The Vampire Vigilante
Chapter 20

Erik rolled out of bed and walked over to me, already naked and erect. He reached out slowly and untied the front of the robe before he ran his fingers under the front edges of the robe and pulled it off of me. It fell to the floor as he took a step back and looked me up and down.

"You are beautiful," he whispered, "I'm so lucky to have you." He grabbed my face and started to kiss me passionately. We fumbled with our hands to touch every inch of each other as we walked to the bed. Erik threw me down and laid on top of me, trailing kisses down my neck to between my breasts. He went all the way down my stomach and grabbed the edge of my underwear before I stopped him.

"You pleased me last time," I whispered, pulling his face back to mine, "It's my turn now." I planted a kiss on his neck before I nibbled on his earlobe. I took my tongue and ran it down the side of his neck down to his collarbone, making goosebumps raise on his skin. I raised up to face him and pushed him down on the bed on his back. I planted a kiss on his lips, then I gave his bottom lip a slight bite before I made my way down his chest to his abs.

"Oh, god," he moaned. I smiled up at him through my eyelashes to see him staring at me in awe. I bit my bottom lip as I took him in my right hand and started pumping. His head fell back against the bed as his legs tensed up with pleasure.

This next part you have never done, so be careful.

My thoughts raced as my hand stopped and I leaned down to give him a taste. There was already a slight amount of saltiness to the tip, so I knew that he probably wouldn't last long if I went through with my plan.

You know he wants it.

I took as much of him in my mouth as I could, which didn't seem to be much with his length. I started going up and down slowly, picking up speed every couple of seconds. His hand reached down to the back of my head to stroke my hair as I kept going. I took my hands to the bottom where I couldn't reach and slid them up and down in time with my mouth to give him the full effect.

"Yes," he hissed, clutching my hair. I could tell he wouldn't be much longer so I went as far as my throat would let me and he exploded in my mouth. I swallowed and wiped my lips when I was finished, looking up at him softly.

"Oh, we aren't done," he said, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me to him. He put me on the bed on my hands and knees and ripped off my underwear. I was already dripping between my legs from just hearing his moans earlier. He put his face on my most sensitive spot and licked from front to back, causing my whole body to shake with anticipation. I grabbed the duvet in my fists and let my face fall into the bed.

"Please," I begged, "Fuck me." He didn't hesitate before he entered me slowly. I screamed out in pleasure as he quickly picked up speed, thrusting back and forth.

"Yes," I breathed as I felt him getting closer, "Don't stop." He wrapped one arm around my waist and took his other hand in my hair.

Oh, yes. I like this.

He put one leg on the bed to adjust himself and somehow go even deeper, sending me over the edge. I yelled out in ecstacy as my climax exploded with his. His grip on my hair made it even better. He pumped one last time before he pulled out and flopped down on the bed next to me breathing heavily. I straightened my legs out and looked over at him, unable to speak or move.

That was incredible.

"Mel," he breathed, propping up on one arm and looking at me, "That was fucking amazing." I laughed and smiled at him. "Yes, it was."

"I love you," he whispered as he leaned over and gave me a slow kiss. I opened my eyes after our kiss and put my hand on the side of his face gently. "And I love you." We finally moved from our spots after a few minutes to get in bed and wrap up in each other. We had turned on some comedy movie to watch, but I fell asleep in his arms as he stroked my hair.

I could do this every night of my life.

I opened my eyes the next morning as I felt soft kisses on my neck. Erik had me wrapped up in his arms with my back to him. I smiled and rolled over to face him. "Good morning."

"Good morning, beautiful," he replied, giving me a slow kiss. "I didn't want you to sleep in since we have to be in the Highlands at 10."

"What time is it?" I asked, stretching. He looked over at the clock. "7:30. We need to be on the road around 9 because it takes about an hour to get there."

