Page 3 of The Princess’s Pet (Soul Match #1)

3. Where Do I Sleep?

For the rest of the afternoon, I felt lighter. Maybe it was because I had a good meal in my stomach. My legs felt stronger, and nausea had left me.

I followed the Princess to two more lectures, and although a part of me hoped that she would reach out and touch me in some way, she did not.

But my flower sat at her ear, a reminder that she accepted my gift. It brought a smile to my face every time I glanced and saw it there. It made me believe that maybe my soul match wasn’t as mean as she seemed at first. Maybe we could form a bond.

We were driving back to the Royal student residence hall, and again I could feel her eyes on me. Her eyes were always on me whenever we were in private, it seemed.

“You did well today,” she told me, and I felt the praise warm in my chest.

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

She hummed in response, and soon we were pulling up outside the mansion .

I got out and opened her door, and followed her through the corridors to her rooms still guarded by a Royal guard.

As soon as the guard had closed the door heavily behind us, she grabbed my wrist, pulling me against her. Her other hand reached up and freed the flower from her hair. “A pretty little flower,” she commented, twisting it between her fingers. Then she carelessly threw it down, taking my waist in her hands. “What am I to do with you?” she asked, but I don’t think she expected an answer.

Suddenly my mouth felt dry as she pulled me closer, flush with herself.

“My little pet,” she husked, leaning down and brushing her nose against my neck. I stilled, the pain from last night was still very much there. “Scared I’ll take another bite,” she spoke against my skin. “A reasonable fear, I certainly want to.” She laughed before pulling away and pushing me down to the couch.

“But I have more control than most,” she said, standing over me. “I worry you think me soft.” She took a step towards me, leaning over and her hands bracing the back of the couch on either side of my head and blocking me in. “Do you think me soft, pet? Hmm, is that why you picked a flower for me?” she continued, her voice becoming less sweet and more menacing as she spoke. A chill ran down my spine.

“No, Ma’am,” I answered. There was certainly nothing soft about her at that moment. She leaned in closer to me, her lips so near to mine I could hardly breathe.

“I don’t believe that’s true. I think you believe that being my soul match means you’re special,” she almost hissed.

“I thought that soul matches were special,” I whispered, confused. She laughed coldly.

“Maybe if you were another pureblood; if you weren’t a filthy, weak, little mongrel, then maybe I’d have given a bond a chance,” she growled low, her black as night hair falling past her shoulders, blocking me in and holding me hostage as much as her arms. “You can be a sweet little pet, plucking flowers for me and looking up at me with those big doe eyes, but I don’t ever want you to forget your actual place.”

She paused as she brought her knees up on the couch to straddle me. A hand wrapped around my neck, as she continued to look down at me with a sneer on her lips and fangs elongated and visible, the first time I had seen them. The sight screamed danger.

“Your only real value to me is your blood. You’ll be my personal bloodbag for as long as possible, and if you’re lucky I might fuck you,” she hissed, tightening her grip on my neck. Her words sent fear through me, her glowing silver eyes indicated she was truly feeling what she spoke. Perhaps most concerning though, was how my body responded to the practically threatening comment that she might fuck me. I worried that she could sense my reaction, maybe even feel the way my core tensed at her words.

I couldn’t understand how her violence had such an effect on me. It made me feel like there was something wrong with me. And there probably was because as she told me I was nothing but a meal to her, a part of me still thought there was hope for the bond.

She smelled the air deeply, silver eyes flashing brighter. “You like that?” she asked mockingly and very deliberately ground her hips against me. I felt like I might pass out. Too much was happening.

She leaned forward, her forehead pressed against my own. “Do you want to be my little whore, Percy?” she husked, her hips grinding down again, the hand around my throat tightening and loosening. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered that she had said my name and I liked how it sounded. But all that came out of my mouth was a deep guttural moan as my hips bucked to match her movement .

She met my moan with an animalistic rumble from her chest; a growl that was more of a purr.

Glowing molten-silver eyes met my own as she pulled her head back to look at me. Her fangs were fully extended and glistening. Something about the sight of her like that on top of me and how my body continued to respond without my permission was finally too much.

The haze that descended and clouded my mind with the Princess's mere touch and presence, lifted. I wasn’t ready for where she was leading me. It was too much. Too much to be used like this by the one person who was meant to care for me more than all others. Too much for me to give away unthinking.

My hands found her hips and I tried to push her away from me with all my strength. She noticed as she stopped her movements, still holding my gaze. Her eyes seemed to roam my face before she asked, her voice low and purr steady, “What’s the matter, pet?”

“Stop. This is too much. I don’t want this,” I spoke, finding my voice. She cocked her head to the side almost confused, it seemed. Her eyes were glowing so brightly I knew I was speaking to her vampire instincts and I worried that like her bloodlust, there would be no stopping her now.

“But you smell heavenly,” she replied, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, tongue swiping out and over her fangs and lips.

