Doe's POV:

"Xander!" My default scolding tone became nullified by the laugh that got torn from me, his arms scooping me from the ground, and his nose and breath tickling my neck.

I always imagined getting pounced on by a vampire would be different, though I did somewhat see this coming before stepping out of the closet.

After dinner, we'd settled down, and I told him that we could do the whole 'blood' thing after I switched into my pajamas.

Or as you probably guessed, another one of his shirts buttoned in the same way I always had it.

Meaning that when my legs crossed behind him for stability, he was holding onto my bare legs to keep me there.

My body enraptured at the feeling of him where he was, one hand grabbing his bicep while the other took its instinctive place in his hair.

Kisses immediately placed themselves down my neck, his legs moving us towards the bed.

I sighed into his touch, hints of relief flowing through me at the familiarity in how he was holding himself.

That fierce yet lighthearted way he did these things. the fun he always tried to keep.

Although that has mostly stayed consistent, recently he's just... faltered a bit from what felt like himself.

I wanted to think that he's just been getting too much inside of his own head lately. He himself just said that it had to do with the changes of this new environment.

But this... after this amazing day we'd spent together, this just felt like him again.

Unrestrained, unhesitant, and the heavy purr now vibrating from his chest to mine proving it further.

I just hoped that maybe the day with me pulled him out of that funk somehow. I know it definitely fixed that sudden unease I was experiencing from this morning.

I shuddered at the feeling of his heated, almost deep, needful breaths caressing my skin.

All of this just for a bite?

Well, that is how the last one went... and that was because of my own request.

"I didn't think this was going to be an every time thing," My hushed voice shuddered with me.

I made sure to say it in a way where he knew that it wasn't a complaint.

His confidence had been slipping lately, and I didn't want to risk accidentally damaging it, especially now.

Not with how badly I wanted to see it right now.

He parted just enough to speak, the skin of his lips tickling my skin

"If you want me to get my fresh blood from you, then I always want to make it an experience to enjoy." His voice had taken on that lower tone, "If you want me to just get it over with, then that's a different story."

He drew his head back an inch more in a silent question from his last statement.

'My way. Your rules.'

With his hand in his hair, I pushed and made him take back the space, feeling the rush of air from his chuckle against my shoulder.

An arm hooked around my back before he leaned us over the bed, aiding along with my tightening grip in keeping me against him as he took us both to the head of the bed.

He earned a few more, admittedly girlish, giggles from me, pecking quick little kisses across my neck and the part of my chest he usually kept to.

After this day, now experiencing him for what he should be. It just made me happy, and I didn't feel the need to hide that from him.

My body bounced just once against the mattress, hair scattering about the pillow as he released me.

That soft sage color of his eyes bore into mine, hands settling on either side of me for support.

I was somewhat expecting his pupils to thin, just from the need for blood, but instead, his pupils looked to grow the longer he looked at me,

It took me a few more seconds to unlock my legs from behind him, keeping some bend in my knees as they fell.

Both of our chests swelled and released in deepened breaths, simply staring at each other.

The sharp points of his fangs peaked from behind his parted lips, the sight of them and knowing what was to happen with them stirring no sort of negativity from me.

My fingers gently skimmed over his cheek and down his jaw in a movement that wasn't an entirely conscious one.

My features softened the longer I looked at his.

At those few untameable strands of hair that hung in front of his eyes even now, at those lashes of his that were longer than they looked due to how they faded to blonde at the tips.

Maybe it was best that they did. If those long lashes of his were in full view all the time, it may make him a bit too powerful.

There's no way he's always been this attractive. Right?

I tried to reason, and yet my heart and the heat on my face was giving me a different answer.

The hand on my right slowly lifted to my wrist, guiding my hand over the few inches it took to place a kiss into my palm.

My heart thumped an extra hard beat at the sight, the heat in his eyes contrasting with the softness of every single action.

"You sure you're up for this?" he checked.

I gave a sarcastic roll of my eyes.

"We both know that I'll give you hell if I wasn't sure of this."

He gave me a smile mixed with his knowing nod, licking over his fangs.

An action I probably... shouldn't... have found alluring.

Oh jeez, what the hell was wrong with me?

"I know," He whispered, leaning in closer, "I just like to hear you remind me."

His words brushed against my lips, pulling at the instinct to close that space.

I didn't stop it, I had no reason to.

This kiss started soft, coaxing me into that relaxed state he liked me to be in before going in for a bite.

My hand stayed on his jaw while his returned to its place by my side.

I wanted it closer, to be on me in one way or another, but he never made that move.

I tried not to let it bother me, but more and more recently it felt like my emotions weren't completely mine to control.

No. Right now was the wrong time for thoughts like these

Instead, I just pressed my legs against his sides for some kind of contact, receiving a quiet groan in response.

The thumping of my heart in my ears took up half of that sense, the sounds of our breathing and locking lips filling the rest.

And that scent of his that I adored. The one that felt like it was ten times stronger in times like these.

With him so close and his clothes on me, it wasn't very hard to understand why, but still.

He stiffened just noticeably so under my fingertips as I brought them down his neck, slipping my hand under his practically non-existent sleeves to caress his back.

I wanted to get that reaction I knew so well by now from him, teasing that spot his wings came from.

And he gave it right to me, arching against my touch and further into me with an exhale that sounded more ragged than the rest.

I tried masking my pride, peering my eyes open just to see that he had already caught on.

The intent behind the sudden growl became clear through his playful glare and the way I could feel his smirk the next time our lips touched.

'Challenge accepted'

I gasped at the clear message, at the thrill of it shooting through me, and then again as his lips fell to the underside of my jaw.

