The Vampire King's Pet-Chapter 286: Jared is better

Aira watched her quietly walk away without doing anything to stop her. The garden smelt wonderful like roses but at that moment, Aira could care less about it as she stared up at the setting sun instead with a frown on her face.

The last streaks of gold clung stubbornly to the clouds, painting the sky in a way that should have felt warm, comforting, serene—yet all she felt was the hollow press of irritation drilling against her ribs.

Clara’s footsteps faded across the tiled path, leaving behind only the faint rustle of her skirts and the echo of the heavy conversation they had just shared.

Nothing about her departure soothed Aira. If anything, the quiet only amplified the confusion and tension churning inside her. She stayed frozen in place, arms limp at her sides, as though the sunlight itself was pinning her there.

Clara had left but that didn’t in the slightest make her feel better about the conversation she had just had even as she wondered what Clara wanted to achieve by saying a few words and leaving.

The question gnawed at her—what had Clara expected? Comfort? Agreement? Submission? Or simply a reaction that Aira refused to give her? The uncertainty sat bitter on her tongue. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

By then Rymora had actually arrived beside her with a curious look on her face seeing as how her mistress continued to stand on a spot with a lost expression on her face.

The young woman approached cautiously, her soft slippers barely disturbing the gravel. Her brown curly hair bound tightly on her head reflecting the last lights of dusk, but her eyes were fixed entirely on her mistress.

"Is everything alright?" Rymora asked her even as Aria slowly nodded her head in response to what she asked even though her eyes told a different story with the annoyance it was filled with.

Rymora’s brows pinched, but she didn’t push. She simply waited—steadfast, patient, loyal.

"I’m fine but clearly Clara isn’t!" was all she said as she turned and made her way towards the main doors that led back into the mansion. It was evening and it would soon be time for supper.

Her steps sounded sharper than usual on the stone, faster too, as though she wanted movement to shake off the remnants of the conversation. The mansion loomed ahead, warm light spilling from the tall windows, but Aira felt none of that warmth sinking into her bones.

Moreover, after the long sleep she had she was kind of starving and wanted something to eat.

The realization hit her suddenly—an emptiness low in her stomach, a reminder she had been avoiding too many things at once today. Emotional exhaustion, hunger, and annoyance made a tangled mess inside her.

"If she asks to meet again, send the message back and don’t bother informing me!" she continued realizing that Clara was consumed with thoughts of Jared and they could not possibly have the same goal.

Her tone was clipped, decisive. Rymora murmured a simple "Yes, my lady," though concern lingered in her eyes.

’The person I need to speak to is King Jared!’ she thought to herself even as she headed back into the mansion with a focused gaze on her face.

And that thought solidified like stone. Jared—cold, calculating, unreadable Jared—held answers. If Clara couldn’t see beyond her own fixation with him, then Aira would simply move forward alone.

Dinner came quickly enough as she entered the food hall and settled down. Zyren was yet to arrive but King Jared and Clara had.

The change in atmosphere was immediate. Torches cast a flickering golden glow over polished wooden walls, long tables, and gleaming silverware. Servants glided along the sides of the room like shadows. Jared sat with the composure of someone carved from marble—silent, predatory calm. Clara sat nearby, stiff-backed and silent.

But unlike before when Aria would focus her gaze on Clara her entire attention was on King Jared making it clear that she wanted to speak to him and ignoring the heavy gaze Clara sent her way.

Jared’s eyes—gold and bright —lifted briefly to meet hers. There was something in his stare: acknowledgment, curiosity, and a cool, assessing awareness that made Clara’s lips tighten at the edges.

Zyren arrived soon after sitting down and ushering others to do the same with a calm expression on his face. His coat was royal dark blue and vibrant hue to it that made heads turn.

Zyren moved with a presence that filled space instantly. Even without speaking, the air shifted around him. People straightened. Servants hesitated. His coat shimmered slightly as he walked, catching the torchlight like liquid midnight.