"I'm going to take a quick shower then," I replied, getting out of bed. I started to walk to the bathroom when I turned around and smiled at him. "Want to join?"

He jumped out of bed like there was a fire. I turned the water on and let it warm up before I got in. I took some shampoo and began to lather it on before I heard the glass door shut and Erik came in. I rinsed the soap out of my hair and inhaled sharply as I felt his fingers trailing down my back.

Erik took some soap on a sponge and started rubbing my back with it, squeezing it over my shoulders and letting it drip down. He took his other hand on my ass cheek and gave it a squeeze. I took my hands and placed them on the wall in front of me, prepared for whatever the hell he was about to do. He leaned his head down to the nape of my neck and took his free hand to hold mine against the wall as his fingers began to play between my legs.

I moaned softly as he took two fingers inside of me slowly working in and out. I felt my knees begin to bend as my soreness from the night before turned into pleasure. After a few minutes he turned me around and kissed me, his tongue reaching deep into my mouth. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around him as he pressed me against the wall of the shower. He dipped his hips to where he could penetrate and started rocking his hips. I threw my head back in pleasure as he kissed my neck while he kept the rhythm going with his lower half.

My nails dug into his back as he started to move faster which made him growl in response. My legs gripped around his waist tighter as I felt my climax coming.

"Come for me," he moaned in my ear. Of course it tipped me over the edge and my release caused him to reach his finishing point as well. We stayed like that for a few moments before he set me down back on the ground. He leaned down and put his forehead against mine, planting a kiss on my nose. I smiled up at him. "I could do that all day, every day."

"Oh, me too," he chuckled. I gave him a quick kiss before we washed off and got out.

I wrapped up in my bath robe I brought the night before and went to my room to change. I chose to wear a simple dress; black with some ruffles on the sleeves and sheer in the back. I slipped on some black booties and fixed my hair in a neat ponytail. I looked at my neck to see a large red spot forming.

Damn, Erik. A hickey!

I put some concealer on it and under my eyes. I applied a small amount of tan eyeshadow, some mascara, and light pink lip stain. After I got dressed and ready I walked out of my bedroom and down the stairs. I went out the front doors and saw Erik waiting for me next to a black SUV. He was wearing black slacks, a black sports coat, white button up shirt under the jacket, and his ray bans. His hair was fixed neatly and he lowered his glasses to get a better look at me.

The way his eyes glowed at me made my underwear wet all over again. His lips turned up on one side into a half-smile. There was a large guard holding the back door to the SUV open for us and Erik wrapped me in his arms for a kiss for everyone to see. I chuckled at him as we got in the truck.

"You look nice," he said as the car started to pull out of the drive. He put a hand on my thigh and squeezed slightly. I looked at him under my eyelashes and grabbed his hand to hold it. "You look handsome, as always."

"Oh I can't touch you now?" he joked, smiling at me. I leaned closer to him for only his ears to hear me. "You can, but not in public like that. Unless you have a privacy screen between us and those big-heads up front." He threw his head back in laughter and wrapped his arm around me. "You're something else, Mel."

We drove through the city and about another 40 minutes into the countryside to reach what we call the Highlands. That's where all of the council resides with their families. It's more formal and up-to-date compared to the castles that most kings and queens live in. The area was surrounded by metal fencing that I'm sure was electric. We pulled up to the gate and the guards told them who we were and why we were there. The gates opened and we drove through the small city up to the large building ahead where the council meetings took place. We parked in the front of the building under the awning where a guard let me and Erik out. We went through the glass doors to a receptionist area.

"King Donovan and Melody," Erik stated to the receptionist woman. She appeared human, which was shocking to me. She had short, red hair, was wearing a seafoam green satin shirt, black pants, and had a simple amount of makeup on. Her eyes were deep brown, and I thought I saw some bite marks on her neck.

Surely not?

"Right this way," she stated, walking toward a set of elevators to the left. We entered the silver elevator and went up to the eighth floor. When the doors opened the receptionist scanned a badge into the large doors in front of us and opened the door.

