The Crown's Obsession

Music Recommendation: First by SoMo

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Hearing Calhoun's words, Madeline's eyes widened, and she turned around to look straight into his red eyes that stared right back at her. The space that was present during the time she had turned was taken away from her when he leaned forward. Madeline could feel her heart beating in her ears at the closeness that they shared, alone in the room where no one would come to interrupt them.

When Sophie was here, Madeline could have hoped for the vampiress to barge in. But Theodore had gone to see Sophie into the carriage, and there was no way she would come back here unless she had dropped something in here.

Calhoun gazed into those big brown eyes. He wondered why he was supposed to stop, when he could take what he had decided to be his.

"You can continue eating," said Madeline, "I will take my seat back."

"Do you think I am interested in eating food at the table?" Calhoun cocked his head to the side as if he had been sitting at the table for amusement. Given, he wanted to taste the food she had made, but the void he felt for not taking another sip from her was pushing him to an edge.

Madeline pushed her back against the wall, "You were the one who asked me to cook for you," she replied to his question, her eyes not looking away from his.

"If I am not wrong, you were the one who proposed to cook for me. Did you forget that I am not a human but a vampire who needs blood?" he hummed.

Softly gulping, she said, "You had your meal at noon with that woman!" She had seen the red-headed woman who had walked past in the direction she had come from- the way she was dressed, and with Calhoun who had not so subtly spoken about what was going to happen behind those closed doors.

"Are you jealous?" asked Calhoun with such a straight face, that had Madeline blink her eyes a couple of times.

"Why would I be jealous? You can suck anyone's blood or do whatever you want-" Calhoun placed one of his hands on the side of her waist without a notice. Her gaze fell on his chest where he wore a shirt that had two buttons left unbuttoned for one to stare at the taut muscle behind it.

"Yes, you were saying," came the calm voice of Calhoun. Madeline tore her gaze to look back into his eyes. Madeline realised that Calhoun was daunting when he was smiling, and there wasn't much difference when it came to now where he had a severe look.

Madeline's lips were parted, but she was not able to speak with his presence this close to her. One hand blocking her way and the other that had gone to place on her waist. Calhoun then leaned even more closer to her, her eyes catching him looking at her lips. Her lips trembled, and she didn't know why but she was feeling breathless.

She found him tilting his head, moving closer and Madeline felt as if her body was going to combust into ashes. Was he going to kiss her?!

"Did she not have enough blood?" she asked him, her eyes looking back at Calhoun's eyes that were not looking into her eyes.

"Why do you say that?" he asked her because he wanted to bite her now!

When Calhoun moved even closer, almost an inch away from her lips, Madeline closed her eyes. Noticing this, a wicked grin broke on Calhoun's lips. He moved his face to the side of her head, to say, "Waiting for me to kiss?" came his teasing words.

Madeline's eyes flew open, her cheeks turning bright red, "I wasn't!" she tried to move away, but the hand on her waist tightened.

"Why did you close your eyes then? Your sweet lips were parted as if anticipating for me to take it with my lips. To suck and bite," Calhoun whispered those words next to the shell of her ear. She didn't know why Calhoun was always descriptive when he wanted to paint an image in her mind, "You are right. I did spend time with the beautiful lady, but I am not satisfied with it. My sweet."

"I don't think she's the only one who you can take blood from," she turned her face towards him, to meet his eyes again.

"You are right. Why go for something that is far, when you are right here. Is my dessert ready?" he asked with mischief in his voice.

"On the table?" Madeline asked, hoping he would eat the food she made instead of sinking his fangs in her skin.

The smile on his lips was scaring her and the look in his eyes that held nothing less to a sinister look. "If you feel the table is going to be much more comfortable than here, I don't mind moving there." Madeline wondered why Calhoun was not moving, when he had agreed to go back to sit at the table to finish his meal. And then she realised what he meant.

"I did everything you asked me to do," she stated. The last time he had taken her blood, it was in the name of being punished.

Madeline heard Calhoun sigh, "I am thirsty, Maddie. If I go find someone right now, I cannot guarantee that the person will be alive. But with you," he paused to let his words sink into her. Was he serious though? Or was he only playing with her? Would he kill the next person who wasn't her, to quench the thirst for blood?

"I will try holding back." She knew one of these days she would end up dead by being food to the King, "What happened to the trust you had this noon?" asked Calhoun.

That went out of the window when he said he would try not killing her!