Chapter 118 At Your Service

Chapter 118 At Your Service
\- Queen Heminica’s POV -
I can’t imagine how much Simone suffered over those five long years after he left me, the moment he turned me into a vampire.
I sighed deeply as I looked down at the garden sprawling beneath the veranda where I stood. The scent of flowers and the faint rustle of leaves barely registered in my mind. Everything was distant, overshadowed by the thoughts of what had happened in the years I had been apart from Simone. Now I understood why Father always left the castle, leaving me with the responsibilities of the kingdom in his absence. He wasn’t abandoning me. He had been working with Simone, strategizing, and preparing to defeat the previous Vampire King, Aurio.
Aurio, Simone’s uncle, was a cruel, ruthless ruler who held the Vampire Clan in a grip of terror. That was the reason tensions between vampires and werewolves had been so heated for years. Father wanted to end Aurio’s tyranny, while Simone sought the throne as the rightful heir, fulfilling his father’s will. They had fought side by side in perfect harmony—Father leading the battle on the ground, while Simone strategized and negotiated within the Vampire Council.
After five long years of war and treachery, Aurio was finally dethroned by the council. Simone had taken his place as the new Vampire King. Yet Aurio’s pride and hunger for power didn’t allow him to accept it quietly. A violent war erupted within the Vampire Clan, but with Father’s forces by Simone’s side, Aurio was finally defeated, and killed.
During all this time, despite Simone’s intense longing to see me, he suppressed his feelings. He wanted to protect me, to ensure my safety. He had made a solemn promise to Father not to come to me until Aurio was dead. Every time he resisted the urge to seek me, he fought against the strongest pull in his heart: his love for me.
I had been ignorant of all this. I didn’t know what was truly happening to my father, or to the man I was bound to for eternity. Now I understood. Now I could see why Father remained calm despite Simone’s presence in the Kingdom. He had trusted Simone, trusted his judgment, trusted the love Simone had for me. Father had always known that Simone was the right man for me.
I smiled at the thought, a soft, bittersweet smile. I loved Simone so much… and I could never, ever let him go. He was my world, my reason for existing. Even though I had become lifeless in a sense, my very essence, my heart, still beat for him. He was my oxygen, my lifeline.
'He is our mate, Heminica. We are bound to be with him,' my wolf whispered, and I nodded in agreement.
Then, suddenly, I froze. Arms wrapped around my waist, strong yet gentle, and I felt myself being pulled closer. My heart skipped a beat, my body shivering at the familiar scent, the warmth that told me it was Simone. My eyes closed instinctively, wanting to savor this stolen moment. His presence, the security of his arms around me, made my chest swell with emotions I hadn’t felt in years.
I opened my eyes slowly and held his hand. “You shouldn’t be here… our wedding is tomorrow. They might see you, Simone,” I whispered softly. In our beliefs, a bride and groom must never see each other before the wedding ceremony. But here he was, holding me close, ignoring all rules, and I didn’t know if I should be annoyed or grateful.
My body stiffened when he nuzzled his nose into my neck, inhaling my scent. My heart leapt, my breath catching in my throat. Pleasure coursed through me, subtle at first, then building into a wave I couldn’t stop. My hands twitched, longing to reach him, to feel his skin against mine. How could I become so addicted to him, even after all these years apart?
“I don’t care,” he whispered in his husky, commanding voice, each word sending shivers down my spine. “No one can stop me from seeing you, Love.” His lips left soft, teasing kisses along my neck. I arched instinctively into him, needing more, craving his warmth, his touch.
“But Simone... agh.” I gasped, stopping mid-word as he sucked on a sensitive spot along my neck. My knees nearly buckled, my chest tightening with the pleasure and desire coursing through me.
“Damn, how much I love hearing you moan,” he murmured, a predatory yet tender edge in his tone. He turned me to face him, and my breath caught. His eyes glowed red with desire, burning through me, igniting a fire in my core. I could feel it mirroring the heat of my own longing, a perfect reflection of the hunger I held for him.
We stared at each other, both of us ablaze with need, his gaze igniting every nerve in my body. He touched my cheek gently, his thumb brushing against my lips, teasing, igniting. He licked his lower lip, and I couldn’t stop myself from imagining the taste, imagining it on my own lips. My mind went blank, consumed by him, by the longing that had been locked away for so long.
“I want you, Heminica,” he said in a low, hoarse voice, as though asking for permission—but I didn’t need permission. My lips moved before I could think, tiptoeing up to claim his in a desperate kiss. My action seemed to surprise him for a fraction of a second before a slow smile spread across his face. He responded immediately, holding my head firmly, deepening the kiss, while his other hand tightened on my waist.
His lips were intoxicating, soft yet demanding, and I moaned into him, unable to resist. Every touch, every motion of his lips against mine was addicting, consuming me. I parted my lips slightly, inviting him, giving him access, letting him explore, letting him claim me in this stolen, fiery moment.
Our kiss deepened further, expressing all the pent-up desire, the years of longing, the forbidden ache that had built between us. His tongue explored my mouth expertly, mapping every inch, while my body burned with need. I could feel my skin tingling, my blood racing, and my pulse pounding in sync with his. I was alive again, fully alive, yet I could barely contain the heat building within me.
'You’re in heat, Heminica,' my wolf whispered urgently, echoing the fire consuming me. 'We need him.'
I pulled back slightly, trying to regain control, but when I looked into his blazing eyes, I saw mirrored lust, mirrored hunger, mirrored need. Our breathing came in ragged, heavy gasps as the intensity of the moment pressed down on us.
“You’re in heat,” he repeated in a hoarse whisper, and I froze. He knew. He could feel it. I couldn’t hide it from him, couldn’t pretend. My body betrayed me, and my heart raced faster at the confirmation of his awareness.
“I know…” I admitted, my voice trembling. I clutched his shirt as if my life depended on it, drawing him closer. “And… I need you.”
His eyes brightened with a mixture of joy and hunger, and a soft, satisfied smile curved his lips. “Always at your service, Love,” he said, and before I could even respond, he claimed my lips again, deeper, firmer, pressing into me with all the pent-up passion he had held for years.
This time, I didn’t resist. I let myself melt into him, letting go of all restraint. Every kiss, every touch spoke of devotion, of longing, of a bond that had survived betrayal, war, and years of separation. I could feel it... our hearts, our souls, our very beings, entwined and drawn irrevocably together.
I ran my hands through his hair, pulling him closer, feeling every inch of him, wanting to memorize the warmth of his body, the strength in his arms. Every breath he took, every whisper, every tiny movement made me shiver. I wanted him, all of him, in every way.
“Simone…” I whispered against his lips, my voice trembling. “I love you… I’ve never stopped…”
“I know, Love,” he breathed against me, his hands tightening on my waist, drawing me impossibly closer. “I’ve never stopped either. Never. You’re mine, Heminica. Only mine.”
And in that instant, I believed it completely. I knew it in my bones, in my blood, in my soul. He was mine, and I was his. All the years of longing, of separation, of pain, had brought us here, together, burning with desire, and bound by a bond stronger than anything else in the world.
Even as the night stretched on, and the world outside remained oblivious, we held each other, claiming each other, knowing that nothing... no rule, no fear, no time, could ever separate us again.