m_jelly

The brilliant, warm southern sun filtered through the drapes of Erwin's grand guest room. The gentle sound of the ocean waves crashing against the cliffs below provided a perfect lullaby to the heavy, peaceful stillness of the morning.

Seeing you tangled in the sheets under the morning light made Levi's heart completely melt.

The two of you had shared the most perfect day yesterday, baking an abundance of delicious, blood-infused treats together in the kitchen, before he had carried you up to this very room and made slow, deeply passionate love to you all night long. Now, as the blankets pooled around your waist, your naked frame was absolutely covered in the beautiful marks of his eternal devotion. The intricate, winding vines across your skin gleamed a brilliant, pristine starlight-silver, while the gorgeous flowers blooming over your full chest and hips flushed a deep, vibrant imperialcrimson, pulsing a lazy, contented rhythm.

Unable to resist your pull for even a second longer, Levi leaned over your sleeping form, his soft raven hair brushing against your cheek as he began peppering your skin with soft, adoring morning kisses. A tender smile rested on his handsome face as he heard you let out a low, sleepy hum in response to his touch.

Shifting smoothly, Levi slipped his powerful, bare arms around your waist and pulled you backwards, anchoring your soft, curvy back flush against his rigid, muscular chest. He buried his face into the crook of your neck, his lips tracing a path along your collarbone up to your jawline, while his large hand slid down your front to trace lazy, soothing patterns over your pelvis.

You let out a soft, breathless moan at his touch, your head turning back against his shoulder as your eyes slowly blinked open. The heavy bond between your souls flared, and you purred a little against his skin. "Kitty..." you murmured sleepily.

"Morning, my beautiful star," Levi rumbled, his morning voice deep, gravelly, and dripping with an overwhelming affection. His hand slid upward just a fraction, his fingers lightly brushing the soft underside of your full breasts, watching the crimson flowers on your chest swell with your breathing. "You look absolutely delicious in this light."

You let out a soft, giggling hum as you leaned back into his embrace. "You always think that, Levi."

His chest rumbled against your back as his adoring purr intensified. "Because it's the absolute truth. I do."

Wanting to dissolve the last remnants of sleep and feeling a wicked, confident wave of desire wash over you, you reached down. You caught Levi's large hand where it rested on your pelvis, your fingers intertwining with his. With a slow, deliberate movement, you pushed his hand further down, guiding his fingers past your hip and straight between your thighs, giving him your absolute permission to touch you exactly how he wanted.

Levi’s breath hitched completely, a low, guttural growl escaping the back of his throat as you guided his hand between your thighs. Feel the heavy, electric pulse of your bond flaring to life, his silver-blue eyes instantly darkened with a feral, lovesick intensity.

"You are so perfect for me," he rasped against your ear, his voice rough and completely undone by your invitation.

With agonising slowness, Levi moved his large hand over yours, his long fingers filtering through your own as the two of you moved your hands together. The friction was instant and intense, a wave of pure pleasure crashing through you that made your hips arch off the sheets. You let out a loud, breathless moan, your head rolling back onto his shoulder as the starlight-silver vines and imperial crimson flowers across your chest and thighs began to pulse with a brilliant, glowing heat.

"Yes, exactly like that, my star," Levi praised you. He pressed his lips hard against your neck, inhaling the sweet scent of your skin. "Look at how beautifully you bloom for me. You are the most magnificent creature in this entire world."

As your breath hitched and your body began to tremble, Levi smoothly took over. He kept his thumb pressing firmly over your own fingers, maintaining that delicious, grinding friction on your clit, while his middle and index fingers slid seamlessly inside your slick warmth.

A loud, needy whimper escaped your lips at the sudden, thick fullness. Your hands gripped his arms for anchor as he began to stroke inside you, his pace slow, deliberate.

"Ah... you are so tight, so sweet," Levi groaned against your jaw. He stroked deeper, his fingers catching on your sweet spot with every thrust while his thumb kept your clit highly stimulated. "You take me so incredibly well, little star, such a good girl for your husband. Tell me you love it. Let me hear how good it feels to be stretched out by me."

"Levi... please," you cried out, your vision blurring with pleasure as your inner muscles clamped down tightly around his fingers.

"I've got you, love. Don't hold back," he murmured fiercely, his praise turning into a breathless, worshipful mantra as he picked up the pace, completely consuming you in the quiet sanctuary of the morning light. "Come for me. Give me your sweet release, my beautiful queen."

The deliberate, grinding friction of your hands together, combined with the deep, possessive stretch of his fingers inside you, pushed you right over the edge. Your vision blurred, your back arched off the sheets, and your entire body shuddered as a violent, spectacular orgasm ripped through you. Your inner muscles clamped down around his fingers in tight, desperate waves of pure pleasure.

The exact moment your release hit, Levi let out a dark, feral growl. His fangs fully extended, and he buried them deep into the crook of your neck, biting down to drink from you.

A sharp, euphoric gasp left your lips. Because of your bonded connection, his bite didn't hurt; instead, it sent a rush of blinding, addictive pleasure straight to your core, making your climax hit twice as hard. Your starlight-silver markings and imperial crimson flowers literally blazed with light across your skin. To Levi, your blood tasted absolutely incredible when you were at the height of your pleasure, sweeter, hotter, and completely intoxicating, like a rare, celestial wine meant only for him. He drank deeply, his throat bobbing as he enjoyed your beautifully undone reaction, completely drunk on your essence.

When he finally pulled his fangs back, his lips were slick with a drop of your blood, his silver-blue eyes burning a lovesick crimson. He didn't give you a single second to recover.

Shifting his weight, Levi aggressively pinned your thighs back. Without a shred of hesitation, he lined himself up and pushed his thick, hardened cock straight into your tight, slick warmth in one deep, unyielding thrust.

"Ah! Levi!" you cried out, your hands instantly flying to his hands as the sudden, breathtaking fullness stretched you completely wide open.

"God, you feel so good," Levi groaned roughly, his chest heaving as he buried himself all the way to the hilt. He leaned down, his face entirely flushed with a lovesick madness. Reaching down, he took your hand and guided your fingers straight back down to your throbbing clit. "Touch yourself for me, little star. Let me watch you touch your clit while I stretch you out."

With his hand firmly guiding yours to maintain a wicked, relentless rhythm on your sweet spot, Levi began to thrust into you. His movements were heavy, deep, and possessively slow. At the same time, his other hand reached up, his long, bare fingers gripping and squeezing your full breast through the tangled southern silks, watching the crimson flowers on your chest swell against his palm.

"Look at you... taking all of me so easily right after your release," Levi praised you fiercely as he picked up the pace, his hips slamming against your curves. "Such a beautiful, greedy girl for your husband. You take me so incredibly well, love. Tell me how it feels. Let me hear you say my name while I claim every single inch of you."

"You feel... so incredible, Levi," you whimpered out, your voice trembling with pure pleasure as your fingers worked against your clit under his steady guidance. You forced your eyes open, looking back into his lovesick, crimson-tinted gaze with absolute certainty. "I love you so much... always... only you, Kitten."

Hearing your breathless confession while he was buried deep inside you sent a violent jolt of pure ecstasy straight to Levi's heart. His chest rumbled with a fierce, possessive purr, and the praise pouring from his lips turned completely worshipful. "I love you more, my queen. My star. You are my entire soul."

With a low groan, Levi shifted his weight, keeping his thick length securely embedded inside your slick warmth. He moulded his rigid, muscular front directly against your soft, curvy back, taking you from behind in a deeply intimate cuddle-fucking position.

You tilted your head back, your neck baring the fresh, healing mark of his fangs. Levi leaned down, catching your lips in a deep, bruising, and desperately passionate kiss. You kissed him back, your tongues tangling as the sheer heat of your mating bond consumed the room.

The moment your lips parted, Levi’s hands gripped your hips. With his incredible vampire strength, he effortlessly lifted and tilted your pelvis, angling your body just right so he could get in even deeper.

Once he found the perfect, devastating angle, Levi began to drive his hips hard and fast.

Smack. Smack.

The heavy, pace sound of his hips slamming against your thighs echoed through the grand guest room. Every single thrust was unyielding and deep against your cervix, making your entire body shake. Your starlight-silver markings flashed with a brilliant, blinding light, and the crimson flowers across your breasts and hips pulsed.

"Ah! Levi! Levi!" you screamed out, your fingers digging desperately into the sheets as his hard, fast pace completely shattered your ability to think.

"I've got you... I'm right here, love," Levi panted heavily against your ear, his bare hands digging possessively into your hips, leaving faint, bruising marks of his grip as he drove himself into you over and over again. He was completely lost in the tight, melting heat of your body, claiming every single inch of you until there was no space left between your souls.

The frantic, heavy friction of his hips slamming against your curves at that perfect angle quickly pushed you over the edge once more. Your inner muscles seized, clamping down around his thick length in desperate waves as a spectacular, toe-curling orgasm ripped through your entire body.

"Ah! Levi!" you cried out, your voice cracking with pure pleasure.

Levi let out a growl, completely intoxicated by the way your slick, melting walls fluttered and squeezed frantically around him. He leaned down, capturing your lips in a bruising, deeply passionate kiss to catch your screams before sliding his mouth down to bite the sensitive skin of your shoulder, drinking in the sweet, euphoric rush of your blood.

He relished your reaction for only a moment before his possessive hunger took over completely. Wanting to feel you from an even deeper angle, Levi effortlessly rolled you onto your stomach.

Your full chest, stomach, and whole front were pressed flat against the soft bed, putting you completely in prone position. Before you could even gasp for air, Levi pinned his heavy, muscular frame directly on top of you. His large, bare hands reached around your sides, gripping and squeezing your waist and the sides of your breasts with a fierce, bruising intensity that made the crimson flowers on your skin pulse beautifully.

Without giving you a single second to recover from your climax, Levi lined himself up and drove his hardened cock all the way back inside you from behind.

"Oh god, Levi!" you whimpered, your fingers clutching the pillows as the breathtaking depth of the thrust stretched you completely wide open.

"You are so magnificent, little star," Levi rasped, as he began to ruthlessly ravage you. He drove his hips forward in hard, deep, and relentlessly passionate thrusts. "Look at how perfectly you take all of me in prone. Such a good, greedy girl for your husband."

He leaned down completely, burying his face in the nape of your neck. His fangs extended, and he began biting you over and over, drinking just a little bit of your delicious, sweet blood with every deep thrust. The combination of his rhythmic, heavy pacing and the addictive euphoria of his bite completely shattered your senses. Your starlight-silver markings blazed like a galaxy against the sheets, and the crimson flowers across your back and thighs glowed with a blinding light.

Levi praised you through every single deep stroke, completely consuming your mind and body until you were entirely lost in the depths of his eternal devotion.

Levi completely lost himself in the tight, melting heat of your body, relentlessly driving into you with heavy thrusts. The combination of his deep, passionate pacing and the sharp, addictive euphoria of his fangs occasionally nipping at your neck reduced you to a completely undone, mumbling mess beneath him.

Your head was buried sideways in the pillows, a tiny thread of drool escaping your parted lips as soft, incoherent whimpers left your throat. Your fingers clutched and tore at the sheets, your vision blurred with pleasure as you got completely lost in the sheer, overwhelming tide of his devotion.

"That's it, my star... just give yourself to me," Levi rasped, his gravelly morning voice thick with an obsessive, worshipful heat. He kept his heavy frame pinned tightly over your back, his bare hands gripping the soft curve of your waist, leaving dark, possessive marks against your skin. "You are doing so well for me. Look at how beautifully you're taking me. You are my perfect, greedy little queen."

