the palace, to tell them of the event and agree that Coffin be discharged immediately. He didn't forget to suggest that I be crowned as soon as possible and not waist anymore time to claiming my rightful position. That man always had his ambition in mind, and maybe that was a good thing.

At this point, I could have cared less about the throne and the forming restraining order against Coffin. I had been wanting this day to end since the sun had risen, and now it had died with the sun's final rays. The clock chimed eight when Nicolas had walked me back to my personal chambers, being the good friend and pretend fiancé he could be. "Sleep well, Allison." he bid kindly. Nicolas stood just outside the door where Lucas would reside when he came back tonight, if he wasn't already there; Nicki stood just outside of all of the secrets I withheld from him, stood outside the wall between the pretend lover and the real. Ironically, we kissed each other's cheek before I shut him out of those secrets, of that life; him and the rest of the world and enclosed myself within my personal chambers.

I made sure to lock the old oak door tonight. After all, I'd already decided of what I was going to do, about certain issues dealing with my night-life and the creatures of which I'd tied my fate together with.

The day presented several obstacles, some I knew that were coming, others I had not even taken into precaution before today. All of it, however, I would deal with tomorrow. Tonight had it's own obstacle and it needed to be overcome. For prolonged happiness, for luxury, for Lucas and I.

I took a deep breath and pushed off of the door and listened to the sound of my own shoes click against the carpet as I inspected who was within my chambers tonight. I shouldn't have been surprised to see Julie there, admiring a few titles placed over on the bookshelf of the library.

I moved toward her with one question in mind: "Where is Lucas?"

Her pale, gorgeous body turned around when my voice was directed toward her. Her emerald green eyes focused on me for a moment before she very naturally shrugged her shoulders. "He should be arriving soon. How about you go and clean yourself up?" She suggested in her kind, mystical voice.

I, of course, had to obey her. Her and her manipulative abilities. I turned heel toward my bed chamber and stripped down so I could gather underneath the steaming shower water.

After I had taken time in cleaning myself, I simply stood under the hot water for awhile before I was interrupted. The heard the door open, close, clothes fall to the floor, and finally the shower curtain opened to reveal him.

My lover, my gorgeous, ice-blue eyed and god-like body of a man and vampire.... Lucas Hawthorn.

His eyes were covered with the slightly curled, thin strands of blond hair as they were positioned over his forehead... His jaw with somewhat relaxed but I could tell he, as a whole, was tense. What did he have in mind to accomplish tonight, I wondered, if anything at all? Probably nothing close to what I'd decided.

"Lucas." I told him. My tone was sweet but serious, all in one breath.

He didn't reply and stepped into the shower. I saw the icy blue of his eyes now; the color glinted off of the light overhead. He was studying me. Every action, every word and tone I used was judgment. He felt guilty for what had happened last night still. My finger tips reached out to touch him; he was very warm. It was only logical that he went out and fed upon the guilt he'd created... I didn't mind as much as I normally would.

As soon as my touch withdrew from his pale skin, his own hands came to my hips and spun me around; I was pressed against the wall and his body, I arched into the latter and felt his arousal.

"I want to give you myself. All of myself." I told him now.

"Tell me exactly what you mean by that, Allison." he replied in a ragged breath. His first words to me sounded as if he was controlling himself to a point I believe I was paining him. He was denying what he thought I was saying because he wanted it too much and he thought I didn't, but I was indeed coming to that desire.

"My blood, Luke. You're a vampire, with more desires than for my body alone. Take me and my blood this time."

His palm lay flat against the tiles of the shower while his other crawled over my hip possessively. "Are you sure?"

It was like sex for the first time all over again. Both parties wanted it, both parties had doubts. Only one had to be the one to give the permission and submit, the other would lead accordingly. I turned around to meet him, touch him, run my fingers along his jawline and gaze into those beautiful ice-blue eyes, like the beauty of winter with all of it's wonder. "Completely sure."

