Chapter 28 Taste the forbidden
The news hung like a dark fog, tied to the ears of every available vampire within the four thick walls.
Valerio was collected, calm and, poised.
Evyths looked deeper, her gaze splitting between Valerio, Lucian and Octavio.
The silence crippled the atmosphere, the chilling breeze became warm on Evyths’ skin.
Her hand instinctively reached for his arm, instantly she felt an electric shock tide explode under a second. Regardless, she held on tight.
Valerio’s eyes shifted to her fingers barely wrapped around his big arm, a wave of comfort flashed but ut was snatched away when Duke Octavio finally spoke while Evyths retracted her hand gently.
“My prince, brace yourself. Remember, this mortal body only makes us weak and vulnerable, but your soul, it is immortal and impenetrable—not even a sword or an emotion can pierce…” he calmly and firmly stated. “The unforgettable deeds and courage of King Bathory will be remembered in the book of annals. He has joined Great Dracula…” Octavio added as he stepped forward, his steps barely touching the marble floor.
He placed a grand over the prince’s shoulder and gave a firm pat that showed strength.
…
Some time later, in the middle of the day, the palace carried on its business yet with heavy grief in their ancient hearts.
Prince Valerio and Octavio had just departed. The duke was set to invite every palace official and nobles for a meeting and a way forward.
Valerio stood by the palace’s porch in the upper room where no one dared to go.
His eyes looking from the top of the high castle, his gaze darted to the tops of the oak trees, birds perching and taking flights, the eeriness was palpable and hunting but not to the vampires.
“I hate to admit but… the king was fearless,”
Lucian’s calm, deep voice struck the silence as if shaking its balance. Valerio’s jaw tightened but not contemptuously.
Despite his blank expression, the deepest part of him appreciated his half-brother’s gesture of they were true.
“He was,” Valerio raspy baritone followed suit, tightening his grip around the sculpted railing.
Lucian leaned forward, his hands on the railing as well.
“I doubt that this is the moment, but Octavio was right. We are not mere mortals, we must act like it…” he said.
Valerio’s gaze was pensive and distant, “That is true but my old vulture died like a vegetable. He suffered a curse that ruined him in his last days. His forefathers departed like titans and gods and there you have father, he died amidst a storm that his bloody mate caused,” Valerio was calm while he spoke but his tone was filled with anger and resentment that could hurt.
“What is your plan? About the queen?”
“Exile is fair, but I would rather she tastes a speck of her selfishness,” Valerio offhandedly said.
“I would be selfish in this aspect. She deserves your wrath as crowned prince. She's wronged you and… my mother,” Lucian stated firmly but Valerio said nothing. Obviously, they did not share the same goals about avenging Lucian’s mother.
“I understand your… bane here.” Valerio turned to him fully, his hands neatly interlaced behind him. “But I wonder, how long do you intend to stay? Until the rituals are over?” the prince asked.
Lucian gave a slight smirk, “If you had read the parchment, you will understand why I have come. Until then, I withhold my thoughts for now.” he said as he bowed his head. “Accept my support, Prince Valerio D’Arcy,” he added, his tone hinting at sarcasm and contempt.
Lucian vanished while Valerio scoffed. He, too, did not buy Lucian’s offer to support him given their previous and existing feud.
…
Some time later, the council member, officials, elders and nobles were gathered for the grand meeting in the large hall. The ceremony had begun, the king was laid on his face, adorned with the finest royal robe; black and red.
He was laid on stone heap, about to be burned. The vampires believed that it would block all access of the king rising after his death. It was their tradition.
And besides, Valerio opted that both measures must be carried out, given that his father had suffered greatly before his death unlike the kings before King Bathory.
The procession was eerie, sinister and intense.
After the ritual had been carried out, the meeting and decision about Valerio’s coronation would be carried out immediately.
On the other hand,
Evyths, for the first time, saw different vampires from different regions, coming to pay their respects to the dead king.
The distant chattering of the vampires filled the air, their smell of copper and dust permeating each corner.
