Claimed by the vampire prince

Chapter 461: Chapter 461

Distantly, she felt him climb on top of her, positioning himself between her thighs. She let her mind wander, dragging up images of the palace gardens instead, how they would look come spring, bathed in soft sunlight, alive with color and blooms. She clung to those thoughts, letting them carry her away, her mind leaping from one image to another in a desperate attempt to block out the discomfort she felt.

Only an hour ago, she had lain here waiting for him, hoping he would come to her and now that he did, she found herself wishing only for it to be over, so she could slip away and retreat to the safety of her own chambers.

But it went on far longer than she had expected. Even through the haze of her detachment, she knew that whatever soreness she felt now would pale in comparison to what awaited her by morning.

When it was finally over, he should have rolled off her. Instead, he collapsed on top of her like dead weight, his body heavy as it pinned her to the bed. No matter how she shifted beneath him, there was no slipping free.

She wasn’t sure how long she remained like that, trapped beneath him, before exhaustion finally claimed her, dragging her into sleep with him still sprawled over her.

When she opened her eyes again, pale rays of early morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting soft streaks across the room. Hairan had barely moved in his sleep, and she found herself just as trapped as she had been the night before. He lay close with his face only an inch from the side of her head, his lips near her ear.

She sighed, irritation flickering through her as she nudged his side hard.

He groaned groggily and shifted, rolling over to the other side of the bed.

Finally free, Elka wasted no time scrambling out from the bed. But she had greatly underestimated the extent of her soreness. The moment her feet touched the ground and she straightened, a sharp discomfort made her wince. Still, she gritted her teeth and forced herself forward as she crossed the room to where she had discarded her robe and shift the night before.

She bent carefully, picking them up from the floor. Just as she was about to slip them back on, her eyes drifted against her will back toward the bed. They landed on Hairan who was now awake and watching her.

He had made no effort to cover himself.

"You still haven’t answered my question. Why did you come here?" he asked calmly.

There was no glare in his eyes, no open disdain.

She had thought that, come morning once the alcohol had fully left his system, he would return to looking at her with the same hostility he always had.

"What were your true intentions?" he continued, a faint note of suspicion slipping into his tone as his eyes narrowed slightly. "Surely you didn’t come here solely to seduce me into sleeping with you."

He was dangerously close to the truth. Even as panic stirred faintly within her, she kept her expression composed, her movements unhurried.

"Women have urges as well, Your Highness," she replied smoothly. "I came here last night because I didn’t think you would appreciate it if I satisfied my needs elsewhere."

She was content to let him believe that if it kept him from learning the truth.

By the time she finished speaking, she had already slipped her robe back on, tying it securely around herself. Without giving him the chance to press further, she turned and left the room.

***

The days passed before Circe made good on her promise.

It wasn’t that she forgot. She hadn’t. Rowen had reminded her twice already, both times in that careful way of his that made it clear he was trying not to seem as eager as he actually was. Both times, she had told him that she needed a little more time, that she wanted to make sure their mother was well enough for the visit. Which was true, but not entirely the reason.

She had simply needed to prepare herself. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

When the morning finally came, she found Rowen already awake and dressed before she had even sent for him. He fell into step beside her in the hallway without a word, and they walked together toward Thalora’s room.

She knocked before entering. A soft response came from inside.

The room was dim, the curtains drawn against the early light except for a narrow gap that let in a single pale strip of sunlight. Thalora was sitting up in bed, which was the most upright Circe had seen her since she had been brought here.

Circe stepped inside first, then moved aside.

Rowen froze by the doorway.

His eyes were fixed on the woman in the bed, and for a moment he simply stood there.

Then Thalora’s face did something that Circe had not seen it do in a very long time. Her expression broke open and her eyes filled with the kind of joy and relief that only comes from recognizing something you thought she had lost forever.

Rowen finally snapped out of his trance and crossed the room.

He stopped at the bedside and looked at her up close. Thalora reached out and touched his face tenderly and he let her.

"Rowen," she said, barely audible.

"Yes," he replied. As though confirming it for both of them.

"You were a baby the last time I saw you. You have grown so much."

"I am almost nine," he said.

Something crossed Thalora’s face at that, gone as quickly as it came.

"I know," she said. "I have missed so much of it."

Rowen considered her for a moment. "Circe told me what you are. That you are fae."

"She did?" At that, Thalora glanced at Circe before returning her attention to Rowen.

"And that you have been here recovering. Are you feeling better?" He asked.

"A little more each day," Thalora said.

Circe drifted toward the chair in the corner, the one farthest from the bed, and lowered herself into it. She was careful to make herself small. She wanted them to have this time to themselves so she chose to watch them instead.

Rowen pulled the small stool from beside the nightstand and sat on it, settling in the way he did when he intended to stay for a long period. "I didn’t know about you," he said. "I mean, I knew your name and Circe told me other things about you. But I thought you were dead."

"I know," Thalora said softly. "I am sorry for that."

"She took care of me while you were gone. She never really stopped," He told her.

Circe watched her mother take his hand in hers. She watched Rowen ask questions that Thalora was all too willing to answer.

She didn’t interrupt them. She had sixteen years with their mother and in those years, she had known the joy of having a mother. And she had gotten to grieve properly when she thought was gone.

Rowen had gotten none of that. So Circe sat in her corner and allowed him to have this moment.

At some point, Rowen had moved to sit on the edge of the bed itself. Thalora had taken both his hands in hers and was looking at him with an expression of undivided attention that Circe recognized. She had been on the receiving end of it once, long ago.

He deserved these first moments without her standing in the middle of them.

She listened to Rowen describe his archery training with that same enthusiasm he had whenever he talked about all things archery.

It got to a point that she had to look away quickly to fight the losing battle with her emotions. When she looked back, Rowen had turned and was looking at her. He didn’t say anything. He simply shifted, making space for her to join them.

She didn’t move for a moment. Then her feet carried her forward. She reached the edge of the bed and when she looked down at her mother, Thalora was already looking at her.

Her lips trembled slightly.

"Thank you," she managed. Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "For what you did. When I was poisoned." She swallowed. "You saved my baby. You saved us both and I will forever be grateful."

Thalora looked at her for a long moment. " You are my daughter. I would do it again, if it meant having you here with me" she said. "

Circe exhaled slowly, barely holding herself together. Her emotions lay closer to the surface than usual, and she suspected it was because Ragnar had left that day to join the beast hunt, leaving her sick with worry.

"I know we still have much left to say to each other," she said. "Things that won’t be easy. But I am glad you are here. I am glad you are alive."