The water was turned off and I was lifted up and away from the bathroom. A towel found it's way to my skin as Luke tenderly dried every part of my soaking body, like he was preparing some delicate item to be wrapped in the finest of materials. I didn't know what to say, so I was silent and simply stood as he completed his task just as soundlessly. When both of us were dry, he tossed the towel away and stared directly into my eyes. His gaze was so intense it almost burned my insides with the passionate flames ignite. Ever so gently his hands cupped my chin and his thumbs skimmed over my full lips and jawline; and then he tilted my head up and his lips came over mine.

His touches and actions were so gentle, like he didn't want to break a priceless glass treasure. Perhaps he was worried that in this ritual for a vampire to take blood from the human, he would hurt or destroy me, maybe even lose control and take my life. Hadn't he warned me about that the first night we were together? The point, that I didn't need to put into words, was that I trusted Luke in every aspect and I wanted to somehow prove that to him. I didn't want him to feel obligated not to hurt me; I wanted him to take from me what he needed and not sugar-coat the pain from it.

But Luke, who was by nature a ruthless, violent killer, wouldn't do that to me. Perhaps he had a guilty conscience, or there was just something about me, and only me, that he would hold back his craving and coldness from. But Luke would not allow himself to be the monster he was to anyone else toward me, and he tried so hard to give me the humanity of him.

My fingers tips found his backside and I pulled him into me, hard, so that we fell backwards unto my bed, lips still locked. He was less prepared than I and in this tumble, I stuck my bottom lip out a little more so that the impact would bring his fang to that delicate lip and pierce it.

I winced at the slight pain, but it was more like a pinch as his left fang jabbed into the inside of my lip. I couldn't even tell that blood was flowing until my tongue sampled the metallic taste of my own.

The kiss expedited quickly and hungrily at an alarming rate.

I whispered his name when our lips tore apart and he pulled his face over mine so he could gaze into my eyes and find doubt, any reason for him to stop. My eyes were washed over with lust and desire and his... well, I flushed and felt a shiver run through me as his icy irises filled with the red and black of blood fervor, my blood, and his wonderful shimmering blond hair completed the portrait of what he truly was; a vampire, the vampire Lucas.

I whispered this and his hand gripped my jaw. My entire body tensed as he tilted my head roughly to the side and exposed my neck. My eyes flew shut and I gripped my fingertips into Luke's cool back, waiting, anticipating...

His grip tilted my head level again and my eyes gently peeked open as his cold touch ran lovingly down my cheek. "What is it?" I asked innocently. His lips were sewn shut and the mix of icy blue and blood red eyes cooled over, as if he were trying to suppress the strong desire within.

"You need to be completely willing, without fear, or I just can't go through with this." he whispered to me. He cradled my body tenderly.

"I am." I defended honestly. I clasped my hands around the back of his neck and, almost childlike, twisted a thin lock of yellow hair around my finger as I gazed up at his stony, and a hint guilty, expression.

For a moment, he raised his head and closed his eyes, his body became completely still, washed over with calmness. I admired him in this moment, but then he suddenly growled deeply, bared his teeth and flashed them only inches from me. I felt my heart jump within my chest and a small whimper produced from my throat. His guilty expression returned more evidently than before.

I realized, with my heart beating as loudly as the bass of the drums, that what he had just done to frighten me was merely a test, and I had failed miserably. Just as sporadically as my heart, my thoughts frenzied as Luke's head dipped down to the crook of my neck again and I physically froze. He could see them as I recalled certain, terrific memories; the girl in the Vampire Club in New York donating her neck so kindly to a vampire right in the middle of a public area, the horrifying experience demonstrated when Taylor decided to slice into me and steal my blood from their veins; then lastly Luke within my nightmares, my earliest nightmares, when I knew nothing of him besides he was a vampire who tormented my sleep by attacking me in my dreams as the ravished, brutal vampire he truly was.

