The Tyrant's Pet

"But… you make me want to believe again. I thank you for making my world a place where forgiveness exists."

Aries smiled against his lips, securing her arms around his neck. His hand held her waist still while the other hooked under her legs.

Keeping her eyes closed, she still felt her body elevate as he stood up. Without parting lips with her, Abel carried her to the bed. She only realized their destination when her back hit the mattress slowly.

She opened her ever so slowly, watching him draw away, hovering over her.

"You love me?" she asked, reaching for his face to caress it.

Abel leaned his face into her palm, planting a light peck on it. "Very much… to a degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable," he breathed out, eyes on her.

"Do you love me?" he returned the question, making her squint her eyes as her smile stretched a little.

"More than much," she whispered, making him smile.

The two of them held each other's soft gazes, and it only filled their hearts with nothing but pure warmth. There wasn't lust that usually resurfaced in their eyes, but they held affection and acceptance. They see each other, eye to eye, heart to heart, soul to soul, reflecting the person they see.

In hers, there wasn't a tyrant, but just Abel, whom she loved. And in his, there was his heart.

Abel hovered over her in silence, satisfied with just looking at her like this. If this was before, he would have undressed her already. But he could already feel her even without going inside her and she was very warm.

"Where is it?" she asked, reaching for the side of his lips. "Your fangs. I want to see them."

"They're sharp."

"So?"

He batted his eyes and opened his mouth slightly, revealing just the tip of his fangs that looked like canines.

"Careful. You'll graze your hand," he reminded her gently when he felt her fingertips on the corner of his lips.

"You drink blood using your fangs?" she asked, tracing his upper lip carefully.

"Mhm."

"And it sustains your life?" she asked, seeing him ponder for a second before he nodded. "Do you want to drink mine?"

This time, he went quiet, eyes on her. "For any other reason but to keep me alive, sure."

"Will it hurt?"

"You can be the judge whether or not it will." His eyes fastened with mischief as the side of his lips curled up. "Shall we try?"

"Will it kill me?"

He shook his head. "No."

Aries pursed her lips and drew a breath. "Let me test the pain first." And without waiting for his response, Aries pressed her index against the tip of his fangs. She flinched when it pricked her like a needle and blood instantly oozed from it.

"I told you, they're sharp." Abel kept her finger in between his teeth and sucked the blood from it. "So?"

"How fascinating," she murmured, blinking back to her senses, searching for his gaze. "I mean, that's surprising. But it didn't hurt as much as…"

"Stop using the pain you had inflicted on this land as the standard, darling." Abel let her finger go, lowering his body, tilting his head to the side until the apex of his nose was touching her neck. "Those things were meant to break you. I bear no such intention."

Her breathing grew heavier, clutching his chest on instinct. She shivered when he licked her neck gently.

"I'm scared," she confessed with a shaking voice, breath almost hitching.

"I know." His hot breath kissed her ear, then planted kisses on her jaw briefly yet sweetly. "Tell me when you're ready."

Aries closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, exhaling it through her mouth. Her body relaxed at his constant kisses, feeling his other hand crawl up to her arm, pinning her hand to her side, slipping his fingers in between hers.

When she felt secure enough with the heat of his body transferring to her, she opened her eyes.

"Please be gentle," she whispered, feeling his fingers over her hand curl.

"You know the safe word, darling." He traced the outline of her neck with the tip of his nose, gulping to soothe his drying throat. "Don't bear with the pain."

Aries nodded, saying nothing further. Her heart was pounding against her chest and each beat echoed in her ear, waiting for him to bare his fangs and sink them into her veins.

'I trust you…' Aries clenched her teeth when she felt the tip of his fangs against her skin, clutching and pinching his shoulders as they pressed deeper. Her mouth fell open when his normal teeth touched the surface of her neck, while his fangs were deep under her skin.

"Ah…" her back arched as her grip on his shoulder tightened.

Strange, she thought. Aries was well-aware that his fangs, which were just as sharp as the dagger's tip, were dunked deep into her neck. However, she felt zero pain. It could be because her body was numb with pain since she could stab herself without a second hesitation, or it wasn't truly painful.

Either way, those weren't what was important to her.

Every time she heard him gulp sent this ripple in her heart. His hand felt the other side of her neck, making her tilt her head to give him better access. Meanwhile, his other hand crept down to her thigh, squeezing it up until her knee was bent and her sole was touching the mattress.

Aries slowly opened her eyes and glanced at him. Her lips curled up subtly, loosening her grip on his shoulder, only to crawl her arms around him. She clipped his shirt with her fingers, moving it up before resting her hand on his back to feel his body.

"If I met you two thousand years ago…" Abel carefully pulled his fangs out to not grazed her skin and faced her, licking his fangs that kept her fresh blood. "… I would've killed you."

"I trust you." She smiled, knowing he would stop himself since she felt rather snug despite having her blood drawn. "Does it taste different?"

"Be the judge. Have a taste." He bent over once again, this time, his lips aimed for hers — hitting the bullseye perfectly.