Dallis (girlxgirl)

Nine

Vera's POV

"What do you mean she's escaped?" I bellowed, my canines instantly extracting from my gums and my claws extending to their sharpest point. Angry was not an emotion that could describe what I was feeling; I was beyond that point.

The eyes of the prison guard were wide with fright but she kept her head down as if to hide them. She was bloody and dirty but overall, healed at this point. "I apologized greatly, your majesty. It was all my fault and I fully accept the consequences," she stated in a confident voice, with her balled fist on her chest and her eyes pointed towards the ceiling, not daring to make eye contact with someone so powerful. If looks could kill, our eye contact would've led to her gruesome death.

Like the uncontrollable animal I was, my fingers wrapped around her neck tight, until my nails were drawing rich blood from her skin. The guard choked in my grasp, grabbing onto my hand for support but not pushing away. I snarled in her face, exposing my vicious teeth and my crazed, violet eyes.

"If my mate is troubled in any way, I will have your head," I whispered, my nails growing in length to insert themselves further into her neck, causing her to scream in agony. At that moment, the sweet smell of Dallis flooded in my nose and I was reminded of my internal goal to be a better princess. My head snapped in the direction of where my mate's scent was trailing. I dropped the guard at my feet. "I'm sorry. I am better than this."

Like the princess I was supposed to be, I wiped the blood on my fingers with my handkerchief and fixed my cape. My mother would not be proud to see me back to my old ways. "Stay here and be a better prison guard. If you see Dallis again, don't let her save anyone." I glanced down at the only other prisoner in the cell. If I knew my mate as well as I thought I did, she was planning on saving this poor prisoner but I would not allow it.

"Yes, princess," the guard choked out, her fingers rubbing her healing neck.

I moved away from the sad sight, following the scent trail that Dallis was leaving behind. After the mating bite I placed on Dallis' shoulder, I was able to track and feel her wherever she roamed. I could feel her heart beating in my chest, despite how silent my own was. It filled me with joy because for once in a long time, I felt alive again. Her emotions were tenfold more delicious and effective than before. Every time I fed on her was like getting drunk on sweet, aged wine.

Her touch sent my head spiraling and had my skin crawling with pleasure. Lastly, my body was healing faster than before, growing even. The experience made me think that possibly my body was trying to adapt to a form that could protect my mate at all costs.

Due to my wings being clipped long ago, I could never grow back the bone for my wings to return. But after the blind fully painful process, I ordered my wings to be taken to the witch doctor that lived beneath us. I trusted that she could preserve them, find a way to place them back on my body. Until now, every visit to the doctor led me to more disappointment and regret. The wings never latched on and always rejected my body, no matter how many experiments I underwent under the doctor's supervision. But now, my body was different and the witch doctor believed she knew the solution. Getting my wings back was one of my top priorities.

My first priority was capturing Dallis once more and forcing her to love me, to trust me. I had to have her to myself. She reminded me so much of Isla; even her soul was as beautiful as my first human lover's.

"You've lost another mate?" The sudden, powerful voice caused me to stop dead in my tracks. Just the sound of her voice had my skin crawling and my back straightening. I spun around to make eye contact with my mother, the Queen. "Every mate you choose seems to be out of control. Perhaps mate with a demon next time?" She took one step closer and I took one step back.