Chapter 2

He was brought to her in chains. Chains that were attached to poles that kept the Hunter at bay by five feet, like a rabid beast that was diseased. Two at his neck. One around his torso. And one for each wrist. A perfect circle of Vampires around him as he was led blind through the castle and to her. She watch with keen eyes, enjoying the fear and caution they were taking with him. Despite how tired he looked.

It had been a few hours since the moon had risen and the Covens had departed to hunt him down.

And oh….She took a deep breath inward to catch the scent of blood both human and Undead that reached her nose. What a fight he must have put up!

He was covered in blood red and dead black. Some from his own wounds. The rest from the humans that must have died next to him and the vampires he had slaughtered in the process. How many bodies did they leave? How many injured? How many did her Hunter avenge until he had been overpowered and chained?

She was pleased to they had left his blindfold on. Whether it had been from fear of him striking out somehow, or respect to her. She really couldn't care. She would be the first he'd look upon. After all their deadly dancing and meets. He was hers.

"We have brought the Hunter, as requested your Highness." One of the Elders in the Vampire Council spoke.

The Vampires in charge of his chains, yanking them down, to make him kneel before her, before any of the rest of them bowed in turn. He grunted slightly when his knees cracked against the stone floor. Tugging slightly in his chains, before tiring again.

"I see you have." Kristin smiled, showing her fangs, after letting him settle again. Minutely she watched the human thralls that were lined against the walls, waiting to be of use. Her mind briefly tickling at the idea of having him under her control for a while.

At her voice, her Hunters head lifted, instantly. Blindfolded eyes looking directly up at her. He recognized her voice immediately.

That made her preen with flattery. "Hello, my Hunter." She greeted, softly.

"You." He breathed out.

"Me." She smiled, pleased.

"Does this please you? Shall we prepare him?" Another Elder asked.

Her Hunter tried to struggle again. To rise defiantly to his feet only for his chain and the poles to be yanked down again.

She purposely was silent for a moment longer, before giving her answer. "No. I want you all to leave. I want to be alone with him." She finally said.

A chorus of disapproval murmured through the Vampire in the room.

"You're majesty. We advise against it. He a danger to you alone. Took out and injured many of us. We had to raid a Hunters Guild to get to him." Another spoke up.

"I do not believe I asked for your opinion. Lesser Vampires should know to keep their mouths shut unless asked otherwise." She warned, purring at the news the destruction her Hunter had caused the Covens before his capture. "He's mine….To choose how, when, and what to do with." She reminded. "And I wish to be alone with him."

There was more mumbling through the crowd of Vampires, but none dare to speak up to her. Even the Elders backed down, respectfully to her. "Yes, my Lady. We will leave you."

The chains were dropped and the Covens were quick to leave. Her Hunter left on the floor kneeling before her, but quiet. Listening as the room emptied besides her, him, and the thralls along the wall. She purposely took another deep breath in, and let it out in a sigh, to make sure his attention stayed on her. "That's better." She hummed, and snapped her fingers. The magic long forgotten to her kind but her, causing the chains and poles attached to them to vanish. Freeing him. "Better." She purred.

Watching as he move to feel where the shackles once clamped on him. "Wh-" He stopped himself immediately, cutting himself off from speaking to her. Jumping to his feet and a getting into a more fighter position and preparing himself for an attack. The Covens had made sure to bring him to her weaponless.

"Hello, my Hunter." She greeted in a purr. "I'm glad you were able to make it into for our date. I so, love our deadly dances you know."

He listened silently, his feet shifting a bit before he charged, the tip of his boot tapping about the stone step that led to her throne and jumped. Lifting off the ground like he had invisible wings and landing with the gracefulness that a blindfolded human should not possess. He didn't miss a beat, launching himself straight for her.

She caught his raised fists, stopping him faster than he could ever wish to move. But instead of swiping him away she chuckled fondly guiding his captured hands to either side of her head to help him cage her in, as he hovered over her. She marveled at the confusion radiating off him, as he caught his breath. His face covered in dry blood, that was starting flake. "My, what a forward man you are." She commented breathy. "I don't remember a man ever chasing after me as long as you have. Vampire or human."