Driven by a sudden, primal instinct to feel even more of him, your body acted on its own. Lost in the haze of your impending release, you arched your spine and firmly pushed your plush hips backwards, driving his thick length all the way to the absolute hilt inside you.

“F-fuck…” Levi groaned out, a sharp hiss escaping his teeth as your sudden movement sent a violent jolt of pure ecstasy straight to his core.

The unexpected depth of the strike made your starlight-silver vines and imperial crimson flowers flare with a blinding, iridescent light across your entire back and thighs.

"Ah... yes, just like that," Levi praised you fiercely, his heart hammering wildly against your back as your bold actions drove his arousal into a dangerous, feral territory. He caught your jaw from behind, tilting your head back just enough to press a kiss to your lips. "Push back against me again, love. Let me feel exactly how much you want your husband."

Driven entirely by the lovesick haze consuming your mind, you did exactly as your Count asked. You deliberately arched your spine and pushed your plush hips backwards again and again, rocking your body in perfect, desperate synchronisation with his heavy, relentless thrusts.

You moaned in absolute delight, your voice echoing off the grand walls of the guest suite as you began to praise him right back. "Levi... ah! You feel so incredibly good... you're so big, so thick inside me... it stretches me so perfectly. You are the only one for me. You're so perfect for us, Kitten."

Levi let out a trembling gasp at your breathless praise, his hips slamming against your curves with a newfound, desperate urgency.

"Give me everything, Levi!" you suddenly demanded, your fingers ripping into the sheets as a wave of intoxicating confidence washed over you. "Don't hold back! I want all of you!"

"God, you are magnificent," Levi panted heavily against your ear. "You want everything from your husband? I'll give you every single drop of my soul, little star. Such a brave, greedy girl."

Feeling the bond vibrating through your starlight-silver and imperial crimson markings, your confidence flared into a beautiful, possessive fire. You tilted your head back, looking at him with blown-out, glassy eyes. "You are mine, Levi. All mine. Fuck your love into me... fill me up completely!"

"Yes, my queen... I am all yours," Levi groaned out, his eyes burning a dangerous, territorial crimson as your demands completely broke the last of his restraint. He leaned down, biting the nape of your neck in a fierce, binding nip as he drove himself into you all the way to the hilt. "I'll fuck my love so deep into your body that you'll never forget who owns you. I'm going to claim every single inch of you."

You let out a broken, high-pitched whimper, your hips frantically meeting his hard, fast pacing. "You better... You better drown my pussy in more of your cum, Kitten... you already put so many loads in me last night... fill me up again..."

Levi let out a dark, deep chuckle that rumbled against your back, his thrusts turning punishingly deep and possessive as he pushed your body to its absolute limits.

"Oh, I absolutely will, love," Levi rasped, a wicked, lovesick smirk pressing against your skin as he picked up the pace. "I'm going to drown you in it until you're completely overflowing. But we aren't stopping there, little star. You've still got a long way to go, because you haven't cum nearly enough for me this morning. I'm going to make you scream my name until you're completely spent."

The relentless, deep friction of his thick length completely ramming against you pushed you right over the precipice once more. With a desperate, high-pitched cry, you pushed your body firmly backwards against him, your inner muscles clamping down around him in tight spasms as a powerful, toe-curling orgasm ripped through you. You panted heavily, mewling in delight at the blinding pleasure he was giving you, your whole body trembling beneath his weight.

Levi let out a growl, entirely undone by the tight, fluttering squeeze of your release.

Needing a new angle to completely claim you, Levi kneeled up, his chest heaving as he smoothly pulled his slick cock out of you. Before you could even catch your breath, his powerful hands gripped your waist and effortlessly rolled you onto your back.

Levi grabbed your thick, plush legs, pushing them all the way up toward your chest and holding your thighs firmly against your body. The position left you completely wide open, exposing every inch of your voluptuous curves and the spectacular swell of your full chest.

With one heavy thrust, Levi plunged his hardened length right back inside you, burying himself all the way to the hilt.

"Ah! Levi!" you screamed out, your eyes flying wide as the sudden, intense depth of the stretch made your starlight-silver markings and imperial crimson flowers flare with a blinding light.

Levi immediately began to drive into you hard and fast, his hips slamming rhythmically against you in a relentless, punishing pace. He locked his intense, lovesick silver-blue eyes onto you, completely transfixed as he watched your tired, beautifully undone body bounce and jiggle under his heavy touch. Your full breasts and thick thighs shifted with every powerful stroke, an intoxicating reminder of just how perfectly your curvy frame was made for him.

"Look at you," Levi mumbled with an overwhelming, possessive adoration as he picked up the pace, his chest heaving. "Look at how beautifully you shake for me, my star. I'm going to fill you so deep you won't even be able to stand."

You were completely melting under him, entirely helpless to the overwhelming tide of pleasure he was drowning you in. Your bones felt like liquid, your head rolling back against the pillows as you stared up at him with glazed, adoring eyes.

Levi took his time, leaning over you to completely explore your body. His calloused hands ran up your thighs, over your soft hips, and squeezed your waist, mapping out every single line of your beautiful curves. His gaze was worshipful, filled with an intense devotion as he admired the stunning contrast of the shimmering starlight-silver vines and the glowing imperial crimson flowers pulsing across your skin.

"You are so perfect for me, little star," Levi praised you, as he kissed his way down your jaw to your collarbone. "Every single inch of you was made exactly for me. I love you so much. You're my queen, my whole world."

He leaned down further, capturing your mouth in a deep, passionate kiss as he continued to take you. Levi kept your legs pushed high, his powerful hips driving forward in relentless, heavy plunges that slid all the way in and out of your slick, swollen pussy.

With every hard, fast thrust he made, your full breasts bounced beautifully under his gaze. Levi’s silver-blue eyes darkened to a fierce, possessive crimson as he watched your body, completely transfixed by the sight and sound of him claiming you.

"Ah... look at how beautifully you take all of me," Levi groaned against your lips, his chest heaving as he picked up the pace. "So tight, so wet... You are so good for your husband, love. Let me feel you squeeze me again."

You were completely melting under him, helpless to the overwhelming tide of pleasure he was drowning you in. Your bones felt like liquid, your head rolling back against the pillows as you stared up at him with glazed, adoring eyes.

"You are so perfect for me, little star," Levi mumbled as he kissed his way down your jaw to your collarbone. "Every single inch of you was made exactly for me. I love you so much. You're my queen, my whole world."

You reached up with trembling hands, your fingers tangling into his soft raven hair as you cupped his handsome, flushed face. Looking up into his intense gaze with blown-out, glassy eyes, you whimpered softly. "Levi... come closer... come here to me."

The vulnerability in your voice shattered what little restraint he had left. Levi released your legs, letting them flop heavily back onto the mattress, and dropped his powerful frame directly over yours. He leaned up on his forearms, framing your head as he pressed the full weight of his rigid, muscular chest flush against your soft, curvy front.

Locking his fierce eyes onto yours, he began to grind his hips against you in deep, agonisingly slow circles.

“God... ah...” Levi let out a loud, shuddering moan of pure delight, his head dropping for a second to press against your temple as the friction of his thick length rubbing against your swollen walls completely overwhelmed him. His chest rumbled with a purr that vibrated straight into your heart. "You feel so incredible, little star. So warm, so perfectly tight..."

He raised his head again, his gaze burning into yours as his grinding turned more frantic, heavy, and urgent. The vines and flowers across your skin were blinding now.

"Are you ready for me, love?" Levi rasped, his voice dropping into a deep, gravelly rumble as his hips hit a breaking point. "Are you ready for your husband's seed? Tell me you're ready for me to fill you up."

"Yes...Yes, Levi," you cried out, your hips arching up to meet his desperate grinding, your fingers digging into his broad shoulders. "Give it to me... I need it, I crave it... fill me up!"

With a dark growl, Levi drove himself all the way to the hilt, burying his thick length as deep as physically possible inside your slick warmth, pinning your hips flat against the bed.

Then, he broke.

A violent orgasm ripped through his body, and Levi began to cum inside you in massive, thick, and powerful pumps. The sheer volume of his hot, heavy seed flooding your core sent a wave of blinding, euphoric heat straight to your brain, making you completely dizzy with pleasure. Your vision swam with stars, your head rolling back into the pillows as your inner muscles clamped down frantically around him, milking every single thick pump.

The overwhelming sensation pushed you right over the edge alongside him. You let out a broken, high-pitched scream, your body shuddering violently as you cum hard, your tight walls fluttering around him while he filled you to absolute overflowing.

Levi panted against your lips, his chest heaving as he held himself deep inside you, completely drowning his beautiful, perfect queen in the sticky, warm evidence of his eternal love.

Levi lay on top of you for several minutes, his breathing ragged. He buried his face in your hair, a deep, rumbling purr vibrating through his chest as he slowly pulled his softened length out of your slick warmth with a wet, heavy slide.

"God, my star..." Levi rasped, his voice deep and thick. He kissed your jaw, his thumb gently wiping a stray tear of pleasure from your cheek. "I could do this all day. I want to do this all day. I never want to leave this bed."

You let out a soft laugh, your body feeling like liquid against the sheets. Your starlight-silver markings and crimson flowers were still faintly glowing, pulsing in a lazy, exhausted light.

"I would too, Levi..." you murmured sleepily, your eyes struggling to stay open as the room tilted just a fraction. You raised a weak hand to your forehead. "But... I'm feeling a little light-headed, Kitten."

The lingering lust vanished from Levi’s face, replaced by panic. His eyes widened, and he sat up over you, his hands hovering over your shoulders as his protective instincts flared.

"Light-headed?" Levi repeated, his voice cracking as his eyes darted straight to the fresh, red marks on your neck where his fangs had pierced your skin earlier. "Damn it... did I drink too much from you? Did I lose control because you tasted so sweet? Little star, look at me—"

"No, no, Levi, it's not the blood," you cut him off softly, giving him a reassuring, tired smile as you reached up to squeeze his hand. "It's just... we've been active since last night, and I haven't had any water yet, or anything to eat. I'm just empty."

His immediate fear of accidentally hurting you subsided, Levi went straight into caregiver mode. "Still. I should have been paying closer attention."

Without wasting another second, Levi threw the sheets aside and stood up from the bed. He grabbed a massive blanket from the armchair, wrapping your soft body up in it securely like a precious cocoon. Wrapping his powerful arms around you, he lifted you effortlessly into his chest.

"Luna!" Levi barked loudly toward the door.

Almost instantly, the bedroom door opened, and Luna stepped in with a respectful bow, having been waiting in the corridor with the morning reports. "Yes, Count Ackerman?"

"Bring water. Immediately. And have the kitchens prepare a full spread of fresh fruit, pastries, and roasted meats, whatever my wife wants, bring it all up right now," Levi commanded sharply, his eyes fiercely protective as he cradled you against his chest. "She's light-headed. Move."

"Right away, My Lord," Luna replied instantly, recognising the tone in her master's voice. She turned on her heel and hurried down the grand corridor to execute his orders.

Levi didn't wait. He turned and carried you straight into the grand guest bathroom, a massive room lined with cool, white southern marble and a deep, sunken stone tub. He set you down gently on a chaise lounge for just a moment while he turned the brass fixtures, filling the massive tub with cool, refreshing water to help soothe your overheated skin and calm the lingering, intense ache of your markings.

Once the bath was ready, Levi carefully unwrapped you from the blanket. He lifted you back into his arms and lowered your curvy frame into the cool, crystal-clear water.