"Stop..." Luke begged as he saw this within my mind. I couldn't help it; when fear was passed into a human, they lose control over all cohesive thought-processes. I sighed when Luke shifted over me but still cradled me delicately. "I want you, so much... But I don't want to hurt you. I don't want you to think of me as... a cold, brutal killer." His hands tightened their grip for just a second and then he was gentle again. I couldn't even begin to understand how difficult this was for him.

"What can I do to help, Luke? I truly want to be able to do this for you. And I know you won't treat me as a brutal killer would. I trust you."

He paused for a moment. His unique eyes traveled along the lines that shaped me, before he looked into my eyes and then placed a kiss on my forehead. "Center your thoughts, as you do when you meditate." He kissed my lips, where I could still taste blood, "Have no emotions," he moved down to my chest, "no thoughts," then stomach, "no fear."

I did as he instructed as well as I could; I banished all terrified emotions and thoughts that provoked the fear and dwelt upon the simple signals for sexual sensations, which were now being stimulated in lower areas by his tongue. I intertwined my fingers with Luke's hand gingerly and breathed, in and out, save the sensual noises. After I was pleasured, I felt his cold tongue touch the top of my right leg and he nuzzled the spot where a pulse resided with his cold nose as a warning; and then a sharp pain broke the skin against the vein and I cried out.

.x. Lucas

I closed my eyes tightly as she made a terribly wonderful noise when my fangs broke the flesh and vein and my tongue savored the completely satisfying essence that was human blood. Well, not just any human blood; Lockett blood. The taste was not only fulfilling in every way, but she had a fiery, irresistible and a bold taste inside her blood that was truly everything she was, everything I wanted in her, everything I'd decided I loved about her. I was high on her now, surely my eyes were fully crimson at this point.

I had fantasized about doing this since the first time I'd seen her. The fantasy had been so intense, it apparently had even transferred from my mind to her dreams more than once, as she had just shown me. The desire for this ritual had grown more erotic the closer and more intimate our relationship had. But in all of my fantasies, it wasn't even half as invigorating as this was now. Her muscles relaxed underneath my lips and against my fangs; I paused for a moment and let the blood flow naturally over my cold skin, coat my lips and slide down my throat. Then when I lapped at the wound I had created, she jumped and clenched her body; which really caused more blood to gush from the small outlets. At first she tried to watch me; maybe to somehow understand what I was feeling or tasting. But I could hear her heartbeat jump and rise about ten more beats per minute as I locked my red-tinted eyes into her sapphire and she could no longer view my actions. Fear mixed with the adrenaline within her veins, but I rubbed a place on her hip and it dissipated; she began to simply breath the most vigorous breaths and I locked back at the task on hand....or, fangs.

Allison, compared to myself and my power, was delicate, breakable, and vulnerable. My hand on her hip could break the pelvic bone with ease. The lust for blood could reign over the senses she trusted and drain too much. It would only take me three and a half minutes, if I drank straight from an artery, to drain her and she would die. In folklore, vampires are called compulsive counters. I don't know if that's true, but I've always counted the pulse rate of my victims as I drank from them. If her pulse was racing and I had my fangs dipped into the artery in her neck right now, about five-hundred-twenty-five beats later, she would be dead. It was crucial I did not linger or spend more than fifty beats drawing blood from one wound; so I counted internally, almost subconsciously, as I savored.

Fifty beats and half a pint later, I detached my mouth from her skin. When I saw blood still flowing from the wounds, I was compelled to mend the perfect skin I had damaged and not to spill one single drop. Vampire saliva had a purpose; it kept the blood flowing and didn't allow blood to clot after the wound was made. Vampire blood, however, in the tiniest amounts, was the healer. I pierced my bottom lip with one of my long fangs, then kissed the wounds I had made. When the darker red of my vampire blood covered the wounds, they seemed to disappear. My blood healed her skin and left no mark of my presence. I cleaned what mess had been made.

