Blood Queen

Blood Queen Willow Asteria Copyright © 2023 by Willow Asteria All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. T o Branwyn and Jessandra. The best alphas and the bestest of friends! Content Warning Please be advised that this book may not be suitable for all audiences. This book contains sexual content, anxiety with panic attacks, degradation, narcissism, kidnapping, bondage, death, blood, and other topics some readers may not find suitable. One Even though Darius was driving as fast as he could, it still felt as if time has slowed to a crawl. Daphne sat in the back seat, staring out the window. With the curse broken and the wall down, I was finally able to return home. No longer were Darius and I trapped in a cycle of death that kept my true self secret and my memories locked away. We all couldn’t wait until we returned to Serafina. I couldn’t wait to walk through the forest, have picnics in my orchard, sit on my throne, and be with my people. The people are who I missed the most. I missed the diversity of fae that filled my life. As my memories returned, my heart broke for all the people that I left behind. My thoughts rushed to what could have happened to my land and my people. Dimitri’s words rang through my head as I recalled what he had told me. Serafina was a wasteland. No one was left. There was nothing to return to. Was that the truth, or something he had said to make me lose all hope? After hours of silence, Darius finally spoke. “We are about twenty minutes from our destination. Why don’t you get some sleep?” He said softly. How could I sleep at a time like this? My heart raced and adrenaline pumped through my veins. “He is right, Sabrina. You need your rest for what is to come,” Daphne finally spoke. Her voice was softer than I had ever heard it. I could tell that worry filled her head just as much as it did mine. As I fiddled with my bracelets, Darius reached over, placed his hand on mine, and gave it a gentle squeeze. My gaze met Darius’ and a warm smile filled his face. He had been different since we learned the wall was down. He was kinder and more supportive than I had known him to be in the months after we defeated Dimitri. A part of me thought he felt bad for how distant he had been during that time. During the drive, Darius told me about all he had done in those three months. His main focus was removing any of Dimitri’s men who would make his job as King harder. He wanted to bring a new era to Titus, an Era of peace. He wanted vampires, fae, and humans to live in harmony. He had some of the scholars at the Academy work to create synthetic blood to reduce the human death rate. That was still a work in progress. I watched as those green eyes of his stayed focused on the long, desolate road ahead. Darius leaned back into his seat with one hand on the wheel, his other now on my thigh. He squeezed it gently and smirked. Mine. His voice purred in the back of my mind. Since the curse had been broken, he and I could communicate telepathically much easier than before. I finally allowed my body to relax and the scent of cinnamon and pine filled my nose. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to rest my eyes for a moment. The sounds of cheers and clapping pulled me from my nap. I opened my eyes and looked out the window. We were pulling into the small fae village. Silas, Cora, Ron, and many others stood in a crowd. I was overjoyed to learn that they were safe. I had never stopped worrying about them after Dimitri’s attack. They cheered louder as Darius put the car in park. “Figured we should make a short detour before heading to the wall,” Darius said. I could not believe what I was seeing. The village was completely different from before. The buildings were brand new. They still had that cute charm that I remembered, but they now were more modern. “My first day as King,” Darius began, “I sent money and aid to help them rebuild after what my father had done.” “That was very kind of you,” Daphne spoke up from the back seat. “I think I can get used to a version of you that helps people.” “Don’t get used to it. I do not plan on being nice long term,” he paused and then looked at me. “Only for her will I be nice.” Before I could even respond, he was out of the car in a flash and opened my door for me. “After you, my Queen. Your people are waiting,” he gave a small bow. Darius gave me a look through his brows and chuckled under his breath. The past three months had been all about him and his rise to the throne. The night before we left, he sat me down and told me moving forward, he was going to focus solely on returning me to my land and my people. As I stepped out of the car, Cora ran to me and embraced me in a hug. Ron and Silas were not too far behind her. The village elder looked much healthier than he had the last time I had seen him, he no longer walked with a cane and he had not coughed at all. “Oh,” she gave an exacerbated sigh. “I was so worried when you were taken by Dimitri.” She finally released me and took a step back. “I was lucky to have Darius come to my rescue. Without him,