A blissful sigh escaped your lips as the cool water hit your skin, instantly relaxing your tired muscles and soothing the vibrant, pulsing flowers on your chest and hips.

Right on cue, the heavy double doors of the bathroom opened. Luna hurried in, followed by two kitchen maids carrying a large, low wooden table. They set the table right alongside the edge of the tub, quickly filling it with plates of sliced melons, fresh berries, warm southern breads, and a tall, sweating crystal pitcher of ice-cold water.

Luna poured a large goblet of water and handed it directly to you with a warm, reassuring smile. "Drink slowly, Mistress. It will help right away."

"Thank you, Luna," you panted softly, taking a long, desperate sip of the cold water. The hydration hits your system instantly, clearing the fog from your mind and bringing a healthy colour back to your cheeks.

With another respectful bow, Luna and the maids slipped out of the bathroom, closing the heavy doors to give you privacy.

Levi knelt on the cool marble floor right beside the tub. His intense eyes were locked onto your face, tracking every rise and fall of your chest as his large, bare hand reached into the water. His fingers gently rubbed your thigh, his touch incredibly tender, entirely transformed from the feral beast he had been just moments ago.

"Better?" Levi murmured softly as he reached over to pick up a plump, ripe strawberry from the table, holding it carefully to your lips. "Eat this for me, little star. Let your husband take care of you."

You let out a soft, blissful sigh, chewing the sweet strawberry from his fingers as the cool water continued to soothe your aching thighs and pulsing markings. The hydration and sugar hit your system, making the slight dizziness fade away into a comfortable, warm afterglow.

Reaching out of the water, you cupped his cheek, leaving a wet pat on his skin as you smiled softly. "Much better, Kitten. Thank you." You leaned forward just enough to press a sweet, lingering kiss to his lips. "I love you so much. You always take such good care of me."

Levi’s intense expression softened, his chest rumbling with a contented purr at your touch. He leaned his face into your palm, his eyes dark with that endless, worshipful devotion. "I love you more, my star. My only job in this world is to keep you safe and satisfied."

He glanced over at the lavish spread Luna had brought up, his brow furrowing slightly as he noticed your eyes wandering past the fresh fruit and sliced meats.

"Is there anything else you want, love?" Levi asked softly, brushing a damp strand of hair behind your ear. "Anything at all. Tell me what your body is craving, and I'll have the kitchens make it."

You bit your lip, a playful, shy smile gracing your lips as a very specific southern craving hit you. "Actually... I don't think the kitchen can make what I want. I'm really craving those little fried doughnut balls soaked in the local honey. The ones we saw in the market yesterday? They looked so warm and sticky."

Levi’s eyes lit up with recognition. A rare, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Loukoumades," Levi murmured, using the local southern name for the sweet, golden pastries. He stood up from the marble floors. "Say no more. I know exactly which stall in the lower district makes the best ones in the entire city. They fry them fresh and drench them in that wild starlight-honey."

You blinked up at him in surprise as he began changing into clothes. "You're going to order the servants to fetch them?"

"No," Levi rumbled possessively, reaching over to grab his cravat from the counter. "I'm going out right now to get them for you myself. The kitchen staff will take too long, and they won't know the specific vendor I'm thinking of. You stay right here, keep eating, and relax in the bath."

He leaned down over the edge of the tub, catching your lips in one more deep, firm kiss that tasted faintly of strawberries and his lingering arousal.

"I'll be back before your water gets cold, little star," Levi whispered against your mouth, his thumb stroking your cheek one last time. "Don't move a muscle."

With that, your fiercely protective Count turned on his heel and marched out of the grand bathroom, determined to hunt down the perfect sweet treats for his hungry queen.

The bright, midday sun of the southern capital beat down on the bustling stone markets, but Levi barely noticed the heat. As he walked through the crowded stalls, his mind was consumed by you. A sudden, strange flutter erupted inside his chest, making his pacing hitch.

A craving for sweets. Light-headedness. Exhaustion.

A sudden, sharp realisation hit him like a physical blow. In the vampire realms, such sudden, intense cravings in a blooming vessel often meant only one thing: pregnancy. Levi’s heart began to beat against his ribs. He racked his brain, a wave of anxiety washing over him. Had you been on top of your daily contraceptive herbal drink lately? He knew you tried to be, but with all the chaos of travelling to Erwin’s estate, he had completely forgotten to remind you some nights. He’d forgotten some nights to be on top of his drink as well. The thought of a tiny life, a perfect blend of your starlight-silver soul and his own dark blood, growing inside your voluptuous frame made his inner beast roar with a fiercely possessive protectiveness.

Determined to get you your treats immediately, he navigated the market toward the specific vendor, completely focused on his mission, until a sharp, familiar scent cut through the aroma of fried dough and honey.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to grace the common quarters with his presence."

Levi stopped dead in his tracks. Stepping out from the shade of a silk merchant's canopy was Elara. Her eyes gleamed with a wicked, calculating light as she stepped directly into his path, her hips swaying beneath her fine robes. She leaned in close, attempting to brush her fingers against the lapel of his shirt in an effortless flirt. "You look absolutely delicious today, Count Ackerman. Did you miss me?"

Levi didn’t even flinch. He coldly stepped back, knocking her hand away with a sharp flick of his wrist. "Step aside, Elara. I am in no mood for your games."

Elara let out a mocking laugh, but her eyes narrowed as she scanned him up and down. "Oh, you won't play? Pity. Though I must admit... you’ve never looked better, Levi. Truly. Your skin is radiant, your presence is suffocating. You are feeding a lot, aren't you?"

Levi kept his jaw clenched, his silver-blue eyes icy.

Elara took a slow step around him, her voice dropping into a fake sympathetic purr. "Just be careful, Levi. You need to remember that she isn't an immortal elf. She is a human blooming vessel. That means she is incredibly fragile. You're using her for her body and her blood, draining her dry just like you used to do with me."

A dark, dangerous growl ripped from Levi's throat, the air around them dropping several degrees. "I never used you, Elara. If you felt that way during our time together, then I am sorry. But do not ever compare her to you. I love my wife more than life itself. I would kill the entire world for her. I am not using her."

Elara’s smirk only widened, delighted that she had struck a nerve. She crossed her arms, tilting her head as she pointed a sharp finger at him. "Oh, really? Aren't you using her? Then look at yourself, Count."

She gestured grandly to the blazing sun above them.

"You've been draining her so thoroughly that you are practically overflowing with her celestial magic. Look at you! You are standing in the dead of the afternoon sun without your dark glasses, without an umbrella, without your gloves, or any of your usual coverings. Her starlight blood has made you completely immune to the sun. You are thriving while she is locked away, weak and exhausted. You're a parasite to her, Levi."

Levi froze, his breath catching in his throat.

He slowly looked down at his bare hands, then up at the bright, blinding sky. She was right. Usually, the midday sun would make him weak, and his eyes would ache, forcing him to cover every inch of his flesh. But right now, he felt perfectly warm, completely energised, and invulnerable. It was all because of your blood. It was because he had drunk so deeply from you during your passionate lovemaking.

A heavy, suffocating cloud of guilt suddenly settled over his heart. Am I hurting her? Am I draining her too much just to satisfy my own selfish hunger?

Elara watched the conflict flicker across his handsome face, a deeply satisfied, wicked smile curling her lips. She didn't actually care about your safety; she was saying all of this purely to mess with Levi’s head, to plant seeds of doubt and fracture the confidence of the terrifying Count. And as Levi stood frozen in the middle of the crowded market, his mind spinning with guilt, her toxic words began to take root.

Levi forced himself to shake off Elara’s toxic words just long enough to finish his task. He bought the golden, honey-soaked loukoumades from the vendor, the warm sweets smelling perfectly of the local starlight-honey you craved, and hurried straight back to Erwin’s grand palace.

But the lightness in his step was completely gone, replaced by a heavy, suffocating anxiety.

When he returned to the guest wing, he didn't enter the bathroom to feed you himself. Instead, he stopped Luna in the corridor, thrusting the warm package into her hands. "Give these to my wife," he muttered, his voice unusually tight and completely stripped of its usual morning warmth. "Make sure she eats every single one and drinks all her water."

Luna blinked in surprise, looking at the package and then up at her master's tense face. "My Lord? Aren't you going to join her?"

"I have work to do with Erwin," Levi rumbled coldly, turning on his heel before she could question him further.

He marched through the palace corridors until he reached Erwin’s private study, slamming the heavy doors shut behind him. Erwin sat at his grand desk, reviewing trade documents, but he immediately looked up, his sharp blue eyes narrowing at the dark, chaotic aura rolling off his oldest friend.

"Levi?" Erwin asked, setting his pen down. "What's happened? You look as though you've caught a ghost."

Levi paced the length of the room, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. He didn't explain. He simply stopped, glaring at Erwin with a desperate vulnerability. "Erwin. Tell me the truth. How have I been treating her? Since we arrived... since the bonding. Have I been pushing her too far? Have I been too reckless with her body?"

Erwin blinked, confused by the sudden interrogation. He leaned back in his chair, studying Levi's tense frame. "No, Levi. Not at all. From what I’ve observed, you are a man deeply in love, and she is entirely devoted to you. There isn't much to be concerned about. Why are you asking me this?"

Levi ran a stressed hand through his raven hair, his breathing tight. "I'm talking about the feeding, Erwin. The lovemaking. All of it. I am an immortal beast, and she is a fragile human vessel. What if my hunger is blinding me to her limits? What if I am draining her dry just to satisfy my own selfish desires?"

Erwin's expression softened into one of understanding, realising the heavy burden of guilt his friend was carrying. "Has she ever brought this up to you? Has she complained, or asked you to stop?"

"No," Levi admitted, his jaw tightening as he remembered the morning. "But... this morning, right after we made love, she grew lightheaded. She told me she couldn't keep going, that she needed water and couldn't even stand."

Erwin tilted his head, his calm, logical demeanour a stark contrast to Levi's panic. "And what did you do when she told you that?"

"I stopped," Levi snapped defensively. "I wrapped her up immediately. I called Luna, I got her food, and I carried her straight to a cool bath to rest. I did everything she needed."

Erwin let out a soft sigh, a gentle, reassuring smile touching his lips. "Then I don't see an issue here, Levi. You must trust her, and you must listen to her. If she tells you she is satisfied, believe her. If she tells you she needs to stop, you stop, which you did. Communication is the foundation of any bond, immortal or otherwise." Erwin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk as his sharp eyes locked onto Levi. "So, tell me... where is this sudden doubt coming from? Why have you brought this up now?"

Levi leaned heavily against Erwin’s grand bookshelf, his shoulders slumping under the crushing weight of his own thoughts. He chose to keep Elara’s toxic name out of his mouth; he didn't want to give that bitter woman any space in his mind, nor did he want Erwin to know she was slinking around the lower market districts.

"I'm just terrified, Erwin," Levi admitted, his voice dropping to a ragged whisper as he stared down at his hands. "I am standing in the dead of the afternoon sun today without my gloves, without my glasses, without an umbrella. Her starlight blood is keeping me invulnerable. I am thriving, bursting with power... while she is locked away in a guest wing, too weak to even stand. How can I not look at myself and see a parasite? What if my beast is slowly destroying the only thing I have ever truly loved?"

Erwin listened, letting his oldest friend pour out the dark shadows haunting his soul. As the voice of reason, Erwin waited until Levi’s frantic pacing finally stopped before he spoke.

