"W-Wait." Vaela stutters as Lucien pins her down.
He stares at her, eyes glazed over in a crimson haze of overwhelming lust, panting and puffing like a wild beast.
"I-Im not ready." She whimpers, releasing his rock-hard member from her grip.
He hisses, baring his fangs in anger before throwing himself off her body and sulking into a corner.
"I'm sorry." she whispers. "I just…"
"No… I'm sorry, Ms. Moonblood." He retorts, smoothing back his hair and straightening his suit before quickly tightening his pants.
"You… have an effect on me. It's… intoxicating." He groans, loosening the top buttons of his shirt and stretching out his collar. "What do you want of me, Vanessa Moonblood? You urge me to the edge of satisfaction but deny me its conclusion. Is this some kind of test? Divine punishment from a vengeful goddess for my family's deeds?"
Lilith chuckles at the man's words.
Vaela looks on, her mind buzzing.
"Perhaps… " she whispers. "Perhaps I can offer you more than just pleasure. Perhaps I can offer you redemption..."
He stares at her in bewilderment.
"How?" he asks.
"Tell the driver to go to 25th street." She replies.
Lucien complies, notifying his driver on the change in destination.
As they move through the city, Vaela delivers a compassionate plea towards Lucien, detailing the suffering that humans endure around the Veruna and how he held the potential to help thousands.
The limousine comes to a stop in front of a large, dilated building. Dim lights flicker on and off behind cracked windows and crumbling concrete.
"What is this?" Lucien hisses as the vehicles come to a halt.
"My first home." Vaela replies.
She exits the vehicle and gestures for Lucien to follow, who does so reluctantly. She leads him through the creaking, rusty entrance and towards a large wooden door. She knocks, and a short, old woman soon answers abruptly. Asking what the pair wanted at such a late hour.
"Did you get the gifts?" Vaela asks.
"That was you!?" The woman replies, her eyes widening.
Vaela answers with a warm smile.
"Come! Come see!" The lady shrieks, grabbing Vaela's hand and dragging her into the building. Lucien cautiously follows.
Inside, they walk through long, deserted corridors filled with rotting furniture and broken toys.
The faint sounds of laughter and cheer grow around them as they move towards a sliver of light leaking from beneath a door.
The old lady bursts into a room filled. Tiny bodies move about the floors and surfaces, each one in a state of intent play and enjoyment as they toss around and share a menagerie of new toys, books and play things.
"This is what a little help can bring." Vaela whispers to Lucien as he looks on, his face beset by a wide smile as he surveys the scene of unrepentant joy.
"You bought gifts for all the orphanages in the city!" The old lady shrills, grabbing Vaela's hand in admiration. "We have never had such a show of generosity. We can't thank you enough!"
"I hope this will only be the start." Vaela replies with a satisfied smile. "Seeing their smiles is all I want in return."
The old lady nods, offering them some time with the children. Vaela looks at Lucien expectantly.
"Of course." He smiles.
The two spend the rest of the evening with a circus of cheering children. Playing with the little humans and listening to tales of their hopes and dreams.
Lucien skulks off to a corner on his phone, reappearing a moment later with a sly grin across his face.
The sound of ice cream trucks soon filled the area, followed by delighted screams of kids.
"We'll never get them asleep now." The orphanage's matron moans as she watches buckets of ice cream and frozen treats brought into the building.
"I've sent a few trucks to the other orphanages as well." Lucien whispers into Vaela's ear as the two dished towering ice cream comes for each of the children.
They finish their evening regaling the children with bedtime stories and helping the orphanages staff tuck the younger ones into their beds.
The pair sneak off shortly afterwards after a short discussion with the orphanage managers, each of them promising to provide ongoing support.
Slumping bank into the limousine, tired and content, Lucien instructs his driver to take Vaela back home.
"Not quite the evening I had intended." he jokes as they both lay splayed out on the limousines seats, wheezing with exhaustion.
"And yet you've given me the best night of my life." Vaela laughs.
"You're fascinating, Vanessa Moonblood." Lucien says, smiling widely at Vaela.
Vaela answers with a smirk.
"I fear I find myself falling for you…" he whispers.
"That's a long way to fall." she jokes in response.
"Then I will keep falling until you're ready to catch me." He replies.
"Oh no…" Lilith cries, as she watches the man's eyes glimmer with the familiar flickers of a mind falling in love.
The pair spend the rest of the ride to Vaela's estate discussing their time at the orphanage and its cute and unpredictable residents, laughing with joy and basking in a deep sense of satisfaction.
The limousine pulls up to the entrance of Vaela's home where she stumbles out, half-drunk and giggling with laughter. The two quickly finished almost two bottles of champagne on their way to her home.
Lucien wobbles behind her as she stumbles up the steps of her house.
"You want to come in?" she asks, biting at her lip seductively.
"I do!" he says excitedly. "But… I really like you, Vanessa and I want you to really like me too. I… I don't want to disappoint you." He says nervously.
"W-What!?" she sputters.
"I hope you will allow me to see you again, soon." He asks as he makes his wake back to the limo.
"Y-Yeah… sure." She stutters in confusion as he climbs back into the car. "Are you sure…"
He nods, smiles and stares at Vaela, smiling with a sense of accomplishment before sliding into the car and shutting the door.
The car lurches forward, purring softly as it crawls down the entranceway and exits her estate.
"Shit!" She shrieks as the car disappears beyond the gates. "What the hell happened? I thought I had him."
Lilith puffs into view, stretching her body as she yawns deeply.
"He's yours..." she chuckles. "I have no idea how you did it. But you've passed the first seduction."
"What? I actually seduced him?"
"Yes." Lilith says, shaking her head. " But not with lust, well… maybe a little lust."
"What do you mean?" Vaela asked, confused.
"He's in love." she states with a sigh. "You haven't just captured his loins, you've captured his heart. This will complicate things. Seduction fades… love does not. Not as easily—"
"Wait… I did it? I actually did it?" Vaela asks excitedly.
"Yes… but he's in love with you, kitten. Like a lost puppy trying to find his way home."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Yes!" Lilith scoffs. "One new lover before every full moon. You're supposed to seduce them and get rid of them. He won't be easy to get rid of… not without breaking his heart. Simple seduction would have been a lot easier. This is just… cruel."
Vaela's face turns to a frown as she realizes the truth behind the demon's words.
The curse would not allow her to pursue any kind of traditional relationship with the hot, young vampire who was now falling in love with her. Not without endangering the future of the world.
She would have to begin working on her next seduction target within a week.
"You continue to astound me." Lilith smiles. "Perhaps you'll figure out a way to handle this as well."
Vaela slowly trudges back into her mansion where her staff warmly welcome return.
They help her into a hot bath in her private bathroom where she would soak for hours, contemplating her time with Lucien and what the outcomes of their relationship would hold when she would be forced to pursue a new man in the coming week.
Tears begin to well in her eyes as she mourns the potential future she could have had with the young, powerful vampire, and how they could have changed Veruna for the better.
"You love him?" Lilith asks as she appears in a puff of smoke, relaxing in the bath next to Vaela.
"No!" Vaela sneers. "But… but maybe I could have."
"You definitely could have." Lilith smiles. "Perhaps In another life. But love is not on the cards for you, Vaela. Not anytime soon."
Vaela sighs deeply as she stares at her body floating in the large bath teeming with bubbles.
"I need tacos." she groans as she slips beneath the water.