Chapter 47: [47] The Queen’s Prey

--Chapter 47--

Title: The Queen’s Prey

Even after the training finally came to an end. Takeshi remained seated while Solaria worked on the split in his lip.

The small wound closed beneath her hands, heat and light passing through the broken skin until only a faint tenderness remained.

She moved on to his arms and ribs, cleaning the strain left behind by Nyxara’s lesson with the same sweet and quiet care.

Takeshi, who initially just looked forward, sneaked some glances at her every now and then.

Her wings remained held close behind her, the damaged feathers still visible despite the way she tried to keep them out of his attention.

But the fact that each of her touch pulled all the pain away from his body and yet he could see her hurt. Sparked curiosity that he always been there, to life.

"Why don’t you heal your wings?" Takeshi leisurely inquired.

The Fallen Angel’s hands paused briefly the moment the question reached her. A small gesture that grabbed Takeshi’s attention.

"They are not the priority, Master," she said dismissively.

"That isn’t an answer," he calmly retorted, expecting more from her.

But instead of trying to explain herself, Takeshi noticed the fervent hesitation as she continued putting away the ointment.

"They have been like this for a long time. One more day will not change them," she brushed it off again.

Takeshi studied her reactions closely. It was quite obvious she was avoiding the question.

The why was actually the question that bubbled in his mind. But he also understood that forcing it out of her now would probably get him nowhere. So he kept it for later.

"If you say so...."

Solaria gave a small nod and continued cleaning the remaining bruises.

Nyxara leaned against the wall nearby, arms folded over her hefty chest and looking far too pleased with herself.

"If you’re done playing patient, we should go after the blood-sucker before she does something entertaining."

Takeshi who was feeling quite rejuvenated, looked toward the spot where Lana had disappeared from.

"No.." he said, no louder than a whisper.

Nyxara raised a brow. "No?"

"I can handle it myself," Takeshi made his intentions clear.

"You know she left because your blood got her engine going. You want to walk into that alone?"

"Exactly... right!"

Nyxara’s fiery eyes stared at him for a moment longer than necessary before clicking her tongue.

"Fine... If she chews through half a street, then you have your confidence to blame."

Takeshi didn’t respond. But he thought of the repercussions of his choices, should it actually go south.

And yet, there was this genuine confidence he felt about Lana and how she had conducted herself so far.

"She said she was managing it," he pointed out to himself more than to the other women present.

"I’ll give her the chance to come back," he completed while softly patting Solaria’s head.

The words sounded reasonable. And confident on his part. But the memory of Lana’s eyes on his blood during the training refused to leave his mind.

He had already seen enough to know that something was changing in her or maybe it was something that was always there.

He just didn’t know how much of it, he could trust.

***

The afternoon dragged on... And yet Lana did not return.

At first, Takeshi didn’t think much of it. She had left because she needed space, and he had decided to give it to her.

But as the hours passed, the absence became harder and harder to ignore.

Solaria kept herself occupied with small tasks around the manor, though Takeshi noticed she had started checking the entrance more often than necessary.

Nyxara was less subtle of course. She had complained twice about Lana taking too long and had eventually settled into a chair with her arms folded, her eyes repeatedly drifting toward the door.

’To think...they squabble the most.’ Takeshi shook his head inwardly and finally stood.

"I’m going out," he finally decided to take the bull by the horn.

Nyxara looked over. "To find her?"

"Obviously..." He scoffed.

She shrugged. "You sure did take your sweet time, Sexy ass."

Takeshi ignored her teasing. He wasn’t going to search the entire capital without a reason. Neither would he do it blindly.

Lana had been careful since being unsealed. If she wanted privacy, she would not choose somewhere crowded.

He thought about the places around the capital where someone could disappear without attracting immediate attention.

There were taverns with back alleys. Whore houses with men who couldn’t tell apart their right leg from their left.

And then, there was the quieter streets of businesses that had no need opening up once the night life took shape.

If Lana was trying to feed without being noticed, she would probably choose somewhere like that.

Takeshi left the manor duly. The capital was beginning to change with the setting sun.

Shops were closing, taverns were filling up, and the streets were becoming louder in some places while becoming quieter in others.

Taking the quieter lanes. He walked like someone who wasn’t looking for trouble but after the beat down disguised as training earlier.

He didn’t mind trouble in the slightest...

***

Elsewhere, Lana found Orrick Venn before the lamps were fully lit to twist the day to the chilling night.

She had not needed to search for long. The moment she decided to leave the manor, the faint trace of his blood still lingering within her senses gave her a direction to follow.

It was a small thing, almost insignificant. But after tasting his blood only a day ago, she could recognize him even in a coliseum of people.