"Levi, you are assuming how she feels based on your own fear," Erwin said gently but firmly. "You are looking at her exhaustion as a sign of harm, rather than a natural result of a passionate morning between a husband and a wife. There is nothing worse in a marriage than a misunderstanding built on a lack of communication."

Erwin stood up, walking over to place a heavy, grounding hand on Levi’s shoulder. "Go back to her. Sit down, look into her eyes, and simply talk to her about it all. Do not hide your fears, and do not assume her limits for her. Ask her. She is your wife, Levi. She knows her own body, and she knows your heart."

Levi stared at Erwin for a long moment, the logic finally cutting through the thick fog of his guilt. He swallowed hard and nodded. "You're right. I need to communicate with her. I need to hear it from her."

With a final, tense nod, Levi turned and hurried back to the guest wing. But when he opened the heavy double doors to your bedroom, the sheets were stripped, the bath was empty, and you were nowhere to be found. A sudden spike of anxiety hit his chest. He quickly flagged down a passing palace page, demanding to know where you were.

"The Mistress is in the lower terrace garden, Count Ackerman," the page replied quickly. "The one overlooking the sea."

Levi immediately marched down the grand marble staircases and out into the sweeping coastal air. As he stepped onto the stone terrace, the sound of crashing waves echoed below, and the scent of wild sea salt mingled with the blooming jasmine.

And then, he saw you.

You were sitting on a bed of blankets, looking absolutely breathtaking in a flowing, draped southern dress that clung beautifully to your thick thighs and full curves, making you look like an absolute Greek goddess brought to life. Luna was sitting just behind you, carefully weaving bright crimson flowers and starlight-silver lilies into your hair. You let out a beautiful laugh at something Luna said, the sound carrying over the ocean breeze.

Levi stopped dead in his tracks, his heart swelling with a painful amount of love. But as the breeze caught the fabric of your dress, it shifted just enough to expose the fresh, dark red bite marks and possessive bruises he had left on the crook of your neck and shoulder this morning.

The sight hit him like a physical blow. The deep sense of guilt rushed right back into his veins, making him feel entirely unworthy of the pure, radiant light you exuded.

As if sensing his intense gaze, you paused mid-laugh and turned your head. Your adoring eyes immediately locked onto his handsome frame, and your face lit up with a brilliant smile.

"Levi!" you called out happily, raising a hand to beckon him closer. "Come here, Kitten! Look what Luna did with my hair."

But instead of stepping into your light, Levi instinctively took a slow, hesitant step backwards, his jaw tight and his eyes filled with conflicted sorrow.

Your smile softened into a look of sweet confusion. You tilted your head, watching your fiercely protective husband look so suddenly vulnerable. "Levi? What's wrong? Why is my handsome kitty looking so scared of me?"

Seeing his hesitation, you slowly stood up from the bed of blankets, the draped fabric of your goddess-like dress rippling elegantly around your thick thighs. You turned your head slightly, giving Luna a gentle nod. "Luna, please give us the garden. Head back inside."

"Of course, Mistress," Luna murmured softly, bowing gracefully before slipping away into the palace, leaving the two of you completely alone with the crashing waves.

You stood there, holding a tense, silent stare-off with your husband. Levi stood frozen under the bright midday sun, his broad shoulders unusually stiff, his eyes filled with a heavy, tortured darkness as he stared at you.

"What's wrong, Levi?" you asked again, your voice soft but carrying a firm demand for the truth.

Levi’s gaze finally dropped from your eyes, tracing down the low, draped neckline of your dress. The fabric shifted in the coastal breeze, exposing not just the fresh marks on your neck, but the deep, dark red bites scattered across the swell of your full breasts and the faint, possessive bruises his large fingers had left on your soft waist this morning.

A ragged, self-loathing gasp escaped his lips. “I’m an animal…” he muttered, his voice cracking as he ran a trembling hand through his raven hair.

Before you could even speak, the dam broke. Driven by Erwin's advice and the suffocating guilt eating at his chest, Levi completely opened up to you. His words tumbled out in a desperate rush; he told you how terrified he was of his own feral hunger, how he hated seeing you light-headed and weak while his own body thrived so intensely under the sun without any exhaustion. He confessed his deepest nightmare: that his yandere beast was slowly destroying the very person he loved more than life itself, turning him into a parasite feeding off your celestial light.

You stood perfectly still, listening to every single confession without interrupting him once. You watched the terrifying, legendary Count Ackerman reduce himself to a vulnerable, lovesick mess before you, his heart completely laid bare.

When he finally finished, the silence of the garden was only broken by the distant ocean waves.

"Levi," you spoke softly, a beautiful, knowing smile slowly gracing your lips. "I understand that you're scared. But you need to listen to me very carefully."

You took a slow, deliberate step forward.

"I adore you. Every single part of you. I want you to bite me, Levi. I crave it just as much as you do," you said. "Because I am incredibly, ruthlessly possessive of you. You are my husband, and your fangs belong to me. You have to bite me, and only me. You have to love me, and only me. You can never, ever give a single drop of your devotion to anyone else."

Levi’s breath hitched, his eyes widening as your words hit his yandere instincts like gasoline on a roaring fire. The dark, possessive beast inside him purred violently, absolutely loving the sweet, intoxicating poison of your words.

You took another step, closing the distance until the heat of your voluptuous body was practically radiating against his rigid chest. You looked up into his face, your eyes burning with a dangerous, beautiful fire that mirrored his own obsessive nature.

"You can never leave me, Count Ackerman," you whispered fiercely, your fingers reaching up to grip the lapels of his shirt, pulling him down just an inch. "And if you ever dare to bite another woman... if you ever let your fangs touch anyone else's skin, do you know what I'll do?"

Levi was completely transfixed, his chest heaving as he stared down at his gorgeous, terrifying queen.

"I will personally rip those beautiful fangs right out of your mouth," you promised him, your voice dripping with a sweet, lethal confidence. "I'll string them onto a chain and wear them as a necklace against my skin. Then, I will chain your beautiful, muscular body up, put a heavy collar around your neck, and keep you locked away inside our bedroom forever. So that only I can see you. Only I can touch you. And only I can love you for the rest of eternity."

Levi let out a sharp, ragged groan, completely undone by your magnificent, territorial speech. The last remnants of his guilt vanished, entirely swallowed by the sheer, overwhelming euphoria of your shared madness. He didn't see a fragile human vessel anymore; he saw his match. His twin flame. A goddess who was just as beautifully, dangerously obsessed with him as he was with her.

Levi was completely overwhelmed with an intoxicating wave of pure happiness. The heavy, suffocating dark cloud of guilt that had been crushing his chest vanished instantly, replaced by a roaring fire. His eternal love, his beautiful, starlight-silver queen, was just as ruthlessly possessive and dangerously obsessed as he was. Hearing you threaten to pull his fangs out, collar him, and chain him to your bed forever didn't scare him; it made his yandere beast purr so loudly it vibrated through his entire chest.

"Do you really dare to think about leaving me?" you questioned him, your fingers tightening in the fabric of his shirt as you glared up at him. "Do you really think you can just stop touching me?"

"No... never, my star," Levi gasped out, his voice rough and strained as he fought the urge to wrap his arms around your soft waist and crush you against his body. He looked down at you, his eyes swimming with a desperate, worshipful heat. "But... I wanted to hold back. Just a little. Because you are fragile compared to me, love. Your body is human, and I don't ever want to be the reason you break."

Your eyes narrowed, a spark of irritation crossing your face. "Who told you that? Who said that I am fragile?"

Levi swallowed hard, the sheer authority in your voice making him completely transparent. "Elara," he confessed softly, his jaw tightening at the memory. He laid it all bare, telling you everything she had whispered to him in the lower market. "I ran into her. She pointed out how I'm thriving in the afternoon sun without my glasses or coverings because of your blood... while you were left light-headed in bed. She said I was a parasite, using your body and draining you dry just like a common vessel."

Hearing that bitter elven woman's name come out of his mouth sent a sudden, explosive rush of possessive jealousy straight through your veins. Your vines and flowers flared with a brilliant, blinding light across your skin.

"Elara?" you hissed. "You ran into your ex, and you chose to believe her poison over me? Over your wife?"

Levi’s eyes widened in panic. "No, star, I didn't—"

You didn't give him a chance to answer or defend himself. With a fierce, dominant growl, you tightly gripped his shirt collars with both hands and violently jerked his heavy, muscular frame down to your level. You tilted your head and slammed your mouth against the smooth skin of his neck, sinking your teeth into him hard.

You bit down with everything you had, deliberately breaking his thick vampire skin until the sharp metallic taste of his dark, potent blood flooded your mouth.

“Ahhh… God, m-my star…” Levi let out a loud, shuddering moan of pure pleasure. His knees buckled slightly, his powerful hands coming up to grip your hips for support as the shocking, intoxicating sensation of you biting him completely shattered his mind. A vampire being claimed and bitten by their human mate was the ultimate, rarest submission, and it drove his beast into a state of ecstatic ruin.

You pulled back slightly, your lips stained a beautiful crimson with his blood, looking every bit the fierce goddess who owned him.

"You listen to me, Levi," you whispered darkly. "You belong to me. Your body, your blood, and your mind are mine. Do you understand?"

Levi was a completely undone, panting mess beneath your hands. His eyes were blown out, wide and glassy with a lovesick madness as he stared at you in submission.

"Yes... " Yes, my queen," Levi rasped, his chest heaving as he nodded, completely drunk on the pleasure of your bite. He leaned his forehead against yours, his voice trembling with total devotion. "I will never listen to her poison again. I don't care what she says. I don't care what anyone says. I will listen to you, and only you. You are my master, my wife, my everything. Do whatever you want with my body. Drain me, claim me... I am completely yours."

Leaning up, you captured his lips in a bruising, deeply passionate kiss. The sharp, metallic taste of his dark vampire blood still lingering in your mouth mixed instantly with his own, an intimate cocktail of your bonded souls. The kiss was wet, messy, and desperate, so intense that a few stray drops of the crimson mixture escaped your locked lips, running slowly down the sides of your mouths in a line.

Levi let out a muffled, trembling groan into your mouth, his large hands gripping your soft hips so tightly he was practically moulding your curvy frame to his.

When you finally pulled back, a thin, glistening thread connected your lips. You didn't let him catch his breath. Reaching down with a confident smirk, your fingers hooked firmly around the leather of his belt. With a possessive tug, you began to back up, luring him away from the stone railing and toward the shaded, private sitting area of the terrace garden.

Levi’s breath hitched, his eyes darkening to an almost black crimson as he let himself be led, helpless to your pull. A low rumble vibrated in his chest. "You know... It's dangerous to pull a man by his belt like that, little star. Especially a hungry one."

You gave the leather another sharp tug, looking back at him with the fierce, melting gaze of a goddess who knew her power. "You're our good kitty, Levi. You'll behave yourself, and if you do, you'll get a reward."

The words wound him up completely. His muscles locked, his chest heaving as his yandere instincts practically short-circuited under your playful, dominant commands. He was a terrifying, lethal warlord to the rest of the world, but under your touch, he was tamed, completely desperate to please his queen.

Reaching the bed of blankets, you sat down gracefully. You looked up at him, patting your lap. "Sit."

Levi didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second. He dropped to his knees first, then allowed you to guide his heavy, muscular frame onto you. You pulled him flat against your front, wrapping your arms around his broad shoulders and holding him tightly against your full chest, anchoring him to your warmth.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he buried his face into the crook of your neck, his nose brushing right against the deep bite marks you had just left there.