I should have known better than to start this game with him. I've come to that conclusion before, but right now I was more than fine with accepting a loss.

My hands knotted in his hair, pulling out another one of those growls that just... did something to me.

The growl from the most powerful predator should have sent me running, it was the only thing that made sense. But this instead turned me into putty.

Mixed with the fact that he was towering over me on his hands and knees with needle-sharp fangs so close to my neck.

The thing of nightmares to many people, I'm sure.

My survival instincts weren't dumb, and probably should have known better, but this was just different.

Because it was him.

My head fell back further into the pillow, giving him full access to whatever he wanted.

Continuing that languid kisses over various areas, keeping me on my toes with the occasional light nips I'd done to him.

I think he was intentionally avoiding making a mess of my skin with hickeys and whatnot, knowing I had plans to hang out with other people tomorrow.

Which I was both thankful for and somewhat irritated by, missing that intensity that usually came from all of this.

Though I had to give him props for thinking further ahead than I did.

His purr worked like magic in keeping me relaxed through his shenanigans, and had me not thinking twice about the claws I spotted out of the corner of my vision.

At that moment I felt something in him catch, the first sign of hesitation.

The subtle pull-back and the closing in of his shoulders.

I recognized this one immediately, having seen it before on various bloodmoons.

The few seconds of remorse as he foolishly fought off his bloodthirst.

I came to a hasty conclusion that he wanted to continue with this little 'challenge' a while longer, but his instincts were getting the better of him.

He'd told me once that being that close to a pulse brought out the biting instinct, so I did somewhat see this coming.

What I didn't want, though, were his worrisome thoughts taking over. Not right now.

I knew what to expect, and I wanted him to carry on with it anyways.

I turned my head just enough to set a smooch on the outer shell of his ear.

"Go ahead," I whispered, rubbing my fingers against his scalp for added comfort and security, "We can continue after you've gotten your fill."

He drew in a sharp inhale, forcing it out agonizingly slow. No doubt trying to do this as carefully and with as much control as possible.

I didn't know how different this would go now that he had royal blood, but I never found myself worried about it in any way.

I think I had more trust in him than he did.

No, I knew that.

It only took a few more seconds until he returned to that same spot he always went for, taking some time to give it a few gentler touches before he lined up his fangs.

I closed my eyes, drawing in one last preparatory breath.

Only for them to shoot open the second he bit into my skin.

Just like last time, that piercing pain I was used to and ready for instead became that inexplicable and unmatched heat racing its way through every nerve in my body.

Except this time it was so much more prominent.

I grabbed hard to where I could on him for any sort of stability as it all suddenly wracked through me.

Momentarily tightening every muscle in my body before repeating what I already saw coming.

This was the feeling I had wanted, though I wasn't expecting it to be this intense.

It was like a pull to him in every way except physical, enhancing everything I was feeling.

His purr now started up those tingles under my skin, digging gingerly down into my core.

It was somehow gentle yet gripping all at once, guiding my attention and focusing it purely on him.

As if it wasn't already.

My attempt was a weak one, but there nonetheless, to at least regain control of my breathing. To keep them slow and steady as opposed to the needful, panting patterns I was quickly falling into.

I couldn't help it, all of these sensations at once left me with no other options.

The way it felt like the air surrounding me was raising in temperature just like the way I was sure my face was.

Was this just because he was a royal?! Why was this time so much... so much-

I couldn't even say 'worse' because that's not at all how I felt about it.

Despite the power of it, above everything else, it was comforting knowing that it was coming from him.

Even if I didn't completely understand how or why, that didn't matter to me right now.

It grew deeper and deeper into me with every swallow he took of my blood.

Yanking this craving of him all over my body. It was like a pestering itch that I couldn't scratch myself, but the solution to what could was the only coherent thought I could manage right now.

A fire that only he could put out.

I couldn't grab him and pull him any closer with my hands, so instead hooked my calves around the backside of his thighs.

It wasn't enough, but the deep and rather harsh rumble in his chest from my action had me just barely catching the surely lewd whimper that begged for release.

No... no, I needed something else. My skin was pleading for contact everywhere he wasn't already touching me.

A light went off in my head. A step towards the answer I needed right now.

Even my movement was somewhat numbed by the rest of what was happening, yet I still managed to find the buttons of this shirt and get to work in undoing them.

I got the one at my hips, my belly button, and the canter of my abdomen, leaving only the two that covered my bralette.

My skin there rejoiced at the freedom from the cloth but wasn't satisfied yet.

Xander steadily removed himself with that full and relieved exhale that always followed, licking the wounds until they'd healed.

And just like before, nothing faded away. It all prevailed as those deep red eyes caught mine, trustingly exposed sensitivity sinking deep under his gaze.

The look I once considered a bad match was starting to look better and better the more I came to see it.

His heavy breathing almost matched with mine, his eyes straying from mine to see where my hands had gone, and widening the moment he saw what I'd done.

"What are you doing," Were his hasty, breathless words.

He had to do something. I needed him to do something to fix this.

The last time, this ended with a kiss, but this time, that wasn't going to be enough.

My face burned hotter than the rest of me from the embarrassment of the words I was about to say.

"Touch me," My mewling plea was almost too quiet.

That tinge of worry that had built on his face immediately shifted to pure surprise.

"What?"

He didn't look opposed to the idea in the slightest, just knew that the request coming from me like that wasn't normal.

I knew that too, but couldn't find it in me to stop.

He was the solution to whatever this was. Whatever this weird vampy magic or pheromone, or any other smart-sounding word I couldn't reach in my stupor.

"Alex," I reached for his wrists, ready to guide them where I needed them if I had to, "I need you to touch me."