This was her husband. The vampire. The darkness that was supposed to consume her and strangely as she gazed at him she didn't mind being taken away into whatever world he hid from this world and the hearts he cherished.
He had been unyielding, protective, and unwavering in his support for her, making it clear to everyone present that no one had the right to dictate her life or how she should be treated.
Alaric, sensing her gaze, softened his expression slightly. His eyes, once hard and cold, now looked at her with a quiet tenderness. "You're in control here, Salviana," he murmured, his voice lowering as he spoke only to her. "No one else decides how you're treated. Especially not them."
Salviana's heart swelled with warmth, a feeling she wasn't used to. Her lips parted in a soft, shy smile. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Alaric smiled back at her, his hand still resting on her back. The tension between them had melted into something more intimate, more comforting. He leaned in slightly, his closeness making her heart race. "You're welcome," he replied softly.
As they stood there, wrapped in each other's presence, Alaric realized that he had come to enjoy mornings far more than he used to. Something about having Salviana beside him made them seem brighter, warmer—despite the darkness that still clung to him, a part of his very nature. Her presence softened the sharp edges of his cold world, and he found himself unwilling to step away from it, even if just for a moment.
"I'd be leaving now," he whispered, his voice low, almost hesitant.
Salviana took a step back, her head tilted as she caught his gaze, her expression puzzled. "What, why?"
He cocked his head slightly, confused by her question. Why? What did she mean? He was used to leaving without a second thought. Yet, there was something about the way she asked that made him pause. She wanted him to stay? The idea of someone actually enjoying his company, his wife no less, made his heart stutter in a way he hadn't felt in years. The thought of her wanting him by her side stirred something deep in him.
"We haven't had breakfast yet," she said, a playful pout forming on her lips. "Don't you wish to eat with me?"
Alaric blinked, momentarily stunned. The simple request, "Eat with me," repeated in his mind like a forgotten melody, foreign yet soothing. He wasn't used to such mundane but intimate moments. His chest tightened, an unfamiliar warmth blooming there. His wife wanted his company.
"Fiery," he purred softly, a slow smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he watched her, her delicate face lighting up with a smile of her own. "Of course, I'll eat with you."
They walked hand in hand into the dining hall, an odd but comforting silence between them. The air was filled with the faint clatter of dishes being set, the scent of freshly cooked food drifting through the room. It was such an ordinary scene, yet to Alaric, it felt strangely new, as if he were partaking in something grand, something worth cherishing.
The table was set with an array of dishes, some of which Alaric had never bothered with before. He didn't eat much, certainly not out of pleasure, but he was intrigued by the way Salviana's eyes lit up at the sight of it all.
"This is so good," Salviana moaned softly, her voice filled with delight as she took a bite of a savoury dish. "Father would always ask the kitchen to make it whenever I made the house happy."
Alaric found himself wondering how she had made her family happy, but he didn't ask. Instead, he nodded, watching her with a keen interest, noting how her eyes sparkled as she chewed, how her cheeks flushed with pleasure. She was radiant, and he couldn't look away. "It looks good," he murmured, though his gaze was more on her than the food.
Salviana grinned at his words, her teeth showing as she took a bite of diced beef, her lips parting slightly as she chewed. "It tastes lovely," she said, the contentment in her voice obvious.
Alaric's gaze was unwavering as he observed her every move. The way her lips curved as she enjoyed the food, the soft flush of her cheeks—it was all… fascinating. "Humans are all carnivorous too," he mumbled absently, more to himself, thinking about how similar they were in certain ways, despite their differences.
"Some of us stick to vegetables," she pointed out with a playful grin, her hand moving gracefully as she stuffed a juicy morsel into her mouth.
Alaric's lips quirked up in amusement. "Like goats?"
Her eyes widened in shock at his comment, and the humour of it hit her so suddenly that she almost choked on the food. She coughed, her hand flying to her mouth as she wailed, "Alaric!" Red sauce spilt onto her cheeks and lips as she struggled to swallow, her laugh bubbling up even as she composed herself.
Without thinking, Alaric leaned in, his cold fingers brushing against her soft skin as he swiped the sauce from the side of her lips. The moment his skin touched hers, an unspoken charge passed between them, making his movements slow and deliberate. "I don't care if you eat like a goat or a princess," he said, his voice low, teasing. "But I want you to enjoy various delicacies... so I can live vicariously through you." His thumb hovered by her lips for a second before he dipped it gently inside her mouth, offering her the chance to clean the sauce from his hand.
Salviana blinked in stunned silence, her lips parting involuntarily as his thumb slid between them. Her cheeks flared crimson, but instead of pulling back, she closed her lips around his thumb and sucked off the sauce, her eyes lowering in a mixture of shyness and desire.
Alaric's breath caught at the sensation of her warm mouth around his thumb, a quiet thrill running through him. He hadn't expected such a simple action to affect him so profoundly, but the pleasure was immediate, electric. His pulse quickened as his gaze locked onto her lips. His shaft swelled uncomfortably, and he cursed under his breath, trying to maintain control.
'Fuck'