Slowly, you tangled your fingers into his soft, raven hair, gently petting his head in long, soothing strokes. You leaned down, kissing the top of his head as his body finally began to relax against your soft curves.

"That's it," you murmured softly, a smile warming your face as you looked out over the crashing sea. "We need to spoil our kitty a lot more. You've been carrying too many worries in that stubborn head of yours."

Levi let out a purr deep in his chest as your fingers massaged his scalp, the tension in his shoulders finally melting away against your soft front. He kept his face buried in the crook of your neck, utterly drunk on your scent and your touch.

"I don't need spoiling at all, little star," Levi murmured, his voice muffled against your skin, sounding safe in your embrace. "You do it more than enough just by existing. Just by letting me stay by your side."

He shifted slightly, his strong arms wrapping around your soft waist to pull your voluptuous curves even closer against him, as if trying to merge his entire being with yours. "I am a monster who belongs in the dark, and you treat me like a king. You've already given me everything I could ever want."

You let out a chuckle; the vibration rumbled pleasantly against his chest. Your fingers gently tangled in his hair, giving a playful, firm little tug that made his breath hitch.

"Well, I want to do it more," you countered softly. You leaned down, pressing a warm, lingering kiss to his temple, your starlight-silver and crimson markings glowing in a lazy, content pulse. "You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, Levi. You worry about my safety, you worry about my health, and you protect me from every shadow. If I want to spoil my handsome husband until he's completely rotten, you are just going to have to sit here and take it."

Levi’s chest heaved with a heavy, deeply emotional sigh. He raised his head slightly, his fierce eyes looking up at you with such an intense, lovesick worship that it was almost suffocating. He didn't say another word, completely defeated by your boundless love, and eager to let his beautiful queen rule over him forever.

You reached up with both hands, gently cupping his handsome, flushed face. Your thumbs traced his high cheekbones as you looked down at him with adoring eyes.

"You are so damn pretty, Levi," you murmured, your heart swelling with so much love it almost ached.

Before he could even process the praise, you leaned in and began kissing his face all over. You pressed soft, lingering kisses to his eyelids, his cheeks, the bridge of his nose, and the sharp line of his jaw. Levi let out a contented hum of pure happiness, his eyes closing as he completely melted under the sweet, overwhelming barrage of your affection.

Wanting to get even closer, you shifted your weight. With a smooth movement, you rolled over and pulled him down with you onto the bedding Luna had spread out over the soft green grass of the terrace. You settled your frame directly on top of him, pinning his heavy, muscular body beneath yours as the cool coastal breeze rustled the jasmine flowers around you.

You caressed his cheek, your fingers tracing down to his chest. "You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen, Kitten. Not just your face, but your heart. The way you love me, the way you protect me... You are absolutely perfect."

Levi's chest heaved, his eyes burning up at you with an intense, lovesick worship.

Slowly, your fingers drifted to his mouth. With a playful, possessive tilt of your head, you gently pushed his top lip up, exposing the sharp, deadly points of his vampire fangs, gleaming in the sunlight. You stared at them, completely transfixed by the very things that had marked your skin so thoroughly this morning.

"Look at these," you whispered softly, your thumb tracing the edge of his lip. "They are so incredibly beautiful. My perfect, dangerous husband."

Lean closer, your warm breath fanning across his lips. You flicked your tongue out, slowly and deliberately licking up the length of his left fang, then the right, tasting the lingering trace of your shared blood.

“Ah... god, my star...” Levi let out a sharp, ragged moan, his entire body jerking beneath yours. His large hands instantly flew to your waist, his fingers digging possessively into your soft hips as his head rolled back against the bedding. Because a vampire's fangs were laced with sensitive nerve endings meant for the mating bond, the wet, sliding friction of your tongue sent a violent, electric shock of pure pleasure straight down his spine, leaving him completely breathless and shivering underneath you.

You pulled your tongue back from his highly sensitive fangs, looking down at his dazed, panting face. Your full lips turned into a firm, possessive pout. Without warning, you brought one hand up, gripping both of his sharp cheekbones with your fingers and squeezing his face together, making his lips puff out slightly.

"I'm still a little mad at you, Levi," you murmured, your adoring eyes narrowing with jealousy. "For actually standing there and listening to Elara's toxic mouth. For letting her spend a single second in your presence today and thinking her words mattered more than mine."

Levi couldn't even try to look intimidating with his cheeks squished in your palm, but his eyes swam with an instant wave of regret. He tried to speak through his pinched lips. "Star... I—"

"How do I make sure you never forget?" you cut him off, your voice dropping into a sweet, dangerous whisper as you leaned down so close your lips practically brushed his. "How do we make absolutely sure that your beautiful, muscular body remembers that you are completely mine, and I am yours? Forever."

The dominance in your tone, paired with the heavy, tantalising weight of your curves pressing down against his chest and thighs, had Levi's heart hammering frantically against his ribs. He was trapped beneath you on the grass, a willing captive to his beautiful, intoxicating goddess, desperately waiting to see exactly how you were going to punish and claim your good kitty next.

You slowly released his cheeks, letting your hands slide down his jaw before relaxing your forearms flat against his broad, solid chest. A beautiful, wicked little smile graced your lips as you looked down at him, your full breasts pressing firmly against him with every breath you took.

"Maybe the best way," you purred softly, "is to have you pinned exactly like this under me all day long. You don't get to move, you don't get to leave, and you have to look at me and only me."

Levi’s breath caught in his throat. His eyes locked onto yours. He lay perfectly still on the bedding, the green grass rustling softly beneath him, but his chest was heaving under your arms.

A low, deep growl rumbled up from his throat, a sound of surrender.

"If that is my punishment, my queen... then keep me chained here forever," Levi rasped, his large hands coming up to rest flat against your soft, curvy hips, holding you securely over him but making no move to shift you. "I don't want to look at anything else. The rest of the world doesn't exist to me anyway. There is only you."

The crisp breeze of the southern coast carried the lively chatter of the busy docks, where the gentle waves of the ocean rolled softly against the shore. The port town was bursting with life, a vibrant spot where humans and elegant elves worked and mingled under the sunlight.

For Count Levi Ackerman, however, it was a test of absolute patience.

Stepping out of the luxurious carriage, Levi huffed, his brow furrowing beneath his dark sunglasses. He adjusted his leather gloves and popped open a large black sun umbrella, casting himself in a protective layer of shade. There was entirely too much sun, far too much noise, and the sheer volume of people crowding the bustling docks was already grating on his nerves.

But just as a scowl began to form on his lips, a voice like soothing silk drifted from the carriage cabin.

"Oh, wow! Levi, look at this place! It's the ocean!"

Hearing your joy instantly shattered Levi's irritation. He turned his head, his eyes softening completely behind his dark lenses as he watched you lean out of the carriage. You looked radiant in your lightweight summer dress, wearing the wide-brimmed sun hat he had fiercely insisted you wear to protect your delicate skin. Levi fell in love with you all over again right then and there. You were his shining star, completely illuminating the dreary world around him. Beneath the thin fabric of your dress, the brilliant Blossoming Vessel markings caught the sunlight, pulsing with a faint, silvery-flower glow, a gorgeous testament to the many days and nights of deep, passionate lovemaking you had shared since sealing your bond.

Consumed by your beauty and unable to resist your pull for even a second longer, Levi closed the distance between you. Dropping his umbrella, shocking his butler and causing your maid, Luna, to gasp in surprise, Levi reached up, wrapped his powerful hands around your curvy waist, and effortlessly hoisted you out of the carriage.

You let out a delightful laugh, your hands catching his broad shoulders as he lowered you down into his arms. Right there, in full view of the passing sailors, merchants, and noble travellers, Levi leaned in and kissed you deeply. He didn't care about decorum or the eyes of the public; his yandere-tinted instincts demanded that he claim his beautiful wife the moment she stepped onto new soil.

"Kitten?" you giggled.

Levi focused on your face, his dark aura melting away. "Mmm?"

"Can you put me down?" you teased softly, gesturing to the floor. "And you need your umbrella so you can stay big and strong."

He reluctantly placed your feet back on the ground, though his hands lingered possessively on your hips. "I don't want to let you go. Not in a crowd like this."

You picked up his fallen umbrella, holding it high above his raven hair. "I know, my darling kitten, but I worry about your health in this heat."

"I have a massive amount of your sweet blood humming in my veins, little star," Levi murmured, his gloved hand rising to tenderly caress your cheek. "I am strong because of you. The sun means nothing compared to what you give me."

Leaning up on your tiptoes, you pressed another sweet kiss against his lips, whispering playfully against his mouth, "I wanna eat you." Before he could respond to that deliciously teasing invitation, you giggled and walked over to where your maid was waiting with the luggage. "Luna! Let's make sure we find something incredibly tasty to eat right after Duke Erwin arrives!"

Luna giggled, bowing her head warmly. "Yes, Countess. I hear the seafood in the southern territories is unparalleled."

Before your conversation could continue, the rhythmic thud of hooves drew the attention of the crowd. Pushing through the bustling streets on a magnificent steed came Duke Erwin Smith. Dressed in light, flowing elven silks perfectly suited for the warm southern climate, the Duke looked absolutely godly. Born to a pure-blood vampire father and an elven mother who possessed the rare Blooming Vessel markings, Erwin inherited the finest traits of both worlds, including the slightly pointed ears that gave him an ethereal, aristocratic edge. He was a man of terrifying intelligence and possessed an iron, yet beloved, grip on the southern lands. He was also one of the very few people Levi genuinely considered a true friend.

Erwin smoothly slipped off his horse, handing the reins to a waiting attendant. He approached your small group, a bright, charming smile breaking across his handsome features as he bowed deeply to you.

"What an absolute honour it is to finally meet my dear friend's legendary wife," Erwin said, his deep, resonant voice carrying the smooth grace of his elven heritage.

You giggled softly as Erwin gently took your hand, lifting it with practised nobility to press a respectful, lingering kiss against your knuckles. "Charmed to meet you, Duke," you replied.

"Erwin, please," he corrected smoothly, his blue eyes crinkling with warmth as he looked down at you. "Titles make things entirely too stuffy down here in the south."

Before the Duke could even straighten his posture, a cold, oppressive shadow suddenly fell over the interaction. Levi stepped forward, grabbing your wrist and pulling you firmly behind his broad shoulders, completely breaking Erwin's hold on your hand. His eyes flashed with a dangerous, territorial glint.

"That's my wife's hand, Erwin," Levi rumbled.

Erwin didn't flinch. Instead, he raised his hands in a calm, amused gesture, a knowing smile playing on his lips as he looked at his possessive friend. "I am merely offering a proper southern welcome, Levi. I know the two of you are bonded for life; your scents are entirely intertwined. Don't worry, I have no intention of stealing your wife."

Erwin chuckled warmly at Levi’s display of territorial aggression, his brilliant blue eyes dancing with an amused spark. With a graceful sweep of his arm, the half-elf Duke gestured toward a path that wound away from the chaotic docks and led upward along a breathtaking coastal cliffside.

"Come," Erwin said smoothly, his flowing elven silks catching the sea breeze. "My carriage can bring your luggage, but the walk to the estate is short, and the views of the sapphire bay are truly unparalleled. I believe the Countess would thoroughly enjoy the fresh air after such a long journey."

"I would love a walk!" you chirped happily, stepping out from behind Levi's shoulder and offering your husband a sweet, pleading look. "Please, Kitten? Just a short walk?"