My mind planned on drawing blood from three places in total, and these were the same three places that had teased me the first time we were together. Her neck, her wrist, and the place where my mouth was now over her thigh. Call it a revenge over Allison's blood; for all the times I had the desire and when I was jealous over possession of blood, take that, Halling. General amount for donation was about one pint, humans held roughly twelve pints of blood in their body, taking more than four pints would kill her from blood loss...

I drew myself up, above her beautiful heaving chest, and gazed upon her closed eyes, head tossed back, and entire body arched from my actions. Allison gasped when my nose tickled the side of her neck, so suddenly. "Was...that it?" she asked in a breathy, almost shaky, tone. Her voice was soft, shy, and innocent because she had never done this willingly before. The unsureness of what I was going to say to her caused her eyes to be wide and lovely.

"Not at all." I replied.

I smiled and drew her left wrist up closer to my mouth. She understood this was to be next as I glanced up at her. She nodded and seemed to hold her breath; I enclosed my mouth around the vein and pierced the skin quickly, because it would be less painful for her. She produced that terribly amazing gasp again as my tongue swiveled over the small wounds and the pain of my sharp fangs passed as warm blood flowed into my immortal mouth.

She was so sweet, so young, her blood was warm and, since she wasn't fighting me, gentle as I enjoyed it. She would never know just how wonderful, how unbelievably exhilarating this was for me, and what this meant to me on an emotional level for her to allow me to pierce her celestial skin and draw the revivifying substance. My eyes were redder now, I knew, and when I glanced up at her this time, her eyes were fixated on what I was doing this time instead of denying the horror by looking away. I could see all of the emotions that were whirling within her mind through her eyes as she watched me and my mouth over her skin; as she saw the collision of white immortal flesh versus mortal and then the blood that connected the two worlds. My other hand ran its fingers gently down her spine to reassure her, to rid of that horror in her eyes underneath the passion. Her entire body shook as I did this; she was especially sensitive along the spine, and she moaned when my fingers began drawing designs right over her most sensual spot. Her pulse was still racing... twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three... My body rejoiced as I drew this liquid, but I knew she felt nothing even close to what I did, even as I touched her.

Enough, I told myself and pulled away. Just as I had the last wound, I cleaned and healed this one as well. I didn't want any scar to mar to her skin from a vampire; it would be disgusting to see her skin covered in nothing but white scars shaped as teeth marks as most donors were, especially my teeth marks. She watched, unlike the last, and many questions grew in her sapphire eyes as I kissed her wound, rubbed a tiny bit of my blood over her, and she felt the pain disappear as the wound healed.

"How-?"

I cut her off by placing a single finger over her soft, succulent lips I wanted to kiss, but resisted since mine were covered in a sweet gloss of her own blood. "It's a trick used to get rid of evidence of fang marks on bodies. Just add a drop of vampire blood to any wound, the vampire blood cells override the human ones and heal the body much faster."

"I'm not going to turn into a vampire, am I?" I couldn't calculate her tone, exactly. It was fear, but at the same time it was excitement. I told myself the pint of blood I'd taken so far was affecting her tone.

"No. If I gave you just as much blood as I'd taken, then you would. The vampiric blood cells would conquer your entire mortal bloodstream and you'd be a vampire before night fell again. I'm only giving you tiny amounts, but I still recommend scheduling a period of time to be in the sun tomorrow." More questions rose on her face. And I didn't want to answer them right now. Her heartbeat was still quick, the blood running through her veins was so tempting; I looked closely at the essence in her neck and became fixated. One final bite... "Ask me again afterward."

"You're not done?"

"Could I be called a vampire if I didn't bite your neck, my love?" I looked back into her eyes and played a grin on my face to fit the lighthearted tease in my voice. Though, this was far from witty sexual banter and sweet kisses between lovers. This was more, so much more. This was connection of body and soul and mind; by blood. What could I say to her to describe to her what this connection meant for a vampire such as myself? Where there words?

