Dark Magic

by Sasha Satori

  Chapter 10

  Axel

  When I saw Valentina slip through the portal, a part of me chipped off like a melting glacier. 'You don’t know what you have until you lose it' that’s what they say, I always thought 'they' were blasted morons, but her retreating face imprinted on me when she turned around to hand blow me a kiss. A part of me thought I'd never see her again; the dark realm is not a place for Valentina. No matter that she is the night realm king's and late spring queen's hybrid fabled love child, she still hasn’t ascended into immortality. A night and spring fae shouldn’t have even been able to be conceive a fae, but Valentina's gold spun hair and dark magic tendrils are both signature traits of her respective royal heritage. Only fae mates can produce offspring. Hence, the decreasing population throughout the fae realms. Finding your mate has become quite the golden goose egg. The spring fae queen detested the spring king, she bared him only as a sacrifice and presumed duty to her spring realm inhabitants. Thank fuck that king Aurelius killed that fucker after her mysterious death. The current spring fae queen is Valentina's maternal aunt, no king rules the realm by order of King Aurelius it will stay that way. I could give a dead fae fuck of fae politics and drama. Valentina is the only fae I will ever care about. The portal Valentina opened to the dark fae realm can only be created by fae. Consequently, it took much longer than anticipated to find and kidnap a fae and bleed him to enter the dark fae realm. Upon entering the night realm, I was greeted by a rage filled King Aurelius, he questioned me on my sudden appearance coinciding with to two fugitive dark realm fae women, one who is part spring fae. He declared that under no circumstances are they to be harmed by penalty of death, and if they are returned alive and unharmed to him, the bounty reward will be the entire contents from his largest most treasured armory. With a bounty like that the warrior orcs and night realm citizens will be pillaging the streets for them. That wretched hag is trouble, whether in her hag glamour or her comely true appearance, she’s still is a wretched no good hag, who will most certainly reap the consequences of taking my mate from me. After declaring to king Aurelius that I was following an old dark realm fae who had stolen something from me as reason for my appearance, king Aurelius hastily nodded and flew off on his black dragon familiar. Though rage was his primary emotion, I felt the undercurrent of loss, grief, yearning and hope. Such volatile useless emotions, I should know as Valentina elicits those same emotions in me with her disappearing act, bahh, that word tastes like rancid ash on my tongue. The night realm king had a look of fierce determination to find my mate and the wretched hag, the same I know is mirrored in my own. The urgency to find her before king Aurelius does is causing a sticky molasses feeling to thickly coat my heart and lungs. After endless hours of searching the realm, I close my eyes and center my magic. I concentrate on my mate soul bond, I sense the bond is muted. She must have returned to the mortal real.

  Axel

  I toss the unconscious bleeding night fae behind me as I step through the portal at the hag’s cottage. My boots crunch on a shattered mermaid figurine, the scent of Valentina mixed with the night realm’s dark midnight kiss of the moon and… dragon smoke, fills my nostrils. She has safely returned to the mortal realm. I primal part of me is relishing the hunt for her. My mate bond is singing to me, like a blind man following his internal compass, a compulsion to go to my compound is nearly undeniable. I trace inside my compound's foyer; Valentina's decadent dark chocolate dipped strawberries and Riesling pheromones brings a predator's grin to my face. Time for her to fulfill the rest of her promise, that she so eagerly offered and sealed with magic.

