Maddona

His brown eyes are horrified. Why? This is normal. He's never made such an expression before, so why...?

A quick jerk from Catherine and I look down. Oh. Wow...

"What did you do, Maddona?! Wh why are you like this?" he asks, not moving from his position at the door.

What did I do indeed... Catherine's presumed slumber turns out to not be one at all. unless you think of it metaphorically. Both her eyes are shut, and a few dots of red are scattered from below her nose down to her soaked collar, where they grow in size. Another small detail though,

she's not breathing.

Add that to the tiny fact that half of her neck is missing and her clothes are drowned in blood, I can surely say she's dead.

Yes. Definitely.

Did I kill her? I've never done anything like this before. Never even considered it. I've read books about it, but never imagined. Am I supposed to enjoy it?

Should I hear my heart pounding in my ears?

Be filled with adrenaline?

I feel none of those. Instead, I feel empty. My stomach is an endless pit eager to be filled. By any means necessary.

The mlsmell of safe reaches my nostrils.

Catherine's body drops to the floor with a smack as her head connects with the tiles. More warm liquid splashes on my skin, this time running down in lines like tiny red waterfalls. My feet and fingertips tingle as a low hum overtakes me. My eyes pulse—my sight sharpens and everything is so clear I almost wish I was blind again.

"I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

My owner flinches. It's been so long since I last conversed with anyone, or even talked, for that matter. How long has it been? A month?... Two?

Gregory's eyes are wide and filled with fear, staring at Cathy's broken body. His heartbeat echoes through the room. His large form is enticing, seductive, like forbidden fruit. But I am willing.

Thump thump thump. Feed me. Do it. He's just another person—no need to feel sorry. He deserves it.

I don't care what he deserves. I know only what I see and hear. His sins don't bother me enough to justify harm.

"I swear I really didn't mean to," I tell him. My legs carry me toward him. His head shakes rapidly, but he still doesn't move—like his legs are glued to the floor.

His fear baffles me.

He is supposed to be the most feared business owner in delsyvic- gavna. The renowned legend that crushes his opponents at any little tiff.

If he's strong enough find and subdue the strongest and rarerest of creatures.

Why would he be shivering at the sight of a little blood.

Mathews told me some people can't stand the sight of it. Maybe that's it.

"You don't believe me, Father?"

He freezes immediately from shock. Looking more fearful than when he first walked in.

"..... How do you kno_" is all he gets out. The rest of his question comes out in choking, wet gurgles as his neck splits, revealing the white of his ripped tracheal rings. His panicked eyes find me while his hands vigorously try to stop the bleeding.

"_eas heal_er," he heaves out. His knees buckle and he drops to the ground, cradling his neck as he goes.

I follow, turning him onto his back with little struggle. I straddle his stomach, tug on his hands, but they don't move. He sure isn't ready to die. His body spasms below me and I take that as my sign to tug harder. Once his wrists are secured beside his head, I dive down.

My claws dig into his wrists the more I get. Unknown emotions tug at my heartstrings, pushing me deeper into the feed.

Tap. Tap tap. Tap.

Footsteps.

Mathew's soft scent reaches my nose. Then another, sharper. A royal.

I pause when I hear Mathew's voice. "_ir, this is a restricted area. No one is allowed back here."

"Get out of my way!!" comes a second voice—brimming with so much power I hear Mathew whimper from it.

I've come across so many royals—enough to recognize the scent whenever someone from their region comes along. My senses may have dulled, but being observant was the only way I learned.

This scent I clearly remember. The person himself is a stranger, but he is closely related to someone else.

I miss him.

The stranger comes into view, Mathew behind him struggling to keep up, his head bowed. The stranger's face is striking. Brown hair and dark grey-blue eyes. The more you look, the more he draws you in.

The stranger stops short at the scene and Mathew almost runs into him.

"What is this?" His face is calm, but the sound of his heart dropping doesn't miss me.

Mathew peeks up at me. His bright green eyes widen and he staggers backward, falling on his ass.

"Mist_" His shaking pupils take in the scene and he heaves, throwing up on the floor.

Way to make me lose my appetite.

"Special visitor?" I ask him, still chewing. I nod to the silent stranger. Mathew nods absentmindedly.

"What's your name?" The stranger doesn't speak. He looks more intrigued than scared, but also sensible enough to consider turning back.

"Don't move." He stops. "What is your name?" I'm in front of him before my brain processes it. "Answer me."

"Nicholi Bennett." He sighs as my fingers reach up to run along his jaw, bending down to accommodate me.

"What are you here for, Nico?... Business or pleasure, hmm?"

He darts his dilated pupils to my bloody lips, fingers trailing my sides—not quite touching.

"Business," he whispers, licking his lips when I press myself against him.

"I apologize. My father is indisposed at the moment and can't see you. But I can take you to him if it's really that important."

My hands cradle his face, then rest themselves on his temples. He pushes me back to the nearest wall, taking my lips as he goes. He doesn't seem to care about the blood.

His lips are hungry, predatory. Hot.

My palms stay on his temples as he wraps my legs around his hips, grinding against me. My hands massage and squeeze, grabbing as much hair as they can find.

His grunts turn into moans, then suddenly silence. He cries out once, then goes still and cold.

My legs drop. I hold him up, looking questioningly at his face. If I should really call it that. Now he just looks like a child's art project. Melting features and a cracked skull.

Disgusting.

And to think I almost had sex with him.

"Mathew, get someone to clean this up."

I say as I rich the body draped over me.

He's quite heavy.

No answer.

"Mathew?"i let go of Nico and he drops off me with a thud. I look over to see Mathew's unconscious form bathing in his own vomit.

By the moons, what am I going to do with him.