Luc POV
Restless, he prowled the castle, looking for an outlet. He'd tried fencing. Not even a good workout with his foil could ease the tension thrumming throughout his body. He tried drinking his favorite wine after the fencing. Nothing. He read papers on his desk that he should have studied last week. That put him to sleep a little, but all he could see in place of the words was his brother and the Wilberforce b*tch together.
He needed sex and blood. Preferably together. And he vowed that he was going to have both when he finally seized the human princess.
Stopping his manic prowling, he walked out onto a balcony, lit a cigar, and puffed smoke. No need to worry that the smoking habit would kill him.
As he smoked and gazed out at the centuries-old capital of Marek, he fantasized in great detail about how it would be when he finally had Ariana Wilberforce at his mercy.
He pictured her, hanging from a hook, suspended by her wrists. She'd wear the ritual teddy, like every other princess before her. She'd be freshly bathed, washed, and shaved all over. Clean and perfect.
His family wouldn't care if he chose to take her, to bury himself inside her sweet heat. In fact, it was often part of the ritual. The sex and her blood would be more potent if his brother hadn't gotten to her first.
He pictured Dimitri, tied to a chair, helpless to do more than watch as Luc plowed Ariana's pale, beautiful body, taking her in every day a man could take a woman, forcing her to perform debauched acts on him while he drained her of her blood. Things that not even the Internet would reveal. He knew them all, and had received them all. He'd given as much pleasure-pain as he'd gotten.
How magnificent it would be. With each act, with each drink of her sweet blood, she'd grow weaker, and he'd become more powerful. He could only imagine how she'd feel with her lips and then her legs wrapped around him, and of course, he wouldn't neglect her sweet little ass. He'd claim that last, facing Dimitri, looking over Ariana's shoulder and savoring every second of his brother's anguish.
Oh yes, it would be delicious. He imagined cooing to Ariana, "That's it, pet. Now you know how it feels to be taken by a real man. The pain will be exquisite as you die, but I'll remember you. It's a pity I can't keep you alive, but unlike some people in this family, I do my duty."
Dimitri would shout at him and make all kinds of self-righteous protests. The smug bastard.
If only it were possible to keep Ariana for himself. She must be good, to make Dimitri throw away his royal status and his family for her.
Maybe he should take a leaf from Dimitri's book and kidnap Ariana for himself. It wouldn't be easy, with everyone in Ampero charmed by his irresponsible little brother like always, but his brother had to let out his little pet sometime.
After all, if Irina was correct, the little human couldn't even stay where Dimitri put her, if only to save her own skin. She'd defy his brother sooner or later. Dimitri would bore such a spirit woman to death, and she'd be begging for Luc to take her.
"Please, Luc," he imagined her saying in his mind. "Take me away from this insufferable bore. I'd rather die at the hands of a real man than spend eternity with him."
A light footstep broke into his thoughts, and he whirled to see a young human servant. The same color hair and fair skin as Princess Ariana. A bit plumper, but he liked his women that way. There'd be more to feed on.
"Y-Your Highness," the woman stammered. "I didn't mean to disturb you."
Her fear smelled exquisite, but it was her lust he wanted. Approaching her, he took her face in his hands. "What is your name?"
"Bethanne, Your Highness."
"Well, Bethanne, there's no need to fear me. In fact, you're just the person I've been looking for. How considerate of you to find me."
Her big eyes widened. A bit duller than Ariana's. "You ... you've been looking for me?"
So small and light and fragile, this little human. He swept her off her feet and carried her to his bedroom. "Yes. I need a new blood servant ... and concubine. You'll do very nicely. I'll be generous with you." He nuzzled her with his long nose, and planted kisses on her with his cruel, sensual mouth. "Let me have you."
She wasn't Irina, but she'd do.
As he lay a dazed Bethanne down, Louis the traitor peeked in. "Luc ..."
"NOT NOW."
"But Luc ..."
Growling, Luc stalked towards Louis, who looked as gangly and weak as usual. "Louis, you're already hanging onto life by a thread because my parents like you, even after what you did. I don't want to be disturbed."
"But Luc ... this is important. One of the servants in the Villa Paradiso just told me that the princess, her aunt, and her uncle swore fealty to Dimitri."
"Fealty? What in the name of ... That bastard!"
Luc stomped around, and Bethanne drew her knees up, sitting motionless on his luxurious bed with the gold bedspread. She looked like a little child or an animal afraid of a storm.
"Fealty! No vampire would dare try to interfere with an oath of fealty--my parents could do it, but they're far too tradition-bound. How ironic that my rebellious brother invokes an ancient vampire custom to protect his treason. The nerve of him. So here's what we do. We get my dear brother to release the princess from her oath."
Louis steepled his hands together. "How?"
"He hates disloyalty, breaking the rules, and that's just for starters. We'll make the dear, precious princess slip up." A cruel smile stretched Luc's mouth. "Tell this servant to watch for the opportunity we'll provide. And now get the h*ll out, because this is your fault."
He locked the door behind Luc and returned to Bethanne, who looked up at him in wide-eyed terror. "Now, my dear ... where were we?"