  Valentina

  A sense of being watched has me popping my eyes open from a deep sleep, I look around my dark room and don’t see anyone. I turn my head to a lounge chair next to my bed and make out a shadowy figure. I yelp and use my pillow as a shield. The shadowy figure leans forward in the chair, Axels devilish grin and muscled arms flex under the soft moonlight shining in from the window. Not even the delicate moonlight softens him, he looks like menace incarnate, with a little bit of sin sprinkled on top. The quiet stretches between us, my panted breathing becoming steadier as I loosen my grip on my squished pillow and throw it at Axels head, hopefully it bludgeons the big oaf. No such luck he catches it midair and tosses it to the side. "Here, I thought my creepy voyeur vampire stalker and I could have a pillow fight, maybe paint our nails after." I tell him with a resting bitch face. Inside I'm quivering with nervous energy. The promise we made and sealed with magic only enhances the desire I have been harboring for him, this intimate setting isn't helping one bit. "Miss me, mate?" Axel growls as he stands and begins his slow prowl towards me. He has me struck dumb by his slow seductive movements; his legs are flush with the edge of the bed. "I think you did. You were moaning my name as you slept." Axel continues, leaning his head down to whisper in my ear, “I've come to collect on your promise." He finishes in a dark whisper.

  Magic flares, fanning my flames of desire to a white-hot wildfire. Oh vey. I sense imminent carnal sin. I inhale a deep breath, breathing in Axels intoxicating scent of bergamot, vanilla and leather. His face closes into mine, his breath gently fans loose hairs framing my face. Without a second thought, I grip his head with both hands and begin to devour his lips with an unsated passion. My arms snake behind his head, as I lean back pulling him down on top of me. His weight rests on his elbows that are on either side of me, my legs cradling his body to my throbbing core. His tongue fervently massages mine in a perfectly choregraphed dance led by unsated desire and lust. His large hands roam to my breast and massages them in slow undulating circles. My legs tighten their vise-like grip around him, as his hardness begins to gyrate against my core. I feel his girth grow and pulse with need. I rip his aubergine dress shirt in a violent lust frenzy, the sounds of his many buttons scattering on the hard-wooden floor creates a heady soundtrack with our savage tongue kissing and heavy panting breathes. Axel allows me to push him on to his back as he removes his shirt. I’m on top of him, my thighs straddling his hips. I look down at his bare muscled chest and undulate my core to his. His hands grip my waist in a fierce grip, his fangs softly biting the air, aching to taste my flesh. His hungry eyes glow the brightest phosphorescent green I’ve ever seen. My hands rise palm up by my side, sharp black claws form, my black magic tendrils seep from me. Axel growls in a lust haze of approval. My vines descend on his hands that still grip my waist in a fierce possession. "We play by my ruless, vampire." I slowly purr, as they wrap around his wrists and pull them out towards the bed posts. Axel bites the air while lunging to me, "Then let play!" He roars as his hips violently jerk upwards. My thighs tighten around his waist like I'm riding a mechanical bull. My sharp claws descend on his bare chest, scratching long nail marks through his chiseled flesh. Axel body convulses upwards to meet my sharp nails, lost in a mindless frenzy, he begins to fervently speak in his native tongue, perhaps of Baltic origin. "This isn't my first rodeo, cowboy." I purr darkly as I lift my silk camisole top. Axel eyes snap to mine, the blinding green hue fading to black at my innuendo of being with another man. My bare breast pounce as the camisole goes over them, Axel eyes are firmly fixated on them, his eyes following them with every pounce, as if hypnotized. He makes intelligible grunts as he thrusts again up to my core. Seemingly back on course to copulate. My hands drop to his bare chiseled chest, then down to his pant opening. I lift myself up on to my knees and undo his pants, I reach into them and pull his engorged cock free, it springs free like a prisoner escaping its cell. Axel is transfixed on my every movement. Beady wetness coats his throbbing member, I slick both my hands over the head and then the nerve bundle on the underside of it. Both hands rhythmically massage down his entire shaft and up again, the friction building, he thrusts into them. My thighs tighten around him like a snake about to devour its prey, my hips begin slowly undulating, front to back, side to side. My hands moving up and down him in matching rhythm to my hips. His arms begin tugging to free himself, my names on
his lips, over and over again like a prayer.

