Chapter 294: Kisses before Blood

"We should stop!" Aira told him, not seeing how sex was going to make whatever was going to happen at the werewolf realm easier for her. Logic tried to assert itself, even as her body resisted."We should!" Zyren responded, his voice much lower as he pulled back. For a brief second, she thought he would listen. But he had just done so when the carriage began to move.

Aira had just moved to get out of his lap when she fell right back, regardless of her reaction speed, which was much faster than a human. The sudden jolt stole her balance.

She had just moved to get back up just as fast when the next thing she knew, her body was being lifted off the ground and laid against the carriage seats, with Zyren hovering over her, an intensity in his gaze that she more than understood. It was dark, consuming, and familiar.

It was the awareness that she wanted him much more than before, enough that she found it hard to hold in her moans simply from a single touch. Her body betrayed her with every shallow breath.

’It’s the bond!’ she told herself over and over again. ’It’s nothing but the bond...’ The mantra was a fragile shield, one she clung to desperately.

But still it made her want to forget everything and kiss him until she lost herself in the feeling she felt, until there was nothing left but sensation and heat.

His hands caressed her belly, hovering over her dress, even as he kissed her earlobes in ways that had her almost gasping for air, grinding her teeth together just to keep herself sane. The carriage seemed to sway with their shared tension.

"...it’s going to be a long journey!" He said, even as he began to undo the buttons of his shirt, going as far as to discard it without shifting his gaze from hers. The air felt thicker, charged.

"...we might as well make the most of it!" He said, moving back to kiss her deeply in a way that had her lashes fluttering, stomach tumbling, and heart racing, unable to help but lean into the pleasure his body easily gave hers.

Liora wasn’t surprised to see her sister being led into the carriage by Zyren before the doors were shut. The brief glimpse she caught of Aira’s red gown disappearing inside was enough to tell her everything she needed to know. King Jared had already entered their carriage with Clara, his Luna, and the other members of the entourage followed soon after, their movements practiced and efficient as preparations were made to move.

Liora decided it was best to move along with them as well. Unlike usual, heading to the werewolf realm would have required passing through the Black Forest, a place teeming with monsters and old magic, but this time around the werewolf king had been kind enough to show them a safer pass. Even so, the thought of the forest lingering on either side of their path made her uneasy.

She stepped into the carriage and gestured for Rymora, Aira’s maid, to follow. She didn’t like her, but she didn’t hate her either. It was more a wariness born from how well Aira treated her, how close the maid seemed to stand to her sister when others did not.

But she had just watched Rymora step closer to the carriage, pulling the door open to reveal her face, when they both heard a voice speak from behind her.

Deep and commanding.

"You’ll ride with me!" the manly voice said.

Liora turned, her gaze settling on the lord she immediately recognized as Lord Drehk. His sheer stature set him apart from any other human or vampire present. He was massive, broad-shouldered, and solid, the kind of presence that demanded attention without effort. The muscles beneath his clothing alone were enough to make several heads turn.

Liora’s gaze remained steady as she briefly wondered if she would have achieved better results if she had been able to use him for the ritual.

"You’ll travel with me!" he said again, his gaze fixed on Rymora from start to finish.

Liora noticed instantly how unwilling Rymora looked, the hesitation written plainly across her face.

"Why would she—" Liora began, aware that regardless of how strong Lord Drehk was, she herself was just as strong even if she couldn’t yet show her abilities.

But Rymora interrupted before she could finish.

"Sure! I don’t mind!" Rymora said, forcing a smile.

The expression was enough for Liora to immediately realize that something was clearly between the two of them—something complicated, something personal. Something she would be foolish to interfere with.

It was then that Lord Drehk glanced over at her, his eyes cool and assessing, even as he intertwined his fingers with Rymora’s and led her away.

"Swine," Liora muttered under her breath once they were gone, hating how helpless humans were when it came to vampires. Even if there was something between them, it was clear that Rymora would rather not go with him.

"With power... you can just ignore the wishes of others," she thought grimly. It was simply the way the world worked, and there was nothing anyone could do to change it.

With a quiet sigh, she settled into the carriage by herself, leaning against the seat near the window as the carriage began to move. The rhythmic creak of the wheels accompanied the soft sway beneath her.

She stared out the window, fists balled tightly on either side of her. There was a small sense of relief in knowing she was alone.

"Her blood didn’t smell appetizing, but better safe than sorry. My dear sister wouldn’t be happy if I killed her favorite maid," she thought wryly, aware it was something that could absolutely happen if the urge caught her unaware.

It didn’t help that it had been getting worse—worse enough that at times all she saw was red, accompanied by the overwhelming urge to attack any human in front of her.

She clenched her fists tighter until her long nails bit into her palms. The pain brought only minimal relief.

"I just need to hang in there," she told herself repeatedly, teeth gritted until she tasted blood.

"Just until Zyren is dead,’ she decided coldly. "Even if he has to die with me."