Levi let out a heavy, defeated sigh, his jaw clenching as he adjusted his dark sunglasses. He couldn't say no to you, especially not when you called him that secret, adoring nickname in front of his oldest friend. "Fine," he grumbled. "But you stay right next to me."

As the three of you began the trek up the stone pathway, Erwin immediately began to live up to his reputation as a charming host and a shameless instigator. Walking on your open side, just close enough to keep the conversation intimate, the Duke tilted his handsome head toward you, a bright smile on his face.

"You know, Countess, the southern coast is famous for its exotic flora," Erwin noted, pointing toward a cluster of vibrant, glowing orange lilies growing along the rock face. "Those are Sun-Drop Lilies. They only bloom in places touching the ocean. Their petals are actually used by elven bakers to create a syrup that tastes like pure starlight honey. Given your legendary talent in the kitchen, I imagine you could make something truly transcendent with them."

Your eyes went wide with excitement. "Oh, really? Starlight honey? I would absolutely love to try baking with those!"

Before you could even finish your sentence, a grip suddenly locked around your waist.

Levi stepped in closer, his powerful arm wrapping so tightly around your waist that your hips were pulled against his broad thigh. He yanked you away from the cliffside edge. His gloved hand spread wide over your hip, his fingers digging possessively into your summer dress as he forced you to walk in lockstep with him.

"She doesn't need southern weeds to bake," Levi hissed, his eyes glaring absolute daggers at the Duke through his dark lenses. "My wife makes the finest pastries in the entire empire using traditional ingredients. Keep your elven flowers to yourself, Smith."

Erwin didn't seem bothered by the lethal aura rolling off the Count. In fact, his smile only widened, his slightly pointed ears twitching with hidden delight. "Of course, Levi. I merely thought the Countess might appreciate the local culture. For instance..." Erwin leaned in just a fraction closer, his deep voice carrying a playful undertone. "...just over that ridge is the Whispering Cove. Legend says that if a couple visits the shore at sunset, the ocean magic will grant them eternal passion. Though looking at the breathtaking tint of your wife's Vessel markings, it seems you two don't need any help in the passion department. You've been keeping her quite busy, haven't you, Levi?"

You choked on your breath. You tried to turn your head to hide your blushing cheeks beneath your sun hat, but Levi’s grip on your waist only tightened to a near-bruising level of possessive desperation.

A low purr rumbled deep inside Levi's chest, vibrating right through your own body.

"One more word about my wife's markings, Erwin," Levi growled, his fangs visibly lengthening behind his lips as his possessive beast threatened to tear through his civilised mask, "and I will show you exactly how unyielding Ackerman passion can be by throwing you off this cliff."

Erwin raised his hands in a mocking surrender, his eyes crinkling with absolute triumph. He had successfully rattled the untouchable Count Ackerman. "My apologies, my friend. Look, we have arrived."

As you rounded the final bend of the cliff, the Duke's grand coastal estate finally came into view. It was a magnificent structure carved directly into the white stone cliffs, blending elegant elven arches with grand, sweeping vampire architecture. Massive terraces overlooked the crashing waves below, and the entire property was surrounded by lush, tropical gardens.

It was absolutely stunning, but as you glanced up at your husband, you noticed his jaw was completely locked, his chest heaving as he kept his arm entirely glued to your waist. Levi was completely on edge, his overprotective instincts screaming under the southern sun, and you just knew this trip was going to be filled with some seriously delicious drama.

Feeling the tension in Levi’s muscular frame, you gently slid your hand up to press against his broad chest. You rubbed soft, soothing circles over his heart, your starlight-silver markings pulsing a warm, grounding rhythm.

"Relax, my love," you whispered softly. "Erwin is just teasing you. He would never go near me like that, and you know it." You leaned up on your tiptoes, pressing a few sweet, lingering kisses against his sharp jawline and his pale cheek. "Be nice, Kitten."

Turning your head slightly, you playfully narrowed your eyes at the half-elf Duke. "Erwin, you too. Stop riling him up."

Erwin raised his hands in an elegant, defensive gesture, his brilliant blue eyes crinkling with a charming, apologetic smile. "Forgive me, my friends. I simply couldn't resist. Can you truly blame me, though? You haven't come to visit me, your dearest friend, in over a year, Levi. I had to ensure your reflexes hadn't grown dull in your domestic bliss."

Levi released a long, slow sigh, his shoulders finally dropping as the crimson completely melted out of his eyes, leaving them a calm, cool silver-blue. He kept his arm tucked securely around your waist, but the dangerous edge in his aura vanished. "Forgiven," Levi grumbled, though his tone was significantly lighter. "I'll make an effort to visit more often."

"Thank you," Erwin said, genuinely pleased. "Now, after such a long journey, shall we have some tea?"

Your eyes instantly lit up, your inner baker practically bursting with curiosity. "Do you have snacks?"

Erwin chuckled warmly. "I have plenty of delicious things waiting for you, Countess. We have a wealth of honey-based delicacies here in the south."

The Duke led your group through the grand arches of the estate into an outdoor dining pavilion. The area was breathtaking, heavily draped in flowing, sheer white fabrics that billowed gently in the sea breeze, supported by grand marble pillars. It felt exactly like stepping into an ancient, sun-drenched Greek villa, completely private and beautifully serene.

You happily hurried over to your seat, sitting down with an excited bounce as a small army of elven servants began bringing out tiers of exquisite pastries, glistening honey tarts, and pots of fragrant floral tea. Naturally, you waved Luna over, completely ignoring high-society rules to share the food and tea with your sweet maid, who giggled happily at your side.

As you and Luna eagerly sampled the southern treats, the two powerful men across the table shifted into a completely different demeanour. Levi and Erwin spoke in their native vampiric language. a deep, melodic, and ancient tongue filled with sharp, low clicks and smooth, velvety vowels. Even without understanding the words, you could read their expressions. A lot of it clearly had to do with high-stakes trading routes, but from the sudden, dark scowl on Levi's face, you strongly believed some of the conversation was centred around the frustrating, plotting Dupré family.

"Little star," Levi's deep, velvety voice suddenly broke through the low murmur of their business talk.

He leaned across the table toward you, his silver-blue eyes incredibly soft. Reaching out with a slow, deliberate movement, his gloved thumb gently swiped across the corner of your lip. "You had a little cream right there, love."

Your cheeks instantly burned. "Oh... how terribly improper of me."

Instead of using a napkin, Levi brought his thumb to his own lips, slowly and deliberately licking the sweet cream off the dark leather of his glove while keeping his intense, adoring gaze locked directly onto yours. "It's adorable," he murmured, his voice sending a delicious shiver down your spine. "Don't worry. Erwin doesn't mind one bit."

Erwin shook his head with an amused sigh, taking a sip from a crystal goblet filled with dark red blood-tea. "Not one bit, Countess. Please, keep enjoying the food."

The peaceful atmosphere was shattered just a moment later when the heavy wooden doors of the pavilion opened. Erwin’s head butler entered, bowing low, his expression noticeably tight and nervous.

Erwin set his goblet down, his brow furrowing. "Everything okay?"

"Your Grace..." the butler stammered slightly. "Lady Elara is at the front gates. She insists on a meeting with you regarding her charity linked to the local temple. She refuses to take no for an answer."

Erwin let out a heavy, exhausted sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I have already told her no three separate times this month..."

As the name left the butler's mouth, you felt the air in the pavilion instantly drop several degrees. You turned to look at your husband and realised Levi had gone completely rigid, his jaw locked tight, his eyes staring blankly ahead as his posture turned stiff.

"Levi?" you asked softly, reaching over to touch his arm. "Everything okay?"

Erwin rose to his feet, smoothing down his elven silks. He cast a brief, heavily meaningful glance at Levi before giving you a reassuring smile. "She is Levi's ex-fiancée, Countess. Please, continue your tea. I will go down to the gates and see to her myself."

The moment the heavy doors closed behind Erwin and the butler, a heavy silence fell over the outdoor pavilion. You slowly turned your head, setting your teacup down into its saucer with a soft click as you looked over at your incredibly tense vampire husband.

"Ex-fiancée?" you repeated, your voice neutral but laced with curiosity.

Levi let out a long, ragged sigh, finally relaxing his shoulders as he turned his face toward you. He reached across the table, gently covering your hand with his gloved palm. "Yes. It happened about one hundred years ago... though, I know to you, that was probably kind of recent."

You stared at him, your lips parting in utter disbelief. "Recent? Levi, one hundred years ago is an age! That's literally an entire human lifetime!"

Levi blinked, his eyes widening just a fraction in genuine confusion as he processed your reaction. "Oh... right... human," he murmured softly to himself, a sheepish endearing look crossing his face as he realised the massive gap in your perceptions of time.

You couldn't help but let out a soft, hummed laugh, your heart swelling at how cute he looked when he was rattled. You squeezed his hand tightly. "It's fine, Kitten. So, an ex, huh? You were actually going to marry her?"

Levi shifted slightly in his chair, a rare look of discomfort crossing his handsome features as he tried to find the right words to explain his past to the woman who currently held his entire soul.

"She is an elven Blooming Vessel," Levi explained quietly, his voice deeply sincere. "Years ago, before I met you, the high council was desperate to find me a compatible match to secure the Ackerman lineage. Elara and I... we got on well enough. She was nice, and the arrangement was... just okay. But there was absolutely no passion, little star. It was a completely settled relationship. I admit, she probably loved me more than I loved her, but I don't think I ever truly loved her. It was merely a duty organised mostly by the council, and I simply went along with it because I hadn't yet realised what true love felt like."

He paused, his thumb gently caressing the back of your hand, his eyes burning with an intense devotion. "I quickly realised I couldn't go through with a hollow marriage, and I wanted to end it. My parents, who, as you know, absolutely adore you, were entirely supportive of me calling off the wedding. But the final nail in the coffin... the event that completely ended our arrangement permanently... was discovering that she had been having multiple affairs behind my back."

Your eyes widened slightly, a sudden, fiercely protective instinct flaring up in your chest on behalf of your husband. "Multiple affairs?"

Levi nodded, his jaw tightening slightly at the memory, though the warmth of your hand in his kept him completely grounded. "She had three men on the side. When I finally confronted her, she wasn't embarrassed or apologetic at all. Instead, she boldly told me that she wanted to have me as her husband for my status and power, while keeping the other three men in a harem as her private concubines."

He let out a low, mocking scoff, his eyes darkening. "It is absolutely not normal for elves to want this. It was the moment the facade cracked, and I saw a completely new side to her. To this day, she projects this public character that is cute, sweet, kind, caring, and deeply loving, someone who is entirely devoted to her charity and the temple. But behind closed doors, she is nothing like that at all. She is calculating, manipulative, and incredibly selfish."

Your heart ached for him, realising the quiet burden he had carried for a century while the rest of the world remained blind. Gently, you reached over and placed your hand firmly on Levi's thigh, squeezing it in a gesture of solidarity. "She deceived many, didn't she?"

"She did," Levi murmured, leaning into your touch. "Erwin, my parents, and my personal staff believed me the moment I told them everything, but everyone else in high society still believes her sweet act. They think I was the cold, unfeeling monster who broke a gentle elf's heart."

Suddenly, Levi shifted, pulling his chair closer to yours. He reached up, gently cradling your face in both of his large, cool hands, his thumbs caressing your cheeks. He forced you to look directly into his eyes, which were now burning with a desperate, all-consuming devotion.

"I love you, forever and always, my darling star," Levi rasped, his voice cracking with emotion. "Please, no matter what happens, no matter what lies are told... remember that. You are my entire universe. I am telling you this now because she is a creature of malice, and she will try to cause issues for us while we are here."

