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Their hands roamed over each other's bodies. They tore at each other's clothes, eager to be skin on skin. Castor grabbed Ianora around the waist and lifted her, placing her on top of the table. His mouth found her neck next, teasing the sensitive flesh with his teeth before finally sinking them in and drinking deeply. She gasped and writhed beneath him, arching her back to offer him better access. Her fingers dug into his back as he drank until finally he had his fill and pulled away.
"I need you," he growled. "Let me have you."
Her eyes were filled with the hazy lust that burned through Castor's body, filling his cock to the brim. The erection strained against his pants, eager to break free and shove itself into her tight hole. Her hips rose to meet his, grinding eagerly against him as the fire of desire threatened to consume them both.
And he saw that desire in her, so he was surprised when she arched her hips just out of reach, planted her hands on his shoulders, and held him at arm's length. "Well, that was an eventful dinner. I think it's time for me to go."
Castor didn't respond at first. He couldn't even process the words. She kept him at a distance when he tried to kiss her again. "Why? You want me, don't you?"
She leaned in close enough that he could feel the warmth of her breath on his lips, but though he strained to meet hers, she was just out of reach.
"Because you haven't earned me yet, king," she murmured.
With surprising strength, she tried to ease him from her. She almost freed herself, but Castor, scrambling to find a way to continue this track, wasn't keen to let her go just yet. "Then let me," he said. "What do I need to do?"
"If I have to tell you, have you truly earned anything?"
This time, he let her push him off. She smoothed the creases in her skirt and offered him another seductive smile before wandering off.
He grabbed her wrist. "Then I'll throw a ball in your honor."
"A ball? Hmm. That's an interesting idea." She began to walk away. "Good night, Castor."
She left him, the grand doors to the dining hall slamming shut behind her. Castor was left with his heart hammering in his chest, the scent of death and blood curling in his nostrils. A ball. He wasn't sure where the idea had come from, it just flew up from his mind like a hurricane, a desperate attempt to hold onto the moment. And somehow, it felt as though it had worked.
Ianora loved her jewels and lace, but he knew better than to believe that they impressed her. No, he needed something far grander, and he would make sure that the ball was the grandest gesture of all.
Chapter 15 - Ianora
Every trick she played, Castor took as a challenge.
Every demand, he took one step further.
Now, walking into the same hall where her wedding had taken place, the place had been completely transformed. Enormous marble fountains depicting tall, winged beasts spewed crimson blood from their mouths and were set at even intervals alongside the edges of the room, with the largest one in the center. They filled the room with the delectable scent of blood that had Ianora's mouth watering before she'd fully stepped into the room.
The walls were lined with red velvet and gold leaves, the chandeliers dripping with rubies. It was as if he had taken her deepest, darkest desires and made them into reality.
The number of animals—or humans—killed to provide the amount of blood required for such a display would have been staggering, but Ianora supposed that was the least of her concerns. After all, this was a ball in her honor, and she had pushed him to cut no corners on her behalf. If Castor wanted to waste an entire herd of beasts to slake her thirst, then who was she to stop him?
The food laid out on the tables was no less lavish. Whole roasted pigs, the skin crisp and glistening with fats, were surrounded by heaping mounds of fruits and vegetables. There were bowls piled high with sweets, and jugs of wine and ale were passed around freely, in addition to the blood, the attending vampires guzzled like no tomorrow. The guests were the who's who of the entire Elysium, vampire counts and demon lords mingling with ease, all clad in the finest clothes and jewelry, laughing and chattering merrily as they ate and drank.
The air was thick with the smell of blood and sex, and Ianora took a deep drag as she took her first, fashionably late, steps into the ballroom. While fancy men and women danced in the center of the room, others fucked mercilessly along the velvet walls, both servants in various stages of consent and important guests.
Ianora's pussy clenched in anticipation. This night, she could indulge in similar delights if she so pleased—so long as it was with her husband. Perhaps, after going to such efforts to garner his attention, she would stop this game of theirs for one night and allow him to touch her.
God only knew how much she craved him inside her, if not as much as he craved to beinher.
Castor truly had meant it every time he'd told her over the past month that this ball thrown in her honor would be the grandest of all time, surpassing the parties held before the wedding Ianora had been excluded from.
Of course, Ianora had no frame of reference for those, but this ... this was exquisite. Marvelous. The sea of dancers and music took her breath away so quickly that she had to place a hand on her corseted chest to see whether she was truly still breathing.
Ianora herself was wearing a dress that had been specifically designed for this occasion. It was made from the finest silk, dyed a deep crimson to match the color of the fountains. The bodice was tight enough to accentuate her curves, and the skirt billowed out around her like a cloud of blood. She felt like a queen as she walked among her subjects, everyone who laid eyes on her either stopping to gawk and bow or attempting to talk with her.
She indulged in conversation, especially with those she was familiar with from her years jumping from party to party, kingdom to kingdom, as she worked to position herself as one of the most desirable princesses in all the land. It had worked, until now.
Deep below her joy of the party, however, a tight knot of anxiety grew in her stomach. She would have to face the other kings, most likely—she had already spotted King Emeric amongst the partygoers—but worse, what if Johnathan had also caught wind of the party? What if he had snuck his way in. Or, worse, since she had not informed Castor of her ex-fiancé, what if he had been invited?
Ianora tried to dismiss the concern as baseless and unwarranted, but she couldn't stop her gaze from searching the faces in the crowd, even while she held full conversations with those she thought interesting enough to stop and chat with.