Her heart registered a flutter of nervousness, but she smiled and shifted next to me. The fear was melting away, more than ever now. "No. I suppose not."

I caressed her arm with the softest touch and moved all of her silky, long hair out of the way; the right side of her neck was what I was planning on taking. "This one is going to hurt more than the others, so I apologize in advanced."

She kissed my cheek quickly and nestled down on the covers again. God, she was so... edible when she looked up at me like that... A quick nod of her head guided my mouth into the crook of her neck. She was so brave thus far; I inhaled the scent over her entire being and let myself be drunk in it as I was high on her blood.

There was no rush. I eased her for this final act of the ritual as best as I could. I kissed up and down an invisible line from ear to shoulder, rubbed her arms, caressed her back and breasts, then held her hand with mine and whispered words of encouragement toward her for allowing me to do this. I silently thanked whatever god there was for delivering this angel to me, because whatever god there was knew damn well I hadn't done anything to deserve such a marvelous gift as she. My tongue touched her pulse and her heart accelerated.

It was time. I sat up and drew her body up from the bed into a kneeling position, so she could lean against my form and use me as a balance just in case her energy abandoned her when I...

My fangs parted over the pulse in her neck and she gasped when an instant later, I pierced the skin without hesitation. Her head fell back, fingertips dug into my shoulders, and entire body arched in a disfigured manner when I'd done this; I held her fast around the waist before she fell away from me. The neck was the most sensitive, most vulnerable point on a human to be wounded; and I had warned her it would hurt more so than the other places I'd touched. She understood now, as she felt this pain, what it meant to be in the arms of the vampire, to be the mortal who sustained the immortal, what it meant to be loved by the damned. I held her fast and didn't spill a single drop as my entire being focused on drawing blood from this neck, from her neck; this warm, delicious substance flowed over my lips and with it came the music of her heart singing its song to the one it gave the substance to. She gasped at first, as my lips and tongue roamed over her neck, never missing a drop, then groaned as my actions became more deliberate and rough, then she screamed when I pierced her neck again and moved her head to rest against my own. Her noises went directly into my ear, and though they were not always pleasurable, it was always stimulating for a vampire taking blood to hear his prey writhe under his power. In its own sick way, whether the prey likes being food or not, I always love it.

I would be wrong to say I didn't lose myself within her blood, even if for just one instant. I had. It was a moment where pure selfish animal instincts told me to drink, and take, and kill, and sustain myself. Because that is the true nature of the damned. The vampire in his darkest, thirstiest hour, knows only how to take blood and savor every last drop until pure satisfaction is consoled. Every moment after that satisfaction merely builds up to the next. And within that continuous cycle of stealing blood from the living lies the irony of the dead thieves known as we. Damn my past, my present, my future. Damn what anybody thought of me, damn who would try and destroy me for what I was and what I did to survive. Damn what she thought, damn if she lived or died, damn her people, her friends, her enemies... In this moment, I drew blood and drank from the devil's chalice.

But a vampire cannot be a vampire without being a human once upon a time; the soul of the human that harbored guilt, love, remorse still rested in the vampire's body when the human had passed. When a soft, sultry whimper fell from her lips and was captured into my ears, and her soft, warm lips kissed my neck under the ear she had just whimpered in; I was brought back to the mortal realm and my sadist nature was dampened. The instant when I embraced the vampire within was lost; all of my selfish thoughts were replaced with the emotions of the human soul and I felt overwhelmed with guilt and affection; had I taken too much blood, had I put her in terrible pain, did she want me to stop and I ignored the request?

I brought my head back just enough to look over her gorgeous features. Please, please don't make those sounds or look at me with fear in your eyes, I thought. If you were anybody else, it wouldn't matter. But you matter, more than you'll know. She held unto me and rolled her head, as if trying to recover from being dizzy.

