NIGHTS OF HALLOW

”Why did you bake for me, Perdita?” The intensity of his darkened gaze on her, the swirl of emotion in his dark glacial red eyes, and his daunting aura that always softened when she was near him broke the last resolve of Perdita whose gaze faltered.

”I—I wanted to appreciate your kindness towards me,” Perdita murmured, avoiding looking at him as heat rushed up her face every second that passed between them.

A few seconds passed after Perdita’s reply which Sthena didn’t respond to. Perplexed, she looked towards his direction to find him staring at her with the same intense gaze as before.

”Do you bake for everyone you want to thank?” Came Sthena’s question, his eyes slightly narrowed on her.

Perdita, trying to appear unfazed maintained eye contact with him. This sly pureblooded vampire. She glared at him in her mind.

”No, I don’t.” Perdita replied and before Sthena could speak, she quickly interjected, ”But you are different. You have always looked out for me, right from Woodbridge Village till now. Always have been there for me and my brother even when I was annoying and stubborn, you helped me. I decided to bake because it is you that I am baking for.”

Sthena exhaled, relaxing into the couch with a disappointed look on his face. He remarked, ”I will enjoy your thank you buns then.”

Perdita frowned. Her brows furrowed in slight annoyance and question towards Sthena’s reaction. Curious she asked, ”You don’t seem to be happy? Did I do anything wrong?”

”Yes,” Sthena answered in between biting into the buns while relishing the sweetness in his tongue.

The frown on Perdita’s face deepened not understanding how she must have offended him. ”May I know what I did?” She couldn’t remember offending him. Was it wrong to have baked the buns for him? She questioned herself confused.

”Come here and I’ll tell you what,” Sthena beckoned on her with his hand, his smoldering gaze back on her.

Perdita hesitated, trying to figure out what she did and why he was asking her to come. But she knew Sthena, he wouldn’t tell her if she didn’t walk to him.

She stood up, walking to stand near him where he sat with hands by her side waiting for him to speak.

”Sit,” Came Sthena’s next instruction which she obeyed without complaint. She watched as he continued to eat the buns, and she couldn’t deny she liked watching him eat what she made. Suddenly, Sthena brought the remaining bun to her mouth, ”Have a bite. You’ve been watching me. Do not think of refusing, Perdita.” He added with a warning tone knowing she was about to refuse.

”You haven’t told me what I did wrong and now you are coercing me to eat,” She murmured, having no choice but to bite into the bun from his hand.

”Good girl,” Sthena praised as he went ahead to eat from the same place where Perdita bit from.

On seeing this, Perdita’s face became more flushed than before, and before she could recover from it, she saw Sthena lean towards her and without a word, licked the crumb of bun stuck on the side of her lips with his tongue.

”It’s not good to waste food,” Sthena casually said as though nothing happened. ”Now, where was I?”

Instinctively, Perdita’s hand reached for the side of her lips where Sthena’s tongue had touched, her eyes wide like saucers, and the mortification of what he had done caused her heart to beat faster than usual.

Sthena turned to look at the Lady beside him, ”What has got you looking like a burning coal? Don’t you want to know what you did, hm?”

Perdita blinked in disbelief, unable to utter a word. Did he lick the side of her lips and behave like nothing happened?

”....?”

”Why did you do that?” She asked after regaining herself from the shameless display of the pureblooded vampire.

Sthena’s brows rose in question, ”Did what? Have you forgotten you are the one you had done something?” He swiftly countered her question with his.

”Why did you lick m—my...” The embarrassment from earlier couldn’t let Perdita finish her words and say lips. She hastily stood from where she sat saying, ”Forget it. You need not tell me.” She knew he would say something more embarrassing.

About to leave, Perdita felt herself sway and before she knew what was happening, Sthena drew her to him, gracefully sitting her on his lap.

A gasp escaped Perdita’s lips, her eyes wide from the sudden movement. ”What are you doing?!”

”Shssh,” Sthena placed a finger on her lips to quieten her. When she made to talk, Sthena remarked, ”A word from you and it wouldn’t just be my tongue on the side of your lips but deep into your mouth.” And this was enough to make Perdita swallow the remaining word she wanted to say.

Now she was trapped in the arms of her predator. His smoldering dark red eyes and the words that left his sinful lips fully held her captive under his gaze.

”Now,” Sthena began, holding her close, his hand curled around her waist while the other found its way to her hair to loosen the ribbon used to hold her hair in place. ”Do you wish to know what you have done or do you want to know why I licked you?”

Brutal. Was the word that came to Perdita’s mind at the words of Sthena and the way he phrased it.

”You are not saying anything,” Sthena murmured and at the same time bit one of Perdita’s earlobes to have her let out a gasp. ”You moan that way again and I wouldn’t determine what will happen next.” Sthena unabashedly remarked staring at her.

”I—I didn’t,” Perdita hastily spoke trying to find the right words to Sthena’s assault that was sinful yet she didn’t want him to stop.

”You didn’t do what? Didn’t answer my question or didn’t moan?” Sthena quizzed, soothing the bite with another lick that caused the woman in his arms to shudder.

Sthena moved back to stare at Perdita in his arms, her face flushed, her green eyes dilated yet shining in measured delight. Sthena’s lips curved into a mischievous smile yet his eyes darkened as he watched every reaction from Perdita. He whispered into her ear, ”Your silence tells me you want another bite. This time however my darling, I wouldn’t guarantee it would just be your ear I will bite.”

Perdita felt muddled. The ability to form any sentence had long since departed from her. What was she to say? Of course, she didn’t want him to stop but at the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to say such words. She didn’t have the courage to.

”I want to know the answer to both your questions,” She finally said, her eyes daring not to look at Sthena’s.

”Too bad you finally replied. I was just about to mark your neck now with my lips,” Came Sthena’s disappointed voice that immediately got Perdita to turn to look at him.

Without permission, he weaved his fingers into her hair, slowly and deliberately rubbing on her scalp and then weaving his fingers down the length of her hair.

”Firstly, I told you it wasn’t good to waste food, and what other way to remove the crumb from your lips if not by licking them off and into my mouth?”

”Also,” He continued to speak, ”Here I was thinking you were going to tell me the reason why you baked for me was that you have fallen for me, only coming to realize it was all in my head.” He exhaled as he finished speaking, his hold on Perdita loosening.

”Now, My darling, you know the answer to your questions.”

”I—I,” Perdita stuttered trying to find the right words. How was she to tell him that he had stolen her heart time after time and each time, she kept falling for him?

Which words were she to say that would convey the reason why she baked was that she was happy he mentioned coming to see her tonight? She didn’t know how and that was the reason why she had tried expressing it through baking but had also gone ahead to spew another thing.

”It’s late already, Perdita. You need to—”

Overwhelmed by the emotions that came flooding without control and waiting for Sthena to finish what he was saying, Perdita held Sthena’s chin, her eyes fluttering close. Leaning in towards him, her lips kissed the side of Sthena’s lips, the same place which he had licked hers.