From the Universe of Born Regal: Morning Romp

As I stared at the wonder that was Anya, I observed the play of sunlight on her face.

She was so innocent and so young; it was hard to believe her true nature hadn’t exposed itself sooner. At this moment, my thoughts drifted back to that night on the plane.

She looked like any other fragile human being with a limited lifespan—indeed, like any other ant under my boot.

The idea that my prodigy had recently stumbled upon what he considered a “miracle” had left me more annoyed than entertained, as it was a miracle I was starting to find harder and harder to protect in the ways approved by Ryder, let alone by me.

Anya’s hair was box-dyed, and she had clearly missed a few spots on her widow’s peak, which made her look more like a wild animal than a woman new to adulthood.

On top of that, she had a habit of chewing her fingernails, a fact that I noted the moment I stepped into that bathroom with her.

She had been crying like a coward, hiding from what Ryder believed was her birthright. Even her scent smelled of sweat and fear.

He had even taken the risk of sharing his blood with her, not knowing what it might do to him or his reputation in both the Red and Black Courts.

When I called her pathetic, she began hitting her head like a clumsy animal, which only seemed to confirm my feelings about her.

In my mind, this was likely just another lesser, lost queen who needed to be drained on a nice Sunday evening for the first time in centuries.

I remembered her reaction when she fell into my crotch. Even now, my cock twitched at her pure innocence, the likes of which I had never before seen in a queen of the Red Court. Her wide eyes were full of wonder, fear, and compassion all at once.

There were lesser queens in the Black Court, of course, but sex with them was strictly off-limits.

In fact, sex with any queen within the Black Court was forbidden, as the unnatural process of procreation through such a lively process was frowned upon. It was a law that I would have been expected to follow if I were to bring Anya there.

I covered her mouth out of rage to keep her quiet for most of the process; however, I also somewhat enjoyed seeing her defenses break down, wondering if I would get to see at least a flash of her power.

I was taunting it out by terrifying the shit out of her, like a cat with a mouse.

As I dug my nails into her delicate flesh, the smell of her blood and her nearly naked body triggered my bloodlust. I planned to devour her and leave her body for Ryder to deal with, thus ending the link between them before it would harm him any further.

He was mine for half of my life on earth—my son, brother, and lover in one. Seeing someone so insignificant hurt him because he got his hopes up like this was what brought years of suffering to us. It was better to end it quickly.

Somewhere, somehow, she had been quick. Her latch and the feel of her venom developed as her baby teeth grew the moment my ancient blood entered her bloodstream.

Seeing her emerge through such a smooth transition—something I had only ever read about until then—made me want to fuck her then and there.

It was as if I had lived my life in this strange numb place. It was all darkness, and she was pulling me out of it, but everything hurt.

I called her my queen and finally tasted her blood. Suddenly, I could see the sun! I could see the sun over and over for days to come!

No paperwork or limited outings; I was free to roam the earth at all hours of the day and night! At last, I was a true god!

She was an incredible enemy. Bonding with her had put a target on my back. When she emerged, her hair dye couldn’t live up to her natural fiery energy, which colored even her hair.

Just the few weeks that we had been apart killed me. I could now understand what sort of pain my other kin had felt.

It wasn’t just the loneliness that killed me but the burn of the bond that was stretched so thin and the blood burning under my skin, begging me to return.

It was also her smile, the way she laughed with Domonic while playing video games, and the way she and Ryder could have normal conversations about subjects I was only just beginning to grasp, such as the history of Mario.

While Ryder found electronics exciting, I found them merely functional. It seemed he and Anya had more in common in that respect. Thus far, the only thing I seemed to be able to do for Anya was to make her upset and give her amazing orgasms.

I tried getting her into my kind of music and attempted to taste some of her beverages. We even traded different novels, but it seemed like many of our tastes didn’t align.

Even so, when we spent time together, it felt quite natural to watch a movie together or simply have a conversation. She often had questions for me, which I tried my best to answer.

Being connected to me was possibly a death sentence for her, which was a concern I voiced to her more than once. She responded that we needed to enjoy whatever time we had then—a typical human answer, but an honest one, even a wise one.

My hand ran over her bare back, sliding down and feeling her warm skin as my shadow wrapped around her ribcage. My eyes were drawn to the adorable strawberry-shaped birthmark on her right hip, while my lips explored the juncture of her belly and thighs.

Although Anya didn’t stir, I could taste her soap and shampoo faintly mixed with the salt of her skin, as my tongue and mouth continued to explore her body.

Even though I had fucked her several times since I had been home, it still wasn’t the same. Khalid had shown her how to distance herself from her emotions, and it was driving me crazy. I couldn’t feel her the same way I had before.

I could, however, feel her joy and pleasure through her orgasms, something I fully intended to give her again as I continued running my fingers over her soft, warm skin, reaching up to pinch her nipples, which responded eagerly at the gentlest provocation.

In my opinion, she had rested long enough.

Her blood, in turn, made me feel alive—alive enough to want to fuck her the moment she woke up from our last session.