"You can just take a seat," she said, "The council will be in shortly." There was a large round table in the room, a bar on the right, and another desk with a set of filing cabinets behind it to the left. I took a seat in the middle, thinking that would be the best option. Erik pulled out a seat a few chairs over. "Here, they sit in certain seats around here." I sat down in the chair he had pulled out and he sat to my left. I clasped my hands together tightly, anxious to see the council again.

They came in about 3 minutes after we sat down. They all filed in, wearing normal business attire. There were a total of 10 of them, sitting at the circular table a chair away from both Erik and me. The man in the middle, who spoke the last time I faced the council, cleared his throat before he started to speak.

"Princess Melody," he said, "We wanted to bring you here to formally apologize for any grievances we brought onto you from the last visit. As King Donovan might have told you already, we have dropped the trial. King Malachi has fled from his kingdom, and is a wanted man. He is charged with capital murder, one count each for both of your parents. He is also charged with kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder for what he did to you.

"We want to extend our condolences for the loss of your parents. We understand it was 12 years ago, but we never had the chance to see the truth. With the help of King Donovan and his late father, we have indisputable evidence that King Malachi was the one behind the death of both of your parents. When he is caught, he will be punished appropriately; more than likely with the death penalty."

My breath, which was caught in my throat, finally released from my lips. Erik grabbed my hand under the table and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Thank you," I replied, holding my back straight and sitting tall, "I appreciate everything you have done for me. I know many of you knew my parents well, and you have done right by them and by our family legacy. I'm sure Malachi will come back eventually, since I'm still alive. I promise you if I encounter him I will bring him to you for further sentencing."

"We understand that you have extraordinary powers," the man continued, "And that you killed many of his men by executing that power. We do not punish you for it, because you were protecting others from danger. However, we strongly encourage you to keep these powers under control. Use them for good, and only when you absolutely have to.

"These powers date back to ancient times. They are born from the Original families that you are directly descended from. They have grown over the years and finally have shown their true nature through your blood connection with the Royal family. You must understand that not only can they help, but they can destroy."

I nodded my head as I took in all of this information. It was a lot to process; I knew that my powers were from my bloodline but I had no idea it was directly linked to the Original families, or the first vampires.

"I will use them as they are intended," I replied, "To protect myself and those who I love."

"Furthermore," the man said, "I'm not sure if you are aware, but your uncle King Jonathan has taken the throne in your parents' kingdom. We had no idea what might have happened to you 12 years ago, so he was the next in line. Since you have come forward as alive and well, the throne is technically yours. You are the queen, if that is a task you are willing to take."

My head started spinning. My uncle Jonathan was not around much, and I had no idea what had happened to my parents' kingdom when I was kidnapped. If I were to take the throne, I would have to leave Erik. He had his own kingdom to run. I didn't want to leave him, but I had no idea what kind of state my old kingdom was in.

"Can I have some time to collaborate and talk with my uncle before I give an answer?" I asked, "I'm not sure if I want to take on that responsibility or not. I'm still adjusting to normal life."

"Of course," the man answered, "There is no time frame in which you need to make your choice. Whenever you want the crown, it's there for you."

"Thank you," I replied, "And thank you again for taking the time to talk to me in person."

"You are very welcome, your Majesty," the man said. They all stood up and bowed to both Erik and me before they left. I put my forehead on the table with my arms on top of my head.

"That's great that they are offering you the proper place on the throne," Erik said, rubbing my back, "Why do you seem upset about it?"

"Because I don't want to leave you," I answered, looking up at him, "Being with you the past few months has been amazing, Erik. And I don't even know how to rule a kingdom. I mean, I don't even really remember my uncle very much. I know he was pretty nice, but I wasn't around him like my father was."

