Her King

Regina's POV

I move my eyes under my closed eyelids as slowly I start becoming aware of my surroundings. Surprisingly, I am not feeling any burning sensation, neither my throat feels dry. However, before I can think about why I was feeling so strange, my ears register hushed voices around me.

But I don't feel worried as I can feel Altas's strong presence near me. If he is here then it means I don't need to worry about anything.

Suddenly, all the voices become silent and warmth spreads throughout my body when he gently holds my face in his hands, causing me to open my eyes. The first thing which I notice as soon as I open my eyes is a pair of violet eyes filled with worry and concern. The golden rings visible in his eyes tell even his beast hasn't completely retreated back inside and still lingering in front.

"Hi!" I whisper and lean into his touch which is bringing a strange kind of comfort inside my heart.

Instead of replying, he smashes his lip into mine. I respond to his kiss with the same kind of passion and ferocity with which he is kissing me. I can sense his worry, fear, and most importantly his love through this kiss. It seems like he is trying to console himself that I am alright.

He breaks the kiss when he realizes I need to breathe because I start to feel breathless. Although, I could have kissed him forever because I need him more than anything in this world. Breathing also becomes a second thing for me, when it comes to him.

He doesn't lean away from his face entirely. With each time I breathe his lips gently brushes against mine.

"You scared me, Regina." He rests his forehead against mine, "Don't do something like this again. I was going out of my mind, seeing you lying here unconscious while I was not able to do anything."

"Can you tell me what was happening with you back there?" He asks as he slips his arm behind my back and helps me to sit up. I lean against him, feeling extremely tired. I feel like I have barely any energy left in me.

"I never knew being unconscious takes so much of your strength." Mumbling, I rest my head against his shoulder and close my eyes. "I am feeling so tired." A tired sigh passes through my lips.

Atlas gently rubs my arm and kisses my head holding most of my weight to help me sit up.

"I don't know." I remember he has asked something and I need to answer him, "I just felt extremely thirsty and my chest burned from inside. I guess I was suffering from a severe case of heartburn." I sigh and instinctually my hand moves to my chest, recalling the burning sensation.

"However, your presence soothed the pain, but at the same time..." I trailed off trying to think how to explain to him, "I don't know... the thirst increased as well." I shrug, feeling confused.

His hand keeps running soothing circles on my arm, as he silently listens to me.

"I shouldn't be taking so much blood from you." After a few moments of thinking, he speaks, "I took too much blood from you, that's why all this happened." He sounds ashamed.

"Taking blood is a sacred thing... normally, both of the partners take each other's blood to strengthen their connection and to survive." He glances at me as he cups my face in his palm, "We are different from each other, but it doesn't change my desire for your blood but I should have kept in my mind that you are human."

"Accepting me and accepting our bond will bring changes in you as well. Because since you are my soul, you will gain all my powers, my senses, and my traits. You will not be as strong as me, neither it will change you, but you will be stronger just like any one of our kind. However, you can draw strength from me whenever you want, that's why you felt better with me being around you as subconsciously our connection was helping you to gain strength from me."

Quietly, I take in every piece of information but still I feel it doesn't explain everything. I don't get why I felt that extreme thirst, moreover, why I felt that way when I saw that blood.

"Atlas, that smell of blood... I felt like..." I can't even complete my sentence as it even to think about something like this I feel absurd, so I don't know how to even say this out loud.

"I know, I could feel that you were drawn to it. That's why I asked Theo to take you away from there." He nods his head in understanding, "I don't have the exact answer to it, but I think it has something to do with the connection we share." He tries to sound sure, but I can sense even he doesn't have a strong idea about it.

When I look at him, the look on his face tells me that there is something that he is hiding from me.

"Atlas, tell me what is it? Because I can feel that you are not telling me something." I gently force him to speak. My voice is soft, yet demanding.

"I am sorry, I did this without your permission but I didn't have any other choice neither I didn't know what else to do." He sighs, interlocking our fingers like he is afraid of my reaction, "I made you drink my blood because our blood can heal humans and also because I could feel your thirst for it. My beast forced me to do, as we can't deny your needs."

"So?" I shrug not understanding why he is talking like this is a big deal, because when we completed our bond he had given me his blood as it is a necessary ritual in completing the bond.

"It's not just a few drops, Regina." He meets my gaze, understanding what I am thinking, "It was more, and I feel from now you will need my blood since your body will have to be strong to adjust to all the changes which our connection has brought with itself."

Honestly, I will not lie all this not something easy for me to handle, but when I look at Atlas I know I can do anything for him. So taking a little blood from him shouldn't be that bad.

"Okay, so three spoons of your blood three times a day." I nod my head trying to keep my expression serious, "That doesn't sound that bad."

A small smile breaks into his lips realizing I am not mad at him, but then his smile turns mischievous.

"It doesn't have to be like that, you know." He gives me a suggestive smirk, "It can be done in more interesting ways, that will not make you feel disgusted to take my blood."

His words instantly change my mood, because I don't like what he has said.

"Atlas, why would I feel disgusted?" I try not to sound harsh, but can't help it because he is in a way insulting him, "Do you feel disgusted when you take blood from me?"

"Never, I can never feel disgusted... your blood is sacred for me. I feel honored each time you allow me to take it from you." He shakes his head while his eyes have hidden anger in them that even he has found my words hurtful and demeaning.

"Then why would I feel repulsed?" I lightly peck him, "Especially when I know this is something which will strengthen our connection and it will bring me, even more, closer to you."

"It would definitely be weird, but since you have said that we can do this in other interesting ways, so I don't think I need to focus on the weird part. Because I will prefer focusing on interesting parts." I wink at him, earning a low chuckle from him.

"But you have to be careful of me now." I narrow my eyes playfully at him, "Because now if you will make me angry, I will actually drink your blood, Atlas King."

This time he laughs heartily then he softly gazes into my eyes.

"You can take everything from me because I don't need anything else when I have you with me." He runs his knuckles on the side of my jaw. "As long as you are with me, I don't care about anything else."

His words reach my soul while I feel like losing myself in his eyes which is filled with sincerity and love. It almost feels unreal to have someone in your life who loves you so much.

"I wish I could tell you how much I love you." I smile at him, then holding his hand I brush my lips against the back of his hand, "But I don't think words will be enough to do justice to my feelings. So I just plan to show you how much I love you in every way I can throughout my life."

Pressing my lips to his, I kiss him with every bit of love that I have for him. I don't care that he is different from me, because all I know that he is mine.