Apology on my bloody stone lips, I pierced my bottom lip again with my fang and smeared my vampiric substance over the puncture marks and cleaned every drop of red from her god-sent creamy skin until it was perfect again and there was no trace of the damned to be found upon her.

I whispered lovely things against her skin and into her ear; she moaned softly, but what she did next I had not expected, nor had I even thought of it within my fantasies before tonight.

Her warm fingers hooked around my neck and into my hair and she pulled herself into me and captured our lips together, hard. I was honestly shocked for a moment as I felt her body press into me and her lips move over mine and her tongue taste her very own blood from my stained lips. It was so erotic, so passionate; I held her securely around the middle and kissed her until she couldn't breath anymore.

It was only then that I pulled myself away and eased her back into the covers to rest, regain breath...

Or pass out.

Opps didn't quite cover the way her body limped in my arms, apparently I had cut off her oxygen too long for conscientiousness, but her chest heaving up and down signaled to me she was very alive, and very fine. She needed rest now, plenty of fluids and food when she awoke. Donating blood was no game and I wanted her to recover as well as possible. I didn't expect to do this again, either. But the details could wait until later, after she rested and dreamed of pleasant things.

I hovered over her form and brushed a strand of beautiful, golden-like hair away from her perfect face. All I could think as I gazed over her innocence, her mortal breaths, was that she never ceases to amazing me, never ceases to make me feel... alive. Yes, that was the correct word. She made me feel like I had a real, concrete reason to continue on in immortality if there ever hadn't been a reason. Suddenly the days before the ones with her mattered so little compared to these sweet seconds spent in each other's company. I kissed her forehead tenderly, wishing her into the sweetest dreams, and covered her body with the warmest blanket on the bed.

I settled next to her; and thought of pleasant things and pushed them over her mind, in hopes to scare the nightmares away and leave her in peace as she slept. The vampire within began to make a tune and I hummed along, watching her sleep in the darkness.

This was what I wanted, for all time.

.x. Allison

When I awoke again, Luke pulled me up with apologetic kisses and ushered me to the shower. I mumbled in protest, but when I realized I had to do nothing but stand there on my own two legs and that he would be washing me, I hardly complained.

Warm water and delicate soap felt so wonderful on places that felt harmed but held no wounds... In total there were three. Curiously enough, they were on my inner thigh, wrist, and of course, neck. Luke gently rubbed the sponge over all of those places and more. When the water was turned off and he eased me into a heavenly bathrobe and lay me back on the bed, he whispered for me to wait for him to get back before making a move. I could obey that rule easily enough; I almost drifted back into sleep in the few minutes he was gone.

I could not describe the experience that Luke had created for me in that blood ritual. It would like trying to tell one how wind feels; it cannot be done, or at least, put into words. I couldn't even begin to try and imagine what it was like for him, being the vampire and all. Better than sex, he says. Just how was that better than sex?! For the mortals, sex would top that any day. But I suppose for a vampire, a different story.

Right when I had tried to drift back into the dream world again, Luke's cold hand touched my shoulder and brought me to sit up. I groaned and tried to dive for the pillows, but he pulled me into his jean-clad lap and wrapped his legs around me so I couldn't get away. Into my own lap, he pressed a very cold tub of ice cream and I jumped from the coldness of it. It was much colder than Luke was now, I noticed. A spoon was put into my left hand as a kiss was placed on the right side of my neck. "Eat up." he commanded huskily into my ear.

I realized just how hungry I was after he pulled the lid off and I got a scent of my favorite flavor inside. With haste I scooped the cold, refreshing food into my mouth, but in intervals enough that I did not get a brain freeze.

As I regained nutrients through food, Luke found a hairbrush and began softly brushing my damp hair. I closed my eyes and felt a whole, complete feeling as he lavished such affection on me and we sat together like this. It made me happy. I paused my consuming and set the tub of ice cream aside as I realized this. He shifted when I stopped eating, maybe thinking something was wrong. I corrected his doubt by turning around in his lap, wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips softly into his. He responded just as gently; which was different than usual for Luke. His hands gently traveled up my legs, underneath the robe, until he secured his grip on my hips and we fell back to lie flat. I moaned when his tongue slipped through my lips easily and tickled the inside of my mouth.