A protective warmth bloomed inside your chest, your Vessel markings pulsing brightly beneath your summer dress in response to his love. You offered him a bright smile, leaning into his palms.

"I will do my best, Kitten," you promised him softly. "I trust you completely."

Hearing your faith in him, Levi released a long sigh, the deep-seated tension finally draining out of his posture as his forehead came forward to rest gently against yours. "Good. Thank you, my love."

Desperate to erase the lingering phantom of his past, you shifted right up to Levi, closing every single inch of distance between your bodies. Wanting to offer him a deeply intimate comfort, you slid your hand further up his thigh, but in your haste, your fingers accidentally brushed over and firmly gripped his hardened length through his trousers.

You saw Levi instantly clench up, his entire body going completely rigid as a heavy, dark crimson flare bled back into his silver-blue eyes.

Missing the sudden shift in his arousal, you pouted a bit, looking up at him through your lashes. "Levi, you still look upset. Please cheer up."

The Count gulped hard, his gloved hand coming down to firmly trap your wrist, keeping your hand exactly where it was but preventing you from moving. His breath was suddenly incredibly shallow, his jaw locked. "I'm only holding back, little star, because you are currently grabbing my dick while there are staff about, and my best friend is just in the other room."

Your eyes went wide. You looked down at exactly where your fingers were wrapped, your heart racing a mile a minute as the scandalous reality of the situation hit you. You frantically pulled your hand back. "S-Sorry, Levi!"

Levi let out a low growl at the loss of your touch. Before you could slide away in your embarrassment, he wrapped his powerful arm around your waist and aggressively hauled your body right onto his lap, trapping you against his chest.

"You can do that later," Levi murmured, his deep voice dropping into a lovesick rasp against your ear. He hugged you close against him, his large hand spreading possessively across your hip. "You know I'm always happy to eat you up whenever you ask."

You gripped the fabric of his shirt, your face burning as you hid your face against his broad, solid chest. "Mmm..." you whimpered softly, completely overwhelmed by his shameless, yandere-tinted devotion.

"You are so damn cute," Levi chuckled fondly, his thumb caressing your hip through your summer dress as his chest rumbled with a deeply satisfied purr.

The heavy doors of the pavilion suddenly creaked open, and Erwin returned to you with a soft, relaxed smile. "Hello, both. My apologies for the delay. She is finally gone now."

The half-elf Duke smoothly stepped back into the shaded, Greek-style dining area and sat down in his grand chair. He immediately noticed that Levi had you completely cuddled up against his chest, holding you like a precious treasure he refused to let anyone else see. Erwin's brilliant blue eyes crinkled with a knowing, gentle warmth. "I assume you two talked it out the moment I dropped that bit of information?"

You nodded softly, peeking out from the safety of Levi's chest, your markings pulsing a steady, grounded rhythm. "Yes. Elara seems like a truly bad person."

Erwin let out a soft sigh, taking a sip of his blood-tea. "She is pretty terrible, Countess. A master of manipulation. To be quite frank, I am incredibly glad my friend got away from her before it was too late."

Levi didn't say a word, his arm only tightening around your waist as he buried his face deeper into your soft hair. He had his true star now, and no shadow from his past was ever going to take your warmth away from him.

The next morning, the southern port city came alive with the vibrant colours and thumping rhythms of the annual Sun-Drop Festival. The cobblestone streets were practically buried under a sea of exotic tropical flowers, and the air was thick with the intoxicating scents of roasting seafood, sweet honeyed pastries, and the lively plucking of elven lutes.

Walking through the crowded market stalls with Luna, you felt a sudden, flustered wave of self-consciousness wash over you. To respect the local culture, you had allowed Luna to dress you in traditional southern attire, a stunning, lightweight garment that wrapped intricately around the body like a Greek toga. The problem was that these flowing southern silks were traditionally designed for the tall, slender, and flat-chested elven women of the region.

The wrapping of the dress dipped dangerously low, completely exposing a breathtaking amount of sideboob whenever you moved. Poor Luna had spent nearly an hour pinning and tucking the fabric, working tirelessly to ensure your full breasts stayed perky and secure so you wouldn't accidentally pop out in the middle of the crowd.

"You look absolutely magnificent, Countess," Luna reassured you with a supportive smile, holding up a matching parasol. "Every man in this market is staring at you in absolute awe."

"I just feel so exposed," you murmured, your cheeks burning as you lightly adjusted the silk over your side, trying to ignore the way your Vessel markings peeked through the gaps in the fabric, shimmering softly in the sunlight.

To take your mind off your exposed skin, you focused entirely on shopping. You and Luna lightly browsed the stalls, picking out a few local spices, but your main priority was finding a gift for your fiercely devoted husband. After a few minutes of searching, a beautiful, handcrafted bracelet caught your eye. It was braided with subtle elven runes meant to bring peace and tranquillity, something your grumpy, overprotective Count desperately needed. Smiling happily, you bought it on the spot.

"Oh, the Count is going to absolutely cherish that," Luna praised your choice, her eyes crinkling. "He'll probably never take it off."

Before you could reply, a massive commotion broke out near the centre of the square. The crowd began to cheer frantically, pushing forward to form a tight circle around a massive, stone fountain. Intrigued, you and Luna moved closer, peering over the shoulders of the gathered townsfolk to see what the fuss was about.

Someone was dancing.

The first thing you noticed was a wild fountain of blonde, curly hair tossing through the air. As she twirled, you saw that her skin was golden, beautifully kissed by the southern sun. She was tall, slender, and possessed a muscular frame that defined a few graceful curves. Her eyes shone a brilliant, mesmerising blue, exactly like the sea. Across her collarbone and arms, her Blooming Vessel markings travelled in the shape of rolling ocean waves.

A local human man standing nearby let out a soft, dazed sigh. "Isn't she absolutely brilliant? Lady Elara is just a divine creature. I can't believe a pure-blood vampire could ever be foolish enough to leave her."

You watched Elara closely, your sharp Vessel instincts instantly picking up on the reality behind the performance. The ocean waves of her markings didn't look right at all; the silver light was dull, almost as if she had corrupted her Blooming Vessel magic through sheer malice and greed. As she danced, the heavy sweat glistening on her skin was ruining the thick cake of makeup on her face, revealing the hollow, desperate expression underneath. Something was deeply, fundamentally wrong with her.

Luna leaned over, her expression instantly turning cold and protective. "Countess? Shall we head out?"

You nodded, offering your maid a knowing smile. "Yeah. I need to buy some ingredients anyway. I want to bake something special for Levi when we get back to the estate... and I think I'm going to use a few drops of my own blood this time."

Luna’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Will the Count be okay with that?"

You began to walk away, a playful, confident hum leaving your lips. "I think Levi will be more than okay with it. He'll probably devour the whole batch."

"Levi?"

The sudden, sharp gasp caused both you and Luna to freeze in your tracks. You turned around slowly, the crowd parting as the golden-skinned elf stepped away from the fountain. Elara’s smile was wide, charming, and alluring, like a dangerous siren pulling sailors to their doom. She closed the distance between you, her eyes scanning your face with a predatory curiosity. "You know Levi? Is he back in the south?"

You glanced at Luna, who immediately straightened her posture, and then turned back to look directly into Elara's caked face. You didn't flinch. You didn't back down.

"Yes, I know Levi," you replied smoothly, your voice calm and elegant. "I know him very well. He is my husband."

Elara’s brilliant blue eyes widened, the charming siren mask instantly shattering into a look of shock. "He... he married?" she stammered, her voice cracking as her golden skin turned pale. "No. That's impossible. He said... he told the council he wouldn't marry anyone. He said he couldn't love..."

"We met, he became completely obsessed with me, and we've been together ever since," you stated with a sweet, calm smile. "And trust me, he's still very much obsessed."

To drive the point home, you lightly ran a finger over the markings on your chest, deliberately pulling back the draped silk dress to fully show off your sideboob and the heavy, custom wedding ring fused to your finger, a sacred piece of Ackerman magic that only Levi himself could ever remove. "How exactly do you know him?"

Elara's gaze locked onto your wedding ring, her teeth grinding together so hard you could hear it. "He... he didn't tell you about me?"

You hummed thoughtfully, tilting your head to the side. "Oh, let me think... he did mention something very briefly yesterday when you were making a scene at Erwin's front gates. But that's the only time. I guess he just didn't think you were important enough to bring up before then. Who were you again?"

Elara clenched her fists, her manicured nails digging into her palms. "I am Lady Elara," she hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "I was going to marry him. I was his fiancée!"

You didn't look bothered in the slightest. Instead, you casually looked over at Luna, who had a wicked, highly amused spark in her eyes. She had caught onto your little game perfectly. "Luna, help me out here?"

Luna hummed in mock thought, tapping her chin with a theatrical sigh. "Yes, Countess... now that I think about it, I'm sure there was some minor, insignificant detail in the Count's distant past. Truly nothing for us to worry about, my lady. It was just a tiny, irrelevant bump in the road. Shall we head back to the Duke's estate, Countess? I believe we have some very important baking to do for your husband."

You offered Elara one last sweet smile, turning on your heel as the blonde elf stood frozen in the middle of the market square, completely humiliated and burning with a dangerous, vengeful rage.

As you and Luna turned on your heels to leave a thoroughly humiliated Elara behind, you didn't even notice the two figures standing at the edge of the market square.

Levi and Erwin had decided to venture down into the festival to find you, flanked by a few elite guards. They had arrived just in time to witness the entire exchange. Levi had stood completely frozen, his eyes wide behind his sunglasses as he watched his normally gentle, sweet baker wife completely dominate his ex-fiancée with effortless, confident shade.

Seeing you claim him so boldly, showing off your wedding ring and your brilliant imperial markings, had sent a violent shockwave of arousal straight through the Count's veins.

The moment you twirled around to walk away, turning in all your glory, looking impossibly sexy, radiant, and entirely his in that daring southern silk, Levi completely lost his grip.

Clatter.

The large black sun-umbrella slipped from his gloved hand, clattering loudly against the cobblestones as he dropped it in absolute, breathless shock. He didn't even care that the harsh southern sun was hitting his pale skin. He was completely mesmerised. The traditional dress hugged your beautiful body in all the right places, and the sheer amount of perky sideboob on display had the pure-blood vampire's heart hammering like a frantic drum.

Giggling at his stunned expression, you smoothly approached your frozen husband, tilting your head. "Are you okay, Kitten?"

Levi’s gaze frantically darted down to the exposed curve of your breast, then up to your flushed face, his jaw completely slack. For the first time in his centuries-old life, the untouchable Sovereign was entirely flustered. "I... well... uh..." he stammered, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. "I don't even know where to look or touch right now, little star."

You smiled, stepping right into his space. Completely ignoring the lingering crowd, you ran your hands slowly up his broad chest, your fingers tracing his collarbone. "You can touch and look anywhere you want, Kitten. I'm all yours."

A deep, shaky breath escaped his lips, his powerful hands instantly coming down to hover over your exposed waist, desperate to pull you against him. "I am the luckiest damn man in the entire empire," he whispered roughly.

You leaned in closer, a low, playful sound vibrating in your throat as you purred at him, "I could just eat you right up, you absolute cutie."

Levi let out a soft moan at your words, his crimson eyes flaring to life behind his dark lenses as the heavy bond between your souls flared with a sudden, intoxicating heat. "God... I can't wait for the day I finally turn you into a vampire, love," he rasped, his voice dropping into a dark, possessive whisper. "I want you to bite me all the time. I want your fangs in my skin."