"I chase only to rid the world of you!" He snarled. One of the few lines she had heard in the past.

A cute human snarl, that was meant for intimidation. She shiver excitedly imagining him as an undead, and the snarl that would rip from him then. The command and power he had rolling off him now, would be ten-folds then. "That's your Hunter's Guilds Teaching talking. You are no mere hunter. Your kind don't just chase one vampire." She said, leaning forward slightly to run her nose along his jawline, and breathing him in. His scent sing to her. "I wonder if you know how I read your actions?" She whispered close to his ear, her hands keeping his hands where they were. Keeping herself caged under him while she sat on her throne imagining what kind of eyes he had. She liked him hovering over her. Her instincts liking her future Mate being forceful and dominating, despite his current weak existence.

"A threat!" He snapped.

"A courting." She corrected, letting go of one of his hands and reaching to place her hand on his chest. Over his heart, feeling it beat rhythmically beneath the skin.

"What?!" His body jerked back, and she let him. Let him stumble back slightly from her.

"You seem surprised. Not many chase me as you do." She reaffirmed. "Not many catch my interest. It seems the same for you. You always come to me. Lay traps for me. You know where I am most of the time." She continued, still sitting. Still enjoying the thumping beat of his heart that picked up slightly. The slight pink that formed on his cheeks just below the blindfold.

"That's – I'm a hunter! I'm suppose to chase you!" He said, roughly.

"Vampires. Yes. But one?" She tsked. "I've been around a long time. Hardly any know of me. The last of the Ancients. Hunters believe the Ancients dead." She countered. "You've sought me out. Have proven you tenacity and drive. Have won my attention, my Hunter. And tonight I give you your prize." She said.

Her Hunter, made a series of interesting noises of flounder confusion, and a bit of agitation. His hands coming up to his blindfold and for a moment she thought he was going to rip it off his face and reveal those eyes she's been wanting see. "You think I've been courting you?!" He exclaimed.

She laughed softly at him. Waving her hand to the human thralls in the room. Five of them moving to the instruments that on any other night would be playing music. The thralls picked their instruments without fail and as any other night, played a slow moving song. Her Hunter flinching at the sudden sound of music in the room.

She took that as her moment to stand and silently make her way to him and though he could not see her, curtsied to him before stepping into his space. One hand on his shoulder and her other grabbing to hold of his hand. He had no choice but to move with her, with her inhuman strength. His free hand resting on her waist almost instinctively on his own.

"Hey!" He complained. Keeping in step with her, to keep her from using her strength to make him move. Making the dance more fluid. "Seriously! I've been trying to kill you! Give me a blade and I'd do it now!" He tried to reason.

"I know." She purred, pulling herself closer while he tried to keep her at arms length; and failed. She rested her head on his shoulder, letting his scent flood her senses, and her own to cover him. Claiming him. "I could have kill you many times as well." She admitted. "I could now." She kissed the side of his neck and gently ran her fangs across his skin, but not piercing through. Not yet.

His movements stumbled and faltered at the feel of them. He breathing picking up slightly.

"But I won't." She finished saying. Lifting her head and looking at his blindfolded eyes. "I could have ended this so many times. Did you really think you lived by your own skill?" She asked teasingly.

He sputtered offended.

It was so cute she could stop the giggle that left her. "I'm an Ancient, love. I know more than the average vampire. I'm stronger and faster. Of course I could have ended you, how do you think the Hunters Guild know so little about me?" She asked.

"We have texts!" He said through gritted teeth.

She loved how red his cheeks were getting the longer they dance.

"Ah, so that is how you know of me. Some stray novel I must have missed. Were you trying to impress someone? Or prove yourself to your guild." She asked, curious. She breifly wondered if he did all this to impress a lover. If he so had one, she would hunt them down personally. He was hers afterall. She let a hissed escape her from the thought and enjoyed the shiver that ran through his body as the moved with the music.