  I lose myself in our rhythmic pace, my pleasure nub gyrating to his core, pleasure flooding my body like a heady drug. Our hips are vigorously slapping and gyrating against each other, with every thrust downwards I feel my ass descend on his heavy sacks that are filled with his seed. I crave more of him, all of him. I move the party downtown, my legs move lower to straddle just one of his legs, all while selfishly gyrating my girlie pearl of lust against it. One hand reaches into his pants and massages his sacks, my other clawed nail touches the head of his cock and trails the underside of it at a leisurely pace. Axel goes mad with desire at the touch, freeing one hand to grip my hair. I look up to him with my mouth hovering over his cock, my warm breath fanning against his twitching cock. Our eyes meet and become locked in their depths seemingly down to our very soul. My hands grip the base of his shaft as my warm wet mouth descends onto his thick member like hot molten chocolate onto a dessert. I take as much of him in my mouth as I can, before the urge to gag has me pushing upwards. Axels grip on my hair tightens, he pushes my head deeper onto his cock. My mouth stretched all the way, full of him, he continues to lift my head then push deeper down onto him with each brutal thrust. I feel him deep in me, past my throat, the sensation uncomfortable but still making me tingle with a heady pleasure. Saliva sloppily coats him and my chin with each thrust, with a spectral groan of pleasure he thrust his cock deep in my throat, holding it there as I gag. My teeth graze his length applying a rather fierce bite onto him, a pained curse escapes him, as he lifts my head off his hard length in one quick movement. He pops free from my mouth, saliva drips down my sore mouth sloppily, my eyes watered. Unsaddling his leg, I shimmy out of my silk pajama shorts and underwear. I eagerly rip his pants off with all semblance of civility gone. Both of us eager to indulge in the ultimate carnal sin and pleasure. Completely naked, I crawl on my knees on the side of him, once by his face up to his face, I stand on knees. I lift my leg over his face, his body lays beneath my splayed thighs and stomach as I crawl to his cock. His other hand pulls free of my dark tendrils with a hungry snarl as he grips my hips upwards and begins feasting on my silken heat. I grip my hands onto his erect hardness and with the same hunger as him I begin sucking his hardness while moaning loudly at his expert tongue laving my silken heat and pearl nub. I feel his saliva slicked finger enter my channel. Even his one finger causes my breath to hitch in a pain that quickly dulls as his lips suck on my pleasure pearl His finger begins fucking my heat, his pace slows as I feel another finger join the first. Instinct has my hips pushing onto them regardless of the uncomfortable fullness. I feel his fangs nick my clitoris, ecstasy like never floods my body as my arms no longer hold my weight. On the heels of a cataclysmic orgasm, I feel him thrust a third finger inside my channel, pistoling them at a relentless rhythm, as my body involuntarily quivers and spasms in a full body orgasm.

