Chapter Four – Sofia
The wedding and following reception were both magnificent, but Sofia was glad when she and Aaron finally retired to their new, shared apartment in the palace. It had been custom-built for the two of them, but Sofia didn't pay attention to any of the fineries that Aaron had stuffed into it. At the moment, she only had eyes for her new husband.
A grin spread over her face as he carried her through the doors into the bedroom. When he set her down, he pressed his mouth to hers. She eagerly responded. Though her feet ached and her back hurt, heat swirled through her, making her body feel ten times lighter. For the first time, she didn't have to hold anything back, and she was determined to take advantage of her new-found freedom.
"Wait, I forgot to tell you!" Sofia pulled away abruptly, shaking her head. "My friend, Gloria, she found a potion that will allow me to get pregnant with you."
Aaron's eyes widened. "What? How?"
"I…" Sofia ducked her head. "I guess I didn't really think about that. I was just so excited… I meant to talk to you about it before, but we were never alone together. But I made the potion last night and I—"
"Don't tell me you took it."
"I… did."
Aaron closed his eyes and shook his head. "How long have you known about this potion?"
"A few days… I was just so excited. I know we agreed to adopt, and I want to adopt, but I just thought… having one child that I carried and gave birth to… it's something I've always wanted, Aaron. And you were busy, and whenever we were together we were busy planning wedding stuff and there were other people, and… I guess I should have waited."
The king turned away, sighing. He shook his head. "Well, at least it didn't poison you. I wish you have let the physicians run some tests on it first, though. I would love to see you swell with my child, but I would rather make sure you're safe and whole. Drinking strange potions—"
"Gloria is a good friend. She wouldn't recommend anything that might hurt me. Besides," Sofia added with a grin, "this gives us an extra excuse to lock ourselves away for a few days. The potion only lasts a week. So you will have no time to waste on running your kingdom."
Aaron sighed again, but his grin soon echoed hers. His mouth returned to hers, causing the familiar sparks to explode in her brain. She moaned, pressing herself to her toes as her bounteous skirts crushed between them. He ended the kiss with a quick nip to her lower lip. His eyes were dark as he brushed her hair off her neck.
"Let's get you out of this dress," he murmured, his voice husky. "Wouldn't want to stain it."
Sofia nearly moaned again as she nodded. Aaron kissed her deeply again, his hands tracing the curve of her hip. They moved to her back, where his fingers found the silky laces of her dress and tugged them free. Sofia felt her body decompressing as the tight garment slid off her, letting the heat that was building in her core flare to the rest of her.
"Oh, wow." Aaron's gaze trailed down her body, eyes widening. "You were like that the whole time?"
Sofia grinned as she stepped back, revealing the black lacy garters keeping her white stockings up… and nothing else. She giggled. "I thought it added a bit of a naughty touch."
"Naughty indeed." Aaron loosened his tie. "Lie on the bed. I want to do something I've been dreaming of since the moment I laid eyes on you."
Still giggling, Sofia ran to the bed and threw herself onto it. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, her hands trembling. She was excited to experience her husband drinking from her. But there was also trepidation. Having his fangs sink into her neck was going to hurt, no matter how blissful she assured the aftereffects were. Could she handle the pain?
Aaron tossed off his jacket as he stalked towards her, a predatory gleam in his eye. He stopped when he was standing over her, a grin on his face as he very, very slowly removed his shirt. Sofia propped herself on her elbows, enjoying the show he was giving her.
But after he tossed his shirt aside, he didn't go for her neck like she expected. Instead, he gripped her hips and pulled her to the edge of the bed before kneeling. Something inside her clenched as he kissed her thighs, separating them.
"Not that I'm complaining, but why not drink from me first?" she asked.
"You can't go straight to the orgasm without the foreplay, my sweet." His head lowered.