"My great Grandfather studied the Ancient and predicted one that still roamed the earth. I just followed his stepping stones." He admitted, voice sounding rough and breathless. Reminding her that he still needed to breathe and so slowed their movements more, before letting him lead. She wondered if he knew he was leading the dance now. She followed him.

"And found me." She hummed impressed. Enjoying the sound of his breathing at their slowl dance. "If I had known that all I had to do to get you to actually talk to me, was to rid you of all you weapons, I would have done this sooner. Its not so bad talking to a Bloodsucker is it?" She smiled.

He was silent for a moment, the music finishing and though he still could not see her, she curtsied to him again. The thralls playing the music starting an even slower one, that she did not deem to dance to. Letting her Hunter stand and think on his response. "When your not throwing me into walls I guess its okay." He admitted, stubbornly.

"I'm glad to be able to have this moment of clarity with you." She hummed delighted.

"That still doesn't mean I was courting you." He said quickly, his heart beat picking up again.

"So." She purred. "What's so bad if I did fall for you and your advances?"

"But I've been trying to kill you!" He insisted.

"Proving how strong you can be, you've taken all I threw at you." She countered. "Do you know how many male vampires and humans that quiver and quake in my presence? Yet here you stand. You pursued and engaged with me. Never faltering. And so cunning. Not many would fight a vampire, much less and Elder or Ancient in a blindfolded... Every time without fail." She pointed out, sashaying closer to him to trace a finger on the blindfold. "A curious decision."

"To avoid being thralled." He said, answering her silent musing.

"You must have trained hard to be able to maneuver without sight." She commented, remembering all their encounters and the deadly dances. She decided that the one they just did was her most favorite. No weapons to keep them apart.

"Everyone thought I was crazy, but I have never been thralled, where others have." He said, sounding pleased with himself.

"You're right. The humans I have here all use to be hunters. Now servants until no longer needed or useless." She said, smiling when he turned his face as if trying to look around the room, through the blindfold.

"Thralls. You have human's trapped here." He accused.

"Given, as gifts from the other Covens." She corrected. "Not that I use them often. I'm usually just have them stand around and care for the castle."

"Castle?" He repeated his head once again, his head turning as if looking around.

"The Covens insist on treating my like royalty. Who am I to turn away their gifts?" She smiled. He looked so cute, when he tried to see past h is blindfold. "You know….If you wish to see, all you have to do is remove the blindfold. I promise to not to thrall you." She purred, stepping into his space again. Tracing his blindfold with her finger.

His hand came up to grab hers. "No." He said flatly. "Vampire always lie. You're just trying to trick me." He accused.

Kristin pouted. "Why would I lie to my future Mate and King?" She asked.

"King?!" He blindfolded gaze that had turned tilting slightly this way and that meaning he was listening, snapped back to her. His cheeks once again turning red.

"I've been waiting for someone like you to come to me." She said, possessiveness coming into her voice a bit.

"But I've been trying to kill you!" He emphasized.

"You've courted me." She insisted.

"We don't even know each other. Not even by name!" He countered.

Kristin thought for a moment. "My name is Kristin." She said after a moment.

He spluttered again. "You can't just – That's not what I meant!"

"I know." She smiled. Wrapping her arms around his neck. "Now may I have yours?" She asked.

He sighed, his head dropping a bit, tense muscles loosening slightly. "Philza. Or Phil for short." He said.

"Hello Phil." She purred. She loved that name for him! Phil! Philza! Her Mate Phil! King Philza! She could say it forever! And would, should she have her way.

His frown deepened a bit, stepping from her hold.

Kristin bit but the irritated hiss that wanted to leave her. To demand him back in her arms. A feeling that immediately left when Phil pulled the Blindfold from his eyes slowly, letting his human eyes to adjust to the light within the room. She purred loudly seeing his eyes for the first time. His icy blue eyes that flicked to her after examining the room. "Hi." She purred appreciative.