  He flips me upright, next to him, my head bouncing off the down pillow. My body completely sated and limp as a dolly. His arms cage my head as he begins slowly kissing me, his hand reaches down to his pulsing cock, it’s head hovering at my entrance in an unspoken permission to enter. My hands pull Axels head down to my lips, my hips thrust up to meet his cock. With a hungry growl, Axel thrusts through my channel, breaking my virginal barrier in one thrust, a sharp scream escapes me. Pain relentlessly throbbing, my lady bits feel rendered in two. Axels shocked glowing eyes meet mine, "You…you were virgin." He says in a hollow whisper. "Are you always so chatty in the sack? Shut up and fuck me." My trembling voice says, as I breath through the pain and force my hips to slowly move. "It would be my pleasure." Axel darkly rumbles as his hand reaches between us and massages my clit, his cock unmoving as his lips lower to my nipples as he sucks each one in slow circles, his hot breath making them peak. Any pain I feel begins to take a back seat to silken threads of pleasure that have my girlie bits throbbing with pleasure not pain. Axel begins to slowly move his hips back and forth, feeding my heat more of his thick hardness, little by little. When I feel him hit my cervix he fully withdraws and slams back into me. Over. And over. And over again. My silken heat craves the friction and white hot pleasure his velvet steel leaves in its wake. Axel's breathing has labored, our hard pants in sync to our slapping flesh. Axel's lips curl upwards as his fangs fully descend, a soul deep connection has us jumping into the pleasure abyss at the same time. I cry out his name as my body seizes up in unbearable pleasure it borders painful. Axel grunts his loud release, with a booming spectral roar as his seed culminates inside me. A sharp pain has my eyes slamming open from their pleasure induced closure, Axel bite has familiar euphoria flooding my already euphoric orgasm. Between the soul deep orgasm and bite induced ecstasy, I’m unable to form words, just moan incoherent sounds of pleasure. Axel licks my neck and slowly raises his head from my neck, his eyes gazing into the depths of mine. I feel his semi-erect hardness still throbbing inside me. The intimacy begins feeling uncomfortable. Too permanent, too life changing for my liking. I push his shoulder back hard, he doesn’t move an inch, instead he bends his head down to my mouth and seals them in another passionate kiss as his cock slowly withdraws, leaving me feeling empty and already missing his nearness. His head hits the pillow next to mine, his arm scoops me up into his side. My head lies on his muscled arm, as I stretch my arm over his chest and nuzzle in his armpit. "You said this wasn't your first rodeo. I could have permanently maimed you, I coul-" I quickly shush Axel with the golden year’s famous wizard, the dog whisperer's, 'Shh' magic trick. Axel words abruptly stop. Works every time. A satisfied sigh escapes me, as I close my eyes, my body feeling heavy and completely sated. As sleep floats me away on a fluffy cloud, I hear Axel whisper, "I finally fucked you mute."

  Valentina

  I hear whispered voices, "Look at the bloodied sheets, Sierra." "I saw. Our poor lady, she has been through hell and back." "Don't be daft Sierra. Our king has been courting our lady shamelessly. The fruit of his labor has ripened and clearly he was most vigorous in reaping it's nectar." Abigail and Sierra. I actually missed these two gossiping betties. My eyes slowly open, my thighs and girlie bits still sore. "You two betches better stop calling my vag a ripened fruit." Their startled chortles have me laughing out loud. "My lady! You gave my heart a fright!" Abigail shouts in consternation. "Serves you gossiping wenches right, talking about my coochie getting smoochies like it’s a soap special." I say on a yawn, I sit up stretching my arms high. "And for the record, because if you’re going to gossip you better get your facts straight, I rode Axel like Seabiscuit on race day, the poor old geezer nearly tapped out a couple times. I'm feeling fresh as a daisy." I chirp jubilantly. Gemma has called me 'sexually frustrated' on a few occasions when she says, 'you need to get laid, you're too grouchy'. She may have been onto something. I feel happy, happy, happy. All those endorphins did me good. After all I took one for the team, that’s how I see it. My promise has been completed. And if I have near death experiences again, I don’t have to worry about dying a virgin. Axel and his pleasure giving body has me dreamily staring at the ceiling. "Just look at you, love twinkles in your eyes." Sierra says has she organizes my clothes in my dresser. "Definitely not." I hastily retort. But damn it to hell, she’s right. I feel the rose-colored glasses cemented onto my love guppy face. An ugly memory of the naked women touching Axel flashes in my mind. My heart spasms with pain at the thought. There go my endorphins. I'm Valentina Velvet damnit, not anyone's side piece. One night. That's all it was. He's my side piece. I mentally pimpette slap my inner sausage fiend damsel in heat. I promised myself I wouldn’t let myself get intimate with Axel again, I kind of broke it when it comes to physically, but emotionally I am going to lock my heart up like Rapunzel in her unreachable tower. He's my friend. Sorta. With no benefits. "Time to rise my lady, it is three in the afternoon, your human friends requested signs of life from you. After your hot lavender and chamomile bath we must prepare you for the dinner this evening. Chef Boiardi made quite the feast
tonight, King Axel will be hosting it along with a select few of his subjects. " At the thought of food my stomach loudly growls.