Sofia's spine arched, little explosions of fireworks working up and down her spine. Heat pooled in her belly and she fell back, moaning. Her eyes slid shut. She grasped the blankets beneath her, digging her fingers into the bedding. She tried to move past the pleasure that was already burning through her, brought quickly to a peak by Aaron's expertise, and tried instead to focus on him. On the sounds of satisfaction he made, the feeling of his hands on her thighs, the chuckle he gave when she rolled her hips, increasing contact.
"That feels good," Sofia blurted, wanting to stay connected to sanity somehow... a shudder rocked her body. "Aaron!"
A chuckle answered her. He trailed his kisses up her bare body, his fingers taking over the work his mouth had been doing. Sofia clung to him, whimpering as everything tightened inside of her. Aaron's fangs skimmed over her throat.
"Drink from me," she gasped. "Please! Do it now!"
"Give me a moment," Aaron murmured into her skin.
Sofia moaned in impatience, then cried out in protest as he moved away from her. She reached for him, trying to follow, but he put his hand on her sternum and pushed her back down firmly. Kneeling on the bed, he removed his trousers. Sofia admired his body for a moment, her eyes tracing the contours of his muscle, his firm abs, and that delicious V that made her pulse quick every time she saw it when they were swimming.
The king laid over her, nudging her thighs further apart with his knees, and grinned. "Are you ready for me?"
"Yes."
His lips caressed her throat. "Good."
He entered the same time as his fangs sunk into her throat. There was a sharp sting from both points, and then nothing but pleasure. The tightness that was already on the point of snapping burst into flame, sending floods of fire throughout her body. Every inch of her shuddered, her limbs moving on their own accord, her head flailing this way and that. She pushed her body against his, grabbed handfuls of his hair, pulled him closer to her, arched her back, and screamed.
Sofia didn't know how long it lasted. She ran out of breath and lay there, gulping in deep, deep gasps, hardly aware that Aaron was withdrawing. She blinked and brushed some hair from her eyes and mouth.
"Was it good for you?" she blurted.
Aaron cuddled her, his fingers trailing up and down her spine. The gentle touch had her body, wound tight with the pleasure she had experienced, turning to putty. "It was amazing, Sofia. I've never felt this way about a woman before. I've tried. I tried so hard."
Sofia's eyes fluttered closed as she hummed. Her vampire king had told her about his past affairs, all right, but she had long since stopped being jealous of the women that would never have him again. He was hers, and that was all she cared about. It was ridiculous to think that a vampire as old as him wouldn't have had many loves before her.
"And what about you? Was it good for you?" Aaron asked.
"It was better than I imagined. Even though I think I missed most of it. I didn't even realize you were actually moving." She giggled, a little embarrassed, but snuggled closer and kissed his jaw. "So I guess you're just going to have to show me what you did again…"
Aaron grinned, his eyes twinkling. "I'd like that."
***
Five Months Later
Sofia trailed her hands over her swelling belly, grinning as she waited for Aaron to join her. Even now she could hardly believe that Gloria's potion had worked. She was pregnant. The child that she and Aaron had longed for was growing inside of her, and she couldn't be happier.
Actually, that wasn't true.
The smile faded from her face when Aaron entered the room. He smiled wanly at her. The stress of the radical witches' increased attacks on humans and vampires alike was getting to him. He wasn't sleeping at night. His already pale skin was translucent. The sparkle was gone from his eyes, and he needed to drink several pints of blood every day. If he wasn't a vampire and immune from disease, she would have suspected that he was sick.
"Are you feeling okay?" she asked him worriedly, moving to her husband and gripping his hands. "The announcement can wait."
Aaron shook his head firmly. "I'm fine. And we need to make our announcement before I start attacking all those tabloids that claim to have insider knowledge that you've cheated on me. We will tell the world what the truth is, and then… Then maybe I'll take the rest of the day off and go have a nap."
Sofia's brow furrowed, not liking the way Aaron's eyes slid in and out of focus. She reached for him. "Aaron, I don't think you're well."
"Nonsense." He grinned.
And collapsed.