"Hi…." He said, with a nod.

Silence filled the room. Kristin having to restrain herself from getting back into his personal space again and never letting his eyes leave her. "May I – Let me -" She try to form the words. Not trying too hard to stay away, and stepped back into his space, where they were face to face.

There was a tiny flash of distrust in his eyes.

"I will not thrall you." She reassured, looking deeper into his eyes. "Your eyes are so beautiful! More than I imagine." She said breathy. "I love them."

"Can't have them if you turn me." He said.

"You would keep your eyes. I would make sure of it. I'm an Ancient. You would be made by me. I don't want a fledgling. I want a Mate. I want a strong Mate. The Covens need a strong King. Just say yes to me. Be willing." She implored, feeling like she had fallen for his thrall….If humans were able to thrall a vampire.

He gave her a contemplative look. "You really mean it? You want the hunter that's been hunting you down just to murder you? What if in the end, I turn and then kill you when I'm as strong as you?"

"Then I'll die happy." She answered. "You will have to wait a few years before that though. Fledglings sleep for a long time. I would not let you be my fledgling. I would have you sleep through your fledlginghood, so no Sire bond will form. I would wait for you to wake and make a Mate bond with you." She explained, it was hard to not just bite and turn him right away. But she wanted him willing for her bite. His turning would go smoother and his sleep more pleasant.

"You can do that?" He asked, he didn't believe her. "But the Hunters guide-"

"Don't know about me. Or Ancients at all. I am one of the firsts. And I have magic of the old ways. I will turn you as I was turned. No Sire bond. Just the gift of the Moon and Stars." She said, already knowing what he was going to say.

He was considering it. She could see it. He just needed a push.

"You've chased me. Followed the ways that the Hunter Guilds today would ignore. Chased a fairytale and found it. Why?" She asked. "Most hunters go after what they can see."

"What I read, talked of Ancients like you were a different breed of vampire. Beings that could do more than the average undead. It even theorizes that you were once Gods even. I never meant to become a Hunter, but in a family of Hunters it was bound to happen. So…."

"So to make it worth your wild, you decided to hunt a fantasy. Not expecting me to be real." She finished for him. Preening on the inside that he had sought her out from the beginning.

"Yeah, after that I couldn't stop. You became an …..an obsession. I suppose." he admitted shyly, his icy blue eye flicking to her and away.

Kristin purred pleased and happy with his wording. "Mmmmm, two obsessed beings. Neither fitting in with others of our kind. We were just made for each other." She purred sweetly running her hand along his face down to his pulse point.

Icy blue eyes looked away from hers. His face redder than its ever been.

"I can make it were it will not hurt. You just have to look at me….And say yes…..Let me show you eternity."She coaxes sweetly. Her fingers feeling his pulse point. "There's no guild waiting for you outside of here. Nothing but unruly Covens that need a strong King to temper them." She added, going to stand just behind him and motioned with a free hand to the pair of thrones. "Just say yes….." She beckoned, when he turned to face her.

He looked her in the eyes, searching for something. One of his hands coming up to run his fingers through her dark hair. Kristin purred happily. Delighted to have his attention and gentle touch. He was thinking. She could see the wheels turning in his head. And then finally he answered. "Okay….Yes…." He said softly. Icy blue eyes glued to hers.

Kristin smiled. "Then go sit upon your throne." She motioned, bowing her head in respect to her soon to be Vampire King. Her Mate.

Phil took a deep breath and seemed to square his shoulders as he walked to the old throne that has sat empty so long. Her long dead heart almost felt like it wanted to wake and skip of beat seeing him sit there. He belonged there, she decided more firmly, coming to stand in front of him.

Phil looked up at her from his throne, and Kristin couldn't stop herself from coyly sliding herself on to his lap. His heart beat, beating faster and faster; almost double time to make up for the lack of hers. This intimate moment when she would make her King. Purring with unbridled happiness and to sooth what she knew had to be anxiousness that lined his entire frame, she slowly used her hands to massage his shoulders, getting him more relaxed in his seat. A stray hand ghosting down to his torso feeling well toned muscles, from years of training and hunting. "Don't worry." She cooed soothingly. "Look at me." She instructed, meeting his icy gaze. "Good. I'm going to thrall you, so the pain will be numb. Then I will stay with you until you wake as the King of Vampires."