“I can’t control that,” I whispered in response. Embarrassment from my bodily reaction, and the fact that the scent of my arousal permeated the air caused me to blush heavily. “But I don’t want this. It’s too much. I don’t want this. Please stop,” I continued in a whisper.

She held my gaze for a few long minutes, her purr slowly fading, but her eyes never dulling .

Quicker than I could comprehend, she was off me and across the room. Her glowing eyes were still on me and I felt like prey caught in the sight of a predator scared to make the slightest movement. Her chest was heaving before it suddenly stopped. There was a strain on her face and she finally looked away from me.

“You need to shower. Now!” she commanded, her voice low and angry.

I scurried quickly, almost falling in my haste, from the couch to the bathroom and locked the door behind me, not that it could keep her out.

In the privacy of the bathroom, my emotions crashed upon me. It was childish to believe in fairy tales, I knew, but a part of me had always dreamed of finding my soul match. Someone who, in their own unique way, would be perfect for me. To form a bond, any type of bond, that strong with another soul had to be special. Who wouldn’t want the fiercest of friendship or truest of love?

The soul match was meant to promise that it was possible if only each individual within the pair wanted it. But the Princess seemed to want nothing from me other than what my body could provide. The reality that fairy tales were only fantasy hit me hard. I was thankful for the spray from the shower hitting my face, aware I was crying, but the water washed my tears away before I had a chance to feel them.

After I had showered, I built up the courage to cautiously open the bathroom door, wearing nothing but a towel and enter the room.

“Ma’am?” I called out when she wasn’t there waiting for me as I had expected.

“There is a clean set of clothes in the bedroom,” she spoke and I followed her voice to the far side of the room. One large window was open, letting in a cool spring night breeze and the Princess was practically hanging out of it.

I entered the bedroom and found grey sweatpants, a matching t-shirt, and undergarments laid out neatly. The window in the bedroom was open too. It dawned on me that she was airing out my scent, probably to control herself.

When I stepped out of the bedroom to the living area, I heard the shower running in the bathroom. I spotted there was a bowl of fruit on the small table in the kitchen corner, and a glass of water. I sat down and began to eat the fruit and drink the water. The room was becoming chilly from the open window, so I stood to close it. When I turned around, I jumped in fright. The Princess stood close to me, similarly dressed as I was. Her eyes still glowed brightly.

“Maybe that wasn’t a smart idea,” she spoke softly, watching me with an intensity that made me nervous.

“It, it was chilly,” I said in explanation.

“I could heat you up,” she replied, taking a step closer and filling the small space that was between us. Her hand cupped my face and she leaned down, pressing her nose against the top of my head and inhaling deeply.

“I’m good now,” I whispered back. She hummed in response and slowly pulled away from me, her glowing eyes finding mine. Whatever she found there made her growl low at me before she abruptly turned and walked off to the couch, sitting down.

“Here,” she commanded after a couple of minutes of me simply standing and watching the Princess as she seemed to concentrate on her breathing, deep and slow.

I approached and sat down next to her after she had looked up at me with a severe gaze and back down at the spot next to her. Her arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me in closer, her nose at the side of my head breathing in my scent .

“Your scent is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced,” she mumbled into my hair. “It drives my instincts wild, but it also soothes that part of me that wants to consume you entirely.” I didn’t know why she was explaining it to me. Maybe she was explaining her actions to herself. “And I don’t want to lose you yet.” She breathed in deeper, her hand holding my side tightened.

“If, if my scent soothes you, why did you open all the windows?” I couldn’t stop the curious thought falling from my lips the moment it entered my head. She laughed against me.

“Your arousal is quite potent. It speaks to my instincts and creates an urge to consume in an entirely different fashion. You indicated that you didn’t want to participate, if I didn’t dispel the scent, I wouldn’t have been able to control myself much longer. Your scent, minus arousal is pleasing and it calms my instinct to consume as it reminds me that I own you,” she answered, still pressing her nose against my head, her breath ghosting over the shell of my ear and creating a pleasant shiver down my neck. “Careful, pet,” she warned humming against me. I was shocked for a moment that she could detect such a minor reaction from me.

I didn’t notice how much time had passed sitting with the Princess, simply inhaling my scent, but my eyelids had grown heavy, and I was beginning to yawn. She didn’t speak as she lifted her nose from my head and pushed her free arm under my legs before standing up and carrying me easily. “What are you doing?” I asked, surprised by the sudden movement, but sleepiness was heavy in my voice and my eyes struggled to stay open.

“Taking you to bed,” she answered, and I saw that her eyes no longer glowed that supernaturally bright way that purebloods did when feeling extremes. Simple liquid silver met my gaze. I didn’t panic as she carried me through to the bedroom, and managed to hold me secure while pulling back the bed covers before laying me down in the most comfortable bed. Her bed felt like floating on a cloud. And there was no fear when I felt the bed dip slightly behind me and warm arms pull my back into a soft front, nor when a nose grazed the side of my neck.