He drew back and set me next to him, still holding me close. "You have no idea how... amazing, that was. No, more than amazing. It was... indescribable, Allison." He covered my face in kisses. I hummed in pure contentment.

"I know it sounds cliché, but it's true. You, Allison, are unlike any other." His voice sounded like a commitment. "I don't deserve you, how could I? I've done terrible things, and still you kiss my blood-stained lips."

I reached my hands up and cupped his strong face, ran my fingers along his smooth jaw and caressed his cheeks. After admiring him for a moment in the dim light, I kissed his lips with a passionate force. We kissed each other for awhile, pouring out our hearts into actions. After I needed breath we separated and lay close to one another for several beautiful, perfect moments.

And then, I heard his wonderful voice say the words for the first time.

"I love you."

They were three simple, one syllable words. Yet held such a powerful statement...

I was overwhelmed with affection, with strong passion and attraction, with gratefulness... Love. His eyes locked with mine and told me this silently over and over without hesitation. This was love? There was no question, no doubt in him.

Before I prolonged the silence further with my shock and thought, I jumped on top of him and we made love until just before the dawn.

.x. Lucas

Not exactly the response I was expecting, but I couldn't complain. I doubted she even realized she hadn't said the phrase in return. Even if she had realized, she would return those three words when she felt she was ready. And I would wait for them, because I knew now that what I felt was not one-sided this time and that she did feel the same. I knew it; in her gaze, in her actions. Perhaps she didn't know it herself yet. In that case, I would help her become aware.

We lay, tangled in the sheets as well as each other, together. I felt very accomplished as my time was almost up; I'd confessed what I'd been wanting to confess (my love for her), had shown my true self and taken blood and she still accepted me, and gotten to taste her and fill myself on her. 'O ye gods, Render me worthy of this noble wife!' Was the line that next popped into my mind as I heard her sigh in complete contentment (and happiness) and then gaze up into my eyes. Her arm was under her head; she lay next to me with her silky hair spread gracefully, some touching my elbow I was propped up on. So beautiful, so sweet... She smiled, and I kissed her lips swiftly.

"I'm going to crowned as the Queen of Aldorra today." she told me.

I shook my head in shock. "You are? Why didn't you bring this up earlier!" I demanded not with anger, but enthusiasm. My happiness for her accomplishment. "What made the Chairmen change their mind on waiting?"

"We were doing more important things earlier." she smiled again when recalling. I beamed as she did not find me repulsive, still. She hesitated to answer the latter question. "And they haven't officially made their decision yet, because they must first expel Chairman Coffin for his inappropriate and violent actions. But Nicolas surrendered the throne long ago, under his father's one condition that I marry Nicolas after I'm crowned so that he can still become king."

My eyes were wide and, without thinking, without asking, I probed within her mind with my ability by putting my hands on her shoulders and forcing her to stare up into me.

In quick flashes of sights and sound, I pulled memories from her mind. I saw the human boy, who was apparently her childhood friend, making a pact with Allison by the morning. They mentioned "Marriage" and "Announcing engagement" then, fresher in her mind, was a zoom on the boy's face. He came closer, and closer, until his eyes fluttered shut... A kiss?!

I pulled out of her mind then; her body rolled with a bit of dizziness, as a human mind usually would when I expressed my power upon their delicate mortal mind.

"Stop! Don't look! Don't ever look into my mind without permission again!" She cried, fighting my grip off of her shoulders and rolling out of the bed. My eyes followed her naked body as she traveled over to the vanity. Her bare bottom sat down on the leather seat before the mirror; she set her head in her hands and slumped over the desk. She was feeling.... shame? Regret? Toward me or what I had seen?