"Okay….." He said taking a breath. Icy eyes going vacant as he fell into her gaze. Her thrall. His heartbeat and breathing calming and evening in a more slower rhythm.

A hand coming to grab roughly at his shoulder length blonde hair. Possessively tugging at it, purposely making a faint grunt leave him from the sudden movement of his head, before relaxing her grip. "Relax. I've got you, love." She purred, letting her hands roam more freely now that he was under her control. Feeling his whole body slump against the thrones back, as she gently tilted his head to the side exposing his neck. "I've waited so long to taste you." She admitted in a sigh. "I could just keep you like this and drink from you whenever I want. Bleed you whenever I want." She said giddy, knowing while under a thrall he could not refuse or stop her. "You've flooded and captured my mind in your own way, you know. A type of magic special to you." She said, teasingly, gently scraping her fangs on his neck. Enjoying unconscious tremble that ran through his body, that she read as his anticipation bleeding through the thrall.

His breathing never changing while in the thrall though, kept relaxed and pliant to her will.

She kissed his neck. His jaw. His lips. Looking into his icy blue eyes savoring them before his long sleep. "This won't hurt." She purred, dipping her head back to the side of his neck. She breathed his scent one more time before slowly sinking her fangs into his skin. Humming in delight as his rich blood flooded her mouth. He tasted better than she ever imagined! So rich and savory.

She drank until she began to feel his skin begin to turn cold. Releasing venom that would start his turn and then tearing herself away, before her bloodlust had her to continue to feasting on him. Licking the leftover that had leaked from her bite mark and what clinged to her lips. Running her tongue across her fangs as she stared into his icy gaze that were slowly closing from the blood lost.

"The moon water!" She demanded, feeling breathless. Though her lungs no longer need air and her heart has not beat in eons, she felt giddy. Her first turning and it was with her Mate. His trust in her, earned so easily! Showed only how even while hunting her, Phil had held a want for her in a different way; similar to hers for him.

A thrall came forward with a cup in hand. Filled with moon water. Crystal clear and purified with the moons light. From a pool that was fed the blood and venom of the Ancients when there were plenty, so long ago. Only an Ancient would ever know where to find the Moon's pool. Kristin had to plan this just right, on a night where the moon was high, and memorable to the both of them. She would not be his Sire. The Ancients long past would be his Sire. Those no longer around to pull on the bond. Kristin would be and automatic Coven mate. She took his chin in her hand and gently tilted his head back and poured the Moon's water in his mouth. Her hand slipping from his chin to massage his throat and encourage him to swallow, before his eyes slipped fully closed.

Phil's breathing almost all but stopped.

His heart slowing and beating every two minutes. Kristin nuzzled her face into his neck, purring lovingly, as a Thrall took the cup and went away. "Now we wait. You sleep. I'll be here when you wake." She said wistfully. "Its going to be agonizing to wait for you." She hummed satisfied, listening intently to his heartbeat that would stop beating when he surpassed fledglinghood.

She stayed the whole night in his lap, humming a random tune and playing with his hair. The thralls, reinforcing the darkness of the castle, continuing their duties without fail. The next night found the Covens back at her door, but none coming in. They all believed her Hunter's turn was that of a normal fledgling turn. All Vampires know to stay away from the den of a Sire and their newly turned fledgling. She suppose the same could be for a turning King and his waiting Mate. Instead they left their gifts to her and Phil at the door. The thralls being the only ones to collect the gifts once the sun had risen and she was curled up asleep in either in his lap or in her own throne holding his hand.