You giggled softly against his chest, your heart swelling at his devotion. "I promise I will, Levi."

"What on earth do you think you are doing?!" Elara’s shrill, furious voice shattered the romantic bubble. She marched over, her sea-blue eyes burning with a manic, jealous rage as she gestured wildly at the two of you. "Levi doesn't tolerate public displays of affection! He despises being touched in crowds! You don't know him at all, you common—"

Before she could finish her insult, Levi’s adoring expression instantly vanished, replaced by an icy, lethal glare that made the surrounding guards draw their breath. He stepped forward, wrapping his powerful arm around your waist and hauling your curvy body tightly against his side, completely shielding your exposed skin from the market's eyes.

"It's Count," Levi rumbled, his voice dropping into a terrifying, predatory growl that echoed through the square. "Count Levi to you. And you don't know a damn thing about me, Elara. The adoration and affection I show to my wife..." He gently caught your chin with his gloved fingers, lifting your head so the entire square could see the love in his eyes. "...comes from a place of deep, passionate, and eternal love. Something you are entirely incapable of understanding."

Elara took a step back, looking as though his words had physically struck her.

Erwin smoothly stepped into the tension, letting out an amused chuckle as he picked up Levi’s fallen umbrella and popped it back open, casting his friend in shade once more. "Well, now that the declarations of eternal love are finished... shall we head back to the estate? You can fawn over your beautiful wife as much as you want in private, Levi."

A wicked, eager smirk broke across Levi's handsome face. Without a single second of hesitation, he bent down. He effortlessly scooped you up into his arms in a grand bridal carry, making you let out a delighted giggle as you wrapped your arms securely around his neck.

"Yes!" Levi barked out happily, already turning on his heel to carry his prize away from the market.

Luna quickly trotted up behind you, holding up the colourful parcels with a triumphant grin. "Worry not, Countess! I have all of your shopping secured!"

Erwin laughed warmly, reaching out to take the heaviest bags from the sweet maid's hands. "Let me help you with those, Luna. It seems the Count is a bit preoccupied with his Queen."

As Levi carried you back up the coastal path, his eyes never left your face, completely consumed by the confident, beautiful baker who had completely rewritten his destiny.

You kicked your legs a little in mid-air, your lightweight southern silks fluttering in the coastal breeze as Levi carried you effortlessly up the winding stone path. The sheer strength in his arms was intoxicating, but your mind was buzzing with inspiration, and you couldn't stop talking. You happily babbled away, telling him all about the vibrant colours of the market, the sweet scent of the exotic flowers, and your brilliant new ideas for baking later.

"I bought this incredible spice, Kitten, and Luna told me the local honey tastes like starlight!" you chirped, your arms wrapped securely around his neck. "I'm going to make you something so delicious. I'm even going to put a secret ingredient in it just for you."

Levi didn't care about the steep incline of the cliff or the heavy heat of the afternoon sun. He just admired you, his silver-blue eyes drinking in the sight of your flushed, beautiful face and the spectacular view of your sideboob every time you shifted in his grip. A soft, hopelessly whipped smile rested on his lips.

"Is that so?" he murmured back, his deep voice incredibly gentle as he adjusted his hold to keep your curvy frame perfectly secure against his chest. "Whatever you bake, little star, I’ll eat every single crumb. Though you don't need exotic spices to impress me. Your hands already make everything taste like heaven."

You let out a soft, giggling hum, entirely melted by his rare, sweet words. You leaned the side of your head against his solid shoulder, closing your eyes as you listened to the steady, comforting thud of his heart. But as the image of the market square flashed behind your eyelids, the playful warmth in your chest suddenly gave way to a lingering sense of unease.

You opened your eyes and sighed softly. "Levi... I'm sorry to bring her up again, but there's something genuinely not right about Elara's markings."

Levi’s footsteps didn't falter, but his brow instantly furrowed, a sharp frown pulling at his lips. "What do you mean, love?"

"They just seem off," you explained. "Like they've been... tainted somehow. As a Vessel myself, I could feel the magic rolling off her while she was dancing, and it didn't feel pure. It felt heavy. Corrupted."

He hummed in deep thought, his eyes darkening as his protective instincts immediately went on high alert. "You mean the pattern is off? The physical flow of her magic?"

You nodded firmly against his shoulder. "Exactly. Like she's deeply sick, or doing something she shouldn't be. The blue ocean waves of her Blooming Vessel mark look wrong, almost stagnant. And she’s covered them up a bit with thick cake makeup, but the sweat from her dancing was washing it away. Something is very wrong with her, Levi. Her magic feels toxic."

Levi stalled his steps for just a fraction of a second, a chilling aura of calculated concern settling over him. He looked down at you, his thumb caressing your waist with a fiercely protective squeeze.

"A Vessel's markings are a direct reflection of their soul and the bonds they form," Levi murmured, his voice dropping into a low rumble. "If her waves are turning stagnant and corrupted, it means she is forcing her magic to do something unnatural. Elara has always been desperate for power and status. If she has tainted her own gift..." He glanced ahead toward Erwin's grand estate, his jaw locking tight. "I'll have Erwin look into her charity and her connections to the southern temples immediately. I won't allow a corrupted creature to breathe the same air as my pure, perfect star."

The moment Levi carried you through the grand marble archways of the estate, he bypassed the parlour entirely and marched straight into the Duke's sprawling, airy kitchen. He gently set you down onto the pristine white stone countertop, though his hands lingered on your waist.

Now that you were out of the sun and in the privacy of the cool indoor air, your traditional wrapped dress shifted slightly. In the soft light of the kitchen, your gorgeous markings practically gleamed. The intricate, winding vines were a brilliant, shimmering starlight-silver, painting your skin in a heavenly glow that proved you were his star. But the delicate flowers blooming along your chest, stomach, and down your body were flushed with that deep, radiant imperialcrimson, practically vibrating with the life and love you shared with your Count.

Levi stared at you, his throat bobbing as his fingers dug into the silk at your hips. "You are breathtaking," he whispered, completely transfixed by the contrast of the silver and crimson against your skin.

You giggled softly, bopping his nose. "I have baking to do, Count Ackerman. Let me up."

Reluctantly, Levi stepped back just enough to let you hop down, though he refused to leave your side. Luna soon hurried in, setting down the parcels of fresh southern flour, the exotic spices, and the heavy jar of starlight-honey you had purchased at the market. With a knowing, respectful bow to you both, Luna quietly slipped out of the room to give her master and mistress some well-deserved privacy.

You washed your hands and immediately got to work, your voluptuous body moving with practised grace around the unfamiliar kitchen. You decided to make a traditional sweet bun, using the local honey and the fragrant spices. As you leaned over the counter to vigorously knead the dough, the flowing southern silk draped precariously, offering Levi an absolute, uninterrupted view of your full, perky sideboob.

Levi stood directly behind you, his dark sunglasses discarded. His intense silver-blue eyes were dark with an overwhelming, protective hunger as he watched the silver and crimson flowers on your chest swell and shift with every movement of your arms. Unable to contain himself, he leaned down, burying his face in the crook of your neck, his lips brushing against a shimmering silver vine.

"You're distracting me, Kitten," you teased, a soft gasp escaping your lips as his hot breath fanned over your sensitive skin.

"Good," Levi rumbled possessively, his large hands sliding up from your waist to rest right against the exposed skin of your ribcage, just inches away from the swell of your breasts. "I want you distracted by me. Always."

You smiled, your heart racing with that familiar, thrilling rush of his devotion. "Well, you won't be distracted for long. It's time for the secret ingredient."

Reaching over to the spice rack, you grabbed a small, sterilised silver pin. Levi’s eyes narrowed slightly in confusion as you held your left hand over the bowl of beautifully kneaded sweet dough. Without a single second of hesitation, you gently pricked the tip of your ring finger.

A single, thick drop of your precious Vessel blood welled up, shimmering with a faint, magical silver-pink aura.

Before Levi could even process what you were doing, you let the drop of blood fall directly into the centre of the dough, quickly folding it in and kneading it thoroughly so your magic completely infused the pastry.

Levi went rigid behind you, his chest heaving as the intoxicating, legendary scent of your blood instantly filled the warm kitchen air. His fangs involuntarily lengthened, aching with a sudden, desperate urge to devour whatever you were making.

"Little star..." Levi rasped, his voice incredibly deep, rough, and dripping with a primal, possessive need. He gripped your hips, pulling your back tightly against his chest. "What did you just do?"

You turned your head, a naughty, confident smirk gracing your lips as you looked at your rattled husband. "I told you I was going to make something special just for you, Levi. I wanted my love and my magic to be baked directly into it. Do you mind?"

Levi let out a moan against your skin, his eyes burning a dangerous, territorial crimson as he realised just how fiercely, unashamedly devoted his sweet human baker had become. He leaned down, aggressively biting the soft skin of your shoulder in a fierce, loving nip that made you cry out in delight.

"Mind?" Levi growled adoringly, his hands sliding up to cup the undersides of your full breasts through the loose silk. "I am going to devour every single piece of it, and then I am going to devour you right on this counter."

You let out a breathless laugh, your heart hammering against your ribs as Levi's large hands warmly cupped your full chest. The possessive heat rolling off him was incredibly tempting, but a sudden flash of reality hit you; this wasn't your private manor, and the Duke's servants could walk in at any moment.

Reaching up, you firmly grabbed his hands, pulling them down from your breasts and turning around in his embrace to face him. You gave him a playful, stern look, your hands resting on your hips as the traditional southern dress swished against your thick thighs.

"Levi, absolutely not," you told him off softly, though a confident, naughty smirk tugged at the corner of your lips. "We are guests in Erwin’s home. We have to behave ourselves at least a little bit. Imagine if the Duke or the butler walked in on us defiling the royal countertops?"

Levi let out a defeated whine deep in his throat, a sound so needy it made your chest swell with pride. His crimson-tinted eyes darted from your lips down to the breathtaking view of your perky sideboob, his chest heaving as he tried to rein in the feral beast roaring inside his veins. He was completely whipped, desperately trying to be a good boy for his beloved queen.

"Fine," Levi rasped, swallowing hard as he deliberately forced his fangs to recede and his eyes to settle back into a calm, silver-blue. He took a slow, grounding breath of the sweet, blood-infused scent in the kitchen. "But if I am going to stay in this room without pinning you down, you need to give me a distraction."

You tilted your head, your starlight-silver markings shimmering beautifully. "Oh? And what kind of distraction does my Count want?"

Levi reached out, his gloved fingers gently tracing the edge of the silver-and-crimson flowers on your collarbone before dropping down to touch the wooden rolling pin on the counter. "Teach me," he murmured softly. "Teach me some of your baking skills. If my hands are busy working the dough, I might actually manage to keep my arousal down."

Your eyes lit up with absolute delight, your inner baker practically squealing at the thought of teaching the terrifying, untouchable Count Ackerman how to make pastries.

"I would love to, Kitten!" you chirped happily, your previous self-consciousness completely evaporating.

You grabbed a spare linen apron from the hook and turned him around, stepping close to wrap the ties securely around his broad, muscular waist. Levi stood perfectly still, looking incredibly out of place but entirely content as you patted his stomach.

"Alright, apprentice," you teased dynamically, grabbing his gloved hands and pulling them over to a fresh mound of flour. "First rule of the kitchen: we need to get these gloves off, wash your hands, and I'll show you exactly how to shape the dough without ruining the fluffiness. Pay attention, because my secret ingredient requires a very gentle touch."