  Valentina

  My skin is as soft as a baby rose petals; I nearly fell asleep in the bathtub. As it was, I soaked almost an hour before my fingers started to prune something fierce. Abigail cinched me in a stunning dark blood red sheen silk gown. It has long off the shoulder sleeves made of matching blood red sheer lace and a detachable train of lace connects to golden ruby encrusted clasps on each side of my hips. Of course, it has the plunging sweetheart neckline which seems to be a trend in vamp world, as well as the long leg slits. My hair is in a lovely loose up do, thick intricate braids with sewn in rubies and amethyst has my hair twinkling in the light, a few loose hair strands frame my face beautifully. Sierra put applies mascara and a matching matte dark red lipstick, saying 'your beauty shines best without gaudy make up'. Creusa came knocking as they were finishing up, one eyed Giles in tow. Abigail and Sierra left us to gossip in peace. Creusa looks gorgeous in her deep royal purple gown, her long full mane of black hair is loose to her waist, twinkling amethyst sewn throughout. She filled me in on Gemma and Fabio, they've been playing 'video games' or so it’s called, for the last four hours and are fascinated by the virtual reality simulation. They both said they feel sick and won't make it to dinner. Charlie, Shawn and Oliver completed a successful flash mob heist in the kitchen and already polished several of tonight's dinner dishes off. Chef Boiardi apparently was wielding a wooden rolling pin and yelling Italian expletives. Needless to say, the four gluttoned sloths will be observing warrior training in the sparring arena while rubbing their full bellies. The Heffernan's have been holed up in their rooms, with apparent joint pain from arthritis. Nero told Creusa to tell them to shut the hell up with all their annoying fervent prayers, that its making him quite peckish. Basically, everyone has lame excuses and better things to do then get dressed up to have an awkward dinner with a bunch of killer vampires who drink blood. "They’re all full of shit. Making us suffer by ourselves. Has Axel seen you yet?" I ask Creusa who begins to nervously twirl her hair, "No, not yet. I should ask the staff if they have a human cake box I could hide inside of. I'll pop out with a loud 'Surprise!', I bet Axels fang dentures would fall right out." I belly laugh loud at that. "He may be old, but honey can he still work it." Creusa mouth drops, "So that's the manly bergamot and vanilla that's suffocating me. You hussy, sleeping with the enemy!" She admonishes me. "Shut up, you’re going to sleep with yours soon too. It was just a one-night thing, ‘wham bam, thank you vamp’. No graveyard last minute weddings in my near future." I say nonchalantly, while a tinge of sadness aches inside. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. You know fated mates, regardless of species, can have childr-" A loud knock sounds at the door cutting Creusa off. "Come in!" I yell loudly as partially masticated tortilla chip debris lands on my lovely gown. Creusa and I have been chatting on a Victorian gold gilt sofa, while pigging out on homemade tortilla chips she pilfered from the unsuspecting kitchen staff, their poor unfortunate souls. I stuff two more chips in my already full mouth. "Shit, hide the loot." She whisper yells, and unceremoniously yanks the bag from my hands to stuff it under the couch’s cushion. My hands instinctively reach out in a deep yearning to grab back my carb baby, but just grab air. No! Not my preciousss! The double doors open with butler vamp in the middle. "Miss. Valentina. Miss. Creusa. Your dining experience awaits." Creusa and I stand, "Thank you Henry. I can’t wait to surprise my dear Axel. No one has mentioned me, right?" Creusa asks butler vamp, Henry. Someone's gotten chubby-chubby with Henry. Using her feminine wiles to maneuver the most stuck up vampire ever. Genius. "Of course, Miss. Creusa. The king has not asked, so it was not mentioned. Follow me, please." He tells her with a schmoozy twinkle in his eyes. We obediently follow him to the same huge dining hall Axel, and I dined in together. As we enter, every seat at the incredibly long and massive wooden table is filled minus two next to the head of the table, which is currently empty. There must be at least fifty vampires in here. Loud