Dark Hunger

When Elize saw him spreading his magic through the kingdom, she didn't say anything. This time she too was worried about the drought-like situation in the kingdom. They had to go for dinner to Ivana's place but she didn't feel like it. It was as if it was such a wastage of resources when your people were not happy in the kingdom. 

"We've never had this situation in all the years, Queen Sedora ruled," Delia had said as if trying to blame his son for being inept. Elize shoved those thoughts out of her mind. She got up from her place and walked to Caleb. 

"Do you want me to go and check the inventories once again?" she asked. 

Caleb clenched his fists until they were white. He closed his eyes and let his magic encompass the land of Ixoviya. There had to be something that would give him a hint. But there was nothing. Just the usual he had sensed every time he sent his magic feelers. When he opened his eyes, he found his wife's red eyes gazing at him. "I will be going to my study to write a few letters. I was wondering if you could take a group of soldiers and check around the periphery of the kingdom after the evening falls." He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. 

She blinked at him. "Sure!" she replied. He must have forgotten about the dinner at Ivana's place. She didn't remind him because this was surely more important. And this was the first time he had asked her to go on a patrol. She would never say no to it. 

"Thanks, love," he said with expressions that said that he was thinking something else. "I will meet you at lunch." 

She nodded and after placing yet another kiss on her forehead, he walked out of the bedchamber. The day went by as she took charge of more things in the castle. Elize's natural instincts were to sleep during the day and wake up at night, but she wanted to clock herself according to Caleb. It was also because that is what the kingdom demanded. She avoided the breezeways and open courtyards in the day, and strictly stayed in the confines of the castle. Everyone in the castle had become used to her rather quickly. She was no threat to any of them because their king used to feed her adequately. There was a rumor in the castle that the queen didn't like anyone else's blood other than her mate's. She would often see the servants gazing at their king with pity, but there was nothing she could do about it. Let them think about what they wanted to do. 

With half a dozen guards, Elize was patrolling the outer ring of the kingdom on the west side. There were very few houses that spread this far but they were all located at quite a distance from each other. When she turned to a particularly desolate path, Byrd warned, "Your Highness, that path leads to the houses that were burnt a few months back when the priest Canton wanted to kill the king and his brother. There is absolutely nothing over there, except brambles and thorny bushes." He had been in the charge of her personal security ever since they had returned from the Whiteclaw pack. 

Elize frowned as unease rose in her chest. Every part of her body screamed that she shouldn't go there, but she turned her horse that side inadvertently. The night sky was devoid of the clouds and stars shone brilliantly across the darkness. The waning moon hung like a crescent in the midst of them. The silvery light fell on the earth lighting the path ahead of them. Because of the lack of wind, even the leaves of the trees were still. She could see how the bushes on either side of the path were dying, their leaves falling in piles around them. 

They crested a hill after crossing the road. She strained her eyes to look at the houses that the soldier had mentioned, but it was so dark that she couldn't make out. But a faint whiff caught her nostrils—of blood. She turned her horse, following the whiff. It was still pretty faint but it was something that she couldn't overlook. As a vampire she knew the difference between the smell of blood between that of a human and that of an animal. 

Elize increased the pace of her horse and as soon as they reached there, she could make out the derelict ruins. She dismounted her horse, grabbed the lantern from a soldier's side bag and lit it. She lifted the lantern as she walked through the brambles. 

"Be careful, Your Highness," Byrd warned her. All the soldiers had got down off their mounts and now followed the queen with their naked swords. 

Elize's magic dropped in her hand, red tendrils swirling like snakes around her fingers. She flung it forward and the brambles that had covered the path in front of them scorched. They lay in ashes over which Elize walked with her guards. The smell of blood mixed with the smell of fire tingled her nostrils. Determined to find more about it, she entered the house through one of the charred archways. 

Covered with dry and thorny vines and small plants that had clutched the walls and floor with their roots, the house had a strange feel. Windows were shattered and it looked as if a storm had rumbled through it and torn apart whatever little was left over and over again. The ground was cracked at many places and she had to avoid small pits. She wandered like a ghost around the ground floor in the hallways and the rooms. They were all just the same—battered. The smell of blood lingered in the air. 

"We must go back, Your Highness," said Byrd. 

All at once, a yelp sounded from outside the room and all of them were alarmed. They swished their swords as they hissed. 

"It's a dog, Byrd," said Elize, rolling her eyes. She treaded the path from where she heard the yelp and came across a bitch who was protecting her litter of four. Two were lying dead in the corner while the four hadn't even opened their eyes. She was in a lot of pain. 

Elize returned to the castle with the dog and her babies. 

"Why would you bring a stray dog?" Caleb admonished her affectionately even as he caressed the head of a puppy in his lap. 

"I don't know!" she breathed. She couldn't see the pain the mother was in. She wasn't even able to feed her puppies. She had given birth to her puppies just a day back and there were burns on her skin and she was crying. She was too scared of Elize but when Elize started patting her, the mother looked at her babies, as if asking for help. Elize had called the healer to take the mother away. She had wrapped her in a towel and sent her with the healer. The four puppies that remained with her were currently in a basket with soft cushions. 

Caleb chuckled. "Get dressed. We have to go for dinner. You look like you have eaten dust and twigs." 

She laughed. "I love to feast on my husband. Why would I eat dust?" 

Caleb snapped his eyes up at her double meaning and grunted. He handed the dogs to the servant and then bent down to scoop his wife in his arms. He had retracted his magic from the kingdom and was feeling weak, but he was strong enough to have her in his arms. He kissed her all the way to their bedchamber. When he pulled away, her face was red for the want of air. "Remind me never to joke with my husband!" she said in a breathless voice. 

"And remind me to kiss my wife if she doesn't joke with me!" he replied. He kicked the door close and straightaway made way to the bathroom. "You need a good bath," he said in a guttural voice. As he ran water in the tub, he stripped off her clothes and then set her in the tub. He removed his clothes as well and followed her. She submerged herself in the water and when she emerged, she smoothed her hair back. He pulled her in his lap and bent down to suck her breasts. Soon she was squirming and he smelled her arousal. He picked her from her hips and impaled her on his hard as granite shaft. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he moved her up and down his swollen cock. When he released his seeds inside her, she followed him in pure ecstasy. 

Ivana's house was located down the winding path two hills from the castle. Their carriage stopped right in front of the entrance of the manor where Ivana and her husband were waiting for the royal couple. 

Elize's senses uncoiled like a whip.