"I don't want you to leave either," Erik replied, "But, if your kingdom needs you that's where you belong." I threw my head back. "Why the hell does life have to get complicated when it starts to go so well?"

"Not sure, love," Erik said, putting a hand on my thigh, "But we will get through it. You know we always do."

"Hell," I said, getting up quickly, "Let's just go home. I'm ready to leave. This place is giving me a headache." Erik laughed as we walked out of the room. There was one of the councilmen waiting outside for us. He was short, had white hair, and white stubble on his chin. He had dark gray eyes, a lot darker than the usual grey of most vampires.

"Queen Raines?" he asked, "May I have a moment of your time?"

"Of course," I replied, looking at Erik. I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before the man and I went down the hall into another small office room.

"How can I help you?" I asked. He turned and smiled at me. "I'm not sure if you remember me, but your father and I were great friends. You may remember my son, Bart." He pulled out his cell phone and showed me a picture of a man, about my age, with jet black curly hair, bright grey eyes, and a cheeky smile. I instantly remembered him as a child; we played for hours on the playground at my old home.

"Uncle Harry," I whispered, smiling up at him with tears in my eyes. He enveloped me in a big hug, squeezing me tight. "Oh, my dear. I was so glad when I heard you were alive." I wiped my eyes and stepped out of the hug. "Yeah, crazy story I know."

"Malachi is a sick man," he said, eyes glowing, "What he did not only to you but to your parents was wrong. I hope you get to him before the council, personally."

"Me too," I said, giving a slick smile, "How have you and Barty been?" Barty was a nickname we had given him when he was little. His full name was Bartholomew, but who really wanted to say that all the time?

"We have been well," he chuckled, "When he heard you were alive he begged me to hunt you down to see him again. He has married a wonderful girl, Emory. They have a son already and his name is Canis."

"I love that name," I replied, "Sounds like he got the perfect life like he always wanted."

"It's definitely great," he said, "Or that's what Bart tells me. But enough about us, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What's that?" I asked. He looked at the door, making sure nobody was coming down the hall. He then grabbed my arm gently. "Erik's father...he wasn't the nicest man. I don't feel like he wanted information on your parents to discover the truth."

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking at him with a confused look.

"You know how you have these powers from the Royal family," he stated, "Correct?" I nodded my head.

"I think he was looking for more information from their deaths in relation to your abilities," he continued, "And I would be careful around Erik, if I were you."

"Uncle Harry," I replied, "I don't think Erik would do anything to hurt me. He has shown me nothing but kindness since he found me."

"Keep your friends close," he said, "And your enemies closer." I looked down toward the floor. Surely he wasn't being serious?

"I'll keep my wits about me," I replied, "I won't let myself get hurt."

"I believe you," he said, sighing, "I just want the best for you."

"I know," I said with a smile, "Trust me, I can take care of myself." He laughed. "Oh, I know that for a fact." He gave me one more hug and sighed. "I'm glad you're okay. Really, I am."

"It was good to see you, uncle Harry," I said, "I'll keep in touch." He pulled away and smiled. "Sounds great. And if you need anything from the council, here is my personal phone." He handed me a piece of paper.

"Thank you," I said as we walked out of the room, "I'll be calling you." I looked up and saw Erik leaning against the wall by the elevator. His frown turned into a smile when he saw me walking down the hall toward him. I took his hand in mine and smiled. "Are you ready?"

"I am," he answered, "If you are." I nodded and waved bye to Uncle Harry as we got into the elevator. We got down to the ground level and got back in the SUV that was waiting on us. Erik's phone rang and he pulled out a huge notebook as he talked on the phone about something to do with property lines. I looked out of the window and decided to wallow in my thoughts for the ride.

What is uncle Harry talking about? Surely Erik wouldn't want to hurt me. But, knowing uncle Harry, I don't think he would lie to me either.

I had no idea who to believe, but I decided to forget the conversation ever happened. I knew that Erik loved me; I could feel it in my bones.

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