conversations suddenly cease, the room full of large menacing killer united vampires are all looking at us with hunger raw in their eyes. Just as the night of the party when I met Axel, they all seem terribly drawn to me, a barely controlled hunger plainly on their face. They are ping ponging between Creusa and I, It must be a fae blood thing. "Gee, what a warm welcome you bunch give." I say to the room as Henry guides us to our seats in the tension thick atmosphere. I elbow Creusa who's sitting next to a massive vampire, I'm sitting next to Axel's empty throne chair. He must buy them in bulk. Creusa turns and gives me a 'what the fuck kind of dinner is this' look, well, at least that's what I translated it to be. "The king should arrive in a moment. Red wine?" Henry asks us. Both Creusa and I shake are head with a vigorous 'hell no', "Ehm, maybe a Moscato. Perhaps you can put several cloves of garlic in them." I tell Henry, emphasizing the garlic loudly. A few deep chuckles sound around the table. "With ambrosia blood like yours, garlic aint' gonna help none. I know what else I want to feast on besides your ambrosia." A behemoth vampire roars obnoxiously from the other end of the table, the whole table of vampires laugh loudly. Creusa grips my wrist tightly, her eyes pleading with me to not do what we both know I'm going to do. I abruptly stand up, my chair falling over behind me, "Why you uncouth mongrel! All of you laughing idiots, are immortally daft scoundrels! Too dumb to remember how to treat dinner guests!" I say heatedly scowling and pointing around the table, Creusa palms her face with a loud sigh. Hisses and angry growls sound around the huge table, fangs descend in unison. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have backed talked a room full of immortal killer united psycho vampires. The obnoxious behemoth stands, within a blink he is by my side gripping my shoulders. Creusa throws a magic bomb at him that has ugly boils emerging from his skin. He releases me abruptly, stepping back as he incessantly begins itches his whole body. Henry loudly yells to everyone at the table, "These ladies are protected dinner guests of our King! Harm them at your own true death!" He snaps at two vampire guards by the door. "Take this fool to the dungeon, as per order of king Axel, any who lay a finger on Miss. Valentina shall meet the same fate." The vampires all sit abruptly. Servants bustle in filling the table near Creusa and I to the brim with hot steamy food of every variety. My mouth is practically panting at the delicious feast laid before me. Rude vampires are all but forgotten, when the closed doors suddenly slam open with a resounding bang, in comes the notorious Axel Steele his powerful aura of menace on full display. His eyes meet mine, then slowly trail to Creusa. His eyes turn completely black, his fangs violently descending, his face scrunched in fierce aggression. Not good, not good at all. "Axel! Shh! Shh!" I loudly shush him, with the dog wizards’ magic trick. I sense his manopausal rage brewing in his homicidal twinkling eyes. Crap, the dog wizards’ trick is not working worth a beans. Like a wild pack of wolves, almost fifty vampires stand up in unison, one word and I know deep in my heart they will pounce on her before I can help. "Axel! Creusa is my friend! Snap the hell out of it!" I yell throwing my plate of food across the room, trying to hit him with it. Anything to distract him from Creusa, who hasn’t moved from her seat. She simply sips slowly on her Moscato. Now, I'm giving her the pleading look. She hasn’t even looked at Axel, as if he is a pesky fly. "Get the fuck out, hag." Axel says in a barely contained rage filled voice. Creusa doesn’t move. "I said get the fuck out! Or you forfeit your life!" Axel spectral demonic voice roars at her, his fist clenched by his side, blood dripping from them. "If she leaves, I leave with her." I say, fully ready to fight my way out. Creusa stands, "No Valentina. I will go." She says as she drops her linen napkin on her uneaten food. She grabs the bottle of Moscato in one hand and the other grips Giles who was on her lap. "It's not your choice Creusa. If Axel can't accept my friends, I can't accept him. And that's final." Axel completely black eyes meet mine, "Sit. You will let her leave." He commands me like one of his vampire lackeys. A genuine laugh escapes me, "Is that so? Creusa tell Giles to tak