Evyths remained in the empty hallway that was barely filled.
Although the timing seemed heavy given the loss of the king but it also meant that she was prey that could be hunted at any given time.
“Oh goddess, I hope the prince is carrying on well!” Evyths said to herself.
Evyths was all alone. Hana, who could have been the available friend, was still locked away and none of the maids or soldiers liked to see Evyths near them. She was marked as an enemy.
From the end of the hallway, two maids strutted towards her, their menacing laughter deafened Evyths all the way.
Their harsh words about her were not unheard of to Evyths. They spoke about her while she watched them, prompting her to throw the first blow. A reason to cause chaos.
When they stood close to Evyths who barely looked their way, one of the girls nudged Evyths’ arm harshly.
“You are a fucking slut!” the girl barked at her. “Do you not have some decency? Orgasmed right before everyone?” the girl asked while Evyths remained silent.
Although the girl’s words ate her up, the prince subjected her to another form of mockery, even if he would not see it that way. Evyths was left to deal with the aftermath.
“Can’t talk?” the second girl leaned toward Evyths, her breath smelling of copper. It was evident they had bitten and drained the life from something.
Evyths was unfazed, her anger twirling like wind within her.
She could feel the rush that corrupted her, the sudden urge to tear the girls apart ringing in her head.
“Oh, I would make her talk…” the first said, chuckling evilly as she dragged Evyths by the hair.
Evyths winced in pain, her scalp ached as if it were being scraped.
“Let me go. I'm warning you!” Evyths said through gritted teeth as the girl pulled harder, savoring her cruelty.
“Oh, I smell a threat. How about I warn you instead! You think you can… crawl out of your pack and snatch the prince and make yourself his favorite? Huh?” the girl barked at Evyths while the second looked around, keeping an eye.
The harder the girl pulled, the more Evyths’ fingernails morphed into sharp claws, digging into the girl’s skin as she bled.
The girl’s eyes widened in shock as she released Evyths. By then, it was too late. Evyths was already transforming into a big, silver werewolf with crimson eyes.
The girls were terrified. Not even their speed could save them from Evyths’ wolf and wrath.
The silver werewolf caught them, tearing the weak vampires into equal halves. When other soldiers attempted to stake her heart, she tore them apart. Her strength was unmatched, even if it were not a full moon.
No one believed that an omega werewolf could be this lethal and merciless.
The wolf panted, growled, and howled.
She roamed the hallway, uneasy, in an attempt to break out of the palace with its high windows.
Meanwhile, while all of this was going on, Valerio noticed the low rumbles of objects like the portraits and the chalice. Yet other vampires were fixated on the ceremony.
Valerio looked into the burning flame from his father’s remains and saw a silver werewolf in distress.
He did not need confirmation. He knew it was Evyths and that something had triggered her transformation again.
It was the second time Evyths had transformed into a werewolf.
Valerio rose instantly. He asked his uncle, Astaroth, to stand in for him, and when Astaroth asked for an explanation, Valerio simply vanished.
Valerio appeared in the hallway where the werewolf had been pacing restlessly.
He was baffled again by Evyths’ beauty and strength. His gaze darted over each decapitated body that lay on the floor.
There were about 25 in number. To Valerio, knowing how Evyths was harmless, the number of bodies was remarkable.
A satisfied grin rested on his lips. It was the most exciting thing he had seen throughout his hours of mourning his father’s death.
“Skilled hunting!” he complimented under his breath. His excitement was palpable.
When the silver werewolf looked in the prince’s way, she fastened her speed with an attempt to tear the prince into pieces like she had done to the others.
But then, Valerio, as fearless and unshaken as he was, remained still as if trying to calm the storm in the werewolf.
He stretched out an arm gently as the werewolf reduced its pace, staring at Valerio. For a moment, it seemed to Valerio that she was trying to remember who he was.
All her instincts saw was a prey and an enemy.
“Eva…” he called out softly, his tone was laced with compassion and concern. Despite being excited for what she had done, he felt pity for her. She looked restless and naive even as a giant pup that she was.
