It was cold – bone-chillingly cold! Night had come and engulfed the land in a frigid blanket of frost, darkness, and wind for the people of Espera Village, who had retreated into the comforting warmth of their homes and beds, leaving the streets devoid of life. Though some noise may have been heard from their houses earlier in the night, the midnight hour had come, bringing with it a complete and total calm. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqqtAEoWPk
Despite the cold, the lateness, and silence, a young woman, scantily clad in ornate, well-made black lingerie, had walked into the town square. The absolute stillness of the village had made it impossible for her to ignore the icy bite of the winter air, but she appreciated its sting upon her pale form. It made her feel more alive.
She had been in a terrible frame of mind, her thoughts obscured by the haze of monotony that pervaded her everyday life. In desperate search of respite from that insanity, she had flown silently into the freezing shadows of the cloudy, moonless night, a new moon perched invisibly in the heavens, the featureless sky mocking her desire for stimulation. Arriving near the perimeter of the village, she had silently flit into its interior, her dainty footsteps not producing even the quietest of sounds. After slinking to what she had perceived to be the town center, air had filled her lungs to maximum capacity as she breathed in the scent of the place. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiIUvE7fyN
While doing this, her mind had wandered to thoughts of both the ancient past and the remote future. They were nearly interchangeable to her, carbon copies of inescapable, crushing loneliness and boredom, though she feared the future more, its length eternal. How long was she meant to languish? Why must she suffer while others made merry? Who were the Fates to decide her destiny, a hopeless existence of solitude and dread?
It’s not fair… she had begun to think, her anger and sadness swelling, visualized by the smoldering in her deep purple eyes. I’m so… so…
The last pocket of air in her lungs filling as she had thought those words, she had smelled something, something she had recognized as more delicious and irresistible than anything else known to her.
Hungry…
Driven by instinct, she had darted toward its origin, an ajar bedroom window of a sturdy two-story house made of birch wood, her dark brown hair flowing like water in the air as she ran. Her inky black, dragon-like wings extending, she had glided to it, dexterously and stealthily opening it with her snake-like, heart-tipped tail. In a trance, she had landed silently on the hardwood floor, only to behold the sight of the smell’s source, a young man asleep in his bed. Creeping up to him while smiling lasciviously, she had slid onto the mattress, straddling him. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUUD8bLOvC
Looking at the man, who was likely in his early twenties, she had noticed him to be rather handsome and well-built, a strange sight for such a remote village. His light brown hair was short and well-kempt, his face was – save for a few minor scars along his left cheek – unblemished and attractively structured, and his body, though covered by thick winter clothing, was unmistakably trained and muscular, with his hands obviously knowing the hardships of labor. Though the rest of him was obscured by blankets, she had seen enough.
Ah… perhaps my luck is changing? Such a handsome virgin gift-wrapped here for the taking? she had pondered, licking her chops in anticipation. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ350L1ZXIXs
His scent was intoxicating, his purity providing an aroma sweeter and more erotic than most could comprehend. He was breathing slowly, mouth open slightly as to allow the sound of his breath to escape his throat. He was so vulnerable, so enticing, so…
Delicious… she had thought, leaning in towards him to sample his lips.
Before she could reach them, though, she was surprised by his eyes jolting open. Recomposing immediately, she had begun to pounce to restrain him, to prevent him from struggling, but she was suddenly frozen in place by the sensation of a strong yet tender hand on her cheek. It was so unexpected and gentle that it made her heart skip a beat. Before she had an opportunity to respond – to even think about responding! – her ears had been met by an impossibly warm, caring voice.
“You poor thing… You’re so hungry, aren’t you?” the man had asked, genuine concern piercing the numbness of his attacker’s heart.
Teardrops had begun to drip upon his form. His assailant, straddled upon him wearing what amounted to nothing, had lost her composure, her face contorting in sadness, overwhelmed by being seen so clearly, like an open book. It was terribly embarrassing for her, yet it also felt so liberating. This man, this stranger, had become, in that mere moment, both the only one who had seen through her and the only person with which she had felt comfortable confiding. Consequently, she had thrown herself upon him, embracing him tightly as tears and pained cries escaped from deep within her core. Ages worth of her pain and suffering were being unleashed all at once. Kindly, he had allowed her to do so, gently stroking her head and reassuring her until she had fallen asleep in his arms…
It was the deepest, warmest, most comfortable sleep she had enjoyed in centuries.
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