e us somewhere over the rainbow." To Axel I shove both my middle fingers at him, “Sit and twirl, ass tart!” Baby boy done pissed me off. Creusa knows exactly what I mean by ‘somewhere over the rainbow’, we need to teleport through the green fog the hell out of here. Rupert's pages move by themselves. I address Axel again. "You are still bound by magic to protect my friends, until I return for them." Axel traces by my side, gripping my shoulders hard. "Your tongue speaks too freely. You are mine. Sit and dine with me." My black magic tendrils erupt unbidden, chairs hit the floor as vampires hiss in surprise. My hand reaches in between his arms where he still grips my shoulders, a resounding slap sounds loudly as my hand strikes Axel's cheek, his clenched jaw doesn’t even twitch, while my hand is throbbing something fierce. My vines push his chest back, sweat beads my forehead at the tremendous magic needed to move Axel anywhere. Thick opalescent fog appears, "The hag can fucking stay!" He roars at me in an angry rage. After a tense second, Creusa smiles brightly, "Well, I just knew you'd come around, vampire. You ready to make delicious food babies, Valentina?" Creusa says as the fog dissipates, and she saunters back to her chair as if I didn’t just literally bitch slap the killers united vampire king in front of a packed room of his pissy vampire thugs. I roll my eyes, throw an evil glare at Axel for good measure and walk back towards my chair, secretly ecstatic that a laid down the law and won. I'm certain Axel is mentally chanting positive affirmations to help relieve his insatiable urge to 'pop goes the weasal' me. Axel throws the room a look and they all quickly sit down. The room is uncomfortable quiet, Creusa is masticating her cheese biscuit like a starved warrior orc. Axel picks up my chair that had fallen on the floor and motions with his eyes for me to sit. With a tired sigh I sit, since I met Axel he has been a one man roller coaster, Z-landers, cannibals, faes, warrior orcs, kidnapped, runaway, willing guest in vampire lair. You name it. Axel sits at his elaborate throne chair at the head of the table. All vampires have golden chalices, which they are slowly sipping from, while Creusa and I try to make a dent in the lavish buffet of delicious food. Axel's chalice has vampire fangs encrusted in it with a multitude of precious gems. He watches me as I stuff pasta e fagioli soup in my already stuffed belly, all the while he drinks from his opulent chalice. Wearing his opulent two-piece black suit with gold thread and a gemstone embossed collar. While reclined in his opulent throne dining chair. At his opulent mansion compound castle. Opulent. Ostentatiously rich, luxurious and lavish. I guess when immortals are old as dirt, material things are the only things that don't go to the grave. I value jarred vegetables more than all this frilly crap; you can’t eat gold or drink fine silk. Axel's booming voice snaps me out of my reverie, "This dinner is to formally announce that all our new guests are under my protection, included are three young street urchins, a pair of decrepit elderly, two feral and belligerent humans, and an obnoxious fae hag" Axel forces through a clenched jaw the last part, while throwing murder energy spears at Creusa, "But most important of all, and above all, my most treasured one. That if harmed or slighted in the pettiest of ways, will have the offender enduring lifetimes of torture that will break the soul of the most hardened soulless killers. My fated mate, Valentina Velvet Steele. My queen. My mate." Axel finishes the last part with a possessive feral hiss, his head is held high like a pruning peacock, daring someone to challenge him. My jaw drops down, like literally fly-catching all the way down. I didn’t agree to the mate crap, it was supposed to be a 'Wham. Bam. Thank you vamp’. Axel reaches down to grip my wrist as he moves me to stand by his side, with his free hand he grips the nape of my neck and faces my head up to his, his lips meet mine in a delicious claiming kiss that has my lady bits tingling. All the vampires around the table abruptly stand for a resounding applause and jovially cheer. Axel slowly withdraws from the kiss and whispers in my ear, "Till' death never do us apart, Altra Meta."