“It's Valerio, I am not your enemy. I am here now and... I will protect you…” he said again, the short distance between them irked Valerio. He wanted to be closer to her, to feel her and to understand her even in her beastly form.
The werewolf let out a low growl, as if she recognized Valerio.
Her breath began to even out as Valerio slowly walked towards her, taking her calmness as her consent.
He placed a hand over her, gently rubbing her even if she was almost three feet taller than he was.
“I am not your enemy, Eva, yet this is not you. Keep calm and transform so you could heal properly,” he said. The prince’s voice soothed her, it was a familiar melancholy in her ears, she's always loved it.
She growled again but Valerio kept rubbing her softly.
They remained in that position for a few seconds until the heavy door flung open. Octavio and Lucian broke in, as well as a few soldiers, vampires and visitors.
“Such… beauty turns me on…” Octavio groaned with pleasure under his breath as Lucian scoffed and asked.
“Who brought in a hound that turns you on?” his brows crumpled slightly.
“It is the girl—Evyths!” Octavio said.
That moment, Lucian could not believe his eyes. As we well as everyone that stood tall there.
Meanwhile, the werewolf attempted to go haywire, sensing the threats she was surrounded with but Valerio stood in front of her. His eyes deeply rooted in hers.
“Come with me to my laboratory, you are safer there…” he said and instantly the werewolf transformed back to normal, a human again, laid on the icy floor. Their breathed hitched when they realized the it was Evyths.
Valerio did not hesitate, he instantly picked her up and vanished with her.
When they attempted to follow, Octavio stopped them, “Do not bother, he has taken her where no one can go,”
…
As soon as Valerio and Evyths appeared in his laboratory that remained frigid and smelled intoxicating.
He gently laid her on the floor after he had prepared a small bed using the silky linens from his coffin.
Kneeling next to her, he stared at how innocent she looked, yet his memory was filled with wolf’s beauty and strength. And herbdistress hunting as he would call it.
It drew him closer to her all the more.
He stroked her hair, tucking the stubborn strands behind her ear.
He placed a wet, light kiss on her forehead.
“I have to leave now. You are safer in here…” he said to her, though her eyes were closed.
When he tried to rise, he felt her small hand around his wrist as her eyes gently opened.
“Please don't leave me!” she pleaded, and his gaze softened. Their gazes locked, their lips parted.
An irresistible pull, a yearning hell-bent on finding its way through hearts, breathed.
Their lips met with a thirst that never ceased to quench.
Evyths sat up while their tongues were still tied.
She swiftly took off his royal cloak and tore his inner shirt.
Baffled by her wild side, a sly smile danced on his lips as he paused.
“I don't want you to regret this,” he said to her, cupping her delicate face. “It is not right. It is forbidden,” he added, his cold breath basking her skin with desire.
He wanted her just as much as she did.
She scoffed lightly. “Yet why does it feel so right to do?” she asked, quoting the very words he had said to her before.
Evyths took his hands, placing them on her breasts, her alluring green gaze melting his words and all the ordinances he held dear.
“Rip my dress, Valerio!”
She ordered calmly, the tone and the way she said his name building a heat that had never existed inside him.
The sound of his name coming from her mouth was divine, arousing his brewing desires even more.
“Yes, Eva!” he snapped with hunger in his husky baritone.
Pleasure was all that they knew.
Her dress split into two before she could guess his next move.
Valerio hastily undid his pants, freeing his thick, long, erect rod.
Evyths swallowed hard, a delight before her eyes.
Valerio leaned forward, his lips locking as he pinned her hands to the sides and dug into her carefully.
Her soft, shaky moan filled his ears while her world spun before her like the stars in orbit.
His manly, slightly stifled groan sat in her head and mind rent-free.
Every stroke, every move took caution and desire. Her hips ached, a bittersweet sensation that faded into longing—a very dark yearning.
Breaking every law that binds them.
Breaking their beliefs.
Defying their nature.
Nothing felt better than embracing the forbidden.