Waiting patiently for her target... The night was barely half way in when Orrick left the tavern alone.

His steps were unsteady, and the smell of cheap alcohol followed him into the narrow street behind the building.

A pair of soul draining crimson eyes watched him from the shadows.

This was exactly the kind of person she could take without consequence.

There were no guards or companions in sight. No one paying enough attention to wonder where he would go. Or why.

Orrick hiccuped as he shoved the full breath of another mug of cheap ale down his throat even as his cock carelessly swung left and right in open.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. She could have easily turned away at this point.

Instead, she followed. Telling herself other reasons as she did. For one, he had insulted her master.

He had also broken her nail during that worthless market scuffle. A loud animal with no value. That was all he was.

That was all the underlying hunger in her veins claimed. That was the center of it all.

Nine hundred years of hunger was the core to everything. The rest was simply what her pride preferred to wear around the truth.

Orrick muttered to himself as he stumbled along. "Where the fuck is this whore."

Lana appeared behind him without making a sound.

He noticed her only when she was already close.

He turned his head, his unfocused eyes dragging over her. "There you are baby, bring that fine ass," he waved his loose cock in her direction.

It was only after a minute of complete silence did he realize something was terribly wrong.

"Who’re--"

Lana’s fangs peeked out as she smiled. Then she moved.

Her hand covered his mouth as she drove him against the wall in a blur. His body barely had time to react before her lips found his throat.

The first taste of warmth made her eyes close instinctively. Hot blood spread across her tongue.

Even as the hunger answered immediately.

And for a moment, every other thought disappeared. The restraint she had maintained since escaping the seal thinned beneath the taste.

She had intended to take only enough. Just enough to quiet the hunger welling in her veins.

But the moment she drank, that intention became much harder to remember.

Her fingers became claws that tightened against Orrick’s shoulder like a vice. And she kept feeding.

***

Fortunately for Takeshi, many years of constant vampire movies and medieval novels had pulled him to the cheap taverns first.

It was noisy with the sound of laughter, fights and people just relaxing after a long day spilling on the street.

But it was the quieter sounds that Takeshi was searching for. He walked to the alley behind the tavern.

Slowly approaching, the smell of old beer, wet stone and urine tingled his senses first, followed by the faint scent of blood.

How fortunate could he be?

He stepped into the narrow backlane, his body still carrying the reflex instilled after a few hours of training.

His breathing remained steady, but his attention sharpened immediately.

The alley was mostly empty. A few crates sat near the rear entrance of the tavern, leaving only a narrow path between them and the opposite wall.

Takeshi stopped when he noticed shadows stretching further than expected.

’Are they fucking?’ he thought. Hearing quiet but heavy whimpers.

Lana stood near the wall. Her veil had shifted slightly, and her crimson eyes were wider and brighter than usual even as black veins stretched along the edges.

She wasn’t standing with her usual relaxed composure. Her entire body was unnaturally still, as though every movement had become something she had to consciously hold back.

Around her, a man was pinned against the wall in front of her. His head or what was left of it, had fallen to one side.

Lana’s mouth was pressed against his throat hard. His eyes slowly rolling back as his neck heaved.

With the sight in front of him, Takeshi simply stared for a moment. He had expected to find Lana struggling with her hunger.

Not feeding...

"Lana," he said firmly, in a low tone.

Her head turned slowly, with strained eyes that found the metallic sheen of his slightly silver pupils first.

And for one brief moment, Takeshi saw something in her crimson eyes that he had never seen before.

It wasn’t the elegance of his head maid. Or the woman who calmly advised him.

This was a predator caught in the middle of feeding. One that couldn’t just escape his gaze and yet her eyes spoke of not being judged.

The man in question, made a weak sound beneath her hand.

His eyes opened halfway and drifted toward Takeshi before falling back toward Lana.

Takeshi’s gaze moved over him without urgency. His pale and death soaked face looked familiar.

And just then, it fell into place in his mind. After all it was barely a day ago when he cleaned the streets with this man’s ass.

It was one of those so called, guild adventures that were introducing themselves back then.

’Bren or was it Or...’ he couldn’t place the name.

Watching Takeshi just stand there, Lana’s vein pulsing eyes slowly receded as she pulled her mouth away from his throat.

A thin line of blood remained against her lips. As she stared at Takeshi.

Neither spoke because words had no place here yet.

Then, from the mouth of the alley, a voice suddenly called out.

"Orrick! Bro!"

Takeshi’s eyes widened.

<End of Chapter>

A/N: Trying to add a beautiful art work to this but WN keeps shutting it out.

What do you guys think about a discord group. Maybe for just the art. If you are all for it. Then let me know ...

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