But above all was his shoulder long hair and red eyes that made it hard to look away from his face. Aria focused on her food taking in small bites when she suddenly felt herself being lifted up from her chair with a shocked expression on her face.

Her breath caught—not from pain but from the sheer suddenness. Zyren’s grip was firm, controlled, but there was a heat beneath it—a barely tethered intensity that made the hairs on her arms rise.

Feeling herself settle in his laps and his lips on her neck before she could react to what he had just done. Struggling to glance at him as she felt a firm hold on her neck even as she felt him litter kisses around her jaw and neck.

The movement was not gentle. It was possessive, claiming, his presence wrapping around her like a cloak. His lips brushed her skin in slow, deliberate patterns that made her pulse falter. The murmur in the room disappeared; silence stretched taut as a blade.

A low growl loud enough for every one to hear as he whispered directly in her ears, "Your eyes are for staring at me!" he said even as Aria frowned more than aware that the pressure on her neck was definitely more intense than it needed to be.

His words vibrated against her skin—low, dangerous. His jealousy was a tangible force, coiling around her like smoke. Her frown deepened, discomfort and frustration rippling beneath the surface.

Worse, she could feel his fangs something that only happened if he was hungry or anger. One of which he clearly was.

Zyren’s emotions were never subtle. His hunger—whether for her attention or something deeper—pressed into the moment like another presence at the table.

Still Aria patiently waited expecting him to soon let her go after he was done speaking, so that she would be able to settle back on her seat and eat.

She forced herself to breathe, to stay composed, to focus on the expectation that he would release her. But Zyren wasn’t in a releasing mood.

Only to feel her eyes widen as she felt his fangs suddenly dig into her neck in a way that made her gasp. Worse was the pleasure that followed followed by the sweet feeling she felt as she felt him drink her blood.

The moment hit her like a wave—sharp, warm, overwhelming. Not explicit, but intense enough to steal her breath and leave her clinging to steadiness.

She could feel a whole lot including the pleasure that pumped through his veins as he continued to drink even as her head became dizzy and spun as she clung to him trying to keep her moans in.

Everything blurred—the hall, the people, the echoes of footsteps. Only Zyren existed, his emotions folding into hers in a dizzying rush. She fought to keep her composure, to stop the sound lodged in her throat.

He had only drank from her once before and it had been nowhere as intense as what she felt even as she felt herself almost collapse on him unaware of when he was done even as she heard him whisper right into her ears.

Her body threatened to give way, but Zyren held her firmly, his whisper brushing against her skin like heat.

"You belong to me!" a deep growl that conveyed just how annoyed he was, somehow having known that she had been staring at King Jared.

The possessiveness in his tone was unmistakable—raw, territorial, stoked by jealousy he didn’t bother disguising.

He hadn’t taken a lot but the pleasure she felt refused to leave aware of the wetness between her legs even as she did her best to move back to her chair but Zyren didn’t let her.

She shifted, trying to reclaim distance, dignity, clarity—anything. But Zyren’s hold barely budged, keeping her anchored firmly on his lap.

Her heart picked up pace when she heard him speak again but this time was clearly speaking to the others that were seated at the table instead of at her.

Another shift in the room’s atmosphere prickled at her senses.

"GET OUT!" the words had barely echoed in her ears when her lashes fluttered close a sinking feeling in her soul aware of what was bound to come next.

The command rolled through the hall like thunder, vibrating against the walls. Servants froze. Clara stiffened. Jared’s expression flickered with something unreadable.

A flash of anger that barely formed as he remained seated even as others scrambled

Off.

For a moment a long face off between both kings even as Jared continued to seat before he opened his mouth to speak, his gaze focused on Aria this time with an intensity that worried Aria herself.

"I’ll have my dinner in my room!" Jared said, "We’ll speak tomorrow!" he said as he slowly got to his feet.