She waited only a few nights before allowing the thralls to clean him. To change his hunter garbs for clothes and robes meant for a King. Clothed in black. Robes of the deepest viridian green with gold thread that made up intricate designs upon the garments. His golden blonde hair done up with braids and a short ponytail with the rarest of jewels woven in. He looked like a King that had fell asleep bored of his duties.

The years passed, and Phil slept on, his heartbeat getting slower and slower. Going from beating every two minutes. To every hour.

To once a day.

Once a month.

A few times a year.

Until finally, it stopped. Kristin had the soft music her thralls would play silenced, just to press her sensitive ear close to his cold and unmoving chest to listen to the final hollow thump of the organ.

"You're past your fledglinghood, my love.?" She told him softly.

The Coven bond having growing strong as his heart slowly died, gave the tiniest of tugs, signaling that while Phil was indeed not close to waking, he knew she was near. Knew she was talking to him. While most fledglings would be awake after their last heartbeat, Phil would sleep on. He was not wake for a few more hundred years yet. She was willing to wait.

But not the Covens. They dared not press her though. The few that had dare, had been met with the burning flames of the hottest fire, with just a deadly look from her red eyes. For lesser vampires were not meant to tell an Ancient what she could and couldn't do. Besides, with Phil asleep and no close to waking, it was her right to protect her Mate and King. None would see him until she said, or he awakened. Her possessiveness over him intensifying the longer his slept and the stronger the coven bond became. She remembered the bond tugging almost curiously when she took care of those that dared to be disrespectful.

Though she did not fault their curiousness. After all they expected a fledgling, and all knew how long fledglings slept.

Another few hundred years passed, and during then, because Phil was not meant to wake, soon took on the likeness of a statue. Looking like a master piece that was hidden from the world. His skin hard and pale of the marble stone. It was when the Coven Bond was always active, always tugging when she would read. A little tug there, when she was would sing. Though his body stayed as still as stone.

The bond practically tingled and sparked when she finally opened the castle doors to allow the Covens to visit. Every reaction amusing to her, when they would see his statue like form upon the throne. Unmoving and sleeping through their visit. The Elder council had all been stunned. Had many questions that she refused to answer.

"Why do you question what will be too hard for your feeble minds to understand? Instead of standing there with your mouths opened like a banshee, kneel before you King and his Queen." She had told them, waving away their questions as she sat upon her throne, her hand covering his cold stone hand and rubbing his knuckles with her thumb.

Oh! That had been a fun day.

She knew he had liked it too. Could feel the bond vibrate with a cackling laughter that made her smile even more.

It was a night before their anniversary that something changed. The castle was filled with guests and there had just been a peace treaty made between the hunters and vampires. A careless hunter dare to mock the statue upon the throne. The human hunters not understand that the King of Vampire sat and slept. Listening through his Coven bond with Kristin. She suppose that might have been part of why he decided to wake.

Vampires and Human alike had watched in awe as the stone turned to skin, and icy blue eyes that immediately turned red, opened to stare at the crowd. His aura sweeping out into the room, as his stern gaze swept across them all. Every vampire and fledgling, falling to their knees in reverence to the new powerful vampire in the room.

The humans quickly following their example and none dared to look up.

None but her.

Kristin purred when his eyes fell upon her. She was standing in the middle of the room surround by the Elder Council and the Leaders of the human Hunter Guild; all on their knees but her. An impatient growl rumbled throughout the room, as he got to his feet and walked over to her. His growl was deep and demanding, demanding she come to him, but she remained where she stood. Loving the possessive look in his eyes. She smiled knowingly and didn't even fight hen his hand found its way into her hair and kissed her passionately. She caught a few curious fledgling peeking up before their Sires would make them look back down. She didn't even fight when he pulled her head to the side after breaking the kiss and going straight for the mating bite. Claiming her right then and there in front of the Hunter and Vampires alike.

He was hers and she was his.

"Mine." He growled against her throat, with black blood coating his lips.

"Oh, your! All yours!" She agreed, lovingly, before returning the Mating bite in turn.

Eternity was looking much better and brighter now that she had Phil as her mate.

THE END