The Vampire King's Possession
Chapter 739. Overheated

Chapter 739: 739. Overheated

When Mill returned, Mauve was on her feet in the corner of the room. The servant had fixed the string she broke. They must have done it while she was asleep, as it was still cut when she returned to the room. How had she not woken up during all that?

"Just place it on the bed," Mauve said without looking at Mill. Mill nodded, placed the tray on the bed, and walked over to Mauve to guide her to sit.

"You know I can walk, right?" Mauve asked though she didn’t stop Mill from assisting her.

"I know," Mill smiled. "I sent someone to call the Primus. He should be here soon."

"I don’t want to see him," Mauve stated as she sat down.

Mill didn’t reply to this; instead, she asked, "Would you like my help while eating?"

"No," Mauve replied, picking up the bowl of soup. She was annoyed but she couldn’t exactly blame Mill. She had overslept all by herself. "Is it just me, or is it really hot tonight?"

"I can’t say, my lady. Vampires feel temperature differently from humans. If you think it’s hot, then it must be."

"Ah, you vampires are so lucky. I’m one step away from taking off my clothes," Mauve mumbled as she ate.

"Would you like a cool bath? I can specifically ask for the coldest water to be brought to you."

"No, none of that. I’ll feel better after eating," she said, and Mill stepped aside to let her eat.

Mauve did not feel better after eating; in fact, she felt worse. So when she saw Jael walking through the doors, she didn’t think twice before stretching her hands toward him, opening and closing her palms. He gave her a puzzled look, glancing between her and Mill.

"Did something happen? I thought you were angry with me," Jael said, walking closer to the bed and standing beside her.

Mauve grabbed his wrist and pulled him down. Jael fell onto the bed.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, surprised at her strength. "When did you get so strong?"

"It’s hot," she said without replying, pressing her face against his chest. His clothes, however, prevented her from getting the coolness she craved.

"You’re hot," he said with a frown, lifting her face from his chest. "Are you okay?" He studied her face as he asked, checking for signs she might be sick.

"I’m fine, just hot. Take off your shirt!"

Mill coughed from the corner of the room as if something was caught in her throat. "I’ll leave you two," she mumbled, bowing before slipping out the door.

It took a moment for Mauve to realize why Mill left. She blushed and glanced at Jael, but he didn’t seem fazed by her words.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" he asked, still cupping her face.

His cool hands felt heavenly against her overheated cheeks. "Yeah, just hot," she muttered, trying to grab at his torso again, but Jael gently stopped her.

"Are you really sure?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Mauve grew frustrated and pushed against him. "Let me!" she cried.

"Wait," Jael called, but he gave up when Mauve pushed him onto his back. He stopped struggling, worried he might accidentally hurt her.

She lifted his shirt and pressed the side of her face against his stomach, sighing in relief as she lay sideways, her head resting there. Her hand moved further up his torso.

"How are you so cold?" She asked.

Jael grabbed her hand, stopping its movement. It was torture, feeling her hands all over him like that. "Are you really that hot, or are you trying to attack me? Is this revenge for making you miss the second meal?"

"Aha!" she yelled, sitting upright. "So you admit it was on purpose!"

"I didn’t want to bother you. You were sleeping so peacefully," Jael said, sitting up beside her.

Mauve didn’t like how his gentle tone made her feel less angry. "Still," she groaned.

"If I take my shirt off, will you let it go?"

"No," she said, scooting closer and resting her head on his shoulder. "But I am really that hot. Mill suggested a bath, but I don’t think that would help much. As soon as I’m out of the water, I’ll feel the heat again."

"What do you suggest?" Jael asked, grabbing her hand again as it attempted to move under his shirt.

"Outside is cooler," Mauve said, pouting as she peeked at him from under her lashes.

"Alright, I’ll take you to the rooftop," he said, starting to get up.

"No," Mauve said. "It’s not the same."

Jael’s expression changed as he realized what she meant. "No," he stated.

"I won’t bother anyone. I’ll just stay in the corner and I will forgive you for letting me oversleep."

Jael couldn’t understand how her oversleeping was his fault. "No."

"Please, Jael," Mauve said, trying to slip her hand under his shirt again.

She was undeniably warmer than usual, but it wasn’t just her temperature that bothered him. Every touch from her sent tingles coursing through his body. There was no way he could endure being her personal cooler for long.

Jael sighed. He was truly caught between a rock and a hard place, the worst part being how much he related to the latter.

"You can keep an eye on me yourself," Mauve said. "And it’s almost time for my walk. I don’t even need to do that. I’ll come in after everyone else is done."

Jael couldn’t tell if she was doing this on purpose or if she was genuinely overheated. Still, her temperature worried him. She said she was fine and didn’t appear sick, just flushed. At this point, he regretted not waking her for the second meal.

By the time he stopped her hand from going up his shirt for the fifth time, Jael knew he’d lost. "Fine," he said with a sigh. "I’ll let you go out with me."

"Really?" Mauve asked, her eyes wide with shock.

"Isn’t this what you wanted?" he asked, annoyed. "Why are you so surprised?"