Forgetting what I had saw and taking in the possibility I had mistaken the context, perhaps Allison was not seeing another (and a mortal. I scoffed).

"Allison?" I asked, finding a place to stand next to her. I set my cool hand on her shoulder; she didn't even flinch anymore.

"Luke, I'm so sorry... Nicolas and I staged a false engagement to the public of Aldorra so that the Chairman would make a decision and so Coffin would leave me alone... Our plan only halfway worked, however..." she admitted sadly, her tone broken. "Please, look." she pressed me, turning and taking my hand and setting it to her cheek. I instantly saw her attack. This Coffin figure Allison disliked raised a hand to her...then a fire poker?! I jumped with apprehension, but then saw the regent tackle the man to the floor. When I took my hand away from her soft skin and the vision ended, I immediately felt useless for not being able to protect Allison when it counted the most. I was focusing on Courtney so much, I'd forgotten about common mortal threats.

I bent to one knee next to my gorgeous, delicate queen... "Allison. Please, look at me. I'm not angry." Her head was still buried away into her arms on the vanity as I spoke. I understood she was feeling guilty for kissing and becoming engaged to another, even if it was all false. In her conscience, she was true to me. I felt so... relieved, as I realized this.

When her awesome sapphire blue eyes rested upon me, I reached up to kiss her forehead. She couldn't hold back a smile as I did that; forehead kisses were her favorite. "I want you to do whatever makes you happy, Allison."

All of the doubt, unsureness, and insecurity erased from her face as I told her this in a gentle, honest voice. I only wanted her happiness, truly. Besides, I knew any false relationship with some mortal childhood friend could never be as strong as the bond composed tonight, in this very room.

"I love you." I whispered before kissing her gently on the lips.

When I looked upon her face again, the doubt and insecurity had returned, but it was for different reasons this time.

---

.x. Allison.

"...I now bestow upon you the sacred crown of the monarch. Allison Lockett, you are hereby known as Queen of Aldorra."

The huge crowd behind me in the sanctuary was silent as the Father placed the crown of the queen upon my head. As soon as it's weight rested on my skull, my people cheered. And they were truly now, my people.

Every missing bit of my being that I had misplaced in America and since I'd come home had fallen into place. It felt like I was where I was supposed to be, in the position I was supposed to be. I glanced up at the cross in the front of the sanctuary in which a bronze Christ was crucified on... I silently thanked Daniel, because without his sacrifice, I wouldn't have been where I was now.

"Rise, your majesty." The Father said. I came from my knees and touched the crown I'd been waiting to receive... I turned toward my people and Lucy with a smile and the noise grew even greater than the flashing of cameras.

I was instructed to exit the cathedral by walking through one of the older, less used hallways and going out the back, where my horse would be waiting to begin the parade through the city. (Since there would be no way I would make it through the crowd that had formed all the way from the pews of the sanctuary to the front entrance of the cathedral). The Father led Nicolas (my bodyguard of the day) and I through this roped-off hallway and at the end, near the back exit, hung three blood bodies from the ceiling.

I hadn't noticed them until my shoes stepped into the puddle of blood. When I was puzzled and looked upward, blood dripped onto my cheek and my crown. I gasped and the two males beside me glanced upward; The Father stained his white priest robes with a drop or two.

Hung from the rafters with rope around the necks, a man, a woman and (I was almost sick to my stomach when seeing him) a child all dangled high above where the Father, Nicolas and I had stopped. Their bodies were half naked, marred with so many wounds that they made the body near unrecognizable, just as every one of the she-devil's victims that had turned up in this city or surrounding rivers.

The blood and bodies were just used to get our attention to the message written in red letters on the ceiling: "For Her Royal Majesty the Queen"

The gifts from Courtney for my coronation had been successfully received as I hunched over and saw my morning's breakfast again. Blood continued to drip and strain the crown upon my head.